Transcript Highlights:

• We've seen fiscal year 26 be one of the toughest fiscal years that the state has seen in recent memory
• New Mexico is in one of the strongest fiscal positions of any state in the country.
• And as we noted at the outset, the financial picture Although it is still brighter in New Mexico than
• It really notes that in addition to really strong compensation increases at all levels and very needed
• But I just wanted to make note that that medical GRT is something that certainly our caucus, and I know

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We do have a fiscal note that wasn't in your packet.
• We do have a fiscal note that wasn't in your packet.
• I just want to make note, as...
• I just want to make note that, as... Representative Craft: Thank you, Mr.
• I just want to make note, as... Representative Craft: I appreciate having more visibility.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• related note on the topic of football. related note on the topic of football.
• There's no fiscal impact. amendments. There's no fiscal impact.
• There's no fiscal impact. no amendments. There's no fiscal impact.
• There's no fiscal impact.
• There was no no fiscal impact.

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened with an invocation, confirmed a quorum, and welcomed several guests and groups, including Maryland Library Association members, Stephen Decatur High School’s boys soccer team, Clarksburg High School’s girls flag football team, NAMI representatives, Baltimore Promise, local soil conservation district representatives, and a 911 center leader. The chamber also journalized the invocation and prepared for the Governor’s upcoming State of the State address by exchanging messages with the House and appointing Senate members to escort the Governor and Lieutenant Governor. The body then took up a series of Finance Committee bills, most of them receiving favorable reports and being ordered to third reading without objection. Measures discussed included SB 14 on small business health insurance SHOP enrollment effective dates; SB 22 on Department of Disabilities housing programs and affiliated foundations; SB 134 on Medicare supplement policy enrollment periods; SB 139 on third-party administrator enforcement; SB 199 on the Individuals with Disabilities and Service-Disabled Veterans Voting Fund; SB 205 codifying federal mental health parity requirements; SB 216 on unemployment insurance confidentiality; SB 43 on the Maryland Community Investment Venture Fund; SB 46 on state veterans cemeteries interment provisions; and SB 226 on the Maryland Heritage Area Authority. Several bills had brief amendments or procedural issues. SB 22 received a technical amendment changing “Attorney General” to “Office of the Attorney General.” SB 199 received an amendment adding a co-sponsor, and SB 46 was briefly set to lie over under the rule after a senator requested time to review a technical clarification. The chamber also received House Bill 1, which was referred to committee, and SB 624 was reassigned to the Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee. Most committee reports were adopted unanimously or without objection, and the Senate repeatedly congratulated the honored school teams and library advocates.

Transcript Highlights:

• Could you tell me, did um, is there a fiscal note?
• You'll see the fiscal note on what we have.
• <01:09:08.880> Um<01:09:09.359> we the fiscal note on what we have.
• Um we the fiscal note on what we have.
• The fiscal note states that there is no fiscal or personal impact.

Bills: HB0068, HB0062, HB0127, HB0109

Keywords: veterans, property tax exemption, disabled, service-connected disability, Wyoming, governmental claims, liability limits, inflation adjustment, public safety, local government insurance, HB0127, recreation mill levy, recreational facilities, public recreation, mill levy, property tax, local tax, county commissioners, school district levy, voter approval

Transcript Highlights:

• is the previous biennium budget; fiscal year 2024-25, which is the current year budget; and fiscal year
• banum budget the fiscal year previous banum budget the fiscal year 2425<00:21:49.279> which<00
• <00:21:52.039> year and then fiscal year and then fiscal year 2627<00:21:54.039> which<
• <00:27:10.120> year um in the base budget for fiscal year um in the base budget for fiscal
• uh Sarah mun that we forgot to note uh Sarah mun probably<02:17:49.120> noted<02:17:49.719>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: Chair Foung Hawj opened the Environment, Climate and Legacy Committee meeting by welcoming members, agency staff, and constituents, and by outlining the committee’s shared-power arrangement for the session. Members introduced themselves and described environmental activities from the interim, including gardening, outdoor recreation, farming visits, Great Lakes work, and a tree-planting trip in Thailand that Hawj said symbolized cultural unity and environmental stewardship. Ben Stanley, the committee’s nonpartisan counsel, then explained the co-chairs’ operating agreement: Hawj would chair the meeting, Senator John Hoffman would chair the next two meetings, then Hawj would chair the following two, with the chair rotating after each pair of meetings. Agendas would be set jointly, additional meetings would require both chairs’ approval, and passing a bill out of committee would require a majority of all committee members, or seven votes. At Senator Tory Westrom’s request, the agreement was to be emailed to members in writing. Stanley also reviewed the committee’s jurisdiction, which includes environmental and natural resources bills, legacy funds, and agencies such as the Environmental Quality Board, Department of Natural Resources, Pollution Control Agency, and Board of Water and Soil Resources, along with several related councils and boards. Fiscal analyst Dan Mueller then gave a budget overview of the committee’s agencies, noting that many current biennium appropriations include one-time general fund money that drops back in the 2026-27 base budget. He highlighted funding levels for the Pollution Control Agency, DNR, Metro Parks, Conservation Corps, BWSR, the Minnesota Zoo, the Science Museum, and the Metropolitan Landfill Contingency Action Trust Account, and said the committee’s base-budget area totals about $2.2 billion. He also reviewed the Legacy funds, estimating available 2026-27 appropriations of about $327 million for Outdoor Heritage, $31.7 million for Clean Water, $133 million for Parks and Trails, and $185 million for Arts and Cultural Heritage. No votes or bill actions were taken at this meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• :04:27.840> the<00:04:28.080> lowest chair noted, uh, it's the lowest chair noted, uh,
• So we also want to be fiscally conservative though.
• We did fiscally conservative though.
• for your ongoing commitment to fiscal for your ongoing commitment to fiscal restraint<00:42:59.040
• I look forward to any questions you may have. the course of fiscal years 24 and 25. the course of fiscal

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:00:30 Personnel Cabinet 00:03:25 Department of Veterans Affairs 00:12:40 Auditor of Public Accounts 00:22:39 State Treasurer 00:42:24, 958, all

Summary: The committee first heard from Personnel Cabinet officials on House Bill 6, which required the Kentucky Employees Health Plan to offer a qualified high-deductible health plan by the 2026 plan year. Officials said the plan was already added for 2025, described it as the lowest-premium option with higher deductibles, and explained that federal rules prevent first-dollar coverage except for limited preventive services. They said 264 members had selected the plan out of about 142,000, and noted it also allows health savings accounts. Members asked about the plan’s benefits, what “catastrophic” meant, the deductible amounts, and whether employees were aware of the option; the cabinet said it would continue to highlight the plan in communications and that the deductible is above $8,000 for individuals and above $16,000 for families. The committee then received an update from the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs on the Bowling Green veterans center. Officials said the current target is to move into the building on October 28, with first admissions about two months later, pending final fixes and certification steps for Medicare, Medicaid, and the VA. They explained that about $7 million in FY25 appropriations lapsed because of construction delays, staffing ramp-up was postponed to avoid unnecessary spending, and the unspent funds should be considered in the next budget request. Members praised the project and asked about annual operating costs; officials said the current operating budget is about $15 million, though they do not expect to spend all of it this year. The commissioner also announced the fifth annual state commanders conference in Lexington, focused on veterans issues and featuring state, federal, and advocacy leaders. State Auditor Allison Ball then outlined her office’s budget priorities. She said the office is primarily a billing agency that charges audited entities for its work, and warned that some agencies are now signaling they may refuse to pay for audits related to kinship care and the medical cannabis application process. She said the office plans to continue requesting outlier credits for unusually burdensome county audit fees, funding for the ombudsman office’s transition and expanded in-office operations, and revenue replacement for local government audits and possibly state audits and special examinations. Ball also said the office conducts about 500 audits, reviews, and examinations a year and wants to restore performance audits with seed funding, as well as add investigators to the ombudsman office to focus more on child abuse and neglect cases. Members discussed the value of performance audits, the possibility of raising certain board thresholds to account for inflation, and the need for additional capacity to handle more audits.

Transcript Highlights:

• SO, WE WILL HAVE SOME FISCAL CONSTRAINTS GOING FORWARD. WE JUST NEED TO SPEND WISELY.
• AS NOTED OUR CURRENT INCARCERATION POPULATION IS OVER 89,700 AS OF THIS MORNING.
• AS NOTED THE OLDEST FACILITY IN THIS SLIDE IS OVER 100 YEARS OLD.
• AS YOU KNOW THE DEPARTMENT'S FISCAL YEAR 25 26 FCL ALLOCATION WAS REDUCED BY 56.4 MILLION WITH A LOSS
• I ALSO WANT TO NOTE THAT THESE PROJECTS MANY ARE MULTI PHASED AND TAKE MONTHS TO COMPLETE.

Transcript Highlights:

• The amount for fiscal year 26 and 27, with the inclusion of all of the targets, is 66.6 billion, and
• Uh of note on 3.14 to policy impact.
• years 26 and 27, and then in the tails for fiscal years 28 and 29.
• years 26 and 27, and then in the tails for fiscal years 28 and 29.
• years 26 and 27, and then in the tails for fiscal years 28 and 29.

Bills: HF2436, HF2435

Keywords: child welfare, economic assistance, child care, grant program, video security cameras, healthcare, dementia services, public health funding, opioid prevention, women's health, community health boards, mental health, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman Buckley It's been brought to my attention that the actuarial note on House Bill 2 has language
• So if We do a teacher raise of any kind, that note is going to be on there.
• In my role, I'm also the fiscal agent for regional day school funding. I oversee that.
• Um, for federal funds flow directly to the fiscal-through the fiscal agent of an SSA.
• Because of the fiscal district fiscal agent district who was responsible and where that money would flow

Bills: HB2, HB2

Keywords: public education, teacher compensation, certification, funding, school finance, educator rights, education funding, charter schools, staff compensation, state aid, retention allotment, disaster preparedness, emergency management, flooding, mass fatality, mass casualty, fatality tracking, body recovery, autopsy, justice of the peace

Transcript Highlights:

• And extends documentary stamp tax exemption from certain promissory notes from two to three years and
• Duggan: They sign a promissory note, and every promissory note in the state is subject to an excise tax
• Eskamani: perspective on the House position, but also what would be the fiscal impact to the state Rep
• I will also note that while the retroactive one-year impact is certainly huge at over $3 billion, the
• And expressing her independence in that regard to really focus on fiscal responsibility, I think, is

Transcript Highlights:

• Just a note. Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
• Uh, the fiscal note on that, let's say everybody qualified would be 4.6 million.
• <00:05:13.440> note<00:05:13.680> on<00:05:13.919> that,<00:05:14.320> let's
• Uh the fiscal note on that, let's this.
• Uh the fiscal note on that, let's say<00:05:15.360> everybody<00:05:16.160> qualified<00

Keywords: Vet. and Military Affairs - Room 409, 8 January, 2026; 10:30 A.M., 925, all

Summary: The committee took up Senate Bill 2018, which would create a state-funded reimbursement program to pay Tricare premiums for eligible Mississippi National Guard members. The sponsor explained the bill is intended to improve quality of life, recruiting, and retention, especially for part-time Guardsmen who lack other medical coverage. General Chris Thomas testified that the proposal is a major priority for the Guard and would help address a significant gap in insurance coverage among soldiers and airmen. Members asked how the reimbursement would work, when payments would be made, and whether the benefit would cover the full premium. Thomas said the mechanics were still being worked out, but the intent was to reimburse members fully for their monthly premium, likely through some recurring reimbursement process. He clarified the bill is aimed at traditional part-time Guard members, not full-time AGR or federal technicians who already have medical coverage. Senators also asked whether the benefit would extend to families. Thomas said the current version covers only the service member, though a family plan option exists and the committee discussed the possibility of pursuing that later if the numbers work. The sponsor noted an appropriation bill would be needed to fund the program, with a fiscal note estimated at $4.6 million if all eligible members participated, though that amount would likely be lower because some already have insurance. The committee then adopted a do-pass motion, approved the bill, and reported it out.

Transcript Highlights:

• in the fiscal analysis related to costs, DFPI examiner costs are anticipated because the bill creates
• But it is important to note that the benefits of this bill outweigh the costs.
• Fiscal impact is noted on your agenda primarily at the end of page one and page two. is negligible as
• It's all self-contained within the administrative costs as is noted again on page 2 of your analysis
• While AB 226 has been tagged as a fiscal measure, as the Assemblymember pointed out, it's due solely

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Fiscal note bills not waived under Senate Rule 4-5 to the Committee on Finance.
• So we didn't just make up that $200,000 number; that comes from the fiscal note.
• So we didn't just make up that $200,000 number; that comes from the fiscal note.
• at the fiscal note on the >> I'm looking at the fiscal note on the bill<04:27:09.680> and
• number that comes from the fiscal note. number that comes from the fiscal note.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So I was unable to see a fiscal impact.
• If you could help the committee understand what, if any, fiscal impact may exist.
• There wasn't a fiscal impact listed that I found.
• I would note that my Senate, To get their input as well.
• And so there doesn't seem to be an updated fiscal. It's under review currently.

Keywords: 914, all

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several bills. Senate Bill 419, as amended to update the effective date to 2026, would allow the state treasurer and the Department of Wildlife Conservation/Wildlife Conservation Commission to employ or appoint attorneys. Supporters said the treasurer’s office handles highly specialized financial matters and needs in-house expertise and faster legal advice; questions focused on possible conflicts with the Attorney General, fiscal impact, and why Wildlife was included. After discussion, the bill was reported due pass by a 7-2 vote. Senate Bill 835, also amended to a 2026 effective date, would require qualifying licensing boards and commissions to submit proposed non-rulemaking actions with anti-competitive implications for review by the Secretary of State. The author said the bill responds to antitrust concerns raised by the North Carolina dental board case and is intended to provide state supervision before boards take potentially anti-competitive action. Members questioned whether existing court remedies and Attorney General oversight were sufficient, and whether a single official should have that authority. The bill passed due pass 8-2. Senate Bill 1618 would require courts to conduct pretrial risk assessments early in criminal cases, with the assessments used as one factor in bail decisions but not as the sole basis for granting or denying bail. The author said the bill is modeled on federal practice and is meant to help judges make fact-based decisions and reduce jail overcrowding, especially in Oklahoma County. Members asked about who validates the assessments, county implementation, and costs; the author said counties could choose their own approach and that the fiscal impact would not be significant. The bill was reported due pass 6-4. The committee also considered Senate Bill 262, which was heavily amended and had both the title and enacting clause struck while members continued working on it. The bill concerns moving certain inmates convicted of nonviolent financial crimes out of county jails and into appropriate intake/transport processes, with the author emphasizing the goal of reducing jail overcrowding and inviting further collaboration on the language. Members raised concerns about fairness and possible unequal application based on community ties, and the bill was reported due pass 8-1 despite being acknowledged as a work in progress.

Transcript Highlights:

• We work with the agency and listen to feedback to narrow the bill and reduce its fiscal impacts on the
• That will have to go to the floor because of the fiscal note.
• So this also should get rid of the fiscal note, and I'm happy to take questions. Senator Cook.
• I think it still has a little bit of a fiscal note.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We worked with the agency and listened to feedback to narrow the bill and reduce its fiscal impacts on
• That will have to go to the floor because of the fiscal note.
• So this also should get rid of the fiscal note and I'm happy to take questions.
• I think it still has a little bit of a Chair: Fiscal note.

Transcript Highlights:

• There is a fiscal note on it. You'll notice we'll lose about $15,000 in revenue.
• SB 379 doesn't even have a fiscal note.
• At the very least, we believe SB 379 needs a fiscal note so that the legislature can better understand
• note. ...consideration by the legislature, and that's why I'd ask for a fiscal note.
• He said that indicated some of the concerns with the bill and added that there was also a fiscal note

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The committee heard a series of natural resources and environmental measures, mostly local property transfers and Wildlife and Fisheries bills. It reported favorable on Senate Bills 229 and 71, which authorize property transfers in Bossier and Lafayette parishes, and on several department bills dealing with fishing and boating rules: SB 203 on possession of catch during multi-day trips, SB 429 on registration of lapsed or “orphan” boats, SB 204 on commercial fishing gear licenses for nonresidents, SB 205 reducing duplicate registration for federally documented boats, SB 213 on titling certain vessels and outboard motors, SB 257 removing Social Security number requirements from certain tags, and HB 662, a substitute bill setting a hierarchy for handling seized sick, injured, or orphan wildlife. The committee also adopted amendments and reported favorable SB 379, a technical cleanup bill tied to the Department of Conservation and Energy reorganization, though an opposition witness warned it could reduce minimum oil and gas royalties and asked for a fiscal note. Members also advanced several measures aimed at coastal and flood-related concerns. HCR 62, by Rep. Domangue, urges FEMA to review flood maps every five years instead of every ten and to better account for local flood-protection projects; members broadly supported it and discussed the burden of flood insurance in coastal parishes. SB 214 would give the Teche-Vermilion Fresh Water District authority to stop pumping during immediate flood risk events identified by the National Weather Service or GOSEP, and it was reported favorable. SB 274, as amended, requires lead hazard risk assessments and remediation for certain child care and pre-kindergarten facilities, with DEQ and LDH testimony supporting the update. HCR 78 memorializes Congress to pass the American Seafood Competitiveness Act of 2026, which supporters said would help Louisiana’s seafood industry and access federal loans and grants. The committee also debated broader policy resolutions. HCR 216, by Rep. Owen, sought to repudiate the Louisiana Climate Action Plan of 2022, but after extensive discussion about its purpose, possible effects on existing projects, and whether the legislature should instead hold a hearing, the resolution was voluntarily deferred. Finally, the committee took up SCR 24 on chronic wasting disease rules, adopted amendments raising the prevalence threshold from 1.5% to 2.5% and adjusting zone and baiting provisions, and continued discussion of the bill’s reset of management rules for deer disease control.

Transcript Highlights:

• As far as the fiscal note goes, I've provided you all with some information outside of the fiscal note
• <00:17:24.919> note<00:17:25.480> attached have be an adequate fiscal note attached
• <00:19:29.240> you<00:19:29.360> all fiscal note goes I've provided you all fiscal
• /c><00:19:32.400> like<00:19:32.520> we<00:19:32.600> were fiscal note process I
• feel like we were fiscal note process I feel like we were compliant<00:19:33.240> with<00:19:

Keywords: 0:01– Meeting start/roll call 0:34 – Approval of minutes 0:48 – Welcome of new committee members 1:34 – Council on Postsecondary Education 25:17 – Teachers’ Retirement System 27:00 – Kentucky Public Pension Authority 29:04 – Board of Veterinary Examiners 31:40 – Board of Nursing 34:01 – Board of Emergency Medical Services 36:15 – Fish & Wildlife Resources 40:34 – Department of Corrections 56:00 – Department of State Police 58:05 – Department of Criminal Justice Training 59:22 – Transportation Cabinet 1:00:18 – Department of Education 1:01:23 – Department of Employment Services 1:04:17 – Department of Workplace Standards 1:05:25 – Department of Housing, Buildings & Construction 1:06:59 – Cabinet for Health & Family Services, Dept. for Public Health (Sanitation) 1:13:50 – Cabinet for Health & Family Services, Dept. for Public Health (Trauma System) 1:17:46 – Cabinet for Health & Family Services, Dept. for Public Health (Radon) 1:18:30 – Cabinet for Health & Family Services, Dept. for Medicaid Services 1:19:15 – Cabinet for Health & Family Services, Dept. of Aging Services 1:20:36 – Other Business/Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The subcommittee met with a quorum, approved the minutes, and welcomed new members before taking up Council on Postsecondary Education regulations 13 KAR 2:120 and 13 KAR 2:130. The regulations, as amended by staff and agency amendments, update public university and KCTCS performance funding models to conform to 2024 Senate Bill 191 and the performance funding work group’s recommendations. Changes discussed included replacing the underrepresented minority metric with an underrepresented students metric defined as first-generation students, adding an adult learner metric, increasing the low-income degree premium, adjusting small-school and nonresident credit-hour weights, revising data aging and progression metrics, and adding STEM+H criteria in 13 KAR 2:120. Travis Pal of the Council on Postsecondary Education explained that the changes reflect the work group’s three-year review process and that the work group ultimately voted to define underrepresented students as first-generation students and to apply half-weighting between research and comprehensive universities for the new metric. Michael Frasier of the Kentucky Student Rights Coalition and Eastern Kentucky University student government opposed 13 KAR 2:120, arguing that the regulation improperly applies weights where the statute does not clearly authorize them and that the funding changes disadvantage comprehensive universities and vulnerable students. He asked the committee to find the regulation deficient or, alternatively, recommend legislative clarification and a revised fiscal analysis. Pal responded that weighting has been part of the model since 2017, that CPE was following the statute and work group recommendations, and that the model could be changed by future legislation. Members asked about the timing of the broader performance funding review, and Pal said the full model is reviewed every three years, with the next work group cycle beginning in 2026. No motion to find the regulation deficient was made, and the committee allowed the regulations to proceed to the committee of jurisdiction. The committee then approved a staff amendment to Teachers’ Retirement System regulations 102 KAR 1:195 and 102 KAR 1:340, which require annual reporting of accumulated sick leave, leave policies, and salary schedules to TRS and make technical changes to the final average salary calculation and related definitions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Item 11 is the Town of Evergreen for a not exceeding $190,000 promissory note.
• Item 11 is the Town of Evergreen for a not exceeding $190,000 promissory note.
• I would note that the application does not legally require two-step approval.
• I would note that the university has two outstanding debts.
• The bond anticipation notes were issued in March 2026.

Keywords: 974, senate, all

Summary: The State Bond Commission met on May 21 with a quorum present and approved the April 16 minutes. The commission then reviewed and approved a large slate of local government and public authority financing requests, including election propositions for the November ballot, water and sewer infrastructure projects, fire protection and recreation district bonds, school board financing, and several refunding transactions. Most items were found to meet technical requirements and were approved on motions by Speaker DeVillier and seconded by Senator Talbot. Among the more notable items were the East Baton Rouge City-Parish refunding bonds for the Greater Baton Rouge Airport District, the City of Kenner’s retroactive approval request tied to a convention center agreement with GMB Basketball LLC, a Louisiana Housing Corporation financing increase for the Federal City Building 10 affordable housing project, and preliminary approval for the Northwest Louisiana Finance Authority’s Petro Tower redevelopment in Shreveport. The commission also approved financing for Southern University’s Scott’s Bluff student housing project and the Crescent City Schools/Harriet Tubman Charter School project. The Crescent City Schools item prompted questions about how MFP funds are used; staff explained that lease payments would support the bonds and that MFP funds are generally split between educational expenses and facilities-related costs. The commission received six monthly cost-of-issuance reports, which required no action, and a status update on the state debt schedule. It also approved Resolution No. 2 authorizing up to $425 million in general obligation refunding bonds to refund the Series 2016 bonds and tender other outstanding bonds for savings, with pricing tentatively set for June 16 and closing for June 30. During other business, New Orleans City Council President J.P. Morel thanked the commission for its role in helping address the city’s fiscal crisis and for approving a charter amendment election item aimed at strengthening budget oversight. The meeting adjourned after no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• So that fiscal note has been removed. I think it's a great leap forward.
• So, my understanding that, when the Senate worked on this, the revision to the fiscal notes was based
• Uh, so that fiscal note to that later.
• Uh, so that fiscal note has<00:09:38.320> been<00:09:38.480> removed.
• on, as you said, fiscal notes was based on, as you said, some<00:10:36.720> fun,<00:10:37.200

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The public hearing focused on Senate Bill 153, a proposal to speed up Department of Transportation driveway/entrance permitting for larger residential developments, generally 20 units or more. Senator Mark McConkey, the prime sponsor, said long permit delays can stall financing and housing construction, and explained that the bill creates a second, expedited permitting lane funded by a per-door fee. He said the original 90-day mandate was replaced with a more workable process developed with DOT and the New Hampshire Homebuilders Association, and noted that the fiscal note had been removed. Committee members asked about the fee structure, timing, whether the bill applied to 20 doors/units, and whether it affected income-restricted housing; McConkey said it does not include income-based incentives and does not change zoning or local planning requirements, only the DOT permit timeline. Industry witnesses strongly supported the bill. Matt Mayberry of the New Hampshire Homebuilders Association said the proposal is a public-private partnership the industry requested, that time delays can jeopardize financing, and that builders are willing to pay for faster review as long as safety remains the top priority. Joshua Reap of Associated Builders and Contractors gave similar support, saying DOT bottlenecks have long slowed projects and that the bill would help move approved developments forward without burdening taxpayers. Questions from members focused on whether the expedited lane would pressure DOT to approve unsafe projects, whether consultants would already be vetted, and how the process would work alongside local approvals; witnesses said DOT would still retain final sign-off and that the process would be transparent and safety-focused. Alan Hanscom of DOT then explained the department’s role in more detail. He said the bill would require DOT to issue permits within 60 business days after approval of the traffic impact study for qualifying residential projects, and would create a $120 per-unit fee to fund a dedicated liaison position and software upgrades. He said the applicant would also pay for third-party consultant engineer review under DOT oversight, with the consultant costs passed through at no DOT markup and any unused funds returned to the applicant. Hanscom said DOT has been working with the sponsor and builders to clarify the process and improve transparency, and estimated the fee would support a position that coordinates between applicants, districts, consultants, and DOT bureaus to reduce dead time in the review process.