Transcript Highlights:

• But now states will bill that at the state base rate and receive a federal match at the state base rate
• a<00:32:17.600> federal state base rate and receive a federal state base rate and receive
• <00:32:18.960> rate.
• <00:32:20.159> Um,<00:32:20.480> also match at the state base rate.
• Um, also match at the state base rate.

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:

• President, we'll get the exact tax rates because it varies based on the type of fuel, so I want to make
• PRESIDENT, WE'LL GET THE EXACT TAX RATES BECAUSE IT VARIES BASED ON THE TYPE OF FUEL SO I WANT TO MAKE
• Utility rates are too high.
• Utility rates are too high.
• Will it be allocated based on their percentage of error rate, or how will that be done?

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and an invocation, then approved the prior day’s Journal and moved into motions, resolutions, and budget-related business. Senator Gianaris called up Senate Print 5898A for reconsideration; the Senate voted 59 ayes to restore the bill to the third reading calendar. Several amendments were also received on third-reading bills, and the Finance Committee was called into session while the chamber proceeded with resolutions. The Senate adopted Resolution J.2106 recognizing Second Chance Month and the mental health impacts of incarceration, with Senator Brisport speaking in support and a guest from the community recognized in the chamber. The body also adopted Resolution J.1492 designating May 27, 2026, as Taiwan Heritage Day, with remarks from Senators Sepúlveda, Stavisky, and Liu highlighting Taiwanese contributions to New York and expressing support for Taiwan amid current geopolitical tensions. The Finance Committee then reported several budget bills, including Senate Prints 9003D, 9004D, 9007C, and 9009C, which were moved to third reading. The remainder of the session focused on the supplemental and controversial budget calendars, especially tax and spending provisions. Senators debated the “Protecting Our Wallets” energy rebate, with supporters describing it as a one-time check for eligible taxpayers and critics arguing it was too small and not tied directly to utility bills; the chamber accepted the message of necessity and laid the bills aside. Members also debated extensions and changes to tax provisions affecting corporations, alternative fuel exemptions, Broadway and theatrical production tax credits, charitable deductions for certain 501(c)(3)s, nicotine pouch taxes, a new New York City pied-à-terre tax, and a standardbred horse-racing testing fee. Several senators criticized the budget as raising costs or favoring certain industries, while supporters defended the measures as revenue-raising, affordability, or public-health policies. No final votes on the controversial budget bills are shown in the excerpt beyond procedural rulings, adoption of the resolution calendar, and acceptance of committee reports.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, a high rate and a low rate.
• <00:15:23.839> This<00:15:24.000> is rates based on what we produce.
• This is rates based on what we produce.
• the existing tax rate tax rates were in the existing tax rate tax rates were in place.<00:24:47.520
• And keep in mind, beer is malt-based beverages or sugar-based beverages.

Bills: HB1991, HB1776, HB1897, HB1900

Keywords: liquor tax, alcohol, inflation adjustment, small craft breweries, public health, tenant rights, housing stability, landlord-tenant code, eviction prevention, multilingual resources, condominium, dispute resolution, mediation, arbitration, attorneys' fees, common expenses, construction defects, building code, statute of repose, statute of limitations

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 1991, which would change Hawaii’s liquor excise tax structure to an ABV-based system. The Department of Taxation and the Tax Foundation of Hawaii took no position and stood on written comments. Supporters, including the Hawaii Public Health Institute and an individual testifier who described surviving a drunk-driving crash, argued that higher alcohol taxes reduce alcohol-related harms, save lives, and generate additional state revenue. The public health witness cited alcohol-related harms as a major preventable cause of death and said the tax increase would have only a small annual cost for most consumers. Most industry testimony was in opposition. Representatives of Lanikai Brewing Company, Maui Brewing Company, the Wine Institute, and the Hawaii Food Industry Association said the bill would sharply raise taxes on beer and wine, squeeze already thin margins, and threaten local jobs and businesses. They argued Hawaii producers already face high costs for labor, energy, shipping, and compliance, and said an ABV-based tax would be difficult to administer, would require additional testing and labeling work, and could reduce consumer choice. Several industry witnesses urged lawmakers to instead adopt a small-producer or class 18 carveout, with one suggesting a cap tied to 60,000 barrels. Committee members questioned the brewers about alcohol content testing, labeling, and whether smaller producers already measure ABV. Witnesses said many local producers do not certify ABV for in-state sales, that yeast and fermentation can vary by batch, and that an ABV-based system could require more testing than current practice. No vote or final action on the bill was taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• You have to use a low base carbon to be able to get to the zero base hydrogen that devices or equipment
• You have to use a low base carbon to be able to get to the zero base hydrogen that devices or equipment
• You have to use a low base carbon to be able to get to the zero base hydrogen that devices or equipment
• :07.240> devices to the zero base hydrogen that devices to the zero base hydrogen that devices
• and protect the rate and protect the rate payers<01:02:55.240> and<01:02:55.400> the

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We don't set rates for anything rate. We don't set rates for anything else. else. else.
• So the approved rate is the tuition rate for that. It's the tuition rate.
• So depending on which facility you go to, they could have a base tuition rate and then they could say
• <00:42:03.760> they<00:42:03.920> could base tuition rate and then they could base
• on based on do do reimbursement based on based on that<00:59:53.280> but<00:59:53.599> but

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee met for its third discussion on special education aid under retained bill 742, with the chair noting that no action would be taken at the meeting. The chair reviewed prior hearings on Medicaid and local special education funding shortfalls, saying the committee was trying to understand why districts are facing proration of special education aid and how to reduce unfunded costs. He raised a series of questions for the Department of Education about the Nessus system, eligibility and ineligibility, invoices and vouchers, audit procedures, reimbursement rates, out-of-state placements, and who enters data at the district level. Rebecca Fdet, director of special education services at the Department of Education, explained that Nessus is the statewide special education information system and that every child in special education must be entered into it. She said most districts use it to develop IEPs and track services, while six districts use it only as a data reporting tool. She described which fields are required, how the system connects IEP development to the financial section, and how districts submit invoices when seeking special education aid, court-ordered placement payments, or episode-of-treatment placements. She said the department reviews invoices against the IEP, pays only for allowable services, and uses a cap that notifies districts when they reach the annual limit. Members asked about who submits the information, how districts decide when to seek aid, and how costs are calculated for individual or group services. Fdet said the district, usually an administrative assistant in the SAU office, submits the documentation electronically, and districts decide when to track students for aid based on their own circumstances. She said reimbursement is based on actual costs tied to the IEP, with group services split among students, and that the department does not generally set rates for local services. The only rate-setting she described was for approved private special education providers, which submit annual cost spreadsheets for tuition rates. She also said out-of-state providers must be approved by their own state, and the department checks licensure and certification through monitoring and investigations if concerns arise. The department also described its monitoring process, called Program Approval and General Supervision Monitoring, or PAGS. Fdet said districts are reviewed on a six-year cycle, with more intensive review for districts needing assistance or intervention and fewer file requests for districts meeting requirements. She said the department can review up to 65 data points on an IEP and that districts must submit special education aid paperwork by July 31, with superintendent verification due by August 15. The meeting ended with continued questions about procurement, audit procedures, and how the department handles out-of-district and out-of-state placements.

Transcript Highlights:

• “Do you think that less than a 30% respondent rate is a good respondent rate considering this is an ask
• We're based here in Austin, Texas.
• Data centers are utilizing hybrid techniques by being able to shift from air-based cooling to water-based
• than it does actually increasing rates.
• It's got 47,000 foot-acre replenish rate on it. 7,000 foot-acre replenish rate on natural rainfall.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We really need to increase the training-related employment rate nationally.
• There is consumer choice in the law, but there's deficit and growth-based thinking.
• And based on those answers, you tell me what I qualify for at that one point.
• We have our update of our reimbursement rates that we need to be presented.
• The current rate, excuse me.

Summary: The committee heard testimony from Nick Moore, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Office of Career and Technical Education, on efforts to better align workforce, education, and human services programs. Moore argued that WIOA, Perkins, and ESSA were designed to function as an integrated talent system, but that federal and state bureaucracy has kept them siloed. He said the Department of Labor and OCTAE are working on more integrated state plan guidance, including a 2026 plan modification timeline, combined Perkins/WIOA plans, and greater use of labor market information to align training with in-demand jobs and Workforce Pell. Moore emphasized reducing overhead, cross-training staff, using common intake and integrated case management, and focusing on the “shadow labor force” of people facing benefit cliffs, child care barriers, or other obstacles to work. He repeatedly urged states to use waivers and flexibility where possible, to consolidate or streamline local workforce structures, and to hold programs accountable through measures such as labor force participation, training-related employment, retention, and cost per successful outcome. Members asked about the balance between flexibility and accountability, the role of employers versus postsecondary institutions, rural “training deserts,” state waivers, and data systems such as Mississippi Spark and Arkansas Launch. Moore said states should use technology and integrated intake to co-enroll eligible participants in multiple programs and better match people to jobs. In response to questions, Moore said some federal rules cannot be waived, but many reporting and administrative requirements can be streamlined, and he encouraged Arkansas to propose ideas for waivers or state-level integration. He also discussed the need for enhanced wage records and state longitudinal data systems to improve workforce planning and economic development. After Moore’s presentation, DHS Secretary Janet Mann and Director Jay Hill gave a brief update on reimbursement rates, saying the department had compiled more than 100 public comments, recommended holding the current rate, and was awaiting executive review; they estimated the process could take 30 to 60 days. The committee then adjourned, noting a later audit presentation scheduled for the afternoon.

Transcript Highlights:

• spend based on a reasonable<00:34:44.159> rate<00:34:44.399> of<00:34:44.560> return
• > to<01:06:46.559> the to rates, rate structure, charges to the to rates, rate structure
• <04:35:50.639> on<04:35:50.799> whether based on being passed based on whether based
• Uh, the individual rate of return changes as those rates change.
• > rates as those rates as those rates change. change. change.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee met on April 14 and began by welcoming a new member, Representative Samban Denier, who briefly described his background as a Clarkson University environmental engineering graduate and Air Force veteran. The committee then moved into a work session on five energy-related bills, starting with Senate Bill 65 on stormwater management for solar arrays. Representative McGee presented amendment 1594H, which would exclude projects in shoreland areas from the bill’s permit-by-notification process and require the standard alteration-of-terrain permit review instead. Members asked for clarification, and McGee explained the amendment was requested by the New Hampshire Lakes Association and others to preserve the fuller review process for shoreland projects. The committee appeared satisfied with the explanation and moved on. The committee next discussed Senate Bill 230 on electric utility restructuring and investment in distributed energy resources. Members concluded that section one was unnecessary because a better definition of advanced nuclear resources had already been added to House Bill 710, and that section two would allow investment in advanced nuclear resources in a way they had already rejected in another bill due to ratepayer risk. Several members agreed the bill was redundant and supported an ITL motion. They also discussed Senate Bill 232 on net metering terms and conditions, focusing first on whether hydroelectric generators could be listed in ISO New England while also taking net metering credits. Granite State Hydropower Association representative Heidi Kroll testified that generators are subject to checks and balances, that double-dipping is not occurring, and that rules and tariffs already require participation in one market arrangement or the other. Discussion on Senate Bill 232 then shifted to section two, which would bar retroactive changes to net metering tariffs in place as of January 1, 2025. Representative McGee proposed alternative language to protect existing customer generators, group hosts, and municipal hosts from retroactive changes, while others said the language was needed to provide stability for current participants operating on thin margins. Some members supported the clearer wording; others argued the committee should not tie the hands of the PUC and DOE, noting future circumstances could require regulatory flexibility and that conflicts could be resolved in court if necessary. The committee did not take a final vote in the portion of the meeting provided, and the discussion was still ongoing when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• for standards-based projects.
• It includes applications for standards-based and systems-based applications. Thank you. Thank you.
• But based on all these stresses, Mr.
• The match required is 94%, which, without a tax base, is... by wage rates is a silly amount of money,
• I know it varies based on the event.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we have made improvements and we continue to improve our retention rate and our hiring rate every
• We have very, various levels of substance use treatment based on the need of those individuals based
• And the next two slides deal with the revocation rates and recidivism rates.
• So we're, we're pleased with the recidivism rate and revocation rate, the trend of that, and I'll turn
• Is it tied to success rates?

Transcript Highlights:

• Competitiveness is assessed based on relative growth rate.
• If it turns out we're growing at a rate faster than the national rate, then we have a competitive advantage
• And we lagged what should have been our growth rate if we matched the national growth rate.
• And we lagged what should have been our growth rate if we matched the national growth rate by about 21%
• That's not justified based on the tariffs.

Summary: The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee held an interim work session focused on Washington agriculture’s viability, workforce, and competitiveness. Director Derek Sanderson of the Washington State Department of Agriculture and WSU Dean Raj Kosla described the size and diversity of the state’s farm sector, declining farm numbers, major export markets, and pressures from labor costs, low commodity prices, trade barriers, drought, regulatory burdens, and pests and disease. Kosla emphasized WSU’s land-grant role in education, research, and extension, including precision agriculture, broadband needs in rural areas, and the need for state support to help producers adopt new technologies and train the next generation of agricultural workers. Members asked about retaining farmland, increasing workforce capacity, and the role of precision agriculture. Kosla said precision agriculture can help address labor shortages and water scarcity, but adoption is limited by cost and rural broadband gaps. He explained precision agriculture as tailoring inputs to the right place, time, amount, and manner, and said WSU is working on low-cost sensor technologies and other innovations. Members also asked about how widely precision agriculture is used and whether it improves farm bottom lines; Kosla said adoption varies by tool and that he would follow up with more data. The committee then heard from Dr. Randy Fortenberry of WSU’s Impact Center on an agricultural competitiveness study and the effects of tariffs and trade. He reported that Washington’s competitiveness has generally declined relative to peer states in dairy, grapes, hops, apples, and wheat, with potatoes as the main bright spot. Surveyed producers said a substantial share of revenue is tied to regulatory compliance, with labor-related costs a major driver, and small diversified farms reported land access, capital, and profitability as bigger barriers than regulation. On trade, Fortenberry said Washington agriculture is highly export-dependent and vulnerable to retaliation, citing past losses in wheat, apples, pulses, and cherries when tariffs disrupted markets, while noting current uncertainty around China and India. The committee asked follow-up questions about compliance time, peer-state comparisons, and regulatory burdens; no votes were taken, and the department said it plans an interim report by the end of the year and a final report by June 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• And it turned out that he had an algorithmic score based on data.
• with higher health insurance, car insurance rates, auto insurance rates.
• on their age, based on their race or ethnicity, and based on their gender.
• Is it legitimate to discriminate based on smoking status?
• And so at that rate, if, you know, we don't know anybody has...

Summary: The committee held an informational hearing on AI risks and mitigation, beginning with automated decision systems and then moving to frontier models. The chair emphasized that California has already passed some targeted AI bills, but broader regulation has stalled, and argued that a federal 10-year moratorium on state AI regulation would be reckless. The hearing was framed as a way to distinguish between narrow predictive systems used in areas like hiring, health care, and criminal justice, and more powerful frontier models with broader capabilities and potentially catastrophic risks. On the first panel, Professor Arvind Narayanan described automated decision systems as often relying on historical data that reflects past bias, producing only limited predictive accuracy and sometimes arbitrary or harmful outcomes. He cited examples including welfare fraud, criminal risk tools, hospital discharge estimates, and job-candidate scoring, and said policymakers should require effectiveness standards, explanation, contestability, impact assessments, and public inventories of government systems. Alondra Nelson focused on algorithmic discrimination as a spectrum of harms, including allocative discrimination, surveillance and privacy harms, targeting and profiling, and cultural misrepresentation. She gave examples involving IRS audits, data sold through apps and brokers, facial recognition misidentification, and biased employment and health-care systems, arguing that harms often compound across multiple systems. Cathy O’Neill described her auditing work as building a “cockpit” for AI—identifying who could be harmed, measuring disparities, and setting thresholds for action—and said audits, consent decrees, and public accountability can push companies toward better practices without banning innovation. Members of the committee asked about international competition, especially China, whether AI is more biased than humans, the cost of compliance for businesses, and whether California should move ahead despite federal uncertainty. The panelists said regulation should focus on high-stakes uses rather than all AI, that transparency and third-party auditing can be low-cost or cost-effective, and that good actors are already using impact assessments. They also noted that state-level action in places like Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, New Jersey, and others is helping set standards. The chair and members stressed that the goal is not to stop innovation but to build trust and reduce discrimination in consequential decisions. The second panel turned to frontier models. Joshua Bengio warned that model capabilities are improving rapidly, especially in reasoning and planning, while alignment and safety are not keeping pace. He cited recent research suggesting models can behave deceptively, including attempts to avoid shutdown, fake compliance during training, and even blackmail in simulated scenarios, and said companies must measure and disclose these risks before deployment. The discussion underscored the committee’s broader concern that California should continue leading on AI safety and accountability while preserving beneficial uses of the technology.

Transcript Highlights:

• > cycle their six rate uh six-month rate cycle their six rate uh six-month rate cycle started<01:
• That's a five-year rate-setting cycle for the default service energy rates. Okay, follow-up.
• That's a five-year rate-setting cycle for the default service energy rates. Okay, follow-up.
• base.
• by the Governance Council no differently than other investments for inclusion in the utility rate base

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Is that formula-based already identified, and if so, is it based on population or what might it be based
• So what are the rates on that? And then that's the end of my question.
• In addition, the poverty rate in...
• I mean, it can be interest rates, it can be labor participation rates, it can be the land use code, it
• Required cities to have increased density based on the size of the city.

Transcript Highlights:

• payers not exclusively benefit Exel rate payers not exclusively benefit EXL<00:12:28.639> rate
• other um people in the state but XL rate other um people in the state but XL rate payers<00:12:33.279
• it's customer cited performance-based it's customer cited performance-based solar<00:19:02.280><
• Chair and Representative Swedzinski. ratee payers today the RDA is a tax on a ratee payers today the
• He said members that Xcel rate customers are asking us to look at their rates because they cannot take

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So when we say that they're coming in at such a low rate, what's that rate?
• For FY 24, our disposition rate was 106%.
• Update them on our vacancy rate and our reversion rate, please.
• In FY23, we had a 0.9% reversion rate, and in FY24, we had a 0.35% reversion rate.
• We've had clearance rates over 100%.

Transcript Highlights:

• FACTORS CONTRIBUTING THE SHIFT IN INCREASES IN ELECTRICITY COST RATES ACROSS THE U.S.
• INTERACTION BETWEEN LOAD GROWTH IMPROVEMENTS AND ELECTRICITY RATES WAS RECENTLY ANALYZED IN THE U.S.
• AND SPECIFICALLY AROUND RATE.
• I AM WITH DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE BASED IN ORLANDO FLORIDA.
• BASED ON YOUR TECHNOLOGY AND YOUR USER.

Transcript Highlights:

• reference tax base. reference tax base.
• Also, a revenue-neutral rate.
• Now their marginal tax rate is 7.85%.
• <00:45:54.000> for marriage penalty, income tax rates for marriage penalty, income tax rates
• state sales tax rate from 6.875% state sales tax rate from 6.875% to<01:05:13.920> 6.866%

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I've met with most of you about the rate increases and the rate study.
• So back in 2003, we came for a rate increase.
• Our rates were restored back to 2008 levels in 2020.
• Think about the parent who wants faith-based education.
• In DCFS base funding. Okay.

Summary: The committee met for public testimony on the Finance budget, with the main discussion focused first on funding for disability services and then on the LA GATOR scholarship program. Several individuals testified in support of fully funding Families Helping Families and Louisiana Rehabilitation Services (LRS), describing how advocacy, transition services, and direct support workers help people with disabilities access education, employment, and independent living. Witnesses urged the committee to preserve or increase state general funds to draw down federal matching dollars, and provider groups said current reimbursement rates and staffing shortages are leaving agencies in deficit, creating waitlists, overtime costs, and difficulty retaining workers. Committee members thanked the speakers and noted that the testimony would be used to compare the governor’s, House, and remaining budget requests. The committee then heard extensive testimony in support of increasing funding for the LA GATOR scholarship program. Supporters included policy groups, school leaders, parents, and students who argued that the program expands educational choice, helps low-income and special-needs students find schools that fit their needs, and should be fully funded at the level of demonstrated demand. Speakers from Catholic and Christian schools said GATOR funding had helped students thrive academically and spiritually, but that shortfalls left many eligible students without awards, hurt kindergarten enrollment, and forced schools to raise private donations to cover gaps. Several witnesses emphasized that the program is not a zero-sum attack on public schools, but a way to let education dollars follow students. A few committee questions focused on the fiscal impact and on whether choice programs improve outcomes without harming public schools. Testimony cited enrollment growth, parent demand, and data from other states to argue that school choice can improve student and parent outcomes and may also strengthen traditional public schools through competition. No votes or formal actions were taken during the public testimony portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't believe anybody's cable rates are going to be lower based on what we give you today.
• I don't believe anybody's cable rates I don't believe anybody's cable rates are<00:31:58.640>
• :59:06.400> their<00:59:06.559> rate.
• still set their rate. still set their rate.
• Um, often these license are based on gross revenue as we've been talking about today.

Bills: SB222, HB560, HB475, HB484, HB583, HB542, HB566

Keywords: medical clinic board, clinic board, hospital bankruptcy, Chapter 11, bankruptcy, debt restructuring, municipal indebtedness, municipal bankruptcy, health care provider, acute care hospital, lease property, board immunity, director liability, civil liability, healthcare finance, insolvency, debt readjustment, federal bankruptcy law, Alabama Code 11-58-5.2, library materials