Transcript Highlights:

• But we can't be used to build a new facility from the ground up.
• Our facilities aren't big enough to handle the need.
• Our facilities aren't big enough to handle the need.
• , we are not seeing any impact on local FURS operations at this time.
• As of April, ICE is detaining over 5,800 Californians in for-profit private detention facilities, facilities

Summary: The committee heard an extensive Department of Social Services presentation on child care budget issues, including the Governor’s proposed 2026-27 budget, federal CCDF changes, Prop. 64 revenue adjustments, and a one-time $11.5 million disaster-related infrastructure grant for licensed child care facilities affected by 2025 declared disasters. DSS said federal formula updates and lower Prop. 64 revenues would reduce funding and could result in about 4,176 CCTR slots being reduced, but the department said it was working to avoid impacts to currently enrolled children. The LAO supported aligning general child care funding with lower revenues and asked for more detail on the disaster grant. Members pressed DSS and Finance on why reductions were not being backfilled and why so many awarded slots remain uncontracted or unused; DSS said delays are largely due to providers building new infrastructure, licensing, staffing, and enrollment challenges, and that some unspent funds revert to the General Fund. The committee also discussed whether some contract dollars should be shifted to vouchers and whether more flexibility should be allowed for infrastructure and expansion costs. A second panel focused on the state’s commitment to expand child care and on rate reform. DSS reported that nearly 125,000 new slots have been awarded since 2021-22, but speakers from Stanislaus County Office of Education, Parent Voices California, and the California Budget and Policy Center argued that unmet need remains large and that the system still leaves many families without access. Stanislaus County described a large local shortage of infant and toddler care and said reimbursement disparities between child care programs and state preschool create disincentives for providers. Parent Voices gave testimony about the burdens and instability families face when trying to access care, especially for survivors and low-income parents, and called for a universal, publicly funded system. The Budget Center said only about 16% of eligible children were enrolled in 2024, urged expansion across the mixed delivery system rather than concentrating investment in TK, and called for faster rate reform and new revenue. LAO estimated that bringing certain CCTR adjustment factors up to CSPP levels would cost $88 million to $131 million ongoing. Members and witnesses discussed the single rate structure, automation needs, and the need for deadlines and a ramp-up plan; DSS said the goal is to eliminate disparities, but that policy decisions are still needed before automation can proceed. The committee then reviewed several trailer bill proposals. DSS outlined a 2026-27 COLA proposal that would apply a 2.41% increase through cost-of-care-plus payments, though the department said it had inadvertently excluded CalWORKs Child Care and the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program and would revise the proposal; LAO recommended making the COLA methodology uniform across programs. DSS also proposed replacing the market rate survey with the federally approved alternative methodology on a triennial schedule, limiting temporary absences in family child care homes to 20% of monthly hours, defining excessive unexplained absences as more than 30 days in a year, and aligning family fee deductions with new federal requirements so providers receive the full voucher value. Members generally supported the temporary absence change and asked about implementation timing for the family fee deduction, with DSS saying it was in contact with Riverside County. The committee also heard a brief update on the Early Childhood Policy Council reappropriation, which would extend unused funds through June 30, 2028 because prior costs came in higher than expected.

Transcript Highlights:

• Lieutenant Colonel Eric Athman, Director of Operations for the Department of Military Affairs.
• The goal of opening four new facilities has come to fruition.
• We need to address the operating cost increase in that division.
• Not funding the request would result in detrimental impacts on operations.
• So they have a long history of operating in rural and outstate Minnesota.

Committee: House Veterans and Military Affairs Division

Transcript Highlights:

• Who</c><00:51:47.880><c> are</c><00:51:48.040><c> not</c> facility or Nursing Facility Who are not facility
• </c><01:37:15.159><c> at</c> facilities that are already operating at facilities that are already operating
• These mandates will place additional strain on the nursing facilities already operating on a thin margin
• These mandates will place additional strain on the nursing facilities already operating on a thin margin
• a</c><01:41:19.560><c> thin</c> facilities already operating on a thin facilities already operating

Committees: Senate Health and Human Services , Senate Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• Goodwill Arkansas funds 100% of the operating costs, which include licensed teachers and facilities,
• And there's for-profit companies that operate in this space, too.
• Right now, we're limited to the two campuses that we operate.
• Appropriation, and the Facilities Partnership Program.
• Next, we'll talk about the Department of Education operations.

Summary: The House and Senate Education Committee first approved minutes from February 2 and 3, then took up an interim study proposal on adult education and the Excel Center model. Representatives from Goodwill Industries of Arkansas, the Excel Center network, and the University of Notre Dame’s Lab for Economic Opportunities testified that roughly 300,000 Arkansans over age 19 lack a high school diploma or GED, and argued that the Excel Center provides a supported diploma pathway for adults who struggle with GED testing. Witnesses highlighted wraparound services such as free child care, transportation assistance, tutoring, life coaching, and career services, and cited outcomes including high retention, growing enrollment, and research showing higher employment and earnings and lower criminal justice involvement for graduates. Committee members raised questions about the state’s role, existing adult education programs, and how the study would be structured; the motion to adopt the ISP passed, though there was some procedural disagreement about when questions should have been taken. The committee then heard a detailed adequacy funding overview from BLR staff Katie Walden and Adrian Beck on Arkansas K-12 education finance. They reviewed national funding principles and explained Arkansas’s system, including state and local revenue sources, the Public School Fund, the Educational Excellence Trust Fund, the Educational Adequacy Fund, and the Facilities Partnership Program. Staff said K-12 state and local revenues totaled $6.6 billion in 2025, with foundation funding making up the largest share of district and charter funding, followed by additional, categorical, and supplemental funds. They also explained the matrix-based foundation formula, the role of the uniform rate of tax, and how categorical and supplemental funds support areas such as alternative learning, English learners, special education high-cost cases, teacher salary equalization, declining enrollment, and student growth. Members asked several follow-up questions about how specific funding categories are defined and used, including student support staff, instructional aides, special education high-cost occurrences, ALE funding, teacher salary equalization, and the inclusion of Excel Center amounts in state-local funding totals. Staff said some of those details would be addressed in a later presentation and offered to provide additional records, including district lists and historical information. The meeting ended after the funding overview, with no additional votes or actions beyond the ISP adoption and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Merced Irrigation District owns, operates, and maintains...
• And that is the environment we're operating in today.
• Again, we're still operating as a subcommittee.
• Has demand increased as technology or operations evolve?
• How does usage compare across facilities or regions?

Committee: House Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• A project has its operating cash flow and operating income, which it uses to pay off debt service and
• Water and sewer systems, sidewalks, park-and-ride facilities, community and park facilities, recreational
• Because if the cost of a facility, if the demand for a facility is lower, you really want the development
• If the cost of a facility, if the demand for a facility is lower, you really want the development to
• How long has your pilot been operating? Thank you.

Summary: The Senate Housing Committee heard presentations on a range of housing finance, permitting, and affordability tools. Chattanooga described its affordable housing PILOT program, which uses a per-unit property tax abatement tied to the rent loss from providing affordable units, with a 15-year term and annual compliance monitoring. Committee members asked about the program’s structure, whether it had been used elsewhere, and who was participating; the presenter said the first mixed-income project would bring 278 units with 42 affordable units and that the model was attracting private market-rate developers. Shoreline then described its MFTE and inclusionary zoning approach, emphasizing that longer tax exemption periods and station-area zoning changes had helped spur development, with most current pipeline projects concentrated near light rail stations. The committee also heard from the Municipal Research Services Center and the Department of Commerce on tax increment financing, proportional impact fees, and permit timelines. Commerce explained that TIF can fund public improvements such as roads, utilities, broadband, and some affordable housing or child care facilities, while proportional impact fee guidance is intended to help jurisdictions charge fees more closely aligned with actual project impacts. On permit timelines, Commerce presented its first annual report under recent law changes, using 2024 as a baseline year and noting that reported timelines were generally longer than statutory goals; members asked about outliers, paper versus electronic processing, and whether back-and-forth between applicants and staff was driving delays. Commerce said it would follow up with more data, including on CHIP funding and permit reform practices. Several local governments then shared permitting process improvements. Auburn reported relatively short review cycles and described its move to fully electronic permitting, internal performance standards, and a stock plan program that speeds review for repeated home designs. Bellevue described an AI permitting pilot with a local startup to help with pre-application questions, document triage, and plan review, aiming to reduce incomplete applications and revision cycles. Seattle presented a pilot for accessory dwelling unit co-development in which a mission-driven partner would help homeowners split lots, finance, build, and manage ADUs, with the homeowner eventually buying out the partner and retaining ownership; committee members asked about rent setting, management fees, and default risk, and staff said they would follow up. The committee also heard brief overviews of community land trusts and limited equity cooperatives as permanent affordability models, with presenters urging continued state and local funding support and policy recognition for these approaches.

Transcript Highlights:

• operations, and UCLA vending.
• But we're considering leaving as they expanded manufacturing operations.
• These facilities can typically run from $15 million to $20 million for pilot-scale facilities, or $40
• million to more than $250 million for commercial-scale facilities.
• , whether it's a small-scale or a large-scale facility.

Summary: The Select Committee on Alternative Protein Innovation held its second informational hearing at UCLA, focusing on California’s alternative protein sector and the role of public institutions in expanding plant-based, fermentation, and cultivated protein options. Chair Ash Kalra opened by highlighting prior state investments in UC research centers, the importance of student engagement, and the hearing’s three panels: reducing the carbon footprint of institutional meals, addressing market challenges to scaling alternative proteins, and advancing future food research and workforce development. Assemblymember Isaac Bryan also briefly praised the committee’s work and its relevance to climate and health goals. The first panel featured Friends of the Earth, UCLA Dining, and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Megan Jones described California school food efforts, including technical assistance and microgrants that helped districts expand plant-based meals, reduce water and carbon footprints, and improve student satisfaction. Pete Angelese explained how UCLA Dining uses concept-driven venues, sustainable purchasing, and marketing nudges to increase plant-forward choices, while Dr. Michelle Wood outlined Los Angeles County’s 2024–2025 board motions to expand plant-based options in county food venues and programs, including joining the World Resources Institute’s Cool Food Pledge. Committee members asked about costs, procurement, and how student and consumer behavior can be influenced. The second panel addressed market barriers to scaling alternative proteins. Zach Weston and Daniel Gertner emphasized that the sector faces a cost-and-scale trap, high capital needs, and financing gaps, and they recommended grants, tax credits, loan guarantees, procurement commitments, and workforce development. T.K. Pillen of Beyond Meat argued that the category has faced a recent downturn due to consumer skepticism, industry attacks on “fake meat,” and pricing pressures, and said the key to renewed growth is increasing demand through better taste, health, pricing, and messaging around “plant protein.” Panelists also discussed hidden subsidies and structural advantages for conventional animal agriculture, and committee members raised questions about iBank loan guarantees and supply chain challenges. The final panel highlighted UCLA’s research and training efforts. Dr. Amy Roet described the Future Food Fellows program, which trains students across disciplines in science, communication, leadership, and community-building, and supports research on scalable, safe, and nutritious alternative proteins. Corinne Smith shared her cultivated meat research and student leadership in the Alternative Proteins Project at UCLA. Dr. Janet Tomiyama presented consumer psychology findings showing that disgust, gender norms, and terminology strongly affect acceptance, with “plant protein” and “complementary proteins” testing better than “fake meat.” The hearing concluded with support for continued public investment, clearer messaging, and expanded education and workforce pipelines to help California remain a leader in alternative protein innovation.

Transcript Highlights:

• And operating for a number of years. Very stable system.
• There's a sub-program B3 that's currently titled Hot Lanes Operation and Maintenance.
• There's a sub-program B3 that's currently titled Hot Lanes Operation and Maintenance.
• So the first is to add sub-program B6, which is titled State Route 509 Expressway Operations.
• The second would be to add a new sub-program, B7, titled State Route 167 Expressway Operations.

Committee: Joint Legislative Evaluation & Accountability Program

Summary: The LEAP Committee met on June 18, 2025, with introductions from members and staff, and received a report that LEAP had completed a clean audit with no findings for 2020–2024 covering accounts payable, disbursements, theft-sensitive assets, and data backup/recovery. Staff also outlined the interim work plan, including a full rewrite of the capital budget application (BuildSum), updates to the transportation bond model and operating budget application, website/report improvements, and continued cautious research into possible AI uses in budget tools and the website. Members asked about responsible AI use and improving keyword search and mobile usability for the public-facing fiscal website. The committee then approved the July 8, 2024 minutes and considered several agency budget structure changes. The Department of Corrections was approved to move chemical dependency and sex offender treatment from Offender Change into Health Care Program 500 and to rename Program 700 as Reentry Services. The Department of Revenue was approved to move the AMP program from executive management services into tax analysis, interpretation, and technology support. The Washington State Department of Transportation was approved to rename a toll subprogram for SR 167 and add new subprograms for SR 509 Expressway Operations and SR 167 Expressway Operations to reflect new toll facilities and improve reporting clarity. Kevin Feltis also provided a staffing update, noting the hiring of three new associate consultants in October 2024 after recent retirements, and announcing that Sherry Randage will retire in December 2025 after more than 35 years of state service. The new staff members briefly introduced themselves, and members thanked Randage for her service. The meeting ended after the committee reached quorum, completed its business, and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> single facility.
• So an existing facility single facility.
• small facilities that just have multiple small facilities that are<01:29:47.080><c> operating</c><01
• We've purposely tried to capture that possibility of either expansions or multiple facilities operating
• </c> Operations will meet at 1:15. Operations will meet at 1:15.

Transcript Highlights:

• However, I am willing to work with members to find a better location or facility to be able to do this
• And no agency should operate without enforceable accountability.
• And I know we're talking about huge manufacturing facilities here, huge projects.
• We have a headcount of about 3,800 employees at our facility in Casa Grande.
• All of our facilities are built under a PLA, but our facilities internally are not union-organized.

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 2615, as amended by a strike-everything amendment creating an Independent Oversight Committee on the Department of Child Safety with 15 members, authority to review DCS data and practices, request briefings and audits, conduct site visits, and receive confidential complaints, with a $2.2 million FY 2027 appropriation. The sponsor and several parents and foster/adoptive caregivers testified in support, describing child safety failures and arguing for independent accountability, while some members questioned whether the Ombudsman’s office was the right home for the committee and suggested other oversight structures. The amendment was adopted, but the bill itself failed on a 5-5 vote. House Bill 2620, which would appropriate $300,000 annually from FY 2027 through FY 2031 to the Arizona Department of Veterans Services for grants to emergency shelters serving veterans, received strong support from the sponsor and shelter advocates who said the funding would help move homeless veterans toward stable housing and connect them with VA services. Members emphasized veterans’ service and the need for trauma-informed case management, and the bill passed with a 10-0 do-pass recommendation. House Bill 2321, requiring DCS to place and later remove a credit freeze for children in care to prevent identity theft, also passed unanimously after the sponsor and members discussed the administrative process and protections for foster youth. The committee then considered House Bill 2601, directing ADOT to seek federal segmentation for the Interstate 11 project between Casa Grande and Wickenburg so environmental review could proceed separately from litigation affecting the southern portion. Supporters framed the bill as a bipartisan way to keep the project moving, while opponents from environmental groups and several members argued it would encourage sprawl, harm desert habitat, and add cost and delay; the bill passed 6-4. House Bill 2992, a pilot program for child sexual abuse and grooming awareness education in six public schools, drew testimony from a trafficking survivor and others who supported prevention efforts, but some members argued the topic should be handled through broader sex education or parent education; it passed 6-4. Later bills also advanced: HB 2156, appropriating $250,000 to the Livestock Compensation Fund, passed 7-3; HB 2165, exempting certain veterans and National Guard members from state park admission fees, passed 6-4 after amendment narrowing the exemption; HB 2960, creating a veterans specialty court grant program and related data-sharing requirements, passed 8-0; HB 2014, directing studies on gasoline blends and fuel feasibility amid EPA waiver concerns, passed 6-2; and HB 2957, preserving non-Real ID licenses and limiting biometric/data retention with a Kavanaugh amendment, passed 5-4-1.

Transcript Highlights:

• utility-scale onshore wind energy facilities, and green hydrogen production and storage facilities.
• during operations from flammable substances.
• Facilities that are potentially significant include fire and explosion during operations from flammable
• However, FSEC may also oversee transmission facilities.
• We're also operating in kind of a strange time.

Committee: House Environment & Energy

Summary: The committee held a work session on SEPA-related clean energy permitting and on Washington’s carryout bag law. Ecology presented on the clean energy programmatic environmental impact statements (PEISs) completed for utility-scale solar, onshore wind, and green hydrogen, with a fourth for sustainable aviation fuel in progress. Ecology and EFSEC described how these broad reviews identify likely impacts, mitigation measures, and planning tools to help developers and lead agencies move projects through SEPA more efficiently, while still requiring project-level review. Committee members and presenters discussed issues such as wildfire risk from battery storage, water use, agricultural land conversion, recycling of solar panels and wind turbines, and the need for early tribal consultation and better cultural resource studies. Grant County and Yakama Nation both emphasized the importance of early pre-application coordination, cumulative impact review, and adequate time for tribal and agency input; Puget Sound Energy said it needs more predictable permitting to meet clean energy mandates and maintain reliability, while still facing major transmission and generation needs. The second half of the meeting focused on the state’s carryout bag law. Committee staff reviewed the law’s history, current requirements, and upcoming changes: the 8-cent charge on paper and plastic bags rises to 12 cents in 2026, thicker 4-mil bags will be required in 2028, and a temporary 4-cent penalty on those thicker bags takes effect in the interim. Commerce summarized a Washington State University study finding that plastic bag distribution fell but total plastic weight increased because reusable bags are thicker, and Ecology described its education-first enforcement approach, litter study results, and the interaction with the new Recycling Reform Act. Ecology said it has received hundreds of complaints but has not yet imposed the $250 retailer penalty, using multiple rounds of technical assistance before site visits or fines. Members questioned whether the thicker-bag requirement makes environmental sense, whether the penalty structure is administratively burdensome, and how the law applies to tribal retailers.

Transcript Highlights:

• for the women's facility.
• for the women's facility.
• Uh there's women's facility.
• </c><00:25:46.320><c> The</c> facility and we agreed to that. The facility and we agreed to that.
• </c> operations I had being successful? operations I had being successful?

Transcript Highlights:

• Parks operates rural communities.
• Parks operates operations<00:05:10.720><c> consist</c><00:05:11.039><c> of</c><00:05:11.360><c> 17</c
• </c><00:27:10.880><c> branch,</c> the uh maintenance operations branch, the uh maintenance operations
• These facilities must remain open, support tourism and local economies, and continue operating safely
• :14.640><c> open,</c> facilities that must remain open, facilities that must remain open, support<00:

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Protection, Tourism, and Energy received an update from Kentucky State Parks and the Finance Cabinet on the status of major capital projects funded through recent legislative appropriations. Commissioner Mark Keelin, Deputy Commissioner Chris Perry, and Finance Cabinet/DECA representatives described progress on campground upgrades, utility and broadband improvements, building systems repairs, life-safety work, accommodations and hospitality renovations, pool and beach projects, playgrounds, golf course improvements, marina work, and wastewater upgrades across the state park system. They emphasized that Kentucky has 44 state parks and that the funding has supported completed work and projects still under construction or in design. The presentation highlighted funding tied to House Joint Resolution 76, House Joint Resolution 56, and House Bill 6. Parks reported roughly $72 million invested to date, with 66 projects completed and 17 under construction, including campground renovations at sites such as My Old Kentucky Home, Kin Lake, Carter Caves, Cumberland Falls, and others; broadband projects at several campgrounds; electrical grid resilience work at parks including Kentucky Dam Village and Kin Lake; and completed life-safety upgrades such as lock systems. Officials also noted pool and beach work, ADA improvements, lodge and guest room renovations, marina replacements, and wastewater plant upgrades. DECA said it currently manages 1,335 active capital projects statewide, including 149 for Parks, and credited additional project management capacity and regular coordination meetings for accelerating delivery. Committee members asked for a copy of the presentation and pressed the department for more detailed accounting of House Joint Resolution 56, including how much money remains, which projects are complete, and whether current appropriations are sufficient to finish the listed work. The department also requested a larger maintenance pool appropriation of $40 million for the next budget, arguing that routine and emergency maintenance needs across 44 parks exceed current resources and that preventative maintenance would reduce long-term costs. No votes were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• enrollment, the implementation of the screeners for reading difficulties, special education, school facilities
• funding for LEAs that expand dual enrollment opportunities for justice-involved youth in county-operated
• facilities.
• I mean, have you talked to folks that are currently operating and doing screening within...
• We will go ahead and move on now to the school facilities program administered by the Office of Public

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education heard the Governor’s proposals on dual enrollment, reading difficulty screeners, special education, school facilities, and Commission on Teacher Credentialing programs. For dual enrollment, the Department of Finance described a $100 million one-time Proposition 98 General Fund proposal to expand the Dual Enrollment Opportunities Grant Program, add flexibility for regional occupational centers, support justice-involved youth, prioritize higher-need LEAs, and allow funds for teacher professional development, along with a reduction in required instructional minutes for some dual enrollment students. The LAO recommended rejecting the new funding, saying it did not address a clear implementation barrier, while CDE supported the proposal and suggested reserving $10 million for technical assistance. Members and public commenters largely supported the expansion, with some urging additional technical assistance and broader access, including adult dual enrollment. The committee then discussed the reading difficulty screener proposal, which includes $40 million one-time Proposition 98 General Fund for implementation costs and statutory changes that would delay formal screening until the 91st day for kindergarten and the 46th day for grades 1-2. Finance said the timing was intended to reduce over-identification and align screening with sufficient exposure to instruction; the LAO recommended rejecting the funding and redirecting it to a discretionary block grant. CDE supported the investment but cautioned about the timing restrictions, and several members and public witnesses argued the proposed deadlines were too rigid and could delay early intervention, while others supported the structured timeline as a way to improve accuracy and reduce misidentification. On special education, Finance presented a proposal to increase the statewide base rate to $99 per ADA through a $509 million ongoing Proposition 98 General Fund augmentation, plus COLA and a negative growth adjustment. The LAO said the proposal should be adopted but estimated it could be achieved with less funding; CDE strongly supported the increase, citing rising enrollment and local cost pressures, and district and SELPA representatives described large local funding gaps and growing expenditures. The committee also reviewed school facilities funding under Proposition 2, with Finance and the Office of Public School Construction describing $1.5 billion in proposed bond spending, existing balances for new construction and modernization, and the use of bond authority for natural disaster recovery, including projects related to recent fires. For the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, the committee heard about the Student Teacher Stipend Program, the Golden State Teacher Grant, state operations funding for misconduct investigations and SB 848 implementation, and a $250 million proposal to extend the Teacher Residency Grant Program; CTC supported the proposals and highlighted new data systems and technical assistance, while public testimony broadly backed the investments and urged continued or additional funding for teacher recruitment, literacy screening support, and special education.

Transcript Highlights:

• We operate and deliver our work program with an operating budget of around $1 billion annually.
• One is a regional operations center, a multi-county operations center in the St. Augustine area.
• Orlando. airport, seaport, and rail operations.
• In some cases, we do operate some things.
• Ports and rail operations.

Committee: Senate Transportation

Summary: The committee held a panel discussion on micro-mobility device regulation and enforcement, focusing on e-bikes and e-scooters. Sheriff Robert Hardwick and Chief Jamie Cruz described serious injuries involving children, including crashes at high speeds, and argued that current law is outdated because it folds e-bikes into the bicycle statute. They urged a separate statewide framework with clearer age limits, licensing or training requirements, helmet rules, and penalties for modifying devices to go faster. Both also emphasized that parents should bear responsibility and that enforcement should include education, progressive discipline, and, if needed, civil citations. FDOT District 6 Secretary Daniel Iglesias and DHSMV representative Lonnie Groner said their agencies are prioritizing education, outreach, and better data collection. They noted that micromobility devices are increasingly common, create safety and accessibility issues on sidewalks and shared-use paths, and are difficult to track because crash reports often do not identify them consistently. Members discussed whether motorized devices should be barred from sidewalks, whether riders should be licensed and insured, and how enforcement could be made uniform statewide. The panel also said manufacturers have not been meaningfully engaged and that local approaches vary widely. The committee then heard 2026 legislative priorities from FDOT Secretary Jared Perdue and DHSMV Executive Director Dave Kerner. Perdue outlined FDOT’s large five-year work program, ongoing congestion-relief projects, investments in ports, airports, rail, workforce, heavy equipment, facilities, and cybersecurity, and the need to do more with flat revenues. Kerner summarized DHSMV’s agency bill priorities, including requiring a Florida address and proof of residence for vehicle registration, updating identification requirements, aligning tank vehicle and motor carrier rules with federal standards, improving IFTA administration, raising the crash-report damage threshold, and allowing electronic notices. No votes were taken, and the meeting adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we've spent some time together touring these facilities.
• Our agency operates two civil intermediate care facilities, which offer approximately 360 residents the
• We operate seven state mental health treatment facilities, including one that serves sexually violent
• We operate seven state mental health treatment facilities, including one that serves sexually violent
• , overall operation.

Summary: The Health Care Budget Subcommittee met to organize the new term, take roll, and hear introductory presentations from the six agencies under its jurisdiction: the Agency for Health Care Administration, Agency for Persons with Disabilities, Department of Children and Families, Department of Elder Affairs, Department of Health, and Department of Veterans’ Affairs. The chair outlined the committee process, including assigning members to review agencies and make budget recommendations. Each agency head gave a high-level overview of their budget, staffing, major programs, and priorities, with recurring themes including Medicaid, long-term care, disability services, child welfare, mental health, aging services, public health, and veterans’ health care. Several agency leaders highlighted recent initiatives and funding priorities. AHCA emphasized Medicaid managed care, provider regulation, Hope Florida, hospital-at-home, and cancer-related efforts; APD discussed iBudget services, Hope Florida, a managed-care pilot, online applications, and forensic care costs; DCF focused on child protection, foster care, adult protective services, food/cash/medical assistance, mental health, and opioid treatment; Elder Affairs highlighted Alzheimer’s services, community-based senior care, guardianship, ombudsman services, and disaster outreach; DOH covered cancer innovation, maternal telehealth, cybersecurity, HIV/hepatitis/syphilis screening, and school nursing; and Veterans Affairs described benefits and health care access for veterans, long-term care, and federal reimbursement. Several speakers also raised concerns about rising costs, provider rates, disaster response, and access to services. The committee heard two public comments from disability advocates about Medicaid redeterminations affecting iBudget waiver recipients and provider payment delays. In response, AHCA and APD said they were coordinating on data sharing, early outreach, escalation processes, and efforts to reduce disenrollments and make recertification smoother. Members then asked questions about provider rates, opioid settlement spending, managed care quality measures, pediatric rare disease grants, group home transparency, senior outreach, ABA services moving into managed care, annual Medicaid recertification, veterans’ service utilization, waiting lists for elder services, and prevention spending. No formal votes were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• A licensed assisted living facility is a health care facility regardless of the size of the facility
• in the new facility as well.
• </c> they could operate in the new facility they could operate in the new facility as<00:24:44.480><c
• </c> And he used that new name to purchase the homes that are operated in an assisted living facility
• Assisted living facility 2 is operated by person one.

Committee: House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• And we also have the gaming machines in our facility.
• Even the professionals that work in the industries, from tribal facilities to multi-country operators
• are not operated under a licensed facility or compact, period.
• And that's because these facilities are whack-a-mole.
• And if you're not operating... ...and philanthropy.

Summary: The Budget Committee met with a quorum and considered eight bills. The first major item, House Bill 1467 on gambling, drew extensive debate and strong opposition from veterans organizations and related groups, who warned the bill’s language could unintentionally criminalize raffles and gaming machines used by American Legion and VFW posts for charitable fundraising. The sponsor said the bill would strengthen gambling penalties, authorize fantasy sports contests, preempt local enforcement, and require more reporting on illegal gambling, and he said he was open to amendments later. Despite concerns from several members about unintended consequences and local preemption, the committee passed the bill favorably on a roll call vote. The committee then heard and passed House Bill 711, creating a statewide “spectrum alert” for missing autistic children and requiring FDLE training for law enforcement; House Bill 1335, allowing Medicaid coverage for blood-based colorectal cancer screening; House Bill 843, making clarifying changes to Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission trust funds; House Bill 1371, strengthening protections for law enforcement and first responders, including penalties for attacks on officers and measures related to false reports and blood-borne pathogen exposure; House Bill 1405, revising youth prevention services for status offenders; House Bill 1053, updating FDLE-related statutes and adding support for retired police dogs; and House Bill 751, expanding health insurance protections for law enforcement and their families after catastrophic injury or death and clarifying fraud penalties. Several bills were amended before passage, including HB 1371, which adopted an amendment removing a section to avoid fiscal impact, and HB 1053, which removed proposed changes to the capital complex definition. Most measures received supportive testimony from law enforcement, health, or advocacy groups and passed with little opposition. The committee concluded by reporting all of the listed bills favorably and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Authority for child care facilities in the LFC recommendation.
• That would be for FY 27 operations of the Taos Veterans Cemetery.
• if you were to roll those into the future operating budget.
• It affects grid resilience and operational endurance.
• Today, Pacific Fusion is building out a facility here in New Mexico.

Committees: Senate Senate Finance , Senate House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Amy Jenkins, California Cannabis Operators Association.
• Amy Jenkins, California Cannabis Operators Association. Thank you.
• code to reflect realities of how small businesses operate, amending outdated facility requirements around
• They've toured the 50K facility, which is a 50,000-square-foot fully automated indoor grow facility.
• They've toured the 50K facility, which is a 50,000-square-foot fully automated indoor grow facility,

Summary: The committee heard several bills, beginning with AB 1921 on video game shutdowns. The author and Consumer Reports supported requiring game operators to give 60 days’ notice before ending server support and to offer a menu of remedies, including refunds or playable/offline alternatives, while the Entertainment Software Association opposed the bill as an unwarranted new standard for digital products and raised safety and legal concerns about community servers. Members questioned the scope of refunds, copyright, and community-server issues, and the author said he was open to further amendments. The bill was moved on a due-pass motion to Senate Appropriations and placed on call. AB 1965, dealing with cannabis testing, was presented as a measure to strengthen the Department of Cannabis Control’s authority over testing labs and improve product safety and transparency. The California Cannabis Operators Association supported the bill, saying it would help ensure consistent standards and protect consumers in a market with a large illicit component. There was no opposition, and the bill was moved on a due-pass motion to Senate Appropriations and placed on call. The committee also heard AB 2141, which would allow the Board of Pharmacy to resolve certain disciplinary matters through a voluntary pre-accusation settlement process. The author and a supporting pharmacist said it would speed resolution of smaller, technical cases and reduce costs, while a member raised concerns about transparency and whether the public would have less information about licensee misconduct. The bill passed the committee on a due-pass motion to Senate Appropriations, with Senator Menjivar voting no, and was placed on call. AB 2163, creating strategic clean energy and critical mineral development zones, was supported by the author and Imperial County as a way to prioritize geothermal and lithium development in areas like the Salton Sea region; it passed on a due-pass motion to Senate Appropriations and was placed on call. Later, AB 1990 on compounded weight-loss drug advertising drew significant debate. Supporters argued it would curb misleading ads and require disclosures about risks and non-FDA approval, while opponents from the compounding pharmacy community said it would create burdens, duplicate existing false-advertising law, and could harm patient access. Members questioned whether the bill actually addressed targeting minors and whether it would force use of FDA-approved labeling; the author said the bill was meant to add specificity and guardrails. The bill was moved on a due-pass motion to Senate Judiciary, with some no votes, and placed on call. The committee also heard AB 2783 on court reporters, which would add a national certification pathway and extend a remote reporting pilot; it drew support from court reporting stakeholders and passed unanimously on a due-pass motion to Senate Appropriations, placed on call. Finally, AB 2771, the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education sunset bill, and AB 2772, the interior design certification sunset bill, were presented and heard with mixed testimony: AB 2771 received support from student and borrower advocates and was moved to Senate Education, while AB 2772 drew both support and strong opposition over CCIDC governance and accountability, with the committee hearing extensive public comment before the transcript ended.