Transcript Highlights:

• Keith Nagai, our audit appeals office.
• in in performing? in in performing?
• <01:10:54.159> is the goals in the past performance is the goals in the past performance is
• :45.120> included performance metrics also included performance metrics also included specific
• You might need a new facility. performance for chancellors for system performance for chancellors for

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So head over to our audit, which is towards the end. Okay, we do an annual reconciliation.
• Oh, of performance? Yeah, we wouldn't—we wouldn't.
• Oh, of performance? Yeah, we wouldn't—we wouldn't.
• Oh, of performance? Yeah, we wouldn't—we wouldn't.
• or key 13 performance measures or key performance performance performance indicators<05:53:31.958>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Finance Division 2 work session first took up HB 506, a bill dealing with the return of seized firearms. Members discussed how the measure would shift background-check processing for firearm returns through the Department of Safety, while the physical firearms would still remain with local police unless State Police had taken custody. The department said the bill would change which cases come to it, and members clarified that the bill concerns the background-check decision rather than possession of the firearms. The committee then voted OTP on HB 506 FN by a 7-0 roll call. The committee next discussed HB 671, establishing a kindergarten literacy readiness program. Department of Education staff explained that the bill grew out of a COVID-era Waterford contract that provided home-based early literacy support for families using federal relief funds, at a cost of about $600,000 per year, but that the program ended when those funds expired. Members raised concerns that the bill’s $1 appropriation was not realistic, that the prior program lacked sufficient outcome data, and that the references to ESSA tier-one benchmarks were unclear. The department said it was conducting a broader literacy needs assessment and updating the state literacy plan, including data from the zero-to-five range, K-5, and dyslexia-related work. Waterford representatives described the program as an early-literacy, pre-K readiness service for children ages zero to five, originally designed to work in homes with computers and internet provided where needed, and later expanded in some settings such as daycares and pre-K classrooms. They said the program used assessments at the beginning and end, had served hundreds of children, and was intended to support family engagement and kindergarten readiness. Despite that testimony, members remained concerned about funding and the lack of clear results, and one member moved to retain the bill for more information. The discussion ended with the bill retained rather than advanced.

Transcript Highlights:

• that and what that who has to audit that and what that process<00:37:29.920> and<00:37:30.080
• So, you know, if I wanted to perform that function, let's say over the weekend, especially now when,
• So, all the AML, KYC, and all the checks that have to be performed by a bank, travel rule, etc., that
• Our smart contract has been audited and fully vetted. You're going to see a lot more of that.
• Our smart contract has been audited audited audited and<01:40:56.480> fully<01:40:56.760> vetted

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The meeting opened with roll call, confirmation of a quorum, and approval of the April 6 and May 4 minutes, with minor corrections noted to the May minutes. The main presentation came from JD of Link Network, introduced by Dan Cohen, who described Link’s work with crypto.com and other market participants on tokenized money market funds and real-time settlement for institutional clients. JD gave a detailed history of his earlier work developing the Arca U.S. Treasury Fund and ArCoin, emphasizing that the project was built within existing SEC and 1940 Act frameworks and was intended to use blockchain technology for a traditional asset rather than create a crypto product. He said the effort involved years of discussions with the SEC, multiple custodians, and partners such as U.S. Bank, T-Zero Securities, and Tassat, and that the model eventually led to Link’s settlement system. He highlighted concerns that shaped the design, including regulatory compliance, privacy for institutional users, and the need to bridge traditional banking hours with 24/7 digital asset markets. The presentation also described Link’s features, including segregated and bankruptcy-remote fund structures, tokenized deposit and treasury fund settlement, and “yield in transit,” which allows interest to accrue and be distributed daily down to a two-second block. JD said the platform is being expanded for use cases such as exchange liquidity, cross-border capital movement, off-exchange collateral, stablecoin bridging, treasury management, and peer-to-peer settlement. He closed by posing policy questions for the commission about the use cases for stablecoins versus tokenized money market funds in New Hampshire and whether the state could issue or administer a security-based program with appropriate compliance controls.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:54:41.839> specified<00:54:42.640> licensing they also perform specified licensing
• they also perform specified licensing functions<00:54:43.960> specifically<00:54:44.359> for
• The county agencies perform specified licensing functions for family child care providers, so they'll
• They also have a team that audits, um, uh, that conducts compliance checks and audits of programs that
• checks and audits of programs compliance checks and audits of programs that<01:16:14.480> receive

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee met for an introductory overview of its jurisdiction and budget, with the chair emphasizing the committee’s role over a large portfolio of children, youth, and family programs and the new Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). House Research and House Fiscal staff explained their roles and described the 2023-24 reorganization that transferred many programs from DHS, DPS, MDH, and MDE to DCYF, along with a statute recodification and a crosswalk resource for members. Doug Berg then walked through the committee’s budget structure, explaining the difference between all-funds and general fund views, the major funding sources, and how forecasted programs and grant bases roll forward. He highlighted that the committee’s general fund base is a little over $2.1 billion for the biennium, with large federal components such as SNAP and TANF, and noted smaller accounts including child protection-related opioid funds and federal reimbursement offsets (FFP) for administrative costs. Members asked several questions about federal financial participation, TANF, and the effect of the repeal of the Diversionary Work Program (DWP). Staff explained that FFP generally applies to administrative costs for federally related programs and usually does not change much unless program activity changes, while TANF is a block grant that has been stable for years. On DWP, staff said the program was sunsetted effective March 1, 2026, and that the associated funding and administrative costs were being reworked rather than simply removed. A member also asked about federal funding fluctuations; staff said no changes were currently factored in, though SNAP or other federal policy changes could alter future numbers. Danielle Penelli then presented on economic assistance and employment supports transferred to DCYF, focusing first on MFIP, Minnesota’s state-supervised, county-administered welfare program jointly funded by state and federal dollars. She explained that MFIP provides cash and food assistance, employment and training services, and related supports, with a 60-month time limit and certain exemptions for illness, incapacity, or other barriers to employment. She also described the program’s income and asset standards, including a $10,000 asset limit with exclusions for homesteads and one vehicle per assistance unit member age 16 or older. Members asked clarifying questions about how the time limit applies and what assets count, and staff responded that the limit applies to the caregiver and does not restart with additional children. Penelli also introduced support services grants, which fund employment services for MFIP, DWP, and SNAP participants through workforce centers, counties, tribes, and community agencies, and help cover some county and tribal administrative costs. She began outlining nutrition programs under DCYF, including SNAP, the Minnesota Food Assistance Program, the Minnesota Food Shelf Program, the Emergency Food Assistance Program, and the American Indian Food Sovereignty Program. No formal votes or bill actions were taken during this meeting; it was primarily an informational staff briefing and question-and-answer session.

Transcript Highlights:

• She's here with her son, Finnegan, who's going to sixth grade at Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts
• the resolution: a resolution directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to conduct a performance
• audit and issue a report on the services, process, and wait times in the Bureau of Blindness and Visual
• amends a second class township code to change the date of completion, filing, and publication of the audit
• And Pitt, under new leadership, have certainly aided in coming up with the new formula for performance-based

Summary: The House began with ceremonial recognitions, including guests of Representatives Benham and Warren and a farewell acknowledgment for longtime floor staffer Michelle Martin, who is leaving House service for a role in the Senate. The chamber then took up caucus and committee announcements, recessed several times, and later returned to consider a series of committee reports and bills. House and Senate bills were reported from Rules, Appropriations, and Judiciary, including referrals of several measures to committees. The House adopted House Resolution 515 unanimously, urging Congress to review Major Richard D. Winner’s actions for possible Medal of Honor recognition. It also adopted House Resolution 208, directing a performance audit of services, wait times, and processes in the Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services; supporters said it would help improve services for Pennsylvanians with vision impairment, while the vote was 201-1. The chamber then passed several bills with amendments, including measures on foster care youth benefits, AI companion safeguards, prison industry enhancement program administration, memorial bridge designations, firefighter and EMS donation options through PennDOT renewals, horse-racing background checks, and fertility preservation coverage. Several bills reached final passage. House Bill 1239, limiting homeowners associations from restricting rooftop solar installations, passed 109-93. House Bill 2146, amending the Sunshine Act to tighten the 24-hour agenda notice rule while preserving limited exceptions, passed 193-9 after debate over transparency and local-government flexibility. House Bill 2558, banning non-compete agreements for broadcast workers, passed narrowly 103-99 amid objections from Republicans and concerns about impacts on local broadcasters and contract rights. Senate Bills 971 and 972 also passed finally, dealing with township audit deadlines and municipal memorials for first responders. The House also approved House Bill 2412, funding state-related universities for fiscal year 2026-27, by 155-47 after debate over Penn State’s campus closures, accountability, and per-student funding differences; House Bill 2413, appropriating funds to the University of Pennsylvania, passed 195-7. The chamber then moved several bills back to Appropriations, signed Senate Bills 971 and 972, and adjourned until the next scheduled session.

Transcript Highlights:

• They want to do this audit by audit and flipping coins.
• I don't want to have all these audits either.
• What fell short was preempting the cities on auditing. Cities do have the authority to audit.
• There's more auditing going on.
• for uniformity in the audits.

Bills: HB2143, HB2273, HB2290, HB2373, HB2784, HB2794, HB4037

Keywords: public safety, retirement system, investments, trust fund, board of trustees, financial report, income tax rebate, Pinal County, taxpayer eligibility, state revenue, financial assistance, transaction privilege tax, business location, tangible personal property, shared vehicle, sourcing, income tax, veterans, donations, tax refunds

Summary: The House Ways and Means Committee first set aside House Bill 2794 at the sponsor’s request and then took up House Bill 2290, which would clarify Arizona transaction privilege tax sourcing rules for tangible personal property by specifying that an order is received at a seller’s business location and that server location does not control sourcing. The sponsor said the bill codifies existing, historic treatment and would provide certainty for taxpayers, while the League of Arizona Cities and Towns opposed it, arguing it would be a major departure from current practice, could shift revenue away from rural communities, and could create multiple tax rates for a single transaction. The Department of Revenue said it was neutral, acknowledged ongoing ambiguity and administrative complexity, and explained that a 2023 draft ruling had been based on a legal analysis but was never finalized. Several business and association witnesses supported the bill as necessary to prevent inconsistent audits and to preserve origin-based sourcing for in-state sellers. After extended debate, the committee passed HB 2290 on a 5-3 vote, with one member absent. The committee then heard House Bill 2373, which would add a space on the individual income tax return for taxpayers to voluntarily direct part of a refund to the Veterans Donations Fund or a veterans service organization fund. The sponsor and a representative of veterans advocacy groups described it as a simple, voluntary way to support veterans organizations and local projects. No opposition was raised, and the bill was approved unanimously by the members present, 8-0, with one absent. Finally, the committee considered House Bill 2143, a technical change to Public Safety Personnel Retirement System law that would limit the 5% ownership cap to publicly traded corporations. PSPRS representatives said the change would reduce compliance costs and avoid unnecessary workarounds while maintaining existing investment safeguards and diversification rules. Members discussed that ASRS does not have the same cap and that PSPRS already has broader limits on concentration risk. The bill was presented as an administrative cleanup measure, and discussion focused on clarifying that it would not increase investment risk.

Transcript Highlights:

• So the Legisstat is broken into 3 performance challenges that we as a committee have been following.
• So what this means is I'm going to request that members ask questions as they relate to the performance
• I'd like for us to focus on each performance challenge as we go.
• So if you have a workforce question, save it till when we're talking about the workforce performance
• We have the three performance challenges that we're talking about today.

Transcript Highlights:

• All right, we will move on to Item C, presentation of Department of Ed grants from Legislative Audit.
• And we have a couple of our esteemed experts from Legislative Audit at the table.
• I'm an auditor with Arkansas Legislative Audit. I'm David Webb.
• I'm one of the audit supervisors with Legislative Audit.
• No audit procedures were performed at the recipient level regarding how the monies were ultimately used

Keywords: 1204, all

Summary: The committee first received a presentation from Legislative Audit on Arkansas Department of Education grant distributions for fiscal year 2025. Auditors explained the report summarizes $4.6 billion in grants to school districts, charter schools, education cooperatives, and other entities, with most funding coming from the Public School Fund and federal sources. Members asked about specific recipients and programs, including ClassWallet, master principal bonuses, Economics Arkansas, and CDC surveillance grants. Department of Education staff clarified that the audit report only shows distributions, not how recipients ultimately used the money, and noted that some funding declines reflected the end of one-time federal COVID relief dollars. Senators also asked about the special-language appropriation for Economics Arkansas and the use of public school fund revenues. The committee then heard a Bureau of Legislative Research presentation on Consumer Price Index projections from Moody’s Analytics and S&P Global, followed by a detailed adequacy-study update on teacher recruitment, retention, and salaries. The teacher report covered teacher counts, education levels, experience, shortages, preparation pathways, licensure exceptions, survey results, and salary trends. Key findings included about 32,800 teachers statewide in 2025, an average retention rate of 87%, and 30% of surveyed teachers saying they were considering leaving the profession. The report also noted shortages in special education, math, science, and other areas, growth in alternative preparation pathways, and the phaseout of several licensure exceptions under Act 304 of 2025. Members asked extensively about survey methodology, teacher satisfaction, preparation for classroom environment and special education, the cost and return on investment of alternative licensure routes, and whether exit-interview data exists statewide. The presenters said they could follow up on several questions, including details on alternative programs, incentives for ESL and special education endorsements, and comparisons to other surveys. On salaries, the report said the statewide average teacher salary in 2025 was $60,254, with districts averaging slightly higher than charters. Arkansas ranked 45th nationally on average salary in 2025, though 36th when adjusted for cost of living, and average district salaries had declined 8% in inflation-adjusted terms since 2016. Members also discussed the LEARNS Act minimum salary floor of $50,000, salary disparities among districts, and whether the state should focus more on retaining experienced teachers as well as raising starting pay.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:29:49.360> or Taylor Swift, you know, perform or Taylor Swift, you know, perform or something
• So, Madame Chair, so forth on auditing.
• And so my guess is we would follow the same process here, where we would audit purchases.
• And so my guess is we would follow the same process here, where we would audit purchases.
• There goes an audit right there. So, uh, Commissioner Markart, uh, thank you.

Transcript Highlights:

• The hearing of the Legislative Audit Commission on January 29, 2026, at 1:05 p.m. will come to order.
• there was an OA uh financial audit there was an OA uh financial audit evaluation<00:48:04.240>
• We had we've had two financial audits.
• , had a request for a um program audit, had a request for a um program audit, but<01:10:21.840>
• But um the legislative audit commission.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The Legislative Audit Commission heard a presentation from the Office of the Legislative Auditor on its evaluation of the Office of Ombuds for Families (OBFF). Auditors said the office remains important because of Minnesota’s long history of racial disparities in the child protection system, but they found major problems with how OBFF is operating. The report said OBFF’s statutory duties are very broad compared with its small staff and budget, and that the ombuds persons are not carrying out all required duties while spending substantial time on activities not required by law. Auditors also said the office’s recent impact is unclear and that its complaint-handling work has significant deficiencies, including poor documentation, limited data, few policies, inconsistent handling, and failure to follow best practices. The presentation also focused on oversight and accountability. Auditors said OBFF’s three community boards, which are supposed to appoint and oversee the ombuds persons, have not provided adequate oversight: meeting requirements were often not met, attendance was low, and there was little evidence the boards were fulfilling their statutory duties. The auditors further said OBFF’s unusual structure, with no single designated leader and shared authority among the three ombuds persons, creates unclear lines of accountability. Their recommendations included revising OBFF’s statutory duties to better match legislative goals and resources, improving complaint-handling practices, strengthening board oversight, and establishing a single leadership position for the office. Members asked follow-up questions about racial disproportionality in out-of-home care, spending on nonrequired activities, and whether the ombuds persons met statutory qualification requirements. Auditors referred members to the report for more detailed data, said the office does not track expenditures by function, and noted that while the ombuds persons have relevant professional backgrounds, the evaluation raised concerns about whether they are meeting their duties as expected. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• So that's really why it's not necessarily real-time data as a reflection of performance. Mr.
• time that you're moving money into the appropriations account, it's going to also move back once the audit
• then if there are reversions, then we're going to stop for a moment and drop $50,000 off for an auditing
• It's incredible when we can get that targeted look at any program in New Mexico to see how it's performing

Transcript Highlights:

• the following core tasks license perform the following core tasks license application<00:19:41.880><
• investigations investigative audits investigations investigative audits penalty<00:19:52.799>
• He’s embarrassed to tell them when the OA audit came out, it said, hey, you guys are getting free HR
• He’s embarrassed to tell them when the OA audit came out, it said, hey, you guys are getting free HR
• This was a finding in a recent audit report that highlighted management of these teams is performed by

Bills: HF2432

Keywords: HF2432, judiciary finance bill, public safety finance bill, corrections policy, crime victims, victim services, Minnesota victims of crime account, court fees, marriage license fee, financial crimes, fraud investigations, insurance fraud, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, BCA, Commerce Fraud Bureau, wage theft, automobile theft prevention, nonprofit security grants, 911 funding, POST Board

Transcript Highlights:

• It will support prototype development, performance evaluation, emissions measurement, and pilot programs
• It will support prototype development, performance evaluation, emissions measurement, and pilot programs
• We provide the auditable record backing up public claims. Mr.
• We provide the auditable record backing up public claims.
• <01:17:50.440> and correlates academic performance and correlates academic performance and

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , not do the audit, but to keep the university prepared for the audit?
• university um provide university audit university um provide university audit readiness<01:15:32.640
• <01:16:00.960> but ready for an audit not do the audit but ready for an audit not do the audit
• So, we don't want to delay any further. catch up all of their audits.
• They were catch up all of their audits.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the April 13 minutes and then turned to a large agenda of contracts. Chairman Douglas said there were 52 contracts totaling about $369.3 million, and noted that most vendors were registered with the Secretary of State except for item 118 on the routine personal services green list and item 19 involving Morehead State University and Kentucky State University. The committee voted to defer item 118 to the June 26 meeting and later also deferred the Kentucky State University contract on the deferred list to the June 26 meeting. The main discussion centered on a deferred personal services contract for the Kentucky Board of Optometric Examiners, involving outside legal counsel. Senator Meredith raised concerns about KRS 320 and whether the board had authority to hire outside counsel when the statute says the Attorney General shall provide legal services to the board. Dr. Mary Beth Morris, the board president, and Christopher Thacker of the Attorney General’s office testified after being sworn in. Thacker explained that the statute and related law allow both Attorney General assistance and independent counsel, and argued that outside counsel is appropriate for day-to-day legal work because it avoids conflicts, especially on open records issues, regulatory advice, and disciplinary hearings. Senator Meredith said he agreed with approving the contract but questioned how the board had reached this point and whether the current statutes reflect modern practice. He raised concerns about transparency and accountability, referencing a prior advisory opinion involving the board’s handling of exam requirements during COVID and saying the board should have consulted the Attorney General before acting. Thacker responded that the Attorney General’s office serves the Commonwealth as a whole, not as counsel to one board, and that the board’s use of outside counsel is a reasonable and economical arrangement. The exchange ended with Meredith suggesting that broader legislative action may be needed to clarify reporting relationships and oversight for the board.

Transcript Highlights:

• No, sorry. 99% of the kids cannot perform at grade level.
• All the rules that suppress performance come from Washington.
• I do think that we are trapping students often in low-performing schools, and that's why the President
• We should definitely pay them commensurate with the job performance that they are undertaking.
• Those show that our lowest performing students continue to fall furthest behind.

Keywords: educational reform, federal grants, bureaucracy, wealth disparity, public testimony

Summary: The committee meeting engaged in discussions focused primarily on educational reform, the influence of federal grants on local education systems, and the growing disparities in wealth and access to quality education. Members expressed concerns about the bureaucracy surrounding federal funding that hampers schools' ability to obtain necessary resources for improvement. Several members highlighted personal anecdotes from constituents, emphasizing the urgent need for reform to help students succeed in both K-12 and higher education environments. The meeting included public testimonies that provided insights into various community perspectives on these pressing issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• And this facility hosts performances for all ages.
• And this facility<00:54:39.359> hosts<00:54:39.760> performances<00:54:40.480> for
• c><00:54:40.800> all facility hosts performances for all facility hosts performances for all ages
• the school district accepted its audit. the school district accepted its audit.
• The WCMC mill is one of the components of that audit.

Bills: HB0147, HB0127

Keywords: property tax, homeowner exemption, Wyoming, voter initiative, tax legislation, HB0127, recreation mill levy, recreational facilities, public recreation, mill levy, local tax, county commissioners, school district levy, voter approval, ballot measure, general election, tax referendum, special purpose tax, Wyoming taxation, W.S. 18-9-201

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:21:13.360> of peerreview S peer-reviewed audit of peerreview S peer-reviewed audit of
• DOL has to assess program performance over the country.
• <00:36:04.560> over has to assess program performance over has to assess program performance
• um with kind of full like a full audit um with kind of full like a full audit and<00:36:27.680><
• DOL used to assess program performance.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so this would be a risk-based audit regime.
• Pre- and post-deployment audits by independent third parties.
• And so this would be a risk-based audit<01:10:16.000> regime.
• Categorizing all AI audit regime.
• <01:10:26.000> by and post deployment audits by and post deployment audits by independent<01:10

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There would be a system in place to identify them, where they would have their financials audited, and
• There would be a system in place to identify them, where they would have their financials audited, and
• <00:21:09.640> and have their uh financials audited and have their uh financials audited and
• audits of grant applications.
• emergency medical services can perform emergency medical services can perform audits<00:23:43.760

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• They use auditing government auditing standards and generally accepted accounting principles, and so
• <01:06:55.720> government<01:06:56.039> auditing um uh auditing government auditing
• um uh auditing government auditing standards<01:06:56.880> and<01:06:57.079> generally
• How did these audits not catch that?
• And I know that through, but again, it's a very exhaustive audit.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint Committee on Education and Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs heard Senate Bill 422, which would authorize the Department of Education to award a high school diploma to qualified people whose schooling was interrupted by military service or wartime practices during World War II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War. The Department of Education testified in support, noting a prior law that created the Kono diploma program before it sunset in 2020. Several members of the public also testified in support. Both committees later recommended passage of SB 422 without amendments, and the recommendation was adopted by voice votes. The committees then heard Senate Bill 530 on Braille literacy. The bill would establish Braille literacy as state policy, require Braille-related literacy assessments for eligible blind and low-vision students, authorize DOE rulemaking, create a Braille Literacy Resource Center, and appropriate funds. DOE and the Department of Human Services supported the measure, as did the National Federation of the Blind, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, and a blind testifier who described the importance of early Braille instruction. The Attorney General’s office raised concerns about statutory language requiring yearly assessments and suggested revisions so annual decisions remain with IEP teams. The committees voted to pass SB 530 with amendments, including the Attorney General’s suggested changes, and adopted the recommendation. The next measure was Senate Bill 532, which would allow school staff and agents trained by a licensed clinician to volunteer to administer medication to students in public schools under certain conditions and clarify who may prescribe such medication. DOE and Department of Health testimony supported the bill. The Attorney General recommended replacing the term “licensed clinician” with the defined term “health care professional.” The Hawaii Academy of Physician Assistants supported the bill but asked that physician assistants be included among providers who may prescribe medications for school administration. After questions about current school health aide duties and field-trip medication procedures, the committees voted to pass SB 532 with amendments, including the Attorney General’s terminology change, and adopted the recommendation.