Transcript Highlights:

• provisions and for the policies as well as the provision that says if a sheriff is imprisoned that their salary
• provisions and for the policies as well as the provision that says if a sheriff is imprisoned that their salary
• provisions and for the policies as well as the provision that says if a sheriff is imprisoned that their salary
• [clears throat] that their their [clears throat] sher<00:17:51.280><c> their</c><00:17:51.679><c> salary
• ><00:17:52.240><c> would</c><00:17:52.480><c> be</c><00:17:52.799><c> suspended</c> The sheriff's salary

Transcript Highlights:

• School districts may not use the restricted fund balance resources for ongoing salaries and benefits,
• The allowable use for these minimum funds is not ongoing salaries?
• The allowable use for these minimum funds is not ongoing salaries?
• subs, but after 21 days for a long-term sub, if you keep them, they have to be paid on the teacher salary
• If you have collective bargaining agreements in place and 86% of your salary or your revenue is in that

Bills: HB2440 , HB2551 , HB2593

Committee: House Education

Keywords: education, ombudsman, record-keeping, transparency, advocacy, school funding, financial solvency, education budget, district financial health, state funding, accounting, budgeting, reporting

Transcript Highlights:

• of their salary.
• Chairman, are you talking about the salary for my Chief Investment Officer?
• The salaries that we came up with to retain our staff. I worked in coordination with our CIO.
• So what salary range are you going to target? Mr.
• Between FY 20 and FY 26, average salaries at WCA grew by 60%.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, and they pay their top 10 people over the governor's salary.
• And I think that one thing that we should do here at the legislature is cap the salaries of the top people
• :19:26.960><c> governor's</c> top 10 people over the governor's top 10 people over the governor's salary
• Um, so right now the governor salary.
• </c><00:19:50.320><c> of</c> the legislature is cap the salaries of the legislature is cap the salaries

Summary: House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee Chair Kristen Robbins opened by criticizing the governor’s fraud package as too focused on new spending and staffing, and not enough on culture change, accountability, eligibility rules, and an enterprise-wide IT/data strategy. She said the committee had heard a good overview from multiple commissioners, but she remained concerned that piecemeal technology investments and added staff would not address the root causes of fraud. Robbins also said she would introduce a bill based on issues raised in committee, including requiring grants management staff to complete Office of Grants Management training and certification. A major action announced was the launch of a new whistleblower portal at mnfraud.com, which legislators said will let people submit basic fraud allegations, after which staff will follow up and forward matters to the Office of the Legislative Auditor, BCA, law enforcement, or the attorney general as appropriate. Members noted that the Office of the Legislative Auditor already has a separate reporting portal, and there was a question about why the new site does not allow anonymous reporting; Robbins said contact information is needed so staff can follow up. She also said the portal is intended to centralize and triage reports from agency workers, service recipients, and providers. Republican members said the governor’s proposal still misses key pieces. Vice Chair Anderson argued the package mostly adds staff to agencies that failed to catch or act on fraud, and said Minnesota needs a statewide independent inspector general with authority outside agencies and a stronger whistleblower system. Representative Marion Rarick said the proposed criminal penalty increases are too small compared with federal penalties and criticized the package for adding only one forensic auditor at the BCA while DHS receives many more positions. She also argued that agency managers should face sanctions when fraud occurs under their watch and said the state needs a culture where employees can be rewarded for good work but also held accountable for failures. Members discussed several other ideas, including creating new crimes for kickbacks and theft of public funds, requiring fraud fiscal notes, improving data sharing and eligibility verification, and using better IT so systems can talk to each other. There was also discussion of whether government services should rely less on nonprofits and private contractors; one member said fraud often follows a particular business model rather than the sector itself, while another suggested capping salaries of top nonprofit executives receiving government funds. The committee also noted that the governor’s fraud package is being presented as a package but will likely move as separate provisions through different omnibus bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• They don't have the ability to go and negotiate their own salary, their own benefits, their own working
• Many other bills continue to go up while our salaries can't keep up with inflation.
• With the assistance of the teacher salary increased allocation, Gaston has increased a salary by over
• We will continue to fight for salary increases for all of our teachers, as well as the best learning
• But the teacher salary allocation is only a part of any contract.

Committee: Senate Fiscal Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• It has gotten so complex that the civil service position just can't keep up with the salaries, and we
• up with the salaries and we do<00:45:10.079><c> know</c><00:45:10.280><c> that</c><00:45:10.440><c>
• You could have a way of increasing the salary if you have more responsibilities to the position, and
• You could have a way of increasing the salary if you have more responsibilities to the position, and
• You could have a way of increasing the salary if you have more responsibilities to the position, and

Summary: The joint committees on Labor and Technology, Transportation, and Culture and the Arts heard testimony on Senate Bill 396 and Senate Bill 47, then later the Labor and Technology committee took up Senate Bill 136 and Senate Bill 1523. SB 396 drew support from the Metropolitan Planning Organization and others, with a question raised about implementation costs; the director said costs would depend on the scope of the benefit package and the transportation mode involved. The committees recommended passing SB 396 with technical amendments and added appropriation language with a blank amount, and the motion was adopted by recorded votes in both committees. SB 47, which would designate the Lunar New Year as a state holiday, received support from the Office of Collective Bargaining and several individuals, including Charlene Chun, who spoke about family traditions and cultural recognition. Members asked about the cost and whether the day would be a paid day off for state employees; the response was that observance would be subject to collective bargaining. The committees moved SB 47 forward with amendments, noting the collective bargaining and cost issues, and adopted the recommendation by vote. In the Labor and Technology committee, SB 136 on the Iron Workers Stabilization Fund drew strong support from iron workers and related supporters, who argued the bill was about safety, training, and keeping dismantling work within the ironworkers’ trade. Several other unions, including operating engineers, carpenters, laborers, and plumbers and fitters, opposed the bill as too broad and potentially infringing on their jurisdiction. The measure was not decided in the portion provided, but members discussed possible amendments and jurisdictional concerns. SB 1523, which would expand private-sector collective bargaining rights under the Hawaii Employment Relations Act to include independent contractors and others under NLRB jurisdiction, received broad labor support, including from IATSE, AFL-CIO, Hawaii Nurses Association, Unite Here Local 5, and many individual testifiers. Supporters framed it as protecting workers’ rights and strengthening labor protections, while the Hawaii Labor Relations Board warned it could significantly increase workload and require more staffing, space, and operating resources; the board estimated the bill could expand its caseload substantially and suggested an appropriation would likely be needed. The committee then moved on to the next measure, SB 1440, before the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is legislation that would cap health care CEO pay at 50 times the salary of their lowest-paid worker
• In Massachusetts alone, 44 of the 57 health care CEOs earn more than 50 times the salary of their lowest-paid
• Mass General Brigham CEO Anne Klibanski authorized a 40% raise for herself in 2023, bringing her salary
• So for example, my salary, broken down by hours worked, certainly are... ...resident and fellow salaries
• contract work, right, my hourly reimbursement is much higher than what I get paid per hour in my salary

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Health Care Financing

Summary: The Joint Committee on Health Care Financing held a public hearing on a broad set of health care bills focused on cost, market oversight, pharmaceutical access, transparency, hospital closures, and pharmacy access. Chairs John Lawn and Cindy Friedman opened by emphasizing recent health care reforms and the need for further action on the drug supply chain, PBMs, private equity, and affordability. The committee heard testimony on several measures, including a Betsy Lehman Center bill to make technical changes and create a permanent trust account for federal and private funding, and bills on hospital profits and fairness, hospital closures and health planning, pharmacy deserts, and health care market oversight and pharmaceutical access. No votes were taken during the hearing. On the hospital profits bill, physicians and labor advocates strongly supported capping hospital CEO compensation at 50 times the lowest-paid worker, requiring greater financial transparency, and directing penalties from high-margin public hospitals into a Medicaid reimbursement fund. Testifiers argued that executive pay is excessive while frontline staff and safety-net services are under strain. Committee members raised concerns about unintended consequences, including whether hospitals might shift workers to contract status or lose executive talent, and whether the bill would actually direct money to the safety net. Supporters responded that the measure is one piece of a larger effort and that the bill’s Medicaid reimbursement provisions would help underserved hospitals. Testimony on market oversight and pharmaceutical access centered on rising health care and drug costs, PBM practices, and the proposal to give the Health Policy Commission authority to set upper payment limits for certain drugs. Consumer advocates, disability advocates, an independent pharmacist, the Attorney General’s office, and others supported stronger oversight, citing premium increases, affordability problems, and the impact of high drug prices on patients and community pharmacies. Pharma and some industry witnesses opposed parts of the bill, warning that upper payment limits could disrupt access, create legal issues, and fail to address the broader supply chain. The committee also heard support for stronger hospital closure notice and public hearing requirements, and for a pharmacy deserts bill aimed at identifying and addressing closures like the one in Roxbury that affected thousands of patients.

Transcript Highlights:

• They may receive overtime salary, that type of salary, the overtime costs. That's revenue.
• I don't see any questions. for carrying out salaries, benefits, transportation, and official materials
• You know, if you sign up for this task force model, ICE pays full salary and benefits plus bonuses plus
• You know, if you sign up for this task force model, ICE pays full salary and benefits plus bonuses plus
• Task force model: ICE pays full salary and benefits, plus bonuses, plus overtime, plus $7,500 in new

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Specifically, the amendment prohibits booster funds from being used to pay salaries and specifies that
• Specifically, the amendment prohibits booster funds from being used to pay salaries and specifies that
• may not pay the coach or activity sponsored directly director more than the highest administrator salary
• It revises the athletic fees provision to Thank you. more than the highest administrator salary.
• Could they be classified as both, and who negotiates their salary? Senator Simon: Thank you.

Bills: S0050 , S0054 , S0176 , S0178 , S0198 , S0290 , S0420 , S0502 , S0538 , S0706 , S0834 , S0936 , S0962 , S1004 , S1080 , S7022

Committee: Senate Rules

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several bills, beginning with CS for CS for SB 54, which requires district medical examiners to perform toxicology screenings for psychotropic drugs and intoxicating substances in autopsies of violent offenders and report findings to state agencies. It was reported favorably after brief discussion about how the data would be used. CS for SB 176 also passed, requiring public postsecondary institutions to make campus safety reporting and response procedures clearer and more accessible for students, faculty, and staff who receive threats. Both bills were approved without opposition in the meeting. The committee then took up the large Florida Farm Bill, CS for CS for CS for SB 290, which drew extensive testimony and multiple amendments. The bill includes changes to fair associations, a preemption on local restrictions affecting gas- and diesel-powered farm equipment, surplus of certain state-owned lands for agricultural use, a food animal veterinary loan repayment program, permanent authorization for Farmers Feeding Florida, expanded Florida Forest Service training, a ban on signal jamming devices, tougher CDL English-proficiency penalties, protections for food safety inspectors, biosolids provisions, and contractor payment enforcement. Amendments expanded veterinary loan eligibility to equine veterinarians, merged citrus research entities, made technical corrections, and revised contractor payment language; a late-filed amendment removed the bill’s disparagement clause after significant First Amendment concerns and public testimony. A separate amendment delayed biosolids compliance deadlines. The bill was reported favorably as amended. Also approved were CS for CS for SB 834, which repeals a restriction on health care sharing ministries partnering with licensed insurance agents, while adding a disclaimer requirement; SB 936, allowing temporary door locking devices at any height above the floor and directing the Building Commission to add standards to the code; and CS for SB 50, expanding veterans’ courts statewide. Later, CS for CS for SB 1004 advanced with a strike-all regulating dog and cat sales, requiring disclosure of medical records and financing terms, a three-day waiting period for financed purchases, and consumer protections against deceptive pet sales; an amendment removed an appropriation section. The committee also approved CS for CS for SB 178, which directs the FHSAA to adopt rules allowing coaches to provide limited good-faith support to student-athletes, and CS for CS for SB 198, regulating virtual currency kiosks with registration, warnings, transaction limits, receipts, and refund protections. Each of these bills was reported favorably by recorded vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Could they be classified as both, and who negotiates their salary? Senator Simon, thank you.
• Could they be classified as both and who negotiates their salary? Senator Simon.
• Thank you. ...classified as both, and who negotiates their salary? Senator Simon? Thank you.
• I have a question about what boosters are allowed to pay toward salaries of coaches.
• I have a question about what boosters are allowed to pay toward salaries of coaches.

Committee: Senate Rules

Summary: The Rules Committee heard and voted on a series of bills, beginning with SB 54 on toxicology screenings in autopsies of violent offenders, which requires medical examiners to screen for psychotropic and intoxicating substances, consult treating providers when possible, and report findings to state agencies; it passed favorably. The committee also approved SB 176 on public postsecondary campus safety policies, requiring colleges and universities to publish clearer reporting and response procedures for threats to students, faculty, and staff. Both bills were reported favorably without major opposition. The largest portion of the meeting was devoted to CS/CS/CS/SB 290, the Florida Farm Bill. The bill covers a wide range of agriculture-related issues, including fair association rules, preemption of local restrictions on gas- and diesel-powered farm equipment, surplus of certain state-owned lands for agricultural use, a food and animal veterinary loan repayment program, permanent Farmers Feeding Florida funding, forest service training expansion, signal-jamming device penalties, CDL English proficiency enforcement, no-solicitation protections, food safety inspector protections, biosolids regulation, and contractor payment enforcement. Members adopted several amendments, including changes to contractor payment language, expanded veterinary loan eligibility, citrus foundation consolidation, technical corrections, removal of outdated fair references, a nonprofit definition fix, and a late amendment deleting the bill’s disparagement clause after extensive testimony and debate about free speech and agricultural speech protections. A separate late amendment delayed biosolids compliance deadlines. The bill drew strong support from farmers, agritourism groups, food donation advocates, and some utility and wastewater interests, while conservation groups and biosolids operators raised concerns about land surplus provisions and biosolids restrictions. The committee ultimately reported the bill favorably as amended. The committee then approved SB 834 on nonprofit religious organizations, which repeals a restriction on health care sharing ministries partnering with licensed insurance agents, while an amendment added written disclaimer requirements; it passed favorably. SB 936 on temporary door locking devices also passed, directing the Building Commission to incorporate standards into the Florida Building Code. SB 50 on veterans’ courts was approved, allowing judges in all circuits to use veterans’ courts for cases involving service-related issues such as PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and substance abuse. Finally, SB 1004 on the sale of dogs and cats passed after amendments removed an appropriation and kept the bill’s disclosure, financing, and consumer protection provisions, and SB 178 on athletics in public K-12 schools passed with discussion about coaches providing basic support to student-athletes and possible parental-consent language. The committee also began hearing SB 198 on virtual currency kiosks, which would regulate crypto kiosks with registration, fraud warnings, transaction limits, receipts, and refund protections; an amendment to that bill was adopted, but the transcript cuts off before the final vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our pension is based on our salary that we got at the time we retired, and my friends are also salary
• plead for people who are long-term, long-time retirees, and people who have retired on a classified salary
• We've not ever been able to have salary or retiree adjustments or levels that... ...retiree adjustments
• Salaries and thereby lower levels of retiree... and this is who we're really concerned about and have
• that the percentage that ERB members work longer, the percentage that they receive as part of their salary

Bills: HB40 , HB100 , HJR1 , SB64 , SB19 , SB44 , SB83

Committee: House House Education

Keywords: educational retirement, annuity adjustments, cost of living, non-compounding payments, retirement benefits, STEM funding, education, innovation, public education, New Mexico, nominating committees, boards of regents, student representation, political party registration, New Mexico constitution, special education, office of special education, deputy secretary, public education department, IEP

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm looking at the last paragraph on page 22 where we talk about the change in the salary.
• It used to be a salary tier, so depending on how much you earned...
• And then if you look at page 23, we're going to adjust the increase for staff attorney salaries, but
• It's not always tied to salary, right? Like, of course, it's salary.
• For salaries, for things that would typically come out of the general fund, just their annual budget,

Committee: House Legislative Health & Human Services Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• The issue wasn't salaries or working conditions; it was health insurance.
• </c> of placing available funds on salary of placing available funds on salary versus<01:40:02.440><c
• </c> have needed to negotiate annual salaries have needed to negotiate annual salaries that<01:40:24.680
• </c> and we were unable to offer salary and we were unable to offer salary increases<01:40:41.120><c>
• </c> contributions over salary in the past. contributions over salary in the past.

Committee: Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection

Transcript Highlights:

• salary to cover costs of backfilling the position or paying overtime while they are on leave.
• We paid employees' paychecks for 6 weeks at 60% of their salary.
• We paid employees' paychecks for 6 weeks at 60% of their salary.
• We paid employees' paychecks for 6 weeks at 60% of their salary.
• We paid employees' paychecks for 6 weeks at 60% of their salary.

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, so if you're going to break it down by a salary per teacher, by a salary per curriculum, a book
• You can look at the negotiation minutes and go by the sheets that are made it for salaries and basically
• you know, you, even we talked about our finance facts books, which is full of the information of salaries
• I mean, if I want to know what the average salary is for a region, a district, or a Information is still
• I mean, if I want to know what the average salary is for a region, a district, or school, it's there.

Bills: HB1329

Committee: Senate Appropriations - Education and Environment Division

Summary: The Education Division met with all members present and first took up House Bill 1329, which would create a transparency database and website for school spending information. Senator Schaible offered Amendment 0204 to turn the bill into a study, citing concerns that the proposal would impose major data-collection burdens on 168 school districts, require new data standards and privacy protections, and likely cost far more than the $500,000 in the bill. Several members supported transparency but agreed the implementation costs and technical feasibility were unclear. The committee adopted the amendment 4-1, then passed HB 1329 as amended on a 5-0 vote, with Senator Shively to carry the bill. The committee then discussed House Bill 1540, the education savings account/voucher bill. Representatives from the Bank of North Dakota and the Department of Public Instruction explained that they had not been consulted on the original drafting and outlined needed administrative changes, including clarifying the Bank as administrator, using a third-party program manager, involving DPI in rulemaking, adding audit and appeal procedures, and adjusting language on eligible purchases and school disqualification. They also said the current timeline was likely too aggressive to launch by the 2026-27 school year and estimated the program would require about 15 months to implement, with a fiscal note now around $5.1 million. Members also discussed policy-related amendments on means testing and application timing. Senator Shively proposed a 300% of poverty-level means test and a sign-up period to reduce costs and limit open-ended enrollment, while Senator Axman proposed a tiered approach that would keep all students technically eligible but phase in funding levels by income, preserving access for students who qualify for other federal supports. DPI said it could not currently disaggregate some data by family income and that the appeal process and procurement timeline still needed work. The committee did not move HB 1540 out that morning and instead recessed to continue discussion later after members had time to review the administrative and fiscal issues separately from the means-testing proposals.

Transcript Highlights:

• Or are all faculty members standard the same salary no matter what you teach?
• What faculty salaries are is going to vary by college.
• Some of them, the college always sets the salary for the faculty, but there's not a requirement in the
• The college is free to decide how to set those salaries with their faculty.
• Probably the largest chunk goes to salaries of personnel, just like any business or corporation or other

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Higher Education

Summary: The Appropriations Committee for Higher Education met to review Florida’s workforce and Florida College System funding models as part of budget planning. Chair Harrell opened by emphasizing the state’s growing focus on technical education and workforce pathways, and the committee first heard from Tara Goodman of the Department of Education on district workforce education. Goodman explained the programs funded through district workforce dollars, including career certificates, applied technology diplomas, registered apprenticeship, and adult general education, and described the model’s reliance on lagged enrollment, program cost weights, local tuition offsets, and supplemental factors such as disability services, GED testing, and minimum funding for small rural districts. She also noted federal support through Perkins and WIOA and said the model is used to determine unmet need and guide appropriations. In response to questions, she said health care programs are generally among the higher-cost offerings and may be supplemented by pipeline funds. The committee then heard from Kathy Hebda, Chancellor of the Florida College System, on the college system’s funding model. Hebda described the main funding sources, including the program fund, student success incentive funds, pipeline funds, tuition and fees, and performance-based incentives, and explained that the current model was developed by the 28 college presidents under legislative direction. She said the model uses a three-year average FTE, weights workforce enrollment more heavily than non-workforce enrollment, gives significant weight to completions, includes a small-college factor and regional cost differentials, and also provides targeted funding to bring colleges up to a floor based on per-FTE funding. Senators asked about colleges below the target, cost differences among programs, faculty salaries, and health insurance costs; Hebda said the model is meant to provide flexible operating dollars that colleges can use for those expenses, but specific salary and benefit decisions are left to the institutions. Seminole State College President Georgia Lorenz also testified in support of the college funding model, saying it holds institutions accountable for enrollment and completions, can be adjusted to reflect state priorities like workforce, and addresses differences in size and regional costs. No bills were voted on, and the committee adjourned after brief closing remarks thanking Seminole State College and the presenters.

Transcript Highlights:

• The ninth proposal would amend existing law to increase minimum salaries.
• Currently, teachers are classified as Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3, with minimum annual salaries set
• The mechanics of this proposal include some flat salary increases.
• The tenth proposal would establish a minimum annual salary of $30,000 for public school personnel.
• A couple of years ago, you all voted to change minimum salaries for educational assistance to $25,000

Committee: Senate Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• OSI received a special appropriation in FY25 for salary adjustments to improve staff recruitment and
• There's a $1.6 million increase in salaries.
• The highlights of the $3.6 million recurring increase for salaries and benefits: The $2.3 million for
• Integrion, pretty much matching the salaries that they're being paid now. Okay, thank you.
• And they tell you what you're going to pay by the salary of that employee.

Transcript Highlights:

• Combine this with drastic increases. to veterinary salaries, and we find ourselves at a disadvantage.
• TVMDL has had to increase starting salary offers by an average of 34 percent.
• This is causing salary inequities with our existing staff that must be addressed.
• The state increases to agency employee salaries in fiscal year 24-25 have greatly help to recruit and
• The 5,000 projects are everything from reimbursing local governments for their employees salaries or

Committee: House Appropriations - S/C on Article III

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, perhaps a tiny bit for increased salary costs for our people because we bill their time.
• So that is our salaries and benefits.
• </c> fiscal year 25's budget is for salary fiscal year 25's budget is for salary and<04:53:48.600><c>
• New Hampshire Department of Education fully funds the program assistant salary, part-time salary, part-time
• funds the program assistant salary part-time<05:20:36.200><c> salary</c><05:20:36.558><c> parttime</

Summary: The committee first heard the Banking Department’s fiscal year 2026-2027 budget presentation from Commissioner Amelia Galeri. She described the department as a self-funded consumer protection regulator overseeing two main areas: the Banking Trust Division, which supervises state-chartered banks, credit unions, and trust companies, and the Consumer Credit Division, which oversees more than 7,000 licensees including mortgage and money transmitter businesses. She said the department’s budget is about 86% salaries and benefits, with 53 positions all filled, and explained that the agency funds itself through fees, fines, and end-of-year assessments on regulated entities. Galeri said the department is facing workload growth from several directions: continued growth in the trust industry, increased fintech supervision, and a new requirement to regularly examine auto dealers that take finance applications, which adds about 300 exams over two fiscal years. She said the department was directed to flat-fund its budget based on 2025 levels but was allowed to increase travel and training. To stay within that limit, she said the department reduced office space, went paperless, converted administrative and licensing positions into examiner positions, and expects to defund an embedded DOJ database administrator position once a new SharePoint system is fully implemented. Members asked about how the department’s revenue and assessments work, including whether fees were increasing and how much existing banks would pay. Galeri said fees are not being raised, most banks pay little or no fines, and assessments are based largely on asset size, with trust companies paying the bulk. She also explained that fines are set by statute, generally capped at $2,500 per violation for consumer credit entities, and said she would not recommend increasing that cap. The committee then voted to accept the Banking Department’s budget proposal as presented in HQ1, with a motion and second and no discussion. The transcript then moved to the Department of Energy budget. Commissioner Jared Chakin and Chief of Operations Lenny Radio discussed federal program funding, including LIHEAP fuel assistance and weatherization. They said the apparent drop in fuel assistance funding from FY 2024 actuals to the budgeted amount is due to the loss of ARPA and CARES Act supplemental funds, while weatherization remains a federally constrained program with a waiting list and limited flexibility. Members also asked about a proposed transfer from the renewable energy fund; staff said the transfer would still allow the department to carry out its statutory duties for the year, though the committee deferred deeper discussion until House Bill 2.