Video & Transcript : 'collaborative practice' :

Page 103 of 500
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Rules Committee Apr 15th, 2026

Rules

Transcript Highlights:
  • We also look at our best practice. Is there something that we can do, and what can we do better?
  • I have strong collaborations with community partners. That's another piece.
  • I'm unapologetic when it comes to carrying out the practices in regards to the department's values.
  • My superpower, if you will, is that I bring a passion and collaborative mindset to everything I tackle
  • And so we do have established processes and practices to mitigate layoffs.
Keywords: 987, senate, all
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Joint Committee on Ways and Means Jun 21st, 2026 at 10:00 am

Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:
  • Co-response has emerged as one of the most promising practices.
  • Co-response has emerged as one of the most promising practices out of these grants.
  • The third is to be laser focused on efficiency, program integrity, and strong business practices so that
  • The third is to be laser focused on efficiency, program integrity, and strong business practices so that
  • Currently, we're leading the first-ever statewide AAPI survey in collaboration with UMass Boston, the
Keywords: 995, all
Summary: The committee heard budget testimony from Department of Mental Health Commissioner Brooke Doyle, who said DMH serves about 29,000 people and is facing rising demand, higher operating costs, and uncertainty about federal funding. She explained that the FY26 budget prioritizes fully funding the state-operated inpatient system, which is at 100% occupancy and often serves people transferred from Bridgewater State Hospital, while making reductions in other areas to balance the budget. Those reductions include a 50% cut to case managers, a pause on closing the Pocasset unit pending a working group on Cape access, and changes to youth and contracted services such as right-sizing IRTP and CIRT, reducing Youth PACT from seven teams to three, scaling back flex and jail diversion grants as ARPA funds wind down, and preserving the behavioral health helpline and community-based crisis services. Members from Western Massachusetts and the Cape raised concerns about access, staffing, and the impact of cuts, and Doyle said the department would continue operating IRTP services, improve the referral process, and work with stakeholders on the Pocasset review and other access issues. The committee also discussed school-based mental health, 988, loan forgiveness for workforce recruitment, and the role of co-response programs for law enforcement. Secretary Robin Lipson then testified for the Executive Office of Aging and Independence, describing a proposed FY26 budget increase of about 21% to support councils on aging, home care, elder abuse investigations, caregiver support, care transitions, and nutrition programs. She said the agency is managing rising demand, especially from the growing 80-plus population, and noted uncertainty around federal Older Americans Act funding after the federal disbursement agency was disbanded. To control costs, the office will manage intake and caseload growth in a fully state-funded home care program, but current clients will not lose services. Lipson also highlighted a new $1 million line item for local mini-grants to support age-friendly initiatives. In questions, members focused on elder scams, and Lipson said scams are increasing and the agency is working with banks, district attorneys, and public awareness campaigns. The Health Policy Commission’s Executive Director David Seltz presented the agency’s FY26 request and said the biggest challenge is health care affordability, with family premiums near $29,000 annually and many residents delaying care because of cost. He emphasized that recent legislation significantly expands HPC’s role through a new Office of Pharmaceutical Policy and Analysis, which will examine the drug supply chain and pricing, and a new Office of Health Resource Planning, which will support statewide planning around closures and access gaps. The new law also creates task forces on maternal health access and primary care, and adds transparency and oversight for private equity in health care. Members asked about pharmaceutical costs, GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, 340B, and maternal health closures; Seltz said the data show rapid growth in GLP-1 spending and that the new offices will help the state better understand cost drivers and access problems. The Center for Health Information and Analysis then began its testimony, describing its role as the state’s data hub for health care spending, utilization, quality, and affordability analysis.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Public Health Apr 7th, 2025 at 03:30 pm

Public Health

Transcript Highlights:
  • They’ve been practicing for years, they come here, and they want to practice, but it’s basically like
  • But he's not practicing medicine.
  • Yeah, I mean, I think that having a mechanism to allow the physician graduates to practice... ...practice
  • The states to practice.
  • This practice here in Texas.
Summary: The meeting of the public health committee focused on the pressing issue of opioid addiction in Texas, with a particular emphasis on House Bill 3717. Chairman Harris detailed the bill's intent to fund a grant program for Ibogaine clinical trials, framing it as a critical response to the ongoing opioid crisis. He shared poignant testimonies highlighting the struggles of families and veterans battling addiction and mental health issues. The conversation underscored the necessity of innovative treatments, like Ibogaine, which showed promising results in studies for reducing symptoms of withdrawal and PTSD.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Office of Inspector General debate 2/24/26

Minnesota House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • We have to do this collaboratively.
  • We have to do this collaboratively.
  • We have to do this collaboratively.
  • We have to do this collaboratively.
  • We have to do this collaboratively.
Keywords: 1183, house
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Education Committee Apr 22nd, 2026

Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • The bill is based on research and best practices. The U.S.
  • SB 1086 offers a practical solution.
  • Can you describe how that law has functioned in practice?
  • But I also want to be more practical in what this also offers.
  • So with I want to be more practical in what this also offers.
Keywords: 987, senate, all
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

Education May 14th, 2026

Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • I mean, I know this is new turf here, but I'm just practically speaking.
  • It was a collaboration. We actually merged all the TOPS Tech bills so that we can combine them.
  • It is a collaboration with our school board, and it has been from day one.
  • Adversarial collaboration, or lack thereof.
  • When we have positive collaborations with ABA providers, we have a great product.
Summary: The Senate Education Committee met with four members present and took up a long agenda of education-related bills. Early items included SCR 65, which would create a K-12 student success task force to study statewide career and academic pathway advising; the committee adopted a substantive amendment adding designees and then reported the resolution favorably. The committee also reported favorably on SCR 119, honoring Coach D.D. Breaux, after brief remarks about her LSU gymnastics legacy and the request that LSU study naming its gymnastics training facility in her honor. Several bills affecting school operations and student support were heard and reported favorably, including HB 434 on probationary school bus driver employment and superintendent authority over dismissal; HB 484 expanding scholarship benefits for children and spouses of fallen or disabled firefighters and police officers; HB 749 and HB 1059 on savings accounts and TOPS math eligibility alignment; HB 218 adding food insecurity questions to student questionnaires, which was amended and reported favorably; HB 325 expanding TOPS Tech eligibility through dual enrollment and part-time use; HB 476 requiring Safe Haven law postings in middle and high school restrooms; HB 1249 clarifying access to school-based health centers, with an amendment adopted; HB 1242 allowing more than one early learning center license at the same location under certain circumstances; HB 632 improving data protections and functionality for LA First; and HB 352 on behavioral health services for public school students, which was amended to address IEP and dispute-process concerns before being reported favorably. Two bills drew extended debate over transparency, privacy, and school autonomy. HB 608 would create confidentiality for intercollegiate athletics revenue-sharing documents; LSU representatives argued the bill was needed to protect student-athletes and competitive information, while PAR and the Louisiana Press Association opposed it as an improper secrecy carve-out for state-generated revenue. Despite the opposition, the committee reported HB 608 favorably. HB 1112, which would exempt BESE-approved non-public pre-K programs from certain licensure and safety requirements and adjust related definitions, was amended and then heard with testimony from the Pelican Institute in support, arguing it corrects overreach from prior law and protects private school autonomy and parental choice.
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

04/16/2026 - Joint Legislative Audit Committee

Joint Legislative Audit Committee

Transcript Highlights:
  • a team of people on both sides collaborating together to work on the implementation.
  • Success comes from the collaboration of working with so many different types of agencies.
  • It's, as I think someone has spoken to, the collaboration aspect behind it, right?
  • It's as I think someone to be able to spoken to, it's the collaboration aspect behind it, right?
  • But it's the collaboration, the fact that tends to create a barrier.
Keywords: 1182, all
WA
Transcript Highlights:
  • And the last service type that we identified as a leading practice was supervision.
  • We did not include monitoring tools as a leading practice because research on their effectiveness we
  • This framework could be carried out by a collaborative work group with representatives from, for example
  • In November of 2021, we established our pretrial service unit based upon recommended practices and best
  • practices associated with the National Association of Pre-Trial Service Agencies.
Keywords: 904, all
Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee held a hearing on a State Auditor’s Office performance audit about expanding pretrial services in Washington. Audit staff said most of the 14 courts reviewed wanted to expand or implement pretrial services but faced barriers such as funding, limited community resources, and public safety concerns. They also reported that only three courts could provide usable data, that pretrial service use varied across courts, and that some demographic disparities appeared in the data, including lower rates of pretrial services for Hispanic defendants at two Spokane courts and for Black defendants at Spokane Superior Court. The audit also found that many courts do not collect pretrial data in an accessible format and recommended clearer guidance, better data systems, stakeholder outreach, and evaluation of program effectiveness. The State Auditor’s Office also noted that the Administrative Office of the Courts’ pretrial pilot program had received legislative funding and was being expanded. Representatives from Spokane Municipal Court, Grays Harbor County District Court, and Yakima County discussed their local programs and data. Spokane officials described a robust integrated system and said their pretrial services unit, launched in 2021, had reduced bail use, jail time, failure-to-appear rates, and recidivism, while helping judges make quicker release decisions. Grays Harbor staff echoed the audit’s findings on cost savings and said data collection is labor-intensive for limited-jurisdiction courts, especially without dedicated staff. They also described using risk assessment tools and pilot funding to support alternatives to jail. Yakima and Spokane participants emphasized that stable funding and standalone pretrial services units would improve program consistency and outcomes. Committee members asked about how pretrial services reduce detention time, how courts can better communicate cost savings and public safety benefits, and why statewide data collection is difficult. Audit staff and court representatives said early assessments, better information at first appearance, and integrated case-management systems help reduce jail stays and improve release decisions. The hearing ended without formal committee action, and the chair adjourned the meeting after inviting written public testimony on the audit topics.
WA
Transcript Highlights:
  • And the last service type that we identified as a leading practice was supervision.
  • We did not include monitoring tools as a leading practice because research on their effectiveness, we
  • This framework could be carried out by a collaborative work group with representatives from, for example
  • In November of 2021, we established our pretrial service unit based upon recommended practices and best
  • practices associated with the National Association of Pre-Trial Service Agencies.
Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee heard a State Auditor’s Office performance audit on expanding the use of pretrial services in Washington. Auditors said most of the 14 local courts they reviewed wanted to expand or implement pretrial services but faced barriers such as funding, limited community resources, and public safety concerns. The audit found variation in how courts use pretrial services, potential disparities in who receives them, and major data limitations because most courts do not track pretrial outcomes in an accessible, standardized way. Auditors recommended that local courts engage stakeholders early, improve data collection and evaluation, and that the Administrative Office of the Courts provide more standardized guidance and support. They also noted the legislature had funded an AOC pilot program to help courts expand pretrial services. Court representatives from Spokane Municipal Court, Grays Harbor County District Court, and Yakima County described their own programs and supported the audit’s general conclusions. Spokane officials said their pretrial unit, funded locally and built around risk and needs assessments, had reduced bail use, detention time, failures to appear, and recidivism, but emphasized the need for stable funding and better public understanding of pretrial alternatives. Grays Harbor staff similarly said pretrial supervision and least-restrictive alternatives save jail costs and reduce reoffending, but that collecting data across all cases is labor-intensive and difficult without dedicated staff. Yakima and Spokane also highlighted the value of integrated case-management systems and centralized data tracking. Committee members asked about how reduced detention time occurs, how courts can communicate cost savings and public safety outcomes, and why many courts struggle to track pretrial data. Auditors explained that early risk and financial screening helps judges make quicker release decisions and that better data and stakeholder communication are key to building support. No formal action or vote was taken; the committee held the required hearing and then adjourned after public testimony was invited and written testimony information was provided.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
  • Um, still part-time, still my practice at home and other things that I do.
  • Um still part-time, still my practice<00:03:43.840><c> at</c><00:03:43.959><c> home</c><00:03:44.320>
  • at home and other things that I practice at home and other things that I do. do. do.
  • Um, the way to do it is with a collaborative, thoughtful process.
  • </c> the way to do it is with a collaborative the way to do it is with a collaborative thoughtful<00:
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
MO

Missouri 2026 Regular Session

Crime and Public Safety Mar 24th, 2026

Crime and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:
  • lives. ...gaps between law enforcement, hospitals, and prosecutors, and lack of standardized best practice
  • As I'm just reading through the bill, is there any collaboration in the bill that I'm just missing between
  • Because I think there are some county prosecutors that would love to collaborate on issues like this.
  • As I'm just reading through the bill, is there any like collaboration in the bill that I'm just missing
  • Because I think there are some county prosecutors that would love to collaborate on issues like this.
Keywords: 959, house, all
NH

New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session

Senate Executive Departments and Administration (12/03/2025)

Executive Departments and Administration

Transcript Highlights:
  • , and that they support the residents they offer and make strong efforts to connect and collaborate with
  • 00:16:38.079><c> they</c><00:16:38.240><c> follow</c><00:16:38.560><c> best</c><00:16:38.800><c> practice
  • </c><00:16:39.120><c> and</c><00:16:39.360><c> that</c> that they follow best practice and that that
  • they follow best practice and that they<00:16:39.759><c> support</c><00:16:40.480><c> uh</c><00:16:41.120
  • with the neighborhoods and collaborate with the neighborhoods and the<00:16:46.800><c> communities</
Keywords: 1191, senate, all
ND

North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Education Committee Apr 1st, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • Another important impact has been staff collaboration and retention.
  • We have formed a collaborative group, which meets monthly.
  • We have, A collaborative group, which meets monthly.
  • So through an MOU, DPI is managing that work in collaboration with NDHS.
  • So through an MOU, DPI is managing that work in collaboration with NDHS.
Summary: The committee met to hear presentations on dual credit programs from North Dakota higher education leaders, a school superintendent, and teachers. Valley City State University described its dual credit model, emphasizing quality control through annual teacher training, syllabus and outcomes alignment, faculty qualification review, school visits, and pathways aimed at the College Studies Certificate. Members asked about teacher employment, course scheduling, revenue, scholarships, and whether a centralized model might improve efficiency; VCSU said most instructors are K-12 employees, online offerings are still small, and centralization could weaken local relationships and choice. Lake Region State College similarly stressed access and partnerships, noting about half of its headcount is still in high school, with both online and face-to-face dual credit options, district reimbursement arrangements, and support for rural schools. Lake Region also said dual credit helps students who might not otherwise see themselves as college-bound, but reduced tuition can still be a barrier for some families. Fargo Public Schools reported continued growth in dual credit, with 50 courses offered in partnership with several NDUS institutions and a 12.61% increase in participation. The superintendent highlighted a growing education pathway, including students completing Introduction to Education and field experience, and said the district is exploring a grow-your-own teacher pipeline. He also raised concerns about inconsistent institutional processes, teacher credentialing requirements, and transfer clarity, arguing for more aligned statewide systems. In response to questions, he said AP and dual credit can coexist, with AP often better for highly selective out-of-state colleges and dual credit better for students targeting North Dakota institutions, and he described some use of Arizona State online courses in earlier rural partnerships but said Fargo is focused on local institutions. Two teachers then testified on the classroom perspective. A West Fargo anatomy and physiology teacher said dual credit has expanded access, lowered costs, and prepared students well, but agreed that foundational science courses may be more effective when taken later in high school to reduce knowledge loss before college. A Drake-Anamoose English teacher, who has taught dual credit for more than 20 years, said the program has supported many students who went on to a wide range of careers and emphasized that small rural schools rely on dual credit to provide opportunities they otherwise could not offer. No formal votes or actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Floor Session 4/25/25 - Part 2

Minnesota House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • > Your leadership, collaboration inspired Your leadership, collaboration inspired make<00:26:09.440><
  • Practice what you preach. faith? Practice what you preach.
  • </c> as we want, but SOP practice and etc. as we want, but SOP practice and etc. has<01:28:09.520><c>
  • It's practical for the county recorders and stuff.
  • It's practical for the county recorders and stuff.
Keywords: 1183, house
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • The Student Success Collaborative has had great success.
  • to help all of our campuses have the best knowledge, best practice, best process to get us where we
  • I think collaboration is really good. There's a lot of good stuff that we have going, by the way.
  • I think collaboration is really good.
  • </c><00:30:48.679><c> is</c> work together I think collaboration is work together I think collaboration
Keywords: 958, all
Summary: Aaron Thompson, president of the Council on Postsecondary Education, and Travis Pal briefed the committee on Kentucky higher education performance, affordability, workforce alignment, and budget needs. Thompson said the state has made progress toward its 60x30 attainment goal, reporting 56.2% of adults with a credential of value and a 6.4% one-year increase in credentials. He highlighted gains in completion, enrollment recovery after COVID, lower student borrowing and debt, and faster degree completion, saying Kentucky is now back to an average of 4.1 years for four-year degrees. He also emphasized that postsecondary education has a strong return on investment for both students and the state. A major theme was student success and access. Thompson described efforts to reduce barriers through test-optional admissions, the elimination of zero-credit developmental education, expanded wraparound supports, and Bridge programming for students not fully prepared for college. He also promoted Futurity, a student-facing information website, and said CPE wants modest ongoing funding to maintain it. He argued that higher education must work in a P-20 system with K-12, and that the state should better communicate the value of certificates, trade programs, and other credentials, especially for adult learners and men, who he said are underrepresented in college-going. The presentation also focused on performance funding, capital needs, and workforce initiatives. Thompson and Pal said performance funding has pushed institutions toward more need-based aid and lower costs for low-income students, but they want more base funding, more performance funding dollars, and relief from about $38 million in mandated tuition waivers. They also said asset preservation and deferred maintenance remain major needs, estimating roughly $7 billion in campus need overall. On workforce, they cited healthcare pipeline work supported by state funding and private partners, and said HB 200 continues that effort into aviation, aerospace, and defense. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the presentation, which ended with members indicating interest in further discussion.
WA
Transcript Highlights:
  • Tribal land management practices.
  • In conclusion, the position will strengthen our partnerships and foster collaborative stewardship for
  • What's the best practice? What's the best chemical? How do we move forward?
  • What is the best practice so we can safeguard people from the rodents, but also make...
  • An example from Seattle: In 2021, we collaborated with Seattle Parks and Recreation to pilot a carbon
Summary: The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee held public hearings on several bills, with most of the discussion focused on tribal representation and natural resource management. On HB 2117, which would add a tribal representative to the Board of Natural Resources, the prime sponsor and DNR officials said the bill would strengthen government-to-government relationships without replacing existing consultation duties. Tribal leaders from the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation testified in support, as did the Commissioner of Public Lands and DNR’s tribal relations director. County and timber interests said they were not opposed to tribal representation but raised concerns about trust responsibilities, beneficiary interests, and whether the representative should come from a tribe with commercial forest management experience. The committee later closed testimony on HB 2117 and read into the record 192 pro, 124 con, and zero other sign-ins. The committee also heard HB 2516, which would impose a two-year moratorium on the use of certain anticoagulant rodenticides and bromethalin after a Department of Agriculture report and while the Washington State Academy of Sciences studies alternatives and impacts. The prime sponsor argued the bill balances rodent control with concerns about wildlife, groundwater, and human exposure, while opponents from the pest management industry warned it would remove effective tools and worsen rodent problems, especially for low-income and manufactured-home communities. Supporters included the Washington Poison Center, wildlife rehabilitators, Birds Connect Seattle, the Stillaguamish Tribe, and other advocates who cited poisonings in wildlife and children and pointed to non-toxic alternatives and integrated pest management. The committee read into the record 754 pro, 176 con, and five other sign-ins. For HB 2554, which would repeal RCW 77.110 and related language tied to Initiative 456 and tribal fishing rights, the sponsor and the Attorney General’s Office said the statute is unconstitutional and inconsistent with federal treaty law and court rulings. The Department of Fish and Wildlife also supported repeal, describing the measure as removing an unenforceable anti-tribal statute. The committee then moved on to HB 2327, a bill directing JLARC to audit the county forest board lands trust and DNR’s management of those lands. The sponsor, former Rep. Jim Buck, county representatives, and forest industry witnesses supported an independent review of the trust structure and performance; some asked for amendments to address reconveyance options, broader legal and ecological considerations, and consultation with tribes and the Board of Natural Resources.
ND

North Dakota 2026 1st Special Session

Education Committee Apr 1st, 2026 at 09:00 am

Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • That line of teacher collaboration, than the teachers on the non-Barr side of the school.
  • Another important impact has been staff collaboration and retention.
  • We have formed a collaborative group, which meets monthly.
  • So through an MOU, DPI is managing that work in collaboration with NDHS.
  • So through an MOU, DPI is managing that work in collaboration with NDHS.
Keywords: 908, all
WY

Wyoming 2026 Regular Session

Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration, June 24, 2026 - AM

Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration

Transcript Highlights:
  • The student ADM recommendation and the historical practice of the K-12 funding model utilized the greater
  • So this has been a collaborative effort.
  • The city of Lander and FCSD 1 have worked collaboratively for years on placing SROs in the...
  • . ...within a school, and um, practicality.
  • , but rely on that collaboration effort.
Keywords: 916, all
ID

Idaho 2026 Regular Session

Agenda Mar 16th, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • members have reached out offering collaboration with you, and I've gotten limited to no response.
  • Because of this, collaboration is not optional. It is necessary.
  • This is why I’m asking this body to ensure that House Bill 863 establishes a collaborative, informed
  • process for determining best practices.
  • Importantly, by engaging in a collaborative process now, the state can and will save $1.7 million and
Summary: The Senate Health and Welfare Committee approved the February 18, 2026 minutes and then heard House Bill 863 from Senator Julie Van Orden. The bill would reduce Medicaid residential habilitation rates by pulling back funding tied to a 2022 KW lawsuit-related service array while keeping the separate provider rate increase in place, and it would add audit/cost-survey language. Department of Health and Welfare officials said the 2022 funds were originally federal ARPA dollars, that the state share was later expected to be addressed, and that the bill would require third-party audits and broader cost surveys for home and community-based services. Van Orden and the department argued the bill would not eliminate services but would strengthen oversight and provide better data for future rate decisions. Testimony was sharply divided. Providers and advocates said the proposed reduction would destabilize residential habilitation agencies, force wage cuts, reduce services, and risk closures, while supporting the audit and transparency provisions. Several witnesses emphasized that the services help vulnerable adults remain in the community and warned of downstream costs if supports are reduced. A litigation attorney testified that the bill’s findings were inaccurate, saying the KW case remains active, the department is still under court orders, and reductions could trigger further litigation or enforcement issues. Department officials responded that the bill would repeal certain rate-setting rules tied to current cost-survey methods and that the new audits would be phased in. After testimony, Senator Van Orden closed by reiterating that the bill was intended to reduce, not remove, the service funding and to require a third-party audit. The committee then considered motions to hold the bill in committee. A substitute motion to hold House Bill 863 in committee subject to the call of the chair passed on a 7-4-2 vote, and the bill was held in committee.
ID

Idaho 2026 Regular Session

Agenda Mar 16th, 2026

Health and Welfare

Transcript Highlights:
  • Because of this, collaboration is not optional. It is necessary.
  • This is why I'm asking this body to ensure that House Bill 863 establishes a collaborative, informed
  • process for..." "...this body to ensure that House Bill 863 establishes a collaborative, informed process
  • for determining best practices.
  • Importantly, by engaging in a collaborative process now, the state can and will save $1.7 million and
Keywords: 989, all
Summary: The Senate Health and Welfare Committee approved the minutes of February 18, 2026, then heard House Bill 863 from Senator Julie Van Orden. The bill would pull back funding tied to a 2022 Medicaid residential habilitation rate and service package connected to the KW/Armstrong litigation, while retaining the provider rate increase and adding audit/cost-survey language. Van Orden and Department of Health and Welfare officials said the proposal would reduce rates by about 10% from September 2025 levels, but that the remaining rates would still be about 33% above 2022 levels; they said the audits would provide better data for future rate decisions. Department officials also explained that the original funding was largely federal ARPA money, with the state share for the service array to be about $21.8 million in general funds, and said the bill would require third-party audits and broader cost surveys over time. Testimony was split. Several providers and family members argued the cut would destabilize residential habilitation agencies, force wage reductions, reduce services, or even cause closures, while supporting the audit and transparency provisions. A provider said the bill’s premise was misleading and that the 2022 rate increase was driven by staffing shortages and COVID, not the lawsuit. Other witnesses said the services help vulnerable adults remain in the community, avoid institutionalization, and maintain independence. An attorney involved in the KW/Armstrong case said the bill’s findings were inaccurate, that the court had ordered implementation rather than halted it, and warned that cutting funding could trigger further litigation and conflict with existing court protections on individual budgets. Department officials said the audits could begin right away but would likely take about a year for a report, and that the department would need to monitor access if rates were reduced. After debate, committee members expressed concern both about the size of the cut and about protecting services for people with developmental disabilities. Senator Lenney moved to hold the bill in committee, and Senator Wintrow offered a substitute motion to hold it subject to the call of the chair. The substitute motion passed on a roll call vote, 7-4, with two absent. House Bill 863 was therefore held in committee subject to the call of the chair, and the meeting adjourned.