Transcript Highlights:

• It's not like it's going into a bank account like an insurance company, and they have this account, and
• So you're setting up your own personal bank account?
• savings account.
• It's not structured like a health savings account.
• You have access to my bank account? As the facilitator, we do.

Committee: Senate Banking and Insurance

Transcript Highlights:

• In other words, there's accountability for judicial restraint, but no accountability for judicial excess
• But for the most part, the courts do have accountability, because if a mistrial is granted and the state
• But I am here in instances where our judges need to be held accountable in the instances where it is
• This leaves us with worse outcomes for public safety and effective accountability, creating a strain
• Transparency and accountability about which attorneys are available for appointment.

Bills: HB 115 , HB507 , HB1765 , HB1847 , HB2046 , HB2239 , HB2328 , HB2309 , HB2417 , HB2728 , HB2794 , HB3206 , HB3566 , HB3694 , HB3744 , HB4254 , HB4697 , HB4733 , HB4915 , HB5465 , HB2813 , HB115

Committee: House Criminal Jurisprudence

Transcript Highlights:

• Legislation is needed to ensure consistency, transparency, and accountability across the board.
• Government must be accountable to the people it serves.
• True accountability isn't optional. It's essential to earning and keeping the public's trust.
• House Bill 3841 is a much-needed transparency and accountability bill.
• We need to hold them accountable.

Bills: HB2814 , HB4477 , HB5084 , HB5108 , HB5127 , HB5383 , HB5611 , HB5663 , HB5664 , SB1563 , HB2668 , HB3841 , HB4114

Committee: House S/C on County & Regional Government

Transcript Highlights:

• But then they're going to be held accountable.
• They think that we don't want them accountable.
• She asked him to explain the accountability aspect.
• He said that had been accounted for in stakeholder conversations.
• Again, it creates a state retirement account.

Bills: SB1041 , SB1088 , SB1118 , SB1128 , SB1168 , SB1176 , SB1189 , SB1207 , SB1250 , SB1272 , SB1274 , SB1286 , SB1428 , SB1457 , SB1461 , SB1503 , SB1519 , SB1537 , SB1582 , SB1618 , SB1654 , SB1713 , SB1827 , SCR1012 , SCR1020

Committees: House Appropriations , House House Appropriations Committee of Reference

Keywords: electronic monitoring, nursing care, assisted living, resident rights, privacy, consent, surveillance, cybersecurity, homeland security, artificial intelligence, state appropriation, VPN security, zero trust, housing, zoning, middle housing, urban development, duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes

Transcript Highlights:

• The result was strong support for a statewide child savings account program that would help families
• Research shows that even small savings accounts drastically increase a child's likelihood of pursuing
• and accounts would grow through family contributions and incentives like savings matches.
• </c> apprenticeships and more these accounts apprenticeships and more these accounts would<01:36:02.719
• </c> but in addition to creating the account but in addition to creating the account which<01:47:19.800

Committee: House Higher Education Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• If their account is voided, then they do have the option to re-retire on that same service, but again
• if their account is voided, then<00:15:06.800><c> they</c><00:15:07.000><c> do</c><00:15:07.240><c>
• So, they will not retirement account.
• </c> &gt;&gt; [clears throat] So, as I noted, a member cannot earn a second retirement account.
• Does that take<00:26:59.160><c> into</c><00:26:59.400><c> account</c><00:26:59.840><c> additional</c>

Summary: The committee held its first official interim meeting after merging the General Government and Finance, Personnel, and Public Retirement committees, establishing a quorum and opening with the pledge and prayer. Members then received a briefing from KPPA representatives Ryan Barrow and Aaron Sarock on the state retirement systems, including KERS, CERS, and SPRS, and on the importance of fully funding the actuarially determined employer contribution, supplemental appropriations, and investment earnings in reducing unfunded liabilities. They said the systems have made progress toward a statutory closed amortization target of 2049 and emphasized that supplemental funding lowers current employer contribution rates but does not change that end date. A major topic was federal and state reemployment-after-retirement rules for retirees who return to work with participating employers. KPPA explained that retirees must have a bona fide separation from service, no prearranged agreement to return, and generally a one-calendar-month break in service for retirees on or after January 1, 2024. If a member fails to comply, retirement benefits can be voided, payments stopped, health coverage ended, and benefits repaid. The presenters also noted that rehired retirees do not earn a second retirement account, and employers rehiring them must pay employer contributions and, in non-exempt cases, reimburse health insurance costs. Members asked about the scale of rehired retirees and the difference between employer contribution and health insurance reimbursement amounts. KPPA said that in fiscal year 2025 there were over 3,500 rehired retirees in CERS and over 5,000 in SPRS, with substantial employer contributions and health reimbursement payments collected. They also explained that some positions are exempt from these chargebacks, including school resource officers and certain law enforcement positions that meet statutory criteria. The committee discussed House Bill 213, which allows cities, sheriffs’ departments, and post-secondary institutions to offer health insurance to rehired officers if authorized by the governing body, effective August 1, 2026, and clarifies the fiscal-year basis for certain exemption limits. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• What accountability and when will it be in language?
• “So will there be language on those accountability mechanisms?”
• We will post those to our website as well because we want accountability, not just accountability, but
• We will post those to our website as well because we want accountability, not just accountability, ability
• We'll post those to our website as well because we want accountability, not just accountability within

Summary: The joint hearing focused on CARB’s proposed April amendments to California’s cap-and-invest regulations, adopted under AB 1207 and SB 840. Committee members repeatedly framed the issue as a balance between climate ambition, affordability, leakage prevention, and the Legislature’s budget priorities. Several senators argued the proposal would weaken the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), reduce funding for transit, affordable housing, drinking water, wildfire prevention, and other programs, and potentially undermine the Legislature’s intent in last year’s reauthorization. Others emphasized that the program’s core purpose is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and that any changes should preserve the cap’s integrity and the state’s climate targets. CARB Chair Lauren Sanchez said the amendments were designed to implement legislative direction while responding to public comment and economic uncertainty. She described four main changes: increasing electric bill credits, expanding the manufacturing decarbonization incentive (MDI) to $4 billion, adding about $800 million in additional compliance support for industry, and removing post-2030 allowance allocations from the current rulemaking. CARB said the proposal would still maintain declining caps aligned with 2030 and 2045 targets, provide near-term affordability relief, and support businesses and jobs while reducing emissions. In response to questions, CARB said the MDI has guardrails, is limited to emissions-reducing projects, and would require reporting and repayment if projects do not materialize. The Legislative Analyst’s Office said the amendments are significant and could affect several legislative priorities. LAO highlighted that the MDI would add allowances above the cap, creating uncertainty about environmental ambition and 2030 compliance, while also shifting more allowances to industry and fewer to the GGRF. LAO said the proposal could significantly reduce GGRF revenues and noted that, if revenues fall to CARB’s estimated level, some tiered programs could go unfunded. The Department of Finance explained that GGRF revenue estimates are updated three times a year and are difficult to predict because they depend on auction outcomes and market conditions. Senators pressed both agencies on whether the proposal would raise consumer costs, whether industry savings would be passed through, and whether the Legislature should receive updated revenue estimates before voting on the budget.

Transcript Highlights:

• Providing additional accountability is the CSU's new fiscal health monitoring process.
• So it could be local, it could be system-wide, but we take that all into account. Okay. Thank you.
• Adopt the budget language that CSU management is held accountable for resource allocation and enacting
• Adopt the budget language that CSU management is held accountable for resource allocation and enacting
• We want to make sure that there are transparency and accountability measures, and we want to make sure

Transcript Highlights:

• tool</c> accountable a local accountable tool accountable a local accountable tool called<00:05:30.400
• </c><00:29:53.200><c> The</c><00:29:53.360><c> account</c> in our deferred comp plan.
• The account in our deferred comp plan.
• </c><00:30:26.159><c> They</c> individual retirement account is.
• They individual retirement account is.

Committee: Joint Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 2797 ensures accuracy, accountability, and public confidence in the program.
• Deadlines without accountability don't really protect children.
• None of them undermine DC. form of accountability.
• It is about accuracy, accountability, and protection.
• It is about accuracy, accountability, and protection.

Committee: House House Health & Human Services Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee heard a JLBC presentation on H.R. 1’s SNAP impacts, including expanded work requirements, higher state administrative costs, and a potential state share of benefits if Arizona’s payment error rate remains above 6%. JLBC estimated the administrative cost increase at about $33 million in FY 2027 and $44 million in FY 2028, and said a 2024 error rate of 8.8% could expose the state to about $139 million in benefit costs starting in FY 2028. The chair also opened the meeting by asking members and speakers to keep remarks shorter to improve efficiency. The committee then considered several SNAP-related bills. HB 2797, which requires DES to more frequently verify eligibility through data matching, post fraud/noncompliance data, and address out-of-state EBT purchases, passed 7-5. HB 2442, requiring certain able-bodied SNAP adults with school-age children to participate in employment and training unless exempt, also passed 7-5. HB 2448, which limits DES’s ability to seek work-requirement waivers or discretionary exemptions without legislative authorization, passed 7-5. HB 2206, which sets a goal of reducing the SNAP payment error rate to 3% by 2030 and adds reporting and corrective-action requirements, passed 7-5 after debate over staffing, technology, and whether the target was realistic. The committee also advanced HB 2180, appropriating $2.5 million to the University of Arizona for AZ REACH, a hospital transfer coordination program serving rural facilities. Supporters said it improves patient transfers and reduces burdens on rural hospitals; some health system representatives were neutral but asked for operational improvements. HB 2180 passed 11-1. HB 2184, as amended, passed 7-4-1; it would extend fetal death certificate filing and require patients to be informed of the option to transfer fetal remains to a funeral home, with supporters describing it as a matter of parental dignity and closure. HB 2188, as amended, creating a Language Acquisition Grant Program for deaf or hard-of-hearing infants and toddlers, passed unanimously after testimony about balancing spoken-language and ASL options. The committee then began hearing HB 2194, a bill requiring insurers to provide a contact for detailed explanations after claim or prior-authorization denials, but the transcript ends before action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c><00:14:31.199><c> and</c> GDP and national income accounts, and GDP and national income accounts
• </c> updates to managed care rates account updates to managed care rates account for<00:25:42.720><c>
• Did you account for fraud? Is there any numbers? I never saw the word.
• Was there any accounting for it?
• <c> impacts</c><00:42:34.720><c> for</c> not account for impacts for not account for impacts for recontrolling

Summary: Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Aaron Campbell, State Economist Dr. Tony Becker, and State Budget Director Anna Mingi presented the November 2025 budget and economic forecast. Campbell said the state now projects a nearly $2.5 billion surplus at the end of the 2026-27 biennium, about $575 million better than the end-of-session estimate, but also a projected negative balance of about $2.9 billion in FY 2028-29, reflecting a worsening structural imbalance. He said the budget reserve stands at $3.4 billion, with cash flow and budget reserves totaling $3.8 billion after a $244 million addition, and emphasized that Minnesota’s AAA bond rating and reserve policy remain strengths even as future sessions will need to address the long-term gap. Becker said the national economic outlook has changed only modestly since February, but growth remains below trend through the forecast horizon. He cited slower consumer spending, weak private investment, continued tariff uncertainty, lower projected immigration, and modest inflation that stays near 3% through 2026 before easing. Revenue forecasts for the next biennium were revised up to $66.3 billion, driven mainly by higher individual income tax receipts and other revenue, partly offset by lower sales and corporate tax forecasts. He also noted risks from federal policy changes, the recent shutdown’s effect on data availability, and possible equity market volatility. Mingi said general fund spending is projected to rise sharply, with current biennium spending up $3.4 billion from end-of-session estimates and planning-year spending up $1.9 billion. She attributed much of the increase to carryforward from prior one-time appropriations, discretionary inflation, and especially Medical Assistance. MA costs are projected to be about $2.5 billion higher over 2025-29, largely because managed care rates rose more than expected due to higher utilization and higher-cost services, including pharmacy costs, while long-term care and disability waiver costs also increased. In response to questions, officials said the federal reconciliation bill had only a relatively small effect on the health care changes, and that the carryforward amounts reflect unspent prior appropriations that now show up in later years rather than new spending.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill addresses the need for greater accountability.
• Achieving this requires accountability and efficiency and sometimes reform. form.
• and responsible. for ultimately accountable and responsible.
• I would rather visit her committee. and hold those nominees accountable upon your invitation.
• And a board of regents, there's more accountability there.

Bills: SB37 , SB1489 , SB452 , SB724 , SB1067 , SB1741 , SB1273 , SB 37

Committees: Senate Education , Senate Education K-16

Transcript Highlights:

• And moves the unarmed combat sub-account from the Racing Regulatory Fund to the Event Racing Fund.
• Yeah, and the interest stays in that account unless we move it, and we can do that, but we have to go
• It stays in that account unless we decide and vote it out. We cannot take it out individually.
• It's accounting.
• It's an extra step, but it's just an accounting procedure.

Transcript Highlights:

• There are no defined performance metrics, no accountability measures, and no evidence-based framework
• It's an accountability process to an industry that has abused this in this state.
• It's an accountability process to an industry that has abused this in this state.
• It's an accountability process to an industry that has abused this in this state.
• It's an accountability process to an industry that has abused this in this state.

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, approval of the journal, and recognition of the Doctor of the Day. Members also welcomed a visiting group from Women Leading Government and adopted a proclamation honoring Deputy Warden Veronica Parcell and National Corrections Officers and Employees Week. The House then agreed to request Senate consent to adjourn after completing its work on Wednesday, April 22, and later moved into Committee of the Whole to consider bills on the calendar. In Committee of the Whole, the House advanced several Senate bills. SB 1457, SB 1808, SB 1006, SB 1018, SB 1041, SB 1345, and SB 1512 all received do-pass recommendations, with SB 1552 also receiving a do-pass recommendation as amended. SB 1006 was amended to increase the anonymous small-donation reporting threshold and add an inflation adjustment, drawing debate over transparency. SB 1018, dealing with Sharia law, prompted sharp disagreement over constitutional concerns and community impact, but still advanced. SB 1041, a strike-everything amendment on electronic monitoring in assisted living facilities, drew supportive testimony about accountability and protecting vulnerable seniors. SB 1345 advanced with amendments after discussion of licensing timelines for health facilities and removal of an anonymous complaint provision. On third reading, SB 1167 and SB 1254 passed, and SB 1763 also passed after debate over school district finance rules. SB 1315, concerning school safety interoperability and communications with law enforcement, failed on a 25-25 tie after extensive debate over whether it was a vendor-driven bill and whether it created an unfunded or poorly designed mandate. After that vote, a motion to reconsider SB 1315 succeeded by a 30-18 vote. The House also concurred in Senate requests to return HB 2035 and HB 2249 for reconsideration. The session ended with announcements about the annual legislative charity softball game, a Democratic caucus meeting, and adjournment until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 21, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• One deals with margin accounts.
• If you take away that exception, Idaho investors may not be able to get margin accounts.
• One deals with margin accounts.
• If you take away that exception, Idaho investors may not be able to get margin accounts.
• First, in subsection two, that deals with margin accounts.

Committee: Senate Commerce and Human Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• could be interpreted to prevent even their peers from searching for that account.
• So the original language is to restrict the visibility of a minor's account to only connected accounts
• So I wanted to make sure nobody who wasn't connected to their account, like, you know, friends, could
• , like to ask to be friends, like their friends. ...prevent somebody even searching for that account,
• It's like the content in someone's account.

Bills: HR39 , HR40 , HR41 , HCR19 , HCR20 , HCR21 , HB2 , HB3 , HB15 , HB441 , HB976 , HB977 , HB978 , HB979 , HB980 , HB981 , HB982 , HR19 , HR20 , HR21 , HR22 , HR23 , HR24 , HR25 , HR26 , HR27 , HR28 , HR29 , HR30 , HR31 , HR32 , HR33 , HR34 , HR35 , HR36 , HR37 , HR38 , HCR15 , HCR16 , HCR17 , HCR18 , SCR10 , HB115 , HB208 , HB465 , HB964 , HB965 , HB966 , HB967 , HB968 , HB969 , HB970 , HB971 , HB972 , HB973 , HB974 , HB975 , HB474 , HB487 , HB503 , HB606 , HB633 , HB707 , HB720 , HB728 , HB733 , HB846 , HB852 , HB856 , HB868 , HB875 , HB78 , HB112 , HB148 , HB149 , HB190 , HB221 , HB346 , HB354 , HB355 , HB356 , HB358 , HB384 , HB427 , HB657 , HB675 , HB716 , HB207 , HB300 , HB331 , HB428 , HB464 , HB587 , HB618 , HB629 , HB801 , HB853 , HB891 , HB901

Keywords: St. Joseph's Day, Saint Joseph's Day, St. Joseph's Altar, Italian American, Italian heritage, Italian immigrants, Louisiana culture, New Orleans, Sicilian heritage, Catholic, Feast of Saint Joseph, cultural resolution, heritage caucus, legislative caucus, ethnic heritage, jazz history, Italian Louisiana, immigrant contributions, cultural recognition, House Resolution 40

Transcript Highlights:

• the state board goals, requires clear, measurable, data-driven goals, transparency, and public accountability
• She said it is another way of looking at accountability, not just from the outcomes, but also the inputs
• She continued that the report is another way of looking at accountability, not just from the outcomes
• Senate Bill 1339 creates an accountability metric that requires deep investment from the locally elected
• Accountability works best when it reflects community priorities and when elected trustees are empowered

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• We have the capacity to also build into the special fund a special account for cruise.
• So if there is a need to specifically account for revenues generated from this specific fee and making
• sure that we're expending out of that account for cruise-related improvements, we have the ability to
• We have the capacity to also build into the special fund a special account for cruise.
• So if there is a need to specifically account for revenues generated from this specific fee and making

Bills: SB2816

Committee: House Tourism

Summary: The committees heard House Bill 2195, HD1, which would replace the existing transit accommodations tax on cruise ships with a per-passenger infrastructure fee collected by the Department of Transportation and deposited into a new cruise ship special fund. Testimony included support from Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and comments from the Tax Foundation of Hawaii warning that the bill should remain narrowly tied to harbor-related uses to avoid potential Tonnage Clause issues. The Department of Transportation testified that cruise-related harbor work includes pier repairs, dredging, terminal upgrades, and shore power, and said a dedicated revenue stream would help prioritize cruise infrastructure needs. The Attorney General’s office said it had submitted written comments but did not address questions about the litigation or constitutional background. Members questioned whether the new special fund was necessary when the existing harbor special fund already finances similar improvements. DOT said the funds overlap and suggested the bill could be amended to use the harbor special fund with a separate cruise subaccount, while still preserving a dedicated revenue stream and separate accounting. DOT also said it currently collects port entry, dockage, and per-head passenger fees from cruise ships and that existing cruise-related expenditures from the harbor special fund have not been challenged. The chair ultimately recommended moving HB 2195 forward as introduced, while continuing discussions about the fund structure and awaiting further clarity from the Attorney General and DOT. In decision-making, the committees voted to pass HB 2195, HD1, as is. They also voted to pass House Bill 916, HD1, relating to the low-income housing tax credit, which would allow certain state low-income housing tax credits to offset state transient accommodations taxes in the same county and make Act 129 of 2016 permanent. Both the Committee on Tourism and the Committee on Economic Development and Technology adopted the chair’s recommendation to pass HB 916, HD1, unamended. The hearing was then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• second question, real quick, is once the awards are made, what plans do y'all have to hold them accountable
• And you'd have enough staff to be able to hold them accountable, and you're not going to give out monies
• what this means is through this round one, we're going to use $126.1 million to service 51,566 new accounts
• Representative Cavenaugh continued asking whether the projections account for possible changes in the
• In addition, the carry forward account and the soft drink account can be used for any funding in the

Committee: All ALC-PEER

Summary: The committee considered several appropriation and transfer requests, beginning with a $273,000 temporary appropriation for the Department of Labor and Licensing to cover administrative costs for its enterprise licensing platform, funded by license and application fees. It then reviewed two large Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act requests: $280 million for the Department of Transportation for the final quarter of the fiscal year, and $195 million for the State Broadband Office to support the Arkansas BEAD broadband grant program, including an extra help position and grants to internet service providers. The broadband item drew extensive questions about awardees, contract amendments, accountability, build-out timelines, backup plans if providers default, the definition of broadband serviceable locations, and the cost per location. The State Broadband Director said no providers had requested amendments, the program would use milestone-based disbursements and a four-year build-out period, and the first tranche would serve 51,566 homes and businesses with $126.1 million in grants. Both Section B and Section C items were approved. In Section D, the committee approved a $458,000 transfer within the Department of Correction from the female work release program to the Tucker Unit water treatment plant, a $25 million transfer within the Department of Education to cover declining enrollment, teacher incentive, school recognition, and Easter Seals funding, and a $229,000 transfer for the Department of Shared Administrative Services to support two project management office positions. The education transfer prompted questions about how declining enrollment funding is calculated, how many districts receive it, and how long districts can continue to receive it; agency staff said 152 districts were on the preliminary list and the formula is based on the prior two-year average ADM compared with the previous year. The committee also gave favorable advice on a proposed $4.7 million loan for the Office of State Technology to implement ServiceNow and related IT modernization tools; agency officials said the loan would be repaid through cost recovery rates over five years and would replace an existing loan that is ending, with expected savings from consolidating applications but no precise savings estimate yet. The committee then reviewed cash fund and federal grant requests, including $200,000 for wage and hour claimant payments, $15 million for unclaimed property claims, $8,000 for a heritage program grant, and $1.1 million for a College and Career Coaches grant to expand services in rural districts. It also reviewed pay plan and budget manual items without objection. The most extensive report discussion focused on the Medicaid trust fund, where DHS and DFA officials said the balance has been declining and that the state may need to add capital back into the fund. Senators and representatives asked about the current balance, the projected year-end level, the role of the $100 million set-aside, the impact of outstanding Medicaid rules from the prior session, and whether future federal funding could help reduce long-term Medicaid costs. Officials said they are still working through more than 10 outstanding rules with CMS and do not yet have a final price tag for those changes. The meeting ended after the reports were reviewed and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• By establishing this office, it will create clear leadership, improve accountability, and ensure that
• , all grounded... ...for shared problem-solving, implementation, and accountability, all grounded in
• I believe this bill represents a vital step forward in modernization and accountability.
• I respectfully ask for your support of Senate Bill 64. ...and accountability.
• This memorial does not change accountability systems. It does not change funding.

Bills: HB30 , HB120 , HJR1 , SB210 , SB306

Committee: House House Education