Transcript Highlights:

• Um today we receive we we are budget.
• I did detail the way the operational funding is budgeted and approved by the SFCA.
• That state funding really did help us gain more of a measure of stability.
• That state funding really did help us gain more of a measure of stability.
• Um from the measure of stability.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Culture and the Arts held an informational briefing with representatives from ʻIolani Palace and Bishop Museum to discuss how the Legislature can better support state-funded cultural institutions during the interim and into the next session. Chair Capella said the goal was to understand current needs, preserve Hawaiian culture and history, and expand educational access. No votes or formal actions were taken during the briefing. ʻIolani Palace’s representative described the Friends of ʻIolani Palace’s role as the nonprofit supporting repair, restoration, maintenance, and public education for the state monument. She said state operational funding and ARPA funds were critical to keeping the palace open, maintaining HVAC and other systems, and funding repairs that would otherwise fall to DLNR. She highlighted ongoing and planned projects including a fire suppression system, HVAC improvements, basement exhibit work, plumbing repairs, elevator replacement, etched glass restoration, and school-tour access. She also noted that a prior $150,000 CIP for windows and doors had not yet been released, and said the organization is exploring ways to bring more neighbor island students to the palace through transportation support, airline partnerships, and digital outreach. Bishop Museum’s representatives outlined the museum’s history, its role as the state museum of natural and cultural history, and its extensive collections in archives, archaeology, botany, entomology, zoology, and cryopreservation. They emphasized the museum’s work in preservation, research, environmental stewardship, and public education, including free access through Museums for All, daily programming, and cultural festivals and community events. They said state funding has been essential for staffing, IT security, fire suppression, and infrastructure needs, and that digitization of the museum’s 25 million objects is a major ongoing initiative to preserve and share Hawaiʻi’s history and knowledge.

Transcript Highlights:

• and the 2024 construction document budget.
• for, we could build into budget development.
• spending money on how many budgeted projects?
• , and we're completing projects under budget.
• Otherwise, we functioned within our budget.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, so right now we receive some preliminary budget information.
• So right now we're waiting this week to see what the budget does.
• need done, so we're not waiting another 30 days after the budget is approved.
• once that budget starts?
• Okay, so you won't release the RFP until we hit budget approval. Correct. Okay, thank you.

Summary: The commission heard updates on several Capitol accessibility and planning projects. A study of the ADA chairlifts at the Capitol was completed, and the consultant recommended replacing the lifts in the legislative library, House chamber, and Senate chamber because of compliance and functional issues. Preliminary cost estimates were about $400,000, with design expected to take a few months and construction another month or two. Members asked whether the replacement would fit into the broader capital master plan, and staff said the locations appear unlikely to be heavily affected, but that would be confirmed during design. The group also discussed the updated capital master plan and the pending owner’s representative procurement. The Office of Administration has the RFQ prepared, but it will not be released until budget authority is available; the commission had previously approved moving forward subject to appropriations, and members noted that delays will increase costs. Staff said they are waiting on the FY26 budget before proceeding. An update was given on the Governor’s Council on Disability’s digital wayfinding project. The team is working on the technical architecture, content process, and governance framework, and at this stage the commission is only expected to approve signage rather than fund the project. Members raised questions about long-term maintenance, software updates, and responsibility for ongoing costs, and staff said those details are still being worked out. The commission also emphasized that House and Senate leadership and administrative staff should be shown the proposed signs before implementation. The meeting ended with a motion to adjourn, which passed.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, the MAP covers both a budget and policy request.
• They decide our budget and our unit size based on the size of our state Medicaid budget.
• . budgets. budgets.
• it especially vulnerable to budget it especially vulnerable to budget disruptions. disruptions.
• . capital improvement program budget.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a targeted, accountable investment in maternal health, workforce stability, and national security
• Members, I present AB 2311, the Public Hospitals' Physician Stability Act.
• Respectfully, request an I vote. ...and are strengthening the workforce and stability.
• I've submitted a pending budget request to establish separate funding for this credit.
• But I also want to remind my colleagues that as we vote on this next budget that we really see that we

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For highly mobile students, including foster youth and military families, it offers stability, allowing
• in would receive the funds Yes, and basically Senator Inhofe said there's a two-year impact to the budget
• I'm in support of this critical piece of legislation that has the potential to bring much-needed stability
• With 569 we can offer our most vulnerable students the stability and security they need to succeed. and
• It's about safety, stability. and a chance to succeed.

Bills: SB 10, SB 11

Keywords: human trafficking, trafficking victim, compelling prostitution, affirmative defense, criminal defense, coercion, force fraud or coercion, sexual exploitation, victim protection, Penal Code, Texas criminal law, prosecution, party liability, affirmative defense statute, survivor rights, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Are budgeted from last year.
• You'll see we had budgeted for 61.5 or three quarter staff currently budgeted but unfilled.
• I appreciate the Opportunity to present our budget, our fiscal year 2027 budget.
• is really stability this year.
• So, it will technically look like a reduction in our budget if we Have a flat budget for the year.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I know it is expensive and I know it will have an impact on the state budget and Medicaid, but in
• Day to day with no stability in our home and no roadmap, just crisis survival management.
• the system and are the ones that families call when a provider quits or when a service is cut or a budget
• When they are strong, they create stability out of chaos.
• committee has always been a committee of adults in the room when it came to putting money in the budget

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As a result, the fund not only achieves greater fiscal stability but also set precedent for sustainable
• As a result, the fund not only achieves greater fiscal stability but also set precedent for sustainable
• 00:13:05.720> a<00:13:05.920> greater<00:13:06.279> fiscal<00:13:06.639> stability
• only achieves a greater fiscal stability only achieves a greater fiscal stability but<00:13:07.399
• were making their 3% payment, they were told, you're going to have to find ways out of your local budgets

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Roll Call 00:00:05 HB 545Discussion 00:00:40 HB 545 Vote 00:01:35 HJR 54 Discussion 00:02:25 HJR 54 Vote 00:03:10 HB 694 Discussion 00:03:42 HB 694 Vote 00:28:25, 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and first took up House Bill 545, a routine claims bill. Representative Tim Truett explained it as a measure to pay debts the Commonwealth owes. The bill received a motion, a second, and a roll call vote, and passed with favorable expression and no nay votes. Members then considered House Joint Resolution 54, which related to the Kentucky State Fair Board’s expansion plan. The chair explained that the resolution simply acknowledged receipt and approval of the plan so previously appropriated funds could be released. The resolution passed by roll call with no nay votes and was reported favorably to the floor. The main discussion centered on House Bill 694, concerning the Kentucky Teachers Retirement System medical insurance fund and the 2010 “shared responsibility” agreement. The bill would redirect employer contributions from local districts from the health side to the pension side once the plan reaches 100% funded. The chair and Senator Givens argued the bill was a continuation of the state’s long-term commitment to TRS and taxpayer responsibility, while Senator Neal raised concerns about fairness, the timing of the change, and whether the original agreement and statutory trigger for TRS board recommendations had been honored. Testimony from KEA President Eddie Campbell and former Jefferson County Teachers Association president Brent McMahan supported the 2010 agreement but urged the committee to pause the bill, saying the parties should return to the table and that the current proposal could conflict with the original understanding, create actuarial and legal issues, and potentially affect school district finances and bond ratings. Despite those concerns, the committee voted 8-1 to pass House Bill 694 with favorable expression, with Senator Neal voting no and explaining his objection as a process and good-faith concern.

Transcript Highlights:

• talking about the federal employees at the EPA, for example, the current Office of Management and Budget
• Commonwealth who comes in contact with the Department of Children and Families receives the protection, stability
• commission to study the creation of a digital education portfolio system to support the educational stability
• It's stability, continuity, and dignity for the young people who already face tremendous disruption in

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The House opened with ceremonial business, including adoption of resolutions recognizing the Copernicus Institute and honoring October 2025 as Polish American Heritage Month. Members also concurred in Senate petitions and suspended Joint Rule 12 to allow several new petitions to be referred, including proposals on employer notice of I-9 records, Lobular Breast Cancer Awareness Day, a sick leave bank for a trial court employee, and the purchase or lease of Fenn Farm. The chamber then advanced several local and administrative bills, including legislation authorizing MassDOT to convey land in Stoneham and bills on child welfare protections, transit-worker assault penalties, and other local matters. The most substantial debate centered on House No. 4645, a substitute bill addressing assault and battery on transit workers. Supporters argued that transit employees face rising violence and deserve protections similar to other public employees, citing MBTA assault statistics and testimony from workers describing threats, spitting, weapons, and serious injuries. The House accepted the substitute bill and passed it to be engrossed by roll call, 116-0. The chamber also passed to be engrossed a child welfare bill, House No. 4644, after debate on expanded DCF reporting, discharge planning, the independence of the Office of the Child Advocate, education coordination for children in care, and child fatality review reforms; amendments were adopted, including one adding a Department of Social Services social worker to the fatality review team and another creating a commission to study a digital education portfolio for foster youth. The House also adopted an emergency preamble for a bonds bill and passed several engrossed local bills, including measures affecting Hull, Lanesborough, and Norton. The session included a formal visit from a Hokkaido, Japan delegation marking the 35th anniversary of the Massachusetts-Hokkaido sister-state relationship, with remarks entered into the Journal. Members observed moments of silence for Bernard Fang and former Representative Thomas George, and the House later adopted a special adjournment in memory of Mark Haren before adjourning to meet the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• This budget takes out our kneecaps.
• continuums of care, the proposed budget continuums of care, the proposed budget effectively<00:20
• This budget<00:20:28.480> takes<00:20:28.720> out<00:20:28.880> our budget takes
• Uh we this is this is a budget bill.
• <00:46:48.800> targets come to after uh revised budget targets come to after uh revised budget

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And this budgeting is so important. It's the time value of money.
• I think, in addition to budgeting, though, one of the newer standards that are being taught now that
• of delayed gratification and really understanding why the budget is structured this way.
• Like you said, Senator, the budgeting aspect, but also the psychology of money in the 21st century.
• We work with the districts to reintegrate whenever they've been stabilized.

Bills: SB205, SB582, SB625, SB1884, SB1903, SB2600, SB2617, SB2751, SB111, SB3061, SB1908

Keywords: fetal development, health curriculum, public schools, middle school health education, grade 7, grade 8, State Board of Education, school health advisory council, Texas Education Code, pregnancy, reproductive health, infertility, birth defects, prenatal development, unborn child, trimester, medically accurate instruction, age-appropriate instruction, drug and alcohol effects, lead exposure

Transcript Highlights:

• So $14 million is the budget that we're operating off of.
• And we don't know the long-term facts on that; you know, the budget, look at how long it's been taking
• to get some of the federal dollars into a budget.
• And I always like to say when you're building budgets, if the pie doesn't get any bigger, all we have
• That's not stability.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Economic Development Budget Subcommittee, we'll come to order.
• in on budget.
• in on budget, with the exception of the IT ask.
• So we'll come in on budget.
• , our base budget, which funds those 225 employees.

Summary: The Economic Development Budget Subcommittee received a lengthy presentation from Kevin Guthrie, Executive Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, on disaster costs, recovery operations, sheltering, and major capital projects. He reviewed the 2024 hurricane season impacts from Debby, Helene, and Milton, explaining how FEMA public assistance and state reimbursement work, how cost shares can shift from 75/25 to 90/10 after a federal threshold is reached, and how Florida uses prior storm data and inflation to estimate recovery costs. He also described the state’s faster reimbursement timelines, crediting legislative investments in technology and digital field documentation, and said the division is working to reduce disaster closeout timelines from decades to about seven years. Members asked about debris removal, FEMA de-obligations, local preparedness, and whether regional shelters or co-located emergency operations centers could be used more efficiently. Guthrie said debris assistance is complicated and should generally remain tied to local contracts and planning, though the state will help fiscally constrained communities when needed. He explained de-obligations as FEMA clawing back previously approved funds after later review, and said Florida’s FROC program is helping local governments reduce those risks through standardized documentation, procurement review, and training. He also urged more mandatory emergency-management training for local and state officials and cautioned against weakening the FEMA 50% rule for rebuilding damaged structures. Guthrie provided updates on the new central Florida warehouse in Auburndale and the new State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee. He said the warehouse will improve logistics, include cold and ultra-cold storage, and be run by a private vendor with virtual inventory tracking, while the new EOC is designed for Category 5 conditions and expanded partner capacity. He acknowledged budget pressures that reduced the size of the EOC project and said an additional IT request was needed because those costs were not originally included. The meeting ended with praise for FDEM’s work and no votes or formal actions beyond adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• housed and stay within a budget. housed and stay within a budget.
• The budget was included in the budget.
• . budget. budget.
• sake of our hospital budgets, and for the sake of our municipal budgets.
• . budgets. budgets.

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• stability of our communities. stability of our communities.
• The on our school uh district budgets.
• way to stabilize it. way to stabilize it.
• and balance the budget.
• I like the fact that we have to budget I like the fact that we have to budget and<01:45:07.440><

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , train in the community, how to budget, train in the community, how to budget, how<01:24:28.719>
• So this as a just regular budget item.
• A parent who regularly buys budgets.
• Any members voting no. their budget and for their two FTEES. their budget and for their two FTEES.
• <02:17:40.639> situation cognizant of the um budget situation cognizant of the um budget situation

Bills: HB2488, HB2456

Keywords: disability, communication access, deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind, healthcare, sign language interpreters, auxiliary aids, weight loss, GLP-1 drugs, obesity, Medicaid, healthcare costs, 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HP 1972, which would create a nonrefundable family caregiver tax credit, and on a related tax measure to increase the existing dependent care tax credit. Supporters of HP 1972, including AARP, the Executive Office on Aging, the Hawaii Public Health Institute, Hawaii Children’s Action Network, and others, said unpaid caregivers are essential to keeping kūpuna and other loved ones at home and described significant out-of-pocket costs. The Department of Taxation and the Tax Foundation raised technical concerns, including the need to avoid overlap with existing credits and to prevent double-dipping. The department said taxpayers can claim credits to the extent allowed, but recommended explicit language barring the same costs from being claimed under more than one credit. No vote was taken in the excerpt, and the chair moved the bill along after questions. The committee then heard HP 1975, which would repeal the sunset on the state rent supplement program for kūpuna. AARP, Catholic Charities Hawaii, the Executive Office on Aging, and others supported making the program permanent, saying it helps low-income older adults avoid eviction and homelessness and allows them to remain in affordable housing. Catholic Charities described clients who were paying unsustainable shares of income for rent before receiving the supplement. Members also shared a constituent example of an elderly retiree who needed the subsidy to stay housed. Written support was noted from additional organizations and individuals. Next, the committee took up HB 1706, which would expand Medicaid prospective payment reimbursement to include mental health services furnished in federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics by mental health professionals under supervision. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs supported the bill, and DHS said it appreciated the intent to address workforce shortages and expand training, but cautioned that unlicensed professionals cannot currently bill Medicaid and that a state plan amendment would be needed, with limited precedent for approval. Members asked about the likelihood and timing of federal approval and whether the bill could help rural areas; DHS said approval is uncertain and the process can take time, though it saw possible alignment with the state’s rural health transformation efforts. The committee also discussed HB 546, a three-year health coverage continuity pilot program for people losing Medicaid coverage. DHS, the Attorney General’s office, DCCA, Catholic Charities, the University of Hawaii, and others testified, with DHS warning that federal changes could increase uninsured rates and that the state may need to act quickly. Catholic Charities and others emphasized the risk to Medicaid recipients, including homeless and near-elderly residents, while DHS explained the state’s existing premium assistance program for certain immigrants and compared it to the proposed pilot. The excerpt ends during discussion of that comparison, with no vote shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• , clerk will read the bond initiative. >> Number one, Senator Hettleman, Ishivas, Torres, Simcha, budget
• Bill will be ordered to the capital budget subcommittee. That does it. Desk is clear.
• Torres, Simcha, budget and taxation. Torres, Simcha, budget and taxation.
• Bill will be ordered to the uh<00:02:39.599> capital<00:02:39.920> budget<00:02:40.160>
• <00:02:41.519> That uh capital budget subcommittee. That uh capital budget subcommittee.

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Tuesday, January 27, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Senate held a brief pro forma session with a quorum present. The presiding officer noted Holocaust Remembrance Day in Maryland and emphasized the importance of anti-hate efforts, and also welcomed representatives from the Council of State Governments who were visiting despite the snow. The chamber processed one bill introduction, Senate Bill 368 by Senator Bailey concerning living shorelines and non-structural shoreline stabilization measures, and referred it to the Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee. One bond initiative, sponsored by Senators Hettleman, Ishivas, Torres, and Simcha, was also read and sent to the Capital Budget Subcommittee. During announcements, the Majority Leader invited members to a Council of State Governments reception at Harry Brown’s at 6 p.m. The Senate then completed a quorum call and adjourned, with notice that another pro forma session would be held the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:39:11.119> Okay, >> budgets on. Okay, >> budgets on.
• the budgeting process. the budgeting process.
• to the budgeting it's beneficial to the budgeting process.<01:05:43.760> Right.
• highlights uh quickly on on the budget. highlights uh quickly on on the budget.
• This budget also the 2028 budget cycle.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the fiscal budget, and again in FY 27, the most recent budget debate, we continue to fund Pappas Rehabilitation
• The governor's budget fully funded continued operations at Pappas.
• But the decision going into the fiscal year 2025 budget was... Thank you.
• We had to make difficult decisions in a difficult budget year.
• Pappas is in all the budgets, including Governor Healey's.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The special legislative commission on the future of Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children held a hybrid public hearing focused on the hospital’s future, admissions, staffing, infrastructure, and whether the facility should be preserved, expanded, or reimagined. Opening remarks from legislators, commissioners, parents, and union representatives emphasized that Pappas provides a unique combination of medical, rehabilitative, educational, and residential services for children with complex needs, and several speakers argued that the hospital is effectively being depopulated through reduced admissions and ongoing discharges despite public assurances that it remains open. Multiple speakers urged the commission to extend its authorization and continue its work before any closure or major change can occur. Testimony from labor leaders, including AFSCME, SEIU Local 509, and the Massachusetts Nurses Association, described a “silent closure” in practice, with staff reporting confusion about the hospital’s status, declining census numbers, blocked admissions, and uncertainty about the workforce’s future. They called for immediate action to stop admission denials and unnecessary discharges, and some proposed short-term solutions such as temporary modular structures to address infrastructure barriers and allow admissions to resume. Parents and former patients testified that Pappas provided life-changing independence, specialized therapy, and campus-based supports that they said could not be replicated elsewhere, and they criticized alternative placements as inadequate. Commissioner Robert Goldstein of the Department of Public Health said the administration supports keeping Pappas open and funded while the commission works, but he argued that admissions must comply with hospital-level-of-care rules and that the campus’s deteriorating infrastructure limits the kinds of children who can safely be served there. He said the department is continuing admissions for appropriate patients, working to expand outreach and services, and exploring long-term options, including broader statewide models of care. Commissioners pressed him on whether discharge status or lack of a clear discharge plan had been used as a barrier to admission, and requested de-identified data on patients recommended for admission but denied. No formal votes were taken during the hearing.