Transcript Highlights:

• So, my question is related directly to the fiscal accountability that we have, but now, if you will,
• And so the bottom line is we place money in that account, but it is an account that it's this body and
• Some of the problems associated with the accounting workforce: We have many CPAs that are going to be
• And so we have a serious pipeline of talent accounting talent issue.
• Treasury slugs account.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Last year, you can see on the left there the application methods, with MEF accounting for a little more
• So I'm doing it via my local accountant. Maybe I don't know I have the credit.
• Is that how it's being diverted, or is accountant. Maybe I don't know I have the credit.
• Well, I mean, obviously T-Mobile enjoys the technical expertise of the tech community.
• The increase is largely in the digital advertising tax that accounts for about $360,000, with software

Summary: The House Finance Committee held a work session that began with welcoming new member Rep. Janice Zahn, who introduced herself as representing the 41st Legislative District. The Department of Revenue then gave an update on the Antio-related legislation following the Washington Supreme Court decision and the 2025 session changes. DOR explained its voluntary disclosure program and the new expanded voluntary disclosure agreement for taxpayers with unreported investment income, including broader eligibility and interest/penalty relief, but said utilization has been minimal so far because additional implementation questions remain unresolved. The committee next received the annual update on the Working Families Tax Credit. DOR reported record participation in 2025, with about $205 million refunded through October and a major increase in applications after TurboTax added the credit to its filing software. Officials said most dollars went to households with children, outreach efforts remained important, and community partners and state agencies helped increase uptake. Members focused heavily on fraud concerns, especially tax preparers allegedly filing claims without applicants’ knowledge or diverting refunds; DOR said it is using fraud detection tools, training preparers, and trying to make applicants whole, but current law does not provide direct penalties against preparers. The final portion covered implementation of engrossed substitute Senate Bill 5814, which expanded sales tax to certain services. DOR described the new tax framework, its guidance process, and the large volume of ruling requests and outreach since the law took effect October 1. Committee members asked about fiscal assumptions, the scope of taxable services, and whether the department had revised its implementation estimates; DOR said the fiscal note assumed broad application absent explicit exemptions and that no expenditure revision had been made. In stakeholder testimony, Expedia and T-Mobile argued the law creates complexity and competitive disadvantages for Washington businesses, while a construction training provider said the tax raises tuition for workers seeking required certifications. School and nonprofit representatives said the tax will increase costs for special education services, arts programming, and other public-facing activities, and urged exemptions or further legislative fixes. The chair closed by noting the committee would revisit 5814 in the next session and then adjourned the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you are a very large rural school district, or a rural school district, that factor takes into account
• I mean, how do you account for all the little changes that could be?
• What about a career and tech center?
• So they do not get to count that career and tech center in their buildings.
• the per-pupil payment, you know, rather than just one-time items that, you know, that we have to account

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee met to hear and discuss three education bills and related budget items. House Bill 1214 would revise K-12 transportation funding by replacing the current rider-based formula with a new formula tied more closely to district size, square mileage, building counts, and the weighted student payment. Sponsors and DPI said the change would better reflect actual transportation costs, hold districts harmless overall, and likely increase funding by about $4 million beyond current spending; they also said parent-provided transportation and open-enrollment mileage rules would remain largely unchanged. No opposition was heard, and the committee closed discussion without taking final action in the transcript. The committee then reviewed House Bill 1013, the education appropriations bill, and walked through proposed adjustments to program and pass-through grants. The chair proposed keeping or reducing some items, eliminating others, and moving one-time items to the stabilization fund; examples included leaving free meals at $4.5 million for now, keeping the paraprofessional-to-teacher program, reducing some grant lines, and removing several new or one-time grants. DPI also explained that the student information system would remain a flow-through grant for this biennium but would move in-house after July 1, 2026. The committee also discussed adding an FTE for the School for the Blind and making a small equipment swap at the Center for Distance Education. House Bill 1369 was discussed as the main school aid bill, including a proposed 2 percent and 2 percent per-pupil payment increase, higher construction bidding thresholds, elimination of the 12 percent cap, and a transfer of $75 million from Foundation Aid to the School Construction Revolving Loan Fund, with the chair suggesting $100 million instead. DPI explained that the bill also included a policy change returning placement decisions for students with disabilities in congregate care to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, with support from the governor’s office. The committee heard testimony from school officials seeking gap funding for Title I losses caused by a switch from free-and-reduced-lunch to census-based allocations, saying districts with many open-enrolled students could lose substantial funding and staff positions. Later, the governor’s office presented a proposed $1.5 million one-time appropriation to help schools buy secure storage for student cell phones if a statewide device policy is adopted; members raised concerns about cost, local control, and whether the money would be enough. The committee also heard student testimony and then recessed without voting on the amendment in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• Would you consider that being part of tech first?
• you consider that being part of tech you consider that being part of tech first?
• a lot of tech companies, but has a lot of medical companies as well.
• adopting those tech new technologies. adopting those tech new technologies.
• <05:09:27.920> HB672 uh written to taken into account HB672 uh written to taken into account

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That came from the TMPO-900, the trust fund account.
• Account to what would then be spendable, essentially? Yes, sir.
• But if you don't, there's no accountability for that.
• And you prepare it and you present it to us, because then you're accountable.
• Is there any accountability on this? Was this successful?

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a transfer of $75,000 from the personal services account to the other expenses account to cover
• This is a transfer of $700,000 from the personal services account to the other expenses account to address
• receivable, accounts payable, grants, cash management.
• to the other expenses account to cover operational needs for the remainder of the fiscal year.
• To the other expenses account to cover operational needs for the remainder of the fiscal year.

Keywords: 962, all

Summary: The Finance Advisory Committee approved the minutes of its April 2 meeting and then took up three budget transfers. The first, FAC 2026-6 for the Office of the State Treasurer, moved $75,000 from personal services to other expenses to pay for consultant help applying for federal energy credits under the Inflation Reduction Act’s direct pay provisions. Treasurer’s office staff said the agency had one open position and several others pending posting, and members discussed how the transfer related to vacant positions and the committee’s budget display. The second item, FAC 2026-7 for the Office of the State Controller, transferred $700,000 from personal services to other expenses to cover higher Core-CT software maintenance and licensing costs. Comptroller staff said the office had 21 open positions, most in Core-CT, and explained that the system, implemented in 2003, receives regular quarterly and monthly updates from Oracle. Members also discussed how the system serves payroll, HR, purchasing, accounting, and related functions for many state agencies, including UConn and the Board of Regents. The final item, FAC 2026-8 for the Department of Veterans Affairs, transferred $700,000 from personal services, the veterans opportunity pilot, and headstones accounts to other expenses for year-end operational needs. Commissioner Ron Welch said most vacancies were in the skilled nursing facility, food service, and physical plant, with staffing challenges especially for nurses and aides. He also explained that the veterans opportunity pilot never fully launched, that the Institutional General Welfare Fund has been depleted and the agency now relies more on general fund support, and that the department faces rising food, utility, and pharmaceutical costs, including a federal VA reimbursement change that will leave the state responsible for medication costs by 2027. All three transfers were approved, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Ten animal control officers, two veterinarians, and a registered vet tech worked until 11 p.m. carrying
• Our members fully support compliance and accountability.
• Your constituents can't afford to continue to have these massive tech platforms and their industrial
• some cases, they actually let the bots in, or they know that someone has signed up with multiple accounts
• I had a conversation with them just last week on how to appropriately account for training that may not

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• While the federal government accounts for a small minority of the funding, it is responsible for the
• Mann, I believe that our nation's students, families, and taxpayers do want true accountability.
• They are not held accountable.
• So if I have the opportunity to have an educational savings account.
• Yes, the programs have to have accountability. All the programs do.

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:

• Then she asked her second question: would tech companies be able to access personal data with digital
• Is that a possibility for tech companies to have any access at all to personal data?
• Representative Green asked whether tech companies would be able to access personal data with digital
• ID, and whether that is a possibility for tech companies to have any access at all to personal data.
• This also creates a more accountable variance process.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The nine areas are: first, leadership, accountability, and culture—accountability across the board and
• Tonight, areas are first leadership, accountability and culture accountability across the board and a
• Accountability across the board. A point person should be identified and held responsible.
• Public accountability leveraged that tremendously.
• The tech system is MNSure's licensing system.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, today the Senate is pleased to join the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii and Women in Tech in organizing
• Tech Ecosystem, this afternoon from 1 to 3 on the fourth floor.
• Uh, these are two new events that highlight women leaders, Hawaii's rising stars in the tech community
• The Women in Tech panel, we have Margaret Shin of Hawaii Women in Tech. Okay.
• Tech. Okay. We also have Sandra uh Van Tech. Okay.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• PDM is actually a salary expense in the state accounting system.
• And so when you state accounting system.
• So there's a cost associated with the tech, not just the technology and the equipment, but there's also
• <00:49:17.359> with<00:49:17.680> with<00:49:18.079> the<00:49:18.319> tech
• <00:49:19.200> not cost associated with with the tech not cost associated with with the tech

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 409, 28 January, 2026; 1:30 P.M., 925, all

Summary: The committee heard budget presentations from the Mississippi Board of Pharmacy and the Mississippi State Board of Chiropractic Examiners, followed by the physical therapy board. The Pharmacy Board said it licenses pharmacists, technicians, students, and many facilities and supply-chain entities, including wholesalers, manufacturers, 3PLs, PBMs, and nonresident compounders. Its main requests were a 3% salary increase for specialized staff, about $118,000 for contract help to evaluate pharmacists with substance abuse or mental health issues under a recently passed public health bill, and additional IT spending authority for system upgrades and cloud migration. Members discussed the board’s role in protecting the public, vetting out-of-state facilities, and the need to keep sensitive data secure; no vote was taken. The Chiropractic Examiners board described itself as a small, contract-staffed agency with about 700 active licenses and a database system that is no longer supported by Microsoft. It said it had requested about $173,000, but the legislative budget recommendation was $134,000, and it needs roughly $40,000 more to upgrade or rebuild the system, including security fixes and online renewal capability. Members focused on the cybersecurity risk of using unsupported software and the need to protect personal information; the board also noted that its licensing data does not include banking information because payments are handled through the state portal. The Physical Therapy Board said it regulates physical therapists and physical therapist assistants, with 4,242 licenses and 252 complaints in the last fiscal year, and that demand for the profession continues to grow. Its requests included $6,000 in salary progression for long-serving staff, about $360 more in PDM salary authority, and roughly $38,610 for a one-time upgrade to its LMS licensing system, plus related cloud-migration costs. Senators noted the board’s strong reputation, discussed the burden of annual or biennial renewals, and supported the technology upgrade because the current system is no longer supported and could create liability risks if not addressed.

Transcript Highlights:

• that user account.
• and take other factors into account.
• And other measures that take grades into account, take other factors into account, and kind of display
• Mock mentioned putting a new tech on top of an old process.
• That's not the tech.

Summary: The committee received several informational reports from NDIT and DPI. Justin Data reviewed the quarterly major IT project portfolio, noting the portfolio was slightly under budget and behind schedule overall, with three red schedule items: Bed Management System and Vital Records were essentially complete and being closed out, and the Roadway Capital Planning Project was delayed by vendor bug fixes after testing. He also summarized recent project startups and closeouts, including the Victim Notification System, Medicaid data exchange, Highway Patrol’s motor carrier permit system, and several completed HHS and RIMS projects. Members asked for follow-up on ADA compliance work, the public-facing RIO website, and the state’s mainframe retirement timeline, and staff agreed to provide updates later. Craig Falkley reported on coordination of services with political subdivisions and higher education, including StageNet, cybersecurity, radio/911 services, and PeopleSoft coordination. He also explained distributed ledger technology as a tool for transparency and fraud prevention, but said it is not widely used in state government and suggested the report be modernized to focus more broadly on emerging technologies such as AI and cybersecurity. The committee generally agreed that the topic should be updated. Chris Gurgan presented the mandatory cybersecurity incident reporting program created by HB 1314, explaining how agencies and political subdivisions report incidents through NDIT’s website or service desk. He said 77 incidents had been reported since 2021, 47 met the statutory definition, and most were phishing-related; most reported incidents were resolved, with one recent ransomware matter still open. He also reviewed notable incidents since the last report, including the PowerSchool compromise, a SimpleHelp intrusion at a school district, a court intrusion, a WSUS vulnerability, a business email compromise, and a recent ransomware incident involving a non-state critical infrastructure entity. Members asked about recovery of stolen funds, early warning signs, smishing, training, MFA, conditional access, and cybersecurity maturity assessments; Gurgan said the state uses MFA and conditional access, provides awareness training to state employees, and would return with more information on maturity assessments. Tony Ambrose then updated the committee on the K-12 student information system bridge project. He said district implementation of Infinite Campus had begun statewide, but the data migration vendor originally selected was terminated for poor performance and replaced by Aurora Educational Technology, which had experience with similar statewide migrations. He also said DPI is migrating special education data from Tynet into Infinite Campus, and that some SLDS-based tools such as e-transcripts and Choice Ready may not function exactly as they do now at July 1, requiring interim or alternative solutions. Members raised concerns about summer school disruptions, the timing of the cutover, and whether the new system would support existing reporting and transcript functions; DPI said it was working on identity, authentication, data-sharing agreements, and post-go-live integrations, and would continue to refine the plan beyond June 30.

Transcript Highlights:

• The tech system that was built to allow for this is live in one call center.
• There is sick time to account for.
• That accounts for a significant piece of why our projection is so high, because it accounts for us responding
• That accounts for like a significant piece of why our projection is so high is because it accounts for
• That's what these tech systems do.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But there's more to this tech companies.
• can often be more agile than bigger tech can often be more agile than bigger tech companies<00:29
• ,<05:57:27.560> providing interest-bearing account, providing interest-bearing account, providing
• <05:59:58.920> By a non-interest-bearing account. By a non-interest-bearing account.
• , authorizing an interest-bearing account, authorizing an interest-bearing account, H.R.<06:00:01.440

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, March 16, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Georgia Tech. Okay. Yellow Jackets. All right. Very nice. Excellent. It's a great school.
• >> Georgia<00:02:30.879> Tech.<00:02:31.280> Okay.<00:02:31.520> Tech.
• >> Georgia Tech. Okay. Tech. All right. >> Georgia Tech. Okay. Tech. All right.

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Friday, February 6, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Senate met in a brief pro forma session with a quorum call and the clerk calling the roll. The chamber considered the reading of the prior day’s journal and then introduced two bills: Senate Bill 643 by Senator Bailey, concerning natural resources, hunting, management, education, energy, and the environment, and Senate Bill 680 by Senator West, concerning intercepted communications penalty and judicial proceedings. Both bills were ordered read and referred to the appropriate standing committees. The Senate also took up Senate bond initiatives, including one for the American Legion Cook Pinkney Post 141, which was referred to the capital budget subcommittee. The presiding officer noted the approaching Monday deadline for bill introductions and commented on the growing number of measures filed. The session included remarks thanking the pages for their service and encouraging them to share their experience and apply again in the future. No substantive debate or votes on legislation occurred. The Senate then agreed to a motion to recess until Monday, February 9th at 8:00 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• community institutions, but we have helped to build unions, universities, hospitals, film studios, tech
• companies, legal aid organizations, and public institutions that have... ...studios, tech companies,
• Better equipped to shape a future rooted in dignity, fairness, and accountability.
• Assembly Bill 2496 by Assembly Member Solache, an act relating to school accountability. Mr.
• This legislation seeks to modernize California's school accountability framework.

Summary: The Assembly convened after a quorum call and opened with a prayer and pledge, then held a ceremonial observance for Jewish American Heritage Month. Assembly Concurrent Resolution 195 by Assembly Member Gabriel was presented with extensive remarks from members of multiple caucuses highlighting Jewish Californians’ contributions, the importance of solidarity amid rising antisemitism, and themes of tikkun olam and tzedakah. The resolution was adopted by voice vote after 67 co-authors were added, and the chamber then recognized 14 honorees for their service in public life, philanthropy, media, faith leadership, education, and civic engagement. The floor also featured guest introductions and a procedural vote on Assembly Constitutional Amendment 9 by Assembly Member Borrero, which would add affordability as a required consideration in CPUC rate-making, remove telecommunications from the commission’s portfolio, create an office of broadband, and expand legislative appointments. The amendment was adopted. The Assembly then moved through a long third-reading file, passing measures including AB 1697 delaying implementation of a 2025 employment law, AB 2322 on stormwater permit definitions, AB 1653 on hearing-illness education, AB 2274 closing a loophole involving secrecy in trafficking cases, AB 2512 on Anaheim Angels naming language tied to a land exemption, AB 1956 prioritizing young men and boys in suicide prevention, and AB 2273 addressing prosecutorial handling of a local sexual abuse case. Additional bills passed included AB 1809 extending job order contracting for school and community college districts, AB 1970 banning step therapy for serious mental illness and substance use disorder medications, AB 1973 expanding practice authority for advanced practice clinicians, AB 2055 updating vessel law, and AB 2059 narrowing CEQA vehicle-mile-traveled mitigation for certain rural highway projects. The Assembly also adopted ACR 186 designating May 2026 as California Physical Fitness and Mental Well-Being Month and H.R. 11 recognizing the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia, and Transphobia after a lengthy debate that included support from several caucuses and some disagreement over the resolution’s framing of current threats to LGBTQ+ communities.

Transcript Highlights:

• top-notch STEM university, nationally recognized, on par with other great STEM schools like Georgia Tech
• with industry, government, and academia in Central Florida and beyond, primarily focused on the high-tech
• This accounted for more than 18% of all RN licenses from students graduating within the SUS. ...36 newly
• licensed RNs in the state, accounting for more than 18% of all RN licenses from students graduating
• And the USF College of Nursing accounted for 26% of all graduate degrees awarded from the SUS system.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education met to consider a large slate of confirmations and reappointments to boards of trustees for Florida’s colleges, universities, and the Florida Prepaid College Board. Chair Harrell opened by emphasizing the importance of trustee appointments to maintaining Florida’s higher education system, and the committee heard brief testimony from each nominee about their background, ties to the institution, and priorities such as student success, workforce alignment, fiscal stewardship, and community partnerships. Several nominees highlighted personal connections to their schools, including alumni status, family legacy, or prior service on the board, while others emphasized experience in business, law, education, health care, or public service. Testimony focused heavily on workforce development and institutional growth. Speakers cited nursing, dual enrollment, applied programs, military and veteran support, broadband access, agriculture, law enforcement, and technical training as key areas for colleges to meet regional labor needs. University nominees discussed research expansion, affordability, strategic planning, and partnerships with industry and government, with Florida Atlantic, Florida Polytechnic, the University of West Florida, and the University of South Florida each described as being in periods of growth or transition. Miami-Dade College, Tallahassee State College, Polk State College, and other state colleges were praised for enrollment, economic impact, and job placement outcomes. The committee also heard from the Florida Prepaid College Board reappointee, who described the program as a long-term promise backed by public trust and reported recent technology and customer-service improvements. After testimony, the committee took up the nominations as a group. One nominee, Drew Weatherford, had withdrawn and was not voted on. The remaining trustees were approved unanimously by roll call and reported favorably to the Ethics and Elections Committee. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• I was a practicing accountant when I came into the legislature.
• I, um, I have worked on healthcare pricing the, since I've been here, but I, I was the accountant for
• And I was the accountant for the first concierge dock in Lubbock, Texas as well.
• In a rapidly evolving tech landscape, SB 1964 positions Texas as a leader in responsible AI governance
• It promotes robust transparency and accountability in government, specifically in the use of artificial

Transcript Highlights:

• This gives individuals the ability to hold unethical attorneys accountable.
• And we believe that accountability is needed.
• The fundamental changes were to remove all accountability.
• That is not meaningful accountability; it’s censorship.
• That is not meaningful accountability, it's censorship.

Summary: The committee heard several bills, with most drawing support after amendments or ongoing stakeholder negotiations. SB 29, by Senator Laird, would extend a sunset on the law allowing pain-and-suffering claims to survive a plaintiff’s death; supporters, including a family member describing a medical negligence case, labor groups, consumer advocates, and disability and elder organizations, argued it prevents defendants from running out the clock, while hospitals, medical groups, and business organizations warned of higher costs and added liability. After extensive debate about data collection, settlement reporting, and the impact on health care access, the bill passed to Appropriations on a divided vote. SB 294, by Senator Reyes and presented by Senator Laird, would require employers to notify a worker’s emergency contact if the worker is arrested or detained and would create a template to inform employees of state and federal labor rights. Labor and worker advocates said the bill would help workers understand and enforce their rights amid weakened federal enforcement; there was no opposition on file, and the bill passed unanimously to Appropriations. SB 697 would modernize water-rights adjudication by allowing the State Water Board to use technology instead of requiring in-person field investigations; with no opposition, it also passed unanimously. The committee also advanced SB 37 on attorney advertising, SB 645 on peremptory challenges in civil cases, SB 303 on bias-mitigation trainings in public workplaces, and SB 464 on expanding pay-data reporting for specified state workers. SB 37 drew support from consumer and legal groups but concerns from Walker Advertising about joint advertising; members said negotiations were ongoing, and the bill passed. SB 645 would extend anti-bias jury-selection rules to certain civil rights cases; criminal-defense and defense groups said they were close to agreement, and the bill passed. SB 303 and SB 464 were both amended to narrow scope and moved forward after several opponents shifted to neutral or removed opposition. The committee also approved a consent calendar of additional bills, all sent to Appropriations.