Transcript Highlights:

• You know, it's not going to cost less maybe in the future.
• They sell at a very high cost. We don't move that much of them.
• Precious metals, gold, silver, and platinum, they sell at a very high cost.
• But it's economic because they're such high-cost minerals.
• be operating from Nogales to Patagonia.

Committee: House House Science & Technology Committee of Reference

Summary: The Committee on Science and Technology heard Senate Bill 1046, which would prohibit critical telecommunications infrastructure in Arizona from using equipment manufactured or owned by a foreign adversary, require annual certification to the Corporation Commission, impose civil penalties for noncompliance, and bar violators from receiving certain public funds for telecom infrastructure. Marina Macklin testified in support, arguing the bill would reduce cybersecurity and national security risks tied to Chinese-linked telecom equipment and that states have an important role in procurement and infrastructure protection. Members asked about examples such as Huawei, the cost of compliance, whether the threat is current, and whether the bill duplicates federal efforts; Macklin said the measure targets public procurement, addresses existing risks, and complements rather than conflicts with federal action. The committee then voted 5-1 to return SB 1046 with a do pass recommendation, with one member citing concerns about timing and implementation. The committee also received a presentation from Craig Luxbacher of the University of Arizona on mining technology and the state’s role in critical minerals. He described Arizona as a hub for mining innovation and discussed university work on autonomous equipment, microgrids, pilot processing, tailings recovery, workforce training, and heat-stress monitoring. Members asked about microgrids, legal and policy changes needed to de-risk domestic mining, tariffs, workforce decline, and whether AI and automation would reduce jobs; Luxbacher said automation is driven by economics, not just regulation, and would likely create more skilled maintenance and technical jobs rather than eliminate the workforce. Jeremiah Pate of Lunisand then presented on subsurface imaging technology using geo-radio-tomography, which he said can image deep underground from airborne platforms and help locate critical minerals, aquifers, tunnels, and buried military infrastructure. Members asked about applications for archaeology, identifying mineral types, water detection, uniqueness of the technology, and possible defense uses. Pate said the company is working toward better mineral identification, can detect aquifers readily, and is currently the only company fielding this type of airborne subsurface imaging. The chair closed the meeting after thanking members and speakers, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Finally, these illegal offshore entities and foreign operators cost the state of Oklahoma millions of
• Senator, I guess what do you believe to be the cost drivers for the rise of insurance costs here in the
• We see litigation trends and the rising cost of litigation. We see building and repair costs.
• And so the cost continue to rise. because of sensors and cameras. And so the cost continue to rise.
• driver of Oklahoma's costs.

Bills: SB1969 , SB1953 , SB1277 , SB1287 , SB1061 , SB1916 , SB1589 , SB2178 , SB1444 , SB1438 , SB1501 , SB1873 , SB1364

Committee: Senate Business and Insurance

Summary: The Senate Business and Insurance Committee met and first laid over Senate Bills 1969 and 1624 without hearing them. It then considered SB 1953, a health insurance transparency bill requiring third-party administrators to provide employers information on what was spent on employee health benefits; an amendment deleting the word “welfare” was adopted, and the bill passed 7-1. SB 1277, which codifies a three-week work-search requirement for unemployment benefits, passed 8-0. SB 1287, amended to change “may” to “shall,” would bar the Oklahoma Abstractors Board from licensing applicants not legally authorized to work in the U.S.; after questions about the need for the bill and the alleged loophole, it passed 7-2. The committee also passed SB 1061, a cleanup measure on mortgage broker licensing and renewal fees, and SB 1916, which would move the Oklahoma Receivership Office under the Insurance Department and streamline receivership operations. SB 1589, as amended to reference Indian Gaming Regulatory Act authorization, would increase penalties for illegal sweepstakes/gambling operations and expand enforcement against entities profiting from illegal gambling; it passed unanimously. SB 2178, a compromise special-event license bill requiring liability insurance coverage, also passed unanimously. Two major insurance reform bills were debated at length and failed. SB 1444 would shift homeowners insurance rate regulation from a use-and-file system to prior filing with authority for the Insurance Commissioner to declare rates excessive; after testimony from a homeowner about a large premium increase and extensive debate over regulation and market effects, it failed 4-5. SB 1438 would require reporting of underwriting gains and profits, cap average profits at 5% over three years, and require rebates or premium credits if profits exceeded that level; supporters argued it would protect consumers, while opponents warned of market disruption and reduced competition. It failed 2-7. The committee then passed SB 1501, clarifying medical marijuana grow reclamation bond requirements, SB 1873, correcting a drafting error in a prior bill and delaying its effective date, and SB 1364, requiring an affidavit of encumbrances before transferring a medical marijuana business license.

Transcript Highlights:

• Secondly, we're having open discussions and working on trimming costs any way that we can reduce costs
• We have about 124 of those units operational.
• The cost, the cost to clear in previous times and other, there have been federal programs where it was
• But just testing for those antibiotics themselves, our cost for our reagents and our cost is probably
• But just testing for those antibiotics themselves, our cost for our reagents and our cost is probably

Committee: House Appropriations

Summary: The committee first heard the House Fiscal Division’s FY 2027 budget presentations for the State Treasury, Public Service Commission, Department of Civil Service, and Department of Agriculture and Forestry. Treasury’s recommended budget was about $15 million with 74 positions, funded largely by self-generated revenue. Treasury staff highlighted strong investment returns, record unclaimed property recoveries, a new ACH option to speed and reduce the cost of payments, a School Transparency portal that helped uncover questionable school spending, and a new online portal that has sped up processing of cooperative endeavor agreements and related payments. Members praised the transparency work and faster payments, and asked about bond ratings, CEA oversight, and the public accessibility of the transparency site. The Public Service Commission’s FY 2027 budget was presented at $11.5 million, entirely self-generated, with most spending on personnel; commissioners said salary and market adjustments were needed to address heavy attorney and auditor turnover. Civil Service’s FY 2027 budget was presented at $28.7 million, with major funding from interagency transfers and general fund, and officials explained recent pay-plan and special entrance rate changes intended to improve recruitment and retention across state agencies. Members asked how those compensation changes were developed and whether market studies supported them. The Agriculture and Forestry budget was presented at $91.4 million, with major funding from statutory dedications, general fund, and federal dollars, and the commissioner described severe pressure on farmers from low commodity prices, drought, freezes, wildfires, storm damage, and labor shortages. The Agriculture and Forestry discussion was the longest and most detailed. The commissioner said the state is working to expand markets, reduce costs, and help farmers through federal assistance, while also seeking more equipment and fuel for wildfire response after a severe fire weekend and ongoing drought conditions. Members raised concerns about storm-damaged timber, soil and water conservation funding, and the loss of federal dollars that depend on local technicians. The commissioner explained the wildfire suppression subfund, the role of severance taxes, and the limits of current firefighting equipment and staffing. He also discussed the seafood sector, especially shrimp and crawfish, saying imported seafood, currency changes, tariffs, and H-2B worker shortages are hurting Louisiana producers and processors. He said the department is testing imported seafood for antibiotics, wants more authority to hold contaminated product, and is pursuing legislation to support seafood promotion and testing. Members also asked about wood chips, rail transport, timber severance reporting, and incentives for wood pellet use, and the commissioner said the department is exploring new markets, including overseas buyers for wood and agricultural products. No formal votes or bill actions were taken in the portion provided; the meeting consisted of budget presentations, agency testimony, and member questions and comments. The tone throughout was supportive of the agencies’ work, with repeated praise for Treasury’s transparency efforts, Civil Service’s compensation reforms, and Agriculture and Forestry’s advocacy for farmers, foresters, and seafood producers.

Transcript Highlights:

• So the operating budget, 25% comes from federal reimbursements.
• through, cost to us would be $1.75 billion.
• When their cost for materials goes up, they have to raise prices to these customers.
• Medicaid cuts will result in increased health care costs for employers.
• Medicaid cuts will result in increased health care costs for employers.

Committee: House House Committee on Federal Funding, Policy and Accountability

Summary: The inaugural hearing of the newly named House Committee on Federal Funding, Policy and Accountability focused on how federal policy changes could affect Massachusetts, especially in education, health care, research, infrastructure, climate, and business conditions. Chair LaNatra said the committee was created to monitor federal funding decisions and their impacts on state programs and services. Members introduced themselves, then heard testimony from Doug Howgate of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, Sarah Mills of Associated Industries of Massachusetts, and Quentin Palfrey, the governor’s Director of Federal Funds and Infrastructure. Howgate argued that the Trump administration and new Congress pose ideological, practical, and process-related risks to Massachusetts, citing proposed cuts to Medicaid, education, research, and other domestic programs. He said federal dollars make up about a quarter of the state operating budget and capital plan, warned against using one-time reserves to backfill ongoing federal cuts, and urged the state to prioritize core services while protecting areas where Massachusetts is especially strong, such as higher education and research. In response to committee questions, he said the House Medicaid proposal would still cost Massachusetts hundreds of millions and that international student and NIH-related changes could harm the state’s labor force and innovation economy. He also advised that the state communicate clearly without overreacting to daily federal developments. Mills testified that AIM members are most concerned about uncertainty, tariffs, Medicaid cuts, and NIH reductions. She said tariffs are raising costs, disrupting supply chains, and hurting small and medium-sized businesses, housing construction, and exporters, with AIM’s business confidence index falling to its lowest level since the pandemic. She said Medicaid cuts would raise employer health costs, reduce productivity, and strain the health care system, while NIH cuts would threaten Massachusetts’ life sciences and academic research ecosystem. In questions, she said AIM has increased federal outreach, is coordinating with the U.S. Chamber and the Massachusetts delegation, and is hearing concerns from employers about immigration compliance and workforce disruptions. Palfrey described the Healey-Driscoll administration’s efforts to maximize federal funding, including a biweekly interagency council, a municipal partnership effort, and a statewide roadshow. He said Massachusetts has secured nearly $9 billion from major federal laws for projects such as the Cape Cod bridges, Allston Multimodal, grid modernization, clean-energy school buses, and broadband. He also said the administration launched a public website to track federal impacts and is working with municipalities, nonprofits, and the Attorney General on grant changes, legal issues, and litigation. In response to questions, he warned that cuts to NOAA, NSF, Medicaid, SNAP, and other programs could affect services and the state budget, and said the administration is tracking changes to federal grant applications and conditions. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I've operated...
• What's the cost?
• Do you know what the cost is for these stream gauges that can operate independently with some barriers
• . operations.
• Some agencies operate on VHF while... Others operate on a 700 and 800 megahertz network.

Transcript Highlights:

• These include unparalleled increases in operating costs and rental rates, significant challenges with
• </c> operating costs and Rental AAR operating costs and Rental AAR significant<00:24:50.799><c> challenges
• </c><00:54:29.599><c> costs</c><00:54:30.599><c> so</c> keep up with ongoing operating costs so keep
• up with ongoing operating costs so those<00:54:31.040><c> higher</c><00:54:31.319><c> rents</c><00:54
• These tools simply cannot fill the need or sustain the operating cost of a strong, diverse housing continuum

Bills: HF2148 , HF2693 , HF2542 , HF1141 , HF1770 , HF1489 , HF1709 , HF244 , HF1266 , HF807 , HF2619 , HF1340

Committee: House Capital Investment

Transcript Highlights:

• an operator.
• </c> operations that go on. operations that go on.
• We have an operating budget that we administer legislation through and um these would be costs that would
• These are the costs uh cost forward.
• We have an operating budget that we administer legislation through and um these would be costs that would

Committee: Senate Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• HB1580 increases operating<01:27:53.199><c> costs</c><01:27:53.520><c> substantially</c><01:27:54.080
• ><c> and</c><01:27:54.400><c> may</c> operating costs substantially and may operating costs substantially
• These upfront costs can suppress participation, resulting in fewer certified operators and more salt
• </c><02:46:49.200><c> Thank</c><02:46:49.359><c> you,</c> their operating costs.
• Thank you, their operating costs. Thank you, &gt;&gt; Representative. &gt;&gt; Representative.

Committee: House Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• operation and maintenance of the ferry system.
• basis for operations like that.
• Drama as it relates to operations.
• Bernard that is operational.
• But there's nothing operational right now that the Port of New Orleans has. operational right now that

Summary: The committee first heard and favorably reported House Bill 1175, which updates aeronautics-related definitions to make Louisiana more attractive to the aviation industry. It then approved House Bill 655, giving DOTD clearer authority to contract for operation and maintenance of state ferry systems on a cost-plus basis, with testimony focused on flexibility for the Cameron Ferry and other state-run ferries. House Bill 1037, which reorganizes certain DOTD operations by shifting duties to a chief operating officer and extending work on a unified permitting platform, was also reported favorably, as was House Bill 1174, which recreates the Department of Transportation and Development on a revised cycle. House Bill 714 was voluntarily deferred. The committee next took up several port-related measures. House Bill 871, which would have added two St. Tammany appointees to the Port of New Orleans board, was voluntarily deferred after the author said the timing was premature given ongoing work on the LIT project and regional trade zone issues. House Bill 345, expanding the Rail Infrastructure Improvement Program to include rail infrastructure at ports, was reported favorably. House Bill 713, which would cap the Caddo-Bossier Port executive director’s compensation at the statewide average of the top ten port directors, drew extensive testimony for and against; supporters argued the salary was excessive and the port needed accountability, while opponents said ports are different from one another, the local appointing authorities already oversee the board, and the bill could hurt recruitment. The committee voted 12-1 to involuntarily defer HB 713. House Bill 667, which would change the Caddo-Bossier Port Commission from appointed to elected members, also drew strong opposition over cost, voter confusion, and loss of local appointing authority, and it too was involuntarily deferred by a 12-1 vote. The committee then favorably reported House Bill 743, creating the Harry P. Williams Memorial Airport District in St. Mary Parish, after testimony that the airport should be managed as a dedicated economic development asset. House Bill 836, which would reconfirm members of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority East, was amended to move the reconfirmation date from August 1, 2026, to December 1, 2026, to avoid disrupting hurricane-season operations, and was reported favorably by substitute. Finally, House Bill 730, concerning the use of ADS-B aircraft tracking data, was discussed with an amendment limiting the bill’s application to smaller aircraft; the measure was presented as a privacy and safety bill to prevent assessors or others from using ADS-B data to impose fees or taxes on aircraft owners.

Transcript Highlights:

• to cost.
• But the mechanical cost really drove up the cost on this project.
• </c> operating standards. operating standards.
• </c> for operational for operational &gt;&gt; operational<01:04:33.800><c> credit.
• </c> &gt;&gt; operational credit. &gt;&gt; operational credit.

Summary: The committee first handled routine business, including a quorum call, approval of minutes, and informational items on school district financing and KCTCS equipment purchases. It then considered two KCTCS capital projects after initially rolling them together and later unrolling them: a Fire Commission Fire Academy maintenance building project that had grown from an original $2 million authorization to $4.7 million because of design changes, soil issues, and higher mechanical costs, and a $1.5 million renovation of the Blake Lee building at Somerset Community College for a health science simulation lab. Members questioned the large cost increase on the fire academy project and the adequacy of front-end due diligence, while KCTCS said the project was bid and ready to proceed and that a 15% contingency had been included. Both projects were approved by roll call vote, with the Blake Lee project ultimately approved after the committee unrolled the items and took them separately. The committee next heard and approved a University of Kentucky public-private partnership for the Hamburg East Medical Office Building, a five-story, 220,000-square-foot facility with a not-to-exceed budget of $275 million. UK said the project is intended to expand outpatient access, consolidate some services, and support projected growth in patient volume; the building will house multiple specialties, urgent care, therapy, imaging, and a retail pharmacy. Members asked about possible community uses, consolidation of services, and whether the project would free up other space, and UK said it hopes to consolidate some services and free campus space. The project was approved by roll call vote. The committee then approved three UK lease renegotiations: a specialty pharmacy and infusion services lease at Wellington Way in Lexington, a Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences lease at Conte Terrace, and a College of Social Work lease at McGrath Park Way. Members asked about rising lease rates, occupancy, and whether space needs should be reduced; UK and the lessor’s representative said the pharmacy space remains busy, the ophthalmology lease was lower than before, and the social work lease had been negotiated down from a higher request. The committee also approved a Department of Military Affairs project amendment for a Mutual Field Maintenance Shop Restoration project, increasing federal funding by $1 million to $4.5 million because of higher construction costs, and approved a Kentucky State University Shanty Hall renovation project funded by bond and HBCU Title III funds. Finally, it approved a new lease for the Office of Mines and Minerals in Pike County, a new lease for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services in Pulaski County, and a lease renewal for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services in Kenton County after questions about rent increases and office utilization; the cabinet said the Kenton County space still has limited vacancy and remains in use by field staff. The meeting ended as the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority began presenting six sewer and water loans and six cleaner water program grant reallocations, with members agreeing to roll those items for later consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• is operating the schools?
• is operating the sort of operation is operating the schools?
• The upgrade, it dramatically expands the network while lowering ongoing operational costs.
• And the delay would release the operation from operational liability.
• </c> cost-effective services we deliver. cost-effective services we deliver.

Summary: The committee first focused on a disputed KCNA procurement for a statewide network-related RFP. Members questioned why the RFP had been labeled non-technical, whether COT should have reviewed it, and whether the KCNA board could direct that it be withdrawn. Finance and Administration Cabinet counsel Barbie Dickens said the RFP was authorized by KCNA working with procurement services after termination of the prior contract and breach notices, was issued in November 2025, paused during a protest, later resumed, and remained an open procurement. She said the agency—not the board—directs the procurement process, though she acknowledged an agency and OPS could cancel or reissue an RFP if needed. Legislators pushed back, citing KRS 154 and House Bill 314 as evidence that the KCNA board controls contracts and operations, and one member said the board had requested the RFP be withdrawn. Dickens said she could not predict the outcome and was not KCNA’s counsel. The discussion also touched on whether the current director had asked to stop the RFP and whether that request had been denied, with no final action taken during the exchange. The committee then turned to Kentucky Wired Infrastructure Corporation and the Kentucky Wired refresh project. Jim Barnhart described the structure of the nonprofit corporation, the role of Quick and Quack in the financing and operations arrangement, and the board membership, noting that the refresh funding had been approved in the 2024-26 capital budget. He said the equipment upgrade is necessary because of end-of-life hardware and software support issues, and that the refresh would expand capacity, lower risk, and reduce operating costs. Barnhart said some equipment had already been received, the rest would be purchased later, and the project should begin before September and take about a year to complete. When asked about contract disputes involving Ledcor and whether the vendor had an ongoing contract, Barnhart and the authority representative said they had not been notified of any issues and were not directly involved in that contract dispute. Committee members also raised concerns about a prior market test and whether a lower-cost bidder had been blocked from a previous RFP process. Barnhart said he understood Quack could make that decision and that the Commonwealth did not have input so long as the network was maintained, but he was not involved at the time. A legislator then read from the KCNA statute and argued that the board, not agency staff, is supposed to direct KCNA contracts and operations, saying House Bill 314 did not change those duties. The chair agreed the committee’s intent was for the board to control KCNA and direct contracts, and the discussion ended with a transition away from the KCNA dispute toward future testimony, including a presentation from Zayo Networks on open access networks and broadband infrastructure.

Transcript Highlights:

• of housing, cost of childcare, right?
• Is it cost of living? Is it housing?
• The bill's focus on lowering costs for businesses is especially important for operators who face rising
• Policy is operational reality.
• , these costs matter.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies

Summary: The committee held a hearing on Governor Healey’s economic development proposal, H. 5386, also referred to as the Mass Winds Act, focused on global investment, talent, innovation, housing, and business competitiveness. Governor Healey, Secretary of Economic Development Eric Paley, and Secretary of Administration and Finance Matt Gorzkowicz described the bill as a response to federal uncertainty and global competition, building on the 2024 Mass Leads Act. They highlighted proposed investments in a Global Mass initiative, including a $50 million innovation access fund and $20 million for sites to help international companies locate or expand in Massachusetts, along with support for AI, quantum, robotics, defense innovation, climate tech, downtown revitalization, and creative/cultural economy projects. They also emphasized measures to lower business costs, including reducing the LLC filing fee, expanding the small business energy tax exemption, and streamlining housing and development rules. Committee members questioned the administration about non-compete reform, AI and data-center infrastructure, housing affordability, and whether the bill would help retain workers and companies in Massachusetts. The governor and secretaries argued that the non-compete changes would restore the original compromise by requiring any alternative to garden leave to be negotiated at separation, and they said the bill’s housing and workforce provisions are intended to help young workers stay in the state. They also said Massachusetts is already investing in AI training, an AI hub, and energy-related planning, while acknowledging that data-center growth will require careful attention to water, electricity, and ratepayer impacts. Several witnesses testified on specific sections. Northeastern University supported the internship tax credit, saying experiential learning helps students gain jobs and remain in Massachusetts. The Latino Empowerment Advisory Council supported the waiver of redundant English testing for internationally trained nurses, saying it would speed entry into the workforce without lowering clinical standards. Russell Beck opposed the non-compete changes, arguing they would undermine the 2018 compromise and could reduce other forms of employee compensation. The Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office opposed the LLC fee reduction, citing revenue loss and fraud concerns. Municipal and regional groups, including the MMA and the Metro Mayors Coalition, supported site plan review codification and downtown/arts investments, while urging continued municipal input. The AFL-CIO asked for trigger language to preserve labor protections if federal law changes, and business and industry witnesses generally supported the bill’s competitiveness and global investment provisions. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational, with written testimony invited after the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• And, oh, excuse me, under the Supreme Court, we missed one of the few non-operating cost items.
• <00:12:41.920><c> cost</c> non-operating cost non-operating cost um<00:12:43.839><c> items.
• The cost of that came in at $165.
• In office of operating adjustment.
• </c> 27.25 to take care of a cost. All right. 27.25 to take care of a cost. All right.

Summary: The conference committee met late on Friday evening to discuss the Public Safety and Judiciary budget agreement, beginning with a brief exchange among members about concerns that the executive branch had been delaying the committee’s work by waiting to approve legislative decisions. Members emphasized that the legislature should retain its independence while still allowing normal collaboration with the governor’s office. The committee then moved through several outstanding policy items and adopted them without opposition, including the A38 amendment addressing data-sharing concerns involving disability-related information, a study of firefighting services by the state fire marshal, and an A46 amendment governing access to unredacted portable recording system data in collision investigations, with guardrails on disclosure and use. The committee next reviewed the spreadsheet and budget targets. Fiscal staff explained the judiciary side of the agreement, including funding for court operating costs, a one-time Justice Partner Access Program appropriation, forensic exam rate increases, guardian ad litem funding, public defense, human rights, the competency attainment board, the cannabis expungement board, and fee increases for civil filings and motions. On the public safety side, staff described the target as well as the discretionary items funded, including nonprofit security grants, BCA staffing changes, fire marshal initiatives, a 10-year arson statute of limitations, prosecutor training grants, legal representation for children, E911 funding for critical infrastructure, Philando Castile Training Fund support, corrections-related savings from the Stillwater phased closure and sentence-to-serve elimination, a mandatory minimums task force, a victims of crime account transfer, a decommissioning study, in-service use-of-force training, and extensions of several expiring appropriations. The committee also noted a correction to a spreadsheet label related to the Stillwater closure item. After the spreadsheet walkthrough, the committee took testimony from Chief Justice Natalie Hudson and State Court Administrator Jeff Shorban on behalf of the Minnesota Judicial Branch. Hudson thanked the committee for its work and said the agreement covers some unavoidable costs, including insurance, lease expenses, forensic examiner pay, and the new access system, but argued it does not adequately address the judiciary’s most urgent problem: staffing and judicial compensation. She said court employees are leaving for better-paying jobs, judicial salaries are frozen for two years, and applicant pools for judgeships have declined, especially in greater Minnesota. She also said the judicial branch was not meaningfully consulted on the budget target and urged lawmakers to recognize the courts as a constitutional obligation rather than a discretionary program.

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, so he operates off of cash daily.
• Oh, and I operate it from my home.
• Oh, and I operate it from my home.
• So to me, we're putting more cost on Americans.
• Fees are a big cost. Fees are a big cost.

Committee: House Special Committee on Tax Reform

Transcript Highlights:

• This is why so few retailers choose to operate WIC.
• And the cost is staggering.
• What is this cost for?
• They operate in a silo, so they all have their specialties and mini operating centers, but they are still
• Members, there will be no required costs to any CAC.

Bills: HB2510 , HB3589 , HB4611 , HB4655 , HB4665 , HB4666 , HB4670 , HB4700 , HB4730 , HB4798 , HB4838 , HB5136 , HB5243 , HB5302 , HB5539

Committee: House Human Services

Keywords: assisted living, healthcare, licensing, criminal offense, personal assistance, group home, regulation, health and safety, inspections, resident care, criminal background checks, adoption, parental rights, registry, vital statistics, disclosure, counseling, foster care, independent living, financial literacy

Transcript Highlights:

• B is Division of County Operations. It's $371,582 in spending authority.
• This is to operate the Community Assistance Grants Program.
• I'm just talking about items that might make up operating expenses.
• Those are all in our operating appropriation section.
• Those are all in our operating appropriation section.

Committee: All ALC-PEER

Summary: The committee met to review a large slate of fiscal year 2026 and 2027 appropriation, transfer, and continuation requests across multiple sections. Early items included temporary appropriations for agencies such as Health, DHS, Education, Public Safety, State Police, Emergency Management, Aeronautics, Military, Economic Development, and Game and Fish, covering items like maternal health outreach, energy assistance repayments, Wynne High School tornado rebuilding, senior food services, cybersecurity, crime victim reparations, aviation grants, conservation incentives, and emergency tower maintenance. Members asked questions on several items, including DHS aging carry-forward funds and Treasury custodial banking fees tied to COVID-era balances; the committee also approved a disclosure by the chair on the Game and Fish-related item before voting to approve the section. The committee then approved continuation requests, CARES Act and ARPA reallocations, and federal grant appropriations. Notable discussion included the Boonville developmental disability project, ALIGN program reallocations at several universities, a small business technical assistance grant at UA Little Rock, and a Department of Public Safety highway safety grant, for which members requested more detail on operating expenses and professional fees. Additional approvals covered a transfer to the Merit Teacher Incentive program, restricted reserve fund transfers for military medical command and university projects, and a state central services deduction held at 2%. The Department of Commerce also received approval for a reallocation of positions and spending authority tied to its organizational realignment. Later sections included shared technology and higher education transfers, cash fund appropriations for school Medicaid reimbursements, corrections, youth mental health, narcotics detection canines, bike safety equipment, a state motor pool pilot, and law enforcement safety costs. The committee also reviewed budget classification transfers, including a Governor’s Office legal fee transfer related to a California lawsuit, and heard explanations about E-Rate reimbursements affecting the Office of State Technology. Members asked about VOCA funding levels for crime victim services and about the National Security Grant Program for nonprofits and faith-based organizations; officials said federal funding had declined from prior highs but appeared to have stabilized, and that the nonprofit security grant is an annual federal program. The meeting concluded with review of pay plan requests, DHS overtime funding for child protection caseloads, and a year-end adjustment request allowing DFA to make up to $1 million in transfers to close the books, after which the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• , 100% of the operating costs, and 100% of purchasing of the actual micro community units, but that artificially
• costs related to Senate Bill 42.
• The FIR identified some additional operating costs, and so there was funding in the GAA to support some
• costs for the office.
• But then if you go down, an appropriation to the Attorney General's office for operating costs in FY

Committee: House Legislative Health & Human Services Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• So there's costs.
• So we continue to have those costs.
• utilities costs, waste reduction.
• And those same increases in costs...
• But we've also had a reduction in population as well, so those operational costs of inmates should have

Transcript Highlights:

• We need to be able to pursue claims against operations. ...be able to pursue claims against operators
• And then pursuing adequate cost recovery, ensuring that our penalties and our ability to leverage cost
• We're not passing on too much cost.
• Benefits in terms of cost reduction, in terms of health care costs and missed days at work, missed days
• The yearly staffing costs...

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> costs of interconnection. costs of interconnection.
• Reliability comes at a cost. There is a cost there, right?
• There's an enormous cost. It would that. There's an enormous cost.
• We operate as a regional grid. We also operate as a nation, right?
• </c> much this cost? Correct. much this cost? Correct.

Committee: House Science, Technology and Energy