Transcript Highlights:

• They then called the Child Protection Team.
• The Child Protection Team then found verified findings of physical injury to the child for a broken femur
• Flash forward, the child was with his caregiver and the caregiver took the child to the ER for a rash
• the child and they determined there were no findings of abuse to the child.
• diagnoses by Child Protection Teams.

Transcript Highlights:

• , and that one child, and there's no spouse, that one child would be able to recover up to $1 million
• the agency is taken and prohibits the agency from any automatic enrollments.
• APD wait list, the pre-enrollment list, some for more than a decade or more.
• There can be no auto enrollment. So this is 100% completely voluntary.
• It would be based on, you know, the numbers who enroll first. Senator Davis.

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several recognitions, including interns, Denim Day awareness, a resolution honoring Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange, and a remembrance of former Senator Karen Johnson Gendron. The chamber then moved to special order bills. CS/HB 687 on transportation offenses involving death was substituted for SB 138, amended to add warnings and penalties for refusal of breath or urine tests, and passed 37-0. CS/SB 306 on Medicaid providers, requiring broader after-hours access and network availability for Medicaid enrollees, also passed 37-0. The Senate then took up CS/CS/HB 913 on condominium associations, a major post-Surfside reform bill. Senator Bradley explained that the measure was intended to provide financial relief and flexibility while preserving safety and accountability. The bill was substituted for SB 1742, amended several times to limit milestone inspections and structural integrity reserve studies to buildings three habitable stories or more, and then passed 37-0 after extensive debate. Senators from both parties praised Bradley, Pizzo, Garcia, and staff for years of work on condo safety and affordability, with several members describing the bill as a balance between protecting residents and avoiding financial hardship. The final major item was CS/HB 1205, the bill on amendments to the state constitution and citizen petition drives. Sponsors Gates and Grohl argued the bill was needed to combat fraud, identity theft, and misuse in the petition process, citing a lengthy Office of Election Crimes and Security report. The House bill was substituted for SB 7016, and the chamber considered a long series of amendments and substitute amendments addressing petition circulator registration, volunteer participation, submission deadlines, invalid-signature thresholds, voter notification, and fiscal impact statements. Several amendments were adopted, while others were debated over whether they would protect access to the citizen initiative process or strengthen election integrity. The transcript ends during debate on the main substitute amendment, before final disposition on the bill is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• The open enrollment period in 2027 is shortened to nine weeks.
• up every year for the same plan. ...not be auto-enrolled.
• They'll have to sign up every year for the same plan during open enrollment.
• The open enrollment period in 2027 is shortened to nine weeks.
• Now it's if you have a dependent child up to age 15.

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee held a work session to review how H.R. 1 (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act) could affect Washington’s Medicaid, long-term care, developmental disabilities, and food assistance programs, with a focus on implementation challenges, fiscal impacts, and likely coverage losses. Staff and agency officials explained Washington’s Medicaid financing structure, eligibility categories, caseload trends, and the role of the Health Care Authority and DSHS in administering Apple Health and related services. They also described how Medicaid expansion increased access to behavioral health services and how H.R. 1’s provisions are expected to affect the expansion population most directly. Health Care Authority and DSHS officials outlined several major H.R. 1 changes: new work and community engagement requirements for the Medicaid expansion population, six-month redeterminations instead of annual renewals, changes to immigrant eligibility, limits on provider taxes and state-directed payments, new cost-sharing requirements, reduced retroactive coverage, and changes affecting long-term care eligibility. They said Washington is still awaiting federal guidance on many details, but estimated that about 620,000 Apple Health expansion enrollees could be subject to work requirements, that roughly 30,000 immigrants could lose Medicaid eligibility under the new definition of qualified alien, and that some long-term care and developmental disability clients could be indirectly affected. Officials also said the state is working with other agencies to build shared verification systems and may seek a delay waiver, though they do not expect broad federal flexibility. The committee also heard that H.R. 1 immediately blocks Medicaid reimbursement for Planned Parenthood services for one year, with the state planning to backfill about $11 million to preserve access. In addition, officials warned that the law could reduce federal Medicaid revenue by billions over time and strain hospitals and emergency rooms as more people become uninsured. They noted that Washington’s rural health transformation grant application is due November 5 and could bring some funding, but not to offset coverage losses. No votes were taken; the session was informational only. The committee then heard a separate presentation on food assistance, where staff and DSHS described H.R. 1’s SNAP changes, including expanded work requirements, immigrant eligibility restrictions, higher state administrative costs, and a possible future state share of benefit costs tied to payment error rates. DSHS estimated a four-year fiscal impact of about $750 million for food assistance changes and said the state is working on system and policy changes across agencies before the new requirements take effect.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> year with the state support enrollment year with the state support enrollment in<00:18:36.880><c
• </c> also that about 30% of this enrollment also that about 30% of this enrollment activity<00:19:05.080
• We know that about 6,000 of them enroll in the community college system, about 6,600 enroll in the university
• We know that about 6,000 of them enroll in the community college system, about 6,600 enroll in the university
• </c><00:38:46.319><c> Center</c> we call it an Outreach Enrollment Center we call it an Outreach Enrollment

Summary: The Public Higher Education Study Committee held an organizational meeting and received an update from the university and community college systems on implementation of recommendations from the governor’s higher education task force. The systems said the task force report contained about 40 recommendations, and they have focused first on operational items while continuing to work on larger policy issues, including better alignment of public higher education with workforce and economic development needs. The committee also discussed reporting requirements under the amended law and whether quarterly reports are required or whether annual updates are sufficient unless the committee requests more. A major topic was expanding Early College and dual-enrollment opportunities. The chancellors reported strong growth in Early College participation, significant student and family savings, and state scholarship support that they described as producing a strong return on investment. They said the goal is to build clearer pathways so students can earn college credit, reduce debt, and stay in New Hampshire for postsecondary education. They also noted ongoing work to simplify admissions and transfer processes, including about 100 transfer pathways between the systems, direct-admit efforts for community college and university students, and continued development of transfer equivalency tools. Members pressed the systems and the Department of Education on direct outreach to high school students, especially juniors, so students would know they are eligible for direct admission and other opportunities. The main obstacle discussed was access to student contact information, with officials saying the issue may involve contract limits with the College Board and possibly statutory constraints on sharing data. Department of Education staff said they are meeting with the systems and vendors to determine what changes are needed. Committee members urged faster action so students and families can receive letters or other notices about in-state options, affordability programs such as Granite Guarantee, and pathways to community college and university enrollment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 4531, Ruiz McKnight, increases the amount of a child tax credit in taxable years 26, 27,
• We really applaud the expansion of the child tax credit, delivering relief to families directly.
• It's great to expand the child tax credit. ...to testify tonight. This bill is great.
• the child tax credit to provide direct relief to families.
• an eligible child because it could affect their job prospects.

Committee: Senate Senate Budget and Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> necessary uh for their Medicaid enrolled necessary uh for their Medicaid enrolled students<00:35
• So right there to help with that child.
• </c><01:15:42.800><c> they</c> regardless if a child has an IEP. they regardless if a child has an IEP
• And while my denial was child.
• ,</c><01:24:46.480><c> I</c> 5 days after I buried my child, I 5 days after I buried my child, I received

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight Board met on March 9 with a quorum present and no minutes to approve. The chair reordered the agenda to hear House Bill 689 first. Representative Amy Neighbors presented HB 689, which would authorize Kentucky to seek CMS approval for a Medicaid state-directed payment program for physician and non-physician professional services delivered through qualifying hospital-affiliated groups, beginning January 1, 2026, with retroactive payments for that year. She said the bill is intended to improve access to care in rural and underserved areas, support workforce retention, and generate about $29 million annually in federal Medicaid funds without using general fund dollars. Representatives from Owensboro Health and St. Elizabeth Healthcare testified in support, describing staffing and subsidy pressures, lower Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement, and the importance of the program for maintaining access and quality in rural and safety-net settings. Committee members noted the bill had already passed the House Health Services Committee unanimously and discussed broader concerns about Kentucky’s low reimbursement rates and the need to consider other systems not covered by the proposal. The board then heard Senate Bill 2011 from Senator Donald Douglas and Cody Hunt of the Kentucky Medical Association. The bill would address a Medicaid coding issue by ensuring that coverage limits do not reduce payment to fewer than two evaluation and management service units per provider, per patient, per day. Douglas argued the current one-visit, one-issue limitation forces multiple visits, increases no-shows, and prevents providers from treating the whole patient. Hunt explained that the bill is meant to correct a longstanding regulation that limited E&M services to one per physician per recipient per date of service, which can prevent providers from coding additional medically necessary work during the same visit. He said DMS has already filed a regulatory amendment to fix the problem, but a statutory change is still needed to prevent the issue from returning. He also said the bill is not intended to change reimbursement policy, only coding rules, and that MCO payment practices vary. Members generally supported the concept. Senator Berg asked about fiscal impact and private-payer billing; Hunt said there should be no fiscal impact because the bill does not change payment policy, only coding. Representative Moore said the proposal could reduce costs and improve convenience by avoiding extra visits. Chairman Meredith said the bill illustrated problems with fee-for-service care and supported moving toward a more holistic delivery model. Dr. Schuster raised a drafting concern about the bill summary language, and Hunt responded that the regulatory amendment should address the issue generally for providers. No votes were taken on either bill during this portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• The child was taken into temporary DCF custody, and the SJC held that DCF cannot vaccinate that child
• As a child, I was vaccine injured.
• I was injured as a child.
• I am pro-child. Our country... Freedom. I am pro-parent. I am pro-child.
• The youngest one was 14 years old, a single child, the son of parents with one child.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Public Health

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Health held a hearing on several vaccination-related bills, including proposals to eliminate non-medical or religious exemptions for school immunizations (notably H. 2554 and S. 1557), a bill to require or improve reporting and administration of immunization data and exemptions (described as the Community Immunity Act, S. 1618), and H. 2431, which would prohibit COVID-19, mRNA, or gene-altering vaccine requirements. The committee also heard testimony on H. 2463, which would classify funeral directors as public health workers for vaccine-priority purposes during emergencies. The chair reviewed testimony rules and repeatedly asked speakers to keep comments orderly and brief so the committee could hear as many people as possible. No votes were taken during the hearing. Testimony on H. 2554 and S. 1557 was sharply divided. Pediatricians, infectious disease specialists, public health advocates, and groups such as the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Massachusetts Medical Society, March of Dimes, Massachusetts Families for Vaccines, and several parents supported eliminating religious exemptions, arguing that vaccination protects medically vulnerable children and adults, improves herd immunity, and helps prevent outbreaks of measles, pertussis, and other diseases. They cited local school data showing pockets of lower coverage and incomplete reporting, and several speakers referenced outbreaks in other states and the need for stronger, more consistent reporting and exemption management. Opponents argued the bills would infringe on religious freedom and parental rights, force families to choose between faith and education, and unfairly target a small number of families; some also said Massachusetts already has high vaccination rates and that the real issue is incomplete data or the gap population rather than religious exemptions. H. 2431 drew testimony from supporters who said COVID-era mandates caused job losses, privacy concerns, and harm, and that the bill would prevent future requirements for COVID, mRNA, or gene-altering vaccines in schools, workplaces, and public settings. Supporters described personal experiences with alleged vaccine injury or mandate-related hardship. H. 2463 was supported by the Massachusetts Funeral Directors Association, which argued funeral directors work in infection-facing settings and should be eligible for vaccine priority during public health emergencies. The hearing featured extensive public testimony but no committee action beyond hearing the bills and taking questions from members.

Transcript Highlights:

• error in the child abuse homicide statute.
• Child abuse homicide statute.
• And so the issue was in murder, basically we added child torture wherever we had aggravated child abuse
• Aggravated child abuse done recklessly is in the child abuse homicide statute, because I hear it goes
• The child abuse homicide statute, because, here we'll go to the next slide, because child torture involves

Committee: Joint Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Interim Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• There are enrolled members that own DED ground<01:24:04.080><c> and</c><01:24:04.400><c> non-enrolled
• I am also an enrolled member of the Eastern Shosonyi tribe.
• Those are the considering enrolling.
• Approximately half of them enroll at CWC. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
• </c> child welfare act. child welfare act.

Committee: Joint Select Committee on Tribal Relations

Transcript Highlights:

• The child can watch TV or do what they need to do.
• That goes through the enrollment management.
• Violence and child abuse identification and reporting.
• The other for child abuse reporting is to just ensure timely certification of a child abuse case back
• Families and victims in the case of child abuse.

Transcript Highlights:

• When you get to that post-grad, you start to have all these worries and these questions: what is my child
• Scheduling conflicts, language barriers, lack of child care, and limited understanding of the IEP all
• And yes, it might not be what your student or child is ready to access right now.
• parent is participating and expressing what they really want for their hopes and dreams for their child
• We have our after-dark program, so students can have a dual enrollment there and be enrolled in a trade

Summary: The Employment Subcommittee of the Permit Commission on Status of Persons with Disabilities met on April 27 and approved the prior meeting minutes before hearing a presentation from the Lawrence Partnership for Transition to Employment (LPTE). Presenters from UMass Boston’s Institute for Community Inclusion, the Arc of Greater Haverhill-Newburyport, Northeast, and Lawrence Public Schools described LPTE as a five-year grant focused on improving transition outcomes for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Lawrence through community partnerships, work groups, and family engagement. A major focus was a family survey designed to better understand barriers to transition planning and IEP participation. Presenters said the survey response rate increased sharply after Lawrence Public Schools helped distribute it, rising from about a dozen responses to more than 200. Survey findings showed common barriers such as scheduling conflicts, language access, childcare, transportation, and limited understanding of IEPs and transition planning. The data also suggested that many families expect college or employment outcomes for their children, but fewer reported access to pre-employment training, indicating a communication gap rather than a lack of services. Lawrence school staff explained that the district has a five-person transition team, bilingual resources, workshops, and a developing online transition hub, and that they are using the survey results to improve visibility and access to existing supports. Committee members discussed the need to start transition planning earlier, expand real-world work experiences, improve outreach to Latino families, and better connect students with college, trade, and employment pathways. Several members suggested partnerships with summer youth employment, volunteer programs, and college or alumni panels. The presenters said the grant ends in September, but the resource hub will continue through the Arc and they are exploring ways to sustain the consortium model. The meeting ended with thanks to the presenters, an update that committee members would meet with Seed on Massachusetts as a model employer, and notice that the next meeting would feature the Office of Veteran Affairs before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• This day gives us an opportunity, and it always reminds us that every child that picks up a book learns
• It reminds us that every child that picks up a book learns and reads and grows, and we need to continue
• is not just about celebrating books, but it's about celebrating the potential that each and every child
• Every story a child reads helps shape their understanding of the world and their place within that world
• Without objection, I request that SCR 112 by Senator Grove be withdrawn from engrossing and enrolling

Transcript Highlights:

• in... ...the service area of a designated provider if that development is enrolled in the CAGRD does
• I do not want that in my child. We have that right as citizens of this country.
• ... ...there are plenty of other private options out there if you want to make sure that your child can
• They desperately need us to keep a public school classroom as a safe place where their child can... .
• I think that's important throughout memberships and then their enrollment in professional development

Transcript Highlights:

• Section 20 is new language that allows a certified community behavioral health clinic to enroll as a
• <00:12:23.639><c> health</c><00:12:23.880><c> clinic</c><00:12:24.639><c> to</c><00:12:24.880><c> enroll
• </c><00:12:25.199><c> as</c><00:12:25.320><c> a</c> behavioral health clinic to enroll as a behavioral
• health clinic to enroll as a provider<00:12:26.120><c> of</c><00:12:26.480><c> Mental</c><00:12:26.800
• care for short holders to provide child care for short time<00:19:58.360><c> period</c> time period

Transcript Highlights:

• The one thing I would point out that I've seen a lot of numbers on is the declined enrollment in a lot
• Boise has had a significant decline in enrollment.
• They automatically re-enroll them every single year.
• And I've had moms that have reached out to me after ...re-enroll them every single year.
• I mean, under Bill Clinton or Bush, it was No Child Left Behind, which sounds like a great policy.

Committee: House Education

Transcript Highlights:

• Overall, as a reminder, CSU enrollment is strong.
• However, as you know, enrollment trends are uneven.
• And you can really see the interaction with community college enrollment and CSU enrollment in this situation
• strategies under consideration, and five-year enrollment projections.
• and campuses that are not meeting enrollment targets.

Transcript Highlights:

• a fiscal note from the Health Care Authority showing indeterminate impacts based on changes in enrollment
• And generally when that happens, employers are required to enroll all regularly compensated employees
• One would be Ponderay, which has about 18 employees that are currently not enrolled in PERS while it
• However, this fee does not consider the voluntary nature of employee benefit enrollment.
• My name is Darlene, and I am an asylum holder in home care caregiving for a nine-year-old child with

Bills: SB5834 , SB5835 , SB5883 , SB5905 , SB6151 , SB6163 , SB6177 , SB6173

Committee: Senate Ways & Means

Keywords: Washington retirement systems, retirement trust funds, interest earnings, public employee retirement system, teachers retirement system, state patrol retirement system, judicial retirement system, judges retirement system, school employees retirement system, public safety employees retirement system, law enforcement officers and firefighters retirement system, PERS, TRS, LERS, legal expenses, medical expenses, administrative expenses, fraud prevention, overpayment recovery, trust fund protection

Transcript Highlights:

• Child care providers speeds up the process for getting childcare.
• Teachers hired in the classroom increases the use of tentacles assistance offered by DCF to child care
• So that parents will have access to testing for rare diseases at the time their child is born.
• What we know is that the earlier diagnoses occurs with a child with a rare disease.
• Thank you for continuing to advocate for your child.

Transcript Highlights:

• Your enrollment and shared with states.
• land a child a three-year-old child<01:37:54.639><c> in</c><01:37:54.960><c> the</c><01:37:55.199><c
• </c><01:37:56.320><c> And</c><01:37:56.560><c> new</c> child in the emergency room.
• And new child in the emergency room.
• are enrolled in that program.

Summary: The committee met and approved the minutes from its August 27 meeting. It then received a presentation from Katherine Castanza of the National Conference of State Legislators on the Medicaid provisions in the 2025 budget reconciliation bill, referred to as HR1. She explained that the bill is estimated by CBO to save the federal government $911 billion over 10 years, with more than 20 Medicaid-specific provisions, most of the savings concentrated in five policies and largely backloaded into 2030-2034. She emphasized that the bill’s effects will vary by state, but that expansion states and hospitals are expected to be most affected, in part because of changes to eligibility, provider taxes, and state-directed payments. Castanza highlighted several new funding and flexibility provisions, including a $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Fund for 2026-2030 and a new home- and community-based services waiver option effective July 1, 2028, with $100 million in grants in fiscal year 2027. She also outlined major eligibility changes for Medicaid expansion adults: work or community engagement requirements effective January 1, 2027; twice-yearly redeterminations for the expansion population effective the same date; and new cost sharing for certain expansion adults effective October 1, 2028. She noted that Kentucky, as an expansion state, would be subject to these changes and that state agencies would face significant implementation demands, especially because federal guidance and timelines are tight. A substantial portion of the presentation focused on financing changes. Castanza described new limits on provider taxes, including a 0% safe harbor for new taxes and a phased reduction for existing taxes in expansion states beginning in 2028, while nursing facilities and intermediate care facilities are exempt from the reduction if already taxed. She also explained that state-directed payments will be capped and phased down over time, with existing arrangements grandfathered only briefly; she said Kentucky has 11 approved state-directed payments and could see significant fiscal effects. She added that the bill also bars Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood or similarly situated providers for one year, changes immigrant eligibility rules effective October 1, 2026, lowers the federal match for certain emergency services, and expands the scope of the federal erroneous payment recoupment provision effective October 1, 2029. Throughout, she stressed that federal savings may translate into state cost shifts and that implementation timing will be critical.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:03:06.000><c> advocacy</c> believe that the pro child advocacy believe that the pro child advocacy
• Were you asking about child advocacy, domestic violence, or rape crisis? Domestic violence.
• Were you asking about child advocacy, domestic violence, or rape crisis? Domestic violence.
• </c><00:10:36.480><c> advocacy,</c> you asking about um child advocacy, you asking about um child advocacy
• They gave us concurrent enrollment. They gave us specific<00:20:12.480><c> guidelines.

Committee: House Appropriations & Revenue