Transcript Highlights:

• And we found one instance of voter fraud amongst 23 million voters.
• Trump to go find voter fraud across the country. top initiative of the President of the United States
• and that voter fraud commission disbanded without a whimper because the reality is that voter fraud
• Does voter fraud happen? Yes, it does. Do we have laws?
• Fraud that is actually changing the outcomes of these national elections and it's very clear nobody's

Committee: House Elections

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c> we have credible allegations of fraud, we have credible allegations of fraud, the<00:20:43.400>
• So, that would be of fraud.
• </c> the of the alleged $9 billion of fraud. the of the alleged $9 billion of fraud.
• </c> are vulnerable to fraud. are vulnerable to fraud.
• . fraud. fraud.

Committee: Senate Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh Mr. fraud on an enterprise-wide basis. fraud on an enterprise-wide basis.
• </c> satisfied that there is no fraud satisfied that there is no fraud occurring<00:52:07.360><c> or<
• . fraud. fraud.
• </c> our IT doesn't get better, our fraud our IT doesn't get better, our fraud doesn't<00:54:52.320><
• ,</c> there is a credible allegation of fraud, there is a credible allegation of fraud, the<00:56:44.640

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• Not because of fraud.
• The fact that much of this fraud has done. requirements. Yes, we need more oversight.
• We try to do that with all waste, fraud, and abuse that happens in this state.
• Unfortunately, we've seen devastating examples of waste, fraud, and abuse.
• We must not let flexibility become the cover for fraud or innovation an excuse for neglect.

Summary: The Assembly convened after a quorum call, prayer, and Pledge of Allegiance, then moved through a long floor file of bills. Early measures passed with little or no debate, including AB 698 on local transfer taxes and affordable housing analysis, AB 456 on mobile home sales, AB 1129 on reportable infant health conditions, AB 69 on Fair Plan insurance notices and voluntary market searches, AB 357 on expedited student and faculty housing permits, AB 383 on firearms code cleanups, AB 426 on drones interfering with emergency response, AB 825 on energy affordability and transmission financing, and AB 699 on ballot transparency for local tax and bond measures. Most of these bills passed unanimously or with strong bipartisan margins, while AB 825 drew the most extended debate over whether it would lower costs or expand state control of energy infrastructure; it ultimately passed 45-5. The most contentious item was AB 84, which would strengthen oversight of non-classroom-based charter schools and tighten accountability for charter spending and operations. Supporters argued it was needed to stop fraud and misuse of public education dollars, citing major scandals and audit findings, while opponents warned it would harm legitimate charter schools, reduce educational options, and disproportionately affect rural and special-needs students. Several members said they supported the bill only to keep negotiations going, and others urged more targeted or delayed action. After extensive debate and multiple amendments, the Assembly passed AB 84 on a 41-22 vote. The chamber also took up AB 610, a housing bill that would require cities and counties to disclose planned housing restrictions and limit new constraints for three years after housing element approval. The author framed it as a certainty and transparency measure to help address the state’s housing shortage, while noting continued discussions with local governments and housing advocates. The transcript ends with the bill’s presentation and request for an aye vote, with no final vote shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• The cards come with sophisticated fraud protection. Banks make customers whole where fraud occurs.
• When I appeared before you previously, I discussed the growing fraud epidemic in the U.S.
• I would also say that, you know, we spoke a lot about fraud.
• What we have seen on our side of this conversation is a significant increase in fraud.
• and payment networks, record levels of fraud year over year.

Summary: The Special Legislative Commission studying the future of credit card payments and their impacts on small businesses held what leaders described as its last public hearing, though they said the commission would continue meeting to develop a report and recommendations. Chair Paul Feeney and other members noted the issue is complex and that they had sought testimony from a wide range of stakeholders before moving into a more deliberative phase. The commission adjourned after hearing from several in-person and virtual witnesses. Banking and card-industry witnesses, including the Massachusetts Bankers Association, the Card Coalition, the Electronic Payments Coalition, and others, argued that payment cards provide major benefits to consumers and merchants, including convenience, fraud protection, fast settlement, and broad access to electronic commerce. They warned that state-level changes to interchange rules could create a patchwork of conflicting requirements, disrupt global payment systems, and especially affect state-chartered community banks and small businesses. Several also said recent federal actions and litigation, including OCC and NCUA preemption rules and the Illinois interchange-fee litigation, have limited the practical reach of state laws. Restaurant, retail, and convenience-store witnesses pushed for relief from swipe fees, saying independent businesses operate on thin margins and pay fees on amounts that are not really their revenue, such as sales tax and gratuities. They urged transparency, the ability to surcharge, vendor compensation for tax collection, and limits on interchange or related fees. Some witnesses said merchants bear significant fraud and chargeback costs and that banks and card networks have not offered enough direct relief. Commissioners asked questions about surcharging, fee regulation, fraud, and whether industry should share more of the burden. No votes or formal actions were taken beyond adjourning the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, this bill people to fight fraud.
• 52:14.559><c> unit</c> Minnesota's Medicaid fraud control unit Minnesota's Medicaid fraud control unit
• </c><00:53:34.880><c> public</c> welfare fraud or fraud in other public welfare fraud or fraud in other
• </c><00:54:00.800><c> charges</c><00:54:01.119><c> and</c> provider fraud charges and provider fraud
• We're 32 our med fraud unit has not.

Bills: HF2216 , HF1978 , HF2354 , HF1963 , HF1994 , HF1995 , HF1894

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill was requested by the DOJ to ensure their fraud and consumer protection division is made aware
• This bill was requested by the DOJ to ensure that their fraud and consumer protection division is made
• There is really nothing else in the Delaware Consumer Fraud Act statutes that remotely come close to
• Each of those acts will define violations as a violation as well of the Consumer Fraud Act.
• So these aren't businesses that are trying to commit fraud.

Summary: The committee heard several bills, but much of the meeting focused on House Bill 306, which would require disclosure when a consumer is interacting with a chatbot rather than a human. Sponsor Senator Townsend described it as a consumer protection measure and said the bill is meant to keep pace with rapidly changing AI technology. Committee members and witnesses raised concerns about the bill’s enforcement structure, especially private rights of action and penalties that could apply even without actual consumer harm. The Department of Justice said the bill would apply where the conduct has a Delaware nexus, and that the disclosure requirement is the key consumer protection. Industry witnesses and chambers of commerce opposed the bill as drafted, arguing it would create broad compliance burdens and expose businesses to excessive litigation risk without a harm requirement or clearer safe harbor language. Earlier in the meeting, the committee discussed House Bill 429, which would update Delaware’s step therapy exception process to include biosimilars and interchangeable biologics. Senator Poore and supporters from Highmark and the Department of Insurance said the bill would modernize insurance law, improve access to effective treatments, and reduce costs; they cited national savings from biosimilars and said the bill has agency support. Members asked about Delaware-specific savings, patient switching, and how the process would work, but no vote was taken during the discussion. The committee also heard House Bill 310, which would exclude large data centers from Blue Collar Jobs Act tax credits; the sponsor said the bill is intended to ensure large energy users contribute more to state and local revenues, while supporters and opponents debated competitiveness and community impacts. House Bill 406, on allowing insureds to choose their auto repair shop, and Senate Bill 347, a cleanup bill related to medical debt collection and personal property levies, were also presented without opposition in the hearing. House Bill 253, concerning who may receive letters testamentary or of administration, was described as a cleanup to align statute with existing practice. The committee approved the meeting minutes, but the transcript does not show final votes on the bills discussed.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> stopping fraud is to cut the program. stopping fraud is to cut the program.
• The fraud obviously is one."
• They gave you a generalization of a fraud.
• <00:17:43.440><c> that</c><00:17:43.679><c> you</c> specific fraud in Medicaid that you specific fraud
• They you a generalization of a fraud.

Transcript Highlights:

• And third, the bill does not abolish critical fraud functions without replacing them.
• </c> um has a reasonable suspicion of fraud um has a reasonable suspicion of fraud but<00:09:11.279><
• </c> in fraud lost uh up till now. in fraud lost uh up till now.
• </c><00:16:18.000><c> Um,</c> fraud or misuse is being committed.
• Um, fraud or misuse is being committed.

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• , wage theft, and misclassification crimes, as well as fraud in government programs.
• This police agency is singularly focused on financial crimes and fraud across the state of Minnesota.
• One is to add a forensic accountant to examine these financial frauds that are impacting Minnesotans
• On some of the other committees, we talked about just the growth of fraud, both the fraud on our public
• Traditionally, Medicaid fraud The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, which is housed in the Attorney General's

Bills: HF2432

Committee: House Public Safety Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Services will retain its Medicaid fraud Services will retain its Medicaid fraud investigators<01
• ><01:42:27.679><c> have</c> that agency fraud prevention we now have that agency fraud prevention we
• uh frauds against penalties for frauds uh frauds against public public public dollars<01:52:45.480><
• </c> components of the governor's fraud components of the governor's fraud package<01:56:53.040><c> um
• <02:06:47.040><c> in</c><02:06:47.360><c> the</c><02:06:47.480><c> walls</c> fraud in the walls fraud

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• It deals with benefits, MMI, fraud.
• It talks about fraud, cleans up the fraud statute a little bit, and adds into the fraud statute that
• Now, in this bill, it talks about fraud. Briefly tell me how this bill affects fraud. Okay.
• Number one: fraud. You heard testimony... Currently, an employer can file suit. Number one: fraud.
• You have to assert fraud. You don't have grounds for fraud.

Summary: The committee first voluntarily deferred House Bills 460 and 561, then took up House Bill 1101 on workers’ compensation. The sponsor said the bill would define maximum medical improvement, adjust fraud provisions, shorten temporary total disability and supplemental earnings benefit periods, and revise vocational rehabilitation rules; an amendment removed proposed age-based termination language for benefits. Business groups including LABI supported the bill as a way to reduce Louisiana’s comparatively high indemnity costs and align the state with regional norms, while injured-worker advocates and attorneys strongly opposed it, arguing it would cut benefits, shift medical and disability decisions away from treating physicians and judges, broaden fraud too far, and potentially push costs onto public programs. After debate, the committee voted to report HB 1101 with amendments. House Bill 282 was voluntarily deferred. House Bill 293, which would add sexual orientation and gender identity to Louisiana employment discrimination protections, drew generally supportive testimony from the sponsor and supporters, with some members raising questions about religious exemptions and federal law. The committee ultimately voted against reporting HB 293 favorably. House Bill 390, providing unpaid leave protections for domestic abuse survivors at larger employers, was presented as a tool for survivors, but the committee split 6-6 on a motion to report it favorably; the tie resulted in the bill being voluntarily deferred. The committee then heard House Bill 456, which would expand workers’ compensation petition requirements and allow employers or payers broader access to file disputed claims and seek discovery. Supporters argued employers currently lack a practical way to obtain records and challenge claims without first cutting off benefits, while opponents said the bill would revive a rejected 2012 approach, increase litigation, and undermine the no-fault workers’ compensation bargain. The discussion centered on whether the bill would preserve benefits while allowing discovery or instead encourage more disputes and penalties. The transcript ends with testimony still underway on HB 456, with no final vote shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Not only is fraud our focus, but also patient safety.
• I mean, I'm just curious, what kind of fraud are we talking about?
• Get back money from the fraud.
• All the other things listed deter future fraud and patient abuse.
• There could be fraud anywhere is the short answer.

Summary: The committee met as the Commerce and Legal Services Division and first approved the minutes, then received a Legislative Council overview of the Attorney General’s current budget status and a blue-sheet summary of the AG’s base budget for the next biennium. Staff highlighted compliance with legislative intent items, including FTE changes, one-time funding updates, litigation pool spending, opioid settlement receipts, and continuing appropriations. Members asked about specific funds such as the Missing Indigenous People Grant Fund and the Internet Crimes Investigation Fund, and staff explained the statutory basis and status of those items. The Attorney General’s office then presented an extensive overview of its divisions and budget pressures. Chief Deputy Attorney General Clare Ness described the office’s 14 divisions, the role of the office in defending the state and recouping funds, and concerns about attorney pay, recruitment, and retention. Members discussed whether attorney salaries should be benchmarked across state government and whether more legal work could be centralized in the AG’s office. The office also described challenges with the new-and-vacant FTE pool, operating expense cuts, leased office space, and the criminal justice information systems used to connect law enforcement, prosecutors, and courts. The Crime Laboratory director gave a detailed update on space and infrastructure problems, saying the current lab is overcrowded and outdated, with safety, workflow, air-handling, glycol leak, alarm, and maintenance issues that can delay casework and risk evidence integrity. She said a 2024 study projected a need for a much larger facility and that the preferred option would be a new building on the current health department site, at an estimated cost of roughly $40 million to $45 million. She also reported that backlogs have improved significantly in DNA, firearms, fingerprint, and drug cases, though toxicology had recently developed a small backlog after an air compressor failure. The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, gaming division, and BCI also provided updates. MFCU’s new director said the unit is federally funded 75/25, focuses on fraud, abuse, and neglect, and is seeking two attorney hires while continuing to work with federal partners on cases and recertification. Gaming staff reported continued growth in charitable gaming and electronic pull-tab activity, with concerns about site competition, large trust balances, possible ineligible expenditures, and the need for more scrutiny as revenues have grown. BCI outlined its staffing, drug task forces, ICAC work, and the Missing Indigenous Person Task Force, which is using its $250,000 appropriation to help tribal nations develop emergency response plans and purchase alerting tools such as IPAWS. No formal votes were taken beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• The frauds in Minnesota, the frauds in California, the frauds that were just discovered in Ohio.
• That's where the fraud lies. That's where the fraud hides.
• It's not just hard fraud, it's soft fraud.
• It's not just hard fraud, it's soft fraud.
• We all know that's fraud, okay? And it's an end user who's committing fraud. Right.

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• So that's a fraud prevention perspective.
• What about the more subtle fraud that goes out?
• So Rich's unit would look at provider fraud and not the participant fraud.
• fraud would be ...of the front-end work that we do for participant fraud would be in the Family Support
• Yep, so the payment fraud that shows up on our error rate, the payment fraud rates, ...fraud that shows

Committee: House Budget

Summary: The House budget hearing focused on the Department of Social Services’ budget and a detailed briefing on how federal H.R. 1, referred to by the director as the “Big Beautiful Bill,” will affect Missouri’s SNAP and Medicaid programs. The director outlined the department’s divisions, current caseloads, staffing challenges, and the need to modernize eligibility systems and processes. Members repeatedly asked for breakdowns of enrollment, spending, provider rates, and the impact of federal changes on the department’s budget request. A major portion of the hearing covered H.R. 1’s new eligibility and integrity requirements. The department said SNAP work requirements will expand to groups previously exempt, certain noncitizen categories will lose eligibility, and utility deductions will be narrowed. For Medicaid, the bill requires work requirements for the adult expansion group, more frequent redeterminations, and shorter retroactive coverage periods. Members questioned how these changes interact with Missouri’s constitutional expansion language, and the director said the department’s view is that federal requirements must be followed under the supremacy clause, though she acknowledged the legal issue could ultimately be resolved by a court. The committee also discussed program integrity and error rates. The department said Missouri’s Medicaid PERM error rate was 35% in the last full review, with most errors tied to eligibility processing, and that H.R. 1 could create major financial penalties if error rates are not reduced by 2029. For SNAP, the department said the most recent federal error rate was 10.79%, with a current combined rate around 8.6%, and that future state cost-sharing could be substantial if the rate remains high. Members asked about the use of contractors, automation, and verification tools to reduce backlogs and improve accuracy. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational, and the chair said public testimony would not be taken that day.

Transcript Highlights:

• Of individual criminality or fraud? Yes. Yes. Yes. Of individual criminality or fraud. Yes.
• Then the next question is, what happens if there is a larger scale finding of fraud, let's say fraud
• By calling it fraud, sometimes...
• This bill isn't about fraud. It's about fear, fear of people power.
• This bill isn't about fraud. It's about fear, fear of people power.

Committee: Senate Fiscal Policy

Summary: The committee first took up CS for CS for CS for SB 462 on transportation, adopting a substitute amendment that would require counties receiving transportation surtax proceeds to report how the money is used, prohibit certain airport fees tied to collegiate flight training, create a Sarasota-Manatee Airport Authority pilot program, and fund a traffic signal modernization program with $10 million annually from the State Transportation Trust Fund. The amendment also removed several provisions from the bill, including a sales tax transfer to the trust fund, a bid protest-related contracting requirement, and repeal of the Metropolitan Planning Organization Advisory Council. A late-filed amendment was tabled, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee then heard CS for CS for SB 628, “Lucy's Law,” on boating safety, which would strengthen penalties for leaving the scene of a vessel accident and reckless vessel operation. Lucy’s parents gave emotional testimony in support, describing the fatal 2022 boating crash and urging stronger accountability. The sponsor withdrew pending amendments, and the bill was reported favorably. CS for CS for SB 700, the Florida Farm Bill, was next; the strike-all amendment covered a broad range of agriculture-related changes, including water fluoridation restrictions, labeling rules, drone restrictions over farmland, disaster recovery programs, an honest services registry, FFA-related provisions, and agricultural land preservation. Testimony included support from agricultural and gun-rights groups, opposition from banking, dental, and local-government advocates, and a lengthy public debate over fluoridation and financial discrimination. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. SB 796 on general permits for distributed wastewater treatment systems was reported favorably with little debate. The committee then took up CS for SB 1618 on K-12 education, adopting a delete-all amendment that combined a wide range of education provisions, including VPK flexibility, agriculture education, financial literacy, reading intervention requirements, teacher assignment reporting, restrictions on spending public funds on political or social activism, postsecondary and workforce-related changes, and other school and college system updates. Several speakers opposed the activism-related funding restriction, while the sponsor said the bill was intended to keep publicly funded schools focused on education; the bill was reported favorably. Finally, the committee considered SB 7016 on initiative petitions, adopting a strike-all amendment that would sharply tighten petition circulation rules and increase penalties. The proposal would require circulators to be Florida residents and U.S. citizens, impose training and registration requirements, shorten petition submission deadlines, require more identifying information on petition forms, limit sponsors to one amendment per election cycle, and create new enforcement and investigation triggers, including a 25% invalid-signature threshold. Sponsors argued the changes were needed to address fraud and protect the integrity of constitutional amendment petitions, while senators raised concerns about due process, public-records issues, burdens on volunteers, and the impact on voters and sponsors. The bill was not reported in the portion provided, and the discussion remained ongoing at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• THEY CAN REPORT THE FRAUD AND REMOVE THEIR SIGNATURE.
• >> HOW MANY CASES OF INDIVIDUAL CRIMINALITY OR FRAUD?
• THE NEXT QUESTION IS WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE IS A LARGER SCALE FINDING OF FRAUD, LET'S SAY FRAUD TO THE
• BY CALLING IT FRAUD.
• THEN DECIDE WHAT IS YOUR TOLERANCE FOR FRAUD.

Transcript Highlights:

• There is a provision for you to be released on bail, but the statute does talk about holding the person
• Fraud prevention, as I mentioned earlier, retaining copies of identification documents is essential in
• investigating fraud or unauthorized transactions.
• prevention as I mentioned earlier fraud prevention as I mentioned earlier retaining<04:50:38.160><c>
• fraud or unauthorized transactions<04:50:45.160><c> and</c><04:50:45.280><c> then</c><04:50:45.440><

Committee: House Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c> know with all the concern about fraud, know with all the concern about fraud, uh<00:19:18.720><
• </c> waste, fraud, and abuse is on our minds. waste, fraud, and abuse is on our minds.
• I think that's the especially fraud.
• </c><00:25:52.720><c> um</c> had any documented cases of fraud um had any documented cases of fraud um
• </c> we've discovered any instance of fraud we've discovered any instance of fraud and<00:26:15.760><

Bills: HF3426 , HF3428

Committee: House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy

Keywords: natural resources, environment, sustainability, conservation, outdoor recreation, land acquisition, real property, trust fund, commissioner approval, Department of Natural Resources, DNR, conservation easement, land purchase, state land, public lands, property acquisition, value assessment, tax assessed value, Metropolitan Council, Board of Water and Soil Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Senate File 106, Welfare Fraud Senate File 106, Welfare Fraud Prevention<00:54:34.079><c> Act</c
• There is no fraud.
• There is no fraud.
• There is no fraud.
• There is no fraud.

Bills: SF0122 , SJ0006 , SF0121 , SF0106

Committee: House Labor, Health & Social Services