Transcript Highlights:

• Their rates are rising.
• Until that point, these rates will continue to rise. And I don't know what's a fair rate.
• And I've seen it where I didn't get my whole rate increase. That justifies that rate increase.
• My sewer bill was $300 because it's on an increasing block rate. Okay? That's rate making.
• My sewer bill was $300 because it's on an increasing block rate, okay? That's rate making.

Bills: HB199 , HB222 , HB223 , HB224 , HB235 , HB246 , HB405 , HB535 , HB554 , HB907 , SCR3 , SB43 , SB52 , SB54 , SB113 , SB168 , SB219 , SB222 , SB270 , SB311 , SB359

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Keywords: nursing facilities, moratorium, healthcare, patient care, data collection, Medicaid, dental coverage, healthcare access, medical necessity, Louisiana Department of Health, Department of Children and Family Services, sunset law, statutory entities, regulatory authority, re-creation, termination dates, child welfare, foster care, children's rights, legal guardianship

Transcript Highlights:

• California's rate of food insecurity is near the national rate of almost 14 percent, and across states
• The annual rate of food insecurity in California has varied over time.
• That's nearly five times the rate of the general U.S. population.
• Approval rates do vary slightly, but on average, we see about a 52% approval rate for the applications
• , contributing to the error rate, rather.

Summary: The joint informational hearing focused on CalFresh enrollment, food insecurity in California, the recent federal shutdown’s disruption of SNAP benefits, and the long-term effects of H.R. 1 on eligibility, benefits, and state and county costs. Opening remarks emphasized that millions of Californians rely on CalFresh, that the shutdown briefly delayed benefits for the first time in the program’s history, and that state and local governments, including Alameda County, stepped in with emergency food aid and funding. Members also framed the issue as both a hunger and affordability problem, with several noting that California’s agricultural abundance contrasts sharply with persistent food insecurity. The first panel presented research and advocacy perspectives on food hardship. PPIC’s Tess Thorman described food insecurity rates, disparities affecting households with children and Black and Latino households, and the role of nutrition programs in reducing poverty. Nourish California’s Betzabel Estudio argued that hunger is a policy choice and highlighted campaigns to expand state-funded food assistance for immigrants, support reentry populations, and continue the CalFresh fruit-and-vegetable incentive program. The California Association of Food Banks’ Josh Wright said food banks are seeing sustained high demand, lower federal food supplies, and cannot replace CalFresh, while urging more state support for food purchasing, school meals, and SunBucks. The second panel reviewed CalFresh operations and participation. The California Department of Social Services reported that CalFresh participation has risen over the past decade, with the state closing much of the participation gap through outreach, simplified applications, and demonstration projects such as the Elderly Simplified Application Project and a minimum nutrition benefit pilot. Alameda County Social Services described local caseloads, application trends, and emergency food distributions during the shutdown, while also warning that H.R. 1’s work requirements, immigrant eligibility restrictions, and possible cost-sharing could reduce enrollment. A student CalFresh ambassador testified about the burdensome application and recertification process and urged more funding for campus basic-needs centers and outreach to reduce stigma and administrative friction. In the final panel, county, food bank, and policy witnesses described the shutdown response and the expected impact of H.R. 1. Alameda County Community Food Bank and the County Welfare Directors Association said counties, food banks, and community partners mobilized emergency funds, pop-up pantries, and food purchasing to bridge the shutdown gap, but warned that hundreds of thousands of Californians could lose benefits under the new federal rules. The California Budget and Policy Center began outlining the scale of federal cuts, noting that H.R. 1 will significantly reduce SNAP funding and shift costs to states. No votes or formal committee actions were taken; the hearing was informational and concluded with discussion of possible state responses, including backfilling benefits, preserving outreach funding, and improving administrative systems to protect enrollment.

Transcript Highlights:

• They are assuming the Fed will hold rates stable until December 2025 without a rate cut in September,
• Of the LFC brief, the GRT growth rate was 4.9%.
• New Mexico's rates of home visiting completion are significantly lower than the national rates.
• The rate of child maltreatment is the same. The rate of foster care placement is worse.
• Rates went from 22% down to 13% last year.

Transcript Highlights:

• All right, and when you look at the comparison to other rates... i.e., TWIA's rates, are you saying that
• Is it true that TWIA's rates haven't increased at the same rate as the private market has in the same
• Any rate needs to be actuarially sound.
• And once the rate is filed, the rate is the rate.
• Quite a bit on the rates.

Bills: HB778 , HB 1266 , HB1576 , HB2213 , HB2517 , HB2518 , HB2841 , HB3306 , HB3320 , HB3388 , HB3508 , HB3520 , HB3689

Committee: House Insurance

Keywords: credentialing, healthcare, physician assistants, advanced practice nurses, managed care, hurricane, windstorm, loss mitigation, grants, insurance discounts, property retrofitting, insurance, Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, board composition, coastal counties, property insurance, taxation, Texas FAIR Plan Association, premium taxes, maintenance taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• The first measure is a peer review rating.
• Our goal is to achieve a pass rating.
• First, how the installation rate increases with income.
• or the compliance rates, right?
• So when we look at compliance rates, we look at compliance rates, To get higher compliance, when we look

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee met on January 7, 2026, approved the December minutes, and adopted an amended work plan. Staff proposed moving the drug takeback program sunset review up to 2026 and delaying the thermal energy network pilot review to 2028, which would free capacity for new studies. Members also noted bills that would eliminate two recurring JLARC reports, including one on unemployment insurance training benefits and one on lodging tax revenue reporting. The committee then discussed JLARC’s own performance measures and a pilot approach for evaluating tax preference performance statements in fiscal notes. Staff said JLARC will begin surveying members and the full legislature on satisfaction, track invitations to present to other committees, monitor recommendation resolution rates, staff retention, on-time report delivery, peer review results, and national recognition. For tax preference reviews, staff proposed a standard rubric to assess whether performance metrics match policy goals, are measurable, use reliable data, and allow enough time for evaluation; members generally supported the effort. Staff also outlined planned changes to public records reporting, including allowing agencies to opt out of tracking low-volume metrics, targeted outreach to nonreporting agencies, better data validation, clearer online guidance, and a survey of public records officers. The main audit presentation was a preliminary report on ignition interlock device compliance and monitoring. JLARC found that about 41% of drivers required to install devices had done so, with installation rates rising sharply with income; half of affected drivers earned less than $28,000 a year, and the typical annual device cost was about $2,700. Staff said the state’s financial assistance program has limited reach and lacks clear goals, performance measures, and coordination between the Department of Licensing and State Patrol. They recommended that the agencies formalize their roles and develop a coordinated strategy to improve installation rates. State Patrol and Licensing said they support the findings, described recent outreach pilots, and said they would work on a management plan and possible expansion of outreach efforts. JLARC also presented an expedited preliminary report on the drug take-back program’s fee setting and expenditures. Staff concluded that the current fee design limits the Department of Health’s ability to recover oversight costs and that public reporting of oversight expenditures would improve transparency. They recommended that DOH publicly report its oversight activities and that the legislature amend the fee structure to remove the cap tied to program operator expenditures. DOH agreed the current structure does not fully recover costs and said it would support a statutory change. The committee adjourned after noting its next regular meeting is scheduled for April 8, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• So this is just the rate piece, doing the rate increase for those three populations.
• Yes, that's what you call a bifurcated rate. They would be the two different rates.
• They get 80% of the physician rate; that’s just their rate.
• rates.
• We did not change the rates.

Summary: The committee reviewed a series of Arkansas DHS and Department of Health rules, most tied to 2025 legislation. Early items covered Medicaid changes including presumptive eligibility application timing, adding a fictive kin definition for foster child eligibility, raising the able account disability onset age to 46, allowing continuous glucose monitors to be billed by both pharmacy and DME providers, increasing the RSV vaccine administration fee for children, a telemedicine exemption for ET3 ambulance services, and a physical therapy access rule that also included occupational therapy. Members generally asked limited questions and most rules were reviewed without objection. A major portion of the meeting focused on the dental rate increase rule under Act 1025. DHS said it implemented rate increases for certain pediatric, special-needs, and oral surgeon services, but not orthodontics, and it interpreted the act as applying only to oral and maxillofacial surgeons, not general dentists. The Arkansas State Dental Association and legislative sponsors testified that the intent was to cover general dentists performing oral surgery procedures for special-needs patients, estimating the broader interpretation would add about $1.5 million annually. Committee members debated the plain language of the act versus legislative intent, and the rule was reviewed, but with testimony noting the issue should be fixed in future legislation. Later items included the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies rule adding doula and lactation consultant billing and remote monitoring benefits; an adverse decisions rule extending provider appeal time from 35 to 65 days; CNA training program updates; PASSE network-status disclosure rules; certification rules for community-based doulas and community health workers; cosmetology, massage therapy, lead-based paint, radiation, radiologic technology, and RV park rule updates. Most of these were described as technical, statutory, or federally driven changes and were reviewed without objection. The committee briefly reopened the CGM rule after a motion to expunge the prior vote, and Representative Wardlaw said he would hold the rule for further review because he believed the billing changes did not match the law’s intent. The meeting ended with no further business and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• The rate is the rate of incorrectly issued benefits, either too much or too little.
• At that point, the payment rate would be 100% of the Medicare rate, which is lower than the commercial
• rate.
• The survival rate is incredible.
• We want to transition from our not-so-good death rates to ...transition from our not-so-good death rates

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: 965, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Was that—and can you tell me what the current rate they’re paying and versus the bid rate? Sure.
• </c> occur under 5683, which is uh the rate occur under 5683, which is uh the rate is<00:18:06.559><c
• </c> current bid rate? current bid rate?
• Starkweather began the presentation by highlighting the bond ratings across the rating agencies.
• </c> a decline in interest rates. a decline in interest rates.

Keywords: 0:00:08 Call to Order and Roll Call 0:00:38 Approval of Minutes 0:01:02 Information Items 0:02:17 Lease Rpt from Postsecondary Institutions 0:06:42 Project Rpt from Finance and Administration Cabinet 0:15:03 Lease Rpt from Finance and Administration Cabinet 0:24:00 Rpt from OFM – KY Infrastructure Authority 0:42:55 Economic Development Fund Grants 0:53:38 Rpt from OFM – New Debt Issues 1:16:33 Remaining 2025 Meeting Dates 1:16:45 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The committee first handled routine business, including roll call, approval of the July minutes, and several informational reports. Those reports included a University of Kentucky restricted-fund medical equipment purchase for Chandler Hospital, debt issues for five school districts, Eastern Kentucky University’s planned model laboratory school using construction management risk delivery, a Division of Real Properties lease advertisement, Kentucky Communications Network Authority quarterly project reports, and EKU asset preservation revisions. Members then heard and approved a new UK St. Clair Urgent Care Clinic lease in Morehead and an amendment expanding space for the UK Family and Community Medicine Clinic at Turflin Clinic. Testimony explained that both properties are privately owned, the Morehead lease predated the UK/St. Clair arrangement, and the Turflin Clinic is tight on space. The committee also approved three new projects and an appropriation increase: two Department of Military Affairs projects, a Window Ford Training Center underground electric project and a Williamsburg Readiness Center interior repair project, a Fish and Wildlife property acquisition adjoining Veterans Memorial Wildlife Management Area, and an $8.113 million increase for the Department of Revenue integrated tax system (DORIS). The DORIS increase was described as needed for change orders tied to legislation and to complete the unified tax system. The committee next reviewed no-action items, including a $3 million emergency flood-damage repair project for the Bush Building and Vest-Lindsay House in Frankfort, and three pool projects over $1 million: a Kentucky Correctional Institute for Women window replacement phase 2 project, a Department of Criminal Justice Training interior refurbishment at Thompson Hall, and the Muddy Gut Branch stream mitigation project in Johnson County. The flood project was confirmed to be fully reimbursed by insurance proceeds. Finally, the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority presented six loans and nine grants. Action items included water and sewer financing for Cumberland County, Lebanon, Northern Kentucky Water District, Lewisport, and Providence, plus a major Taylor Mill treatment plant project and several cleaner water grants and reallocations. Members asked about loan rates, local rate increases needed to repay debt, and the Providence emergency water interconnect; staff explained that Lewisport had begun a rate increase process, and that the Providence project would connect Webster County Water District and the city of Providence to stabilize pressure after a systemwide failure. All action items were approved.

Transcript Highlights:

• by 10% each year until they reach Medicare rates.
• Where do we think we're landing in the error rate space?
• Who determines the error rate?
• The federal government determines our error rate.
• So the payment error rate is the rate that impacts this consideration, and it looks at did we issue the

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee held a work session to review how H.R. 1 (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act) could affect Washington’s Medicaid, long-term care, developmental disabilities, and food assistance programs, with a focus on implementation challenges, fiscal impacts, and likely coverage losses. Staff and agency officials explained Washington’s Medicaid financing structure, eligibility categories, caseload trends, and the role of the Health Care Authority and DSHS in administering Apple Health and related services. They also described how Medicaid expansion increased access to behavioral health services and how H.R. 1’s provisions are expected to affect the expansion population most directly. Health Care Authority and DSHS officials outlined several major H.R. 1 changes: new work and community engagement requirements for the Medicaid expansion population, six-month redeterminations instead of annual renewals, changes to immigrant eligibility, limits on provider taxes and state-directed payments, new cost-sharing requirements, reduced retroactive coverage, and changes affecting long-term care eligibility. They said Washington is still awaiting federal guidance on many details, but estimated that about 620,000 Apple Health expansion enrollees could be subject to work requirements, that roughly 30,000 immigrants could lose Medicaid eligibility under the new definition of qualified alien, and that some long-term care and developmental disability clients could be indirectly affected. Officials also said the state is working with other agencies to build shared verification systems and may seek a delay waiver, though they do not expect broad federal flexibility. The committee also heard that H.R. 1 immediately blocks Medicaid reimbursement for Planned Parenthood services for one year, with the state planning to backfill about $11 million to preserve access. In addition, officials warned that the law could reduce federal Medicaid revenue by billions over time and strain hospitals and emergency rooms as more people become uninsured. They noted that Washington’s rural health transformation grant application is due November 5 and could bring some funding, but not to offset coverage losses. No votes were taken; the session was informational only. The committee then heard a separate presentation on food assistance, where staff and DSHS described H.R. 1’s SNAP changes, including expanded work requirements, immigrant eligibility restrictions, higher state administrative costs, and a possible future state share of benefit costs tied to payment error rates. DSHS estimated a four-year fiscal impact of about $750 million for food assistance changes and said the state is working on system and policy changes across agencies before the new requirements take effect.

Transcript Highlights:

• , they have a choice between single rate or multi-rate.
• .auditor's website's multi-rate calculator, the very last step, compares it to a single rate and makes
• Yeah, we use the multi-rate.
• I mean, there are ways to probably use the multi-rate calculator and just stop before the blended rate
• Use the multi-rate calculator and just stop before the blended rate is compared.

Committee: House Special Committee on Property Tax Reform

Summary: The Special Committee on Property Tax Reform met in executive session with a quorum present and took up a House Committee substitute for Senate Substitute for Senate Committee Substitute for Senate Bills 1066 and 1088. Members discussed several amendments that bundled multiple property tax provisions, including clarification of the 15% commercial ownership threshold, school levy language, senior property tax freeze language, no-tax-increase bond wording, ballot language requirements, and a severability clause. One proposed amendment to preserve a comparison to a single-rate calculation in the auditor’s multi-rate tax form drew extended discussion about whether the current siloing approach could reduce projected revenue for taxing districts; the sponsor ultimately withdrew that amendment after noting the issue would need further study. The committee then adopted another amendment shortening ballot language requirements, and later adopted the underlying committee amendment and rolled the changes into a new substitute. Members also discussed a tax abatement provision added to the bill, with concerns raised that large abatements, such as those tied to a data center project, could affect levy calculations; supporters argued the language would apply to cities and counties rather than school districts. After debate, the committee voted to adopt the substitute and then voted the House Committee substitute for the Senate substitute for Senate Committee Substitute for Senate Bills 1066 and 1088 do pass by a roll call vote of 11 ayes and 5 noes. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> rate cuts on January 1. rate cuts on January 1.
• </c><00:25:46.720><c> of</c> higher federal match and the rate of higher federal match and the rate of
• </c><00:28:46.320><c> to</c> support the nursing facility rates to support the nursing facility rates
• </c><00:34:36.159><c> is</c> long-term care Medicaid PDM rate is long-term care Medicaid PDM rate is
• /c> the legislature change the rates unlike the legislature change the rates unlike towns<00:45:08.960

Committee: Senate Ways and Means

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As you can see, there are the CFI waiver rate of 301, there's an ABD DDD IHS rate of 301.
• There is the CFI waiver rate of 301, there's an ABD DDD IHS rate of 301.
• </c> management rate the case management rate management rate the case management rate setting setting
• mentioned about the 301 rate.
• area agency rate.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And but when you look at comparison to other rates, uh, i.e., Tua's rates, are you saying that Tua's
• rates are lower than what the market might be?
• Um, is it true that Tua's rates haven't increased at the same rate as the private market has in the same
• So any rate needs to be actuarily sound.
• And once the rate is filed, the rate is the rate.

Committee: House Insurance

Transcript Highlights:

• Those drove the state's payment error rate higher.
• The payment error rate is always calculated on a look-back period.
• in their error rate at all?
• We can track our error rate and fix our error rate, but the federal government has to say, here's the
• rules and here's the error rates you have to target and come to.

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> not from insufficient commercial rates. not from insufficient commercial rates.
• It allows hospitals to express rates as a percentage of Medicare based on the actual reimbursement rates
• ><c> a</c> plans by setting the rates as a plans by setting the rates as a percentage<00:16:04.000><c
• </c> hospitals commercial reimbursement rate hospitals commercial reimbursement rate reductions<00:30
• </c><00:31:08.559><c> for</c> limit the relevant hospital rates for limit the relevant hospital rates

Keywords: 926, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:43:18.400><c> would</c> rate is based on, um then the rate would rate is based on, um then the
• One part of this is rate reform.
• The hourly rate on this current flat rate range is between $8.12 an hour to $15.97 per hour.
• </c> inflationary rate? inflationary rate? I<01:14:35.680><c> don't</c><01:14:35.920><c> know.
• So I appreciate it. up up updated the rates. up up updated the rates.

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Those trends include understanding rate increases, noting rates are actuarially sound in compliance with
• There's managed care rates. There's provider rate increases.
• “The rate increases are not as significant, just base rate increases are not as significant as they may
• the Medi-Cal rate.
• So the department must complete a federally required rate reduction or rate restructuring analysis.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> the whole issue of error rate. Sure. the whole issue of error rate. Sure.
• all of us the future of the error rate? all of us the future of the error rate?
• If the error rate is between 8 and 9.99% If the error rate is between 8 and 9.99% we<00:42:05.200><c>
• </c> the error rate is officially 7.57%. the error rate is officially 7.57%.
• </c> paying a lot more if those error rates paying a lot more if those error rates go<00:48:14.960><c

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The work session was limited to House Bill 1750, a supplemental appropriation for the Department of Health and Human Services’ SNAP administration. Before testimony, Representative Terski distributed a written statement from Representative Priest for the record. Department officials Karen Heert and Nathan White then walked the committee through a chart showing SNAP participation, federal benefit dollars, and state administrative costs, emphasizing that the benefits themselves do not flow through the state budget. They explained that the reported administrative cost includes overhead and cost-allocation methods used to maximize federal reimbursement, and that the current participant count is about 75,000 with the trend steady in recent years. Members questioned whether the reported costs were stable, how much of the administrative expense was directly tied to SNAP, and whether reducing overhead would lower the need for the appropriation. The department said the cost per participant and per dollar distributed would be lower if SNAP were isolated, but that the broader allocation system also supports federal claiming across multiple programs. Officials said SNAP eligibility is redetermined every six months, that the department processes nearly 50 eligibility programs with about 250 field staff, roughly 70 unfunded positions, and a vacancy rate around 25%. They also said most errors in the program are unintentional and can come from either staff or participant mistakes, and that the department reviews errors to identify systemic fixes. The committee discussed the fiscal impact of the bill and related budget issues. DHHS said the current adjusted authorization for 2026 is about $31 million, but actual spending is expected to be closer to $25–26 million because of vacancies and unfilled positions. Members asked whether the $4.4 million shortfall identified in the fiscal note would come from the rainy day fund; staff said it would not be taken directly from that fund, but would reduce the amount available to flow into it at the end of the biennium. The committee also reviewed Senate Bill 603 FN, which was described as an alternative approach that would require DHHS to transfer funds within its existing budget rather than provide new money; officials said it would simply codify an option the department already has. No vote or final action on House Bill 1750 was taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, this is without any provider rate adjustment.
• I want to talk a little bit about some of these rate cuts.
• We pay hospitals at a certain rate today. That is the Medicaid rate.
• Most other providers were paid 90% of Medicare rates.
• been at the Medicare rate with the upper payment limit.

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The committee heard a budget presentation on the Division of Medicaid within the Department of Health and Welfare, including an overview of the division’s five programs, staffing, spending trends, and the large share of the budget that goes to trust and benefit payments. Ms. Williamson explained the difference between ongoing and one-time enhancements, the role of population forecast adjustments, and why the fiscal year 2026 and 2027 numbers change significantly. Members asked about the growth in the budget, the FMAP match rate, the impact of provider rate changes, and the shift of some positions into Medicaid from other divisions after last year’s reorganization. A major topic was House Bill 345 and related budget changes, including the hospital assessment fund alignment, the 4% provider rate reduction, and the effect on Medicaid expansion and other populations. The committee discussed the decline in expansion enrollment, rising costs in traditional Medicaid populations, and the governor’s recommendation to offset part of the 2027 increase with additional reductions. Members raised concerns about access to care, especially for dental, behavioral health, developmental disability, and home- and community-based services, while the deputy director said the department is trying to contain costs through prior authorization, fraud and abuse work, and policy changes. The committee also focused on the MMIS replacement project, which is in year four of a five-year procurement and is funded through dedicated and federal dollars tied to milestones. Another significant item was estate recovery, where the department requested funding to replace an outdated case management system and add contractor support to address a backlog of roughly 20,000 cases; members questioned the return on investment and asked for more detail on the software and staffing split. The deputy director also explained the federally qualified health center reconciliation issue, saying the state had not been properly paying change-in-scope amounts and is now using a new process with interim payments and later reconciliation. In addition, lawmakers asked about program integrity staffing, the use of AI, and whether the department could better target fraud, waste, and abuse investigations. The deputy director said the department is reviewing AI use cautiously and sees opportunities for it in claims review and anomaly detection, but emphasized that the current request is for dedicated receipt authority rather than general funds. No formal votes were taken in the excerpt, but the committee received the presentation, asked extensive questions, and was told that some follow-up information would be provided later.

Transcript Highlights:

• support rate modifications Wes Bloom and support rate modifications Wes Bloom and Rick<00:24:31.480><
• rates, and administrative costs.
• rates, and administrative costs.
• rates, and administrative costs.
• </c> the components to the cfss rate the components to the cfss rate framework<00:25:46.720><c> to</c

Committee: Senate Human Services

Keywords: 1187, senate, all