Transcript Highlights:

• House, House Bill 2096 allows WIFA to award financial assistance to counties for the remediation, replacement
• Lastly, it replaces vapor products with alternative nicotine products in statutory provisions relating
• filing reports, adds a requirement for certain committees to file a termination statement in order for fees
• filing reports adds a requirement for certain committees to file a termination statement in order for fees

Summary: The caucus reviewed several House bills with Senate amendments and conference committee changes. HB 282 would create the Childhood Cancer and Rare Childhood Disease Research Commission and direct DHS to award grants for pediatric cancer and rare disease research; the sponsor said the bill is intended to better use existing funds and federal or donated money, and the Senate amendment shifts grant-awarding authority to the DHS director and requires at least $5 million in funding. HB 2096 would let WIFA assist counties with cesspool remediation, replacement, or closure; the Senate added water-quality compliance language and definitions, and the sponsor said the bill helps smaller counties address illegal cesspools. HB 2749 would reclassify certain non-dangerous felonies as class 1 misdemeanors when criteria are met; the Senate added exclusions for some offenses and a delayed repeal date, and the sponsor’s concurrence was noted. HB 4001 would establish licensing for alternative nicotine product manufacturers and distributors, add enforcement and penalties for sales to minors, and the sponsor emphasized product tracking, stronger enforcement, and protections against youth-targeted marketing. The committee also discussed conference committee versions of HB 2010, HB 2874, HB 2133, and HB 2003. HB 2010 concerns advertising disclosures for digital goods and prorated refunds; the conference amendment limited refunds to digital goods purchased for $20 or more under specified license terms and increased the annual reduction rate. HB 2874 deals with campaign committee termination statements and penalties for late or missing reports; the conference amendment added public disclosure of committees owing penalties, capped penalties, required termination statements in some cases, and added an emergency clause. HB 2133 requires consent and age verification for publishing sexual material online, including AI-generated material; the conference amendment added exceptions for certain preexisting rated films and TV productions and adjusted definitions. HB 2003 lowers the age for an instruction permit to 15 and extends the permit-holding period for some teen drivers; the conference amendment grandfathered permit holders who are at least 15 and a half years old on November 30, 2026 so they are not subject to the longer waiting period. No votes were taken in the transcript, and the caucus ended after questions and brief explanations from staff and sponsors.

Transcript Highlights:

• for passenger vehicles, requiring additional registration fees for electric and plug-in hybrid electric
• vehicles, and distributing the additional fees to the state.
• Road Fund, and adjusting certain formulaic distributions of motor vehicle fees.
• Increasing the weight distance tax for motor vehicles other than buses, increasing registration fees
• of motor vehicle fees.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• present fire and EMS station is so small that we keep a supply of side mirrors because we have to replace
• I also submitted written testimony for S. 757, an act to remove medical and health services fees for
• incarcerated people; S. 756, an act to repeal pay-to-stay fees; and S. 1754, an act relative to a fresh
• Even larger communities struggle with the financial need of replacing a fire station due to escalating
• Riding fees and memberships can reach as much as $400 a day and $2,000 for a family membership.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security heard testimony on several bills, with strong support expressed for a proposed municipal and public safety building authority (H. 2571/S. 1650). Municipal officials, fire chiefs, the Massachusetts Municipal Association, regional planning leaders, and Senator Comerford described aging town halls, fire stations, DPW facilities, and other local buildings, especially in small towns and gateway cities, and argued that local budgets and Proposition 2 1/2 make major capital projects difficult to fund. Testimony emphasized the need for a dedicated revenue stream, with the bill proposing a share of marijuana excise tax revenue and a rural funding set-aside. Committee members asked about prioritization and funding levels, and witnesses said even a modest start would help address a large statewide backlog. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the committee later adjourned unanimously. The committee also heard testimony on H. 2689, requiring fuel gas alarms/detectors in residential dwellings using explosive gases. Representative Jeff Roy, Susan Brown, Jason Cohn, and representatives from NEMA and Kidde supported the bill, describing it as a life-saving measure similar to carbon monoxide detector requirements. Witnesses cited the 2015 Franklin propane explosion that killed Nancy and Robert Brown, the Merrimack Valley gas explosions, and national fire data showing fatalities and property damage from gas leaks. They said detectors are affordable, commercially available, and should be required where gas is used; one witness noted battery-backed or battery-operated options exist. Committee questions focused on cost, battery power, outdoor propane setups, and whether the bill would cover private databases or only residential safety devices. Another major topic was S. 1755 on missing and abducted children. Senator Pavel Payano testified in favor, citing the case of Lee Manuel Villoria Paolino and arguing that misclassification of missing children as runaways can delay urgent response and worsen outcomes, especially for Black and brown youth. He said the bill would set minimum law enforcement response standards, require training, and expand multilingual intake forms. The committee also heard support for expanding the state DNA database through familial DNA searching, with Dr. Amory Myers explaining that the technology could help solve long-unsolved cases while including guardrails to prevent use of private consumer DNA databases. Finally, the committee heard extensive testimony on H. 2740, “Colby’s Law,” establishing safety standards for BMX and motocross tracks. Colby Lippincott’s family, community members, and industry representatives described his fatal crash and urged requirements for medical staff, insurance, inspections, warning systems, barriers, and access roads. Witnesses said the bill would not end the sport but would create basic protections, and the committee heard that Massachusetts would join a number of other states with similar standards. The hearing ended with a motion to adjourn, which passed unanimously.

Transcript Highlights:

• I just see replacing jobs that rely on the extraction or development of natural resources.
• revenue sources that this could lead to the reduction of jobs in the state because we cannot just replace
• I just find the word 'replacement' as being interesting. I believe that concludes my questions.
• It's not a fee. And it's not a regulation.
• Senate Bill 267 requires fee transparency and standardizes application. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, so that's a fee, and then it says an industry standard merchant fee ...
• This is essentially the merchant fee; it is like the interchange fee.
• Okay, so who pays the interchange fee? Thank you. Okay, so who pays the interchange fee? Thank you.
• But it is a separate fee.
• There are two different fees. Mr. Garcia: There are two different fees, right?

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:

• Denver, Ithaca, and Syracuse have a sidewalk fee. Hillsboro, Oregon, has a sidewalk utility fee.
• Well, the other thing is that, you know, the sidewalk fee, we haven't found examples, many examples,
• Would it be like a sewage fee, a water fee?
• Would it be like a sewage fee, a water fee, that kind of thing, or would it be included in their property
• We are also making large repairs on equipment rather than replacing them.

Summary: The committee first heard an update on the Joint Transportation Committee study of transportation impacts if the Lower Snake River dams were removed. WSDOT and Jacobs described the study’s phases, including current work on geology, infrastructure risk, and a total logistics cost model. They explained that the study is examining how freight now moved by barge—especially wheat, fertilizer, and wood—could shift to rail and roads, and they outlined several scenarios ranging from no-dam future conditions to new unit-train terminals, short-line rail options, and a combined “many solutions” scenario. Members asked about irrigation, impacts in Idaho and Oregon, port capacity, emissions, competition, EV trucks, and whether the model could estimate transportation effects if grain volumes decline. The presenters said the study assumes current production levels continue, does not model irrigation changes or broader farm-economics impacts, but does account for transloading costs and can estimate transportation impacts under different volume assumptions. WSU’s independent review team said the model has improved substantially but still needed refinement, especially in routing, road data, and spatial detail, and that stakeholder engagement had been strong though delayed by model development. No votes were taken. The committee then received a presentation on the alternative sidewalk funding study. Staff and consultants said the study is exploring ways local governments could sustainably fund sidewalk maintenance, repair, and new construction, using a statewide survey, interviews, national research, and case studies in eight jurisdictions. They noted sidewalks are important for pedestrian safety and connectivity, but there is no dedicated funding source in Washington, and existing grants and local revenue tools are highly competitive or limited. The consultants highlighted sidewalk fees or utility-style charges as the most promising option to study, while a parcel tax was largely set aside because of state property-tax uniformity concerns. Members asked whether the study would duplicate existing funding or add to current taxes, and how a sidewalk fee would be collected; the consultants said the goal is to expand local options, not mandate adoption, and that fees would likely be billed through utilities rather than property taxes. A preliminary draft report is due December 15, with a final report due in mid-June. Next, staff gave a brief update on the ocean-going vessels study, which is examining shore power and emissions rules for vessels at berth. The presenter explained that federal Clean Air Act rules and California waiver authority create legal limits on how far Washington can go if it wants to adopt similar standards, and that deviations from California’s approach can increase litigation risk. The report will summarize stakeholder outreach and will be presented in draft form at the next JTC meeting. Finally, county engineers from Chelan and Douglas counties began a presentation on county transportation challenges, with the association’s director emphasizing collaboration with state agencies and local partners on issues such as fish passage barriers and infrastructure needs. The county presentation was only beginning when the transcript ended, and no committee action or votes were recorded.

Transcript Highlights:

• exception that would be the amendment to the amendment and is an exception that would allow for moving fees
• You're told you owe $20,000 in back training fees despite the fact that you went to cosmetology school
• despite the fact in back training fees despite the fact that<00:04:32.960> you<00:04:33.120><
• and it's unclear what training fear fees and it's unclear what training you<00:04:53.440> ever
• Immigration and visa fees lost profits.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• that uh is generated based on adult fees that uh is generated based on adult fees that<00:21:01.520
• So I'm the replacement of all of those.
• <00:29:41.840> of through renovation or replacement of through renovation or replacement of
• I'll go further into more details in the following slide. current replacement value for DCT current replacement
• You can expect to replace that cycles.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• They've got this standard of care, this obligation to maintain, repair, and replace improvements.
• solve the issue where homeowners associations, a property owner association, continue to increase fees
• Must be based on the things the community association is obligated to maintain, repair, and replace with
• There are certain fixed costs that go with these developments: attorney fees, architectural fees, engineering
• fees, sewer taps, and water lines.

Bills: SB434, SB844, SB898, SB1177, SB1214, SB1454, SB1920, SB1927, SB1935, SB1965, SB2010, SB2046, SB2068, SB2073, SB2183, SB2260, SB3034, SB907

Keywords: SB 434, Harris County Hospital District, hospital district police, peace officers, commissioned officers, law enforcement authority, Health and Safety Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, public safety, hospital security, county hospital district, local government, Texas criminal procedure, district police, armed security, SB 898, low income housing tax credits, LIHTC, affordable housing, Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• of the total amount owed as a late fee cap.
• > it >> Senator Cronin. could always replace it >> Senator Cronin. could always replace
• would delete and replace uh section 12. would delete and replace uh section 12.
• attorneys, fees, and costs. Um, Mr. attorneys, fees, and costs.
• A4 amendment to replace A4 amendment to replace section<02:10:36.880> 12<02:10:37.119>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The total benefits issued last year was $1.77 billion, which includes $115 million in replacements.
• Uh, if you are adopting a child out of foster care, we generally help with the... ...the filing fee,
• In the last two months of 2024, we replaced a little over $10.2 million in benefits.
• Now we can no longer replace benefits prior to December.
• You can see the utilities, fees, and services have also gone up.

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I wanted to point out that the new chapter does not authorize the collection of fees, so accordingly
• <00:11:08.639> collected the special fund include fees collected the special fund include
• thank you I'll be available for fees thank you I'll be available for question<00:11:33.240> thank
• for you know what we call the green fees for you know what we call the green fees bill<00:30:21.320
• <00:50:30.680> fuel was that it's a drop in replacement fuel was that it's a drop in replacement

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on House Bill 1077, a governor’s administration bill to increase transient accommodations tax revenue and split it between two new special funds: a climate mitigation and resiliency special fund and an economic development and revitalization special fund for tourism/resort areas. Supporters, including the Governor’s Office, recovery and resilience staff, climate and conservation groups, and several state agencies, said the bill would create a dedicated, more reliable funding stream for wildfire mitigation, coastal resilience, land clearing, infrastructure, and community-led projects. Some supporters also urged changes to the bill, including moving the fund to DLNR, adding DHHL and OHA representation, clarifying community grants, and ensuring the fund can support both state-led and community-led resilience work. The Attorney General’s office flagged a drafting issue, noting that the bill references fees deposited into the new fund even though the new chapter does not authorize fee collection, and recommended deleting that language or adding fee authority. The Climate Advisory Team representative also suggested adding DHHL to the decision-making body and requiring at-large members to have climate, resilience, conservation, or infrastructure expertise. The Tax Foundation of Hawaii and the Kohala Coast Resort Association opposed the measure, arguing that the special fund structure does not meet statutory criteria, that the bill functions as a tax increase, and that the transient accommodations tax is not being collected equitably across all lodging types before any increase is imposed. Other opponents, including tourism and lodging interests, warned that hotels and timeshares already bear most of the tax burden and that raising the TAT could hurt an already struggling visitor industry and drive tourists away. Supporters countered that current funding is far short of what is needed and that a dedicated revenue stream is necessary to address climate impacts now. Committee members questioned why the Legislature should cede spending decisions to a separate executive-branch process, and the administration responded that the bill is intended to create a transparent, recurring mechanism for funding priorities that can be adjusted over time. No vote or final action was taken in the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Fees can often take up a significant amount of funding from the funds.
• The amount of fees will depend on what sector the manager is in.
• We are sensitive to fees. Again, our target is that net return. we know fees reduce that.
• Madam Chair, if I could go back to fees, one more comment.
• One of the ways we need to mitigate fees is through internal management.

Transcript Highlights:

• These fees result in a double discount.
• This bill eliminates these hidden transaction fees, ensuring that providers receive the full payment
• And we can't pass those fees on to the client, but we're getting those fees passed on to us, which further
• They're reducing your fee by 3.5% because of how they're paying you. Correct?
• Because they can't be replaced.

Bills: HB345, HB721, HB2580, SB815, HB3057, HB4603, HB3233, SB495, HB3863, HB3914, HB4570, HB5099, HB5173, SB458

Keywords: insurance, appraisal process, disputed losses, residential property, policyholder rights, insurer obligations, natural disasters, appraisal expenses, umpire selection, policyholder, insurer, umpire, claims management, health care, cost disclosure, benefit plan, administrators, traumatic brain injury, health benefit plans, insurance coverage

Transcript Highlights:

• , including $6.6 million for clerks of the court related to jury expenditures and reimbursement of fees
• Fifty percent of that's going to go to fee simple stuff that's not just easements.
• It removes the $2 million slot machine licensing fee for certain permit holders operating in counties
• The approval by the BOG as it relates to out-of-state fees for nonresidents is ministerial only.
• tuition and fee costs after other federal, state, and institutional gift aid is applied.

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then moved to the conference report on House Bill 501E, the General Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2026-27. Budget chairs presented the major spending areas, describing a $114.5 billion overall budget that they said was fiscally responsible and below the prior year’s spending. Highlights included pay increases and retirement adjustments for public safety employees, education funding for K-12, higher education, health and human services, criminal justice, transportation, environmental programs, and agriculture/regulatory agencies. Members then questioned chairs on several items. In education, senators discussed K-12 declining enrollment funding, teacher salary set-asides, private school scholarship spending, mental health funding, preeminence funding for universities, the Hamilton Center at UF, and charter school PICO funding. In health and human services, questions focused on the iBudget waiver waitlist, provider rates, ADAP/HIV funding and the return of Biktarvy to the formulary, KidCare, rural health funding, SNAP-related IT and error reduction efforts, and the IDD managed care program. In criminal justice, senators asked about correctional officer pay, prison staffing and infrastructure, air conditioning in prisons, juvenile justice facilities, law enforcement recruitment, and court system funding. Environmental and transportation questions covered Florida Forever, water quality, state parks, water projects, housing, elections funding, and emergency management. Several specific actions and explanations were given during debate: the budget includes $8.8 million for state attorney competitive area differentials but no funding for public defender CAD requests; assistant state attorneys will start at $70,000 and assistant public defenders at $65,000; the battery disposal issue was described as a temporary study/preemption approach; and the Senate said the budget does not fund Medicaid expansion, preeminence funding, or the SunBucks Summer EBT state share. Senators also noted that some proposals discussed in committee did not make it into the final budget. The transcript ends with debate statements from members praising the budget process and Chair Hooper, while also expressing concerns about public schools, health care access, affordability, and the lack of funding for certain priorities.

Transcript Highlights:

• is corrected to ensure that county fees for fire and ambulance services are also paid.
• Applicants must provide a list of locations at the time of application and include the appropriate fee
• Applicants must provide a list of locations at the time of application and include the appropriate fee
• To exceed $15 million to be retained by the Department of Education to implement a replacement uniform
• The amendment struck out all of the House's provisions and replaced them with new provisions relating

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The Senate considered and passed a series of House bills on third reading, with several title amendments and a few effective-date motions adopted. Early in the session, members passed HB 4452 removing acreage limits on land owned by church or religious trustees, HB 4577 creating reciprocal driver’s license recognition agreements with Ireland and Japan, HB 4588 authorizing West Virginia participation in a federal tax credit scholarship program, and HB 4592 requiring higher education institutions to create coordinated campus safety maps. HB 4602 was amended to align with a prior Senate child welfare pilot program, and members discussed its projected cost and implementation timeline before passing it. HB 4603 created a pre-adjudicatory alternative disposition process in abuse and neglect cases, and HB 4606 narrowed bail rules by requiring consideration of residency and community ties while prohibiting personal recognizance bonds for violent felony offenses after an adopted amendment. The Senate also passed HB 4710 changing the party-registration deadline for candidates from 60 to 180 days before an election, with debate over its impact on independents, and made it effective January 1, 2027. HB 4712, known as Bailey’s Law, increased penalties for DUI causing death and related conduct, with emotional testimony from members about the victim and similar tragedies. HB 4765 established a pay raise for teachers, school personnel, and state police and added a market-pay enhancement system based on county cost-of-living differences; an amendment to the amendment capped county differentials and guaranteed at least a 1% increase in every county. HB 4865 created an optional program for high school and homeschool students to serve as election official trainees, and HB 4869 established narrow guaranteed-issue rights for Medicare supplement policies. Later bills included HB 4995, which strengthened video/audio recording rules in special education classrooms and was passed, then reconsidered and passed again; HB 4996 creating a new crime for making threats of violence against schools or children; HB 5048 guaranteeing virtual instruction for foster children in temporary placement; HB 5065 adding recordkeeping and geolocation requirements for hotel marketplace facilitators to ensure proper hotel tax remittance; and HB 5074 reallocating medical cannabis fund revenues to child protection, homeless services, research, law enforcement, and other purposes. The Senate also passed HB 5101, the Joanna Phillips Domestic Violence Prevention Act, which increased penalties for domestic violence offenses and adjusted bail provisions, after amending it to conform with the earlier bail bill. Additional measures passed included HB 5166 requiring notice before political committees are fined for filing violations and allowing limited extensions, HB 5168 directing $12 million in lottery funds to EMS first responders and county EMS support, HB 5182 authorizing certain state treasurer security personnel to carry concealed firearms, HB 5212 streamlining higher-education financial aid rules, HB 5214 allowing court-ordered drug testing of parents before reunification in abuse and neglect cases, HB 5353 regulating virtual currency kiosks with licensing, disclosures, and transaction limits, and HB 5366 exempting J-LAP records from FOIA to protect confidentiality for lawyers and judges seeking assistance. Most bills passed with strong bipartisan support, though HB 5074 and HB 5353 drew some dissenting votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• this by doing something very simple but very important: removes the dependency on federal law and replaces
• it with clear state-level definitions. ...removes the dependency on federal law and replaces it with
• It also diverts tax revenues to pay attorney and collection fees, meaning taxpayer...
• to the appropriate jurisdiction. of pennies, not just the remittance or payment of taxes and fees to
• So in the very slim chance that we pay attorney's fees, which is rare, we would like to be able to net

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• who replaces Representative Marzen. who replaces Representative Marzen.
• Looking at 1997 fees, 75% of 1997 fees, it is extraordinarily, um, we are extraordinarily grateful and
• , 75% of 1997 um the looking at 1997 fees, 75% of 1997 fees,<01:02:16.160> it<01:02:16.400>
• uh in their fee schedules and their<01:02:54.799> fee<01:02:55.040> structures,<01:02:
• :53:32.320> expertise<01:53:33.040> in simply replace decades of expertise in simply replace

Keywords: During the committee meeting live stream, portion of the video was lost due to network issues. There were also some technical difficulties with content and the incorrect background image being used. The lost footage was recovered from backup, and the other issues corrected in post production editing. 1. 00:00:41 Call to Order 2. 00:01:02 Roll Call 3. 00:02:54 Approval of Minutes 4. 00:05:06 Statutory Reports and Data Requests 5. 00:35:14 2025 and 2026 Session Update 6. 01:03:10 Board Structure Updates and Subcommittees 7. 01:05:20 Public Comment 8. 02:23:14 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight Board meeting opened with quorum, approval of the March 9 and March 16, 2026 minutes, and a welcome to new member Representative Willner. The board then heard a presentation from the Department of Medicaid Services on several statutory reports: the quarterly budget analysis (LRC) report, the quarterly MCO report, the provider tax and assessment report, the enrollee demographic report, the annual behavioral health/substance use disorder utilization report, and the Medicaid pharmaceutical rebate fund. Commissioner Lisa Lee and CFO Steve Bechal explained the reports and answered questions. On spending, DMS said the quarterly budget analysis report should be read using the summary tabs because the first tab reflects only traditional Medicaid and does not include all populations. Lee said the first three quarters of fiscal year 2026 showed about $191 million more in waiver spending than the same period last year, about $250 million more in other categories such as nursing facilities, CCBHCs, and FQHCs, and roughly $450 million more in total fee-for-service spending. She also noted that Medicare Part D premiums are 100% state funds and estimated the state-fund increase at about $140 million. For managed care, DMS said pharmacy, inpatient hospital, and outpatient hospital spending made up about 66% of MCO payments so far this fiscal year. Members asked about administrative costs, provider tax impacts, citizenship-status categories, medical loss ratio, and whether the reports could be expanded to show recoupments and citizenship-based spending. DMS clarified that the spending figures discussed were benefit costs only, not administrative costs, and said administrative match rates vary. On the provider tax and directed payments report, Lee said the new CMS proposed rule would allow separate payment terms to continue through the grandfathering period, but that the impact would be substantial for providers even if the administrative effect was minimal. She also said DMS was still reviewing unusual citizenship categories such as “other” and “unspecified,” and would provide more information on medical loss ratio and recoupments if available. Auditor Ball raised concerns about alleged waste, duplicate Social Security numbers, ineligible enrollees, and high error rates in other programs. Lee responded that Medicaid focuses on fraud, waste, and abuse, but said the cited $800 million figure was not factual because it did not account for people enrolled in more than one Medicaid program at the same time. She said DMS is reviewing eligibility systems, including changes tied to community engagement requirements, and is working with the cabinet’s eligibility staff and ombudsman division on error rates. No additional votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's not replace it. We would all love to replace it. Yeah, wouldn't we?
• I’m sure you heard Senator Hinojosa’s questions regarding the IOLTA fees and the reduction in those fees
• If somebody's indigent, of course, there wouldn't be a fee from that.
• A court where filing fees are paid.
• We also get a little fee from lawyers in terms of their licensing, and then there is a fee on surety

Bills: SB 1

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee convened for its first hearing of the 89th regular session, confirmed a quorum, adopted committee rules by a 15-0 vote, and began review of Senate Bill 1, the state budget for fiscal years 2026-27. Chair Huffman outlined the committee’s organization, introduced staff, and described the budget as conservative and focused on one-time investments. She highlighted major SB 1 priorities including property tax relief, full funding for public education formulas, teacher pay, school safety, border security, Medicaid growth, dementia research, energy and water infrastructure, transportation, wildfire suppression, and other capital and public safety needs. Comptroller Glenn Hager presented the biennial revenue estimate, saying the state has $194.6 billion available for general-purpose spending in 2026-27, with a projected $23.8 billion ending balance from the current biennium. He cautioned that revenue growth is returning to more normal levels and that lawmakers should avoid committing short-term surpluses to ongoing expenses. He also explained that the Economic Stabilization Fund is projected to hit its constitutional cap, meaning an estimated $5.6 billion in severance tax and related revenue would remain in general revenue in the upcoming biennium rather than flow into the fund. Senators discussed whether to raise or rename the fund and the implications of keeping more severance-tax revenue in general revenue. The Legislative Budget Board then gave an overview of SB 1 and the budget’s major funding changes. LBB staff explained that the bill is essentially flat at $332.9 billion in all funds, but includes large method-of-finance shifts and major property tax relief. They detailed how prior property tax relief enacted in the 88th Legislature grew from an estimated $18 billion to $22.7 billion because of higher property values and hold-harmless provisions, and said SB 1 continues that relief with a total of $51 billion in ongoing and new property tax support. Members asked extensive questions about the automatic growth in school tax compression, the constitutional homestead exemption, COVID-era federal funding, Medicaid assumptions, and the sunset of the non-homestead circuit breaker. No additional votes or final budget actions were taken beyond adoption of the committee rules.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I think it's just going to get replaced if I were Chanel. Thank you.
• because there's no basis for creating an entirely separate regulatory regime, including registration and fee
• And then I think just lastly, it imposes a fee on soap and body wash manufacturers to fund the regulations
• and then those fees will be passed down to consumers.
• I've been on this committee, but I've voted on bills where we've dealt with chemicals prior, and the fee

Keywords: 988, house, all