Transcript Highlights:

• that in their rates.
• To address and mitigate those rising utility rates for ratepayers. And then, thank you.
• And so we could see rates continue to go up.
• And everything that we do, that we have to look to the rate payers.
• impacts and developing very complex alternative rate design scenarios to protect ratepayers.

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Resources, Environmental Protection and Energy heard presentations on six budget-related issues and took no votes; all items were held open for a future hearing. The first item concerned funding for the California Transmission Accelerator Revolving Fund under SB 254 and Proposition 4. GoBiz and IBank requested nearly $26 million over five years and 10 limited-term positions to evaluate and finance eligible transmission projects. The LAO said the proposal was broadly consistent with Prop. 4 but noted many implementation details remain unresolved. Senators questioned how the program would lower ratepayer costs, how funds would be protected, and whether the full requested amount was necessary; the administration said the financing strategy is still being developed and that consultants are needed. The committee then discussed trailer bill language to redirect $22 million in General Fund money from the DEPA program to DSGS for summer 2026, and to use roughly $70 million in CalSHAPE interest for ratepayer relief through ELRP or an equivalent program in 2027-28. CEC and CPUC staff said DSGS and ELRP are reliability tools, not PSPS programs, and explained that DSGS had enrolled over 1,000 MW and was expected to have about $52 million available for 2026. Senators and the LAO raised concerns about ending a successful DSGS program, the complexity of transitioning customers to ELRP, and whether CalSHAPE funds should instead continue school HVAC and plumbing projects. Public commenters largely supported extending CalSHAPE and continuing or expanding DSGS rather than shifting funds to ELRP. The subcommittee also heard on petroleum market oversight under SBX1-2 and ABX2-1. The CEC and its Division of Petroleum Market Oversight requested about $1.67 million and a small permanent staffing increase to implement new inventory, resupply, and market analysis duties. Senators pressed the agencies on gasoline price spikes, refinery maintenance, price gouging, and the status of the transportation fuels transition plan, which staff said would be released in draft form soon. Public testimony supported DPMO’s work and called for continued oversight of gasoline pricing. Finally, the CPUC presented three additional budget proposals: resources to implement AB 1207’s changes to the California climate credit, funding for a study of large electrical loads such as data centers under SB 57, and staffing for AB 825’s regional market participation requirements. The LAO said the AB 1207 request may go beyond the statute and urged the Legislature to decide whether it wants a simpler or more complex climate credit redesign. Senators questioned the cost of the work, the need for ongoing staffing, and how ratepayer interests would be protected. The CPUC said the work is needed to adapt to changing load patterns, electrification, data center growth, and potential regional market participation. Public commenters also supported DPMO funding, CalSHAPE, and DSGS, and some urged the Legislature to keep DSGS at the CEC rather than shift funds to ELRP.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, sorry, so, um, fertility rates—these are fertility rates for Massachusetts.
• So here was the rate of net international migration in 2020.
• This is the rate for 1,000 residents, with the darker states having higher rates.
• And then we apply headship rates to the population.
• The reporting is, rates are so low, especially for some of our, "Permitting" rates are so low, especially

Committee: Senate Senate Committee on the Census

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> class in statute. it would set the rate class in statute. it would set the rate at<00:02:00.719>
• </c> the uh other tax rates went down. the uh other tax rates went down.
• </c> rate ranks in the middle to upper range. rate ranks in the middle to upper range.
• </c> with with the $1 per megawatt hour rate. with with the $1 per megawatt hour rate.
• </c> going to raise their rates anymore. going to raise their rates anymore.

Committee: Joint Revenue

Transcript Highlights:

• Water and wastewater rate cases.
• so much in every rate case.
• We have fully litigated four of our last five rate cases.
• Now, in the rate cases, it's a bit more competitive.
• Joe, which had gone like 13 years without a rate case.

Summary: The joint committee met with a quorum present and first received an overview of its jurisdiction and duties related to appointing the Florida Public Counsel. Staff explained the committee’s authority under joint rules and state law, noted that the current Public Counsel’s term expires February 28, 2025, and that applications for the next four-year term were open with a February 6, 2025 deadline. The committee then heard an extensive update from Public Counsel Walt Truerweiler on the Office of Public Counsel’s work representing utility ratepayers before the Public Service Commission and in appeals. Truerweiler described the office’s caseload and priorities, including electric, gas, water, and wastewater rate cases; storm recovery dockets; cost-recovery clauses; rulemakings; and customer service hearings. He emphasized that the office seeks to challenge unsupported or imprudent costs, find value for customers, and use expert analysis and customer testimony to shape outcomes. He highlighted recent and ongoing matters, including major Duke, TECO, Sunshine water/wastewater, and hurricane recovery proceedings, and said the office had fully litigated four of its last five rate cases, while also achieving a major settlement in Duke that reduced a requested increase and imposed cost controls on solar projects. Members praised the office’s work and asked about the benefits of settlements, staffing and compensation, and how the office decides when to fully intervene versus provide guidance or monitor a case. Truerweiler said settlements can create predictability, reduce uncertainty and expense, and produce tangible value for both customers and utilities. He also acknowledged recruitment challenges, including lower pay than comparable agencies and difficulty attracting attorneys who do not want in-person litigation work. The committee took no substantive action beyond receiving the presentations, and adjourned after a motion was adopted.

Transcript Highlights:

• in-network rate.
• So the hospital submitted. rolled in, therefore we don't have an in-network rate.
• rate.
• residual market. ...can, with the insured's written consent, change rates above their filed rates so
• Do you have enough money to pay claims based on the way these rates are set up?

Summary: The Senate Committee on Banking and Insurance met with a quorum present and heard a full agenda of bills, most of which were reported favorably. Early in the meeting, SB 1000 on trust fund interest for attorney trust accounts was explained as setting a floor and ceiling tied to the Wall Street Journal prime rate and passed without objection after supportive testimony from banking and credit union groups. The committee then took up CS/SB 1082 on a statewide provider and health plan claim dispute resolution program; the sponsor described it as a way to move emergency out-of-network payment disputes away from costly litigation and into an independent dispute resolution process modeled on the federal No Surprises Act. A proposed amendment drew significant questions from senators and concerns from the Florida Insurance Council about confusion over state versus federal eligibility and possible effects on contracted rates, and the sponsor ultimately withdrew the amendment. The underlying bill was then supported by health care and insurance stakeholders and reported favorably. SB 684 on electronic signatures for total loss vehicles and vessels also passed, with Progressive Insurance waiving in support. The committee next approved CS/SB 158 on pet insurance, which requires continuing education for agents, clearer consumer disclosures, and annual reporting to OIR; the amendment was technical and adopted. SB 1494 on breast cancer screening coverage was presented as expanding required coverage for mammograms and supplemental screenings for certain insurance products, and it passed with support from cancer and radiology groups. CS/SB 314 on digital asset issuers was amended to create a Florida framework for payment stablecoin issuers consistent with the federal GENIUS Act, allowing state-level regulation as an alternative to federal supervision, and was reported favorably. SB 1500 on uncontested probate proceedings, including higher small-estate thresholds and clearer authority for personal representatives, also passed after a banking-related amendment requiring letters of administration for safe deposit box access was adopted. Later, the committee approved CS/SB 618 on workers’ compensation insurance, which raises the consent-to-rate cap for workers’ comp policies from 10% to 20% and adjusts the Florida Workers’ Compensation Guarantee Association board membership; a carrier representative testified that the change would help keep more high-risk accounts in the voluntary market. CS/SB 1568 on a Florida Stable Coin Pilot Program was amended to remove authority for DFS to create a Florida coin, limit the pilot to existing stablecoins with at least $1 billion market capitalization, and require qualified public deposit handling; it then passed. CS/SB 838 on electronic payments for retail installment contracts clarified that convenience fees for electronic payments are permissible while preserving a fee-free option, and it was reported favorably after questions about consumer access to free payment methods. SB 1452, the Department of Financial Services agency bill, made a wide range of administrative changes affecting My Safe Florida Home, unclaimed property, licensing, bail bonds, and other DFS functions; a late-filed amendment on title insurer appointments was adopted, and the bill passed. The committee also approved SB 1706 on the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program, targeting condo hardening assistance to owner-occupied units meeting income and occupancy criteria, and SB 990 on protected cell captive insurance companies, which the sponsor and industry witnesses said would modernize Florida law and promote insurance competition and economic activity. The meeting ended with all bills on the agenda reported favorably and the committee adjourning without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's the error rate, and the new BBB, the “big beautiful bill,” requires an error rate of less than
• We gave them a higher rate of pay raise. We funded it, 3%.
• The rating agencies love the six-year plan, too.
• We have one of the highest FMAP rates in the country.
• We have one of the highest FMAP rates in the country.

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Built into that capitation rate is approximately 2% of a large portion of the capitation rate.
• :17:10.640><c> rate</c><00:17:10.959><c> is</c><00:17:12.079><c> um</c> into that capitation rate is
• be available within the program because the rates from an actuarial standpoint have...
• Rates from an actuarial standpoint have to be a reasonably efficient MCO.
• It needs to be able to achieve that, and that's what the actuary sets the rates at.

Summary: The Fiscal Committee met on May 16, 2025, and first adopted a rules-and-procedures change extending online audit approval timelines for American Rescue Plan items through December 2026 and bipartisan infrastructure law items through June 30, 2027. The committee then approved the April 18 minutes and adopted the consent calendar with several items removed for separate discussion, including items from Tabs 4, 6, and 7. On Tab 4 item 2511, members questioned why the state was paying utility costs for the Laconia property while it is being sold. Commissioner Charlie Arlinghaus explained the budget line covered utilities generally, not just heat, that some buildings still require minimal heating, and that the main increase was tied to the Winnipesaukee River Basin Project wastewater charges. He said the charges had risen sharply, the property sale would eventually trigger a utility true-up at closing, and he would provide additional analysis. The committee then adopted the item. On Tab 4 item 25115, the Department of Justice said funding for a temporary fourth pathologist was removed from the 2026-2027 budget because it was no longer needed, and the committee adopted the item. On Tab 6 item 25126, Department of Health and Human Services officials explained the Medicaid managed care “withhold” as a performance incentive: about 2% of capitation payments are held back, then redistributed based on quality and operational metrics, with unearned amounts staying with the state until the end of the program and subject to actuarial requirements. They said the approach has improved performance and helped with Medicaid unwinding outreach, reducing enrollment by about 11,000 people in the past year. The committee adopted the item. On Tab 7 item 25139, the Department of Energy said it no longer needed an additional position because existing staff could handle the work, and the item was adopted. The committee also adopted regular-calendar items 25114 and 25131, noted that one regular-calendar item had been withdrawn, set the next meeting for June 20 at 11:00 a.m. in Room 100 of the State House, and adjourned after a motion and second.

Transcript Highlights:

• ON THE POSTSECONDARY AUDIT METRICS THE FIRST IS ARE WE RETENTION RATE OR SUCCESS RATE?
• SUCCESS RATE AND CONTINUING EDUCATION AND ALSO THE EMPLOYED RATE.
• OR SUCCESS RATE METRIC AND 98.97% ARE MEETING THE CONTINUING EDUCATION OR EMPLOYMENT RATE METRICS AS
• WE MEASURE THE SUCCESS OF OUR PROGRAMS THROUGH GRADUATION RATES, JOB PLACEMENT RATES, AND EMPLOYER SATISFACTION
• A JOB PLACEMENT RATE OF 91 PERCENT AND A LICENSURE PASS RATE OF 98 PERCENT.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so I just, I understand that people are sick of rate increases.
• , please raise our rates.
• That's been a lot of the run-up in rates we've seen.
• we've actually cut the rate filing times.
• we've actually cut the rate filing times.

Committee: Senate Insurance

Transcript Highlights:

• House File 4845 establishes a new fifth-tier income tax rate of 10.85%.
• </c> and also reduce SNAP error rates. and also reduce SNAP error rates.
• , corporate tax rates, or both.
• However, in 2003, LGA rates were slashed in order to stay to balance the state budget.
• </c> tax rates for cities and counties. tax rates for cities and counties.

Summary: House File 4845 was presented as a tax modernization and local aid bill that would adjust Minnesota income tax brackets for inflation, add a new top bracket of 10.85% for high earners, and increase local government aid and county program aid beginning in 2026. Representative Hollins said the bill would strengthen local government funding and require the Department of Revenue to recertify aid distributions. The chair noted the bill would be laid over for possible inclusion in the 2026 tax bill. Supporters, including St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter? no, Mayor Kelly Her of St. Paul, AFSCME Local 34, and Rebuild Minnesota, argued that cities and counties need more stable revenue to cover rising costs, public safety, human services, and property tax pressure. They said the bill would help local governments meet unmet needs and reduce reliance on property taxes. Opponents from the Minnesota Business Partnership and Minnesota Chamber of Commerce argued the new top rate would hurt competitiveness, talent recruitment, and business investment, especially because many businesses pay through the individual income tax code. Some testifiers also opposed directing more aid to cities that they said restrict housing development, while others urged the committee to address unfunded mandates and fraud instead of raising taxes. During member discussion, Representative Joyce opposed creating another bracket and suggested using cannabis tax revenue instead. Representative Wiener said the state has a spending problem and cited fraud concerns, while Representative Roach questioned whether the bill truly helped greater Minnesota and noted the current LGA appropriation is just over $644 million. Representative Hollins responded that the proposal would mostly benefit greater Minnesota by shifting more of the tax burden to high earners in the metro area. No vote was taken; the bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the 2026 tax bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• What's been the success rate on that?
• The tuition charged, so that $83.89 tuition rate, is the single rate that has been set by the board and
• You'll see the per-credit rate, which I assume is just the blended rate when you take into account the
• And the single rate that we use for purposes of this exercise was just the lowest base rate from the
• The single rate that we use for purposes of this exercise was just the lowest base rate from the last

Committee: Joint Higher Education Funding Review Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• These projects would otherwise be paying set market rates, and the rates you referred to are higher than
• workers would be paid a rate of $27 per hour.
• I understand that is the $40 rate.
• Our default rates.
• We have agreed that prevailing wages is the lower rate. That is the agreed-upon rate.

Committee: House Budget

Transcript Highlights:

• As a policy matter, the objective of insurance underwriting and rating is to match rate to risk because
• scores would see rate increases.
• We have a rate filing system where, if this were to pass, each company would submit a rate filing that
• I don't anticipate rate decreases in the future, but I think the days of like the 20% per year rate increases
• , Representative, that rates will go up anyway.

Committee: House House Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• There's a part here around rate setting.
• Ultimately, we agree that these things, we don't want these things in rates.
• But the idea is, ultimately, we do want to get those costs out of rates. Yeah.
• going up are the wildfire mitigation costs being passed on to rate payers.
• It's just going to give us, again, resources to take it out of rate.

Committee: House Natural Resources

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Natural Resources heard Senator Becker present a broad energy and utility bill focused on affordability, wildfire costs, climate credits, rate setting, and permitting/CEQA streamlining. Becker said the bill would move more wildfire mitigation and public-purpose costs out of utility rates through a proposed power fund, direct more cap-and-trade climate credit money to customers—especially low-income customers—and create programmatic environmental review to speed utility project approvals. He also said the bill was intended to improve the “bang for the buck” on wildfire spending and other infrastructure investments. Support came from the California Municipal Utilities Association, California Community Choice Association, Union of Concerned Scientists, California Environmental Justice Alliance, and the Climate Center, with some supporters asking to continue working on amendments. Opposition came from the California Chamber of Commerce, Utility Workers’ Unions of America, California Business Roundtable, PG&E, SDG&E/SoCalGas, and Ellis Power, who argued the bill would shift rather than solve costs, create rate instability, reduce utility financial certainty, and introduce reliability risks. Committee members asked about the power fund, climate credit changes, wildfire reporting, and whether the bill would streamline transmission corridors; Becker said transmission corridor streamlining was not specifically included. After discussion, the committee voted to send the bill out with a due pass recommendation. The roll call showed ayes from Muratsuchi, Pellerin, Schultz, and Wicks, with Zbur not voting. The chair noted the committee was sending the bill forward before recess because of the author’s commitment to continue working on amendments and related conversations between the houses.

Transcript Highlights:

• So SB 433 establishes room and board rate protections for participants in the Assisted Living Waiver
• State regulations require the standardized rate established by the Department of Social Services.
• However, low income Medi-Cal recipients with without SSI are not protected by an income-based rate cap
• And what is the rate, what's the RC?
• So what we're talking about is the rate.

Committee: House Aging and Long-Term Care

Transcript Highlights:

• What's the current tax rate in El Paso?
• That allows it to go to the water board and get a lower interest rate and have fewer reserves. ...rating
• If you had interest rates typical of an A-rated community...
• If a community is rated as A by rating agencies and issues certificates of obligation, the rating for
• So in other words, interest rate markets change, and as a result, interest rates have lowered.

Bills: HB1453 , HB1718 , HB2043 , HB2207 , HB2798

Committee: House Pensions, Investments & Financial Services

Keywords: local governments, anticipation notes, certificates of obligation, public works, flood control, financial management, local government, municipal financing, private activity bonds, closing definition, real estate finance, bond issuance, government regulation, bond election, general obligation bonds, GO bonds, political subdivision, city bonds, county bonds, school district bonds

Transcript Highlights:

• Five times the rate of everybody else.
• There's no success rates. As we've heard, there has been a recent statement. Rates.
• nearly an 80% college-going rate.
• They have higher retention rates, higher graduation rates. They're faster to graduate.
• We know that prisons don't have a success rate.

Transcript Highlights:

• Access would set the rates and the health plans would be required to pay the rates that the government
• It's a different rate.
• matching the rates.
• contracted rates are set up.
• They have moved quickly to set fixed rates instead of percentage-based rates for health care services

Committee: House House Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee met with all members present, temporarily replacing Vice Chair Keshel with Representative Taylor, and held HB 4014 at the sponsor’s request. It then heard HB 415, which would extend existing state rules on paid petition circulators and initiative/referendum disclosures to municipal and county measures, require paid circulators to display identifying information, and require local measures to disclose expenditures and revenue sources. The sponsor and supporters, including the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, argued the bill would improve transparency and keep initiatives driven by Arizona residents; the bill passed 5-2. The committee also heard the mirror resolution, HCR 2051, which passed 4-3. The committee next considered HCM 2010, urging Congress to propose a constitutional amendment repealing the Seventeenth Amendment and returning selection of U.S. senators to state legislatures. The sponsor argued it would restore state sovereignty and accountability, while opponents raised concerns about direct democracy and the practical problems that led to the Seventeenth Amendment. The motion initially appeared to pass 4-3, but after a vote correction and a present vote, the measure ultimately failed. The committee then took up HB 2940, a complex AHCCCS/DES bill aimed at tightening eligibility verification, expanding competition in managed care contracting, and creating a unified eligibility rules engine. The sponsor said it would improve fiscal discipline and competition; AHCCCS and health plan representatives said many verification steps already exist, some provisions would add cost or duplicate federal/state processes, and the bill would significantly alter the managed care model. Despite those concerns, HB 2940 passed 4-3. Later, HB 2874 passed unanimously 7-0. That bill would ease termination requirements and penalties for candidate committees, PACs, or parties that never received contributions and later file termination statements. The committee then heard HB 467, which would require county recorders to display certain voter status information in precinct registers, signature rosters, or electronic poll books; after testimony from county officials and the Association of Counties, the committee adopted a verbal amendment changing “shall” to “may” and passed the bill 5-2. Finally, HB 2775, as amended, passed 4-3. The bill would bar state and local governments from using state resources to implement or enforce rules or policies of international organizations, and the amendment added restrictions on Arizona public universities’ dealings with certain foreign entities, with ABOR given review authority. Supporters framed it as a sovereignty and anti-foreign-influence measure, while the amendment’s removal of rulemaking authority was cited as important to the vote in favor.

Transcript Highlights:

• high rate.
• We do track and trend our denial rates.
• We continue to see that rate increase.
• The 98 response rate in Florida is actually one of the top in the nation in terms of response rates and
• This diversion rate saves the state.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have to use a statewide unemployment rate.
• Months, the average statewide unemployment rate would be used to calculate that.
• And so a statewide unemployment rate is used.
• Texas statute actually caps 204.061 caps the ceiling at 2% tax rate on total wages.
• For example, in terms of unemployment rates, our state's regions vary greatly.

Bills: HB 112 , HB199 , HB621 , HB1349 , HB2214 , HB3466 , HB3698 , HB3699 , HCR9 , HB112 , HB199 , HCR9

Committee: House Trade, Workforce & Economic Development

Keywords: science park district, economic development, technology innovation, higher education collaboration, infrastructure development, Texas Economic Development Office, workforce development, unemployment benefits, state average unemployment rate, benefit year, economic support, Texas Workforce Commission, property owners' association, free speech, assembly rights, government officials, political candidates, floodplain, landlord, tenant

Summary: The Committee on Trade, Workforce and Economic Development met with a quorum and moved quickly through a long agenda, hearing testimony and taking recorded votes on several bills. Early in the meeting, HB 2214 was laid out to exempt certain short-term residential leases and leaseback arrangements from flood-disclosure requirements; Texas Realtors supported the change, and the bill was left pending. The committee then voted out a series of pending measures, including HB 46, HB 186 (with a committee substitute), HB 431, HB 1147, HB 1154, HB 2468, HB 2488, HB 2788 (with a substitute), HB 2791 (with a substitute), HB 3260, and HCR 90, all reported favorably to the full House, with HB 1147 receiving two nays and the others passing unanimously or nearly so. A major portion of the hearing focused on HB 112, which would create a Texas Science Park district and commission to support advanced manufacturing and innovation sites. The bill’s author and supporters, including Samsung Austin Semiconductor, the Texas Association of Business, and the Governor’s economic development office, argued it would strengthen supply chains, attract investment, and support national security and workforce development. Testimony described interest from semiconductor and advanced manufacturing companies and referenced the model of foreign science parks such as Sinshu in Taiwan. HB 112 was left pending after testimony. The committee also heard HB 3698 and HB 3699, both related to unemployment insurance administration. HB 3698 would expand eligibility for the Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment program using federal funds, while HB 3699 would tighten the definition of “last work” to help the Texas Workforce Commission investigate UI fraud. Both bills were discussed with TWC resource witnesses and left pending after the committee withdrew the substitutes. HB 1349, which would extend HOA transparency and property-rights provisions to condominiums and refine HOA rules, and HB 621, which would require HOA meeting spaces to be available for residents to reserve for qualified political candidates or elected officials, were also heard and left pending. Finally, the committee heard HCR 9 to designate the first Saturday of each month as Small Business Saturday, HB 199 to index unemployment benefit duration to the state unemployment rate, and HB 3466 to exempt certain cancelable service contracts from Texas’s in-home sales cooling-off law; each drew supportive and opposing testimony and was left pending before adjournment.