Transcript Highlights:

• This program is funded with both federal and state funds, with the majority of the funding coming from
• model for the School Readiness Program allocation.
• Once allocated to the coalitions, providers are then funded based on School Readiness provider reimbursement
• But if the local community has matched funding, they could be on the wait list for match funding, right
• It just depends on what you want to fund it, right?

Summary: The Pre-K through 12 Budget Subcommittee met with a quorum and focused on School Readiness, specifically the new provider reimbursement rates and the School Readiness Plus program. The chair gave an overview of how School Readiness is funded and administered, noting that the Legislature now sets county-based reimbursement rates using market and cost data, and that School Readiness Plus was created to help families who would otherwise fall off the subsidy “cliff” at 85% of state median income by extending assistance up to 100% of state median income. Panelists from the Children’s Forum, the Association of Early Learning Coalitions, and the Division of Early Learning described the programs as major workforce and family-support tools that help parents stay employed and help providers recruit and retain qualified staff. Testimony emphasized that higher reimbursement rates increase parental choice, help providers cover rising child care costs, and support better staffing and lower turnover. The panel also said School Readiness Plus is easing the pressure on families to turn down raises or promotions for fear of losing child care assistance, though uptake is still early because the program only began in late 2024 and is only available to current School Readiness families at redetermination. The Division of Early Learning reported about 275 children enrolled in School Readiness Plus as of March 10, with expenditures of about $161,420 through January 2025, and said participation is increasing. Members asked about the federal-state funding split, wait lists, reverted funds, coalition accountability, county-based rate differences, and whether the entrance eligibility threshold should be raised or shifted to state median income. The panel said roughly 70% of School Readiness funding is federal, about 4% has typically reverted in recent years, and the wait list is around 12,000 children, with reasons including income ineligibility, lack of available seats, and funding limits. They argued that raising the entrance threshold would expand access but would require additional funding, and they also discussed the need to reduce workforce barriers such as in-person testing and training requirements. The meeting ended with no formal action beyond the presentation and member discussion, and the subcommittee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Then we talked about funding.
• It did so well that it actually funded public transportation and public education.
• It did so well that it actually funded public transportation and public education.
• are needed. ...now for why the extension is needed and the funds are needed.
• Currently, we have sort of an hour allocated and we've had a lot of business to do.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The commission approved the minutes from its March 11 meeting after a motion by Jeannie Costa and a second by Senator Michael Brady, with members noting a few possible corrections to attendance and wording. The meeting then focused on updates about the commission’s timeline and funding. Staff reported that an amendment to extend the commission’s deadline from December 31, 2026 to December 31, 2027 was filed in the Fair Share budget but was not accepted, and members discussed pursuing the extension through other budget vehicles, including the regular budget, a supplemental budget, or other legislation. Commissioners also discussed the need to fill a vacancy left by Julius Brito and to potentially extend the deadline for appointing new commissioners. A substantial portion of the meeting was devoted to brainstorming the commission’s community engagement plan for the proposed Cape Verdean Culture Center. Members revisited a three-part approach involving site visits, traditional listening sessions, and outreach at existing Cape Verdean events, while also emphasizing historical accuracy, youth engagement, visibility, and regional collaboration. Commissioners suggested using surveys, canvassing, social media, a website, and other digital tools to reach people across the diaspora, including those unable to attend in person. Several members recommended specific locations and institutions for engagement, including New Bedford, Brockton, Boston, Cape Cod, and Rhode Island, with references to museums, historical societies, clubs, and cultural organizations already doing related work. Testimony and comments also addressed funding and organizational structure for the future center. Legislators described possible funding sources such as House and Senate earmarks, a bond bill, and a nonprofit structure that could later support fundraising and operations. Members discussed examples from other cultural institutions, including the Holocaust Museum, the African American History Museum, and the Haitian Toussaint Louverture Cultural Center, as models for governance and public support. The group also raised the possibility of future collaboration with the Cape Verdean government and institutions in Cabo Verde, though one member urged waiting until after upcoming elections there before making formal contacts. No additional votes were taken beyond approving the minutes and adjourning the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• It expands the funds eligible, eligible to receive funding from the water fund to allow transfers to
• distressed areas Fund under the Texas Water Fund, as well as funding for wastewater infrastructure projects
• , funding, funding.
• Part of the challenge here is making sure that the board has the discretion to be able to allocate funds
• The addition of the Ag fund to the list of eligible programs that we, that our board can allocate to,

Bills: SB 7

Keywords: water infrastructure, financial assistance, Texas Water Development Board, water supply, environmental sustainability

Transcript Highlights:

• The direct assistance is allocated quarterly, and because the need is so great, the funds are often depleted
• The direct assistance is allocated quarterly, and because the need is so great, the funds are often depleted
• The risk of a family not receiving FHPA funding is dire.
• <00:14:43.639> we disruptions or changes to funding we disruptions or changes to funding we
• County they have 12 hours of funding County they have 12 hours of funding available<00:16:21.519

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And by the way, we allocate these funds to the towns, not to the districts. state.
• <00:52:49.119> these<00:52:49.440> funds And by the way, we allocate these funds And
• by the way, we allocate these funds to<00:52:50.000> the<00:52:50.240> towns,<00:52:51.200
• Course, we probably have had six to 10 bills, um, during the current biennium on the fund allocation
• allocation side of the on the uh uh fund allocation side of the equation.<02:05:00.800> That's

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• for Safe Harbor funding. for Safe Harbor funding.
• The way we allocate these funds associated with ticket purchases goes directly to scholarship seating
• Yeah, so this is funded by general fund dollars, which are also general fund dollars here from this funding
• So I... seating scholarship fund. So, the funds seating scholarship fund.
• funded by general fund Yeah, so this is funded by general fund dollars<00:37:22.560> which<00:

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: House File 4738 was laid over for possible inclusion in the 2026 tax bill. Representative Keeler presented the bill as a funding source for Minnesota’s Safe Harbor program, arguing that trafficking and sexual exploitation are statewide problems and that current shelter and housing resources are insufficient. She and several supporters emphasized that the program serves youth across greater Minnesota, not just the metro, and that state and federal funding pressures make additional support necessary. Testifiers from Place Called Home/Life House, The Link, the City of Minneapolis, and a survivor all described the impact of Safe Harbor and related shelter programs. They cited data on youth served, bed nights, mental health services, and high unmet need, including waitlists and youth turned away because programs are full. Testimony stressed that stable housing and trauma-informed services help survivors recover and move toward education, employment, and family stability. One committee member, Representative Davis, objected to the proposed funding source, saying he would not support taking money from women’s sports scholarships and urging a different source. The bill’s tax mechanism was described as ending the sales tax exemption for preferred seating, suite licenses, and related amenities at athletic and entertainment events. Alec Williams of We Make Minnesota supported the proposal as a fair way to raise revenue from high-end discretionary purchases for a public purpose. Committee discussion also focused on the size of the revenue estimate and the breakdown of the impact, with nonpartisan staff saying roughly 85% would come from suite licenses, 10% from collegiate seating, and 5% from amenities. Representative Smith and others framed the issue as both a tax and moral question, and the chair moved the bill to be laid over.

Transcript Highlights:

• . fund. fund.
• . fund. fund.
• due to the decreased uh historical fund due to the decreased uh allocations<03:21:36.319> that
• Uh, this bill changes the allocation of funds between the Office of State Public Defenders and the Colorado
• Allocation of funds between the Office of State Public Defenders and the Colorado District Attorneys

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Of the $39 million in fixed capital outlay, over half of that funding is dedicated.
• parks, and there's about $185 million in unspent funds going back from 2022.
• So for 2026-27, it went down in the operating allocations. Can you tell me why? **Mr.
• So the money that's generated goes into the State Park Trust Fund.
• And that revenue that does come in goes into the trust fund and is a big part of what funds a lot of

Transcript Highlights:

• This is supported by the Facilities Partnership Fund, which is fund balances, set-aside funds, and transfers
• from the Public School Fund.
• I believe this is the $2 million that was a special fund. It was allocated in FY26 and FY27.
• by the state central services fund at 2%.
• by the state central services fund at 2%.

Summary: The committee reviewed a large slate of appropriation, transfer, and continuation requests across multiple sections. In Section B, members considered temporary FY27 appropriations for agencies including Health, DHS, Education, Treasury, Public Safety, State Police, Emergency Management, Aeronautics, Military, Economic Development, Game and Fish, and others, covering items such as maternal health outreach, LIHEAP overpayment returns, Wynne High School tornado rebuilding, senior food services, cybersecurity, crime victim claims, airport grants, conservation incentives, and emergency tower maintenance. Questions focused on the DHS senior services carry-forward and Treasury custodial banking fees tied to lower balances after COVID funds were spent down. All Section B items were approved. The committee then approved continuation requests, ARPA reallocations, and federal grant-related items in Sections B2, C1A, D1, D2, D3, E1, E2, E3, F1A, G1, H1A, I1A, J1/J2, K1/K2/K3, L1/L2, M1/M2, N1/N2, O1A, and P1A. These included university nursing and workforce programs, environmental and recycling grants, highway safety and emergency management grants, a transfer to the Merit Teacher Incentive Program, restricted reserve transfers for military, agriculture, UAPB, Game and Fish, and AETN, and various cash-fund and budget classification transfers. Several members asked for more detail on the State Police highway safety grant, VOCA victim compensation funding, the NSGP nonprofit security grant, and the Office of State Technology’s E-Rate-related transfer; agency officials explained the uses and noted that some funding levels depend on federal awards and collections. A notable discussion occurred on the Department of Commerce reallocation, which shifts 68 positions and $3 million among divisions to support an organizational realignment and avoid shortfalls. The committee also reviewed a state central services deduction request to keep the rate at 2%, a DHS overtime request for child protection caseloads, and a year-end adjustments request authorizing up to $1 million in temporary actions to close FY26 books without disrupting payroll or vendor payments. Most items were approved or, in some sections, simply reviewed without objection. The meeting adjourned after completing the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• Page 9 is Permanent School Fund Corporation.
• Item 2 funding for 4% salary increase for residential instructors adopted at $700,000 Item 3 funding
• Item number two, Permanent Endowment Fund for Rural Community Healthcare Investment Program from Fund
• Item number two is a myth. of financing allocation swap that essentially reallocates funding.
• H was a decrease in funding and fund 5093 for 75,000 item number I was.

Bills: SB 1

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• quote unquote leftover funds quote unquote leftover funds non-lapsing, non-lapsing, non-lapsing,
• are not happy that they're not funded are not happy that they're not funded<01:12:38.800> and
• funded and they're largely not funded funded and they're largely not funded because<01:12:40.480
• It's not putting it into statute that special ed funding come from the education trust fund.
• come from the education trust funding. come from the education trust funding.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee took up several school building aid bills. HB 295, which would make school building aid program funds non-lapsing, drew debate over whether the program is effective and whether funds should be allowed to carry forward. Supporters argued the program is underfunded and that even small leftover amounts should remain available for building aid; opponents said non-lapsing funds limit future budget flexibility and that the program creates winners and losers. The committee voted 4-3 to recommend HB 295 inexpedient to legislate (ITL). The committee then considered HB 366, which would increase school building aid for eligible projects and include retroactive funding for projects completed in the past. The motion to ITL was supported on the grounds that retroactive payments would be unfair to districts still waiting in line and that the legislature should focus on future projects. Supporters of the bill said the increase was modest and that districts that built during a prior moratorium on aid were left with long-term fiscal burdens. The committee again voted 4-3 to recommend ITL. The discussion also broadened into special education funding and a retained bill, HB 742, concerning catastrophic special education aid and the source of funding. Members debated whether the education trust fund should cover the aid and whether the committee should act now or wait for a separate commission studying special education costs. Several members emphasized that special education costs are rising, that more data is needed on student identification and funding formulas, and that the commission’s report may provide better guidance. The chair said the subcommittee’s recommendations would go to the full committee, and the next meeting was expected to be rescheduled from November 4 to later that week because of election-related conflicts.

Transcript Highlights:

• create this new fund.
• create a $100 million fund.
• With the current funding that you guys had, why wasn't there... ...fund about $82 million into your guys
• But let's even put the Fed funds aside.
• If you funded all of those, just using a median amount in today's funding, it would be about $28 million

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's paid with fund balances.
• This is supported by the Facilities Partnership Fund, which is fund balances, set-aside funds, and transfers
• from the Public School Fund.
• I believe this is the $2 million that was a special fund. It was allocated in FY26 and FY27.
• by the state central services fund at 2%.

Summary: The committee met to review a large slate of fiscal year 2026 and 2027 appropriation, transfer, and continuation requests across multiple sections. Early items included temporary appropriations for agencies such as Health, DHS, Education, Public Safety, State Police, Emergency Management, Aeronautics, Military, Economic Development, and Game and Fish, covering items like maternal health outreach, energy assistance repayments, Wynne High School tornado rebuilding, senior food services, cybersecurity, crime victim reparations, aviation grants, conservation incentives, and emergency tower maintenance. Members asked questions on several items, including DHS aging carry-forward funds and Treasury custodial banking fees tied to COVID-era balances; the committee also approved a disclosure by the chair on the Game and Fish-related item before voting to approve the section. The committee then approved continuation requests, CARES Act and ARPA reallocations, and federal grant appropriations. Notable discussion included the Boonville developmental disability project, ALIGN program reallocations at several universities, a small business technical assistance grant at UA Little Rock, and a Department of Public Safety highway safety grant, for which members requested more detail on operating expenses and professional fees. Additional approvals covered a transfer to the Merit Teacher Incentive program, restricted reserve fund transfers for military medical command and university projects, and a state central services deduction held at 2%. The Department of Commerce also received approval for a reallocation of positions and spending authority tied to its organizational realignment. Later sections included shared technology and higher education transfers, cash fund appropriations for school Medicaid reimbursements, corrections, youth mental health, narcotics detection canines, bike safety equipment, a state motor pool pilot, and law enforcement safety costs. The committee also reviewed budget classification transfers, including a Governor’s Office legal fee transfer related to a California lawsuit, and heard explanations about E-Rate reimbursements affecting the Office of State Technology. Members asked about VOCA funding levels for crime victim services and about the National Security Grant Program for nonprofits and faith-based organizations; officials said federal funding had declined from prior highs but appeared to have stabilized, and that the nonprofit security grant is an annual federal program. The meeting concluded with review of pay plan requests, DHS overtime funding for child protection caseloads, and a year-end adjustment request allowing DFA to make up to $1 million in transfers to close the books, after which the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• THIS FUNDING HAS ENABLED US TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTING OR COMPLETING AND REACHING MAJOR MILESTONES ON OVER
• I WANTED TO TOUCH BASE AND SEE WHAT DOES THIS FUNDING AND THESE PROJECTS AND BEING TO EXPEDITE EVERGLADES
• WITH THIS FUNDING BEING ABLE TO EXPEDITE RESTORATION STRATEGIES WE HAVE COMPLETED THAT PART OF EVERGLADES
• BUT WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT AS WE UPDATE THE MODELS AND GET BETTER DATA AND CONTINUE TO GET FUNDING WITH
• THEY ARE ALREADY ALLOCATED AND TAPPED OUT. AND THIS HELPED GROW THE WATER HIGH.

Transcript Highlights:

• Relating to the allocation of certain constitutional transfer of the monies to certain funds and accounts
• Relating to the allocation.
• Fund referred to the committee on subcommittee on transportation funding SB 264 by Bell of Kaufman related
• of certain constitutional transfers of money to the Economic Stabilization Fund, the State Highway Fund
• , and the Grow Texas Fund, and the permissible uses of money deposited to the Grow Texas Fund referred

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• At special funds.
• There's no way that the general fund can backfill the loss of federal funds.
• $9.5 billion total funds.
• Specifically for groundwater funding, groundwater recharge funding. OK.
• My understanding is right now that there's about $13.5 million allocated in addition to the other funding

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, expand state-backed funding.
• The funding was promptly allocated to high priority projects.
• And to be clear, the needs for clean water and funding, funding in Texas are immense.
• We need a one-time Texas-sized investment and a dedicated annual funding with maximum allocation flexibility
• And just to say it again, with this historic water funding legislation, we need to ensure that we allocate

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:12:37.320> I budget I understand is General funds I budget I understand is General funds
• So we have to spend $32.4 million of general funds in order to get $38 million of federal funds each
• funds and we assign those federal funds funds and we assign those federal funds towards<00:17:05.520
• that we can leverage those federal funds that we can leverage those federal funds and<00:17:35.760
• it's maximized available funding it's maximized available funding Staffing<00:49:15.880> and<

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee convened an informational Division 3 Finance hearing focused on DHHS programmatic issues rather than budget line items. The chair emphasized that members should avoid questions requiring dollar figures and noted that the coming budget cycle would likely be difficult because revenues are expected to be tighter. Commissioner Lori Weaver said the department wanted to use the session to explain its functions at a high level, with more detailed presentations to follow, and to collect questions for later responses. Weaver outlined DHHS’s mission of supporting optimal health for state residents and described the department’s three main responsibilities: protection and prevention, client service delivery, and regulatory oversight. She said DHHS has eight divisions, a $3.6 billion total budget, about $1.217 billion in general funds, roughly a quarter of state positions, and personnel costs that are less than 11% of the budget. She also noted a recent hiring freeze, explained that the department did not request new positions except where required by law, and said vacancy rates had improved from 22% to 14% over the last two years but could rise again because of attrition and the hiring freeze. Weaver and CFO Nathan White then discussed why the DHHS budget is complex, explaining that it is built from multiple funding sources and is shaped by assumptions made months before the fiscal year begins, actual service demand, and cost allocation rules used to draw down federal funds. White highlighted maintenance-of-effort requirements, including TANF, where state spending is needed to secure federal matching funds and shortfalls can trigger penalties. At the committee’s request, DHHS agreed to provide a simplified historical accounting of TANF contributions to show how the match is assembled across positions, contracts, and other factors. The department also reviewed its roadmap, which Weaver described as a framework developed with staff and stakeholders around three themes: culture, community, and customer service. She highlighted priorities such as Mission Zero to end emergency department boarding, expanding access to community-based and residential behavioral health services, reducing reliance on institutional care, improving contract management with nonprofit and provider partners, using data dashboards to guide decisions, and investing in workforce stability and culture. No votes were taken; the main action was DHHS’s commitment to provide additional follow-up materials, including the TANF contribution breakdown.

Transcript Highlights:

• requirement for direct HHAP recipients to equitably and meaningfully engage for allocated funds to smaller
• I would also like to emphasize that nothing in AB 1708 requires allocation of funding for smaller cities
• In addition, we've sustained ongoing services through federal funding, allocating about $22 million from
• foundation funds for homeless services. fund and $500,000 in community foundation funds for homeless
• In addition, we've sustained ongoing services through federal funding, allocating about $22 million from

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• one single fund.
• They show how general fund, federal funds, and other revenue sources are allocated across the department
• However, it does not increase other state funds or fund balance to offset the general fund.
• However, it does not increase other state funds or fund balance to offset the general fund reduction.
• It is primarily funded through general fund and federal sources.

Keywords: 996, all