Transcript Highlights:

• The final program is the Emergency Services Program.
• the holistic health and fitness program the holistic health and fitness program um<00:09:03.959>
• <00:09:44.720> for funding the largest program for funding the largest program for dma<00:
• I'm going to go back to the Programs and Services program, which again is the smaller of the programs
• support and another MACV program.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Veterans and Military Affairs Division held its first meeting with a quorum present, opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, and reviewed decorum expectations and basic operating rules. Members and staff introduced themselves, and Chair Aaron Repinski emphasized that the committee would operate as a nonpartisan body focused on veterans’ issues. No minutes were approved because it was the division’s first meeting. Nonpartisan House staff then gave an overview of the Department of Military Affairs and the Department of Veterans Affairs, including their missions, organizational structure, and budgets. The presentation highlighted the Minnesota National Guard, Camp Ripley, enlistment incentives, the Emergency Services Program, and the Veterans Affairs programs for veterans homes, cemeteries, benefits assistance, and state-funded benefits such as the State Soldiers Assistance Program, Minnesota GI Bill, and Post-9/11 bonus. Staff also noted housing and homelessness-related initiatives, several committee-supported outside programs, and the Support Our Troops license plate funding split between the two agencies. The committee then heard from Trent Dils of Disabled American Veterans Minnesota on behalf of the Commander's Task Force, a coalition of congressionally chartered veterans organizations. He described the group’s unanimous legislative process and urged continuation of a separate veterans omnibus bill, arguing it has helped keep veterans issues apart from broader partisan disputes. He also began outlining the task force’s 2025 priorities, including hunting, fishing, and trapping benefits for veterans, but the transcript cuts off before the full list or any committee action on those priorities is completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• So this is a state cost-share program.
• So, I mean, if you're applying to— ...part of the program.
• So there— ...the cost-share program.
• Yeah, just the ones that are part of the program.
• just the small portion that may be a cost share program.

Bills: HB4338, HB3977, HB2100, HB2975, HB3056, HB3406, HB3720, HB4316, HB3405, HB1907, HB3142, HB3173, HB3270, HB3728, HB2440, HB2596, HB3466, HB3469, HB4338, HB3977, HB2100, HB2975, HB3056, HB3406, HB3720, HB4316, HB3405, HB1907, HB3142, HB3173, HB3270, HB3728, HB2440, HB2596, HB3466, HB3469

Keywords: HB4338, Oklahoma Brine Development Act, brine unitization, produced water, produced water unit, oil and gas wastewater, produced water recycling, reclaimed water, constituent elements, brine rights, solution gas, Corporation Commission, unitization, royalty interests, surface owner, oil and gas produced water, recycling and reuse, wastewater disposal, mineral extraction, lithium extraction

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a program called TTCP, Technical Training and Certification Program.
• We have 33 different training programs that are directly inside of that program that pay for that, and
• If they have a program that is a certified apprenticeship training program, all bets are off for them
• an apprenticeship program.
• Program. Right.

Transcript Highlights:

• Medicaid program.
• <01:47:03.520> that program and and that is a program that program and and that is a program
• and the progress of the program.
• and the progress of the program.
• program and the progress of the program program and the progress of the program it<01:58:02.079>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting began as a Division 3 work session on HB 71, but much of the early discussion focused on whether a previously discussed non-germane amendment could be considered or voted on that day. Members and the chair debated process and notice requirements, and the clerk’s guidance was that the amendment needed a separate public hearing before the full Finance Committee. The amendment was described as requiring DHHS contracts and addenda to include compliance with the Patient Bill of Rights, with a repeal date so the requirement would expire on November 30, 2026. The motion to move OTP on HB 71 with the amendment was withdrawn, and the committee agreed the amendment would be scheduled for a future full Finance hearing instead. The committee then turned to HB 71 itself and heard testimony from DHHS representatives John Williams and Jenny O’Higgins on the fiscal note and policy implications. Members questioned the estimate that the bill could put $12 million to $18 million per year in federal funding at risk, including HUD and Office of Refugee Resettlement funds. DHHS explained that the estimate was based on a broad reading of the bill’s term “specified alien,” which they said was not clearly defined in the bill, so they analyzed it using the federal definition of “alien” and assumed the bill could affect lawfully present non-citizens as well as undocumented individuals. They said the figure represented a worst-case scenario and that they were not claiming the loss was certain. Members also pressed DHHS on whether the bill could affect emergency sheltering in schools, public academies, or institutions of higher learning during disasters. DHHS said the language could create conflicts with federal funding conditions because emergency shelter programs generally cannot impose barriers on who may be sheltered, and they warned that excluding certain people could affect refugee-related and HUD funding. Questions were raised about whether the bill’s language would apply to private institutions as well as public ones, and whether the state could still use schools in short-term emergencies. DHHS said the language was broad, that they could not answer every legal question definitively, and that they would need input from public health and legal staff. No final vote on HB 71 was taken in the portion provided; the committee remained in discussion/work session mode after the amendment motion was withdrawn.

Transcript Highlights:

• Solar Garden Program.
• Program.
• Program.
• So the program is exceeding statutory goals.
• RENAMING THIS PROGRAM ISN'T SYMBOLIC.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That's what this program here does; it covers uncompensated care.
• The cancer hospitals are participating in the Florida Cancer Hospital program.
• Meyer, there's a separate supplemental funding program for the Florida Cancer Hospital program.
• all of our state-directed payment programs.
• And certainly looking at the cancer program, and I'm very familiar with the supplemental program that

Summary: The Legislative Budget Commission met with a quorum present and considered two Agency for Health Care Administration budget amendments related to Medicaid supplemental payments. The first amendment, EOGB 2026-0831, authorized $2.1 billion in budget authority for the Low-Income Pool to support safety-net providers with uncompensated charity care. Members asked about the timing of AHCA’s submission to CMS and whether the program addressed hospital shortfalls for insured patients and CHIP-related concerns. AHCA said approvals have generally been slower under the current federal review process, and the amendment was adopted without objection. The second amendment, EOGB 2026-0875, placed $7.9 billion in reserve for Florida’s Directed Payment Program for Hospitals pending final CMS approval. Senators and representatives questioned the role of hospital attestations regarding hold harmless agreements, whether any agreements had to be unwound, and how long final approval might take. AHCA said all hospitals had submitted attestations, no unwinding was known to be necessary, and approval was expected soon. Members also raised concerns about cancer hospitals, including Moffitt and the University of Miami, not participating in the directed payment program. AHCA responded that those institutions participate instead in a separate Florida Cancer Hospital supplemental payment program, which had already been approved. Both amendments were adopted without objection, and the commission then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• program.
• this program. this program.
• . program. program.
• <01:27:54.560> program >> for the snap program >> for the snap program >>
• And we have employment<05:22:51.360> programs. employment programs. employment programs.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Health, Human Services, and Elderly Affairs heard HB 1790-FN, which would address involuntary admissions for certain individuals with a substance use disorder. Representative Lucy Weber introduced the bill for Representative Long, and the committee heard extensive testimony both in support of and in opposition to the proposal. Opponents, including John Burns of SOS Recovery and Jake Barry of New Futures, argued that involuntary commitment is not well supported by research, can retraumatize people, may increase overdose risk after release, and could undermine New Hampshire’s existing recovery and harm-reduction efforts. They emphasized that treatment should be voluntary, trauma-informed, and paired with housing, recovery supports, and other community-based services. Representative Long said he was willing to accept DHHS’s request to amend the bill into a study commission, though he expressed concern that a prior state study had not led to action. He said the commission should focus on implementation details, including where people would be placed, staffing, withdrawal management, elopement prevention, length of commitment, and aftercare. He described involuntary commitment as one tool for people with severe dangerous addictions, distinct from drug court, and said it could help avoid criminal records. Committee members asked about capacity at New Hampshire Hospital and how the proposal would work in practice. DHHS officials Katya Fox and Cynthia Pabonis testified that the bill raises major policy and fiscal concerns. They said New Hampshire’s current system has benefited from investments in naloxone, medication-assisted treatment, recovery centers, and community-based services, and that those investments have helped reduce overdose deaths. They estimated the bill would require a new 70-bed facility costing about $40 million to build and about $33.3 million annually to operate, with only a small portion offset by insurance, plus more than $600,000 in annual legal costs and additional staffing and system changes. They also said New Hampshire Hospital has 185 beds, with about 100 patients typically ready for less restrictive settings, and that housing shortages are a major bottleneck. NAMI New Hampshire also testified in opposition, saying families often want any possible treatment for loved ones but still opposed the bill. No vote or final action was taken in the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• :47.000> program<00:14:47.279> to<00:14:47.440> provide Hawaii promise program to
• that as they who utilize the program that as they exit<00:25:57.039> the<00:25:57.240> program
• national accreditation for that program national accreditation for that program the<01:05:47.200
• Right, so this particular program, I do have a researcher with me that is part of that program.
• I'm Kevin Ramirez, the program manager for the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawaii, a program of the

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Higher Education met at the University of Hawaiʻi’s Bachman Hall and heard testimony on several UH-related bills. HB 542 would expand the Hawaiʻi Promise Program to provide unmet-need scholarships at four-year UH campuses. UH system officials, the UH Student Caucus, and a Honolulu Community College student testified in support, emphasizing college affordability, student retention, and workforce needs. Committee members asked about current program data, eligibility, transfer patterns, and cost; UH said it had data available, noted about 10% of current Hawaiʻi Promise students transfer to four-year campuses, and estimated the full expansion would cost about $12 million. UH also suggested a possible alternative of focusing on transfer opportunities from two-year to four-year campuses. The committee then heard HB 840, which concerns athletics appropriations for UH. UH Mānoa and UH Hilo supported the bill. UH officials said the funding would help cover recurring athletics operating costs, women’s sports travel and recruiting, Austin Awards, and a new nutrition fueling station, while Hilo said the money would help with travel, per diem, and conference-related costs. Members asked about the history of the athletics funding, the difference between Austin Awards and special talent waivers, NIL planning, and whether the appropriation should be restored to the base budget. UH explained that a $4 million athletics appropriation was originally made in 2018 or 2019, later removed from the base, and has been reappropriated annually since then. Finally, the committee heard HB 842, which would fund three additional permanent mental health practitioner positions at UH Mānoa’s Counseling and Student Development Center. UH supported the bill, and Academic Labor United and a high school student testified in favor, citing student stress, overwork, and the need for more counseling access. In questions, members discussed the current counselor-to-student ratio, recruitment challenges in a tight labor market, and strategies for hiring, including looking at candidates on soft-money grants who may be seeking stable employment. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• This program was canceled at the federal level in 2025.
• and the Virginia Fresh Match program.
• But, you know, I think that that's definitely a valuable program.
• But, you know, I think that that's definitely a valuable program.
• Because summer meals programs... ...time of the year, how we start talking about summer meals programs

Keywords: Virginia Commission to End Hunger, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• funded new program this program was funded new program this program was funded through<00:09:45.839
• MTA members have participated in the grant program for the entire 10 years of the program.
• MTA members have participated in the grant program for the entire 10 years of the program.
• MTA members have participated in the grant program for the entire 10 years of the program.
• programs like the line extension program programs like the line extension program in<00:48:12.440

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• >> So, is this the the the program >> So, is this the the the program management?
• programs.
• programs.
• program.
• . programs. programs.

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Programs have left some of them behind.
• The PWSS grant program is a critical funding source for state programs, but is not kept up with inflation
• customers with those programs which is another significant barrier.
• Yeah, I think those types of programs are incredibly important.
• And these programs have been absolutely transformative in Maryland.

Keywords: Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, water infrastructure, lead service lines, federal reauthorization, sustainability, cybersecurity

Summary: The meeting primarily focused on discussions surrounding the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and its implications for local water systems. Various witnesses highlighted the transformative impact of the bipartisan infrastructure law, which has provided an unprecedented amount of funding to help address long-standing issues in drinking water infrastructure, particularly concerning lead service line replacements and sustainability in water management. The discussions emphasized the urgent need for federal reauthorization to continue supporting these initiatives, as many rural and disadvantaged communities still face substantial barriers in upgrading their water systems. Additionally, cybersecurity risks were noted, raising concerns over the vulnerability of water systems across the nation.

Transcript Highlights:

• What do you think is the issue between students not using that program and students using that program
• It isn't an operating loan program.
• There's no reason to switch to a whole new program now where this would continue on that program.
• We have a program in place.
• We have a program in place.

Bills: HB1623

Keywords: HB 1623, North Dakota, rural health, rural health transformation program, medical facility infrastructure loan fund, medical facility infrastructure loan program, rural health loan program, Bank of North Dakota, Department of Health and Human Services, HHS, federal grant, health care infrastructure, rural hospitals, critical access hospitals, nonprofit health care providers, gap financing, loan fund, public health funding, healthcare financing, Medicaid

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 1624, the “Universal Lunch Bill,” from Rep. Mike Nathie. He argued the proposal should be placed in Century Code rather than the Constitution so future legislatures can adjust it if state finances tighten, and said the bill would start the program a year earlier with a $65 million appropriation for one school year. DPI testified that the estimate did not include nonpublic schools that do not participate, and members questioned the impact on Title I, free-and-reduced applications, private-school accountability, breakfast mandates for schools that do not currently serve breakfast, and whether the funding could come from the DPI budget or other sources. Supporters, including North Dakota United, the North Dakota Catholic Conference, a pediatrician, and the American Heart Association, said universal meals improve student health and learning, reduce family costs, and are better handled in statute than by constitutional amendment. No opposition testimony was offered, and the chair closed the hearing for later work-session action. The committee then took up House Bill 1627, introduced by Rep. Tye Dressler, which would raise the income threshold for the state-funded school lunch program from 225% to 300% of poverty, with an estimated cost of about $7 million for 2026-27. Dressler said the bill is intended as a targeted, budget-friendly alternative to the ballot measure and emphasized that the state should maximize federal meal dollars while improving participation in the current program. Members questioned whether raising the threshold would actually increase utilization, whether a dollar amount would be clearer than a percentage, and how the change would affect federal reimbursements and application rates. DPI said it could quickly calculate additional percentage levels, and the chair closed the hearing, directing DPI to prepare more numbers for the work session. Finally, the committee opened Senate Bill 2403, presented by Sen. Schiable, to create a short-term bridge-loan program for financially distressed hospitals, centered on Jacobson Memorial Hospital in Elgin. The bill would authorize up to $5 million per loan, with a $10 million appropriation available on a first-come, first-served basis, and would run only through June 30, 2027. Schiable said the hospital’s debt and operating problems threaten local health care, ambulance service, and the community’s economy, and that the proposal was designed narrowly with Bank of North Dakota review to avoid creating a broad precedent. Committee members asked whether the appropriation could be reduced and whether the bank would still apply commercial feasibility and repayment standards; Schiable said yes, the bank would still evaluate the loan and could reject it if it was not sound.

Transcript Highlights:

• To date, it has really worked for some programs, and I think as we talk about moving from pilot programs
• I not only see these as sister programs, but highly complementary programs.
• into five associate degree programs.
• In 1893 a two-year program was created since its founding in 1893 a two-year program was created at UMass
• nutrition program.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Higher Education held its first hearing and heard testimony on a wide range of bills, including hunger-free campuses, FAFSA completion, early college/college-in-high-school programs, banning legacy preferences, AP credit consistency, and tuition equity for the Stockbridge School of Agriculture. Committee leaders opened by outlining the hearing process and noting the three-minute testimony limit. Legislators and advocates generally framed the bills as equity and access measures aimed at improving college affordability, student success, and workforce development. Representative Vargas testified for H. 1466 and H. 1467, arguing that hunger-free campus should be codified because many public college and community college students face food insecurity, and that FAFSA completion should be improved through individualized outreach and an opt-out or completion requirement. Senator Lovely, the Greater Boston Food Bank, and other advocates supported the hunger-free campus bill, citing data that 44% of public university and community college students experienced food insecurity in 2023 and that food insecurity harms graduation rates. Femi Stoltz and Shanti Lopez Toro backed the FAFSA bill, saying many students miss out on Pell grants and need direct support; they pointed to state examples such as Louisiana and to recent state action requiring FAFSA awareness. Committee members asked about the federal FAFSA rollout, regional equity in food access, and the need for long-term funding and data collection. A large panel supported H. 1455 on college and high school/early college, including former Chair Roy, the Massachusetts Alliance for Early College, a student graduate, MBAE, and Tripp Jones. They described early college as a proven model that helps low-income and first-generation students, improves degree attainment, and supports workforce needs; witnesses said the goal is to scale from about 9,000 students and 55 partnerships toward 22,000 to 25,000 students by 2030, with possible future growth beyond that. Members raised questions about funding, public-private partnerships, parental involvement, faculty development, and whether the bill should include data review and more standardized policies across institutions. Representative Garcia also testified for H. 1432 on AP credit, saying students should receive consistent credit for AP scores of 3, 4, or 5. Senator Edwards and James Murphy testified for the legacy preference ban, arguing it is unfair and rooted in exclusionary history; they said some states have already banned legacy preferences in public and private institutions. Finally, UMass Dean Michael Fox, alumnus Dan Mayer, and student Jake Rasmussen supported S. 920 to include Stockbridge associate degree programs in MassEducate, saying tuition equity would help enrollment and support Massachusetts agriculture and green-industry jobs.

Transcript Highlights:

• this program. this program.
• . program. program.
• <01:27:54.560> program >> for the snap program >> for the snap program >>
• federal program. federal program.
• So you can do additional programs. programs. programs.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The brownfields program also administers what's called a covenant not to sue program, and that's a program
• We had the state sites programs, and we also have the federal sites programs.
• <04:25:04.760> that tank program which is a program that tank program which is a program that
• program the brownfields program<04:26:12.319> program<04:26:12.880> and<04:26:13.439><
• c> the<04:26:13.560> groundwater program program and the groundwater program program and the

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Environment and Agriculture Committee held an introductory orientation for members, many of whom were new or newly assigned to the committee. Leadership emphasized that the committee is intended to operate in a nonpartisan, collaborative way, and members introduced themselves and described their backgrounds in farming, gardening, food service, environmental work, water and waste issues, veterinary work, and related fields. Several members noted personal ties to homesteading, livestock, orcharding, food security, landfill concerns, and animal welfare, while others said they were eager to learn the committee’s work. The chair then reviewed committee procedures and expectations. Members were told the committee would generally meet on Tuesdays, with hearings starting around 10 a.m. and often running until about 4:30 p.m., and that absences, substitutes for executive sessions, and email communications would be handled through House rules and the committee’s email system. The chair also covered decorum rules for live-streamed meetings, including professional dress, limiting food and drink at the table, and giving full attention to witnesses. Members were reminded that legislative emails are subject to public records laws and that the committee may soon transition to a new email domain. The chair also explained logistics such as bill folders, committee room storage, and emergency procedures for evacuation or shelter-in-place. No bills were debated or voted on in this meeting, but the chair noted that the committee already had roughly two dozen bills pending, including animal welfare, landfill, policy, and cat-and-dog related measures. Members were told to expect a broad mix of topics beyond agriculture, including solid waste and animal-related legislation.

Transcript Highlights:

• to a one-year program.
• The proposed bill adds the Aged and Disabled Waiver Program, the Personal Care Program, and the Traumatic
• Brain Injury Program to the programs that BMS is required to review for the adequacy and appropriateness
• The purpose of the bill is to rename the batterer intervention program as an abuse intervention program
• This amendment for the pilot program requires that the Administrative... ...for the pilot program requires

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• program.
• purpose credit program might address.
• Well, I'm just—oh, I think it's the CRP, the other program, not our program, that ran out of money.
• I think it's the CRP, the other program, not our program, that ran out of money.
• And there are very different programs.

Summary: The Senate Housing Committee heard a series of work-session presentations focused on transit-oriented development, commercial-to-residential redevelopment, building code implementation, housing market trends, and the Covenant Homeownership Program. The first presentation, from the Urban Institute, reviewed research on HB 1491 and TOD feasibility, arguing that Washington has made major progress but faces diverging conditions across transit areas. The presenter said rising construction costs, higher interest rates, and lower rents in some markets have made many projects less feasible, and recommended targeted infrastructure funding for lower-market communities, adjustments to MFTE and affordability requirements by local market conditions, more support for very low-income housing in high-market transit areas, minimum density standards near stations, expanded public land/joint development tools, and better tracking of TOD outcomes over time. Committee members asked about AMI calculations, immigration’s effect on construction labor, developer input, and whether a tracking mechanism had been removed from the bill. The Department of Commerce then outlined implementation of HB 1491 and demonstrated the new Washington Zoning Atlas, which is live and intended to help visualize zoning, overlays, and station-area conditions. Commerce said local governments will designate station areas, update zoning and MFTE policies, and handle anti-displacement measures, with Vancouver and Spokane first to implement and Puget Sound following later. Staff described a timeline for updated MFTE guidance, station-area implementation guidance, a TOD model ordinance, and later rulemaking on variances. The committee also heard from the Lieutenant Governor’s office on a report about converting commercial properties to housing, which found substantial potential for redevelopment on vacant or underused commercial land, especially near transit, but noted barriers such as ground-floor retail mandates, affordability requirements, infrastructure costs, private covenants, and slow implementation. The office urged by-right residential use on commercial land and faster rollout of new housing laws. The State Building Code Council updated the committee on its three-year code cycle and several legislatively directed actions, including minimum dwelling size, emergency shelters, and especially single-exit stairs and multiplex housing. Council staff said those code changes are nearing completion and will provide prescriptive solutions, while noting that elevator size and requirements were not changed and would require separate legislative direction if the committee wanted to revisit them. Members discussed the cost impacts of building and energy codes and the council said it is required to consider economic impacts and is increasingly looking at performance-based approaches. Later, the Washington Center for Real Estate Research presented its annual housing report, showing that higher mortgage rates have sharply reduced affordability, flattened house prices in many cities, and slowed single-family permitting and completions, while multifamily construction has recently cooled after a prior surge. Finally, the Washington State Housing Finance Commission reported strong first-year results for the Covenant Homeownership Program, which provides zero-interest down payment assistance to eligible first-time buyers with family ties to Washington before 1968; the program assisted 547 homebuyers in its first fiscal year, with more than $60 million loaned, and the agency said participation has continued to grow after income-limit changes enacted in 2025.

Transcript Highlights:

• We run 12 of the 14 federal nutrition programs, including the school lunch, school breakfast. program
• programs.
• We've got our GoTexan program.
• My program, the Farm Fresh program, is strictly a volunteer program, but we have about, you know, a large
• To encourage young young farmers we have a program... farmer grant program.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• To clarify the difference between the two, the LOTC program is actually a middle school program.
• having such a program.
• I have to know several young people that have gone through a JROTC program. ...program, and they're outstanding
• Well, we'll design it exactly like the other CTE programs.
• I'm going to design the development and the bonus program of the incentive program exactly like floral

Bills: HB 1079, HB3651, HB4980

Keywords: Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, Leadership Officer Training Corps, public school, career education, military readiness, public school accountability, funding allotments, healthcare, insurance, cost control, patient access, regulation, affordability, public health, JROTC, automobile maintenance, high school education, elective course, student skills, practical knowledge