Transcript Highlights:

• There's going to be by default, because it represents 75% of the class, there will be a reduction in
• But a lot of those students would, by default, be really competitive within that non-automatic admit
• I think it absolutely, by default... fault of what top 10% is, pulls from areas regardless of anything
• So there's a different criteria that's used to determine their eligibility by default of increasing the
• ratio, loan-to-debt-to-income ratio between institutions and programs.

Bills: HB42, HB 125, HB 1233, HB2853, HB3148, HB3326, HB3701, HB4066, HB4361, HB4762, HB4909, HB4912, HB42, HB125

Keywords: higher education, funding, financial allocation, state budget, Texas A&M University, University of Houston, education funding, medical education, osteopathic medicine, healthcare workforce, Tarleton State University, industry-recognized credentials, workforce development, career opportunities, feasibility study, student fees, university funding, student union, education, UT El Paso

Transcript Highlights:

• Those who work in public service can attain loan forgiveness.
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness is a federal program that provides federal student loan debt forgiveness
• forgiveness programs. service loan forgiveness plan.
• It's less than $25,000 if they have any student loans.
• There are loan forgiveness programs and so forth.

Bills: HB42, HB 125, HB 1233, HB2853, HB3148, HB3326, HB3701, HB4066, HB4361, HB4762, HB4909, HB4912, HB42, HB125

Keywords: higher education, funding, financial allocation, state budget, Texas A&M University, University of Houston, education funding, medical education, osteopathic medicine, healthcare workforce, Tarleton State University, industry-recognized credentials, workforce development, career opportunities, feasibility study, student fees, university funding, student union, education, UT El Paso

Transcript Highlights:

• loans pose no greater risk than regular 504 loans.
• RATES FOR SPECIAL PURPOSE AND STANDARD LOANS ARE SIMILAR, DEMONSTRATING THAT THESE LOANS POSE NO GREATER
• RISK THAN REGULAR 504 LOANS.
• While loan defaults aren't currently a concern for the 504 program, this bill will provide Congress with
• loan programs.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It has put us in a situation where we were required to take out a $2 million bridge loan in March of
• It has put us in a situation where we were required to take out a $2 million bridge loan in March of
• And in the history of the program, there's only ever been one default, and the city that defaulted paid
• , one default, one default, and<00:36:30.760> the<00:36:30.840> city<00:36:31.080><
• city that defaulted paid back and the city that defaulted paid back the<00:36:32.720> state<00

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Is it a loan?
• The payoff of that loan will end in June, and so we won't be pulling any money off of this loan until
• This loan, this specific $4.7 million, what are you using those loan proceeds for?
• The payoff of that loan will.
• This loan, this specific $4.7 million, what are you using those loan proceeds for?

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, opened with a prayer recognizing the death of Reverend Jesse Jackson, and then worked through a series of appropriation and transfer requests. In Section B, it approved a $273,000 temporary appropriation for the Department of Labor and Licensing. In Section C, it approved two Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act requests: $280 million for the Department of Transportation and $195 million for the State Broadband Office to support Arkansas BEAD broadband grants, including an extra help position. Members questioned the broadband awards, provider amendments, buildout timelines, accountability, and the status of unawarded locations; the broadband director said no provider had requested speed changes, awards would be monitored with milestone-based payments, and remaining locations would be addressed later as federal guidance is received. The committee also approved transfers in Section D, including $458,000 for the Department of Correction, $25 million for Department of Education programs such as declining enrollment and teacher incentive funding, and $229,000 for Shared Administrative Services project management support. In Section E, the committee considered a $4.7 million budget stabilization trust fund loan for the Office of State Technology to implement ServiceNow and related IT modernization, cybersecurity, and governance tools. Members pressed agency officials on repayment, cost savings, and whether the loan would simply roll over existing costs; officials said repayment would come through agency rates over a five-year period and that the new payment would be lower than the current loan being retired. The committee voted to give favorable advice to the Governor on the loan request. In Section F, the committee reviewed cash fund requests for wage and hour claims, unclaimed property, and a heritage grant; in Section G, it reviewed a $1.1 million federal grant to expand college and career coaching in rural districts; in Section H, it reviewed pay plan and performance fund requests totaling millions across multiple agencies; and in Section I, it reviewed budget manual formatting changes. The latter part of the meeting focused on reports, especially the Medicaid trust fund. DHS and DFA officials reported the fund balance had declined from prior years and was down to about $394 million after seven months, with further decline expected by year-end. Senators and representatives asked about the appropriate reserve level, the impact of pending Medicaid rules and legislation, FMAP changes, and whether additional funding would be needed in the upcoming budget. Officials said projections are updated regularly, more than 10 rule packages remain pending with CMS, and the governor and legislative leaders will discuss additional capital needs during budget development. Members also discussed the importance of balancing Medicaid spending with new federal funding and maintaining flexibility for critical areas such as labor and delivery. The committee then adjourned without further action on the reports.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, uh, then we have additional changes in the event of a default makes.
• And Senator Pinto, we are hoping to pass many measures this session that will the loan forgiveness.
• We're here to present House Bill 66, Healthcare Professional Loan Fund Changes.
• It's great that it improves funding for loan repayment for many types of providers.
• So they could actually qualify for quite a large loan repayment. Thank you.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And how many loans do we have? I know we currently have 17 active loans.
• Okay, so these loans are for business expansion? Yes.
• That had a lot of default. Yeah, there was quite a bit of default.
• > it was uh quite a bit of default it was uh quite a bit of default it A<00:49:57.319> lender
• Next up, Senate Bill 983, relating to small business loans.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Economic Development and Tourism heard testimony on several bills, with much of the discussion focused on Enterprise Zones and related economic development measures. On SB 125, the committee heard support from DBEDT, the Department of Taxation, the Tax Foundation of Hawaiʻi, the Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau, and the Farmers Union. Members questioned how the bill would affect job-creation requirements and learned that existing companies and new companies are treated differently under the program, with existing companies generally subject to a 15% annual employment increase and new companies to a 10% increase, while the bill would extend the program period from seven to nine years. DBEDT also said the program has been effective, citing 1,162 jobs created or maintained at a cost of about $1.2 million, and noted that agriculture, manufacturing, and wholesaling are the main sectors involved. The committee then took up SB 729, also relating to Enterprise Zones, which would expand eligibility to better accommodate local manufacturers and value-added businesses that sell directly to retail rather than only wholesale. Testifiers from the Holua Collaborative and Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau supported the measure, saying it would help small manufacturers and agricultural producers add value and adapt to internet-era sales patterns. A committee discussion clarified that the bill would add value-added processing as an allowable activity within the zones, and DBEDT explained that the current rules were written for a wholesale-dominated market. The Attorney General’s office also testified, raising a supremacy clause concern and recommending language changes to avoid conflict with federal law. On SB 129, relating to labeling requirements for fish, the Attorney General and the Department of Agriculture both raised concerns about federal preemption and enforcement. The AG explained that federal law governs fish labeling but includes an exception for processed fish, and recommended narrowing the bill to processed fish and defining that term to fit the federal carve-out. The Hawaii Longline Association supported the bill but suggested excluding canned tuna while including products such as poke, sashimi, and sushi. The Department of Agriculture said it does not currently enforce this kind of labeling requirement and would need to determine whether another agency should handle enforcement. The committee also heard SB 581, which would establish an aerospace and aeronautics development program within DBEDT. Testimony was generally supportive, but members pressed for a fiscal estimate, and the bill’s sponsor said a prior version of the office had operated on about $400,000 annually with a small staff. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• You can take out a payday loan or an online payday loan. You could incur a late fee.
• The agency analysis says clearly these products are loans under the Small Loans Act.
• Loans are still very much covered under the Small Loans Act. Thank you.
• New Mexico's law agrees it's a loan. These are loans.
• My understanding is that the default rate, for the companies that are providing the loans, is something

Transcript Highlights:

• In any loan, we are usually only 10 to 20% of the total loan.
• we did not have a loan uh set loan pool we did not have a loan uh set loan pool set<00:43:15.599
• It's not that every loan is going to have grant capital in their loan.
• , but how those loans fit into our overall loan portfolio.
• do those loans fit into our overall loan do those loans fit into our overall loan portfolio<00:59

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It is his understanding that those low-interest loans are around 3 percent.
• understanding those low interest loans understanding those low interest loans are<00:15:11.120><
• Um they've worked in 0% default rate.
• <01:23:41.199> against bank and I want to get a loan against bank and I want to get a loan
• Revolving loan funds fantastic ideas.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:07 Roll Call 00:00:14 Discussion of Pro-Growth Housing Policies 00:02:01 Discussion of Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit 01:11:13 Adjournment 01:40:27, 958, all

Summary: The Kentucky Housing Task Force met and heard first from the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, which presented findings from a housing study done with the Home Builders Association. The chamber said housing is now a major economic-development issue, citing survey results that 90% of community leaders said their region could not absorb a major job announcement and 66% said housing is holding back Kentucky’s economy. The chamber described Kentucky’s housing shortage, rising home prices, declining permits since 2008, and the need for more production to support growth. It urged policy changes including zoning and land-use reform, tax incentives, regional approaches, and especially a residential infrastructure fund modeled on Indiana’s low-interest loan program to help communities finance roads and other infrastructure needed for new housing. Members asked about the severity of the problem, workforce shortages in permitting and construction, the loan interest rate, repayment, and whether Kentucky could replicate Indiana’s results; the witness said the issue is a crisis and that the program would be a revolving public-private partnership, likely around 3% interest, with implementation details still to be worked out. The Kentucky Bankers Association then testified that the housing gap is especially acute for households at 80% of area median income and below, which it said represents about 70% of Kentucky’s housing need. It emphasized that the shortage affects both urban and rural counties and pointed to examples such as Rowan County, where workers at major employers must commute long distances because local housing is unavailable or unaffordable. The bankers said high interest rates remain a major barrier and proposed a $20 million bank commitment for a revolving fund tied to tax credits to finance new housing, not refinances. They cited Hope of the Midwest as an example of a successful tax-credit housing model with a long track record and no defaults, and said the proposal would leverage public-private partnerships to create new units. Committee members questioned how the proposed fund would compare with industrial revenue bonds and whether it could be structured like Kentucky’s tobacco settlement fund, with seed money, a review board, scoring criteria, and possible population thresholds to ensure smaller communities benefit. The bankers said the proposal would be another tool for cities and counties, specifically tied to residential infrastructure, and that larger cities should not be able to capture all of the resources. No formal votes or actions were taken during this portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• After the 2008 housing crash, many of these loans became uncollectable as homeowners were defaulting
• on their loans.
• or the loan was discharged in bankruptcy.
• or the loan was discharged in bankruptcy.
• Some of them have one loan. Some of them bought five loans.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on the Judiciary heard testimony on a wide range of bills, with much of the discussion focused on housing stability and maternal mental health. On H. 1924/S. 1171, supporters including Sen. Joan Lovely, Rep. Jim O’Day, physicians, advocates, and people with lived experience urged the committee to create legal protections and treatment pathways for defendants who experienced postpartum psychosis or other perinatal mood disorders within 12 months of giving birth. Testimony emphasized that these conditions are rare but severe, often treatable, and can lead to tragic outcomes if criminalized rather than addressed through screening, expert evaluation, treatment, and, in some cases, resentencing or mitigation. Committee members asked about diagnosis years after the fact and how the Illinois law has worked; witnesses said retrospective diagnosis is possible and that the Illinois model has led to some successful resentencing petitions and broader awareness. Housing-related bills drew substantial testimony. On H. 1983/S. 1071, witnesses described “zombie” subordinate mortgages that were sold years after borrowers believed they had been resolved, then resurfaced with large balances and foreclosure threats. Supporters said the bill would require disclosures and court review to prevent unlawful servicing and foreclosure practices. On H. 1952, advocates from the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, tenants, and legal services providers backed a permanent statewide right to counsel in eviction cases, citing data showing strong tenant outcomes and the importance of quality control, multilingual outreach, and full representation. On H. 1895/S. 1184, testimony supported codifying a two-tier summary process in eviction court and prohibiting defaults at the initial case-management stage. On H. 1883, a small property owner supported rent escrow as a way to protect landlords from bad-faith nonpayment while preserving tenant rights. The committee also heard testimony on bills addressing discriminatory housing covenants, tenant oversight, and homelessness. On H. 1762/S. 1080, a housing advocate supported removing void restrictive covenants from deeds, describing the Dirty Deeds Project and the lingering harm of racist language in property records. On H. 1814, tenants and advocates described harassment, retaliation, security problems, and lack of accountability in subsidized housing, arguing for an Office of the Tenant Advocate within the Attorney General’s Office. On S. 1120, multiple witnesses supported a bill of rights for people experiencing homelessness, saying it would affirm the right to rest and seek shelter, reduce criminalization, and extend anti-discrimination protections. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing; the committee primarily received testimony and questions on the bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• those loans underneath it.
• And also, what happens on defaults to those loans?
• We administer a disaster loan, and so those have been there have been some defaults on those.
• Disaster loans... The non-disaster loans are a challenge, right?
• That's a tough thing, but the non-disaster loans have either industry standard or higher rates of default

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I would say the... ...The vast majority that I see are credit cards, loans, things like that.
• Are most of your judgments default judgments? Yes, that's correct.
• Do you agree that most of the judgments are default judgments?
• There is a good portion from debt collections that are defaults, and I know both of these are.
• So you got a default judgment, now you're getting a turnover and a hearing.

Bills: HB2242, HB2446, HB2799, HB4502, HB2920, HB2790, HB5620, HB5060, HB5076, HB5080, HB5081, HB5128, HB5130, HB3847, HB5116, HB2969, HB4546, HB4202, HB5624, HB3964, HB4803, HB872, HB4775, HB4777, HB4961, HB5570, HB2988, HB4260, HB1375, HB5009, HB5411, HB5134, HB4388, HB3095, HB1387

Keywords: constables, civil rights, local government, law enforcement, policy-making authority, affidavit, medical bills, civil actions, reasonable charges, healthcare services, judicial statistics, court performance, family law, civil cases, efficiency reporting, court security, emergency management, harassment penalties, judicial safety, court committee

Transcript Highlights:

• The state only faces exposure if a loan fails and the borrower defaults on a loan.
• Business loans may be unsecured or rely on volatile business assets, leading to higher default risks.
• assets leading to higher default risks. assets leading to higher default risks.
• default rate. default rate.
• ...record of making these types of loans with a low default, thereby protecting the state's interest,

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We enhanced student loan borrower protection and much more.
• who were who were got stated loans who were who were got stated income<00:03:07.480> loans<00
• It is not something people decide to do like a business loan or a car loan.
• <00:12:34.839> servicers it ensures that student loan servicers it ensures that student loan
• really going to hurt student loan really going to hurt student loan borrowers<00:18:16.720> does

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Default becomes 7 and a half credits.
• debt without income to make up for the loan default for those institutions.
• <01:04:22.480> default<01:04:22.799> for to make up for the loan default for to make
• up for the loan default for those<01:04:23.400> institutions.
• So I'll ask our chancellor if we have the latest loan default-specific detail.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard updates from the chancellors of the state university system and the community college system on ongoing restructuring, collaboration, and enrollment trends. The university system said its office move to the NHTI campus is ahead of schedule and should save students about $250,000 a year while creating revenue for the community college system. Both systems described continued work on transfer pathways, direct-admit outreach, shared advising, and broader efforts to shrink footprints, reduce costs, and improve operational efficiency in response to declining enrollment and demographic pressure. A major topic was a possible federal change to Pell Grant eligibility that would require students to enroll in at least 7.5 credits. The chancellors said most community college students are part-time because of work and family responsibilities, and that the change could affect roughly 2,000 current Pell recipients and make it harder for students to afford or sustain enrollment. Members also discussed how the state’s governor’s scholarship statute largely benefits full-time students, suggesting possible future statutory changes. The chancellors explained how credits typically work, noting most courses are three or four credits and that students would likely need to add an entire course to meet the proposed threshold. The committee also discussed the broader higher education landscape, including declining high school cohorts, competition among New England institutions, and the need to right-size capacity. One member raised concerns about the health of regional campuses such as Plymouth and Keene; the chancellors said incoming enrollment is down at UNH and Plymouth and holding at Keene, attributing the trend to demographics rather than one campus drawing students away from another. They emphasized the importance of community colleges, adult learners, and short-term workforce programs as part of the state’s future education mix. Finally, the committee touched on the value of the university system’s research enterprise. The chancellor said about $250 million a year flows into the university system in federal research grants, with about $9.5 million currently under stop-work orders from federal agencies. She said the immediate concern is not DEI-related but federal cuts and possible caps on indirect cost recovery. Members noted that the R1 research designation supports business partnerships, student opportunities, and economic development projects such as West Edge in Durham.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh we've taken some losses on 24 loans. So that's a .0017% of total dollar default.
• Uh we've taken some losses on 24 loans. So that's a .0017% of total dollar default.
• > incre<00:26:09.760> increased but loan requests have incre increased but loan requests
• 50.880> totaling<00:26:51.279> around uh 3,951 loans issued totaling around uh 3,951 loans
• Um and we of total dollar default.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The Minnesota Department of Agriculture presented an overview of its budget, staffing, and major program areas, including protection services, marketing, and administration. Commissioners also highlighted concerns about federal funding uncertainty after a January letter suspending active and future USDA awards to the department. They said the issue affected about 13% of the agency’s budget, created confusion for farmers, and briefly disrupted poultry lab testing and HPAI-related work, though they later received assurances from USDA leadership that existing programs would continue processing. The department also described its anti-fraud efforts, including internal controls, a compliance coordinator, a grants administrator, review committees, site visits, and participation in the state’s Inspector General Coordinating Council. The committee then discussed several agriculture support programs. For dairy margin coverage, the department said Minnesota’s sign-up is open and supported a bill to extend assistance to farmers who began operations in 2023-2025 and were not covered under the earlier production-based formula. The renamed Farm to Food Security program, formerly LFPA, was described as a state-created local food purchasing effort funded at $700,000 per year. The down payment assistance grant for first-time farm buyers was also reviewed; the department said it has supported 112 farmers so far, with additional awards pending, but noted timing problems when purchase agreements fall through. Members asked whether priority should be given to applicants with signed purchase agreements, and the department said that was under consideration. The grain indemnity account update focused on the Hansen-Mueller facility failure and related claims. The department said the account holds about $10.7 million, has received 19 claims totaling $1.1 million, and that $842,000 of those claims were tied specifically to Minnesota transactions. It explained the difference by noting that some claims involved Minnesota farmers selling in North Dakota and Wisconsin, and that the indemnity account covers grains sold in Minnesota. The committee also heard updates on elk and wolf depredation payments, with the department projecting shortfalls in both funds and noting that payments are being delayed into later months. The agriculture response fund balance was said to be about $2.5 million. Finally, the Rural Finance Authority and the East Grand Forks potato facility were discussed. The RFA reported strong demand for low-interest loans, about $26 million remaining from the prior $50 million authorization, and a new $50 million bonding request in the governor’s proposal to avoid a funding gap. The department said the program has issued 3,951 loans totaling about $390.3 million with very low defaults. It also requested $1.38 million in bonding for building improvements at the East Grand Forks potato facility, which it said is the department’s only owned building and supports a significant potato industry. In response to a question from Rep. Bang, the commissioner said recent ICE activity had affected farms, processing plants, immigrant workers, and some rural food businesses, and that the department had relayed those concerns to the governor’s office and congressional delegation.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, we would close on the loan.
• They include a pawn loan where fees average $150 a high, high cost installment loan where the average
• Title loans are uncapped. Now we're seeing earned wage access.
• We don't want those fees to look like a, a pawnshop loan type, right?
• If you do credit reporting, then you look a lot more like a loan, so you should be regulated in the loan

Transcript Highlights:

• One of our experienced certified student loan counselors assisted Jack in gathering loan details and
• those are student loan those are student loan certified<00:04:02.959> in<00:04:03.200>
• assistance from our student loan assistance from our student loan counselors<00:04:27.160> is
• experienced certified student loan experienced certified student loan counselors<00:04:35.600>
• loan debt.

Keywords: 1183, house

Bills: SR29, SB667, SB1466, SB1942, SB1989, SB1670, SB1716, SB1521, SB1273, SB1433, HJR1032, SB1969, SB1953, SB1277, SB1287, SB1061, SB1916, SB1589, SB2178, SB1444, SB1438, SB1501, SB1873, SB1364

Keywords: chiropractic, licensure, animal chiropractic, Board of Chiropractic Examiners, licensing requirements, midwifery, healthcare, Advisory Committee, state health policy, public safety, dental insurance, health care, medical necessity, insurance claims, dentist rights, Oklahoma College Savings Plan, 529 plan, 529 savings account, college savings, higher education savings