Transcript Highlights:

• <00:26:12.000> a there's a third policy that limits a there's a third policy that limits a
• have limits on state directed payments. have limits on state directed payments.
• <00:35:51.440> of would need to think about in terms of would need to think about in terms
• I know at least Senator Meredith on contract review makes it really hard to obligate money in a contract
• <01:48:33.280> squle >> long-term squle >> long-term squle >> um<01:48:34.800

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee met and approved the minutes from its August 27 meeting. It then received a presentation from Katherine Castanza of the National Conference of State Legislators on the Medicaid provisions in the 2025 budget reconciliation bill, referred to as HR1. She explained that the bill is estimated by CBO to save the federal government $911 billion over 10 years, with more than 20 Medicaid-specific provisions, most of the savings concentrated in five policies and largely backloaded into 2030-2034. She emphasized that the bill’s effects will vary by state, but that expansion states and hospitals are expected to be most affected, in part because of changes to eligibility, provider taxes, and state-directed payments. Castanza highlighted several new funding and flexibility provisions, including a $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Fund for 2026-2030 and a new home- and community-based services waiver option effective July 1, 2028, with $100 million in grants in fiscal year 2027. She also outlined major eligibility changes for Medicaid expansion adults: work or community engagement requirements effective January 1, 2027; twice-yearly redeterminations for the expansion population effective the same date; and new cost sharing for certain expansion adults effective October 1, 2028. She noted that Kentucky, as an expansion state, would be subject to these changes and that state agencies would face significant implementation demands, especially because federal guidance and timelines are tight. A substantial portion of the presentation focused on financing changes. Castanza described new limits on provider taxes, including a 0% safe harbor for new taxes and a phased reduction for existing taxes in expansion states beginning in 2028, while nursing facilities and intermediate care facilities are exempt from the reduction if already taxed. She also explained that state-directed payments will be capped and phased down over time, with existing arrangements grandfathered only briefly; she said Kentucky has 11 approved state-directed payments and could see significant fiscal effects. She added that the bill also bars Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood or similarly situated providers for one year, changes immigrant eligibility rules effective October 1, 2026, lowers the federal match for certain emergency services, and expands the scope of the federal erroneous payment recoupment provision effective October 1, 2029. Throughout, she stressed that federal savings may translate into state cost shifts and that implementation timing will be critical.

Transcript Highlights:

• Limiting access to modern tools that are increasingly essential for workforce training.
• Now if we enter into a contract...
• Any payments on the contract are not going to affect it, yes sir. Okay.
• What happens in terms of the recruiting process?
• image, you used filtered something, what was the term?

Bills: HB322, HB126, HB3062, HB1481, HB2310, HB2674, HB121, HB2243, HB3627, HB1178, HB367, HB5515, HB126, HB121

Keywords: JET Grant Program, career education, technical education, community colleges, technology solutions, high demand jobs, student athletes, name image likeness, compensation, intercollegiate athletics, representation, fentanyl prevention, drug poisoning awareness, higher education, mental health resources, substance abuse education, student policy, communication devices, school regulations, disciplinary measures

Transcript Highlights:

• So this is a long-term investment of time and effort for y'all, but it's a long-term investment for the
• state of Texas. ...a long-term investment of time and effort for y'all, but it's a long-term investment
• HB 4222 allows the county to collect up to a 2% tax within the city limits.
• There's just, there's space limitations.
• The bill limits this authority by specifying... ...before January 1, 2023.

Summary: The committee heard a long series of bills, most of them expanding or adjusting hotel occupancy tax or qualified hotel project authority for specific local governments. Measures discussed included HB 2404 for Childress County; HB 3066 for Allen’s Kalahari resort project; HB 4682 for Plano; HB 4683 for Anna; HB 3076 creating a project finance zone in Frisco; HB 3567 for Wichita County; HB 3715 for McAllen; HB 1039 for Alpine; HB 3182 for Burleson; HB 4926 for Grimes County; HB 4222 for Victoria County; HB 3377 for Katy; HB 4659 for Addison; HB 3241 for Georgetown; HB 4098 for Taylor; HB 3178 for Kerr County; HB 3179 for Mason County; HB 2289 for New Braunfels; HB 4412 for Kermit; HB 5165 for Monahans; HB 3500 for Bastrop; and HB 3169 for Carrollton. In each case, authors and local officials described tourism, convention, hotel, airport, or mixed-use development needs and argued the bills would help attract visitors, investment, and jobs. One non-hotel-tax bill, HB 4226, would exempt Texas food banks from sales tax on vehicle purchases and rentals, with testimony emphasizing the scale of food bank operations and the savings’ impact on meal delivery and disaster response. Testimony was generally supportive from city officials, economic development representatives, and industry groups such as the Texas Hotel and Lodging Association. Several witnesses described major private projects, including Kalahari in Allen, a proposed hotel and conference center in Addison, a mixed-use project in Georgetown, and a large development tied to Samsung growth in Taylor. For HB 4226, food bank representatives said the bill would help them purchase refrigerated trucks and other delivery vehicles, while an opponent questioned the fiscal note and the scope of the exemption. HB 4926 drew opposition from Camp Allen, whose representative argued a new county hotel tax would raise costs for guests and could hurt the retreat center’s operations. HB 3178 also drew an objection from a Kerr County resident who argued the tax would grow county government and pointed to event center losses, though the author said the revenue would support tourism-related county uses. The committee took no final votes on the bills in this transcript. After each bill was laid out and testimony concluded, the chair repeatedly asked whether there was objection to leaving the bill pending; in each instance, no objection was heard, and the bills were left pending. Several committee substitutes were offered and then withdrawn or noted as conforming drafts, but no bill was reported out or otherwise acted on beyond being left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• So how will this impact in terms of insurance premiums in your estimation?
• Can you contract COVID repeatedly if you're not vaccinated?
• Quick question, do you limit it to rural areas?
• Would you accept an amendment to limit it only to rural areas?
• Give up contract labor costs and lead to more employee absences.

Bills: SB227, SB269, SB407, SB463, SB527, SB547, SB1283, SB1380, SB1383, SB1511, SB1640, SB1784, SB2069

Keywords: school funding, education reform, state budget, property taxes, equity in education, healthcare policy, vaccines, exemptions, religious beliefs, public health, workplace violence, healthcare facilities, definition expansion, safety regulations, health and safety code, health insurance, anesthesia, pediatric dental services, coverage, medical necessity

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the speed limit we're looking at.
• The contract has to show they're demonstrating that.
• We were fortunate to contract with them.
• I would say it's a problem that's not just limited to WSDOT.
• So we'll be overseeing the contract for that one.

Summary: The meeting began with introductions from members of the Joint Transportation Committee and a presentation from the Association of Washington Cities and the public works directors of Richland, Kennewick, Pasco, and West Richland. The cities described the Quad Cities region as one of the fastest-growing in the state and outlined shared transportation priorities that align with the committee’s focus on safety, multimodal access, climate resilience, and economic development. They emphasized Vision Zero efforts, complete streets, ADA accessibility, regional trail and bike/pedestrian planning, and coordinated long-range transportation and land-use planning to manage growth. The city officials also discussed major funding and delivery challenges, including rising construction costs, project phasing, pavement preservation, right-of-way acquisition, and delays caused by state and federal permitting and review processes. They highlighted regional cooperation through the Benton-Franklin Council of Governments, Good Roads, and local funding tools such as impact fees, transportation benefit districts, REET, tax increment financing, and state and federal grants. Specific projects discussed included Richland’s SR 240/Aaron Drive complete streets project and downtown connectivity work, Kennewick’s Columbia Center Boulevard improvements and rail study, Pasco’s Court/Road 68, Sylvester Street corridor, I-182 bridge/interchange work, and a new north-south bridge study, and West Richland’s SR 224 Red Mountain corridor project, which officials said was awarded under budget and is scheduled to begin construction. Committee members asked questions about sidewalk connections to schools, state-agency right-of-way timelines, apprenticeship utilization, contractor selection, and whether complete streets requirements add burdens to pavement preservation projects. The city officials said new development is generally meeting sidewalk standards, but older infill areas remain a gap; that state right-of-way transactions can take much longer than expected; that apprenticeship requirements are common but harder for smaller contractors and local labor markets; and that low-bid contracting leaves little room to screen for performance history. They also said complete streets requirements are usually manageable on major projects but can be difficult to absorb in smaller preservation work. The committee then shifted to a JTC-funded study on transit-oriented development, presented by Urban Institute researcher Yona Freemark. The study examined TOD conditions in 33 cities in Snohomish, King, Pierce, Clark, and Spokane counties near rail and bus rapid transit stations. Freemark said Washington’s housing affordability crisis is severe, especially near transit, and found that high-cost cities have seen more development near stations but also signs of gentrification and loss of affordable housing, while lower-cost cities have had less development and worsening affordability relative to income. He identified barriers including high debt costs, land costs, infrastructure costs, zoning and parking rules, and limited subsidies for affordable housing. He recommended more neighborhood infrastructure funding near stations, stronger affordable housing investment, and better use of public land, noting that HB 1491 and related legislation are already changing some local requirements.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, pursuant to a contract between individuals.
• Or contract negotiation for 2 years after the contract is signed, or the procurement is terminated or
• Um, the requester wishes to build bid on a contract management, I mean contract for the same project
• other contract, then you have participated in that second contract.
• Each person's testimony will be limited to 2 minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• I was just curious in terms of their program for those institutions.
• This really cuts down on the processing time for contracts.
• . single construction contract that they have.
• Get these master contracts in place, so we're not procuring every single project.
• We have a two-minute limit for your public comment. As you come up here, thank you.

Transcript Highlights:

• ,<00:04:16.079> the When teens enter into this contract, the When teens enter into this contract
• parents just be better parents and limit parents just be better parents and limit the<00:08:41.519
• <00:20:08.320> risky age inappropriate material, limit risky age inappropriate material, limit
• Addiction is a clinical term.
• Much of Addiction is a clinical term.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 4138, a bill aimed at limiting harmful social media practices for minors by requiring verifiable parental consent for accounts and restricting addictive features and targeted advertising for youth users. Chair Scott offered an A2 amendment, with an oral clarification striking specific language and two commas; the committee adopted the amended A2, and the bill was then discussed as amended. The bill author described social media as addictive by design and said the measure would use age-estimation technology to identify users 15 and under, require parental consent, and provide a different, less addictive experience for youth. Supportive testimony came from the Minnesota Catholic Conference, parents Jerry and Giana Cox, and a Minnesota high school student, all arguing that social media harms youth mental health, encourages excessive use, and exposes children to manipulation, cyberbullying, and addictive design features like infinite scroll and autoplay. They said the bill would help parents, protect children, and reduce exploitation of minors’ data. Several committee members also spoke in favor, saying the bill addresses corporate negligence, youth mental health, and the need to act even if the proposal needs more work. Opposition testimony came from industry groups including the Computer and Communications Industry Association, the Information Technology Industry Council, and NetChoice. They argued the bill is vague and narrow in scope, could create uneven coverage, and may push platforms toward intrusive age-verification or digital-ID-like systems that raise privacy and data-breach concerns. They also said restrictions on personalized or algorithmic features could weaken safety tools and make it harder to protect young users. No final vote on the bill itself was taken in the excerpt, but the amended A2 was adopted and the bill remained under discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• So that 750 is our aquatics limit.
• The terms of the easement.
• easement contract.
• easement contract.
• You should be able to renegotiate, which was part of the contract, was that the contract could not be

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• She limited online or the pandemic.
• :31:05.760> 10 limited in-person instruction to 10 limited in-person instruction to 10 people.
• <00:35:18.720> they responsibilities are how limited they responsibilities are how limited
• <01:43:31.040> contract<01:43:31.600> managers and contract contract managers and contract
• Contract them all and hire them all out. Contract them all out. out. out.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Both the definition of and your use of the term "metrogeny."
• And that's why we have limited government. The word "limited" is there for a reason.
• contracts are permissible under Florida law.
• The amendment imposes a processing fee limit of the lesser of two...
• This bill would leverage state-term contracts and mutual aid agreements to allow private providers and

Transcript Highlights:

• And basically, we inserted that um waiver uh portion in there so that um superintendent contracts can
• negotiate their contracts at the beginning. beginning. beginning.
• that district to negotiate a contract that district to negotiate a contract and<00:04:56.960>
• And as a for instance, when we went into this, we were thinking about limiting it to 13 days.
• How will that affect, if anything at all, in terms of what you're trying to accomplish with their contract

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So we're one week behind where Alabama was in terms of that.
• >> You're talking about BDO's contract? >> That one was not made public till long...
• Will future contracts, when they're awarded, be made public immediately?
• And was there a contract let out, or was this a direct appropriation?
• Uh, we had limited time. I think we did well... We had limited time.

Keywords: Public Health and Welfare - Room 216, 4 June, 2026; 2:30 PM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This suggests the need for long-term treatment.
• You said there may be ways to contract out some of them.
• You said there may be ways to contract out some of the mental health care.
• Have we ever looked at contracting out for all the health care?
• Are you still contracting with us?

Keywords: 985, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have contracted and awarded $9.2 million.
• And whatever the simple payback is, that's the loan term. Uh, we don't charge origination fees.
• a grouping instead of running all over the state and contracting all over the state.
• We're limiting pressures. We're limiting volumes. Vice Chairman Morales. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
• So it wouldn't matter in terms of geographic location in the United States.

Transcript Highlights:

• What this is limited to those agencies.
• It's owing money to a person they contracted with via a contract.
• <00:53:55.360> with a person they contracted with a person they contracted with via<00:53:
• Via a contract.
• And the contract.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The $6,000 contract had no accountability.
• No, it just aligned the contract from the City of Austin.
• You use a term like ISD profiteers.
• In terms of the paychecks, here's the question: If you're a teacher...
• I mean, when you're talking about most of the contents of this bill, again, in terms In terms of what

Bills: SB 13, SB 27, SB 57, HB1325, HB1655, HB3312, HB5526, SB13, SB57, SB207, HB441, HB591, HB5019, SB27, SB843

Keywords: lobbying, public funds, political subdivision, local government, county association, municipal lobbying, registered lobbyist, Texas Legislature, taxpayer lawsuit, injunctive relief, attorney's fees, government finance, county dues, state association of counties, sheriffs association, law enforcement officers, legislative advocacy, bill tracking, legislative alerts, Government Code Chapter 556

Transcript Highlights:

• So I won't dig deeper into that, as I know we're limited on time.
• PSAP contract, which was 17%, covered the contracts the counties have executed with other entities for
• , while we investigate what better long-term solutions may be.
• We would need authority for the entire contract, but that contract would be paid out over at least a
• We would need authority for the entire contract, but that contract would be paid out over at least a

Summary: The committee approved the March 26 minutes and then received a quarterly update on major IT projects from NDIT. Staff reported the portfolio included 116 major projects totaling about $546 million, with the overall portfolio under budget but slightly behind schedule. They reviewed projects over the 20% variance threshold, including an Industrial Commission grants management system and DOT’s roadway pre-construction replacement, and then heard startup and closeout reports from HHS, OMB, DPI, and DOT. Several previously troubled projects were closed, including HHS bed management, vital records modernization, and DOT roadway capital planning; some projects finished under budget and ahead of schedule, while others were significantly behind schedule or over budget but were now closed or being remediated. The committee also reviewed NDIT’s annual report, including service-fund financials, peer-state rate comparisons, records management, and customer satisfaction efforts. Members asked about how service-fund revenue and grant administrative charges are accounted for, how chargebacks work, and whether NDIT tracks customer satisfaction scores. NDIT said it does track CSAT-type measures in some service areas and has survey data, but it is not planning another customer survey this summer. Members encouraged more regular reporting of customer satisfaction, service-level metrics, and performance data to help guide future improvements. A major portion of the meeting focused on the state’s mainframe modernization effort. NDIT said the overall effort is still targeting about 2030, with multiple HHS and DOT projects underway and a $15 million tech-debt appropriation already removing some components. Staff described the main obstacles as data cleanup, complex integrations, limited staff capacity, retirements, and vendor constraints, and said they are seeking a vendor with modernization support in the next contract cycle. Members pressed for clearer accountability and faster progress, and NDIT and HHS emphasized that they are working jointly but need continued support and better tools. The committee then heard a cybersecurity update on NDIT’s statewide services and maturity assessments. NDIT explained that it provides vulnerability scanning, endpoint protection, security awareness training, threat briefings, and penetration testing, and that these services are tied to a cybersecurity maturity assessment based on CIS controls. Members questioned the sharp drop in participation since 2020 and whether the self-assessment should be mandatory or tied more strongly to StageNet access or insurance incentives. NDIT said participation is voluntary, but Enderf is now requiring annual assessments to keep a 4% insurance discount, and members discussed whether stronger requirements or audit authority may be needed. The meeting ended as the committee began a follow-up discussion on BEAD broadband connection costs and why some locations are much more expensive to connect than others.

Transcript Highlights:

• but not really in real money terms?
• but not really in real money terms. but not really in real money terms.
• <00:15:57.360> of sweet spot in terms of sweet spot in terms of attendance<00:16:00.320>
• Uh, 104, this is contract council.
• So we would ask you to hold on that one. correct term. So that would be page one correct term.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee of conference on HB 1 and HB 2 met to review revenue estimates and begin working through a side-by-side of the budget. New Hampshire Lottery Director Charlie McIntyre testified that lottery revenues are outperforming prior estimates, projecting a $27 million return to the state this year, up $7 million, and $200 million per year in the next biennium, up $6.5 million per year. He attributed the increase to stronger scratch ticket sales, no negative impact from Massachusetts sports betting, and overall better performance. Members questioned the assumptions behind the higher numbers, including the proposed $50 scratch tickets, the effect of inflation, and whether the projections were conservative enough. McIntyre said the $50 ticket could produce modest growth and that the estimates were intentionally cautious. The discussion also covered gaming revenue assumptions for historical horse racing and video lottery terminals, with McIntyre saying the state market is not yet saturated and that future conversions from HHR to VLTs should be net positive for the state. Members also discussed differences between House and Senate revenue numbers for gaming, including machine counts, daily revenue assumptions, and the tax split. The Senate version used higher machine counts and a 31.25% tax rate, with a quarter-point reserved for responsible gaming and the remainder split between charities and the state. The House had used a 30% rate with a different distribution. McIntyre and committee members also reviewed House Bill 2 items affecting Kino hours and local option games of chance, with McIntyre explaining that the bill would expand playing hours and shift towns to an opt-out model. No votes were taken during the lottery discussion, but the committee indicated it would continue refining the revenue model and circulate the spreadsheet used for the estimates. The committee then moved through the HB 1 detail change sheet, accepting several Senate positions and holding others for later. It agreed to a zero-cost realignment in the Department of Safety moving the international fuel tax agreement function from administration to motor vehicles, and it restored eight passenger motor vehicle inspection positions for later discussion in HB 2. The Department of Corrections reorganization was set aside for a later, more detailed discussion. The committee also accepted no-change positions for the Department of Employment Security and agreed to a technical footnote fix in the Judicial Council section. It discussed a new HB 2 item moving contract counsel for involuntary mental health admissions from the judicial branch to the Judicial Council, funded at $100,000 per year, and noted that the public defender funding issue would be revisited when the overall budget picture is clearer. The meeting ended with the committee continuing its review of the remaining pages of the detail change sheet.

Transcript Highlights:

• They have contracting perspective.
• But what I'm hearing is the CMEs are either not contracted, don't have a history of contracting.
• c> contracting.
• versus long-term short-term budgets versus long-term costs,<04:21:51.920> and<04:21:52.159>
• control in terms of care. control in terms of care. >> Thank<04:25:38.239> you.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all