Transcript Highlights:

• So we pay them start being for serving for on the board.
• As Chair Burton Burton mentioned, it says there is a lot of material in front of you.
• Those costs are not included in rate development, so we're not paying for them twice.
• Do you have a separate drg that you pay?
• Hospitals are your plans are required to pay hospitals versus prenatal.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They have not shied away from the task in front of them.
• And yet the proposal in front of us today has multiple... ...tax increases.
• What California pays us does not reflect the true cost of care. Everything...
• What California pays us does not reflect the true cost of care.
• But adding slots alone is not enough without increased provider pay.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Committee met to consider the 2026 Budget Act, which leaders said was the negotiated compromise with the Senate and was expected to move to the floor that evening. Opening remarks emphasized that the plan balances the budget over two years, reduces the structural deficit, and builds reserves, while also protecting core services in the face of federal cuts. Jason Sisney outlined the legislative budget framework and the likely floor bills, including AB 109, SB 110, SB 122, and SB 125. Department of Finance representative Eric Khali said the administration appreciated the two-year balanced approach and supported the modification in SB 122, while noting the package uses additional revenues and new spending to soften or reject some proposed cuts. Most of the discussion focused on major spending areas. Members and subcommittee chairs highlighted protections and additions for health care and human services, including rejecting the proposed Medi-Cal asset limit change, delaying premium increases, restoring clinic and dental funding, supporting distressed hospitals and county indigent care, and expanding county eligibility staffing to handle H.R. 1-related workload. Education members described record or expanded support for TK-12 schools, child care, special education, community colleges, teacher recruitment, and higher education, including a change to extend Cal Grant eligibility to age 30 for some community college students. Housing and homelessness funding was increased for HAP, multifamily housing, and the low-income housing tax credit, while public safety members pointed to investments in victims’ services, restorative justice, and prison closure savings. Several members also raised concerns or priorities tied to the budget deal. Some praised the package as a moral document that protects vulnerable Californians, immigrant communities, LGBTQ residents, seniors, and people with disabilities. Others noted unresolved issues, including the MCO tax’s impact on districts, the need for more support for local journalism, arts, biotech R&D incentives, transit and GGRF-related concerns, and the need for continued work on Prop. 98 and long-term fiscal resilience. The vice chair cautioned that despite the current progress, the state remains vulnerable to revenue volatility and warned that the budget should build more resilience against a possible downturn. No formal vote was taken in the portion provided, but the committee was preparing the budget package for floor action and final negotiations.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think we're going to do a few questions up front.
• , because we're paying.
• We're the ones that are paying.
• Everyone has to pay a part. And I think I shared that yesterday. Everyone has to pay a part.
• And so they're just willing to pay the fine.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The joint Senate hearing of the Natural Resources and Water Committee and the Emergency Management Committee focused on wildfire resilience, with members discussing the SB 254 report on enhancing California’s response to natural catastrophes. Opening remarks emphasized the scale of wildfire damage, the need for prevention and preparedness, and concerns about the affordability and insurability crisis. Senators repeatedly contrasted the relatively small share of funding going to community hardening with the much larger amounts spent on utility wildfire mitigation and landscape-scale projects, and several members raised concerns about CEQA delays, one-time funding, and the need for more sustainable, ongoing financing. The Legislative Analyst’s Office presented an overview showing about $4.7 billion in state wildfire resilience appropriations from 2018-19 through 2025-26, with funding shifting from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to the General Fund and then to Proposition 4. LAO noted that only about $65 million had been specifically targeted to community hardening, while most funding went to forest health, fuels, research, and related programs. LAO also said one-time funding will decline in coming years and that future GGRF support is uncertain, though General Fund use is not legally precluded. Members asked about maintenance costs, polluter-pays ideas, and whether performance metrics should focus more on property and community risk reduction than acres treated. Cal Fire’s State Fire Marshal described the state’s community wildfire preparedness strategy, centered on home hardening, defensible space, and neighborhood-scale mitigation. He said roughly 4 million homes are in the wildland-urban interface, most built before modern fire-resistant standards, and argued that the state must move from response to prevention. He said Cal Fire is incorporating the SB 254 recommendations into its updated action plan, has streamlined some fuel-reduction projects under a recent executive proclamation, and is shifting some grant funding toward maintenance of existing treatments. Cal OES described the AB 38 pilot and FEMA hazard mitigation work, saying the pilot helped build tools and standards for home hardening but that federal approval delays remain a major barrier; the agency reported 155 hardened properties, 19 under construction, and 370 assessed and waiting. The Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force said it has coordinated more than $6 billion in state and federal investments, is moving toward regional block grants and better data-driven prioritization, and is developing separate community and landscape strategies. The hearing ended with discussion of modeling, data gaps, utility coordination, contractor capacity, and possible legislative or budget changes to better align funding and metrics with community safety outcomes.

Transcript Highlights:

• I know I'm not standing there in front of you.
• And so in the loser-pay, I'm just curious about your definition of loser pay.
• A health plan does pay for that claim, but they pay it off of a usual and customary amount.
• We pay more because the patient was paying more before. Now we pay more.
• But loser pay does that.

Bills: HB136, HB451, SB425, SB466, SB905, SB1986, SB2311, SB2450, SB2805, SB2826, SB2919, SB3001, HB136

Keywords: Medicaid, lactation, healthcare, consultation, reimbursement, maternal health, infant care, commercial sexual exploitation, child sex trafficking, human trafficking, child welfare, foster care, DFPS, Department of Family and Protective Services, juvenile probation, risk assessment, needs assessment, trauma screening, child abuse prevention, exploitation screening

Transcript Highlights:

• that we have to jump through to be legal to do things the right way for the people that rely on us to pay
• Your signage requirement of putting a sign in front of your building, I understand.
• for legal fees or have you pay your lawyers and have it wait weeks and weeks and weeks to get answers
• This last year made me pay $2,000 that I shouldn't have had to pay.
• I go in front of them, and my product is devalued. So, you're the motivation is to crush somebody.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They wanted to start work only after I paid $25,000 up front.
• I had to pay all over again and am hoping to be reimbursed.
• I had to pay all over again and am hoping to be reimbursed.
• I had to pay all over again and hoping to be reimbursed.
• And yes, they will have to pay a public appraiser.

Bills: HF4881, HF4867, HF4422, HF4223

Keywords: healthcare, insurance, regulation, financial institutions, prescription drug affordability, consumer protection, restitution account, financial compensation, attorney general, distributions, property insurance, homeowners insurance, fire and allied lines, hail insurance, appraisal clause, loss adjustment, alternative dispute resolution, insurance claims, claim valuation, actual cash value

Transcript Highlights:

• and Representative Block, were able to sponsor a bill that allowed insurance companies to typically pay
• Complex rehab technology is the terminology for the devices that you see in front of us. Thank you.
• And so my question is on, and again, this is the bill that I had in front of me, not the sub.
• I understand the concern of how do we make it where it's up front and known.
• Actually, Representative, we are paying 150% of the Medicare fee schedule.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• How much will you pay me?' Sounds great, let's go. That has changed.
• We have a current proceeding in front of the commission now.
• We have a current proceeding in front of the commission now.
• We have a current proceeding in front of the commission now.
• We have a current proceeding in front of the commission now.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They're the can't pay their bills.
• not working, not able to pay their bill. not working, not able to pay their bill. they<01:06:02.240
• the pay the benefit of planning. the pay the benefit of planning.
• testifying in front of this committee. testifying in front of this committee.
• Um, so I think going to pay for it.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We were initially able to get them to agree to pay Cynthia the higher wage with back pay.
• > back<00:06:58.160> pay.
• <00:07:19.680> time would no longer commit to paying time would no longer commit to paying
• <00:07:26.240> They not paying workers as much. They not paying workers as much.
• Instead of us paying for two, we just enhance the pay that we are...

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• There are careers, technical fields that will pay as well.
• You'll see in front of you a chart that lays this out. further.
• Would the school pay for that, or would the college pay for that?
• And the school districts typically You pay for those costs.
• It's trying to provide a meaningful career pathway for those type in high-paying jobs. paying jobs, that

Bills: HB20, HB 120, HB20, HB120

Keywords: applied sciences, career education, high school diploma, certificate program, work-based learning, job placement, high-growth jobs, technical training, career readiness, education reform, workforce training, public schools, financial aid, fraudulent solicitation, disaster relief, nonprofit organizations, criminal penalties, consumer protection, fraud prevention, charitable donations

Transcript Highlights:

• That's out of my pay scale.
• Treasury to pay benefits.
• Treasury to pay benefits.
• trade you pay your wages you pay trade you pay your wages you pay everyone<03:52:37.880> the<
• somebody a living wage or know paying somebody a living wage or paying paying paying someone<04:23:41.680

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the sidewalk coming to the to the front the sidewalk coming to the to the front door<00:25:34.559
• <01:13:47.760> those repairs insurers have to pay those repairs insurers have to pay those
• into the rates um that we all pay into the rates um that we all pay additionally<01:14:49.600>
• reserves because if we use that to pay reserves because if we use that to pay for<01:32:42.600><
• paying $500 HOA fee they're paying paying $500 HOA fee they're paying Insurance<01:35:41.440>

Bills: HF1865, HF2014, HF2028

Keywords: mortgage, qualified mortgage, QM, points and fees, conventional loan, consumer lending, home loan, residential real estate, lender fees, service charge, finance charge, closing costs, Minnesota Statutes 47.20, housing finance, borrower protections, cooperative apartment loan, contract for deed, real estate lending, foreclosure, notice requirements

Transcript Highlights:

• system that the state used to pay system that the state used to pay towards<00:42:48.800> that
• [No questions.] room all of us are paying for this along room all of us are paying for this along with
• <01:53:20.760> of when it's being put on in in front of when it's being put on in in front
• that because again I'm on the front that because again I'm on the front lines<02:31:27.880> of
• Hampshire the choice to make others pay Hampshire the choice to make others pay for<02:37:01.120

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• On this Tuesday, February 17th, uh, 2026, we have Reverend Jennifer Carsner of Front Porch Abbey in Annapolis
• perhaps more than we are willing to pay. perhaps more than we are willing to pay.
• And prior to serving as the mayor, he was our city states attorney uh from that in the front the front
• of the gallery in in the front the front of the gallery in the<00:04:42.720> first<00:04:43.040
• This new entity without causing any changes to their ranks, their pay, etc.

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Tuesday, February 17, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened with an invocation, quorum call, and several introductions recognizing guests, including Reverend Jennifer Carsner and her daughter, President Kirk Schmoke, representatives from Maryland independent colleges and universities, students from Stevenson University, Howard and Anne Arundel counties, Washington College, a constituent, and the Greater Washington, D.C.-Maryland chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The chamber also adopted a resolution honoring Damatha Catholic High School for winning the 2025 WCAC football championship and another recognizing the Greater Bethesda Chamber of Commerce on its 100th anniversary. Both resolutions were adopted unanimously after brief remarks and roll calls. The Senate then took up executive nominations, separating nominee 16 from the main report. The chamber voted 42 in favor on the remaining nominations and then 42 in favor on nominee 16, giving all nominees the Senate’s advice and consent. On third reading, the Senate passed several bills, including SB 46, SB 25, SB 58, SB 163, SB 170, SB 188, SB 247, SB 356, and SB 379, with recorded affirmative votes ranging from 36 to 42. These measures covered topics such as veterans cemeteries, tax credits and tax modifications, education funding, transportation revenue bonds, biotechnology incentives, a stillborn child tax credit, and recovery residence grant funding. The chamber also advanced numerous second-reading bills, generally adopting committee reports and amendments without objection. Among the measures discussed were collective bargaining for Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Commission police officers; adoption of the 2022 Uniform Commercial Code amendments for controllable electronic records; cemetery sale and transfer oversight; an additional license for electronic smoking devices; collective bargaining for Baltimore County Public Library supervisory employees; payroll processor exemptions under the Money Transmission Act; scalp cooling coverage for chemotherapy patients; orthoses and prostheses coverage under health and Medicaid plans; an online database of elevator inspection certificates; service animal program disqualification standards; extension of the State Board of Environmental Health Specialists; disclosure of lapsed professional liability insurance for nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and nurse midwives; and revisions to massage therapy licensure rules. Most reports were favorable, with several technical or substantive amendments adopted and bills ordered printed for third reading. A notable policy discussion occurred on SB 56, which would allow the Maryland Longitudinal Data System Center to share individual-level student and workforce data with a third-party data center for multi-state reporting. The sponsor explained the bill as a way to compare Maryland outcomes with other states while using data-sharing agreements and oversight to protect privacy; a minority whip raised concerns about the type of third-party data center and whether the practice was new. The sponsor said the bill was intended to formalize and safeguard data sharing, and noted a technical amendment would be offered to correct the amendment language.

Transcript Highlights:

• you care about making sure that we do everything we can to prevent fraud in Minnesota, you want to pay
• Minnesota, you want to pay attention to Minnesota, you want to pay attention to this<00:01:39.119>
• $1.1 million back and they agreed to pay $1.1 million back to<00:07:20.479> the<00:07:20.720>
• That's, you know, $7.8 million minus $1.1 million that they're ordered to pay back.
• that they're ordered to pay back. that they're ordered to pay back.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The House debated a motion to suspend the rules so House File 3843 could be recalled from committee and given second and third readings for final passage. The bill, carried by Representative Baker and supported by Representative Niska, would create a subcommittee of the governor’s workforce development board to vet nonprofit and other applicants for workforce development dollars, with the legislature retaining final authority. Supporters argued the proposal would add an extra layer of scrutiny, reduce fraud risk, and help prevent problems like those highlighted in recent reporting and past nonprofit funding scandals. Supporters repeatedly tied the bill to concerns about fraud in state grantmaking, citing the Feeding Our Future scandal and other nonprofit cases as examples of why more oversight is needed. Representative Baker said the committee process can be overwhelmed by many direct-appropriation requests at the end of session, and that a board-based vetting process would help identify red flags. Representative Enen and Representative Schultz also backed the motion, saying the bill would improve accountability and protect taxpayer dollars. Representative Pinto opposed the urgency motion, saying he supports moving toward more competitive grants but not adding another layer of bureaucracy without a fiscal note or fuller committee process. He argued the bill would not do what supporters claimed and that the legislature already makes funding decisions. After debate, the House took a roll call vote on the motion to suspend the rules. The motion failed by one vote, 67 yeas to 66 nays.

Transcript Highlights:

• Minnesotans expect that when they pay into our system, those dollars go where they are intended.
• I think it is, um, or pre- or withholds, right, before we're paying it out.
• I think it is, um, or pre- or withholds, right, before we're paying it out.
• I think it is, um, or we're paying out.
• We really need to make paying it out.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: Senate DFL leaders held a press conference outlining a fraud-prevention agenda centered on transparency, accountability, and modernization of state systems. Majority Leader Erin Murphy said Minnesotans are angry about fraud and that the caucus has already passed multiple fraud-prevention measures, but more work is needed. She and other senators emphasized that outdated county and state IT systems leave programs vulnerable to waste and abuse, and said they want to pursue both immediate upgrades and longer-term funding solutions, including possible bonding for technology infrastructure. Senator Zena Mohamed described legislation to overhaul program integrity in Medicaid and human services by adding safeguards before, during, and after provider enrollment and service delivery. She said the goal is to prevent theft before dollars are spent, rein in third-party entities that profit without accountability, and improve consumer protections and reporting pathways. Senator Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger highlighted a bill to ban cryptocurrency kiosks, arguing they are heavily used in scams targeting seniors and vulnerable people, and also backed a state consumer financial protection bureau and stronger False Claims Act enforcement. Senator Rob Kupec focused on ethics and conflicts of interest, including a proposal to bar legislative members and certain state employees from quickly moving into jobs tied to entities receiving state appropriations or grants. He also said lawmakers should strengthen penalties for theft of public funds and restrict state contracts for people convicted of fraud. Senator Heather Gustafson promoted her Office of Inspector General bill, saying oversight is fragmented and an independent office is needed for investigations, safeguards, and early detection; she said the Senate passed the bill 60-7 last year and she wants it enacted. In response to questions, Murphy and Gustafson said the OIG should have law-enforcement powers, that bipartisan support exists in principle, and that the House needs to settle on a single proposal. The senators also said prepayment review can be useful but can disrupt services, and they argued agencies must use the tools already given to them while lawmakers continue oversight.

Transcript Highlights:

• If everyone can pay attention, please. My name is Ash.
• If everyone can pay attention, please. My name is Ash.
• It takes a lot of guts to get in front of the microphone."
• We're not going to pay for them with state dollars. It's truly...
• Or organizations in our schools, we're not going to pay for them with state dollars.

Summary: The Pre-K through 12 Budget Subcommittee took up CS for House Bill 1071, a broad education package described by the sponsor as updating transparency, parental rights, student safety, early learning accountability, scholarship oversight, and instructional program rules. The committee adopted two amendments without objection: one clarifying that Title I funds may be used for STEM programs, and another removing a prior provision related to canine dogs on school grounds. Members then questioned the bill’s provisions on student records transfers, instructional materials adoption and removal, educational emergency authority for low-performing schools, health education and a fetal development video, student-led organizations, FHSAA board language, lab schools, and rulemaking authority. The sponsor repeatedly said the bill was intended to improve accountability, keep education dollars focused on students, and give districts flexibility, while also noting that some issues would be addressed through future rulemaking or later amendments. Public testimony was overwhelmingly opposed. Many speakers argued the bill was an omnibus measure that bundled unrelated policies together, making it hard for families and educators to understand or meaningfully comment on it. Opponents also said it would increase school-law enforcement coordination, chill immigrant and mixed-status families’ participation, restrict DEI-related and student-led organizations, and impose controversial health and embryology content on students. Supporters, including the Christian Family Coalition and Florida Citizens Alliance, backed the fetal development video and the bill’s parental rights and funding restrictions, saying the content should be medically accurate and that schools should not fund political advocacy. Several speakers urged the committee to break the bill into separate measures. In debate, some members praised the sponsor’s responsiveness but said they would vote no because of constituent concerns, especially around DEI, the fetal development video, and local control. Others supported the bill, emphasizing rulemaking, educational emergency flexibility, EpiPen access, early learning changes, and evidence-based math instruction. The sponsor closed by reiterating support for the bill as amended, saying the law enforcement provision had been removed, the embryology content would be opt-out with posted materials, state funds should not support political advocacy, and the bill would help with safety, accountability, and student outcomes. The committee then voted on the bill after debate, with the sponsor indicating support and members stating their positions during closing discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• Right now, when they pay out of pocket or pay using funds and they have to repay that, those funds go
• We had it in front of Judge Christina Miranda. Both of the young women testified.
• But it's squatters, people who go in, pay for a night, and stay a month. Follow-up question, Mr.
• They own one or two, and they feel bad for the tenant, but they also need to charge rent to pay debt
• Many of my victims never wanted to relive the trauma in a courtroom in front of their mom and dad and

Summary: The committee heard and voted on a long series of criminal justice, public safety, victim protection, and regulatory bills. Several measures were reported favorably, including SB 1374 on school district reporting requirements, SB 1378 on restitution for leaving the scene of a crash, SB 1072 creating an expedited DNA testing grant program, SB 1140 establishing a Hillsborough County criminal offender substance abuse pilot program, SB 1266 revising public records protections for crime victims and certain law enforcement identities, SB 1546 delaying and refining background screening requirements for athletic coaches, SB 1430 on post-judgment execution proceedings related to terrorism victims, SB 1444 making a broad set of criminal justice changes, SB 240 on domestic and dating violence protections, SB 606 clarifying public lodging and food service removal procedures for nonpaying guests, SB 1450 giving law enforcement discretion in arrests involving people with significant medical conditions, SB 44 increasing penalties for impersonating law enforcement with unauthorized red or blue lights, SB 1000 expanding court-ordered sealing options, SB 1400 requiring platforms to remove altered sexual depictions, and SB 1696 addressing rideshare impersonation and transit service rules. Many of these bills were amended before final passage, often with strike-all amendments or technical changes, and several had support from law enforcement, advocacy groups, or industry representatives. Testimony was generally supportive on the public safety and victim-protection bills, with speakers emphasizing faster DNA testing, better protections for domestic violence survivors, clearer rules for hotel and motel operators, and stronger tools against fraud, impersonation, and trafficking. Some bills drew notable concerns or opposition. SB 1266 prompted questions about whether a 72-hour cooling-off period for officer identities could be extended too broadly, while SB 606 drew concerns that the bill could affect families living in hotels or extended stays during the housing affordability crisis. SB 1444 generated discussion about false reporting language, off-duty carry for prosecutors and judges, and the scope of automatic sealing changes. SB 1000’s expanded sealing relief received broad support but was narrowed by amendments excluding certain offenses such as DUI and indecent exposure. The most contentious measure was SB 1804, which would create a capital offense for trafficking a child under 12 or a mentally incapacitated person for sexual exploitation. The sponsor argued it targets the most severe trafficking cases and includes safeguards such as excluding minors from capital punishment and preserving life imprisonment if the capital procedure is invalidated. Opponents, including the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops and Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, argued the death penalty is unconstitutional for non-homicide crimes, costly, and ineffective, and committee members raised concerns about whether the bill would incentivize traffickers to kill victims to avoid identification. Debate also touched on broader concerns about the death penalty’s constitutionality and whether life imprisonment is a more severe punishment. The transcript ends during that debate, without a final vote on SB 1804 included in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Bronson pointed out, is our pay.
• our staff and what everybody else pays.
• On average, this pay disparity is over $7000.
• And you're paying somebody Almost like you're paying somebody almost $250,000 for a $20 million dollar
• You, you've got to pay for staff, you've got to pay for technology, you've got to pay for all the things