Video & Transcript Research : 'bonding'
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NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Finance Division I (03/17/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- Yes, Representative, but that, you know, bonding for school building aid and bonding for something that
- Bond if we if we do Bond the settle Bond if we if we do Bond the settle the<01:13:57.239>
impact <01:14:44.760>for represent but that you know bonding for represent but that you know bonding - <01:14:46.520>
for school building Aid and bonding for school building Aid and bonding for - I prefer not to bond the money for '26 and '27.
Summary:
The committee first took up a House Bill 2 amendment to remove a bail-related section that had already passed in another bill and was now considered duplicative. Members discussed the earlier change to how bail commissioners are reimbursed, concerns that the Judiciary was losing money collecting the fees, and whether the magistrate-related language would still be needed. They noted the bill had already crossed over to the Senate, that the section was obsolete, and that any remaining issue about magistrates’ five-year terms might need to be raised with the Criminal Justice Committee. Amendment 997H, deleting section one, was moved, seconded, and adopted unanimously.
The committee then reviewed a package of HB 1 position transfers involving the Department of Environmental Services, Fish and Game, and the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Staff explained that several positions were being shuffled to correct position numbers and align permitting functions, including one Fish and Game position moving back to Fish and Game, one DEES position remaining funded after ARPA money ends, and adjustments to hours for permitting and environmental services positions. Members discussed whether the Fish and Game position had been intended to be temporary, but ultimately agreed to accept the first four Environmental Services items and the last two Natural and Cultural Resources items as a package; that motion passed unanimously. They then also accepted sections 2 through 8 of HB 1 with the related amendments and footnote language.
The committee next turned to dredge-and-fill fee changes in section 11, where one member objected to a 50% fee increase for seasonal docks, arguing it could discourage permitted work and might apply to repairs that only require notification. Staff said the increase was intended to help cover the cost of additional positions in future biennia, but members decided to hold that section for more information, including how many seasonal dock repair fees are actually collected. Finally, the committee began discussing HB 215 and a proposed tipping-fee/surcharge structure to make a solid waste accounting unit self-funded, with members saying the fee could offset about $2.9 million in general fund costs and support the grant program, but no final action was taken on that item in the portion of the meeting provided.
AZ
Arizona 2026 Regular Session
03/31/2026 - House Republican Caucus Calendar #15 & #16
Transcript Highlights:
- municipality to provide a telecommunications utility with public notice of any voter-approved municipal bond
- municipality to provide a telecommunications utility with public notice of any voter-approved municipal bond
- employer or association with at least 500 employees or members from being required to submit a $300,000 bond
- employer or association with at least 500 employees or members from being required to submit a $300,000 bond
Summary:
The caucus reviewed a long agenda of Senate bills across elections, commerce, education, government, health and human services, judiciary, public safety, transportation, rural development, and ways and means. Many measures were described as consent or third-read consent items, including bills on campaign finance termination statements and late-report penalties, AI provenance data for media, adjuster/contractor conduct during emergencies, Industrial Commission changes, association meeting closures, banking and remittance rules, central bank digital currency, public safety parity funding, barbering and cosmetology board continuation, digital asset reserve management, contractor licensing, gaming and racing commission continuation, school AED instruction, classroom removal procedures, school safety reporting, special education complaint transparency, foreign influence and land ownership restrictions, DCS and DES process changes, health care licensing and reimbursement rules, EMS compact adoption, and multiple tax, housing, and transportation measures. Staff repeatedly summarized each bill and answered questions, with several bills noted as mirror or identical to House measures or as strike-everything amendments from committees.
A few bills drew discussion. On SB 2874, staff explained that the Senate amendment would limit penalties for untimely campaign finance reports when a committee certifies it received no contributions and made no expenditures, but the sponsor did not concur. SB 1074 prompted questions about whether parental notification changed; staff said it did not and that the bill was aimed at improving communication between teachers and principals about discipline. SB 1175, requiring DCS caseworkers to photograph children at each interaction in abuse or neglect cases, drew concern about the scope of the photos, while supporters said it would improve continuity and documentation. SB 1180 also drew comment because the sponsor and committee chair disagreed over an amendment, though the bill was advanced for further work.
The most extended debate came on SB 1751, which would allow death-row inmates to choose firing squad, lethal injection, or lethal gas if voters approve the related constitutional measure. One member strongly opposed the bill on moral and personal grounds, another argued it could be a more humane option if the state is going to carry out executions, and a third raised concern that it could be used against Second Amendment rights. The bill remained on the third-read consent calendar despite the objections. The caucus concluded after moving through the remaining agenda items, with no formal votes recorded in the transcript beyond committee status and consent-calendar placement.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Press Conference: Republican Media Availability - 03/17/26
Transcript Highlights:
- But we've got a bonding bill that we're working on and things.
- But<00:14:20.880>
we've <00:14:21.000>got <00:14:21.120>a <00:14:21.200>bonding - But we've got a bonding towards the end.
- But we've got a bonding bill<00:14:21.760>
that <00:14:21.880>we're <00:14:21.959>working
Summary:
Senate Republicans discussed the governor’s supplemental budget and criticized proposed cuts to nursing homes, disability services, and counties, arguing the changes would hurt vulnerable Minnesotans and that the tax package would amount to roughly an $868 million increase. They said they were open to some family-focused tax provisions, such as an expanded child care or dependent credit, but opposed broader tax increases and several previously rejected ideas, including sales tax changes and a social media tax.
A major topic was fraud prevention and the Office of Legislative Auditor report on kickbacks. Republicans said the report reinforced their push for a statewide independent Office of Inspector General with a law enforcement division and a broader fraud definition, and they argued the office would have handled the cases more effectively. They also said they support the concept of an OIG bill but want only modest amendments, while criticizing House Democrats for resisting the law enforcement division and for raising constitutional objections they called a drafting issue.
The lawmakers also reacted skeptically to the governor’s proposed AI-related job development fund and $10 million in forgivable loans for businesses affected by Operation Metro Search, saying the aid would mainly benefit downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul rather than the broader state. They closed with broader comments that the session felt relatively normal and less intense than past years, noted ongoing work on a bonding bill, and joked about campaign politics, possible candidates, and even the idea of a Senate dog.
NM
New Mexico 2026 Regular Session
House - Taxation and Revenue Feb 4th, 2026 at 08:32 am
House Taxation & Revenue
Transcript Highlights:
- First, as mentioned, it makes the R&D credit stackable with industrial revenue bonds.
- The bill says for an industrial revenue bond project issued prior to January 1st, 2025.
- Across the board stacking, because what we're doing is on the front end with industrial revenue bond,
- there some kind of analysis that shows you know this wouldn't Be built but for this tax abatement or bonding
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- Recommendation is to pass with amendments, adding a provisal to the revenue bond appropriation to read
- amendments adding a provisal to<00:37:46.960>
the <00:37:47.040>revenue <00:37:47.359>bond - <00:37:47.720>
appropriation <00:37:48.720>to to the revenue bond appropriation to - to the revenue bond appropriation to read<00:37:49.119>
as <00:37:49.440>follows.
Summary:
The committee took up a long decision-making agenda and repeatedly recommended passage of measures, most either unamended or with technical or date-deferral amendments. Early items included HB 496, which was passed with amendments deferring the effective date to 2050, and HB 700, which was passed with amendments incorporating Alzheimer’s Association language on dementia data collection, standardized cognitive assessments, Medicare Part C, and related definitions. Other bills addressed insurance, health care preceptors, workers’ compensation, labeling, rural emergency hospitals, and numerous budget or policy measures later in the agenda.
Several bills received substantive amendment packages. HB 250 was amended to add an objective on treatments for common chronic or long-term conditions and to clarify that automating determinations is intended to reduce delays in patient care. HB 303 adopted Hawaii Pharmacist Association language clarifying the definition of a nationally accredited pharmacy residency program. HB 1179 was amended to adopt Department of Human Services language relating to Med-QUEST. Later, HB 1293 added a $250,000 cap, a $20 million general-fund appropriation for Department of Education food services, and procurement-reporting language; HB 1153 authorized transfers of various non-general-fund accounts to the general fund and added a blank appropriation for the governor’s office; and HB 1168 added a proviso to a revenue bond appropriation to help in-state residents with demonstrated financial need offset room-and-board increases.
The most notable debate was on HB 1308, a sports wagering bill. Members discussed regulatory structure, youth sports restrictions, tax and fee provisions, and gambling-prevention funding. Several members opposed the bill, citing family impacts, gambling addiction concerns, and the possibility that regulatory and social costs would outweigh revenues; others supported it with reservations. The motion to pass with amendments was adopted, with recorded no votes and reservations. Across the agenda, most remaining bills were adopted with little or no discussion, including many measures passed unamended and several with deferred effective dates or committee-report notes reflecting testimony or appropriation requests.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Elect Committee Meeting - 2025-03-26
Elections Finance and Government Operations
Transcript Highlights:
- have a bill today that started back in 2019 with Chair Fooley and myself having talked about how bonding
- bills move forward and what happens with them, and making sure that all the bonding projects that are
- maintenance plan and it requires that at future times when people come back to the state for more bonding
- On occasion, but not a lot, the city of Shakopee comes before the legislature and asks for bonding funds
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- provision of resources for family violence victims. and collection of information about conditions of the bond
- HB 799 by Moody relating to the release of personal bond or certain offenses charged with a misdemeanor
- Veterans Affairs, HB 875 by Spiller relating to Workers' Compensation Insurance Coverage and Bid Bonding
- Congress to amend the Internal Revenue Code to make Spaceports eligible for tactics and private activity bonds
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Financial Services Jun 21st, 2026 at 10:30 am
Joint Committee on Financial Services
Transcript Highlights:
- started, and then it's even larger than the line item because we're also responsible for all of the bonding
- A similar proposal was filed in the environmental bond bill as well.
- from their own serious health condition, care for a family member with a serious health condition, or bond
- In addition to 12 weeks of leave for bonding, PFML offers up to 14 weeks of medical leave.
- with her, something the PFML program explicitly supports by granting up to 12 weeks of bonding leave
Summary:
The Joint Committee on Financial Services held a public hearing with about 43 witnesses and a 1:00 p.m. hard stop, and the chair repeatedly asked speakers to keep testimony to three minutes. Much of the hearing focused on S. 747/H. 1336, which would extend paid family and medical leave and unemployment insurance to graduate student workers. Supporters included legislators, union leaders, graduate workers from MIT, Harvard, BU, WPI, UMass Lowell, and others, and legal advocates. They argued graduate workers perform full-time teaching and research work, pay taxes, and should not be excluded from basic safety-net benefits; several witnesses described personal hardships involving childbirth, serious illness, mental health crises, funding cuts, or fear of losing income. Testifiers also said the change would be revenue-neutral or revenue-generating and would not create major administrative burdens for universities, which already provide similar benefits to other employees.
The committee also heard testimony on insurance-related bills. Christopher Stock of the Massachusetts Insurance Federation supported H. 1113 on public adjusters and H. 1345/S. 753 on flood-zone notifications for homebuyers, but opposed H. 4112, which would add a $2 surcharge on home insurance policies to fund fire cistern programs. The Metropolitan Area Planning Council strongly supported H. 1345, saying flood disclosure is needed because Massachusetts lacks statewide flood-notification requirements and flooding risks are increasing. Karen Alvarado supported H. 4352 on travel insurance, and John Fielding supported H. 1186 on pet insurance; both said the bills would create uniform regulatory frameworks and consumer protections. Rep. LeBoeuf testified for H. 4061 on workers’ compensation premium fraud, describing the bill as a transparency measure to combat fraud in construction by creating a public certificate-of-insurance database and QR-code verification system. Joe Bright of the carpenters’ union also supported H. 4061, citing fraud, misclassification, and the harm to injured workers.
The hearing also included testimony on H. 4112, a bill to create a statewide fire suppression water resource fund and cistern program. Rep. Hogan and a Stowe fire chief described drought, brush fires, and the need for dedicated cisterns in communities without municipal water systems, saying the tanks provide reliable water for firefighting and are relatively low-tech once installed. Committee members asked questions about tank capacity, siting, maintenance, and funding. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.
ND
North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Legacy and Budget Stabilization Fund Advisory Board Mar 31st, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- And so it's like, here is the fund value, here's the daily market value, and it's broadly bonds, but
- the in-state investment itself, that if it's not called for, it just stays in an investment, either bonds
- the in-state investment itself, that if it's not called for, it just stays in an investment, either bonds
- the in-state investment itself, that if it's not called for, it just stays in an investment, either bonds
- And also recycling the money, because even if it's a relatively long-term bond, eventually the capital
Summary:
The committee met to approve prior minutes and receive updates on the Legacy Fund transparency website and fund performance. Staff reported the website procurement was in contract negotiations, with a planned go-live around November 1, and that the site would provide downloadable, more transparent information on fund holdings, allocations, history, and legislative appropriations while protecting confidential data. The investment office then reviewed performance through January 2026, describing strong returns relative to benchmarks, noting real estate and fixed income as weaker areas, and explaining that the fund’s diversification and internal management had helped offset market volatility, including recent geopolitical impacts.
Members also discussed the in-state investment program, especially the Bank of North Dakota’s CD-match allocation. Several members questioned whether the program had been static for years and whether the uncommitted balance should remain parked there if it was not being used. The committee voted to pause further transfers into the program until the Bank provides a report and the committee can consider possible statutory changes; the motion also requested a cost-benefit analysis from RVK, and it passed by roll call vote.
In the afternoon, RVK presented its review of the investment policy statement as it relates to the in-state investment program. The consultant said it found no major policy impediments, and that implementers and stakeholders generally felt the program was proceeding as intended. RVK emphasized best practices such as third-party due diligence, competitive risk-adjusted returns, diversification, pacing, and exit strategies, while cautioning that required lower-return investments or spending commitments can create pressure on the fund’s long-term real value. The consultant also raised ancillary concerns about state-level concentration risk, the need to distinguish between public and commercial infrastructure, and the lack of a central repository for all state funding commitments to the same projects.
AZ
Transcript Highlights:
- HB 2926, housing contracts bonds taxes — Government.
- HB 2289, truth and taxation bonds notices — Finance.
- HB 2289, truth and taxation bonds notices — Finance.
- HB 4033, school bonding ballot language — Education.
- HB 2320, school districts bond financial advisors.
Summary:
The meeting opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, attendance, and several guest introductions, including the Doctor of the Day, realtors visiting for Realtor Day, and a representative from Home of Hope. The Senate then handled a large number of bill referrals and second-reading items before moving into Committee of the Whole on multiple calendars. Several bills were advanced with committee and floor amendments, including SB 1494, SB 1497, SB 1503, SB 1535, SB 1544, SB 1580, SB 1582, SB 1584, SB 1585, SB 1602, SB 1632, SB 1723, and SB 1798. Many of the amendments were described as technical cleanups, but some made substantive changes, such as SB 1535’s provisions on sealing records for sex-trafficking victims and SB 1723’s domestic-violence release and monitoring provisions. The Committee of the Whole also adopted a report recommending several bills do pass as amended.
The chamber adopted House Concurrent Resolution 264 honoring former Senator Barbara Leff, followed by a moment of silence and remarks from her family. The Senate then returned to Committee of the Whole for Calendar 1, where it retained SB 1332 and advanced SB 1654, SB 1711, SB 1743, SCR 1047, and HB 2993. HB 2993 drew the most debate: opponents argued it had a single-subject problem, relied on funding from the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Fraud Fund, and could create unnecessary outside-counsel costs for DPS, while supporters cited the need for the supplemental and defended the funding approach. The motion to report HB 2993 do pass carried by division, 16-13.
In third reading, the Senate passed HB 4115 and a series of Senate bills, including SB 1012, SB 1213, SB 1416, SB 1474, SB 1511, SB 1549, SB 1573, SB 1634, SB 1647, and SB 1649, with several passing on close 16-13 votes. Debate centered heavily on immigration enforcement, concealed carry in businesses serving alcohol, CDL and driver-license issues, campaign finance disclosure, and a digital asset reserve fund. Members on both sides repeatedly explained votes on constitutional, public safety, fiscal, and civil-rights grounds. The session ended with bills transmitted to the House after passage.
MS
Mississippi 2026 Regular Session
Appropriations - Room 210; 29 January, 2026: 8:00 AM
Appropriations
Transcript Highlights:
- .<00:12:37.839>
It's <00:12:38.000>in <00:12:38.160>the <00:12:38.320>bond <00:12:40.720>- It's in the bond bill, but um request.
- It's in the bond bill, but um we<00:12:40.320>
didn't <00:12:40.480>have <00:12:40.560><- c> a
bond <00:12:40.959>bill <00:12:41.200>last <00:12:41.440>< - c> year,<00:12:41.680>
so we didn't have a bond bill last year, so we didn't have a bond bill
Summary:
The Department of Mental Health presented its FY27 budget request and described its statewide responsibilities, including more than 600 grants totaling about $140 million, 11 community mental health centers, and state-operated programs for mental health, substance use, and intellectual/developmental disabilities. The request included $291.2 million in general funds, about $33.4 million above the current year, plus spending authority tied to ID regional programs and the IDD waiver. Major components included funding to enroll 250 additional people in the IDD home- and community-based waiver, a projected waiver rate increase, and added support for state-operated 24/7 programs facing staffing and operational shortfalls.
The agency also asked to continue selected ARPA-funded services before those dollars expire, including 988 call center support, peer respite sites, court liaison positions, intensive community services for children and youth, and adolescent offender programs. Other requests covered salary adjustments and longevity increases for hard-to-fill positions, electronic health record support, IT security upgrades, a Jackson County crisis stabilization unit expansion from 8 to 16 beds, capital needs such as generator and boiler/chiller replacements, inflation-related increases for community mental health center grants, and restoration of general funds under a Joint Legislative Budget Committee recommendation. Officials emphasized that community-based care now accounts for 58% of funding and that the goal is to keep people out of institutions unless they need the highest level of care.
Committee members asked about ARPA balances, forensic referrals, Jackson County’s request, and county support for community mental health centers. The department said about $25 million in ARPA funds remained and should be spent by September 30, with some delays due to reimbursement revisions. On forensic services, officials reported the new 81-bed maximum-security unit at State Hospital has cut the wait list roughly in half, but admission orders are up 51%, and some referrals may be unnecessary or used to delay proceedings. Members also discussed county contributions to community mental health centers, which the department said total about $9–10 million statewide, with most counties now meeting their obligations and only a few using small in-kind contributions.
MO
Missouri 2026 Regular Session
Children and Families Jan 20th, 2026 at 10:00 am
Children and Families
Transcript Highlights:
- Adults in jail get bond and preliminary hearings. Kids often wait months.
- Adults in jail get bond and preliminary hearings.
- keeps a woman in an unhealthy or unsafe situation that she is trying to leave, especially when that bond
- When that bond that should be safe and blessed by God is broken and beyond repair.
- that should be safe and blessed by God is broken. when that bond that should be safe and blessed by
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Legislative Finance Nov 20th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- You and I will forever be bonded in our cybersecurity drama, and it is life-changing.
- I know this bond was a negotiated deal, but I also know the Workers' Compensation Fund was a negotiated
- Madam Secretary, can you tell me a little bit about the surety bond fund and what it does? Sure.
- Surety bonds—we're required to carry surety bonds for individuals... ...in like for notaries and that
- And some individuals are required to have a surety bond, like the Cabinet Secretary for DOT.
NV
Nevada 2025 Regular Session
Assembly Committee on Ways and Means Jun 1st, 2025 at 10:00 am
Ways and Means
Transcript Highlights:
- 2.5, it states that the state controller shall transfer the sum of $22,809,302 from the consolidated bond
- shall transfer the sum of the 22,809,302 from the consolidation. $1,809,302 from the consolidated bond
- I'm just not comfortable with the bond.
- So you took the bonds out. Is it general fund then? Okay. Thank you.
- I was not comfortable, as I stated on the record during the hearing, using the bonds for that purpose
Bills:
SB6, SB62, SB74, SB90, SB104, SB119, SB132, SB133, SB135, SB182, SB185, SB193, SB207, SB217, SB229, SB233, SB260, SB262, SB280, SB281, SB300, SB306, SB378, SB382, SB393, SB403, SB422, SB427, SB431, SB434, SB442, SB452, SB456, SB468, SB472, SB487, SB503, SB6
Keywords:
cloud seeding, Nevada, water conservation, agriculture, Desert Research Institute, victim compensation, hate crimes, property remediation, criminal justice, vulnerable persons, elections, voter registration, mail ballots, candidate eligibility, cybersecurity, education funding, teacher grants, classroom supplies, instructional support, specialized personnel
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Radioactive and Hazardous Materials May 29th, 2025
Radioactive & Hazardous Materials Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- With proper bonding, proper oversight.
- So my question was going to be for you, what are we doing to help update those fees, update those bonding
- One, I, I think everybody agrees that the bonding rate that we have right now is inadequate in terms
- Um, OCD looks at bonding through the operator lens, and, um, you know, there's some duplication in certain
- Overly bonded, you know, we're, we're not gonna, um, uh, you know, get crazy and try to, you know, be
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Yeah, we've told them if you take these positions, then you cannot participate in bond work in Texas.
- Having established such a right, they can create bonds, which they then tender to creditors as payment
- UCC schemes as well that involve security agreements, hold harmless agreements, birth certificate bonds
- There's multiple benefits, decreasing cancer, the bonding, the mental There's multiple benefits, decreasing
- cancer, the bonding, the mental strength that was really the bonding for both infant and mother.
Summary:
The Senate took up and passed Senate Bill 945, which concerns political shareholder proposals by insurers and insurance holding companies. Senator Hughes argued the bill would protect Texas-based insurers from activist shareholder pressure, especially proposals aimed at limiting insurance coverage for oil and gas companies for ESG or political reasons. The motion to suspend the regular order was adopted over objection, and SB 945 passed to engrossment on a 20-10 vote with one present not voting.
The chamber also passed Senate Bill 1117, allowing any Texas-licensed dentist to administer botulinum toxin in oral or maxillofacial regions for aesthetic purposes, and House Joint Resolution 98, renewing Texas’s application for an Article 5 Convention of States to propose amendments on fiscal restraints, federal power limits, and term limits. Both measures advanced after debate and roll-call votes; SB 1117 passed unanimously after suspension of the three-day rule, and H.J.R. 98 was adopted on a 17-14 vote.
Members then approved several other measures, including the committee substitute for House Bill 142 on HHSC’s Office of Inspector General and Medicaid overpayment recovery, Senate Bill 2373 on AI-enabled financial fraud and deepfake/phishing schemes, Senate Bill 2221 on fraudulent UCC financing statements, and Senate Bill 2681 on the basis for third-party voter-registration challenges. The Senate also adopted a resolution authorizing a Texas Life Monument replica at the Capitol complex, and passed S.J.R. 59 creating funds for Texas State Technical College capital needs.
The body debated and passed Senate Bill 946, which would bar credit discrimination against organizations based on social, political, religious, or similar value-based considerations and require credit decisions to rest on creditworthiness. Senators raised concerns that the bill could create a special protected class for non-human entities or conflict with existing state policies, but the bill advanced to engrossment on a 20-11 vote. The Senate also passed Senate Bill 2477 to ease office-to-residential conversions in large cities after adopting an amendment negotiated with municipal stakeholders, and began consideration of Senate Bill 715 on ERCOT reliability requirements for generators, including existing generation, with extensive debate over impacts on renewables, power purchase agreements, and grid reliability.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Environment panel hears bill to establish responsible foraging task force 2/27/25
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Hunting and fishing share the same passion and bond to the outdoors as foraging does, all while supporting
- Hunting and fishing share the same passion and bond to the outdoors as foraging does, all while supporting
- Hunting and fishing share the same passion and bond to the outdoors as foraging does, all while supporting
- Hunting and fishing share the same passion and bond to the outdoors as foraging does, all while supporting
- Hunting and fishing share the same passion and bond to the outdoors as foraging does, all while supporting
MS
Mississippi 2026 Regular Session
Appropriations - Room 216, 22 January, 2026; 8:00 AM
Appropriations
Transcript Highlights:
- I think there is the conversion from a paper surety bond to an electronic surety bond this year.
- So we phased that transition from a paper surety bond to an electronic surety bond, and that's worked
- through with their bonding company connecting with NMLS.
- They had to convert from a paper surety bond to an electronic surety bond this year.
- So we phased that transition from a paper surety bond to an electronic surety bond, and that's worked
Summary:
The hearing began with the State Board of Architecture’s budget presentation. The executive director described the board’s mission to regulate architecture, landscape architecture, and certified interior design to protect public health and safety. He highlighted the board’s consolidated structure, license totals, high reciprocity rate, recent rule changes to reduce barriers to practice, and a proposed FY 2027 budget of $368,123, which included a 5% staff salary increase and higher operating costs. He also noted a newly identified need to modernize the licensing system, estimated at at least $25,000, and asked that the board not be reduced below the requested level. A board member also praised the small staff’s responsiveness and effectiveness.
The State Board of Public Accountancy then presented its budget and policy requests. The executive director said the board regulates CPAs and CPA firms, oversees the CPA exam process, and has about 3,600 active individual licensees and 800 firms. The board requested only a 3% compensation increase for staff, plus a special request to allow an audit supervisor to repay the cost of a Becker review course through payroll deduction as part of succession planning. She also described a board-approved waiver program that began January 1, eliminating application fees for CPA exam candidates and retakes; 42 candidates had used the waiver in the first two weeks. In response to questions, she said the board does not assist CPAs with IRS disputes, but it does investigate complaints from the IRS, SEC, PCAOB, or others.
Finally, a representative presented for the Board of Licensed Professional Counselors. She explained that the board regulates licensed counselors and psychotherapy providers, meets frequently, and has two staff members. The board’s main request was for additional investigative capacity: a full-time investigator and related funding, because complaints are currently handled by part-time investigators, contractors, and sometimes board members, which can require recusals from hearings. She said the state auditor had recently flagged complaint backlogs at regulatory agencies, supporting the request. The board also sought funding for a contractual administrative position, salary progressions, and a one-time technology increase to modify its new licensing system for the counseling compact and better search functions. Members questioned the board about its large cash balance, which was reported at about $860,000, and whether it should provide fee relief or other benefits to members; the presenter said the board would look into that and noted that revenues had increased significantly in recent years, partly due to out-of-state and telehealth-related licensing demand.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Human Services Finance and Policy Committee 3/5/26
Human Services Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- I'll admit I'm not super familiar with all the processes related to surety bonds.
- They can name the state in the surety bond.
- ,<01:24:48.440>
then know, if you require surety bonds, then know, if you require surety bonds - processes related to surety bonds. processes related to surety bonds.
- It helps address the problems in bond.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- bill in both houses members this bonding bill in both houses members this is<00:40:44.560>
very - I mean, look how hard it is for us to pass a bonding bill with a supermajority vote.
- I mean, look how hard it is for us to pass a bonding bill with a supermajority vote.
- I mean, look how hard it is for us to pass a bonding bill with a supermajority vote.
- I mean, look how hard it is for us to pass a bonding bill with a supermajority vote.