Transcript Highlights:

• general general fund<02:41:27.600> 2.9<02:41:28.600> from<02:41:28.840> other<02
• actually make money for the general actually make money for the general fund<02:41:54.640> so
• <02:46:07.680> we for specific things and in general we for specific things and in general
• <02:51:59.920> the<02:52:00.080> licensing that manages the licensing that manages
• waste properly and so this small manage waste properly and so this small quantity<04:42:51.798> generator

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Environment and Agriculture Committee held an introductory orientation for members, many of whom were new or newly assigned to the committee. Leadership emphasized that the committee is intended to operate in a nonpartisan, collaborative way, and members introduced themselves and described their backgrounds in farming, gardening, food service, environmental work, water and waste issues, veterinary work, and related fields. Several members noted personal ties to homesteading, livestock, orcharding, food security, landfill concerns, and animal welfare, while others said they were eager to learn the committee’s work. The chair then reviewed committee procedures and expectations. Members were told the committee would generally meet on Tuesdays, with hearings starting around 10 a.m. and often running until about 4:30 p.m., and that absences, substitutes for executive sessions, and email communications would be handled through House rules and the committee’s email system. The chair also covered decorum rules for live-streamed meetings, including professional dress, limiting food and drink at the table, and giving full attention to witnesses. Members were reminded that legislative emails are subject to public records laws and that the committee may soon transition to a new email domain. The chair also explained logistics such as bill folders, committee room storage, and emergency procedures for evacuation or shelter-in-place. No bills were debated or voted on in this meeting, but the chair noted that the committee already had roughly two dozen bills pending, including animal welfare, landfill, policy, and cat-and-dog related measures. Members were told to expect a broad mix of topics beyond agriculture, including solid waste and animal-related legislation.

Transcript Highlights:

• Allison Cato, Deputy Attorney General, on behalf of the Department of the Attorney General.
• Allison Cato, Deputy Attorney General, on behalf of the Department of the Attorney General.
• Attorney General, please.
• managed retreat. managed retreat.
• on the commission of water management. on the commission of water management.

Bills: SB3253, SB2401, SB3169, SB17, SB3014, SB3032, SB1432, SB2002, SB2972, SB3247

Keywords: conservation, endangered species, wildlife preservation, native birds, biodiversity, sanctuary, nonprofit, DLNR, agricultural district, land use, chapter 195D, chapter 205, chapter 42F, state funding, public purpose, habitat restoration, predator-free sanctuary, ecosystem restoration, Zealandia, wildlife refuge

Summary: The Committee on Water and Land heard testimony on SB 5253 SD2 relating to conservation and SB 2401 relating to regional shoreline mitigation district, with the chair emphasizing short testimony limits and the need to finish before session. On SB 5253, DLNR said it stood on its written testimony and answered questions about the bill’s proposed nonprofit endangered species sanctuary. Members asked whether existing entities or agreements, such as land trusts, private landowners, and DLNR safe harbor agreements, could accomplish similar conservation goals without creating a new entity. DLNR said similar work already exists, but it was not aware of a comparable sanctuary model in the state. A member also questioned language suggesting for-profit businesses in the sanctuary, and DLNR said the intent appeared to be sales of outreach or similar materials, though it agreed that such activities could be handled by a nonprofit. The bulk of the hearing focused on SB 2401, which would create a regional shoreline adaptation/mitigation framework. The Department of the Attorney General said it had concerns about inconsistent use of the terms “mitigation” and “adaptation,” warning of possible title-subject issues. DLNR said it was neutral on the terminology and more concerned with the substance, and noted that the bill would not waive permits; any plan would still require environmental review and applicable state and county permits. DLNR also supported OHA’s recommendation to consider impacts on Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices during regional planning, and said the bill’s language on temporary shoreline protection measures could help address the gap between emergency permits and longer-term planning while avoiding a hardening-only approach. The Office of Planning supported the regional planning concept but noted it is not a regulatory agency and would need to work with DLNR and the Land Board. OHA supported the bill’s planning-based approach but recommended amendments to require assessment of impacts on Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices during plan development and to clarify that environmental review would still apply at the project level. Testifiers from the Ka‘anapali Steering Committee strongly supported the bill, saying it would provide a regional framework for ongoing erosion problems while preserving full regulatory authority and normal permitting, and they proposed amendments to standardize terminology, create a limited pathway for temporary shoreline protection, and address ownership and maintenance responsibilities. Members discussed the meaning of “mitigation” versus “adaptation,” the scope of shoreline hardening, and whether the bill would help the legislature take a broader, more holistic view of shoreline decisions. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• We manage 30 historical sites across the state.
• I'm blessed to be a sixth-generation Texan.
• General Revenue Dedicated, which equates to 84 percent of the agency's baseline request, with General
• Revenue Dedicated, 0195 Next Generation 9.
• Our records management analysts have trained thousands, upwards of 8,000 records management keepers throughout

Bills: SB1, SB 1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is not game management.
• Our adaptive management rules also allow that by game management unit as well.
• we do um and we our adaptive management we do um and we our adaptive management rules<00:09:33.519
• Allison K., Deputy Attorney General, on behalf of the Department of the Attorney General.
• so only from the coastal zone management so only from the special<01:22:11.920> Management<01

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Water and Land heard testimony on several measures, beginning with HB 347 relating to goats. The Department of Land and Natural Resources offered comments and said its Division of Forestry and Wildlife was available to answer questions. Testimony on the bill was largely opposed, with speakers arguing it would amount to a “free-for-all” rather than game management and urging deferral. DLNR responded that bag limits can be adjusted by area and game management unit under adaptive management rules, and that hunters typically take out their catch. No vote was taken in the portion provided. The committee then took up HB 1278, on which DLNR testified in support. The record in the excerpt does not include discussion of the bill’s substance beyond the department’s support, and no action or vote is shown. A substantial portion of the hearing focused on HB 144, relating to the Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority and proposed exemptions from Sunshine Law requirements during the transition period. The authority’s vice chair testified that the body is a startup agency with a complex transition from the University and needs to be able to discuss strategic planning, operational formation, and other day-to-day matters with more than two members present. Opponents, including the Public First Law Center, Hawaiʻi Environmental Alliance, and community members, argued the bill would cut the public out of the deliberative process, allow decisions to be hashed out in private, and set a poor transparency precedent. One testifier also raised cultural and environmental concerns about Mauna Kea. Committee members questioned whether existing law and narrower guardrails could address the authority’s concerns, and the authority said it had already proposed a narrower alternative but the bill returned in similar form. The excerpt ends before any final committee action on HB 144 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Protect and manage the waters of Hawaii for present and future generations.
• So, outside of designated water management areas, water rights are generally governed by the common law
• Water use within a designated water management area generally requires a water use permit.
• You are in a management area or you're not in a management area? >> Good question. Yes.
• I used to think that there’s an argument that if the county general plan and the... ...county general

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• AND CONTINUE TO PASS THE LAND ONTO THE NEXT GENERATION.
• AND BE ABLE TO DO THAT ONTO THE NEXT GENERATION.
• TO PASS DOWN THEIR PROPERTY TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF FLORIDIANS.
• ON LAND MANAGEMENT.
• SO HONEYBEES ARE NOT THE ONLY POLLINATORS THEY MANAGE BUMBLEBEES.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• MOST OF THE GENERATORS GO ON TRAFFIC SIGNALS.
• MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE RESPONSES BY FEMA IN THE FUTURE.
• SO WE HAVE GONE TO A STATE MANAGED APPROACH.
• IS CURRENTLY MANAGING 4.8 BILLION DOLLARS IN MITIGATION MONEY.
• ARE HOUSING PROGRAMS TOTAL 1.4 BILLION OF OUR FUNDS WE MANAGE.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• management practices, which we have done for many years.
• management practices, which we have done for many years.
• Most of those are generational farms.
• With best management practices, another way to say best management practices is AI, right?
• And so I think that farmers have clearly shown the ability to manage their employees and manage these

Summary: The committee received an overview from Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson on the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, including staffing, licensing, forestry, law enforcement, and consumer services. He emphasized agriculture as a major economic driver and a national security issue, arguing that Florida should protect farmland, aquifer recharge areas, and the wildlife corridor through the Rural and Family Lands program. He said the program is cost-effective because the state buys development rights rather than land outright, keeps land on local tax rolls, and helps preserve farmland in perpetuity. He also highlighted the Fresh From Florida marketing program, increased social media reach, and the department’s efforts to reduce vacancies and improve pay and efficiency. Members asked about nutrient management, citrus disease, housing, disaster recovery, wildfire prevention, interdiction stations, and concealed carry permitting. Simpson said SB 1000 and updated best management practice manuals, informed by University of Florida research, are helping agriculture use less water and fertilizer, and he described citrus greening as having devastated the industry while noting research, replanting programs, and CUPS as possible paths to recovery. On housing, he argued that allowing H-2A farmworker housing on farms would ease pressure on the broader housing market, and on disasters he described a zero-interest loan program for farmers affected by hurricanes and other events. He also detailed wildfire preparedness improvements, including upgraded helicopters, dozers, drones, and prescribed burns. The commissioner said ag interdiction stations are catching stolen semis, drugs, human trafficking, and other illegal activity, and that the department wants more technology, including X-ray scanning, to inspect more trucks. He also discussed concealed carry administration, saying the department cleared a large backlog and that constitutional carry reduced but did not eliminate permit demand because permits still provide reciprocity and other benefits. Members generally praised the department’s work, expressed support for rural land protection, Fresh From Florida, water-quality improvements, and foreign-interference concerns, and the meeting ended with no formal votes or other committee action beyond adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Before this year, they had to opt in to managed care, and now AHCA assigns them to managed care, and
• I remember a couple of decades ago when it was a big argument of managed care or no managed care, fee
• for service or managed care.
• The question is who should manage it and how should they manage it within what system.
• If the goal of managed care was to make disability services so difficult, If the goal of managed care

Summary: The Health and Human Services Committee received an overview of Florida’s intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) managed care pilot, created by legislation in 2023 to test whether a managed care model could integrate Medicaid medical services with iBudget waiver home- and community-based services for adults in pre-enrollment categories. AHCA explained the existing system, the pilot’s scope in Regions D and I, and the rollout timeline, including federal approval, contract execution with Florida Community Care, and the October 2024 go-live. Officials reported that, as of early February, 370 individuals had been sent for onboarding and 168 more were in queue, with about $35.8 million of the appropriation remaining. APD also clarified the difference between the pre-enrollment categories and the waiver waitlist, and noted that crisis cases can be enrolled more quickly depending on eligibility and funding. Florida Community Care described the pilot as a comprehensive managed care model offering medical, long-term care, and iBudget services, plus enhanced benefits such as bed-hold days, caregiver transportation, and help with legal guardianship costs. The plan said it uses one care coordinator, a 1:18 coordinator ratio, a face-to-face assessment within five days of enrollment, and 180 days of continuity of care for existing providers. The company emphasized that it is recruiting providers by offering higher rates than some iBudget rates, lower administrative burden, and network adequacy incentives, while APD said it continues to monitor provider supply and demand and recruit across service types and regions. Members repeatedly questioned whether the pilot’s costs, provider rates, and service levels were truly comparable to the iBudget system, and AHCA and APD said it was too early to draw firm conclusions because claims data are still lagging. Committee members also raised concerns about communication, enrollment delays, provider shortages, and whether the pilot could scale statewide. APD said it has used letters, phone calls, texts, emails, and community meetings to reach eligible individuals, and that some delays stem from required assessments, Medicaid eligibility checks, and level-of-care determinations. Several members asked for more detailed comparisons of costs and provider reimbursement between the pilot and iBudget, and APD said it would provide additional data. Public testimony at the end was strongly critical of managed care, with a participant and his mother describing poor service, transportation failures, and loss of control under prior managed care arrangements, and urging the committee not to expand such a model without safeguards. No votes or formal committee action were taken before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• There are five water management districts around the state.
• Johns Water Management District.
• Cross, if anyone in here knows about water, water management, it's you.
• We all say our seniors are important, the most important generation.
• I'm excited to pass the torch to my next generation of lawmakers.

Summary: The House met in special session, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the journal, and adopted the special order report setting the day’s calendar. The chamber then took up CS/House Joint Resolution 1F, the Governor’s property tax proposal, which would raise the homestead exemption for non-school taxes, lower the annual assessment cap on non-homestead property from 10% to 5%, and restrict county and municipal ad valorem revenue to public safety and certain other uses. Sponsor Rep. Overdorf said the measure would return money to homeowners and give local governments flexibility, while opponents repeatedly argued the ballot language was misleading and that the proposal could create large local revenue shortfalls, shift costs to other taxpayers, and threaten local services and debt obligations. Members debated a series of amendments aimed at protecting specific programs from the bill’s effects. Rep. Bartleman’s amendment to exempt Children’s Services Councils and Children’s Trusts was defeated 25-74 after supporters said those entities fund child care, mental health, aftercare, and family support, while opponents said local governments could still choose to fund them. Rep. Cross’s amendment to include water management districts in allowable uses of ad valorem taxes was also defeated, despite testimony that the districts are essential for flood control, water supply, Everglades restoration, and drought response. Rep. Eskamani’s amendment to require the Legislature to backfill public safety funding failed 25-71 after debate over whether the proposal could reduce police and fire budgets and response times. The House then rejected Rep. Woodson’s amendment to require state backfill for senior services, with supporters citing Meals on Wheels, transportation, adult day care, and other aging services, and opponents saying the state already funds senior programs. Finally, Rep. Gant’s amendment to protect veteran services was introduced and debated, with members emphasizing housing, mental health, transition assistance, and homelessness concerns for veterans; the transcript cuts off before the vote on that amendment. Throughout the debate, sponsors and supporters of the main resolution maintained that local governments would retain spending discretion and could use other revenue sources, while critics argued the measure lacked clear backfill provisions and could force cuts or tax shifts at the local level.

Transcript Highlights:

• Generating value is what we're here to do for our residents.
• So I just want to bring back when General Eiffert was in your shoes.
• He thanked General Haas for his leadership.
• This is our Department of Emergency Management enterprise system, how we manage all of our grants.
• This is our Department of Emergency Management enterprise system, how we manage all of our grants.

Bills: S0048

Keywords: housing, accessory dwelling units, affordable housing, local government, zoning regulations, military families, density bonus, homeownership, property taxes

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development heard presentations on the Governor’s recommended budget for fiscal year 2026-27 and then considered one bill, CS/SB 48 on accessory dwelling units (ADUs). The Governor’s office outlined a $117.4 billion overall budget, with transportation and economic development receiving about $18 billion statewide and $601 million in general revenue. Agency heads then presented priorities for Commerce, Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Military Affairs, State, Transportation, Emergency Management, and the Florida State Guard, emphasizing workforce development, housing, tourism marketing, aviation and space infrastructure, law enforcement recruitment, emergency preparedness, and military readiness. In the Commerce presentation, Secretary Kelly highlighted funding for housing programs, the Hometown Heroes program, the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund, rural infrastructure and workforce grants, Reconnect and Florida WINS systems, law enforcement and firefighter recruitment bonuses, defense support, Visit Florida, Space Florida, and SelectFlorida. Senators asked about Visit Florida’s private match requirements and whether the agency fully leveraged prior appropriations; Visit Florida’s CEO said the match was met and exceeded, though it is difficult but important. The Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles presentation focused on trooper pay, pursuit vehicles, aviation assets, and enterprise data systems, with questions about immigration enforcement and body cameras. Military Affairs requested funding for readiness centers, training facilities, education and health benefits for Guardsmen, and maintenance of existing armories; members discussed Guard deployments, staffing levels, and a proposed firing range project. The Department of State requested funds for automated election audits, a conservation lab, and historic preservation, and defended its arts grant process and rule changes. Transportation’s budget emphasized a $14.3 billion work program, road and bridge maintenance, aviation and aerospace, safety initiatives, and seaport investments, while Emergency Management requested funding for preparedness, flood mitigation, WebEOC, grants management, and alert systems; senators also asked about the Alligator Alcatraz detention facility. For CS/SB 48, Senator Gates explained that the bill would require local governments to allow property owners to voluntarily create ADUs, while preserving local authority over setbacks, construction, and permitting. An amendment removed reusable tenant screening reports and clarified that conforming ADUs would be allowed by right without a separate hearing. The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association supported the bill, saying ADUs could help provide long-term housing for service workers. After questions about local government and HOA authority, the committee adopted the amendment and then reported CS/SB 48 favorably by roll call vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• General, whilst you're recognized, you may begin.
• At public universities in general, it's 33.3%.
• Anywhere from 50% to 55% each year are first-generation students, so they're first-generation Texans,
• So we're asking for some assistance in managing those expenses. managing that, as well as the restoration
• None of our academic buildings have generators; we have...

Bills: SB1, SB 1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, if we will start with March, you'll see item one is a generic line.
• You'll see item one is a generic launch, and we're just removing the brand, the ingredient generic as
• lowest-cost alternatives, moving to generics where generics are appropriate.
• They help us manage the relationship with our pharmacy benefit manager.
• Okay, this is the Sedgwick claims management service.

Keywords: 1204, all

Summary: The State Insurance Programs Oversight Subcommittee met on June 17 and reviewed a series of Employee Benefits Division and Office of Property Risk items. Grant Wallace presented March and April formulary changes, including moving to lower-cost generic and preferred drugs, leaving several new-to-market drugs not covered, and adjusting migraine and diabetes medications; the committee approved those recommendations. The subcommittee also approved a cell and gene therapy policy that excludes automatic coverage for those therapies so they can undergo prior authorization and review, with members emphasizing that the policy was intended to create review, not an absolute denial, and that expedited appeals would remain available. Members spent significant time discussing the UAMS pharmacy benefit consultant amendment. Wallace explained that the contract included both basic services and optional services related to coupon and rebate management and prior authorization support, but the written materials created confusion over the dollar amount. After questions about whether the committee was approving a higher amount than the base contract and whether the optional services duplicated work already being done by Navitus, the committee agreed to review the item with a contingency that any use of the optional services would return to the committee for approval. The committee also reviewed and approved the U.S. Able Mutual/Blue Advantage third-party administrator contract, the CompSack employee assistance program contract, and the proposed 2027 employee and public employee rates, which call for a 9.8% increase for state employees and a 4.9% increase for public school employees. On the property risk side, the committee reviewed permanent rules for the property insurance program, a contingency-fee subrogation contract with Denenberg-Tuffley, and renewals for Sedgwick claims management, Actuarial Advantage, and Stevens Capital Management. Wallace said Sedgwick had faced delays after a major winter storm and other weather events, but performance guarantees and communication expectations were being added; members discussed whether a shorter renewal term would be preferable, but the item was reviewed. The committee also approved the 2026-27 captive insurance program rates, which Wallace said would lower the overall rate by 10% while keeping minimum deductibles unchanged. He noted the program had stabilized after a difficult first year and that the rate structure was now based on a more transparent actuarial foundation. The meeting ended with an update that the UnitedHealthcare rebid was nearing completion and would return in August, and the committee adjourned after approving the remaining items.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our management team now includes a senior level role called assistant general manager of customer care
• Underwood, the general manager of the Birmingham Waterworks Board. Welcome, Mr. Underwood.
• I'm the general manager of Birmingham Waterworks. I just want Birmingham Waterworks.
• And I just want everyone to understand that it was aimed at our general managers at the time.
• We meet with management, the new management team, and the way they're managing the employees.

Bills: SB330

Keywords: water management, regional boards, municipal governance, ethics compliance, public utility, 923, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, question number three was regarding DFA in general.
• Forest Service in that we have to manage lands for use and enjoyment for present and future generations
• We also manage the mineral estate.
• by the BLM in general.
• We have a very complicated land use management in New Mexico, the checkerboarding, the service management

Transcript Highlights:

• For general purposes.
• revenue, and all state funds, which is general revenue, general revenue dedicated, and other funds,
• So in the all-state funds category, that's your general revenue, general revenue dedicated, and other
• In the all-state funds category, that's your general revenue, general revenue dedicated, and other funds
• million in two general revenue dedicated accounts.

Bills: SB 1

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

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee held its first hearing of the 89th regular session, adopted nearly identical committee rules from the previous legislature by a 15-0 vote, and began review of Senate Bill 1, the state budget for fiscal years 2026-27. Chair Huffman outlined the budget framework, emphasizing conservative spending, a $332.9 billion all-funds budget, and major priorities including property tax relief, public education, border security, health and human services, transportation, energy, and water infrastructure. She also introduced committee and leadership staff and described the hearing schedule and public testimony procedures. Comptroller Glenn Hager presented the biennial revenue estimate, saying the state has $194.6 billion available for general-purpose spending, including a $23.8 billion ending balance, but warned that revenue growth is returning to more normal levels and that lawmakers should avoid using temporary spikes for ongoing commitments. Senators questioned him extensively about the Economic Stabilization Fund cap, sales tax trends, inflation, and whether the state should consider raising the cap or using severance-tax revenues differently. Hager said the Rainy Day Fund is expected to hit its cap, which would leave more severance-tax revenue in general revenue, and he stressed that infrastructure needs remain significant. The Legislative Budget Board then gave a detailed overview of SB 1 and the budget’s major components. LBB staff explained that the bill includes continued funding for the Foundation School Program, $850 million for the Texas State Technical College endowment, $1.3 billion for the Texas University Fund, $6.5 billion for border security, salary increases for correctional officers and state troopers, $3 billion for dementia research, higher community attendant wages, expanded community-based care, $5 billion for the Texas Energy Fund, and funding to clear volunteer fire department grant backlogs. They also outlined supplemental priorities such as water infrastructure, retirement legacy payments, rail grade separations, wildfire aircraft, and emergency facilities, and said the current controlling budget limit is the tax spending limit. A major portion of the hearing focused on property tax relief. LBB explained that prior-session relief grew from an expected $18 billion to $22.7 billion because of higher-than-anticipated property values and interactions among hold-harmless provisions, and that SB 1 continues and expands relief with $51 billion in total property tax relief, including $3 billion more for compression, $3 billion to raise the homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000, and a $500 million placeholder for business tax relief. Senators discussed the automatic nature of some of these costs, the effect of the non-homestead circuit breaker, the role of federal COVID funds, and the need to maintain school finance commitments if the state continues to compress school tax rates.

Transcript Highlights:

• Primary care case management, where you are paying a monthly fee, generally to a doctor to do that primary
• care case management, we tend to pay those are pretty modest fees in general.
• instead of general funds. instead of general funds.
• 32.120> care, managing children in managed care, managing children in managed care, you're<01:
• types of managed care. types of managed care.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board met on September 24, 2025, approved the minutes from the September 9 meeting, and then continued its discussion of Medicaid waivers with Leslie Hoffman and Carmen Hancock from the Department for Medicaid Services. Members asked for updates on the 2024 waiver waitlist management assessment recommendations, including aligning waiver policies, standardizing applications and waitlist placement, and modernizing data systems. DMS said that work is being done jointly with Aging and Independent Living and Behavioral Health/Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities through task forces, that ARPA spending delayed action, and that implementation timelines extend through March 2027. The board also reviewed per-member waiver cost averages for fiscal years 2023 through 2025 for ABI, ABI long-term care, HCBS, Model II, Michelle P, and SCL. DMS emphasized these figures were benefit-only averages based on paid claims, not full waiver costs, and explained that true budget neutrality is calculated on an aggregate basis against institutional care comparisons approved by CMS. DMS said all six waivers remain in compliance with budget neutrality and that the most recent 18-month lag review for FY 2022 and FY 2023 found costs at or below institutional care. Members also asked about unused waiver slots; DMS said slots generally cannot be reallocated mid-year if they have been used, except in cases such as death or reserved capacity, because CMS treats participants as unduplicated for the waiver year. A major portion of the meeting focused on the new child waiver created under House Bill 6. Legislators questioned whether the waiver’s design, including the exclusion of participant-directed services and the emphasis on high-acuity children with behavioral health, DCBS, or juvenile justice involvement, matched the bill’s intent to keep children at home. DMS said it used the $14.7 million appropriated for FY 2026 to develop the program, that there is no priority list, and that the waiver is intended to serve the highest-acuity children while also addressing residential needs for those sleeping in offices or placed out of state. Members also raised concerns about the rapid growth of the HCBS waiting list and asked for more detail on age and timing patterns, which DMS said it would provide later. Finally, DMS gave average processing times from application to eligibility determination and from approval to service start, and said the overall average from application to services beginning was about 80 days, while members requested follow-up information on the Carewise assessment contract and related costs.

Transcript Highlights:

• million of our need for general funds. million of our need for general funds.
• Odapani, uh, who's our fiscal manager. Odapani, uh, who's our fiscal manager.
• <00:59:31.839> She's manager. We do have Trisha Tana. She's manager.
• >> generally generally yes, this would >> generally generally yes, this would allow<04:26
• manage commercial fishing licenses. manage commercial fishing licenses.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We've got the state general committee.
• aids that that we have from the general aids that that we have from the general fund.<00:09:56.399
• the state general fund. the state general fund.
• <00:20:33.120> I manage our money in a modern way. I manage our money in a modern way.
• <00:34:26.879> and leases, uh the forestry management and leases, uh the forestry management

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House File 3900 proposed a Minnesota constitutional amendment to increase the share of permanent school trust fund earnings distributed to school districts, with the stated goal of providing more per-pupil funding without raising income or property taxes. Representative Igo, the bill’s author, described the history of the school trust lands and said the change would raise the payout from about 2.5% to 4.5%, producing additional unrestricted money for schools at no cost to taxpayers. He also read the proposed ballot question into the record, which would ask voters whether to amend the constitution to increase funding from the permanent school fund effective July 1, 2027. The House adopted amendment A7, offered by Representative Long, which he said was a technical change to align the bill with Senate language and provide administrative funding for the State Board of Investment. Representative Igo agreed it was a good technical fix. After the amendment was adopted, the bill was given third reading and debated on the floor. Several members spoke in support, including Representatives O’Driscoll, Scraba, Mueller, Bennett, Jordan, and Bakeberg. Supporters emphasized that the proposal would send more money to schools on a per-pupil basis, provide flexible local funding, and help districts facing budget pressures, staffing cuts, and other mandates. Some speakers also highlighted the historical purpose of school trust lands, the role of the State Board of Investment, and the need for better stewardship and government-to-government relationships with tribal nations where trust lands are located. The transcript ends during floor debate and does not include a final vote on passage.

Transcript Highlights:

• , PBMs, pharmaceutical benefit managers.
• Patients generally need these medicines in seeking to prescribe them.
• Just three PBMs now manage 80% of the prescription drug market.
• Just three PBMs now manage 80% of the prescription drug market.
• I'm a policy manager at Healthcare for All.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held a lengthy hearing on a large docket of pharmacy and drug-pricing bills, with most testimony focused on PBM reform, 340B drug discount program protections, specialty medication access, and medication adherence. Chair James Murphy and Senator Paul Feeney opened the hearing and took testimony from legislators, patient advocates, pharmacists, health center leaders, industry representatives, and policy groups. Several speakers described delays, denials, high out-of-pocket costs, and pharmacy closures tied to PBM practices, while others emphasized the importance of community health centers and independent pharmacies in serving patients. On the 340B program, supporters including Senator Eldridge, Senator Payano, Community Care Cooperative, Fenway Health, the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, and several community health center leaders argued that bills such as H. 1107 and S. 819 would stop discriminatory PBM and manufacturer practices, preserve contract pharmacy access, and protect safety-net providers that say they reinvest savings into care, pharmacy expansion, interpreter services, behavioral health, and other services. Opponents including PhRMA, the Community Liver Alliance, and a public policy analyst argued the program lacks transparency and accountability, has grown beyond its original purpose, and may benefit large hospitals and for-profit entities more than low-income patients. They urged more reporting and oversight rather than expanding protections. On PBM reform, testimony supported bills including H. 1157, H. 1234, S. 724, S. 831, and related measures that would require rebate pass-through, ban spread pricing, limit steering to PBM-owned pharmacies, and improve reimbursement for community pharmacies. Independent pharmacists and patients said current PBM practices raise costs, create administrative burdens, and threaten access to local pharmacies. PCMA, representing PBMs, opposed the reforms, arguing PBMs lower costs, that plan sponsors choose to contract with them, and that the Health Policy Commission and CHIA should complete their ongoing study before new mandates are adopted. The committee also heard support for H. 1322 and S. 734 on specialty medications, and for H. 781 and H. 1305 on medication synchronization to improve adherence. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.