Transcript Highlights:

• they're assessed is pretty high. they're assessed is pretty high.
• this special assessment district idea. this special assessment district idea.
• program for a developer. program for a developer.
• So, if you have that district<04:58:05.360> assessment, district assessment, district assessment
• We support this. We support this measure with an asterisk.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That would be our Yakima Nation Engineering Program. We have Mr.
• I'm the program manager or director of the Yakima Nation Engineering Program.
• I'm the assistant manager in the engineering program. Thank you.
• After site assessment with WSDOT, it turns out several sites After site assessment with WSDOT, it turns
• evidence-based programs at the federal and state level.

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee met in Yakima to focus on tribal traffic safety, with members and Yakima Nation leaders emphasizing the importance of safety, the right to travel, and continued partnership on U.S. 97 corridor improvements. Yakima Nation Vice Chair Christopher Wallachie and engineering staff described the Tribal Traffic Safety Committee, the U.S. 97 safety project, heritage connectivity trails, roundabout construction, and the use of federal grants and advanced sensing technology to identify hazards before crashes occur. They highlighted collaboration with WSDOT, the Traffic Safety Commission, the University of Washington, and other regional partners, and explained that the goal is to move from reactive crash response to proactive risk reduction. The Yakima Nation engineering team and AI Vision presented the MUST sensor project, which uses compact AI-enabled devices to collect traffic counts, speeds, near-miss events, roadway conditions, and pedestrian activity, with data transmitted to a dashboard and used for real-time warnings and longer-term planning. Committee members asked about speed tracking, driver behavior, enforcement, and partnerships with WSDOT and counties. Yakima Nation staff said the relationship with WSDOT has improved over time, especially after community outreach on proposed roundabouts, and that the tribe now supports several roundabout projects and broader safety coordination. The Washington Traffic Safety Commission then presented statewide fatality trends and tribal traffic safety data. Mark McKekney said 2024 showed a roughly 10% decrease in fatalities statewide, though recent years remain among the highest in decades. He noted that race and ethnicity data are only available for people who die in crashes, and that many American Indian and Alaska Native fatalities involve passengers, pedestrians, or bicyclists rather than drivers. Penny Rerick outlined tribal traffic safety coordinator grants and other state-funded tribal projects, including work with Yakama Nation, Colville, Kalispel, Makah, Port Gamble S'Klallam, Muckleshoot, Lower Elwha, and Puyallup, stressing that flexible state funding helps fill gaps left by federal programs and supports community-led solutions. The final presentation covered impaired driving enforcement and ignition interlock compliance in Yakima County. Yakima Police Chief Sean Boyle said the city created a DUI enforcement and education officer program that helped reduce serious injury and fatal impaired-driving crashes, supported by state funding and social media outreach. Yakima County District Court’s Nick Bazan described a supervision program for DUI offenders and interlock compliance, reporting more than 1,000 DUI convictions in 2024-25 and about 3,800 noncompliant interlock users countywide. He said the court is using a two-pronged approach—pretrial assistance for indigent clients and post-conviction accountability and case planning—to improve compliance and reduce impaired driving. The committee expressed support for the work, noted the progress made, and adjourned the work session after thanking presenters for their updates.

Transcript Highlights:

• The second proposal is for the department's Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse Program to support federal
• This report would also better position the Legislature to assess the cost of this program and its effectiveness
• And also, On behalf of Transformative Programming Works, I'd also like to thank the committee for supporting
• So we respectfully request $34 million each year for two years to support these vital programs.
• So we respectfully request $34 million each year for two years to support these vital programs.

Summary: Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 6 heard the Governor’s May Revision proposals for the judicial branch, the Board of State and Community Corrections, the Department of Justice, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The Legislative Analyst’s Office opened with a warning that the state budget remains structurally imbalanced and urged the Legislature to avoid new ongoing spending unless offset by reductions elsewhere. In the judicial branch discussion, the Judicial Council highlighted language access funding, appellate court security, a backfill for the state court facilities construction fund, and an extension of the lactation room mandate; Finance supported most items but suggested reporting language on interpreter costs and reducing the General Fund backfill. Members raised concerns about judicial vacancies, long-term salary freezes, remote hearings, and the lack of progress on court staffing in some counties. For the Board of State and Community Corrections, the administration proposed $10 million one-time each for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People grant program and a human trafficking vertical prosecution grant program. The LAO said both should be weighed against other priorities and suggested the Legislature consider whether the Tribal Nations Grant Fund could support MMIP work, while Finance said it preferred General Fund support and wanted more review before any fund swap. Members strongly supported MMIP funding and asked whether ongoing support would be considered. On the human trafficking grant, Finance said BSC was a good fit because of its grant administration experience and prior vertical prosecution work, while legislators asked why the program was not placed with the Office of Emergency Services as originally contemplated in prior legislation. The Department of Justice presented antitrust litigation funding, Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse staffing, completion of organized retail criminal enterprise cases, and trailer bill language for a continuous appropriation from the Victims of Consumer Fraud Restitution Fund. The LAO supported the antitrust account use but questioned the Unfair Competition Law Fund’s ability to cover the full request without General Fund repayment, and recommended against a continuous appropriation for the restitution fund in favor of a more limited mechanism with legislative oversight. Finance said the fund would remain solvent and defended the continuous appropriation as necessary to pay victims promptly. In the CDCR portion, the largest discussion centered on the Boston Consulting Group efficiency review and sharply reduced savings estimates; LAO said the department had not fully explained the proposed position eliminations or future $100 million savings target, while Finance said the work reflected deeper analysis and ongoing efforts to find savings. Members repeatedly pressed CDCR and Finance on the gap between earlier promised savings and the revised figures. CDCR also outlined population projections showing continued declines in prison and parole populations, while LAO again urged the state to close an additional prison to save ongoing costs. The department then walked through several May Revision items, including workers’ compensation funding, a Corcoran honor housing dorm, incarcerated firefighter pay implementation, an incarcerated menopause program, mental health receiver staffing, mental health resource teams and crisis intervention teams, medical classification staffing changes, and AI note-taking for the electronic health record. LAO generally recommended limiting-term funding and more reporting for many of these proposals, while Finance defended them as necessary ongoing investments or court-ordered obligations. Members questioned the cost of workers’ compensation, the need for more prison closures, the lack of funding for women’s facility violence prevention, and the timing and transparency of the BCG savings process. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Green cards are for support.
• The Louisiana Fortified Homes Program, created in this committee, is a proven mitigation program that
• assessment.
• to the fortified program.
• to the fortified program.

Summary: The House Insurance Committee met on April 23 with a quorum present and first deferred HB 1142. The committee then heard HB 1187, which would direct any excess Louisiana Citizens emergency assessment funds, after related debt is paid, toward the Louisiana Fortified Homes Program or future Citizens debt. Representative Sawyer and Commissioner Tim Temple said the bill would likely redirect about $50 million in one-time surplus funds and would help expand a popular roof-mitigation program that has already awarded more than 4,600 fortified roofs. The bill drew support from several witnesses and was reported as amended without objection. Next, HB 1210, dealing with insurance claim disputes and a pre-suit review process for Louisiana Citizens claims, was discussed. Representative Dana Henry said he was voluntarily deferring the bill and instead pursuing a study resolution after hearing concerns from members and stakeholders. Department and Citizens officials said the proposal was modeled on Florida’s process and could help resolve disputes faster and cheaper, but the bill was ultimately voluntarily deferred after testimony and some opposition cards were noted. The committee then took up HB 1199, which requires coverage for genetic testing and treatment related to SCN2A-associated disorders. Representative Jordan and the Diedon family gave emotional testimony about their daughter Emily’s diagnosis and the importance of timely genetic testing. The bill was amended to require that testing be ordered by a provider and deemed medically necessary by the health plan, with discussion about whether a neurologist should be involved; members said that issue could be refined later. HB 1199 was reported as amended. Finally, the committee considered HB 880, the Louisiana Artificial Intelligence Insurance Fairness Act, which would regulate AI use in underwriting, rating, and claims. After a lengthy discussion about state insurance regulation, McCarran-Ferguson, and concerns that the bill could jeopardize federal broadband funding, Representative Jordan voluntarily deferred HB 880, and HB 920 was also deferred. The committee then heard HB 1221, which would limit the policy data collected for the Louisiana Fortified Program Fund. Former Representative Bowler argued the bill was needed to protect policyholder privacy, while the Department of Insurance and Commissioner Temple said the data is needed for surplus-lines premium tax audits, fraud detection, and consumer assistance after disasters. The discussion continued with questions about what data would be visible and how it would be used, but the transcript ends before a final action on HB 1221 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• We supported our workforce program quality improvement and enhanced and expanded access.
• > program We supported our workforce program We supported our workforce program quality<01:15:
• We continue to support our early childhood educator stipend program, and so far we've had 162 recipients
• <01:26:01.040> to programs and assessing the extent to programs and assessing the extent to
• This is to support our CIP and deferred maintenance programs by hiring skilled architects and engineers

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A number of these programs at the CPUC include air conditioning cycling programs, capacity bidding programs
• We have ELRP programs.
• And how does the demand-side grid support program and its potential expansion fit into these discussions
• I think one of the things we have heard is that demand response support programs are critical.
• program to continue.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:39:58.880> supporting towards a child care program supporting towards a child care program
• support payments grant program. program. program.
• Thank you, and I also support including the paid breaks in the Great Start Compensation Grant program
• <01:02:00.560> We're the compensation support program.
• We're the compensation support program.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• in support. in support. Aloha,<00:08:09.560> Dan.
• Slipping grades, absence, behavioral problems, to then see what supports, dig deeper, do deeper assessments
• support the whole kid. support the whole kid.
• Uh we're in strong support. Thank you. Uh we're in strong support.
• Health in support. Health in support.

Bills: HCR18, HCR32, HCR35, HCR105, HCR173

Keywords: hospice, health care, aging population, regulations, Medicare, working group, fraud prevention, quality of care, mental health, recidivism, civil commitment, Hawaii State Hospital, justice system, shelter, treatment pathways, biomarker testing, health insurance, precision medicine, healthcare access, medical necessity

Summary: The committee heard testimony on SCR 21 SD1, which asks Hawaii Health Systems Corporation’s East Hawaii Regional Health Care System to study the feasibility of a rural health clinic or similar access point for the Volcano community. Testimony in strong support came from HHSC representatives, Volcano residents, the Volcano Health Collaborative, the Rotary Club of Volcano, and others, who said the area has a clear need and that local primary and urgent care would align with regional plans. HHSC said it had already looked at the area, found no suitable temporary buildings, and would need a longer-term, capital-intensive solution, but that the study could help accelerate next steps. The committee then took up SCR 50 SD1, proposing a Hawaii Health Plan Working Group to design a basic affordable health plan for residents. Dr. Jack Lewin of SHIPTA said the state faces a growing uninsured population and argued for a short-term, lower-cost plan focused on preventive and primary care, drawing on the old State Health Insurance Plan as a possible model. Members asked about whether that prior program still exists and whether the working group should include the Hawaii Medical Association and Hawaii Primary Care Association; Dr. Lewin said the statute still exists but is unfunded, and that the group should be inclusive. The Department of Labor and other organizations also provided comments. For SCR 75 SD1, which urges a coordinated interdepartmental effort to reduce fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, Dr. Lewin and others said prevention, prenatal screening, and early intervention are needed because FASD is often hidden until later problems appear. Amanda from Hawaii FASD Action Group said current implementation under Act 192 is still largely a landscape analysis and that Hawaii lacks the infrastructure and specialists for a full system. Darlene Chance Govor urged adding the judiciary as a partner so juvenile justice and probation staff can be trained and referral pathways improved, while the Department of Health said it supports prevention but prefers a broader, systems-based approach focused on child needs and upstream care. The Disability Rights Center supported the resolution and asked for an earlier reporting date. The committee also heard SCR 149 SD1, which seeks an informal working group to address complex patients with multiple diagnoses involving substance use, mental health, or chronic physical illness. The Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition and Ke Nui Malo strongly supported the measure, saying current siloed systems leave people bouncing between medical, mental health, and substance use providers without coordinated care, often ending up in crisis, emergency rooms, or the justice system. They said integrated residential care and a coordinated working group could improve outcomes and align with federal funding opportunities. The transcript ended before any final vote or action on the measures was announced, and SCR 109 was noted as withdrawn from the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• State assessments is exactly what it sounds like: it provides supports for the state assessment required
• supports for the state assessment supports for the state assessment required<01:14:56.040> under
• We have federal funding specifically to support the programs, and then we have state funding too, called
• The federal funding is specifically to support the programs, and then we have state funding too, called
• The legislature established this program to provide additional supports for school districts when a student

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Department of Education’s Bureau of School Finance provided an adequacy-funding training for Division II, led by Mark Mello. He walked the committee through the adequacy formula using Albany, Allenstown, and Alton as examples, explaining average daily membership, base adequacy aid, and differential aid for free/reduced-price meals, special education, and English language learners. He also noted a recent change requiring home-education differential aid and emphasized that these aid streams are generally unrestricted district funding rather than money tied to specific students or programs. A major focus was the ongoing litigation over the adequacy base amount and the statewide education property tax, or SWEPT. Mello explained the historical basis of the current base amount, the 2008 legislative report that set the original methodology, and the later court ruling that the adequacy amount should be $7,356, which is now before the Supreme Court. He also described how SWEPT currently raises a fixed statewide amount of $363 million and how that revenue is used to offset the state’s adequacy obligation. For the example towns, Albany and Allenstown receive state adequacy grants because their SWEPT revenue is below their calculated adequacy cost, while Alton is an excess SWEPT community because its local SWEPT revenue exceeds the cost of adequate education. The discussion then turned to the pending “excess SWEPT” issue in the Supreme Court and what would happen if excess collections had to be remitted to the state. Mello said the Department is preparing a hypothetical walkthrough and explained that, if the court upholds the Superior Court ruling, DRA would likely be directed to collect excess SWEPT. Members raised concerns about whether SWEPT must be used for educational purposes and about the cash-flow burden on towns if money had to move from municipalities to the state and then back to districts. Mello and members discussed possible administrative workarounds, such as credits against other state aid distributions, and noted that the committee would continue reviewing the mechanics if the court decision comes down during budget work.

Transcript Highlights:

• the Department for comprehensive support and improvement and for targeted support and improvement.
• > Improvement and for targeted support and Improvement and for targeted support and Improvement
• providers and the actual and the program providers and the actual and the programs<00:42:00.520>
• um a teacher programs themselves um a teacher preparation<00:42:02.720> program<00:42:03.119>
• There's kindergarten through grade 12 programming as well as transitions programming.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Education Policy Committee met for its first hearing of 2025 and began with member and staff introductions, along with opening remarks from Chair Peggy Bennett about her first time chairing the committee. Members briefly described their districts and backgrounds, and the chair also reviewed committee rules and procedures, including deadlines for bill requests, amendments, testifiers, and handouts. Nonpartisan House Research then provided an extensive overview of the committee’s jurisdiction and the education code. The presentation covered the Department of Education’s duties, including supervision of public schools, rulemaking under legislative authority, state and federal education funding and compliance, standards and assessments, accountability systems, student discipline, and model policies. It also discussed related entities such as PELSB, the Board of School Administrators, the Perpich Center, regional centers of excellence, Compass, MTSS, and the READ Act. The committee asked questions about zoning for school sites and about teacher licensure changes, including the tiered licensure system and recent adjustments affecting special education teachers and standards of effective practice. No bills were heard and no votes were taken. The meeting was primarily organizational and informational, focused on orienting members to the committee’s work and the structure of Minnesota’s education policy system.

Transcript Highlights:

• That would be to the future assessed values of properties and the taxes that those assessed value increases
• I think you could probably assess that over time.
• I definitely support more instructional days for students.
• program for only 40,000 students out of 700,000 students.
• And so this modest program simply asks for you to continue to support it so that we have a variety of

Bills: SJR50, SJR51, SJR52, SJR53, SJR54, SJR39, SB1290, HB4028, HB4029, HB4073, HB4074, HB4075, HB4076, HB4077, HB4078, HB1250, HB2951, HB2961, HB3151, HB3581, HB3705, HB3970, HB3972, HB3980, HB3981

Keywords: Medicaid, federal funding, state law, healthcare, low-income adults, Oklahoma Constitution, healthcare regulations, Oklahoma Health Care Authority, permanent rules, joint resolution, OHCA, health care rules, administrative rules, major rule, Title 75, Title 317, Oklahoma Administrative Code, OAC 317:30, health policy, state health programs

Transcript Highlights:

• Hospitals can also support CARES programs by providing them access to relevant patient records.
• So some of the accountable communities of health are quite involved in supporting CARES programs.
• communities of health are quite involved in supporting CARES programs.
• We didn't really look into requiring the ACHs to support their CARES programs.
• To support their program goals, they also established a performance measure and target.

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee’s Initiative 900 subcommittee held a hybrid public hearing on two State Auditor performance audits. The first audit examined efforts to reduce non-emergency use of emergency systems through CARES programs. Auditors reported that Washington has 52 fire-agency-led CARES programs in 26 counties, but many communities without programs said they need one. Major barriers included unstable funding, difficulty hiring qualified staff, volunteer-based rural departments, and lack of statewide guidance. The audit also found that only about half of programs tracked both required performance measures, and it recommended that the legislature consider private insurance reimbursement options and convene a statewide work group to develop guidance, standards, and possible changes to the role of the Department of Health. Agency representatives and fire officials largely supported the findings and emphasized that short-term grants and one-year contracts make programs hard to sustain. Committee discussion focused heavily on financing, especially Medicaid reimbursement and accountable communities of health (ACHs). Auditors clarified that the 10% figure cited in the report referred to direct Medicaid reimbursement for treat-and-refer services, which some agencies do not pursue because the $115 rate is too low relative to the administrative effort. Several fire officials testified that their programs rely on grants and ACH support, but that funding is often year-to-year and uncertain. They also described the value of CARES programs in reducing emergency room use, jail detentions, and long ambulance wait times, while noting barriers to sharing patient records across systems. Members asked whether the new public safety sales tax authority could help, but fire district representatives said it is not a direct funding option for them. The second audit reviewed performance management in the Department of Commerce’s Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness. Auditors found that the division does not yet have a statewide economic development strategic plan and that performance management is inconsistent across its 16 programs. In a limited review, all six sampled programs had goals, but only half clearly identified performance measures and targets, and only three tracked outcomes and published results. The audit highlighted leading practices from other states, including strategic planning, regular progress reporting, aligning program goals with agency goals, and using performance-based contracts and grant monitoring. Recommendations urged Commerce to seek stakeholder input, assess internal and external conditions, set goals and measures, align programs with the strategy, and strengthen monitoring and evaluation. Commerce officials agreed with the audit and said the division is already working toward a strategic plan, with a new assistant director to be hired and a target of completing the work by mid-next year. Members pressed the department on how the plan would connect to workforce, higher education, housing, and other economic development systems, and asked Commerce to return to JLARC next year with progress updates. The meeting ended with instructions for submitting written public comments and notice of the next JLARC meeting schedule.

Transcript Highlights:

• Talking again about program offerings within the FDC, and so when we're talking about programs, we're
• If one program is not proven effective, then we'll try to develop a new program.
• access to programs.
• Then in 2012, we started a program called the Alternative Sanctioning Program.
• The program we started was modeled after a program called the Hawaii HOPE Model.

Summary: The Criminal Justice Subcommittee heard an informational presentation from the Florida Department of Corrections on how the prison and community supervision systems operate after sentencing. Assistant Deputy Secretary Hope Gartman described the reception process for new inmates, including intake, medical and mental health screening, classification, custody and housing levels, gain time, and the department’s academic, vocational, substance abuse, chaplaincy, visitation, and communication programs. She emphasized that reentry begins on day one and that program placement is driven by risk and needs assessments, with facilities matched to inmates’ medical, mental health, and security requirements. Members also asked about family contact, visitor applications, inmate welfare trust funds, tablet access, private prison placement, staffing shortages, overtime, contraband interdiction, and waiting lists for programs; several follow-up materials were requested for distribution to all members. Mr. Winkler then outlined community corrections, explaining the different supervision types under Florida law, including probation, drug offender probation, community control, sex offender supervision, conditional release, and addiction recovery supervision. He described the department’s monitoring tools, such as office and field visits, warrantless searches, alternative sanctioning for technical violations, telephone reporting for low-risk offenders, employment assistance, and mobile probation and reentry units. He said the department’s supervision success rate is about 62%, with more than 91% of successful completers not returning to custody within three years. Members questioned officer workloads, the use of radios and GPS check-ins, the rollout of uniforms and firearms, how violations are handled, and whether all circuits participate in alternative sanctioning; Winkler said the program is statewide and that the department is seeking funding for radios. During public comment, Florida Cares Charity urged the committee to consider evidence on deterrence, parole, and recidivism, arguing that community supervision is less costly than incarceration and can be effective. James Beardy of the Florida PBA emphasized the dangers faced by correctional and probation officers, including long shifts, field searches, and working alone, and argued for higher pay and better support comparable to other law enforcement. The meeting concluded with the chair thanking the presenters and public speakers, and the subcommittee adjourned without taking any legislative votes or formal actions.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is going to support continuous monitoring of the quality of the services provided.
• Some recovery supports and peer specialists and recovery community organizations, that long-term support
• Stakeholder feedback, including caregivers and attorneys, also supported this concern.
• pilot program, or is the treatment phase four years?
• It's a four-year total program. Yes, you're recognized.

Summary: The subcommittee heard two Department of Children and Families implementation updates on measures passed in prior sessions. First, DCF reviewed House Bill 633, which increased oversight of behavioral health managing entities through biennial independent audits, standardized claims-based reporting, and new monthly outcome dashboards. The department said it had awarded the inaugural audit to Ernst & Young, found no significant waste, fraud, or abuse, but identified process risks involving financial controls, claims validation, data access, and system access controls. DCF also described its transition to standardized behavioral health coding and said the new public dashboard of 11 measures is posted on its website, though members asked for easier access and for hard copies of the audit report. Members asked about how the department distinguishes Medicaid-covered services from department-funded services, how duplicate payment risks are being addressed, and whether the new reporting and audit requirements would improve oversight without disrupting services. DCF said it is the payer of last resort for uninsured or underinsured individuals, that some overlap with Medicaid is expected because Medicaid does not cover all behavioral health services, and that new claims edits and cross-checks are being built into the system. The department also said it had not found significant negative feedback from providers and that the new requirements are intended to improve transparency and accountability. DCF then updated the committee on Senate Bill 7012, covering human trafficking data collection, domestic violence center certification, limited background-screening exemptions, expanded recruitment for child welfare staff, subcontractor liability protections, a four-year treatment foster care pilot, case management efficiency recommendations, and a statewide study of residential bed capacity for child victims of commercial sexual exploitation. The department said several items are already complete or underway, including limited exemptions in the screening clearinghouse, while others are in procurement or rulemaking. It identified Circuits 4 and 12 as the treatment foster care pilot sites and said the pilot will launch in January 2026. Members questioned recruitment metrics, pilot timing, and report deadlines; the department said final reports are expected by January and that some dates were flexible because of procurement and implementation timelines. The meeting ended after the presentations and questions, and the subcommittee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a governor's proposal related to enhancing program integrity in integrated community support
• plan in the Min Choice assessment system in order to document the provider's understanding of the support
• plan in the Min Choice assessment system in order to document the provider's understanding of the support
• plan in the Min Choice assessment system in order to document the provider's understanding of the support
• services and supports area of our Medicaid program where we have services that are set based on market

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Division, in terms of the overview of the program for the child welfare training program support, the
• So I ask you to support these programs.
• And so all these programs really need that type of support.
• I just wanted to speak in strong support of the CHIRP program.
• And I support the church program. To help immigrant kids. Thank you. Thank you, y'all.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I advise the province of Alberta, Canada, and their mandatory treatment program and support it because
• I advise the province of Alberta, Canada, and their mandatory treatment program and support it because
• all for supporting that.
• We make sure that people leave our program with wraparound services to support their transition back
• Like another program.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held its fourth public hearing of the 2025-2026 session on bills dealing with involuntary commitment and access to addiction treatment, especially proposals to move Section 35 civil commitments away from jails and prisons and into facilities licensed or approved by DPH or DMH. Chairs Velis and Domb framed the hearing as a discussion of how to support people in crisis with compassion, while also warning against using involuntary commitment as a way to remove unhoused people from public view. The hearing also touched on related concerns about discharge practices, treatment capacity, and the need for a broader continuum of care. Testimony split largely along two themes. Addiction researcher Keith Humphreys argued that many people enter treatment under pressure, that involuntary treatment can be ethically justified in the face of overdose risk, but that it should not be mandated unless high-quality services exist first; he emphasized the need for inpatient care when someone is a grave danger, followed by case management and outpatient support. MAMH’s Kate Alicante supported the bill, saying Massachusetts is the only state that commits people with substance use conditions to jails or prisons and that carceral settings add trauma and stigma; she pointed to prior legislative steps, including the Section 35 commission and the planned closure of DOC’s MESAC facility, as evidence that the Commonwealth is moving toward health-based settings. A major portion of the hearing focused on Stony Brook, a sheriff-run stabilization and treatment center in Hampden County. Boston City Councilor John Fitzgerald, several committee members, and multiple people in recovery described the facility as humane, well-run, and effective, with longer stays, medical monitoring, medication-assisted treatment, counseling, and warm handoffs to aftercare. Several witnesses said Stony Brook saved their lives or helped family members recover, and they argued that the sheriff’s office model should be expanded rather than eliminated. Others, including family members and advocates, countered that even a well-run correctional setting remains stigmatizing and that people should not be treated in facilities run by sheriffs or corrections when they have committed no crime. No vote was taken. The hearing concluded with continued testimony, including Senator Friedman’s support for Section 35 as a civil commitment tool but not in a criminal justice setting, and her separate support for a bill to speed inpatient mental health treatment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, in order to be in this program, this was a new program that we worked on throughout the agency,
• So, you know, we've been looking back at this program. This is year one of the program.
• This specific program, the teacher fellowship program, was to... ...the fellowship program was to find
• program of child find that may need additional support intervention.
• I think our ABC program does have that data to support it. And that's what I'm talking about.

Summary: The committee approved the March 9 and 10 minutes and then heard a presentation from the Arkansas Department of Education on the Arkansas Excellence in Teaching Fellowship, featuring three third-grade teachers from Cabot, Poyen, and Drew Central who are also teacher merit pay recipients. The teachers described the fellowship as a year-long Zoom-based collaboration with about 23 educators statewide, focused on sharing classroom strategies, data use, and professional support. Members asked about the teachers’ experience, how they share what they learn with their districts, the range of grades represented in the fellowship, and the relationship between the fellowship and merit pay. The teachers emphasized building relationships with students, using data to drive instruction, early intervention, and collaboration across grade levels, while the secretary said the program is intended to identify and elevate high-performing teachers and spread their practices. A major portion of the discussion focused on third-grade reading, retention, and the new ATLAS testing system. Teachers and the secretary said students are screened and progress monitored throughout the year, families are notified early if students are at risk, and schools are using interventions, tutoring, and individualized reading plans. They said ATLAS results are now available much faster than in the past, often within 24 hours or a few days, allowing teachers and parents to respond quickly. Members asked about the impact of poverty, trauma, foster care, DHS involvement, IEPs, and critical shortage areas; teachers said relationship-building, small-group instruction, and coordination with counselors and special education staff are key. The secretary said the fellowship is a small subset of a broader merit pay program, that participation was voluntary, and that the state is trying to build a coherent system with literacy coaches, high-impact tutoring, and clearer standards rather than teaching to the test. Members also discussed broader policy issues, including the need for more positive public messaging about public education, teacher input in decision-making, and support for early childhood education. Several legislators asked whether the state should expand funding for early learning and whether more literacy or academic coaches are needed in districts that improve and then lose eligibility for state support. The secretary said the state has committed literacy coaches to D and F schools and is still working through how to sustain support as schools improve. He also said the administration would look at data and return on investment before supporting additional funding, and he encouraged legislators to help recruit eligible teachers into future fellowship cohorts. After the teacher panel concluded, the committee moved on to the adequacy resource allocation study, where Bureau of Legislative Research staff began a presentation on state and local education funding sources, categorical funds, and district spending patterns.

Transcript Highlights:

• . programs. programs.
• programs? programs?
• voted, the program that's supporting this eminent domain was supported by 100% the majority party.
• That is exactly why I rise today in support of House Bill 1009, the Colorado Mandatory Lethality Assessment
• So, I support the bill.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And in the five years we've had this program, we've assessed over 50 different sites across our footprint
• 50 program, we've assessed over 50 program, we've assessed over 50 different<00:57:52.160> sites
• And our risk assessment, MRO's risk assessment, does show three clear realities.
• And our risk assessment, MRO's risk assessment, does show three clear realities.
• able to make that assessment. able to make that assessment.

Bills: HF3296, HF3802

Keywords: energy conservation, data centers, electric sales, energy optimization, utility regulations, energy regulation, certificate of need, renewable energy, power production, energy efficiency, Minnesota statutes, 1183, house