Transcript Highlights:

• Their salaries are really quite low, and this is important that we keep our courts strong.
• Their salaries are really quite low, and this is important that we keep our courts strong.
• Their salaries are really quite low, and this is important that we keep our courts strong.
• Their salaries are really quite low, and this is important that we keep our courts strong.
• Their salaries are really quite low, and this is important that we keep our courts strong.

Bills: HF3874 , HF962

Committee: House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law

Keywords: judicial funding, Chief Justice security, fiscal year 2028, court system, judicial branch, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• you, and I've discussed with your representatives, the fact that administrative is one thing, but salaries
• And so the nurse or the tech that is doing the telehealth from Dallas or wherever, their salaries are
• that all the money that we give in grants has to be used in Oklahoma and can't be used for those salaries
• that all the money that we give in grants has to be used in Oklahoma and can't be used for those salaries

Bills: SB667 , SB904 , SB1344 , SB1380 , SB1423 , SB1425 , SB1484 , SB1500 , SB1502 , SB1503 , SB1555 , SB1561 , SB1562 , SB1565 , SB1572 , SB1644 , SB1749 , SB1833 , SB2007 , SB2044 , SB2074

Committee: House Public Health

Keywords: chiropractic, licensure, animal chiropractic, Board of Chiropractic Examiners, licensing requirements, gender transition, gender-affirming care, transgender, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, hormone therapy, sex reassignment, transition surgery, Medicaid, public funds, state facilities, state hospital, Oklahoma, intersex, DSD

Summary: The committee heard and advanced a large number of health-related bills, with much of the agenda focused on pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) regulation, Medicaid administration, and health-system cleanup measures. Bills passed included HB 1344 on insulin affordability and state support for low-cost biosimilar insulin manufacturing; HB 1380 requiring the Health Care Authority to check death records to disenroll deceased Medicaid recipients; SB 2007 and SB 2074, both PBM-related measures addressing pharmacist reimbursement, dispensing fees, appeals, and penalties; SB 1572 creating a feasibility study on reorganizing the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and temporarily allowing the Health Commissioner to serve in a dual role; and SB 1555 updating the definition of intellectual disability to match the federal definition. Members also approved several bills eliminating or repealing outdated councils and programs, including SB 1423 ending the Hospital Advisory Council, SB 1425 repealing the Health Care Workers and Educators’ Assistance Program and Health Care Workforce Resources Center, and SB 1502 eliminating the Alzheimer Dementia Disclosure Act Advisory Council. Other measures passed included SB 1561 changing EMS discipline to a progressive system, SB 244 and SB 667 making chiropractic language and training cleanup changes, SB 1749 on LP gas inspections for food trailers, SB 1484 requiring more detailed medical information for infant and child death investigations, SB 1562 clarifying hospice patient protections, and SB 1644 creating reporting related to alpha-gal to support possible research funding. The most debated bill was SB 1503, which would expand the Choosing Childbirth Act so nonprofits without an Oklahoma physical address could receive grants to connect women seeking abortions with pregnancy resources. Members questioned whether grant dollars and salaries would stay in Oklahoma, whether reporting and accountability would be sufficient, and whether Oklahoma-based providers could do the work instead. The bill passed 5-2 after the sponsor said he was open to amendments and oversight. SB 1833, codifying a SNAP waiver restricting candy and soft drink purchases, and SB 904, modifying the use of certain state funds and facilities for medical procedures, also drew questions and passed on divided votes. The meeting ended after all listed bills were heard and voted on, with most measures passing unanimously or by wide margins.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're asking for $2 million more to cover salaries and expenses.
• Page 100 is the Deputy Sheriff's Salary Supplementation Fund.
• It gets distributed each year to sheriffs to supplement salaries.
• The deputy's salary portion, yes. Overtime, not all of them are.
• It was initially envisioned as salaries.

Summary: Attorney General Catherine Hanaway presented the Office of the Attorney General’s FY 2027 budget request and outlined her office’s priorities: reducing violent crime, targeting illegal and unregulated activities she described as a “vice squad” focus, protecting Missourians from fraud, and improving the office’s legal work. She highlighted major cases and enforcement efforts, including litigation over insulin pricing, Dollar General pricing practices, a criminal prosecution in Hermann, the Jackson County assessment dispute, and a new lawsuit involving Misha’s board policy. Committee members asked about cybercrime enforcement, cooperation with federal authorities, VLTs, ballot and referendum litigation, and the office’s approach to diversity-related legal issues. Hanaway said cybercrime and no-call enforcement rely heavily on multi-state and federal cooperation, and she emphasized that many cases begin with citizen reports. Members also questioned the cost and scope of ongoing election-related litigation, including redistricting and referendum cases, and Hanaway said her office is defending the laws and ballot processes as required. She estimated roughly $600,000 in staff time over about six months for the referendum/redistricting work combined. Several members raised concerns about the Misha lawsuit and whether similar statutory provisions elsewhere in state government could raise the same legal issues; Hanaway responded that the case involved a board rule, not a statute, and turned on whether the requirement functioned as a quota. The committee also discussed child sexual exploitation, human trafficking, Medicaid fraud, and the use of outside counsel and pro hac vice fees. Hanaway said the office is using non-GR funds where possible and is not requesting pay increases this year. The Missouri Office of Prosecution Services then presented its budget. Officials explained that MOPS trains and supports prosecutors statewide, including on DWIs, child sex cases, and new prosecutor training, and that its budget request matches the governor’s recommendation. Members asked about support for local prosecutors, the nine counties without elected prosecutors, and the new conviction integrity unit; staff said the unit’s positions were shifted between line items and that the office can help answer prosecutorial questions through its general counsel. The committee then moved to the Department of Public Safety budget. DPS reviewed funding for crime victims notification, law enforcement recruitment and retention, drug task forces, academy scholarships, Blue Star grants, local crime prevention, school safety, World Cup security, 988 trainings, wastewater testing in schools, and other programs. Members asked about the $59 million federal FIFA World Cup grant, school safety app funding, and wastewater testing participation; DPS said the World Cup funds require no state match, the app funding is being phased out, and schools opted into the testing program. The committee recessed before finishing the DPS book, with plans to return later.

Transcript Highlights:

• were the personnel director and your role on the personnel board as it relates to state employee salaries
• retain them in the jobs that they're hired in and not see them leave to other agencies for higher salaries
• And so I believe that part of the system that you have to implement is a fair way of addressing salaries
• from The HR department would participate in roundtables with like industries to compare wage and salary
• State Personnel puts forward to the State Personnel Board for recommendations for maybe Changing salary

Bills: SM13 , SM14

Committee: Senate Senate Rules

Keywords: land grant, Las Vegas, governance, self-governance, judicial management, forced sterilization, coerced sterilization, Indigenous women, Native American women, women of color, reproductive justice, reproductive sovereignty, truth and reconciliation commission, memorial, trauma-informed care, reparative justice, human rights, bodily autonomy, Indian Health Service, Indian affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• not only inflate operational costs but also constrain budgets for critical areas such as teacher salaries
• . ...basic allotment, a staggering amount of the basic allotment that cannot be used for teacher salaries
• And every dollar spent on insurance is a dollar we cannot put towards teacher salaries, classroom materials
• To put this in perspective, that same $1 million is equivalent to 70% of total teacher salaries at one
• coastal districts to reinvest funds currently lost to recapture and insurance overhead into teacher salaries

Committee: Senate Education K-16

Summary: The Committee on Education K-16 heard testimony on SB 1635, which would give certain coastal, recapture-paying school districts a credit against recapture payments for mandatory windstorm and hail insurance costs. Senator Hinojosa said the bill is intended to offset unusually high insurance expenses for districts in Tier 1 or Tier 2 coastal zones, and he estimated about a $12 million impact to state revenue. Witnesses from Port Aransas ISD and Gregory-Portland ISD described sharp premium increases, reduced coverage, higher deductibles, and the effect on teacher pay and classroom spending. Senators asked about the number of affected districts, the accuracy of the fiscal estimate, and whether the bill might encourage districts to maintain coverage. Public testimony was closed and SB 1635 was left pending. The committee then took up several other bills and committee substitutes, adopting and reporting favorably SB 2786, SB 2623, SB 646, SB 843, SB 2392, SB 1998, SB 1418, SB 2788, and SB 2076, with most votes unanimous or near-unanimous. SB 2392 was amended to add improper relationship between educator and student to mandatory reporting offenses and to authorize an attorney general civil penalty for failure to report. SB 2623 was revised to clarify duties and exemptions related to the Safe Schools and Neighborhood Task Force and school proximity restrictions. SB 843 would create a TEA database of school district bonds and related projects, and SB 2788 would exempt certain PSAT scorers from the Texas Success Initiative assessment. The committee also heard SB 2929, which would allow referees and other officials at school athletic events to immediately eject disruptive spectators. The Texas Association of Sports Officials testified in support, citing abusive spectator behavior and a shortage of officials. SB 2929 was left pending. Finally, the committee heard a substitute for SB 2927 on 1882 partnerships and a substitute for SB 2619, which would require more transparency and accountability for failing school districts, superintendent hiring, trustee training, and takeover timelines. Testimony on SB 2619 was mixed, with one witness from Texas 2036 supporting parts of the bill’s accountability provisions. The committee adopted the substitute for SB 2619, left it pending, and then recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• As you look at these numbers, consider that the state's average for salaries is somewhere in the range
• and on graduation these high school graduates without a degree are earning in the mid-six-figure salaries
• Without a degree, they are earning in the mid-six-figure salaries, about $140,000 on graduation as a
• So graduates have a six-figure salary, and in the Merchant Marine, that comes with six months' vacation
• for that six-figure salary.

Committee: Senate Education Postsecondary

Summary: The Committee on Education Postsecondary heard a presentation on Florida’s maritime and ocean economy from Florida Atlantic University, the College of the Florida Keys, and Star Center. Speakers emphasized the importance of maritime industries such as aquaculture, marine engineering, shipbuilding, transportation, coastal resilience, and offshore renewable energy, and described workforce programs, certifications, and partnerships designed to train students and workers for these fields. They also highlighted federal and state initiatives supporting ocean economy research and commercialization, including tech hubs and innovation programs. The committee then considered SB 312 relating to the Florida Institute of Human and Machine Cognition. Senator Gates explained that the bill would allow IHMC to create a subsidiary to commercialize research, similar to Moffitt Cancer Center. Senator Fine offered and the committee adopted a friendly amendment addressing board membership concerns tied to a University of West Florida trustee. However, after questions arose about whether the bill and analysis aligned on whether subsidiaries would be for-profit or not-for-profit, the bill was tabled. Finally, the committee took up SB 270 on the Bright Futures Scholarship Program. The bill would extend eligibility for students in certain military/public-service family situations, giving families more time to establish Florida residency after returning to the state. Senator Fine’s amendment was adopted to add AP Capstone Diploma students to the automatic Bright Futures eligibility provisions, alongside IB and Cambridge AICE students. The committee then reported the bill favorably as amended by a vote of 7-0, and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> And as far as reducing the vacancy rates, I would say increasing salaries to remain competitive
• Can you give us some idea on exactly what that beginning salary is?
• So are starting base salary for our CP Eyes are 50,000.
• And and the the starting salary is negotiable based on experience and skill level that is brought to
• Both she and Iran bills too increase the number of CP eyes and the salary of different points of our

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Pizzo: WHAT IS THE STARTING SALARY FOR A CORRECTIONS OFFICER IN FLORIDA?
• Pizzo: WHAT'S THE STARTING SALARY FOR A COUNTY CORRECTIONS OFFICER FROM THE SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT?
• AROUND THE SAME TIME AND HE LIVES PRETTY GOOD RIGHT NOW AND I THINK HE TAKES A BUNCH OF TRIPS AND OUR SALARY
• DIFFERENCE, ONE DAY WE SAT DOWN A BUNCH OF TRIPS AND OUR SALARY DIFFERENCE, ONE DAY WE SAT DOWN AND
• OUR RETIREMENT WAS TREMENDOUS BUT IN MIAMI-DADE FOR EXAMPLE WHERE I KNOW MANY OFFICERS PROBABLY THE SALARY

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Currently, the salary for the Division of Workers' Compensation Administrative Director is listed in
• This statute caps the salary and eliminates vacation accrual for this exempt appointee, as opposed to
• In reviewing the two salary adjustment proposals, they both seem reasonable to us.
• The salary differentials are... ...or state government operations being headquartered here.
• The salary differentials are more competitive in that area.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee 5 on State Administration held a May Revise hearing focused on state administration proposals, with the chair noting no actions would be taken and all items would remain open. The committee heard presentations on a range of budget proposals, including technical adjustments for the Governor’s Office of Service and Community Engagement and the California Workforce Development Board, security and election-related funding for the Secretary of State, modernization and loan-backfill requests for the Department of Consumer Affairs, and multiple Employment Development Department updates covering EDD Next, UI and DI/PFL benefit estimates, workforce funding, and an EMT training reappropriation. Several items drew discussion from the LAO and committee members. The LAO generally supported technical or modernization items such as PERB’s implementation requests, GoServe’s College Corps adjustment, the Secretary of State’s security and HAVA grant items, and the Board of Pharmacy modernization proposal, but raised concerns about the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education’s proposed $10 million General Fund backfill and interest-free loan language. For EDD, the LAO flagged the size of the DI/PFL benefit adjustment and the unusual structure of the document management system proposal within EDD Next, while EDD said the changes reflected higher participation and benefit levels after SB 951 and ongoing modernization needs. The Department of Industrial Relations drew the most extensive questioning. It proposed funding for legal unit reclassifications, EAMS and Cal/OSHA data modernization, a new Cal/OSHA emerging technologies unit, a COYA reappropriation, and trailer bill changes requiring electronic payment of employer assessments and adjusting the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board timeline. Members pressed DIR on high vacancy rates, long wage theft and workers’ compensation backlogs, low collection rates for fines, and the need for clearer workload and outcome measures. DIR said the requests were intended to improve efficiency, support audits and corrective action plans, and better address emerging workplace risks, while the LAO said the workload drivers behind delays remain unclear. The hearing also included support for CalHR’s employee assistance program consolidation and CDT’s proposal to expand “Poppy,” a statewide generative AI assistant for state employees.

Transcript Highlights:

• What is increasing outside of salary benefits and cost of living? Can I?
• What is increasing outside of salary benefits and cost of living? Can I add? Sure.
• And so the county staff, when the state, for example, does an adjustment for state salaries that's going
• State salaries that's going up, they don't include anything for the county positions because they're
• There's been about a 30% increase in staffing costs just for salaries and benefits, which is greatly

Summary: The committee heard a series of budget and oversight presentations from CalHHS-related departments and agencies. CalHHS opened with a broad overview of its 2026-27 budget and priorities, including behavioral health, housing and human services integration, children and youth services, and aging/disability supports. OICR then presented its budget and its SB 823 realignment report on youth formerly committed to DJJ, saying county implementation varies widely but that the state has not seen evidence of net widening in the available data. OICR recommended climate surveys, youth advisory councils, stronger behavioral health and education programming in secure youth treatment facilities, better transitional planning, and improved longitudinal data systems. The agency also described a Title II federal grant transition problem, saying it cannot yet pay some subrecipients for prior work and is awaiting federal action on retroactive spending authority and an administrative funding adjustment. The Ombudsperson division requested two additional positions to address a growing complaint workload and access issues with counties over youth meetings, records, and grievance files; LAO raised no policy objection but noted the ongoing General Fund cost. The State Council on Developmental Disabilities requested $730,000 General Fund ongoing to cover the gap between federal limits on administrative overhead and the actual cost of an interagency agreement with the Department of Social Services. EMSA presented its department overview and several proposals, including a delayed AB 716 ambulance rate report, a $2.6 million request to replace aging disaster-response vehicles, a $250,000 security architecture assessment, and four positions plus ongoing General Fund for HR, enforcement, and legal workload. Members questioned the delay in the AB 716 report, the optics and timing of the vehicle replacement request, and whether EMSA was doing enough to prevent future staffing and enforcement problems. LAO repeatedly noted the ongoing General Fund implications of EMSA’s requests. The Department of Community Services and Development sought reappropriation of unspent Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund money for the Low-Income Weatherization Program and described a Proposition 4-funded continuation of the farmworker housing component, which would require a new statewide administrator and program design process. The Department of Rehabilitation requested authority to draw an additional $60 million in federal funds annually and add 54 positions to meet sharply increased Vocational Rehabilitation caseloads; LAO had no concerns. Child Support Services proposed restoring a prior reduction to local child support agency funding and reported higher federal performance incentives, while also presenting a supplemental report on full pass-through of child support collections to CalWORKs families, estimating about $150 million annually for full pass-through or about $80 million for a state/county-only approach, plus automation costs. Members questioned why funding should rise when caseloads are declining, and whether the policy could be made cost-neutral. CDPH closed the hearing with an overview of its $5.1 billion budget and its state of public health report, highlighting record-low mortality and higher life expectancy, but also rising overdose deaths among ages 25-44, persistent maternal and infant mortality disparities, and the need for stable public health and emergency-response capacity; no votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• recorded for themselves internally is that last year we had half of the money we were allocated for salary
• So we agreed to try to swap some salary money out of appropriations and put it into ARPA.
• Swap some salary money out of appropriations and put it into ARPA, and put some ARPA—kind of swap them

Summary: The meeting began with roll call, confirmation of a quorum, approval of the prior minutes, and a determination that there were no public comments. Members then discussed a possible future commission meeting at FISTA in Lawton, with support for touring the facility and a question raised about security for a public notice meeting; staff indicated security would not be a problem. The executive director and CEO reported on Workforce Day at the Capitol, describing strong turnout and plans to make it an annual event. She also provided updates on ARPA-funded projects, including efforts to fully expend grant funds through technical assistance and reallocation to training programs such as aviation maintenance, dental assisting, and expanded capacity at other sites. She reviewed progress on the workforce dashboard and data-sharing initiative, including work with AISP, education agencies, OMEZ, Google, and others on data architecture, governance, and a possible public launch. She also explained the FY27 budget, noting the apparent reduction was due to a prior one-time dashboard allocation rolling off rather than an actual cut. Subcommittee reports were brief: public policy members said they had spent time meeting with legislators, and the data management report noted the dashboard had been useful in workforce-related discussions. The commission then voted to enter executive session under Title 25, Section 307(B)(1) to discuss agenda item eight, later returned to open session, and stated no votes or actions were taken in executive session. Afterward, the commission approved a motion directing Kyle and Guyant to move forward with a reduction in force as discussed in executive session. The next meeting was announced for May 14, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Salaries and benefits, so this you may have heard called Objects A and B.
• In the comments that I just offered in the prior slide about salaries and benefits, essentially lay out
• Future changes to salaries and benefits, unless they're required by statute.
• And maybe another example, you know, K-12 salary growth is, you know, K-12 salary allocations to districts
• And maybe another example, you know, K-12 salary growth is, you know, K-12 salary allocations to districts

Committee: Joint Joint Legislative-Executive Committee on Budget Transparency and Fiscal Sustainability

Summary: The committee held its first meeting, with co-chairs and members introducing themselves and staff outlining the committee’s statutory charge under the 2026 supplemental operating budget. Staff explained that the committee is tasked with studying budget transparency and fiscal sustainability in two phases: first, revenue growth, spending assumptions, statutory cost drivers, and carryforward/maintenance levels; and later, staffing, overhead, performance management, and public reporting tools. The committee also discussed its goals, with members emphasizing a shared factual understanding of Washington’s fiscal situation, the causes of projected structural deficits, and possible paths to a more sustainable operating budget. Staff then gave a detailed operating budget basics presentation. They reviewed the size and composition of the operating budget, explaining that most spending is concentrated in grants and client services, salaries and benefits, and goods and services, with K-12 education, DSHS, the Health Care Authority, DCYF, corrections, and higher education making up most NGFO spending. They also walked through the distinction between constitutional, federal, statutory, and discretionary spending; the role of caseload and per-capita forecasts; how maintenance level and policy level budgets are built; and how the four-year outlook works, including revenue forecasts, reversions, budget stabilization account reserves, and the official outlook adoption process. Members asked several questions about what is or is not included in the outlook, especially future collective bargaining agreements, health care inflation, court-ordered liabilities, and whether the budget could better separate mandatory from discretionary spending over time. Staff said some of those questions would require follow-up and noted the existence of an outlook accuracy report. The committee then heard from Josh Goodman of the Pew Charitable Trusts, who introduced Pew’s state fiscal work and its role as the nonprofit partner supporting the committee. He said Pew would help analyze long-term fiscal sustainability, reserve policies, recession preparedness, and practices from other states, and would draw on its 50-state data and subject-matter experts. No votes were taken and no formal actions were reported at this meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• And FY23 alone, the equivalent of approximately 10 teachers' salaries.
• And one of the biggest barriers to that is the faculty salaries.
• My second reason is because I think that teachers should get paid more in their salary, and I think that
• Because it's a known fact that teachers don't get paid a lot of money, and salaries—28 out of the 35
• lowest average public school teacher salaries in Massachusetts are districts that receive rural aid.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Education

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing focused primarily on H. 517/S. 314, a bill to provide a sustainable future for rural schools, and H. 697, a bill to require full funding of regional school transportation. Witnesses from rural districts, school committees, superintendents, students, and local officials described chronic underfunding, declining enrollment, high fixed costs, special education and transportation burdens, and the loss of programs, staff, and extracurriculars. Several speakers argued that rural aid should be funded at $60 million annually and made non-discretionary, while others emphasized that transportation reimbursement for regional districts has repeatedly fallen short of the state’s promise and is driving budget crises and overrides. A number of students testified in support of rural aid, describing cuts to classes, counselors, and activities, and the impact on their schools and communities. Committee members also discussed whether transportation policy should be revisited to address underlying cost drivers, including bus bidding practices and whether regional districts should have more flexibility in transportation requirements. The committee also heard H. 515, concerning Hancock Elementary School and a school choice-related exemption from a state requirement that has created a large financial burden for the district. Hancock’s superintendent and Rep. John Barrett explained that a decades-old regulation, recently enforced by DESE, would require Hancock to pay tuition for choice-in students through high school graduation even though the district only serves pre-K through grade 6 and sends its own students elsewhere for middle and high school. They said the rule creates a significant per-student shortfall and has forced Hancock to opt out of school choice. Committee members asked for clarification about how the arrangement works and how the costs fall on Hancock. Additional testimony supported related transportation bills for non-regional districts, especially Plymouth/Carver and North Middlesex, describing high and rising bus costs, special education and McKinney-Vento transportation expenses, and the strain on local budgets. Speakers repeatedly said that state reimbursement has not matched actual costs and that communities are being forced to choose between transportation and classroom services. No votes or final actions were taken in the hearing; the committee simply received testimony and closed the hearing on the bills discussed.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 660 by Representative Egan, relative to the annual salary of assistant district attorneys
• paid by the state, provides for an increase in annual salary.
• Representative Upcent of Ilk, relative to compensation of certain elected officials, including the salary
• Next bill: House Bill 324 by Representative Villio, relative to judicial salaries, to provide salary
• Members, this bill proposes salary increases for judges across the state by making the...

Bills: HR195 , HR196 , HR197 , HR198 , HR199 , HR200 , HR201 , HR202 , HR203 , HR204 , HR205 , HR206 , HR207 , HR208 , HR209 , HCR87 , HCR88 , HCR89 , HCR90 , HR192 , HR193 , HR194 , HCR80 , HCR81 , HCR82 , HCR83 , HCR84 , HCR85 , SB235 , SB416 , SB425 , SB435 , SB439 , HCR15 , HCR41 , HCR76 , HCR77 , SCR3 , HB91 , HB167 , HB227 , HB243 , HB264 , HB321 , HB335 , HB398 , HB492 , HB623 , HB624 , HB660 , HB689 , HB708 , HB719 , HB802 , HB804 , HB884 , HB906 , HB926 , HB934 , HB940 , HB955 , HB968 , HB969 , HB978 , HB985 , HB1005 , HB1022 , HB1028 , HB1029 , HB1069 , HB1077 , HB1095 , HB1104 , HB1107 , HB1185 , HB1187 , HB1199 , HB1201 , HB1203 , HB1217 , HB1220 , SB66 , SB68 , SB76 , SB139 , SB336 , SB475 , HR1 , HR17 , HCR5 , HCR4 , HCR47 , HCR32 , HR38 , HR96 , HR160 , HCR31 , HCR61 , SCR19 , HB64 , HB68 , HB92 , HB12 , HB42 , HB205 , HB222 , HB267 , HB324 , HB325 , HB350 , HB478 , HB610 , HB617 , HB745 , HB749 , HB752 , HB797 , HB807 , HB821 , HB896 , HB979 , HB992 , HB1000 , HB1024 , HB1050 , HB1166 , HB1172 , HB1173 , HB1207 , HB1218 , HB1223 , HB316 , HB549 , HB578 , HB748 , HB798 , HB824 , HB988 , HB989 , HB1001 , HB1032 , HB1081 , HB1108 , HB1129 , HB1140 , HB1157 , HB1192 , HB1195 , HB1198 , HB1244 , SB73 , SB89 , SB128 , SB149 , SB191 , SB196 , SB238 , SB318 , SB340 , HB306 , HB366 , HB911 , HB1161 , HB1230 , HB59 , HB481 , HB772 , HB897 , HB1003 , HB1008 , HB1112 , HB1180 , HB1189 , HB525 , HB1058 , HB181 , HB1118 , HB1082 , HB901 , HR20 , HR74 , HB225 , HB284 , HB393 , HB458 , HB459 , HB577 , HB582 , HB605 , HB614 , HB682 , HB733 , HB773 , HB864 , HB996 , HB1035 , HB1113 , HB1234 , HB1240

Keywords: Louisiana Young Heroes Day, Louisiana Public Broadcasting, LPB, house resolution, ceremonial resolution, special observance, youth recognition, student achievement, community service, public service, high school students, youth leadership, disability advocacy, autism, diabetes, epilepsy, foster care, STEM, robotics, literacy

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, opened with prayer and the pledge, adopted the journal, and then spent much of the day on recognitions and resolutions. Members recognized NAMI and proclaimed Mental Health Awareness Month, honored fourth graders from Alpine Christian School, Hunter Nation supporters, Vermilion Parish visitors, and Louisiana Young Heroes. The chamber also observed a moment of silence for Martha Odom, a Lafayette student killed in the Mall of Louisiana tragedy, and heard remarks condemning political violence and social-media harassment. Several resolutions were adopted or advanced, including measures on rural mental health day, domestic violence prevention, nurses’ day, wildlife studies, child abuse reporter training, privacy/FISA reform, and Law Institute studies on property, foreign-entity terminology, and carbon sequestration issues. The House then moved through a long series of committee reports and floor actions on bills covering criminal justice, education, health, insurance, transportation, alcohol regulation, wildlife, elections, retirement, and public benefits. Many bills were advanced unanimously or near-unanimously, including measures on school emergency plans, impaired driving, victims’ compensation, sexual assault response, Medicaid dental coverage tied to other procedures, TOPS Tech eligibility, early childhood student IDs, highway priority program deadlines, CDL rules, and toll dispute procedures. Some bills were recommitted to Appropriations or returned to the calendar, and several were amended before being sent onward. On final passage, the House approved H.R. 1 adopting the annual State Integrated Coastal Protection Plan for FY 2026-2027 by 101 yeas, and also passed H.R. 17 on TOPS return-on-investment study, H.C.R. 4 suspending certain feeding and baiting restrictions in chronic wasting disease areas by 63-30, H.C.R. 47 on child abuse reporter training, H.R. 30 on FISA reform, H.B. 12 expanding death benefits for reserve auxiliary law enforcement officers, H.B. 205 allowing parish supplementation of election commissioner pay, H.B. 224 on Medicaid dental coverage for related procedures, H.B. 324 on judicial salaries, H.B. 325 on TOPS Tech eligibility, H.B. 350 expanding a charter school’s grade levels, H.B. 745 extending special vehicle permit sunsets, H.B. 797 creating the Bayou Gold Program, H.B. 807 creating a workforce instructor capacity investment program, H.B. 821 moving the Center for Safe Schools, H.B. 896 on toll signage and customer service, H.B. 979 increasing first responder survivor benefits to $404,000 via amendment, H.B. 992 assigning early childhood student IDs, H.B. 1000 on highway priority program administration, H.B. 1024 creating a Democratic Party license plate, H.B. 1050 on CDL age and hazmat rules, and H.B. 1173 on installment agreements for OMV fines and late fees. Several other bills were reported favorably, amended, or recommitted, with no recorded opposition on most of the final votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 660 by Representative Egan, relative to the annual salary of assistant district attorneys
• and district attorneys paid by the state, provides for an increase in annual salary.
• 1201 by Representative Ilg, relative to compensation of certain elected officials, including the salary
• House Bill 324 by Representative Villio provides relative to judicial salaries, and provides for salary
• Members, this bill proposes salary increases for judges across the state by making the...

Bills: HR195 , HR196 , HR197 , HR198 , HR199 , HR200 , HR201 , HR202 , HR203 , HR204 , HR205 , HR206 , HR207 , HR208 , HR209 , HCR87 , HCR88 , HCR89 , HCR90 , HR192 , HR193 , HR194 , HCR80 , HCR81 , HCR82 , HCR83 , HCR84 , HCR85 , SB235 , SB416 , SB425 , SB435 , SB439 , HCR15 , HCR41 , HCR76 , HCR77 , SCR3 , HB91 , HB167 , HB227 , HB243 , HB264 , HB321 , HB335 , HB398 , HB492 , HB623 , HB624 , HB660 , HB689 , HB708 , HB719 , HB802 , HB804 , HB884 , HB906 , HB926 , HB934 , HB940 , HB955 , HB968 , HB969 , HB978 , HB985 , HB1005 , HB1022 , HB1028 , HB1029 , HB1069 , HB1077 , HB1095 , HB1104 , HB1107 , HB1185 , HB1187 , HB1199 , HB1201 , HB1203 , HB1217 , HB1220 , SB66 , SB68 , SB76 , SB139 , SB336 , SB475 , HR1 , HR17 , HCR5 , HCR4 , HCR47 , HCR32 , HR38 , HR96 , HR160 , HCR31 , HCR61 , SCR19 , HB64 , HB68 , HB92 , HB12 , HB42 , HB205 , HB222 , HB267 , HB324 , HB325 , HB350 , HB478 , HB610 , HB617 , HB745 , HB749 , HB752 , HB797 , HB807 , HB821 , HB896 , HB979 , HB992 , HB1000 , HB1024 , HB1050 , HB1166 , HB1172 , HB1173 , HB1207 , HB1218 , HB1223 , HB316 , HB549 , HB578 , HB748 , HB798 , HB824 , HB988 , HB989 , HB1001 , HB1032 , HB1081 , HB1108 , HB1129 , HB1140 , HB1157 , HB1192 , HB1195 , HB1198 , HB1244 , SB73 , SB89 , SB128 , SB149 , SB191 , SB196 , SB238 , SB318 , SB340 , HB306 , HB366 , HB911 , HB1161 , HB1230 , HB59 , HB481 , HB772 , HB897 , HB1003 , HB1008 , HB1112 , HB1180 , HB1189 , HB525 , HB1058 , HB181 , HB1118 , HB1082 , HB901 , HR20 , HR74 , HB225 , HB284 , HB393 , HB458 , HB459 , HB577 , HB582 , HB605 , HB614 , HB682 , HB733 , HB773 , HB864 , HB996 , HB1035 , HB1113 , HB1234 , HB1240

Keywords: Louisiana Young Heroes Day, Louisiana Public Broadcasting, LPB, house resolution, ceremonial resolution, special observance, youth recognition, student achievement, community service, public service, high school students, youth leadership, disability advocacy, autism, diabetes, epilepsy, foster care, STEM, robotics, literacy

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, unfortunately we did not get any salary increases for fiscal year 27 for our staff and no increases
• <00:02:24.640><c> any</c> Um unfortunately we did not get any Um unfortunately we did not get any salary
• :26.000><c> fiscal</c><00:02:26.400><c> year</c><00:02:26.720><c> 27</c><00:02:27.200><c> for</c> salary
• increases for fiscal year 27 for salary increases for fiscal year 27 for our<00:02:27.680><c> staff<
• It's a pretty straightforward math equation, percentage of salary in the branch.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So this dark blue bottom portion is 75%, and that's really your salaries and benefits.
• So,<00:12:00.959><c> salaries</c><00:12:01.360><c> and</c><00:12:01.600><c> benefits</c><00:12:02.079
• ><c> for</c><00:12:02.399><c> positions</c> So, salaries and benefits for positions So, salaries and
• :12:24.000><c> that's</c><00:12:24.160><c> really</c><00:12:24.399><c> your</c><00:12:24.560><c> salaries
• </c><00:12:24.880><c> and</c> and that's really your salaries and and that's really your salaries and

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• adequate for organizations to be sustainable and to be able to offer their providers competitive salaries
• Once folks graduate with nurse training or with behavioral health provider training, the salaries offered
• The salaries offered for these positions, especially just starting out in entry-level roles, are just
• quickly because I know we're running short on time and I want to leave time for questions, but low salaries

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities subcommittee on workforce supports met with Chair Andrew Lerault presiding. Members completed roll call, approved the August 2025 minutes, and then heard a presentation from Amy Doyle, director of the Behavioral Health Workforce Center at the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission. Doyle described the center’s launch in September 2024 and its legislative mandate to study behavioral health payment rates, workforce needs, and licensure/certification barriers, with an emphasis on recruitment, retention, capacity building, diversity/equity, and sustainability. She also shared data on unmet behavioral health needs, ED boarding, workforce shortages, aging and turnover in nursing and direct care, and the need to improve data collection on non-licensed workers and populations such as people with developmental disabilities and autism. Committee members asked questions about what provider types were included in the workforce data and whether DDS-related residential and direct support roles were captured. Doyle said the center is still working to define and measure the full behavioral health workforce, including non-licensed roles, and welcomed follow-up on missing data sources. Members suggested additional sources such as CHIA and the Association of Developmental Disability Providers’ workforce survey. Doyle noted that the center is working with CHIA and that new licensure renewal surveys for behavioral health and allied mental health professionals will begin in 2025, which should improve future workforce data. The discussion also touched on the Health Policy Commission’s broader workforce findings, including nurse attrition, burnout, low wages, and the importance of career ladders and advanced training. Doyle said the center’s first policy recommendations will come from its rate study, expected in the next one to two months, and will likely focus on capacity building and sustainability. After the presentation, members thanked Doyle and discussed subcommittee leadership. Chair Lerault announced he was stepping down, and Chris White volunteered to serve as co-chair; the committee agreed to move forward with that arrangement and to revisit FY26 goals once new leadership is in place. The meeting then adjourned by motion and second.

Transcript Highlights:

• identified for your consideration today: the Millennium Income Fund, the opioid settlement fund, and salary
• Bisharat outlined, the department is able to use some appropriation from some salary savings and other
• Representative Manwaring, part of this language was a request that I had made to make sure that based on the salary
• into Division of Medicaid, as well as Division of Mental Health Services, from where they have some salary

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• something million, I forget what it is, $21.2 or something like that, and companies have raised salaries
• And companies have raised salaries and they're doing that kind of stuff.
• that if you got the cut that we're talking about, the only way to stay in business is to cut the salaries
• The only way to stay in business is to cut the salaries of your employees again?" "Ms. New?"

Committee: Senate Health and Welfare

Keywords: 989, all