Transcript Highlights:

• Insurance costs for a house in Alabama yesterday were as follows: - For no fortifications, the insurance
• program.
• department. ...on the website with the insurance department.
• In the insurance industry, water damage is the biggest issue.
• If I do not recertify under the program, my insurance... All right, any more questions?

Bills: HB324, HB252, SB80, HB241

Keywords: sheriffs, term of office, Alabama law, local government, election, residential construction, architectural approval, engineering approval, home building, single family residences, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It adds the word co-insurance to that legislation. And it is to include co-insurance.
• And it's to include co-insurance. And it's to include co-insurance.
• And then there's a split in most insurance programs. That's the co-insurance.
• So to answer that question, the insurance companies dictate the co-pay, deductible, and co-insurance
• We are essentially a self-funded insurance pool, and those we cannot regulate as an insurance company

Summary: The committee’s final day focused first on a historical overview of New Mexico tax packages by Pam Stokes of Legislative Council Services. She described how tax packages have alternated over the decades between tax relief, revenue raising, and tax reform, with examples ranging from the creation of the gross receipts tax in 1966 to major packages in 1981, 1986, 1991, 1994, 2005, 2019, 2022, 2024, and the vetoed 2025 package. Members discussed how tax policy often tracks revenue conditions, how packages can combine increases and decreases, and how local government gross receipts taxes and hold-harmless distributions have affected communities differently. Several members reflected on past packages, especially the 2004 food tax repeal and the 2013 film tax and manufacturing changes, and noted that tax policy can have major economic and political effects even when it is not “sexy” legislation. The committee then heard a proposal to expand the health care practitioner gross receipts tax deduction to include co-insurance, and to extend the sunset date. Sponsor Senator Figueroa said the bill was intended to help recruit and retain medical providers and build on prior deductions for co-pays and deductibles. Testimony explained that co-insurance is the patient’s share after the deductible, that providers currently absorb the gross receipts tax on those payments, and that the proposal would cost about $30 million to the state plus about $20 million to municipalities and counties, with the exact fiscal impact likely to be updated. Members raised concerns about the effect on local governments, whether insurers could be required to reimburse providers, whether the bill would actually attract doctors, and whether better evaluation measures and sunsets should be added. The sponsor said the bill was part of a broader set of efforts to address provider shortages and that the discussion would continue. Representative McQueen then presented a bill to update the Land Conservation Incentives Act. He and conservation partners said the program has protected more than 500,000 acres but has not kept pace with rising land values, especially for irrigated agricultural land in the Middle Rio Grande. The proposal would increase the percentage of conservation value eligible for the credit, raise the per-transaction cap from $250,000 to $2 million, and make the credit refundable rather than only transferable. Testimony emphasized that the program is voluntary, keeps land in private ownership and production, and helps land-rich, cash-poor landowners preserve farmland and water rights. Members asked about average credit amounts, how easements work, whether landowners could effectively buy land and then use the credit, and whether there should be inflation indexing or a statewide cap. The discussion also touched on water rights, fencing, and the role of conservation easements in protecting agricultural land and compact water deliveries. Finally, Senator Sharer previewed his 2% tax proposal with a historical presentation on New Mexico tax law, using props to illustrate the evolution from early territorial tax codes to the modern tax system. He argued that the state’s current tax structure is overly complex and that recent federal changes have disrupted the personal income tax base. The committee did not take any votes on the day’s presentations; the meeting was primarily informational, with members offering feedback and raising policy concerns for future sessions.

Transcript Highlights:

• People wonder, am I insured? Was I insured? What should I do with these different cards?
• insured was I insured people wonder am I insured was I insured what<00:10:10.279> should<00:10
• give them a choice of which insurance give them a choice of which insurance company<00:42:41.040
• type of insurance you have.
• <00:59:43.640> company diabetes however her insurance company diabetes however her insurance

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And that crisis is one of home insurance and business insurance costs literally soaring out of control
• And I think the RFFC program is a good example of that. What program?
• Program that was funded starting in 2020-21 that created the California Wildfire Mitigation Program.
• The hazard mitigation grant program Unlike the BRIC program that you may have heard about, the BRIC program
• Program.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 21.640> program<00:16:22.160> increasing program is a proven program increasing program
• of Insurance, and it is funded by a premium tax assessed on insurers. drug, then the reinsurance program
• dropped insurance between 10 and 20%. dropped insurance between 10 and 20%.
• tax assessed on insurers. tax assessed on insurers.
• insurance company. insurance company.

Keywords: 916, all

Summary: The committee opened by explaining it would work through a long list of interim topics one at a time and asked members to complete a selection form at the end. The first topic, long-term care, drew testimony from AARP Wyoming and the Wyoming Long-Term Care Association. AARP emphasized Wyoming’s aging population, the state’s roughly $200 million annual Medicaid spending on long-term care, and the need to examine whether more support for home-based care could reduce nursing home use and costs. The association agreed with supporting people at home as long as possible, but asked that any study also consider increased support for nursing homes and assisted living when home care is no longer feasible. Committee discussion also touched on adult day care and PACE-like services, with Mr. Laycock noting prior Department of Health discussion and limited adult day availability due to reimbursement concerns. The committee then heard proposals for neonatal intensive care unit family leave, expanded midwifery scope, and a modification to workers’ compensation law. The NICU leave idea, presented by the Wyoming Women’s Foundation, would explore leave options for families with premature infants in intensive care, potentially paid or unpaid, while considering business size and the burden on families who may need out-of-state care. The midwifery topic was framed as a way to address rural maternity and women’s health gaps by allowing midwives to practice to the full extent of their training. On workers’ compensation, the Wyoming Association of Municipalities sought to classify dispatch personnel as first responders so they could receive mental health coverage under workers’ compensation; the Department of Workforce Services explained that current law covers dispatchers under workers’ compensation generally, but the first responder mental health provision added in 2018 applies to law enforcement and firefighters and does not currently include dispatchers. Other topics included problematic gaming and program funding, breast cancer diagnostic and supplemental exams, prescription drug coverage for advanced metastatic cancer, SNAP education, behavioral health workforce clinical training site shortages, CPR in schools, and broader midwifery oversight. The behavioral health workforce proposal, brought by a WICHE commissioner, focused on increasing psychology internship slots in Wyoming, noting that the state currently has only three and that expanding placements could improve recruitment and retention. The CPR in schools topic drew strong support from the American Heart Association, which argued that CPR training in high school could improve bystander response in a rural state with long EMS response times; committee members asked about cost and curriculum fit, and the witnesses said hands-only CPR could be taught by school staff rather than requiring expensive certification. The midwifery discussion later broadened into concerns about oversight and standards after a representative described a constituent’s pregnancy loss and said complaints involving midwifery practice and staffing delays in investigations warranted a deeper review. No votes were taken during the portion provided, and most topics were simply introduced, discussed, and left open for further testimony or later committee selection.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the case of loyalty programs,...
• sub-bullets about what the loyalty program has to... ...programs could be about, and then it gives you
• He declines my insurance, which I'm required to provide. So now I'm not paying for his insurance.
• If I'm an employer and one of my employees declined my insurance, because Medicaid is a better insurance
• ' health insurance?

Keywords: 1146, all

Summary: The Assembly Budget Committee met on June 28, 2026 and considered a long list of budget and policy bills, reporting many of them out of committee, often with amendments. Early measures included AB 2550 on continued dependent health coverage for certain adults with disabilities, AB 4794 allowing tax data sharing with the New Jersey Innovation Authority and Secure Choice Savings Board, and AB 3381/SB 1493 updating occupational therapy licensure requirements. The committee also advanced AB 4014, creating a social media research center at a public four-year institution, though one member opposed it as unnecessary spending given existing research on social media harms. Another bill, AB 5048/SB 1281, would ban certain apparel and diaper products with intentionally added PFAS; some members opposed it over safety and cost concerns, especially for firefighter gear, but it was reported. The committee also moved AB 383, which promotes volunteerism to help FamilyCare and SNAP recipients meet eligibility requirements, and AB 4357, extending telehealth pay parity, though one member objected to parity between telehealth and in-person care. The committee then took up several energy, environmental, and housing-related bills. AB 5188, the Advanced Grid Technologies Act, was released despite opposition from some members and labor interests. AB 2524 would let dual-use solar projects participate in community solar, and AB 5236 would strengthen pediatric psychiatry and behavioral health services; both were reported. AB 5348, allowing temporary use of open-space and related funds for certain municipalities, drew sharp criticism as a diversion of preservation money to fill budget holes, but passed. AB 5280 returned unexpended county appropriations to Hudson County and authorized supplemental operating aid; it also passed despite objections about prior bidding violations. AB 5347 provided certain motor vehicle-related funding to municipalities and was reported, as was AB 5334/SB 4423, appropriating Green Acres and CBT revenues for local open space and park projects. A major portion of the meeting focused on tax and business-related bills. AB 5329 increased the child tax credit for 2026-2028, with testimony urging that the expansion be made permanent; it was reported. AB 3899, the General Contractor Licensing Act, also passed. AB 5310/SB 4406 clarified sentencing under certain circumstances and was reported. AB 5330, allowing temporary transfers in the pension system, drew testimony from NJEA warning that the State Health Benefits Program was in crisis and asking for a longer repayment period to avoid rate spikes; the bill was still reported. AB 1326 created a higher education governance and funding task force and was amended to add a Talmudic institution or theological seminary representative. Later, AB 5333/SB 4424 appropriated additional Green Acres and CBT funds for recreation and conservation projects and was reported. The committee also advanced several business and alcohol-related measures, including AB 5235 establishing the School-Based Partnership for Access and Resilience for Kids program, AB 5325 reducing business formation fees, AB 4836/SB 2368 on portable solar devices, AB 4881 establishing an advanced nuclear energy procurement program, AB 3974/SB 3183 revising renewable energy incentive and solar interconnection rules, AB 4013 creating a social media research center focused on addictive behavior, AB 5225 making temporary alcohol beverage provisions permanent, and AB 5295 revising alcoholic beverage licensing laws. The most contentious debate came on AB 4085, the Fair Price Protection Act, which would restrict “surveillance pricing” and regulate grocery pricing practices. Consumer advocates supported the bill as a protection against individualized pricing, while retailers and chambers of commerce argued the language was too broad and could undermine loyalty programs, discounts, and electronic shelf labels. Despite those objections, the committee voted to report the bill after amendments. Finally, AB 4530/SB 3739 on EV supply equipment standards was reported, and AB 5322 imposing a temporary cap on net operating loss deductions under the corporate business tax sparked strong opposition from business groups and a policy debate over whether legitimate losses and investment-related deductions should be limited; the bill was still moved out of committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:36:11.839> are Insurance to study whether insurance are Insurance to study whether insurance
• <03:31:26.319> producers,<03:31:27.200> insurance insurance producers, insurance insurance
• . insurance. insurance.
• I could have under insurance insurance.
• own insurance? own insurance?

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Creates a volunteer voluntary program Creates a volunteer voluntary program that<00:04:45.360>
• on the voluntary program on the voluntary program they<00:05:02.440> would<00:05:02.560><
• Um, I have not looked into the insurance position myself, but let me take it.
• Um, I have not looked into the insurance position myself, but let me take it.
• I have not looked into the insurance position myself, but let me take it.

Keywords: Agriculture - Room 210, 27 February, 2026; 11:00 A.M., 925, all

Summary: The Senate Agriculture Committee took up three House bills. House Bill 933 was briefly explained as a short bill allowing Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Livestock Theft Bureau agents to retain their sidearms upon retirement. The committee asked no substantive questions, adopted a motion that the title was sufficient, and passed the bill. House Bill 1153, a follow-up to last year’s meat labeling law, was described as clarifying enforcement language and adding cell-cultured deer products. The committee adopted an amendment to specify that a food product is not misbranded and another amendment to strike a special fund reference and replace it with the general fund. Senator McConnell then proposed and secured adoption of an amendment removing language that would have allowed the department to hire outside counsel if the attorney general declined representation. The bill, as amended, was then passed. House Bill 1647, the Grain Indemnity Act, was presented as a voluntary producer opt-in program modeled on similar laws in other states to provide funds in the event of a grain buyer bankruptcy. Senators asked about startup funding and whether insurance or bonding could serve a similar purpose; the sponsor said no funds were included in the bill and noted that insurance coverage may not be available. After discussion, the committee moved the bill as title sufficient and reported it out.

Transcript Highlights:

• Institutions like Rice already self-fund employee insurance programs, which provides flexibility, avoids
• Institutions like Rice already self-fund employee insurance programs, which provides flexibility, avoid
• self-fund employee insurance programs, which provides flexibility, avoids state-mandated insurance costs
• program.
• As you heard, Rice's employee insurance program is self-funded, which gives us flexibility, and we process

Summary: The committee heard and discussed several higher education and public school bills. Senator Burwell presented SB 1242 to remove an outdated Coordinating Board approval requirement for Texas State Technical College land and facility acquisitions, and SJR 59 to create a constitutionally dedicated endowment for TSTC capital needs; both drew strong support from industry and workforce groups and were left pending. SB 757, by Senator Middleton, would create a debt-to-earnings accountability system for public college programs, with supporters saying it would protect students from low-value degrees and opponents warning it could unfairly penalize programs with long-term value, especially graduate, medical, and public service fields; it was also left pending. SB 1241, by Senator Millington, would expand acceptable college entrance exams beyond the SAT and ACT, including the Classic Learning Test, and was left pending after testimony from CLT, homeschool, and student groups in support. SB 1085, by Senator Blanco, would let Sul Ross State University offer lower-division courses at its satellite campuses in the Middle Rio Grande region; it too was left pending. The committee then took up a series of public school and higher education measures, voting several out favorably. SB 605, as substituted, limits commissioner approval of charter school expansion amendments for schools under conservatorship or a management team and was reported favorably 9-0. SB 1871 and SB 1873, both by Senator Perry, were revised to narrow teacher immunity, clarify removal and suspension procedures, require periodic review of in-school suspension placements, and align discipline rules; both substitutes were adopted and reported favorably. SB 1872, SB 1874, SB 762, SB 1962, SB 1750, SB 2252, SB 2253, SB 2365, SB 1924, and SB 37 were also considered, with most reported favorably on party-line or near-unanimous votes. SB 1750 would replace a flat charter school facilities funding cap with an attendance-based formula; SB 2252 and SB 2253 address kindergarten readiness, early literacy/numeracy, and educator preparation; SB 2365 concerns student phone use during instructional time; SB 1924 restores local citation authority for certain school offenses and adds reporting, notice, and completion requirements; and SB 37 would expand state oversight of higher education curriculum, governance, faculty senates, and compliance with state law. Other measures heard included SB 769, which would require a Coordinating Board report on barriers faced by students with disabilities in higher education; supporters emphasized the need for better data and accessibility, while witnesses suggested broader reporting on race, disability types, and K-12-to-college transitions. SB 2231 would designate a Free College Application Week in October and was left pending. SB 1878 would modernize the Josie School statute and provide formula funding and aid eligibility for Polytechnic College. SB 1409 would authorize universities to offer self-funded student health benefit plans, with Rice University and Texas 2036 supporting the measure as a way to lower costs and expand coverage. SB 2431 would require universities to give foreign language credit for study abroad programs, SB 2314 would require schools to inform students about opting in or out of record sharing for direct admissions through My Texas Future, and SB 2138 would extend the state’s anti-ESG contracting restrictions to public higher education endowments and governing boards; these later bills were introduced and left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• to create uh rules for the new program to create uh rules for the new program and<01:14:06.760><
• study as proposed by the dcca insurance study as proposed by the dcca insurance commissioner<01:
• So it's a great program.
• bill says to contract to set the program bill says to contract to set the program upright<02:38:
• we wouldn't be running the program we wouldn't be running the program<02:39:13.720> we<02:39:

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up SB 1494 on hearing aids. Testimony was generally supportive of expanding hearing-aid coverage, with the Insurance Division raising concern about possible federal defrayment issues, SHPDA supporting the goal of hearing augmentation, DCAB strongly supporting the bill as an important access issue, and health plans and insurers asking for amendments. Kaiser Permanente and the Hawaii Association of Health Plans requested changes to add a medical-necessity standard and clarify annual notice language, while HMSA suggested the proposal should be studied by the auditor. The chair noted concerns about federal preemption and the lack of an audit, and deferred the bill in favor of a related resolution calling for a study. The committee then heard SB 1448, an emergency appropriation for the Hawaii State Hospital. DAGS and the Department of Health supported the measure, with the hospital administrator saying the funding would improve the environment of care, support cleaning, and allow a third-party review of the building. Committee members questioned the size of the request and the status of litigation against the design-builder. Administration witnesses said they were pursuing a comprehensive study involving destructive testing, had made a demand on the design-builder to fund the study, and were using different processes than before. They also said the roof work would be handled through a separate CIP request. No final action was taken in the portion provided. The committee next heard SB 1432, relating to the future responsibilities of the Department of Health and land issues at Kalaupapa after the last patient dies. DOH supported the bill in part but said its long-term role would be limited mainly to environmental cleanup, with operations expected to continue under the National Park Service and land-use decisions left to DHHL and beneficiary consultation. DHHL asked that the measure reflect that any land-use or zoning changes on homeland lands require commission approval and beneficiary consultation. Testifiers from Kalaupapa and Maui County, including Degra Vanderbilt-Papa and Council Member Keani Rollins-Fernandez, supported deferring the bill, saying there had been no meaningful community discussion about provisions affecting Kalaupapa’s future management and possible transfer of responsibilities to Maui County. The committee also read into the record written testimony from Gloria Marks emphasizing that Kalaupapa stakeholders must be included in future discussions. Finally, the committee heard SB 955 on fitness-to-proceed examinations. The Judiciary and the Public Defender’s Office both supported raising pay and standardizing expectations for private examiners, but opposed reducing felony fitness evaluations from three examiners to one and opposed expanding use of expedited reports. They argued that a single examiner would reduce reliability, create a more adversarial process, and likely increase costs and contested hearings, while expedited reports do not contain enough information for a proper fitness determination. The Department of Health also supported the bill’s intent but asked to preserve a three-examiner framework and said the goal was to reduce the number of people sent to the State Hospital, where admissions have reportedly risen about 20% year over year since Act 26. The bill remained under discussion in the excerpt, with no final vote shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• that<00:13:55.160> are insurers and self-insurers um that are insurers and self-insurers
• <00:15:23.320> and to insurers and to insurers and self-insurers<00:15:25.040> um<00
• So we have a Min-SHARP program as well as a MINSTAR program.
• program.
• c><01:04:02.480> from<01:04:02.680> a insurance program uh we went from a insurance program

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee met under a new Senate power-sharing arrangement with co-chairs, began with member and staff introductions, and then received a jurisdiction overview from Senate counsel. The overview explained that the Labor Committee’s jurisdiction has not changed from the previous biennium and covers fair labor standards, minimum wage, workers’ compensation, occupational safety and health, and related agencies and boards such as the Department of Labor and Industry, Bureau of Mediation Services, PERB, and the Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals. It also noted that some topics, including paid leave, fall under other committees, while earned sick and safe time remains within Labor and Industry jurisdiction. Commissioner Nicole Blissenbach and Josiah Moore then gave a detailed Department of Labor and Industry presentation. They reviewed the department’s funding sources, emphasizing that workers’ compensation funds and construction codes/licensing revenues make up most of the budget, while the general fund is a small share. They described the department’s major divisions, including workers’ compensation, construction codes and licensing, labor standards, nursing home workforce standards, and OSHA consultation and compliance, and highlighted practical examples of their work. Examples included return-to-work assistance for an injured worker, compliance training that reduced penalties for self-insurers and claim administrators, and use of the Special Compensation Fund when an employer lacked workers’ compensation insurance. The labor standards section highlighted enforcement actions involving unpaid overtime, pregnancy and parental leave retaliation, wage deductions, and child labor violations, along with totals for 2024 collections and inquiries. The presentation also noted the Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board’s adopted rules, the expansion of construction licensing exams statewide, and OSHA consultation programs such as Min-SHARP and MINSTAR, including a Minnesota employer that recently achieved MINSTAR status. No votes or formal committee actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• and co-coordinating a family program.
• social workers through the programs that I...
• We have to talk about the opioid settlement program.
• Health insurance insurers currently have no model for reimbursement for these products.
• As a result, our insurance premiums become more expensive.

Transcript Highlights:

• On healthy rivers and landscape program, there's Healthy Rivers and Landscape Program, there's been a
• So previously that program, if auction revenues came below $130 million, the program would be offset
• , cap-and-invest program has.
• like the Farmer Program, but very much so, the AB617 Community Air Protection Program that have made
• So we'd like to see robust funding for the Wildlife Coexistence Program for the Wolf Program at CDFW,

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The first annual BNI Banking and Insurance Committee meeting of the 2026 session.
• In these instances, most insurance policies will cover the damage for the insured.
• insurance fraud is prosecuted. insurance fraud is prosecuted.
• of Insurance to be investigated. investigated. investigated.
• Uh, we reference this as gap insurance, but it’s really not GAP. It’s not insurance.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00 Call to Order and Roll Call 00:09 Discussion SB 118 00:58 Vote SB 118 03:25 Discussion SB 153 04:39 Vote SB 153 17:48 Discussion SB 158 19:41 Vote SB 158 24:09, 958, all

Summary: The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee met for its first meeting of the 2026 session, called the roll, and welcomed new member Senator G. Gary Clemens. The committee first took up Senate Bill 118, which concerns credit property insurance and would codify existing practice in the Kentucky Revised Statutes. Sponsor Senator Brandon Storm explained that the bill clarifies the treatment of the product and, through a committee amendment, excludes GAP/vehicle protection products from its scope and aligns filing language with current law. The amendment was adopted, the bill passed with favorable expression, and the amendment was rolled into a committee substitute. The committee then heard Senate Bill 153, relating to the prevention of harmful and fraudulent practices. Senator Greg Elkins and witnesses from the Attorney General’s office, Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance, and State Farm described the bill as a response to storm-chaser and contractor fraud after major weather events. They said the measure would codify current coordination between the Attorney General and the Department of Insurance, allow criminal enforcement in addition to civil actions, and formalize an emergency registration/placard system for out-of-state contractors and volunteer groups during disasters. Members asked about how the bill would affect homeowners who directly hire contractors and whether volunteer groups such as disaster relief organizations or Amish/Mennonite volunteers would be required to register; sponsors said direct hiring would not be affected and volunteers would be handled through a separate identification process. The committee substitute was adopted, the bill passed as amended, and members emphasized the need to protect homeowners from fraud and inflated costs. Finally, the committee considered Senate Bill 158, relating to vehicle financial protection. Senator Jason Howell and representatives of the Guaranteed Asset Protection Alliance explained that the bill modernizes and regulates GAP waivers and related consumer protection products, such as debt waiver and depreciation benefit agreements, while keeping them legal in Kentucky. Supporters said the bill would ensure providers are properly funded and bonded and would align Kentucky with other states. The bill passed with favorable expression, and the meeting ended on a note of bipartisan agreement on all three measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• Fix through the insurance policies in our state.
• There's no insurance for me.
• Have any of the insurance companies said to you, have you met with any insurance company that provides
• this insurance?
• And we don't know whether the insurance part or...

Transcript Highlights:

• In 2024, the legislature made the program portable, meaning that if workers pay into the program for
• So it makes the program, it fulfills the promise of the program, such that anyone who pays into WAC Cares
• care insurance program and, of course, a WACares state-run program.
• HRSN includes both new and expanded programs.
• The third program is peer bridgers.

Summary: The committee met for what was described as its final meeting, with members and staff reflecting on the work of the Joint Legislative Executive Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care and noting that future work would likely shift to standing health and wellness committees. The meeting began with introductions and then moved into updates on major initiatives that originated from the committee, including Washington Cares, the Dementia Action Collaborative, and Medicaid long-term care programs. Presenters emphasized that these efforts were developed through long-term legislative-executive collaboration and were intended to help Washington prepare for the state’s aging population. On Washington Cares, DSHS described the program’s development from a 2014 research effort to its 2019 enactment, premium collection beginning in 2023, portability improvements in 2024, and 2025 changes including a grandfathered opt-out fix and a framework for supplemental private long-term care insurance. The agency said benefits are expected to go fully live next summer, with a pilot of up to 400 applicants planned for next January. On dementia policy, the Dementia Action Collaborative reported on the state dementia plan, Project ECHO training for providers, and pilot dementia-capable community programs at area agencies on aging, citing preliminary results that about 85% of family caregivers said services helped people remain at home. DSHS also reviewed Medicaid Transformation Project initiatives, including Medicaid Alternative Care, Tailored Supports for Older Adults, presumptive eligibility, and health-related social needs benefits such as rental assistance, nutrition support, and home modifications. The committee then heard an emerging issues panel from ombuds and disability advocates. Patricia Hunter of the long-term care ombuds program raised concerns about staffing shortages, resident rights, surveillance technology, private equity ownership of facilities, and illegal discharges or evictions. Betty Sweeterman of the Developmental Disabilities Ombuds discussed people stuck in hospitals without medical need, gaps in behavioral health services for people with developmental disabilities, and the need for better workforce training. Todd Carlyle of Disability Rights Washington urged expansion and bundling of community supports such as PACT, GOSH, and peer bridgers to reduce repeated institutionalization and support discharge from inpatient psychiatric settings. Provider and labor panels followed, with nursing home, assisted living, supported living, and union representatives all emphasizing workforce shortages, low wages, Medicaid rate inadequacy, case management bottlenecks, behavioral health complexity, and the need for more flexible care models and stronger accountability for rate increases. No formal votes were taken; the meeting ended with public comment on manufactured housing and closing remarks thanking staff and participants for the committee’s work.

Transcript Highlights:

• Insurers bring claims against utilities on behalf of their policyholders to recover the insurance claim
• homeowner insurance available.
• insurance.
• provides for earthquake insurance.
• to the insurance company.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy held a hearing on the California Earthquake Authority’s SB 254 report and broader options for reforming California’s utility wildfire recovery system. The chair framed the discussion around the Palisades and Eaton fires, the scale of wildfire-related costs on utility bills, and the need to weigh trade-offs among survivors, ratepayers, utilities, insurers, and taxpayers. The first panel featured wildfire survivors William Abrams and Joy Chen, who described long delays in compensation, housing insecurity, and what they viewed as a system that protects utility shareholders more than victims. They urged greater transparency, clearer accountability for utility spending and safety performance, faster and fuller compensation for survivors, and reforms such as independent audits and better alignment of utility incentives with wildfire prevention and restitution. The second panel began with Tom Welsh of the California Earthquake Authority, who explained that the SB 254 report was intended as a broad inventory of policy pathways rather than recommendations. He described the report’s process, including stakeholder submissions, workstreams, and a convergence process, and outlined the current wildfire fund structure: utilities remain liable, the fund reimburses eligible claims after a covered wildfire, and the CPUC later determines prudency and possible reimbursement back to the fund. RAND’s Lloyd Dixon summarized compensation data, saying utilities paid about $38 billion between 2017 and 2024, with major shares going to injured parties, insurers, and public entities, while litigation costs and survivors’ own losses remain substantial. He noted that legal fees and delays reduce the amount survivors ultimately receive. Utility and public-interest witnesses offered differing views on the report’s pathways. PG&E’s Tyson Smith said the report shows inaction is the worst outcome and argued for community wildfire risk reduction, equitable allocation of catastrophe costs, and state-led resilience tools. LADWP’s Fernando Valero emphasized the vulnerability of municipal utilities and cities, and supported inverse condemnation reform, a state-sponsored liability insurance framework, damages and subrogation limits, and stronger insurance access. Consumer Attorneys of California’s John Fisk argued that IOU-caused fires are not natural disasters but the result of negligence and sometimes criminal conduct, and opposed reducing utility liability while supporting stronger oversight and audits. The Public Advocates Office’s Nathaniel Skinner focused on affordability, saying ratepayers already bear large and growing wildfire costs and warning against shifting more costs onto bills without measurable risk reduction and tighter accountability. Committee members then began questioning witnesses about what counts as measurable mitigation, how to define full and fair compensation, and how any fast-pay process should work.

Transcript Highlights:

• , does the insurance company are ready?
• Pet insurance is more for.
• It establishes a grant program for the Critical Infrastructure Mapping Grant program.
• and another self betterment programs.
• program.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So there's a variance on what our insurance covers as far as our co-insurance. Okay.
• We do have an evaluator with our program that evaluates all of our programs.
• We do have an evaluator with our program that evaluates all of our programs.
• We do have an evaluator with our program that evaluates all of our programs.
• It amends an existing program for administration of the Autism Waiver Program.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• employment programs. employment programs.
• programs that they're already doing. programs that they're already doing.
• program? No. program? No.
• They have psychiatric programs, pediatric psych programs.
• insurance companies to pay. insurance companies to pay.

Keywords: Roll Call - 00:10 Discussion on SCR 61 – 01:46 Vote on SCR 61 – 11:33 Discussion on SR 18 – 12:30 Vote on SR 18 - 30:01 Discussion on Ky Residential Autism Services – 32:34 Questions & Comments – 56:56, 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and first considered Senate Concurrent Resolution 61, sponsored by Senator Shelley Funke Frommeyer and Representative Matt Lockett. The resolution, as amended by committee substitute, would create a legislative task force tied to the MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) framework to study Kentucky health policy, including Medicaid drug approvals, preventive and alternative therapies, holistic health education, oversight and transparency in health care, and research into integrative approaches. Supporters said the goal was to address chronic disease and reduce over-medication, while emphasizing the effort was not intended as an attack on agriculture or the pharmaceutical industry. The resolution received favorable expression and passed the committee 9-0. The committee then heard Senate Resolution 18 from Senator Neal, urging Kentucky to maximize participation in the federal SNAP Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) program. Testimony from Jessica Klein of the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy and Secretary Eric Friedlander explained that SNAP E&T provides job training, education, and support services for SNAP participants, and that the program is federally matched and does not require additional General Assembly funding in the normal course. Members discussed how the program works, whether it could create new state costs, and how it fits with efforts to connect food assistance, workforce development, and local agriculture. Questions also focused on whether SNAP spending can be steered toward healthier foods and farmers markets, including Kentucky’s Double Dollars program, which was described as helping participants buy produce, meat, and dairy at participating markets and some retailers. Several members expressed support for the workforce goals but asked for more information on fiscal impacts and purchasing data. Secretary Friedlander said the SNAP E&T funds are separate from nutrition benefits, and that the state match generally comes from employer, university, or workforce partner contributions rather than new state appropriations. Senator Herron explained her vote in favor by saying the program could help people gain education and employment and reduce reliance on SNAP over time. Senate Resolution 18 was then adopted by the committee.