Transcript Highlights:

• I am supporting the bill.
• I will be supporting it. Thank you. Thank you, Representative.
• She waves in support. Maybe we won't hear from her, but she waves in support. in support, exactly.
• I will support it. Thank you, Representative.
• Within the classroom, the teachers are providing support.

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll take our first proponent in support.
• We would like to go on record in support of this bill.
• Next up in support. Good morning, everyone.
• So there's no additional infrastructure to have to support.
• that are supportive of this.

Committee: House Health and Mental Health

Transcript Highlights:

• The reason for this is that both use the same statutory authority in the Idaho Developmental Disability
• Each of the three provider types offers comparable services to individuals with disabilities.
• I understand that the associations support this.” “To put it here.
• I understand that the associations support this work and the rule.
• My intent is to support the motion. I just really didn't want to let Mr.

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Transcript Highlights:

• you and the conditions that do not support you.
• What conditions support the values you all lifted up, and what conditions don't support the values you
• What conditions support these values, and what conditions don't support these values?
• not support them.
• Would anyone else like to share conditions that support the values we've lifted up or not support the

Summary: The Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Aging opened its March quarterly meeting by welcoming its first full-time director, Alison Bauer, who introduced her background in state government, public health, philanthropy, teaching, and LGBTQ family advocacy. Commissioners approved the December quarterly meeting minutes, then turned to a presentation by Adriana Bullen on diversity, equity, inclusion, power, belonging, and intersectionality. Bullen led an interactive workshop using reflection, anonymous polling, and discussion to connect DEI concepts to the commission’s work, including examples from participants’ personal and professional lives and a brief history of intersectionality rooted in Black feminist scholarship and the DeGraffenreid v. General Motors case. The group then applied the discussion to the commission itself, identifying examples of successful DEI work such as listening sessions across the Commonwealth, targeted recruitment, inclusive trainings, the strategic plan, the commission website, and advocacy that helped pass the LGBTQI+ and HIV long-term care bill of rights. Participants also named conditions that support the commission’s power, including collaboration, commitment, openness, empowerment, persistence, and strong relationships, while noting barriers such as invisibility of older adults, limited racial and ethnic diversity, and lack of trans elder representation. Several commissioners emphasized the need for more Black, Latino, immigrant, and trans voices, and discussed recruitment challenges, including the difficulty of asking marginalized people to be the only one in the room. Bullen concluded by introducing an equity-lens tool for evaluating decisions and actions, using the commission’s strategic priority on representation as an example. Commissioners discussed whether to expand membership, create an advisory board, or use a broader network of organizations to cultivate future commissioners, noting that some changes would require legislative or procedural action. The meeting ended with appreciation for the workshop and a commitment to continue the work, with the next quarterly meeting scheduled for June.

Transcript Highlights:

• also supports child health care after-school initiative. ...program also supports child health care after-school
• However, insurers have long supported premium taxes to support the regulation of the insurance industry
• They support...
• Insurers have long supported premium taxes to support the regulation of the insurance industry.
• I am here to testify in support of House Bill 1974.

Bills: HB2367 , HB1974 , HB2650 , HB2626

Committee: House Finance

Keywords: coal-fired plant, preferential treatment, energy policy, electric generation, regulatory reform, land bank, land banking authority, affordable housing, housing crisis, housing supply, public corporation, public housing authority, nonprofit housing, tax-foreclosed property, blight remediation, redevelopment, anti-displacement, equity, redlining, racial segregation

Transcript Highlights:

• I rise in strong support of Senate Bill 135.
• I urge your support. Any further remarks? Secretary will open the roll.
• the provisions of the bill. ...to support the provisions of the bill.
• I urge your support. ...and have been diagnosed with a disability or chronic illness.
• I urge your support. Any further remarks? Secretary will open the roll.

Transcript Highlights:

• But I write in strong support of H. 4508, an act relative to the disability pension for Patricia M.
• H. 4508, an act relative to the disability pension for Patricia M.
• I am here in support of House Bill 3,000.
• Thank you for allowing me to speak in support of Bill 2878.
• pending disability retirement.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Public Service

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Service heard testimony on a wide range of retirement classification and benefit bills affecting municipal and state employees. Much of the hearing focused on proposals to move various workers from Group 1 to Group 2 or Group 4, including municipal building officials (H. 2776), MassDOT highway workers (H. 2908/Sousa’s Law), DCF attorneys (H. 2771), probation officers, licensed electricians, drinking water operators (H. 3000/S. 1834), MWRA non-clerical workers (S. 1803), transitional parole officers (H. 2878), Plymouth BCI criminal investigator officers (H. 2975/S. 1863), Beverly fire alarm operators/public safety telecommunicators (S. 1876), Massport pipefitters and refrigeration technicians (H. 2788/S. 1829), and other public safety or hazardous-duty classifications. Witnesses generally argued that their work is physically dangerous, understaffed, or comparable to already higher-classified employees, and several said the changes would help recruitment and retention with little fiscal impact because the affected groups are small. The committee also heard testimony on H. 4508, a home rule petition to grant a disability pension to Boston principal Patricia Lampron. Supporters, including Representative Dan Hunt, Boston city councilors, and Lampron herself, described a severe 2021 assault at the Henderson Inclusion School that left her with lasting physical and psychological injuries and forced her into early retirement. They urged the committee to advance the bill quickly. One witness, Pamela McLaughlin, testified in opposition, arguing the bill would set the wrong precedent and describing alleged prior misconduct by Lampron, and asked that the bill be sent to study. Several witnesses and committee members asked brief questions, mainly about the scope of the bills, whether certain workers were already in higher groups, and the fiscal or precedent concerns. No votes were taken during the hearing. At the end, the chairs announced that testimony was complete, asked whether anyone else wished to speak, and then the committee voted to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> helping them file their disability helping them file their disability claims<00:16:12.519><c> but
• JEO supports this bill. Thousands of veteran voices support this bill.
• </c><00:32:25.440><c> this</c> veterans jeck vau supports this veterans jeck vau supports this bill<00
• </c><00:32:33.679><c> this</c> matters jeck vau supports this matters jeck vau supports this bill<00:
• </c> bill thousands of Veteran voices support bill thousands of Veteran voices support this this this

Summary: The Senate VMAP Committee met with a quorum and heard three bills. Senate Bill 144, sponsored by Senator Danny Carroll, would require destruction of firearms used in homicides and allow destruction of certain defaced, hazardous, unsafe, or owner-requested firearms, while prohibiting agencies from intentionally damaging firearms before transfer and requiring written agency policies. Senator Tichenor asked about lost auction revenue; KSP said it could not track homicide weapons separately, that auctions bring in about $1.2 million annually, and that most proceeds support Kentucky Homeland Security. Senators Boswell and others said they generally oppose destroying firearms but supported moving the bill forward; the bill passed favorably with no nays. House Bill 191, sponsored by Representative Aaron Thompson and presented with state and veterans’ officials, would align Kentucky law with federal changes to allow additional burials in state veteran cemeteries for certain National Guard and Reserve veterans, their spouses, and dependents who were not previously eligible. Testimony explained the bill would cover veterans who served in reserve components without Title 10 activation, including those who assisted during floods, fires, and tornadoes, and clarified eligibility rules for spouses and children. Senators asked about minimum service and dependent eligibility, and the committee passed the bill favorably and unanimously. Senate Bill 198, sponsored by Senator David Yates, addressed protection of veterans’ benefits by regulating third-party claims consultants. The committee adopted a substitute adding definitions and accreditation-related provisions, and Yates said the bill was intended to curb abusive fee practices and direct penalties to the special license plate fund for veterans. He explained the bill’s fee limits, including a cap tied to three times the monthly increase in benefits and an overall ceiling, while senators questioned whether the cap might discourage good actors and how the dollar limits would work. A veteran witness, Bob Casher, supported the bill and urged more public information on free claims assistance; the committee held further action while allowing guest comments, and the discussion focused on balancing consumer protection with access to legitimate consultants.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for the opportunity to testify again in support of House File 2499.
• The renters's living with disabilities.
• And we should incentivize, uh supported.
• </c> historically and um and I support that. historically and um and I support that.
• This is increasingly helping more seniors and people living with disabilities.

Transcript Highlights:

• What about our support for children?
• immediate support... ...by diversifying the educator pipeline and provides supplemental, immediate support
• And while I support the intent of House Bill 63, And while I support the intent of House Bill 63, the
• So I would just ask that you continue to support high-performing schools and support the work that they're
• So I'm asking that you support a budget line for the Department of Education to support the initial steps

Summary: The committee first heard a presentation on strategic resource management in public education. LESC staff and PED officials argued that New Mexico has increased school funding, but local budgeting and planning remain fragmented and overly compliance-driven. They described long-term pressures including declining enrollment, rising special education costs, falling cash balances, changes in federal funding, and leadership turnover, and said schools need more intentional multi-year planning tied to student outcomes. They also outlined the many disconnected planning requirements schools must complete, compared New Mexico’s current approach with Ohio’s three-year budget forecasting model, and recommended continuing multi-year appropriations, adding $2.5 million for state grants in the unified application, and directing LESC, LFC, and PED to develop a long-term financial planning proposal. PED said it is working to reduce administrative burden through school accreditation, a unified application for federal and state funds, and internal alignment of guidance and coaching, with pilot schools reporting time savings and better alignment. Members raised concerns about four-day school weeks, the burden on small districts, the need for outcomes and return on investment, and whether the state should move toward a two-year or three-year planning cycle; staff clarified that the proposal was to streamline or eliminate redundant requirements, not add another layer. The committee then received an update on the Educator Fellows program. PED described it as a Grow Your Own pipeline that employs candidates as supplemental educational assistants while they work toward licensure, providing salary, benefits, paid leave, mentoring, and coursework support. Officials said the program helps address teacher shortages, improves student-to-teacher ratios, increases workforce diversity, and supports the Martinez-Yazzie action plan. They reported 370 current fellows across 86 LEAs and about 180 schools, with many fellows being people of color, first-generation college students, or second-career educators; roughly 85 are expected to become certified this year. A local HR director from Belen testified that the program has been especially valuable in small communities, where fellows are already rooted in the community and several have moved into teaching roles. Members asked about high school recruitment, tuition, retirement and benefits, the relationship to the Higher Education Department’s Grow Your Own scholarship, and the role of university partners. PED said fellows choose among accredited higher education partners, the program is separate from the scholarship but complementary, and the state is also building an apprenticeship model and seeking to expand the program to more LEAs, though some districts are on a waiting list because of funding and local match requirements.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> designated fee structure uh to support designated fee structure uh to support the<00:09:09.519><
• </c> individuals aged uh handicapped disabled individuals aged uh handicapped disabled uh<00:39:16.560
• </c><01:09:26.279><c> disabled</c> that way you can where disable disabled that way you can where disable
• </c><01:25:42.639><c> the</c> economy in addition to supporting the economy in addition to supporting
• If I'm looking at disabled people, disabled housing is probably higher on my list than a peer.

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:03:59.119><c> and</c> we can't do it without your support and we can't do it without your support
• On the child support side, we serve over 190,000 child support clients.
• </c> 190,000 child support clients. 190,000 child support clients.
• Alabama Rise does a support somewhat.
• </c> is the developmental disabilities is the developmental disabilities program<02:15:07.760><c> which

Transcript Highlights:

• So Minnesotans have the ability to support themselves, their families, and their ways of life.
• </c><00:05:12.080><c> it</c> devastate people with disabilities it devastate people with disabilities
• One of the things the Senate DFL has done, and will continue to do, is create supports like the DARE
• </c> The Disappearance of reliable support The Disappearance of reliable support support<00:09:57.680
• </c><00:20:01.600><c> it's</c> it's the people with disabilities it's it's the people with disabilities

Transcript Highlights:

• So, while Medicaid does support their medical needs, it does not support those personal care needs or
• </c><01:12:39.840><c> So</c> I just appreciate your support. So I just appreciate your support.
• All the supports he needs.
• Um, community supports.
• He needs those<01:14:42.159><c> community</c><01:14:42.640><c> supports,</c> those community supports

Summary: The committee opened by adopting its mission and priorities for reviewing Kentucky’s 1915(c) home- and community-based services waiver wait lists, including evaluating current capacity and bottlenecks, comparing other states’ practices, and considering a tiered priority system based on urgency of need. The chair also announced that, although public comment was not on the agenda, the committee would allow 30 minutes for comments and asked speakers to keep remarks brief. He noted that public comment would not continue in the smaller subcommittees after this meeting, but could still be made at the larger MOAB meetings or by email. Department for Medicaid Services officials Leslie Hoffman and Carmen Hancock then gave a detailed overview of Kentucky’s waiver programs: the acquired brain injury waiver, ABI long-term care waiver, home and community-based waiver, Model 2, Michelle P. waiver, Supports for Community Living waiver, and the newly approved child waiver. They explained each program’s eligibility and level-of-care requirements, described funded, filled, allocated, reserved, and available slots, and said the state had already added new slots from House Bill 500. They emphasized that available slots can coexist with a wait list because of reserved slots for money-follows-the-person transitions, emergency slots, annual slot churn, and waiver-year reconciliation. They also reported that the unduplicated wait list total was 18,948, and gave current wait-time figures by waiver, noting that the numbers change constantly. Members asked about how level-of-care determinations are made, whether all people on the wait list have been assessed, and whether undocumented individuals appear in the counts. The department said full level-of-care assessments are done only when a person is moving off the wait list into a reserved slot, and that only Medicaid-eligible individuals can reach the wait list. Senators and representatives also pressed on the meaning of “churn,” why slots cannot be reissued immediately when someone leaves, and whether people who receive even a small amount of service keep their slot for the rest of the waiver year under CMS rules. Officials said that once a participant receives service during the waiver year, the slot generally cannot be reassigned until the next waiver year, even if the person later disengages. The department also presented county distribution, annual member growth, average total cost per member, and total annual waiver expenditures, saying fiscal year 2025 closed at about $1.8 billion in waiver services. In response to questions, officials said they would provide additional churn data for other waivers, including Michelle P., and would look into the average wait-time calculations requested by members. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> has not supported this in the past. has not supported this in the past.
• In support of the amendment.
• </c> discrimination against the disability discrimination against the disability community?
• </c> support a real retain. support a real retain.
• </c> reallocated to support that weight list. reallocated to support that weight list.

Summary: The committee first considered House Bill 66, a right-to-know measure that would broaden access from “citizen” to “person,” including out-of-state requesters. Members also adopted an amendment removing the current no-filing-fee provision for appeals of unfavorable right-to-know ombudsman rulings, citing budget concerns. The bill was then reported ought to pass as amended on a 16-9 vote, with a minority report requested. House Bill 187, which would let a parent or guardian seek a protective order on behalf of a minor alleging abuse by someone outside the family or household, was described as a narrow fix with little fiscal impact. It passed unanimously, 25-0, and was placed on the consent calendar. House Bill 215, requiring landfill permit applicants to submit a report on potential harms and benefits, was retained because its policy had been folded into House Bill 2; the committee voted 25-0 to retain it. House Bill 219, dealing with renewable portfolio standard changes and lower renewable energy certificate values, drew opposition from members who said it would weaken renewable energy development and raise concerns about energy costs, but the motion to retain was adopted 14-11, allowing the bill to be moved into House Bill 2. The committee then retained House Bills 365, 552, 566, 572, 607, 611, and 624, all by unanimous or near-unanimous votes, generally because the relevant policy or funding had been incorporated into House Bill 2 or because the bills were viewed as technical or low-impact. HB 566 was described as a landfill leach-management bill with a fiscal note under $10,000 annually and was sent to consent. HB 572 and HB 607 were retained because their money components were moved into HB 2, though one member objected that HB 607 represented an unfunded mandate for the Hampton Beach Area Commission. House Bill 511, concerning ICE detainers and county detention practices, generated the most debate. Supporters said the amendment clarified how long counties may hold detainees without a federal contract and compared the detention period to existing bail rules; opponents argued the bill could sanction detention of people not charged with crimes and raised due-process concerns. The committee adopted the amendment 14-11 and then reported the bill ought to pass as amended on another 14-11 vote, with a minority report requested. House Bill 639, involving securities and digital currency issues, was also reported ought to pass after members noted unresolved concerns but said the Secretary of State’s Securities Division was willing to continue working on it in the other body; the vote was 16-10.

Transcript Highlights:

• there was housing discrimination, that because there wasn't a waiver, it couldn't be supported.
• Housing is the number one issue in our state, and I ask for your support.
• Barney Bishop, American History Incorporated, in support.
• veterans with the service-connected disability rating of Rep.
• This bill requires a disabled veteran to provide evidence of qualification and the Rep.

Transcript Highlights:

• has a disability.
• with disability or other services<03:19:39.800><c> or</c><03:19:40.000><c> supports</c><03:19:40.359
• She said the child was found to meet criteria for autism and was allowed disability benefits, which supports
• allowed disability benefits which supports<03:24:43.160><c> my</c><03:24:43.319><c> theory</c><03:24
• I support 652.

Summary: The House Children and Family Law Committee opened with a brief prayer for Representative Grossman’s son, Oscar, who was reported to be in critical condition after a traumatic fall. The committee then took up House Bill 430, which would reduce DHHS retention of unfounded abuse and neglect reports from 10 years to 3 years. Prime sponsor Chairman James Spain argued that 10 years is excessive and burdens families with a long-lasting stigma, while emphasizing that founded reports and reports with reasonable concern would still be retained indefinitely. Committee members questioned whether longer retention helps identify malicious reporting or patterns of abuse, and whether parents understand the distinction between unfounded and unfounded with reasonable concern. The Office of the Child Advocate and DCF opposed the bill. Child Advocate Cassandra Sanchez said historical reports are important for identifying patterns, reviewing critical incidents, and understanding family dynamics, and that screened-out and unfounded reports can be essential context when later reports arise. She also noted that the records are highly confidential and not publicly accessible. DCF General Counsel Susan Larabe added that the bill could create inconsistencies by retaining screened-out reports longer than unfounded reports, and explained that unfounded reports can be used in court and in administrative reviews when there are multiple prior reports. The committee discussed how other states handle retention, with testimony that some keep records indefinitely and others for long periods. The hearing on HB 430 concluded, and the chair said the bill would not be executed until early March, leaving time for amendments. The committee then opened House Bill 187, concerning restraining orders sought by a parent on behalf of a minor child. Prime sponsor Representative Mike Belcher said the bill is intended to correct a gap in the law so children can access the same restraining-order protections adults can, through a parent or guardian, and framed it as an equal-protection issue. Members questioned why the proposal was placed in the child abuse and neglect statute rather than the civil restraining-order statutes, and whether it should instead be handled as a broader civil-law fix. Alanda Peterson, who said she created Jade’s Law, testified that the original wording was meant to protect all children, not just those harmed by family members, and supported expanding the language. The hearing continued with additional discussion of the bill’s scope and purpose.

Transcript Highlights:

• This funding represents support of the.
• I'm personally affected by a disabling post-viral illness.
• At our agency, with over 70 employees, 65% are people with disabilities.
• Your support has made this possible.
• Thank you so much for your support.

Bills: HF2435

Committee: House Health Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, that is designed to support those living with lifelong illnesses and disabilities.
• </c> not the only kid with this disability. not the only kid with this disability.
• It's really important to understand this is a legal disability, not a medical disability.
• So they have dementia, developmental disability, intellectual disability.
• </c> intend to continue to do those supports. intend to continue to do those supports.

Summary: The committee’s first interim meeting opened with roll call and a reminder that Kentucky had 8,641 children in out-of-home care with active placements as of June 1, 2025. The first presentation was from the Center for Courageous Kids (CCK), a donor-funded camp in Scottsville that serves children with lifelong illnesses and disabilities at no charge. Representatives described the camp’s history, its year-round family retreats and summer sessions, its medical and accessibility supports, and its impact on campers’ confidence and independence. They said CCK has served more than 43,000 campers from 46 states and 13 countries, including 22,000 from Kentucky, and noted plans to reach all 120 Kentucky counties. CCK also outlined future capital needs: a new art barn and a medical lodge. The organization said the art barn project would cost $2.5 million, with a legislative request of $1.5 million, and the medical lodge would cost $2.875 million, with a legislative request of $1.75 million. Members responded very positively, with several praising the camp’s work and one member asking about operational challenges. CCK said its main challenges are awareness, staff and volunteer recruitment, and expanding medical and housing capacity; it also said it is accredited by the American Camp Association and receives health and safety visits and audits. The committee then moved to a presentation on adult protective services and state guardianship programs from Jessica Wayne and Cliff Bryant of DCBS. They explained the legal framework for guardianship, the difference between full and limited guardianship/conservatorship, emergency appointments, and the state’s role as a last-resort guardian when no family member or private entity is available. They reported 4,464 individuals under state guardianship as of June 1, with most cases involving dementia, developmental disability, intellectual disability, nursing home or long-term care placement, severe mental illness, or brain injury. They also said the division has 89 field workers across 14 regional offices, with an average caseload of 52 and a goal of reducing that into the mid-40s through additional hiring.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, House Bill 3257 would change existing law so that 100% disabilities caused by medical malpractice
• He was 100% permanent and total disabled due to medical malpractice at a VA, and he's eligible for all
• And so that's exactly what my bill is doing, is just treating the medical malpractice disability as if
• it was a service-connected disability.
• And so it just, if someone is a veteran and they become 100% disabled due to medical malpractice at a

Bills: HB3257 , HB3428 , HB3043 , HB3044 , HB3078 , HB3940 , HB3432

Committee: House Veteran and Military Affairs

Summary: The committee heard several veterans-related bills. House Bill 3257 would treat 100% disabilities caused by medical malpractice at a VA facility as service-connected for purposes of Oklahoma state benefits, aligning state treatment with federal benefits; members asked about the bill’s scope and its relation to military service and citizenship, and it passed 6-0. House Bill 3432 would allow veterans to attend public school sporting events without paying gate admission; one member spoke against the idea of preferential treatment for veterans, but the bill passed 5-1. House Bill 3428 would require the Department of Labor, working with the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs, to create a workplace poster for employers with more than 50 employees listing veteran benefits and contact information for assistance programs. The author emphasized it was not a recruitment effort and said the poster would mainly provide hotline numbers and claims assistance information; it passed 7-0. House Bill 3043 would let ODVA hire PRN, seasonal, or as-needed employees during peak periods instead of relying on full-time staff, and members discussed possible reporting additions; it passed 7-0. The committee also considered House Bill 3044, which continues the existing tax return donation option for the ODVA equipment capital improvement program, and it passed 7-0. House Bill 3078, as amended, changed the donation mechanism to a direct link to the ODVA website rather than a checkbox on state transaction forms, and the amendment was adopted before the bill passed 8-0. Finally, House Bill 3940, a broad cleanup/omnibus measure revising National Guard and State Guard provisions, retention and education assistance rules, museum-related authority, and other technical matters, was presented as a follow-up to prior legislation, amended by PCS, and passed 7-0 with one member absent/abstaining; the committee then adjourned.