Transcript Highlights:

• reduced price program um or free program reduced price program um or free program um<00:04:33.199
• <00:09:52.959> so beefing up our facilitated program so beefing up our facilitated program
• and do art and have others who were not part of the program to be a part of their program.
• and do art and have others who were not part of the program to be a part of their program.
• and do art and have others who were not part of the program to be a part of their program.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• . programs. programs.
• It was financial aid program.
• So great program, love it.
• in bachelor degree programs. in bachelor degree programs.
• support for these programs.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP.
• other utility affordability programs other utility affordability programs which<00:02:39.080>
• year, which is a formula for a more efficient program.
• year, which is a formula for a more efficient program.
• year, which is a formula for a more efficient program.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House File 771, as amended, was laid over for possible inclusion. The bill would create a state supplemental grant program to build on LIHEAP, with the goal of expanding energy assistance beyond the winter season to cover summer cooling needs and reduce utility shutoffs. Representative Craft said the proposal would use existing LIHEAP systems, help more eligible households, and support related services like weatherization. The committee adopted the author’s amendment, DE2, without objection. Supporters testified that energy costs remain unaffordable for many Minnesotans, especially in rural areas and among low-income households, seniors, and people using delivered fuels. Annie Levenson-Faulk of the Citizens Utility Board said only about a quarter of eligible households receive assistance, summer shutoffs are common, and cooling needs have grown significantly. Trisha Leite of the Minnesota Rural Electric Association, Amanda Macky of Minnesota Valley Action Council, and Ken Schum of the Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association all supported the bill, saying year-round assistance would help households, reduce disconnects, stabilize demand for aid, and ease pressure on utility rates. Michael Schmitz of the Department of Commerce said Minnesota has received about $112 million in LIHEAP funds so far this year and is awaiting additional federal money; he also noted recent funding has been lower than in prior years and inflation has reduced its value. Members discussed the scale of utility shutoffs, the increase in cooling demand, and whether the bill addresses root causes or serves as a temporary fix. Representative Weiner argued that the state should focus on keeping more money in taxpayers’ pockets and reducing the need for subsidies, while Representative Craft responded that the underlying issue is low incomes and widening wealth inequality, and that policies like the child tax credit are better ways to address poverty. The chair also asked how LIHEAP dollars flow, and Commerce said most benefits are paid directly to utilities on behalf of households rather than as direct cash payments to recipients.

Transcript Highlights:

• important program that we'll be launching here in Arkansas, the Rural Health Transformation Program.
• is and what this program isn't.
• But a program to connect ASU to another university in southern Arkansas as an extension of their program
• or train them in a program, is that something that could... ...extension of their program or train them
• in a program.

Summary: The committee first heard extensive public testimony from youth and advocates urging stronger restrictions on vaping. Speakers described vaping as a youth-targeted public health problem, citing flavored products, social media marketing, nicotine addiction, brain development concerns, school disruption, and exposure to harmful aerosol. They recommended prohibiting vaping in public indoor spaces and aligning vape rules with smoke-free laws. Committee members praised the speakers and encouraged them to continue building support for future legislation. The main presentation was on Arkansas’s Rural Health Transformation Program, administered through DFA. Secretary Jim Hudson and program director Brad Andi explained that Arkansas received about $209 million in the first year under the federal program, with potential for roughly $1 billion over five years if performance is strong. They emphasized that the program is meant for long-term rural health transformation, not general operating support, debt relief, or new construction. The state’s plan centers on four initiatives: HEART for prevention and community health, PACT for access and provider collaboration, RISE for workforce development, and THRIVE for technology and telehealth. Officials said applications will be handled through upcoming notices of funding opportunity, with a focus on local, shovel-ready projects, regional collaboration, and transparency. Committee members asked how the program would work for hospitals, clinics, nonprofits, schools, faith groups, and urban providers serving rural patients. Officials said eligibility is broad if applicants can show a connection to rural health, and that targeted renovations, mobile units, school-based clinics, farm-to-school or garden projects, EMS equipment, residency expansion, and behavioral health initiatives may fit if they align with the plan. They stressed that the program cannot fund working capital, routine maintenance, or new buildings, but can support repurposing space and collaborative networks. Members also raised concerns about protecting existing rural providers from being displaced, and officials said applications would be reviewed by a state committee with technical assistance and a reimbursement-based process. The committee then reviewed and took no objection to several DHS and Health Department rules. DHS presented a Medicaid/CHIP rule implementing federal requirements for incarcerated youth, including pre- and post-release coverage, care coordination, targeted case management, and screening services, with no public comments received. The Health Department also presented a licensing rule for audiology and speech pathology that implements recent acts and changes the renewal deadline; that rule was likewise reviewed without objection. The meeting adjourned after no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• What's not mandatory but encouraged: programs for foster youth, programs for justice impact students,
• programs for veterans, programs for students living with disabilities, programs for students experiencing
• The Cal Grant program is a...
• But this program is similar to what we have down in San Diego. We have a safe parking program.
• enter into the program.

Summary: The committee first adopted its 2025-26 rules on a 7-0 roll call, then approved three consent items—AB 88, AB 240, and AB 313—on a due-pass motion to Appropriations. The hearing then moved to AB 648, which would give community college districts the same zoning authority as the UC and CSU systems to build student and staff housing on property they own or lease. The author and supporters argued the bill would help address severe housing insecurity and homelessness among community college students, while opponents and some members raised concerns about local control, zoning exemptions, and the impact on nearby communities. AB 648 passed the committee on a 5-2 vote and was sent to the Local Government Committee. The committee next heard AB 466, which would require California Community Colleges and CSU campuses to provide organ and tissue donor registry information during student orientation, and request UC campuses to do the same. Supporters shared personal stories about transplants and donation, saying college orientation is a good opportunity to increase registrations. Some members worried about information overload during orientation and suggested campuses have flexibility in how they present the material, but the bill advanced on a unanimous 7-0 vote to Appropriations. AB 326 followed, proposing campus-by-campus external audits of the CSU every three years and public release of the audits. The author, faculty supporters, and a student argued that systemwide audits do not provide enough transparency about how money is spent at individual campuses, citing examples of financial mismanagement and fee increases. CSU opposed the bill, saying it already conducts annual consolidated external audits and that campus-level audits would add cost without added benefit. After extensive discussion about transparency, audit scope, and implementation, the bill passed 6-1 to Appropriations. The committee then took up AB 335, which would create a California Black-Serving Institution Grant Program to support Black student success and broader underserved student services; supporters emphasized persistent equity gaps and low completion rates, while an opponent argued the bill needed to be carefully amended to comply with Proposition 209 and equal protection requirements. The transcript ends during that item’s discussion, before a final vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's an incredible program.
• So it's a grant program.
• And then it's just program.
• Heritage Trails Program.
• Trustee. programs.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Bridge Program. $1.4 million for the VPK program, $4.1 million for the VPK Summer Bridge Program, $3.3
• program, and $182.6 million for the SHIP program.
• I saw that on the My Safe Florida Home program, we put $100 million into the regular program.
• programs that we’re just providing?
• Scholarship programs.

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several gallery introductions before taking up Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 168, the Tristan Murphy Act, on mental health. Senator Bradley explained that the bill is intended to divert clinically appropriate defendants with mental illness from jail to treatment, create pretrial mental health diversion programs, expand grant uses for mental health and substance abuse reinvestment, require evaluations and treatment follow-up in certain probation and prison settings, add Hillsborough County to a forensic hospital diversion pilot, and establish a Florida Behavioral Health Data Repository. Senators from both parties spoke in support, emphasizing treatment over incarceration, public safety, and the Murphy family’s role in the bill. The Senate passed the bill 37-0 and then recorded 37 co-sponsors. The chamber then moved into presentations on SB 2500, the 2025-26 General Appropriations Act. Chair Hooper said the Senate budget totals $117.4 billion, reduces overall spending from the prior year, maintains reserves, keeps employee health contributions level, and includes major investments in water quality, transportation, education infrastructure, and nearly $1 billion in education capital outlay. Committee chairs outlined their portions of the budget, including increased funding for K-12 schools and scholarships, higher education workforce programs, Medicaid and health services, corrections and courts, transportation and housing, and environmental restoration such as Everglades and water quality projects. Members then asked extensive questions, especially about education funding, school choice, AP/IB and accelerated programs, the Family Empowerment Scholarship, and the FEFP calculations. Senator Burgess repeatedly explained that scholarship funding is being moved “below the line” to improve tracking and that the Senate position is to preserve funding while giving districts more flexibility. Senators also questioned the APD wait list for disability services, opioid settlement spending, arts funding, the My Safe Florida Home condo pilot, and proposed IT and agency restructuring. Several chairs said some issues would be resolved in conference, and no final vote on the budget was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Where these funds are actually in support of actual program design, such as program training for the
• You know, the actual program itself, education outreach that the program does.
• called the NextGen Success Program.
• And support this program has provided.
• How will oversight work since CDT is the vendor, program manager, and program oversight on this project

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a very, it was a pilot program.
• The budget includes statutory changes to eliminate the pilot program. program however we maintain a certain
• And so, in the future, will there be funds available for this type of program, jury pilot program?
• I'm Gary McCurdy, assistant director. for Central California Appellate Program, one of the programs you've
• We support the right grant program for rehabilitative programming in CDCR.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And while there is value in having set aside programs for distinct areas, uh, the number of programs
• Fleet program.
• Uh, memorialize that in the programs that we want TCQ to have programs that address both.
• What this bill proposes to do that with 4 additional programs under the Clean Fleet program.
• programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have programs for kids that are going to four-year schools, two-year schools, apprenticeship programs
• They've been working hard to establish apprenticeship programs, pre-apprenticeship programs, so we can
• They have 35 career programs.
• But what you see is these programs are expensive.
• and they've been really asking for a more centralized programs the different programs and they've been

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• funding as we can to this program funding as we can to this program because<00:13:27.760> it<
• programs.
• programs programs one<00:45:28.240> is<00:45:28.400> that<00:45:28.559> they<00
• This program allows borrowers to utilize any lender they would like to with any program.
• This program is changing that.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Counties administer the program.
• Counties administer the program.
• of the program, as well as the complexities associated with administering the Quality Incentive Program
• , learn more about the program, have the tools to hopefully be successful in the program.
• program, have the tools to hopefully be successful in the program. ...into the program, learn more about

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Human Services held a hearing focused on the Department of Developmental Services (DDS), related safety-net programs, and several administration trailer bill proposals. Members and witnesses discussed the impacts of H.R. 1 on people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including changes to Medi-Cal and CalFresh eligibility, the need for automatic exemption processes for people with disabilities and caregivers, and the risk that loss of health coverage could shift costs to regional centers or reduce access to services. DDS and the Department of Social Services said they are working on data matching and automation to identify exemptions, with implementation for CalFresh set to begin June 1, 2026. Public testimony from consumers and advocates emphasized that Medi-Cal, IHSS, CalFresh, and regional center services are essential to community living and that cuts or administrative barriers could destabilize households and force people back into more restrictive settings. The committee also reviewed the governor’s IHSS proposals. CDSS described three budget items: setting a baseline for average authorized hours and shifting costs above that baseline to counties, automating IHSS disenrollment and reinstatement tied to Medi-Cal eligibility, and eliminating the IHSS backup provider system. The LAO noted that if Medi-Cal or IHSS access is reduced, regional centers may have to fill gaps as payer of last resort, potentially at higher cost. Several members expressed strong concern about cost shifts to counties and warned that counties are already under severe fiscal pressure. The chair requested a harm-mitigation strategy before the May Revision and asked for more information on how the administration would prevent service reductions or instability for clients. The committee then heard a trailer bill proposal on DDS rate reform and the Quality Incentive Program. DDS asked to extend the contract exemption through December 31, 2030 and extend the deadline for finalizing rate reform regulations to December 31, 2030, saying the changes are budget-neutral and would give the department more time to complete implementation. DDS reported that about 81% of providers met the current Quality Incentive Program prerequisites, while providers and advocates said the 90-10 structure can function like a penalty and may destabilize providers that fail to qualify. Members asked for clearer guidance, more technical assistance, and redlined language before the May Revision, and indicated they may reject the proposal if concerns are not addressed. Finally, DDS presented a trailer bill to revise regional center governance and operations, including consolidating multiple contracts into one, giving DDS more flexibility to allocate funds through fiscal letters, strengthening board training and oversight, and removing barriers to provider capacity such as outdated office-location requirements and courtesy vendorization. The hearing ended without any votes, but members repeatedly emphasized protecting consumers, avoiding harmful cost shifts, and ensuring that any policy changes preserve services and community living for people with developmental disabilities.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then a lot of these programs under a HUD program, you get HUD financing at 85%.
• These programs are popular.
• You know, again, these programs—one nice thing about these programs—they're very versatile.
• Texas-based pilot programs.
• The program that you participated in, was it the Open Research Program? Translator: It's yes.

Bills: HB21, HB211, HB223

Keywords: HB 21, Texas Tax Code, ad valorem tax, property tax, delinquent taxes, tax delinquency, penalty reduction, interest rate, split payment, installment payment, tax relief, county tax collector, taxing unit, property owner, tax collection, voter-approval tax rate, no-new-revenue tax rate, tax increase election, supermajority, 60 percent threshold

Transcript Highlights:

• They would respond, "Oh, you can't cut that; that's a good program." ...cut that; that's a good program
• Program for three or four years.
• So that affected how each community corrections program was being community corrections program was being
• That was one of the most effective programs that we kind of modeled and said other programs need to model
• How best do we improve this program or this aspect, or this component of this program?

Bills: SB197, HB140, SB214, HB214, HB147, HB270, SB73

Keywords: business regulation, nonprofit entities, electronic filing, merger agreements, limited liability companies, partnerships, property transfer, termination fees, HB140, private sewer systems, wastewater utilities, Public Service Commission, PSC jurisdiction, utility regulation, rate setting, rate consolidation, affiliated systems, common ownership, private utilities, sewer rates

Transcript Highlights:

• related to program integrity measures. related to program integrity measures.
• or the childcare assistance program. or the childcare assistance program.
• assistance program.
• . program.
• my focus is on licensed uh programs. my focus is on licensed uh programs.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• child health programs.
• Medicaid to schools program is another program that we administer.
• Medicaid to schools program is another program that we administer.
• Medicaid to schools program is another program that we administer.
• Medicaid to schools program is another program that we administer.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• program and our 4 program we Gardener program and our 4 program we have<00:09:24.040> four<00
• program.
• program.
• awarded this program the program has awarded this program the program has awarded 17<01:04:23.680
• <01:42:00.199> serves programs each year the program serves programs each year the program

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A government program that's a loan program that is not self-sustaining is not a loan program.
• A government program that's a loan program that is not self-sustaining is not a loan program.
• A government program that's a loan program that is not self-sustaining is not a loan program.
• A government program that's a loan program that is not self-sustaining is not a loan program.
• > loan<01:25:28.480> program government program that's a loan program government program

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Florida's school readiness program is our state's child care program that enables parents to work and
• Florida's school readiness program is our state's child care program that enables parents to work and
• So when we say child care development fund, CCDF program, or school readiness program, SR program, that
• or on-the-job training program.
• or on-the-job training program.

Summary: The Pre-K through 12 Budget Subcommittee met with a quorum and first heard House Bill 731, which would address coach and extracurricular sponsor compensation and change how student-athlete transfer eligibility is determined. The bill would allow local school boards to adopt policies letting booster clubs or similar associations support coaches and activity sponsors, and it would let superintendents treat certain coaches and athletic leaders as administrative personnel for compensation purposes. It would also shift eligibility decisions for transferred student-athletes to the governing athletic association and require clearer bylaws and timelines for those determinations. Members raised questions about booster club oversight, pay equity, the new athletic administrator language, and safeguards against abuse or unequal treatment, while supporters argued the bill would help retain coaches and better support student athletics. The bill was debated and then reported favorably by roll call vote. The committee then received presentations from the Department of Education’s Division of Early Learning and the Florida Association of Early Learning Coalitions on school readiness fraud prevention and mitigation. Speakers explained that Florida’s school readiness program pays providers based on verified attendance rather than enrollment, requires daily parent sign-in/sign-out records, and uses multiple layers of oversight including coalition anti-fraud plans, annual audits, programmatic monitoring, DCF inspections, and referrals to state fraud investigators when needed. They emphasized that Florida delayed implementation of a federal rule that would have required prospective enrollment-based payments, and said the state’s current system makes fraud difficult. Members asked about military and grandparent guardianship situations, audit findings, and the number of fraud referrals; presenters said fraud cases are relatively limited and that the existing controls and public enforcement act as deterrents. The meeting ended after members thanked the presenters and the committee adjourned without further business.