Video & Transcript Research : 'budget implementation'
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AR
Arkansas 2026 1st Special Session
ARKANSAS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (ALC) Mar 20th, 2026
ARKANSAS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (ALC)
Transcript Highlights:
- The Human Development Centers are allocated 1,880 budgeted positions.
- So I'm fine if we want to hold this for Joint Budget Committee.
- Let Joint Budget take it up. Whoever's next. Okay. To hold that, let Joint Budget take it up.
- As you know, we recently implemented the pay plan, which raised the rates.
- Is it budget constraints? Is it federal funding being cut? Yes.
Summary:
The council opened with a prayer, approved the prior meeting minutes, and received the February 2026 Monthly Revenue Report from Carlos Silva of the Bureau of Legislative Research. He reported gross revenues of $5.36 billion and net collections of $4.5 billion, both above the prior year to date, and said the updated forecast now shows a larger expected surplus. Members asked about declines in some tax categories, natural gas severance fee fluctuations, inflation, and economic development incentives; Silva attributed several changes to timing, refunds, tax cuts, weather, and price volatility, and generally described the state’s revenue trend as positive.
The Executive Committee, Administrative Rules, Claims Review, Game and Fish, Higher Education, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Medicaid studies, Occupational Licensing Review, State Insurance Programs Oversight, and other subcommittee reports were adopted. The Medicaid studies report drew extended discussion about DHS staffing and contract nursing costs at state hospitals and human development centers; DHS officials said they were working on a recruitment and retention plan, reported significant vacancies and turnover, and said the state was not at risk of overspending the contracts. Several members urged reducing reliance on contract labor and moving staff onto state payrolls.
The Review Subcommittee report prompted questions about a Department of Public Safety aircraft maintenance item and a Department of Shared Administrative Services contract for Deloitte to implement performance and goals management software tied to the state’s new personnel system. After discussion, the aircraft maintenance item was held briefly and then withdrawn from the hold, while the shared services contract was explained as a one-time integration/configuration project for a system that will support employee evaluations and performance-based pay; the report and the separate contract vote were approved. The Personnel Subcommittee also heard testimony from Commerce Secretary Hugh McDonald about reductions in force at the Division of Services for the Blind, which he attributed to funding shortfalls and fiscal mismanagement; members questioned the impact on blind and visually impaired clients, the status of board appointments, and whether federal funds could be at risk. The report was adopted with immediate consideration, and the meeting ended after filing the remaining APER report and adjourning.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- <00:40:58.720>
And, included in the 20 2023 uh, budget. - And, included in the 20 2023 uh, budget.
- Our school board recently took action to budget for a $4.9 million budget cut in the 2026-27 school year
- <01:43:51.679>
Policy so is implementation expertise. - Policy so is implementation expertise.
Keywords:
school safety, grants, education funding, Northern Lights Express, security improvements, rural schools, safe schools, charter schools, nonpublic schools, Tribal education, funding increase, safe schools aid, school security, mental health support, Tribal schools, cybersecurity, funding, mental health, evidence-based plans, public safety
VT
Vermont 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Session - 2026-05-20 - 10:00AM
Vermont Senate Floor Meeting
AL
Alabama 2026 1st Special Session
Alabama Senate Transportation and Energy Committee Mar 11th, 2026
Transportation and Energy
Transcript Highlights:
- So, you know, we're working on the budget now.
- Is this in DOT's budget or is it Aaliyah's budget that we're looking at, or are both?
- <00:11:34.880>
or budget now. - Is this in DOT's budget or budget now.
- budget<00:11:36.640>
that <00:11:36.880>we're is it Aaliyah's budget that we're is
Keywords:
SB341, Alabama, veteran license plate, veteran tag, distinctive license tag, specialty plate, radiation exposure, atomic bomb testing, ionizing radiation, World War II veterans, Vietnam veterans, Korean War veterans, Cold War veterans, Desert Storm, Desert Shield, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Inherent Resolve, Department of Veterans Affairs, probate judge
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- :14.840>
in status of her Department's efforts in status of her Department's efforts in implementing - <00:03:15.640>
in <00:03:15.879>implementing <00:03:16.440>act implementing in implementing - act implementing in implementing act 231<00:03:18.440>
which <00:03:18.680>last <00:03: - The term encumbrance is a fundamental state budgeting term that's actually featured in Article 7, Section
- The term encumbrance is a fundamental state budgeting term that's actually featured in Article 7, Section
KY
Kentucky 2025 Regular Session
Interim Joint Committee on Families and Children (8-27-25)
Transcript Highlights:
- surprise to you that it is the budget. surprise to you that it is the budget.
- Uh legislation uh was not implemented.
- regulatory relief, implementing regulatory relief, implementing certified<01:21:01.760>
childcare - <01:21:06.480>
those necessary to fully implement those necessary to fully implement those - I'm around implementing new initiatives.
Summary:
The committee first approved the minutes from its July 30, 2025 meeting. Members then heard a presentation from Roger McCann of the Department for Community Based Services on Kentucky’s 2026-2027 Community Services Block Grant state plan. He explained that the federally funded grant, now about $12 million annually, is distributed through 23 local community action agencies that use flexible funds for locally identified needs such as housing, nutrition, transportation, Head Start, and domestic violence services. McCann said the plan is submitted every two years and that the agencies served about 264,000 Kentuckians and 130,000 families in 2024. Senator Meredith asked whether there was a central place to review local projects, and McCann said regular reports exist and could be shared with members.
The committee then approved the CSBG state plan by roll call vote. After that, members received an update on Kentucky’s state-designated domestic violence shelter programs from Angela Yanelli of ZeroV, Mary Foley of Maryman House Domestic Crisis Center, and Elizabeth Martin of the Center for Women and Families. The presenters described ZeroV’s role as the statewide domestic violence coalition, its 15 member programs across all area development districts, and its contract with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to provide emergency shelter, supportive services, housing assistance, and batterers intervention programming. They emphasized that services are available 24/7 and are trauma-informed, with a strong focus on children and family support.
The domestic violence providers reported high demand and rising costs. ZeroV said its network served more than 14,000 adults and children in fiscal year 2025, including nearly 900 children in shelter and more than 500 in outreach, while Maryman House reported operating at 90-92% capacity, with 53 households waiting for emergency shelter and 63 more waiting for intake. Maryman House also described an 8-unit transitional housing complex and plans for a 48-unit apartment complex if tax credit funding is approved. The Center for Women and Families highlighted school-readiness support for children, tutoring, counseling, and family services, including back-to-school supplies and rights information for homeless students. No additional votes or formal actions were taken during the domestic violence presentations.
DE
Delaware 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Revenue - Finance Committee Meeting Jun 17th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- The legislation will require the Department of Finance to promulgate implementing regulations within
- Implementing regulations within 180 days and directs the Division of Revenue to complete a fiscal impact
- Better decisions on our budget. So thank you for that. All right.
- And so the concept is simple, but the implementation is not simple because of the tax things.
- They just wanted to make sure that, so they could implement it in the best way possible to follow their
Summary:
The House Revenue and Finance Committee met to consider House Substitute 1 for House Bill 386, which would create a temporary Delaware income tax deduction for qualified tip income from tax years 2027 through 2029. The sponsor described it as relief for service workers in restaurants, salons, and similar tipped occupations, with a deduction of up to $15,000, income-based phaseouts, a refundable credit for lower-income workers, and a sunset for later review. Committee members raised questions about the resident/non-resident language, the fiscal note, and whether the Department of Finance could implement the change; Finance said the department could administer it and expected only modest administrative costs, while the Comptroller’s office said the bill would reduce general revenue. After a brief recess to review updated language, the committee took public comment, but no one testified. A motion to release the bill failed to receive enough votes, and the chair said she would walk it to seek additional signatures.
The committee then considered Senate Bill 219, which would phase in an increase in the military pension income exemption from $12,500 to $25,000 by tax year 2029. The sponsor argued the measure would help attract and retain military retirees, citing economic return estimates, workforce benefits, and support from all 21 Senate co-sponsors. Some members supported the bill as a way to reward service and bring in long-term residents, while others questioned whether the exemption should be income-based rather than available to all military retirees, including those with substantial second careers. The Department of Finance said it could operationalize the bill and that the non-resident language was unnecessary because the subtraction is already picked up in the non-resident code section. Public testimony from veterans’ organizations strongly supported the bill, emphasizing that the exemption can influence retirement decisions and help veterans and their families stay in Delaware. A motion to release the bill also failed to get enough votes, and the chair said she would walk it for signatures before adjourning the meeting.
NH
New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session
JLCAR Administrative Rules (03/20/2026)
Transcript Highlights:
- Uh and um and while we a budget process.
- An agency can't implement an emergency rule twice in a row. The same rule.
- <00:31:40.240>
that emergency rule and in implementing that emergency rule and in implementing - rolling schedule and then re-implemented rolling schedule and then re-implemented the<00:31:56.640
- implement emergency rule twice in a row. implement emergency rule twice in a row.
Summary:
The committee first approved the minutes and adopted the consent calendar without objection. It then took up Department of Safety Rule 25161 on administrative license suspension forms. After discussion of a staff concern that the rule text should expressly require a defendant’s signature or refusal to sign, and the officer’s witness signature, the agency agreed to revised language. The committee voted to grant conditional approval with those edits.
The committee next considered Department of Agriculture rule 192, concerning importation of bovines and domestic animals. Staff identified several issues, including an overly broad federal citation, an unclear definition of infection, a possible conflict between provisions on telephone-issued permits and documents that must be carried, and missing struck-through repeal language. Because the department had not proposed written fixes, members moved to postpone the item until next month, and the motion passed. A second Agriculture item, 25207, was discussed as a long-expired set of rules that the agency said were still needed to run its programs; the committee granted conditional approval.
The Public Utilities Commission’s competitive natural gas supplier and aggregator rules prompted the most extensive debate. Staff argued the cited statutes did not clearly authorize the commission to impose fines on natural gas suppliers, while the agency responded that authority could be read from related Department of Energy transition language and general rulemaking provisions. Members discussed whether the issue reflected a statutory gap created when responsibilities were split between the Department of Energy and the commission. The committee ultimately voted to waive and postpone the item to next month so the attorneys could work out the authority question. The committee also postponed Department of Energy items 219 and 220 at the agency’s request, and it noted that the Liquor Commission’s emergency rule had been revised to reduce reporting from monthly to quarterly before being reissued, with the item also postponed.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee Mar 11th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- I think many of us sit on budget committees related to this.
- And on the budget stuff, you know, I just gave you my short list.
- These regional efforts are critical to implement the plan, to gain broad... ...to implement the plan,
- One, increase the annual routine budgets for flood control.
- Budget constraints meant no funding for the program was available in 2025.
Summary:
The committee held an informational hearing on flood risk and flood management in California, with opening remarks emphasizing that flooding is a statewide and growing threat due to climate change, including the possibility of extreme losses in a worst-case event. Members noted recent flooding in places such as San Diego, the Tulare Basin, and Pajaro, and framed the hearing as a way to better understand prevention, response, and how to capture excess water for later use.
Jeffrey Mount of PPIC gave the main overview, describing California’s high flood exposure, the different flood types the state faces, and the mix of structural and non-structural tools used to manage them. He stressed that levees, dams, bypasses, land-use planning, flood insurance, and emergency response all matter, but that risk is rising because current standards are based on past hydrology rather than future climate conditions. He also warned that flood management is underfunded, that the National Flood Insurance Program is weak, and that federal support is increasingly uncertain. Members asked about groundwater recharge, permitting, NOAA and federal cuts, and which communities are most at risk; Mount said recharge can help but does not eliminate flood risk, and that small Central Valley communities and heavily developed floodplains are especially concerning.
State officials Laura Hollander of the Department of Water Resources and Jane Dolan of the Central Valley Flood Protection Board described the state’s role in forecasting, emergency response, grants, planning, and the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan. They highlighted aging infrastructure, the need for better coordination, and the state’s special liability in the Central Valley after the Paterno decision. Dolan reviewed the history of major floods and said the plan calls for about $1 billion per year over 30 years to meet current needs, while Hollander said the state works with local and federal partners on preparedness, response, and subventions projects. Both emphasized that floodplain planning, regional coordination, and faster permitting are important, but that more consistent funding is needed.
A later panel from local flood agencies and districts reinforced those points, arguing that the state’s annual flood funding is below identified needs and that a proposed statewide flood and dam safety bond was reduced substantially in the broader climate bond package. Witnesses urged more routine maintenance funding, support for regional flood planning, and continued federal-state-local partnerships to reduce risk and maintain eligibility for federal assistance. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken during the informational hearing.
TX
Texas 89th 2nd C.S.
Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs May 11th, 2026
Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- So you can see that in their budgets when they're going through their budget process.
- Clearly as a standalone item in our budget. Thank you.
- Here's what I want to remind people: 70% of city budgets and probably county budgets are public service
- I know that 90% of your budget probably reflects basics, but...
- These could be set as implementation procedures.
Summary:
During the meeting, legislative members discussed the practice of municipalities diverting water and sewer revenues to their general funds, which impacts infrastructure maintenance and project delays. Vice Chair Sparks proposed limiting public testimony to two minutes, which was adopted without objection. The committee heard from various witnesses, including Perry Fowler from the Texas Water Infrastructure Network, who emphasized that utility revenues should primarily support water services and that transfers should be transparent and justified. He noted that many utilities face financial pressures that could hinder infrastructure projects.
Larry French from the Texas Public Policy Foundation highlighted the significant financial impact of water loss and general fund transfers, estimating the annual loss at $1.5 billion. He argued that these transfers can create disincentives for municipalities to address water loss issues. Brian Butcher, Assistant City Manager of Sugar Land, defended the city's cost allocation model for general fund transfers, asserting that they are necessary for equitable service provision and operational efficiency. The committee also discussed the implications of rising construction costs and the need for better procurement processes to ensure effective use of taxpayer dollars.
The second part of the meeting focused on the New World Screwworm and the state's preparedness to manage potential infestations. Dudley Hoskins from the USDA outlined the federal response efforts and the importance of collaboration with state agencies. He emphasized the need for ongoing surveillance and the production of sterile flies to combat the pest. Dr. Philip Kaufman from Texas A&M discussed the historical context of the screwworm and the challenges posed by its potential reintroduction, urging proactive management strategies among livestock producers. The committee acknowledged the need for increased resources and research to effectively address the threat of the screwworm.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Education Committee Apr 30th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- UTK is relatively new; we're only now fully implementing it as intended.
- We're now implementing that.
- In response, the task force provided recommendations that AB 935 would like to implement.
- We're talking about budget dust. I looked in the budget to see whether this was even in the budget.
- And for small schools, even a handful of absences can significantly impact their budgets.
Summary:
The Assembly Education Committee heard AB 84, a charter school accountability measure focused on non-classroom-based charter schools and fraud prevention. The author and supporters said the bill was intended to respond to the A3 charter fraud case and related scandals by strengthening audits, transparency, authorizer oversight, and funding determination rules, while ensuring public education dollars are used for public education. Supporters included FCMAT, CSEA, CTA, and CSBA, who argued the bill would improve oversight and protect taxpayers. Opponents, including the California Charter Schools Association, Green Dot, many charter parents, educators, and charter operators, said the bill was too broad, would impose major new costs and bureaucracy on all charter schools, and could reduce options for families, especially those using flexible, homeschool, or special-needs charter programs. After extensive testimony and committee discussion, the bill passed on a 5-1 vote and was sent to Appropriations, with the item left open for additional votes.
The committee then approved a consent calendar of 11 education bills, including AB 542, AB 563, AB 731, AB 753, AB 784, AB 964, AB 988, AB 1034, AB 1233, AB 1255, and AB 1381, all moving to Appropriations. The consent calendar passed unanimously.
Later, the committee heard AB 1454, a literacy and reading instruction bill authored by Assembly Members Rubio and Revis. The bill would require the state to create professional development resources for evidence-based literacy instruction, update English language arts and English language development instructional materials, and revise administrator preparation standards to include literacy training. The authors and a broad coalition of supporters, including CTA, EdVoice, Families in Schools, Decoding Dyslexia, school administrators, and parent advocates, described the measure as a compromise aimed at improving reading outcomes and addressing California’s literacy crisis. There was no opposition testimony at the hearing, and members voiced strong support for the bill and its collaborative approach.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- <00:07:49.120>
on opposed I am to balancing our budget on opposed I am to balancing our budget - OHE had to implement it, and it was implemented slightly differently this year.
- it and it was had to implement it and it was implemented<00:48:57.839>
slightly <00:48:58.240> differently <00:48:58.720>this implemented slightly differently this implemented slightly- go back to the way it was implemented go back to the way it was implemented then<00:49:03.200>
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Formal House Session 25 Jun 21st, 2026 at 11:00 am
Massachusetts House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- The reason for that imbalance in favor of transportation is that in the last few budgets we have seen
- In order to balance those two conflicting needs, the federal budget cuts.
- In order to balance those two conflicting needs, the bills before you today will delay implementation
- when it is fully implemented.
- Yet as of fiscal year 2026, the reality is its implementation has fallen short.
Summary:
The House opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and received a resignation letter from Rep. Fana Howard of Lowell, effective March 17, 2026, as she transitioned to the Senate. The chamber then took up several procedural orders, including multiple unanimous or voice-vote suspensions of rules and concurrence with Senate petitions, such as referrals on housing and student transportation matters, and a suspension of Joint Rule 12 for a petition involving children served by DCF.
The main substantive item was House No. 5264, a fiscal year 2026 supplemental appropriations bill totaling about $1.8 billion. Members discussed its use of Fair Share surtax surplus funds for transportation and education, including major support for the MBTA, special education circuit breaker costs, early education and child care, snow and ice costs, regional transit authorities, and other deficiencies such as GIC and sheriff costs. Members also explained the bill’s tax conformity provisions responding to recent federal tax changes, with debate over whether to delay conformity to limit state revenue exposure. The House adopted a consolidated amendment to the bill and then passed it to be engrossed by roll call vote, 150-3.
The House also adopted a resolution commending the Admetek Foundation on Prostate Cancer Awareness Day. Several local bills were advanced, including a sick leave bank for a Department of Corrections employee, a bill waiving the minimum age requirement for a Boston police officer, a Nantucket charter bill, a Stoneham public safety bill, and a Malden special police officers bill, the last of which was amended before being engrossed. The chamber also considered Amendment 43 to redistribute $100 million of Fair Share revenue more evenly to municipalities for roads and education; supporters argued the current distribution favored statewide priorities over local aid, while opponents said the formula would not adequately address rural road needs. That amendment was rejected 128-25. The House then recessed several times, observed moments of silence for local public servants, welcomed visiting youth sports teams, and finally ordered adjournment to meet the next day at 11 a.m. in informal session.
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Federal Funding Stabilization Subcommittee Jul 31st, 2025
Federal Funding Stabilization Subcommittee
Transcript Highlights:
- In the legislative session in 2024, we implemented Senate Bill 17.
- This impacts the state budget. The budget is there to protect people.
- The law was passed, but there are still rules that have to be implemented for guidance for the states
- to implement some of these changes.
- So we would look, basically, at fiscal impacts and how that can balance into a sustainable budget and
NY
Transcript Highlights:
- You included as part of the state budget at that time $9.7 million for local implementation, though I
- to actually offset the cost of implementing the standard.
- I certainly understand the standard, but what was the rationale behind separating this from the budget
- Is there any consideration within the state budget for action to provide?
- We did not include it in the budget. It is a newer bill.
Summary:
The Senate Standing Committee on Health considered a series of health-related bills, many of which were reported favorably. Among the measures approved were SB 999, which would restructure Medicaid reimbursement for early and periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment services for children with IEPs or disabilities; SB 1816, lowering the state definition of elevated blood lead levels to 3.5 micrograms per deciliter; SB 1911A, extending due process protections for health care professionals when insurers terminate or fail to renew them; and SB 3105, allowing reciprocity for out-of-state medical cannabis patients. The committee also advanced SB 4589 on federally qualified health center rate adequacy, SB 4955B on Medicaid Inspector General audit procedures, SB 9196 to ban new for-profit hospices, SB 9237 expanding the definition of family for certain foster care health facility services, and SB 9275 requiring Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care and prohibiting related discrimination. Several of these bills were sent to Finance, while others were sent to First Reading or Higher Education as noted.
The committee also discussed SB 2625, which would expand pharmacists’ authority to prescribe, administer, and dispense medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder. One member raised concerns about expanding scope of practice without coordination with primary care or a holistic review of patient conditions, and indicated opposition; the bill was nevertheless referred to Higher Education. SB 5056B, requiring the Department of Health to examine heat vulnerability and heat-related deaths, prompted discussion about whether the bill should explicitly require recommendations for prevention; the sponsor said the idea was to gather data and that recommendations could be added, and the bill advanced with some reservations.
Other measures included SB 7460, reauthorizing a maternal infant care centers pilot program using an existing $350,000 appropriation, and SB 9388, requiring public notice and engagement when a general hospital closes or shuts down a psychiatric, mental health, or substance use unit. The hospital closure bill drew discussion about relocations and whether moves that shift services to a new site would trigger the community engagement process; the sponsor said they would. Most bills were approved by voice vote, with some members voting no or without recommendation on certain measures, and the committee adjourned after reporting the bills onward.
FL
Transcript Highlights:
- chair and the Senate budget chair.
- He said, “The Speaker of the House does not control the budget.
- The President of the Senate does not control the budget. The governor does not control the budget.
- Medicaid controls the budget.”
- And is the current budget as proposed by the Governor sufficient? Thank you for that question.
Summary:
The committee met to consider a large slate of appointments, with the main discussion centered on the confirmation of Chavon Harris as Secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). Harris testified about her background in state service and outlined agency priorities including Medicaid financial accountability, transparency, managed care oversight, behavioral health redesign, rural health access, workforce recruitment, and use of technology and AI. Senators questioned her extensively about the Hope Florida/Medicaid settlement controversy, opioid settlement-funded advertising campaigns tied to marijuana prevention and the 2024 Amendment 3 election, public records compliance, abortion reporting and enforcement under the Heartbeat Protection Act, managed care denials, value-based purchasing, and Medicaid funding pressures. After debate, the committee voted to recommend her confirmation, with Senator Polsky voting no.
The committee then considered Anna Ortega and Robert Payne for the Florida Public Service Commission. Ortega, a current PSC commissioner and former staff advisor, discussed utility regulation, data center load issues, ratepayer protections, transparency in PSC decisions, and lessons from other states. Payne, a former legislator and longtime utility co-op employee, emphasized his technical background and the need to balance utility returns with consumer affordability. Both nominees were confirmed by unanimous or near-unanimous votes and recommended favorably to the full Senate.
Next, the committee heard from Jeffrey Aaron for reappointment to the Public Employees Relations Commission. Aaron described PERC’s role in public-sector labor disputes and said his work had been upheld in appellate courts without reversal. Senators questioned him about his law firm’s state contracts, his role as chairman of Attorney General James Uthmeier’s PAC, and his connection to the Hope Florida Foundation matter; he declined to discuss the pending investigation. Public testimony included opposition from Florida Voice for the Unborn. The committee nevertheless recommended his confirmation, with several no votes. Finally, the committee approved the remaining appointees on tabs 5 through 46 in a single vote, postponing Dr. John Littell and DCF Secretary Hatch, and then adjourned.
FL
Transcript Highlights:
- This system change in the policy was implemented in July 2024.
- And will it be retroactive to the date of the legislation implementation?
- Implementing this bill required substantial rulemaking by the boards of medicine, Implementing this bill
- The implementation of the interstate medical legislation applications.
- We implement the statutes we're given, and we execute with the rules.
Summary:
The Senate Health Policy Committee received updates from the Agency for Health Care Administration and the Department of Health on implementation of 2024 health care laws. AHCA reviewed progress on workforce and reimbursement measures in Senate Bill 7016 and related bills, including FRAME and TEACH funding, graduate medical education reporting, behavioral health teaching hospitals, acute hospital care at home, advanced birth centers, non-emergent care access plans, and rural emergency hospitals. Agency officials said several programs are already operational or have begun payments, while others are still in rulemaking, federal approval, or report-preparation stages. Senators asked about timing, funding reversion concerns, and whether appropriated dollars would be spent on schedule, especially for behavioral health teaching hospitals and the new birth center category.
The Department of Health then reported on practitioner licensure and public health programs. MQA described implementation of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, the Mobile Act licensure pathway, massage therapy enforcement changes, background screening expansion, liposuction safety requirements, pharmacist HIV post-exposure prophylaxis authority, and chiropractic dry needling. Public health staff updated the committee on FRAME and dental loan repayment, the Sinati screening grant program, the cancer research and innovation changes, the health care innovation council and loan program, the pediatric rare disease grant program, telehealth maternity care expansion, newborn screening for congenital CMV, the sickle cell registry and grants, and the swimming lesson voucher program. Members focused questions on how practitioners were being recruited to underserved areas, the pace of licensure approvals, and whether new programs were on track to use appropriated funds.
The committee also heard a lengthy update from the Office of Medical Marijuana Use. The director reported more than 900,000 qualified patients, real-time seed-to-sale tracking now integrated across most dispensaries and labs, and ongoing compliance work on product testing, advertising, diversion, and patient safety. Senators questioned the decline in qualified physicians, how THC potency is labeled and verified, and what the agency can do about diversion to non-patients. The director said the office relies on complaints, inspections, lab audits, and coordination with law enforcement, and that patients can be suspended if violations are confirmed.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- So again, a lot of that comes down to local implementation.
- Our direct budget is roughly $200 million.
- So I'll let me talk to our team to see what the most recent budget documents that we have for what budget
- So, um, uh, the, the, and, uh, Your your budget for public education is generally a per pupil budget.
- And how do you plan to implement that?
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- as our budget for this roof project.
- <00:04:57.039>
for what we had estimated as our budget for what we had estimated as our budget - <00:35:29.119>
um going live um and getting implemented um going live um and getting implemented - Yes, it's not going to be through a budget.
- Yes, it's not going to be through a budget.
Summary:
The Joint Committee on Ways and Means and Commerce and Consumer Protection heard the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs present its biennium budget request for fiscal years 2025 to 2027. Director Nainoa Ando said the department’s requests were primarily special-fund ceiling increases to meet operational needs. Major items included an additional $12 million to complete the King Kamehameha V Post Office building roof project after hidden deterioration and water intrusion were discovered, plus funding related to fringe benefits and central services assessments. The department also outlined requests for a new medical compact implementation cost, an auditor position, an engineer position, and a captive insurance IT modernization project.
A significant portion of the discussion focused on the Office of Consumer Protection’s landlord-tenant call line and public service access. Senators raised concerns that callers often reach voicemail, are told to leave a message, and sometimes are referred to look up the law themselves. DCCA said the Oʻahu line is staffed by one full-time employee backed by two to three investigators, with one investigator each on Maui and Hawaiʻi Island, and that calls are tracked in a case management system. The department said it plans to add one more Oʻahu staff position through a transfer from another division and that a new call-center/web system with time tracking is expected to go live in the summer.
Members also discussed a possible bill related to Pearson VUE nursing certification testing, with one senator describing the burden on neighbor-island nursing graduates who must travel to Honolulu for a one-hour test. The senator said she intended to introduce legislation after receiving no response to repeated outreach. DCCA did not take action on that proposal during the hearing.
For the PUC-related requests, the department explained a one-time $1 million request for outside consulting tied to Maui wildfire-related filings, including wildfire safety mitigation and hazard mitigation plans, and a separate $900,000 request through the Consumer Advocacy Division to hire consultants for review and analysis. The committee also discussed a captive insurance IT modernization request, which DCCA said would replace manual and spreadsheet-based processes with a cloud-based system to better handle filings, payments, and workflow; no vote or final action was taken on the budget items during the hearing.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- <00:08:45.440>
for add implemented additional benefits for add implemented additional benefits - <00:21:46.400>
situation you look at our uh the budget situation you look at our uh the budget - /c> annual budget is around annual budget is around 325,000.<00:58:40.240>
Um <00:58:40.960> - annual budget. annual budget.
- Every dollar to balance our budget.