Transcript Highlights:

• And know the fact. ...to make forward payments to pay down our unfunded pension liability.
• We have gone to the full length this year at $5.1 billion to meet that schedule of payment.
• And as I said, in years past, when we found ourselves able to, we have made advance payments.
• As of last note, we in this budget make a payment of $150 million from excesses.
• In MassHealth, we utilize a robust system of payment controls that take place both before and after payments

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, adopted two commendatory resolutions honoring the Plimpton Historical Society’s Deborah Sampson Day recognition and Megan’s Light’s Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month observance, and suspended Joint Rule 12 to refer several House petitions to committee. The chamber also briefly recognized Diane Talk of the South Shore Regional Emergency Communication Center on her retirement after 30 years of dispatch service. Later, the Senate passed two local bills to enactment: House No. 4006, authorizing Dartmouth to grant an additional all-alcoholic beverages license, and House No. 473, relating to the charter of Westwood. The main business was the Senate Ways and Means presentation of the fiscal year 2027 budget, totaling about $63.3 billion. The chair described the budget as balanced, with no new taxes or tax cuts, based on a consensus revenue estimate of $986 million in growth over FY26 (2.4%), and including about $15.8 billion in federal financial participation and roughly $2.7 billion from the Fair Share surtax. The budget emphasized record local aid, including $1.376 billion in unrestricted general government aid, $7.66 billion for Chapter 70 education aid, increased minimum school aid, higher regional school transportation reimbursement, rural aid, and the revival of the Foundation Budget Review Commission. It also highlighted major investments in MassEducate free community college, food security, housing, and support for vulnerable residents. Members then engaged in extended colloquy on the budget’s major cost drivers and policy choices. Questions focused on debt service, pension and OPEB liabilities, MassHealth caseload and rising per-enrollee costs, child care funding, and program integrity in DTA and other benefit programs. The chair said debt service would be about $2.67 billion, pension payments would be $5.1 billion, OPEB would receive a $150 million payment, and MassHealth enrollment was projected at about 2 million with costs driven by acuity and medical inflation. He also said the budget includes no collective bargaining agreements and no state tax changes. Senators supporting the budget praised its investments in education, local aid, homelessness prevention, public health, libraries, and housing, while minority leaders and others stressed the need for fiscal discipline, transparency, and further work on affordability and municipal support. The Senate also received a House message on House No. 5316, which the House had nonconcurred in, and a conference committee was appointed on the disagreement.

Transcript Highlights:

• internal controls, credit card statements are now reviewed monthly by the CFSD business office prior to payment
• credit card charges that were either not documented or had no documented business purpose at the time payment
• credit card charges that were either not documented or had no documented business purpose at the time payment
• All personal charges were reimbursed to the district in a reasonable period except $415 that was reimbursed
• All personal charges were reimbursed to the district in a reasonable period except $415 that was reimbursed

Committee: All LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING-EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Summary: The committee met to review education audit reports and adopted the minutes. Legislative Audit reported 103 education audits total, with 89 having no findings and 14 containing findings. The committee first heard from Camden Fairview School District, which had findings for spending operating funds on an end-of-year employee banquet and for unauthorized credit card charges. District officials said they had implemented stronger internal controls, stopped using the affected card, and would limit future events to comply with state law and constitutional requirements. Members questioned the district about prior practices, donated funds, and how teacher appreciation could continue without using operating funds; the report was filed as reviewed. The committee then reviewed Forest City School District, which had a finding for spending $33,000 in operating funds on an off-campus end-of-year celebration and entertainment event. District representatives said the money came from a long-standing Pepsi-related donation fund, but acknowledged confusion over whether it should be treated as operational funds and said they would stop using it that way and provide training to staff and the board. Members discussed whether the funds were private donations or operating funds, the lack of a formal board vote, and whether the event was intended to recognize staff and growth; the report was filed as reviewed. The committee also received notice of more serious findings that were referred to the prosecuting attorney and attorney general, including Conway School District for misuse of district funds and resources by former maintenance employees, Magnolia School District for undeposited activity funds, Westside School District for undocumented and personal credit card charges, and Boonville School District for paying a board member’s son in excess of the statutory limit without an approved exemption. The remaining eight reports with findings were filed en masse as reviewed, and the 89 reports with no findings were also filed en masse. The committee adjourned after noting that most districts reviewed had no findings.

Transcript Highlights:

• since this is a loan program rather than a grant program, they can qualify for the loan, and then the payment
• They're unable to collect payment from the co-op. They're unable to collect insurance payments.
• The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry shall be liable and shall fully reimburse agriculture
• ... ...shall be liable and shall fully reimburse agricultural operations for economic losses resulting
• Representative Hardin, who would determine the reimbursement value, and who would determine that?

Bills: SB1346 , SB1509 , SB1928 , SB2028 , SB2071 , SB2110 , SB2117 , SB2127 , SB2134 , SB722 , SB3

Committee: House Agriculture

Keywords: water infrastructure, wastewater, investment program, loans, local government, SB1509, groundwater, water wells, well spacing, water rights, Oklahoma Water Resources Board, OWRB, basin, subbasin, maximum annual yield, aquifer management, water allocation, water permits, temporary permits, irrigation

Summary: The committee began by introducing new member Rep. Dylan Travis, who was elected in a special election and will represent District 35. The first measures taken up focused on water policy. HB 1346, as amended, would create a revolving fund for water and wastewater infrastructure loans through the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, with the amendment removing population-based language so infrastructure needs can be considered more broadly; it passed 9-0. SB 1509 would make well-spacing standards apply uniformly across the state by aquifer rather than waiting on maximum annual yield studies, and OWRB staff explained that domestic wells are not affected and existing rules still protect landowners; it passed 6-3. SB 1928 would establish a five-year flex allocation for groundwater use, allowing producers to shift unused water from one year to another, and it passed 7-2. The committee also considered several agriculture and food-related bills. SB 2028 would authorize the sale of raw milk products without consumer notification or container labeling beyond indicating the product is unpasteurized; it passed 8-0. SB 2071 would align Oklahoma’s Grade A milk regulations with federal standards and increase the dairy inspection fee from 1 cent to 2 cents per hundred pounds, but after concerns from members and testimony from ODAF about the fee burden, the committee adopted an amendment restoring the 1-cent rate; the bill then passed 8-1. SB 2110 would allow sale of ungraded eggs off-farm at farmers’ markets or directly to consumers, including unwashed eggs, and passed 9-0. SB 2117 would clarify that the Department of Agriculture can stop the sale of contaminated grain and direct remediation or destruction in a current contamination event involving sewer leakage into a field; it passed 9-0. Other measures addressed livestock transport, crop protection, hemp, and a proposed reimbursement scheme. SB 2134 would create procedures for wreck services and emergency management to handle livestock involved in transportation accidents, with the Department of Agriculture setting humane handling policies; members discussed whether the bill should explicitly address state or county emergency management and rail incidents, and it passed 8-0. SB 2127 was described as a work in progress to address crop protection and nontraditional producer practices, especially amid difficult conditions for row-crop producers, and it passed 8-1. SB 722, after the committee rescinded a prior referral, was presented as a new section requiring ODAF to reimburse agricultural operations for economic losses caused by agency actions enforcing court-ordered rules from an attorney general suit; after extensive questioning about scope, valuation, and legal effects, the author laid the bill over for further work. Finally, SB 3, on a newly adopted PCS, was reframed from a biosolids bill into a hemp-definition bill intended to align state law with the new federal definition and reduce youth access to marijuana-like hemp products; it passed 8-0. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• total amount of taxpayer funds included in all settlements, payments, reimbursements, awards, or other
• The aggregate total amount of taxpayer funds included in all settlements, payments, reimbursements, awards
• The aggregate total amount of taxpayer funds included in all settlements, payments, reimbursements, awards
• For purposes of this resolution, any such settlement, payment, reimbursement, award, or other financial
• ><c> other</c> payment, reimbursement, award, or other payment, reimbursement, award, or other financial

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This prevents artificially low Medicaid reimbursement rates.
• This prevents artificially low Medicaid reimbursement rates for members-only discounted prices.
• Does this bill authorize any kind of payments from the Medicaid system?
• No, it does not authorize any payments.
• And in this bill, we are not touching the major events reimbursement fund.

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, heard the invocation and pledges, and then took up a series of memorial resolutions and recognitions. Members adopted memorial resolutions honoring former President Jimmy Carter and Dr. Alice Gail Hudgens, with remarks highlighting their public service and community impact, and adopted resolutions recognizing Victoria College’s 100th anniversary and May 2025 as Mental Health Awareness Month. The chamber also recognized Texas A&M system interns and later granted permission for several committees to meet while the House was in session. The House then moved through a long third-reading calendar, passing a number of bills on wide margins. Measures approved included SB 304 on municipal court jurisdiction over nuisance abatement ordinances, SB 608 on reporting evidence collection kits, SB 2312 creating a Texas Advisory Committee on Geopolitical Conflict, SB 494 creating a petroleum theft task force, SB 530 on postsecondary accreditation, HB 45 giving the Attorney General a role in prosecuting human trafficking cases, HB 35 on peer support for first responders, HB 47 and HB 3073 on sexual assault policy and prosecution, HB 318 and HB 3000 creating rural sheriff and ambulance grant programs, HB 554 on Juneteenth fireworks sales with county opt-in authority restored, HB 705 and HB 932 joining licensure compacts for cosmetology and occupational therapy, HB 849 allowing county park boards to meet by video conference, HB 1119 on mental health bed reporting, HB 3041 on students with nontraditional secondary education, HB 713 on maternal mortality review reporting, HB 3104 on Webb County bailiff appointments, HB 3970 on electricity planning for large loads, HB 4042 on Railroad Commission safety provisions for gas distribution pipelines, HB 4490 protecting next-of-kin information, HB 1731 on the physician assistant compact, HB 2607 on Walker County Hospital District governance, HB 3689 on Texas Windstorm Insurance Association funding, HB 1788 on continuing education for barbers and cosmetologists about abuse and trafficking, HB 1612 on hospital direct payments for uninsured patients, and HB 138 on health impact cost and coverage analysis. Several bills drew extended debate or amendments. HB 353, creating a trespass offense near schools and daycares, prompted questions about constitutional concerns and property rights before passing. HB 3211 on optometrists in managed care plans received a perfecting amendment and a Medicaid-related amendment setting a minimum payment level. HB 1056 on gold and silver specie and a state-based currency prompted detailed questioning about its mechanics and fees, followed by a point of order challenging the caption. The House also adopted or postponed a number of items, including postponing HB 2520 and HB 1359 until later in the calendar before later passing both, and laying several bills on the table subject to call. Many measures passed overwhelmingly, while a few, including HB 3326 on loan forgiveness for adjunct professors and HB 3237 on energy consumption goals, passed with narrower margins.

Transcript Highlights:

• The per-pupil payment goes to the school district.
• We had $2.7 million in reimbursements to school districts.
• And then in FY25, we had $4.4 million roughly with reimbursements to school districts.
• I don't know that the levels are payment levels, if I can say that.
• And that's a reimbursement thing. And that's a reimbursement thing.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee met to discuss special education funding and retention, beginning with approval of the prior meeting minutes and then hearing a presentation from North Dakota United on a statewide special education survey and retention rubric. Presenters described how the rubric and survey were developed from special educator input around four domains: paperwork and due process support, workload, student and staff safety, and paraprofessional management. They reported high levels of stress and burnout, including increased workload, difficulty taking prep and lunch time, concerns about mental health, and widespread difficulty filling special education positions. Committee members questioned the survey’s lack of a general-education comparison group, the interpretation of terms like “rarely” and “sometimes,” and whether results could be broken down further by district size, unit, or disability area. The survey results showed the weakest area was workload, with respondents reporting caseloads increasing without corresponding adjustments, little additional support or compensation when workloads rise, and few negotiated-agreement protections. Paperwork and due process also scored poorly, with many teachers saying they rarely receive dedicated time during the duty day, often work outside contract hours without compensation, and take work home on evenings and weekends. Student and staff safety scored somewhat better but still showed gaps in crisis follow-up, notification about violent behavior, protective gear, and leave options after incidents. Paraprofessional management also drew concern, especially low pay, insufficient staffing, limited administrative support, and the burden placed on teachers to supervise and train paras. Several teachers then testified directly about the practical impact of these issues. One special education teacher described the job as combining instruction, legal compliance, and paraprofessional supervision, often requiring work beyond contracted hours and contributing to burnout and turnover. Another testified that special education case managers are effectively doing three full-time jobs and that the paperwork and caseload demands are a major reason people avoid or leave the field. Committee members discussed whether the problems are primarily local or state-level, whether more funding would solve them, and whether changes to the funding formula or weighting for high-cost students might be needed. No formal vote or action was taken beyond a recess and return to order for the next presentation, which continued the discussion of possible special education study objectives and potential policy directions.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:19:10.480><c> so</c> special education for reimbursement so special education for reimbursement
• </c><00:27:37.360><c> when</c> they're expecting reimbursement when they're expecting reimbursement when
• Such payment should be forwarded to the prior address of DRA over on Chanel Drive.
• Such payment should be forwarded to the prior address of DRA over on Chanel Drive.
• Open to discussion. payments to the Department of Revenue payments to the Department of Revenue Administration

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Education Funding Committee met to review a large package of bills, with the first four—HB 717, 742, 773, and 603—focused on special education aid, formerly called catastrophic aid. Chair Ladin explained that the committee needed to move a special education bill forward by March 4 and was trying to determine which bill would serve as the vehicle. He described the current formula and the difficulty of estimating the fiscal impact of lowering the threshold from 3.5 times the statewide average cost per pupil to a lower level, noting that DOE did not have reliable data on how many students would fall into the lower-cost bands. The committee also noted that several other bills in the package addressed SWEP and adequacy issues, and that HB 510 dealt with due process rather than funding. Mark Mello of the Bureau of School Finance testified that the department only has reliable data for special education expenditures above $70,000 per student, since claims are submitted for reimbursement at that point. He said the bureau was trying to estimate how many students might fall between 2.5x and 3.5x or 3x and 3.5x the average cost, but that the basic answer was they did not know and that any estimate would be difficult. He explained that moving the threshold from 3.5x to 2.5x would create a minimum additional cost of about $13.6 million based on existing claims, not counting new students who would enter the range. Members discussed whether districts already had the underlying data, whether a survey should be required, and how districts know when to begin tracking costs for reimbursement. The committee also discussed proration and the state’s share of special education aid. Mello explained that the current 80% state share is modeled in the formula, but the actual payment has been prorated because appropriations have not matched the statutory liability; he said the state liability was about $50 million, while the budget had provided $34 million, resulting in a 68% payment rate. HB 742 was described as a bill that would eliminate proration by paying the liability directly from the education trust fund with an overflow mechanism. Members also discussed possible alternatives such as changing the state share, using a lower threshold in a transition period, or requiring districts to submit data. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion provided; the committee was still in discussion and considering which bills to advance.

Transcript Highlights:

• Payments were showing up, so it was under vendor payments, now they're calling it something else.
• I'll also tell you that there were 2.1 million dollars transferred 361 payments in odd amounts like $19,950
• If you looked on the auditor's website, there's no accountability for which it was being reimbursed for
• that, and you've made it clear, you're This is the Harris County that was going to give out just payments
• Does your bill change the status quo regarding a county's ability to reimburse. bill payments after a

Bills: SJR1 , SB9 , SB40 , SJR36 , SJR1 , SJR5 , SB9 , SB40 , SJR1 , SB9 , SB40 , SR62 , SR92 , SR95 , SR108 , SR110 , SR111 , SR113 , SR114 , SR117 , SR120 , SB314 , SB314

Keywords: bail denial, illegal aliens, felony offenses, constitutional amendment, law enforcement, bail reform, defendants, pretrial detention, public safety, criminal justice, charitable bail organizations, bail bonds, public funds, political subdivision, injunctive relief, taxpayer rights, bail, criminal justice reform, El Paso, economic development

Transcript Highlights:

• jails along our southern border and insisted on the jail accepting those detainees and then not reimbursing
• jails along our southern border and insisted on the jail accepting those detainees and then not reimbursing
• Accepting those detainees and then not reimbursing the facility for the costs, so this sets those parameters
• Children, Youth, and Families and says that as of January 1, 2027, DCYF cannot apply any benefits, payments
• DCYF cannot apply any benefits, payments, funds, or accrual paid to or on behalf of a young adult aged

Summary: The committee and rules meeting advanced a package pull of measures and then moved a series of individual bills and one joint memorial from the white sheet to the floor calendar or second reading calendar. Among the measures discussed were SB 6308 on tools for courts in shelter care hearings to address child protection and tort liability concerns; SB 6200 on tenant rights to install portable cooling devices; SB 6080 on parameters for local jails holding ICE detainees and reimbursement; SB 5911 on protecting benefits and funds for youth in extended foster care; SB 6177 on expanding disclosures on the LEAP website; SB 6052 on a statewide digital transcript data-sharing environment; SB 6182 on an Abortion Savings Program; SB 5828 on college scholarships for private universities; SB 6335 on changes to the Transportation Commission; SB 6017 on trauma-informed treatment of victims and witnesses; SB 6346 on a tax on high earners, which drew opposition over constitutionality and impacts on businesses; SB 6262 on vehicle weight thresholds for certain transportation vehicles; SB 5470 on detached accessory dwelling units outside urban growth areas; SB 5999 on allowing advanced practice registered nurses or physician assistants to serve as acting local health officers in smaller counties; SB 6244 on extending a hazardous substance tax exemption for agricultural crop protection products; and SB 5961 on transferring the Imagination Library Program to SPI. The committee also advanced Senate Joint Memorial 8014 requesting an investigation into a killing. Most measures were described by sponsors as technical, administrative, or supportive of housing, transportation, public health, child welfare, or transparency goals. SB 6346 prompted the most substantive debate, with Senator Braun arguing it functioned as an income tax that could harm small and medium businesses and raise constitutional concerns, while the sponsor characterized it as a tax on millionaires. SB 5999 drew a brief concern about how long acting local health officers could serve, though the member said they would still support it. SB 5961 was noted as having local support and was framed as better aligning the Imagination Library with early childhood literacy goals. The committee approved the package pull and each individual motion by voice vote, with the record reflecting ayes carrying the motions and no recorded roll-call votes. At the end of the meeting, Senator Peterson said it was likely the last sit-down of the first half of session and noted one more standing rules meeting was expected on Monday before cutoff on Tuesday.

Transcript Highlights:

• Anything over that $53,000 is when the state reimburses roughly 75%. That's not sustainable.
• This amendment does not change the 75% reimbursement rate. This is not a structural overhaul.
• or an alternate avenue of payment.
• This amendment would increase our reimbursement rate from 75% to 80%.
• But there's a catch: the reimbursement is subject to appropriation.

Keywords: 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I would just add that CMS allowed reimbursement in Medicare for these procedures to be done in 2020 in
• "Medicare has been reimbursing ASFs for doing PCIs for five years now, so clearly there's a consensus
• You've heard about how they operate at reduced costs of hospital outpatient reimbursement.
• You've heard about how they operate at reduced costs of hospital outpatient reimbursement, and for most
• This information may include a carrier's reimbursement or payments to carriers owned or affiliated with

Bills: HB2545 , HB2613 , HB1496 , HB2155 , HB2283 , HB2340 , HB2425 , HB2437 , HB2577

Committee: House Health Care & Wellness

Keywords: healthcare, patients, cardiovascular procedures, outpatient services, surgical facilities, HB2613, compounded medications, compounded drugs, pharmacy compounding, bulk drug substances, active pharmaceutical ingredients, API, drug safety, patient safety, pharmacy license, Washington pharmacy law, RCW 18.64, Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, FDA, pharmaceutical compounding

Transcript Highlights:

• When we think about directed payments to hospitals, drawing some federal money, using a tool that many
• So when we think about<00:12:43.600><c> directed</c><00:12:44.079><c> payments</c><00:12:44.800><c> to
• </c><00:12:45.120><c> hospitals,</c><00:12:46.160><c> um</c> about directed payments to hospitals, um
• about directed payments to hospitals, um drabing<00:12:46.720><c> some</c><00:12:46.959><c> federal<
• , um using that that same reimbursements, um using that that same tool<00:12:53.680><c> when</c><00:12

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• FOR SENATE BILL 716 THIS IS A FLORIDA REIMBURSEMENT ASSISTANCE FOR THE FLORIDA EDUCATION PROGRAM FRAME
• IN PAYMENT HOSPITALS WILL USE A DIAGNOSTIC RELATING METHODOLOGY DRG AND WHAT THIS DID IS INCREASE ALL
• WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF ISSUING PAYMENTS FOR SLOTS FOR DOCTORS AND WE ANTICIPATE THREE PAYMENTS TO BE
• THE DRG AND OTHER PROVIDER REIMBURSEMENT SYSTEM UPDATES WERE MADE AND ANYTHING COMING IN THROUGH OUR
• STARTING WITH THE LEGISLATIVE CHANGES TO THE FLORIDA REIMBURSEMENT ASSISTANCE FOR MEDICAL EDUCATION OR

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The CAT fund is a reimbursement program.
• The CAT fund is a reimbursement program.
• The CAT fund is a reimbursement program.
• We provide reimbursements for losses that get up to that level for an insurance company.
• So we have cash payments that we get from premiums that the insurers pay us.

Summary: The Government Operations Subcommittee met with a quorum and began with member introductions and remarks from the chair emphasizing the committee’s focus on government efficiency, accountability, and oversight of executive branch agencies. Members shared their districts and backgrounds, with several noting hurricane recovery in their communities and a shared interest in reducing bureaucracy and improving service to Floridians. The committee’s only presentation was from Chris Spencer, Executive Director of the State Board of Administration, who gave an overview of the SBA’s governance structure, investment responsibilities, and divestment policies. He explained the SBA’s management of more than $257 billion in assets, including the Florida Retirement System, the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund, and Florida PRIME, and reviewed the Protecting Florida’s Investments Act restrictions covering Northern Ireland, Cuba, Venezuela, Israel, Sudan, Iran, and China. He also described the implementation of HB 7071, including the required divestment from direct holdings in Chinese companies, and said the SBA had reduced its direct Chinese holdings from 33 companies totaling over $172 million to 13 companies totaling about $64 million, with completion expected ahead of the September 1, 2025 deadline. Members asked detailed questions about the Israel boycott list, Morningstar and MSCI, how the SBA gathers information, whether Cuba’s federal designation changes affect Florida law, how companies are removed from scrutinized lists, and whether divestment timing could affect returns. Spencer said the SBA uses public and paid research sources, gives companies a 90-day cure period in some cases, and brings list changes to the trustees for approval. He also explained that the China benchmark change is intended to reduce passive exposure while still allowing active investment decisions, and said the PFIA restrictions have had a modestly positive overall effect on pension performance. The chair also asked about the Florida Retirement System funded ratio and the CAT Fund’s capacity; Spencer said the pension fund is at 80.7% funded, that actuarial assumptions are reviewed regularly, and that the CAT Fund currently has more than $10.5 billion in liquid claims-paying capacity and is expected to remain well positioned for hurricane losses. No votes were taken, and the meeting adjourned after the presentation and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Membership and payment of dues or fees are voluntary, and you may not be discriminated against for your
• I've never had an instance where we're saying the taxpayer has been paying the burden of reimbursement
• Please remit payment by this time. Like, we don't see that occurring.
• The waiving of the payment of the fees, I have a right to stop deducting. Absolutely.
• I should not— Payment of the fees. I have a right to stop deducting. Absolutely.

Committee: House Labor & Industrial Relations

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations met for its final meeting of the 2026 session and took up SB 312 by Senator Talbot, a bill concerning labor organizations, employee dues and fees, withdrawal from unions, annual notice requirements, and related reporting and notification provisions. The committee first adopted a technical amendment set, then debated a larger amendment set that shifted the cease-withholding request to the employer, required electronic confirmation, placed certain administrative costs on the labor organization, and added language about employer notification and authorization procedures. Members discussed whether the bill was needed, whether employees already have the ability to opt out, and whether the amendments would create confusion or unnecessary bureaucracy. Supporters said the bill protects employee choice and ensures dues stoppage happens at the nearest payroll period; opponents argued the added language was unclear and burdensome. The committee also adopted a separate technical amendment adding mass transit employees to the list of exemptions. Testimony came from the bill author and several stakeholders. Senator Talbot said the bill is meant to ensure workers know they do not have to join a union, can revoke dues authorizations, and can stop deductions without waiting for a fixed annual window. Representative Eccles defended the amendments as employee protections and a way to shift administrative costs away from taxpayers. Jim Patterson of LABI supported the amendments, saying they protect public employers and taxpayers from administrative costs. After the amendments were adopted on a roll call vote, union representatives Matt Wood of the Louisiana AFL-CIO, Peter Robbins-Brown of the AFL-CIO, and Larry Carter of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers and School Employees testified in opposition to the amended bill, saying they had worked in good faith on a simpler opt-in/opt-out framework and objected to the new cost and bureaucracy provisions. Several members also spoke in favor of the bill as a matter of freedom of choice and employee control over paycheck deductions. At the end of debate, Representative Wilder moved to report SB 312 with amendments. The motion passed on a roll call vote, and the bill was reported from committee with amendments. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's all we've received is reimbursement for our labor as we send these teams out to other parts of
• We won't be reimbursed by the federal government?
• and aligning reimbursement with how care is actually delivered.
• So what happens is those payments are stuck with a doctor's office or a facility.
• So this unbundles the payments. We're already paying for it. Sometimes there's duplicate.

Summary: The committee met for a very long session and considered a large number of bills, with the chair noting the meeting would run late and providing pizza and a recess. Early measures included HB 1752, authorizing the AG’s office and district attorneys’ counsel to buy vehicles with available funds, and HB 2961, a tuition waiver for Gold Star recipients; both advanced with strong support, though HB 2961 drew a question about its estimated annual cost of roughly $312,000 to $520,000. Members also approved HB 2967, exempting certain family vehicle transfers from motor vehicle excise tax, and HB 2973, requiring school districts to use a specific accounting code to show how state-appropriated dollars are spent. Several education and transparency bills also moved forward, including HB 3031 on common course numbering, HB 3057 centralizing statutorily required reports with LOFT, and HB 3052 codifying child welfare procedures related to fentanyl exposure cases. The committee then took up a series of public safety, health, and infrastructure measures. HB 3242, which would create a framework for student prayer during non-instructional time, generated extensive debate over whether it was a mandate, whether it could create fiscal and supervision burdens, and whether it raised local control and constitutional concerns; it passed 17-10. Other bills approved included HB 3066 creating a revolving fund tied to rural behavioral health workforce dollars, HB 3086 requiring the DOC director to brief the board annually on budget and inmate deaths, HB 3175 creating an Oklahoma Advanced Nuclear Energy Office, HB 3177 letting the Oklahoma Corporation Commission set salaries for its court reporters, HB 3178 establishing standard depreciation tables for farm equipment, HB 3429 creating an alternative funding mechanism for career tech capital projects, HB 3548 encouraging youth-run small businesses, HB 3638 directing Oklahoma to participate in the federal Summer EBT program, and HB 3704 expressing intent to opt into a federal tax credit for scholarship-granting organizations. Later, the committee approved HB 1590 creating an education infrastructure linked deposit program for charter and nonprofit schools, HB 3759 requiring temporary school allocations to be set before June 30, HB 3831 recognizing and funding Oklahoma Task Force One after federal support declines, HB 3904 unbundling Medicaid maternal health payments, and HB 4092 creating a protected 988 mental health trust fund and related oversight. After a brief recess, the committee continued with HB 1979 creating a task force to study a centralized early childhood office, HB 1983 requiring a middle school course on online scams and digital safety, HB 1242 expanding agricultural sales tax exemptions to deer and elk, HB 1250 creating a law enforcement public safety technology revolving fund, HB 2952 changing motor vehicle excise tax treatment for trade-ins, HB 3404 setting up a prescribed burn association fund, HB 3671 allowing experienced teachers to carry career teacher status to a new district with approval, HB 3920 extending a tax exemption to organ transplant nonprofits, HB 4118 creating a nonrefundable caregiver tax credit, HB 3944 cleaning up the State Finance Act, HB 3969 renaming a correctional facility after a former sheriff, HB 3973 creating a revolving fund tied to reopening Swojack, HB 3975 and HB 3976 creating mechanisms for oversight and potential funding of rural health initiatives, HB 3978 updating the Oklahoma World Jobs Act, HB 3983 serving as a placeholder for tobacco tax negotiations, and HB 3984 creating a mechanism to recruit productive new residents. Most bills passed on strong votes, while HB 1983 failed in committee 13-14 and was not reported out.

Transcript Highlights:

• to workers' compensation, to define maximum medical improvement, misrepresentation of benefits, payments
• to workers' compensation, to define maximum medical improvement, misrepresentation of benefits, payments
• of ABAer Avalorum Taxes: Avalon property tax exemptions, optional exemptions, provide relative to payments
• House Bill 1185, by Representative Miller, payment methodologies; provides for reimbursement directed
• payments for other rural hospitals; duties of the Department of Health.

Bills: HR91 , HR92 , HR93 , HCR44 , HR84 , HR85 , HR86 , HR87 , HR88 , HR89 , HR90 , HCR42 , HCR43 , SCR21 , HB483 , HB484 , HB893 , HB1087 , HB1088 , HB1089 , HB1090 , HB1091 , HB1092 , HB1093 , HB1094 , HB1095 , HB1096 , HB1097 , HB1098 , HB1099 , HB1100 , HB1101 , HB1102 , HB1103 , HB1104 , HB1105 , HB1106 , HB1107 , HB1108 , HB1109 , HB1110 , HB1111 , HB1112 , HB1113 , HB1114 , HB1116 , HB1117 , HB1118 , HB1119 , HB1120 , HB1121 , HB1122 , HB1123 , HB1124 , HB1125 , HB1126 , HB1127 , HB1128 , HB1129 , HB1130 , HB1131 , HB1132 , HB1133 , HB1134 , HB1135 , HB1136 , HB1137 , HB1138 , HB1139 , HB1140 , HB1141 , HB1142 , HB1143 , HB1144 , HB1145 , HB1146 , HB1147 , HB1148 , HB1149 , HB1150 , HB1151 , HB1152 , HB1153 , HB1154 , HB1155 , HB1156 , HB1157 , HB1158 , HB1159 , HB1160 , HB1161 , HB1162 , HB1163 , HB1164 , HB1165 , HB1166 , HB1167 , HB1168 , HB1169 , HB1170 , HB1171 , HB1172 , HB1173 , HB1174 , HB1175 , HB1176 , HB1177 , HB1178 , HB1179 , HB1180 , HB1181 , HB1182 , HB1183 , HB1184 , HB1185 , HB1186 , HB1187 , HB1188 , HB1189 , HB1190 , HB1191 , HB1192 , HB1193 , HB1194 , HB1195 , HB1196 , HB1197 , HB1198 , HB1199 , HB1200 , HB1201 , HB1202 , HB1203 , HB1204 , HB1205 , HB1206 , HB1207 , HB1208 , HB1209 , HB1210 , HB1211 , HB1212 , HB1213 , HB1214 , HB1215 , HB1216 , HB1217 , HB1218 , HB1219 , HB1220 , HB1221 , HB1222 , HB1223 , HB1224 , HB1225 , HB1226 , HB1227 , HB1228 , HB1229 , HB1230 , HB1231 , SB1 , SB54 , SB82 , SB87 , SB92 , SB93 , SB99 , SB104 , SB113 , SB114 , SB115 , SB123 , SB129 , SB133 , SB161 , SB162 , SB224 , SB236 , SB275 , SB280 , SB289 , SB305 , SB310 , SB325 , SB330 , SB339 , SB350 , SB359 , SB382 , SB410 , SB412 , HCR10 , HB54 , HB55 , HB67 , HB73 , HB125 , HB133 , HB158 , HB168 , HB169 , HB191 , HB195 , HB205 , HB225 , HB245 , HB280 , HB283 , HB296 , HB319 , HB325 , HB339 , HB399 , HB407 , HB448 , HB482 , HB550 , HB591 , HB821 , HB826 , HB992 , HB995 , HB1085 , HB1086 , HR15 , HR20 , HCR14 , HCR6 , HCR19 , HB861 , HB889 , HB904 , HB907 , HB908 , HB929 , HB1009 , HB13 , HB23 , HB25 , HB32 , HB41 , HB90 , HB120 , HB121 , HB122 , HB127 , HB138 , HB139 , HB141 , HB179 , HB187 , HB213 , HB247 , HB286 , HB332 , HB344 , HB357 , HB367 , HB370 , HB462 , HB505 , HB527 , HB537 , HB605 , HB680 , HB681 , HB725 , HB780 , HB782 , HB847 , HB892 , HB911 , HB916 , HB1012 , HB81 , HB134 , HB154 , HB163 , HB170 , HB194 , HB217 , HB220 , HB254 , HB259 , HB290 , HB308 , HB311 , HB360 , HB382 , HB401 , HB410 , HB417 , HB463 , HB575 , HB592 , HB718 , HB723 , HB750 , HB755 , HB776 , HB812 , HB844 , HB882 , HB888 , HB961 , HB966 , HB980 , HB228 , HB289 , HB735 , HB796 , HB284 , HB301 , HB722 , HB468 , HB546 , HB746 , HB842 , HB923 , HB46 , HB166 , HB349 , HB352 , HB436 , HB588 , HB140 , HB429 , HB827 , HB953 , HB901 , HB9 , HB52 , HB58 , HB193 , HB400 , HB570 , HB577 , HB582 , HB733 , HB747 , HB868 , HB952

Keywords: Tulane University, education, research, economic impact, healthcare, Louisiana, condolences, memorial, community service, faith, legacy, centenarian, tribute, honor, longevity, philanthropy, youth leadership, fundraising, nonprofits, physical therapy

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, opened with prayer and the pledge, and then spent much of the day on personal privileges and resolutions recognizing groups and individuals. Members honored Physical Therapy Day at the Capitol, Tulane Day at the Capitol, and Landscape Architecture Month/Day, and also recognized the Liftoff Louisiana team for its work on an FAA advanced air mobility pilot program. The chamber also observed a moment of silence for former Representative Gene Durgey and adopted several condolence resolutions. The House then took up a long series of introductions and committee reports on bills, with many measures referred to committees and several resolutions adopted without objection. Among the more notable floor actions, the House adopted resolutions for Tulane University, physical therapy, landscape architecture, and the Liftoff Louisiana team, while other resolutions expressing condolences or commending individuals were either adopted or laid over. The chamber also received a large number of House and Senate bills on second reading for referral, covering topics such as education, health care, insurance, transportation, criminal justice, natural resources, taxation, and government administration. During floor consideration of bills, the House passed a number of measures, including a government clean-up bill removing inactive boards and commissions, an oyster tagging measure for alternative cultivation, a naloxone immunity bill, and a Secretary of State fee bill that drew some opposition but passed. Other bills approved included legislation on auto glass insurance practices, reckless driving at speeds over 100 mph, retirement system changes and cost-of-living adjustments, and several local crime prevention or improvement district measures. Some bills were amended or temporarily returned to the calendar for correction, including a firefighter retirement board governance bill, while most final passages were accompanied by motions to table reconsideration and, in some cases, requests for co-authors.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Comptroller’s Office also has post-payment audits.
• A billion dollars is the SNAP payment error rate. A measure of fraud?
• Well, it... sort of cocoa. are getting reimbursed. So it's... Well, it...
• On identity fraud, yes, we stop the payments.
• So we would not make that payment.

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee met to hear interim charges on higher education transparency and on preventing fraud, waste, and abuse in state government. The chair emphasized accountability for taxpayer dollars and asked witnesses to address financial reporting, audit practices, and whether more frequent or comprehensive audits would improve oversight. Legislative Budget Board staff described how public university systems and most community colleges respond to requests about internal audit practices, noting that university systems generally follow a similar annual audit timeline and that community colleges use a more varied mix of internal and external audit arrangements. Members focused on gaps in reporting, especially Texas Southern University’s missing submissions for several years and Collin County Community College’s nonresponse to the LBB survey. The State Auditor’s Office then outlined its higher education audit work, including mandatory statewide single audits, DEI compliance audits, HUB and State Use Program audits, benefits proportional audits, and discretionary audits based on risk. The auditor said the office has released 43 higher-ed audit reports since fiscal year 2021 and has two audits in progress, and explained that internal audit reports from institutions help guide future audit selection. Senators pressed the office on the lack of enforcement authority, the value of internal auditors at each institution, and whether community colleges should have more standardized reporting and audit requirements. The auditor and general counsel said the SAO can refer suspected fraud to law enforcement but cannot itself enforce findings, while several senators suggested stronger clawback authority and more robust internal audit structures. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board explained that it collects annual financial reports, sources-and-uses data, and community college finance reports, and uses them for funding formulas and other reporting. It also trains governing board members and said it has limited regulatory authority, though community colleges must certify compliance annually and can lose eligibility for state funds if they do not. Members questioned the reliability of self-attested data, the adequacy of board training, and whether a single reporting structure would be more efficient. During public testimony, a ScholarShot representative argued for clearer, student-facing financial transparency so students can see total cost of attendance and the gap they must cover before enrolling.

Transcript Highlights:

• So if we could get to that point of what's the reimbursement for a full-time equivalent student, and
• What's the per pupil payment? We don't have anything like that in our higher ed formula today.
• It would be more about what's pupil payment.
• So if we could get to that point of what's the reimbursement for a full-time equivalent student, and
• And if that's the way you want to build the reimbursement for the other nine, that works.

Committee: Joint Higher Education Funding Review Committee

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Currently, alternative payment programs do the hands-on work of enrolling families, managing cases, and
• There were significant reductions made to our reimbursement for services.
• Our organizations were called upon to swiftly deliver relief and one-time payment to providers.
• Before the pandemic, California's reimbursement structure was attendance-driven and deeply unstable.
• Before the pandemic, California's reimbursement structure was attendance-driven and deeply unstable.

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on disability services, food security, veterans, aging services, and child care. SB 969 by Senator Reyes would make permanent the option for Californians with intellectual and developmental disabilities to receive certain regional center services remotely; supporters said remote services improve access, continuity, safety, and choice, and there was no opposition. The committee initially lacked a quorum, so action on the bill was delayed until later in the hearing, when it was moved on a 4-0 vote to Appropriations. SB 1025 by Senator Hurtado would create an Office of Food Security and Affordability to coordinate state food programs, improve CalFresh enrollment, reduce duplication, and support a 24-hour hunger hotline; supporters framed it as a coordination and strategic-planning measure, while some members questioned whether existing programs should be evaluated first and whether the bill needed stronger reporting and accountability. It passed 3-0 to Governmental Organization. The committee also heard SB 1052 by Senator Gonzalez, which would allow the State Council on Developmental Disabilities to appoint contingent authorized representatives so people with developmental disabilities are not left without support if a parent or other primary helper becomes unavailable. Supporters, including families and disability advocates, described emergencies, immigration enforcement fears, and service interruptions as reasons for the bill; members asked about the current approval and renewal process and whether the annual renewal requirement could be streamlined. The bill passed 3-0 to Appropriations. SB 1077, also by Senator Gonzalez, would require the Department of Social Services to prepare for future federal shutdowns by creating a communications and contingency plan for CalFresh disruptions and a state-backed emergency benefits mechanism; supporters cited the 43-day federal shutdown and delays in benefits, and the bill passed 4-0 to Appropriations. Other measures discussed included SB 1201 by Senator McNerney, the No Hungry Heroes Act, which would seek waivers and direct referrals to protect veterans from federal SNAP changes and job-search-related income calculations; it passed 3-0 to Military and Veterans Affairs. SB 1261 by Senator Laird would let aging and disability resource connections continue operating during partner transitions so people do not lose access to “no wrong door” services; it passed 3-0 to Appropriations. SB 1110 by Senator Becker would update child care subsidy funding and reimbursement structures to better reflect direct family services and stabilize providers; the author said a provision tied to the budget would be removed, and the bill passed 4-0 to Education. Finally, SB 991 by Senator Menjivar was presented to improve how abuse and neglect findings in residential care facilities for the elderly are categorized in the licensing database, so serious abuse is not lumped together with lesser violations; testimony described examples of sexual assault and restraint being recorded as generic residents’ rights violations.