Transcript Highlights:

• Kansas offers property tax relief at 50% disability. Illinois offers it at 70% disability.
• Kansas offers property tax relief at 50% disability. Illinois offers it at 70% disability.
• Missouri, currently 70% disability.
• Right now, we do have troops in harm’s way.
• No, this is the real threat to women, right?

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• All right. Drug program. Okay. Thank you. All right. Next silo.
• All right.
• But $75,000 is available right now as a payment upon death, right? That is correct.
• Same, same, right?
• Laura Minnettello, speaking for Disability Rights Florida. Hi, Laura, you're recognized.

Committee: Senate Appropriations

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Catholic University right here in DC. Catholic University right here in DC.
• </c> disability uh to to uh disability disability uh to to uh disability ratings. ratings. ratings.
• Doesn't look right look right.
• Some of us believe that the time is always right to do what is right, and it is right to bring impeachment
• </c> time is always right to do what is right time is always right to do what is right and<03:18:28.479

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, July 16, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a managing attorney with Disability Rights California.
• Randy Hicks, California Disability Rights. I'm also a caregiver.
• Randy Hicks, California Disability Rights. I'm also a caregiver.
• In Hicks, California's disability rights, I'm also a caregiver.
• All right. Good evening. I'm Evan Fern with Disability Rights California.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• All right, and Mr.
• Okay, right, thank you.
• All right, Mr.
• All right, any other questions from Miss P...? All right, thank you, Mr. Chair, members.
• All right, proceed. Okay, right, Mr. Chair, members, moving to services for vulnerable adults.

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a managing attorney with Disability Rights California.
• Disability Rights California opposes this proposal because of the impact it will have on disabled Californians
• Randy Hicks, California Disability Rights. I'm also a caregiver.
• Hi, my name is Robert Copeland, vice president, Disability Rights, Sacramento.
• All right. Good evening. I'm Evan Fern with Disability Rights California.

Summary: The joint informational hearing focused on the impact of H.R. 1 on older Californians and related county administration issues. Chair Jackson and Chair Addis opened by emphasizing California’s rapidly aging population and the need to protect seniors’ access to food, health care, housing, and in-home support services. Testimony from the Department of Social Services, Department of Health Care Services, and Department of Aging described how H.R. 1 would expand work and reporting requirements in CalFresh and Medi-Cal, increase redeterminations, and create new eligibility barriers. Witnesses and advocates warned that these changes could lead to large coverage losses, especially for adults ages 55 to 64, people experiencing homelessness, caregivers, and some immigrant groups, while also increasing administrative burden on counties. The LAO noted that many provisions do not directly apply to Californians 65 and older, but highlighted indirect effects and some direct impacts, including a new home equity limit for certain long-term care recipients and narrower immigration eligibility rules. Committee members pressed the administration and counties on how exemptions would be identified and implemented, whether data systems could automatically protect eligible people, and how outreach would reach older adults, women, LGBTQ seniors, and people with limited digital access. DHCS and CDSS said they are working to use existing data, cross-program information sharing, and human-centered communications to maximize exemptions and reduce churn, including text outreach, print and radio campaigns, and navigator support. Members also raised concerns about the need for legal aid and county eligibility workers to help people navigate complex rules, and requested updated analyses on the number of people likely to lose both Medi-Cal and CalFresh and the broader human and system impacts. No votes were taken. The second major topic was the administration’s proposal to shift some future IHSS costs to counties by establishing a statewide baseline for average authorized hours per case. CDSS said the proposal is intended to improve consistency in assessments and not reduce services, while counties and labor groups strongly opposed it, arguing that rising hours reflect real increases in need, an aging and higher-acuity caseload, and state-mandated assessment tools rather than county error. County representatives said the proposal would strain already limited local revenues, worsen the effects of H.R. 1, and could force cuts to other safety-net services. Committee members questioned the proposal’s timing and impact, but the hearing ended without action, with the chairs asking for continued updates, additional analysis, and more information before May Revision.

Transcript Highlights:

• Disability waivers certainly help people with disabilities get housing services and so much more, but
• This is important to get this right.
• We need to take this and get this non-compete carved in, carved right, make it right, so it still does
• I think that's the right way for us to go.
• Are you doing it right? Who do you talk to?

Transcript Highlights:

• Right.
• Right.
• Is that tied right to how we are reclassifying some of these disability levels and the associated levels
• Right.
• All right.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• All right, returning to the sentence: School district policies shall not prohibit student with disabilities
• All right, yes, okay, comma, with approved exceptions determined by student medical disability and language
• only going to be for a day disability only going to be for a day right<01:02:43.240><c> is</c><01:02
• </c><01:22:56.800><c> even</c> all right right but we weren't even all right right but we weren't even
• </c> thing as is right now it should be right thing as is right now it should be right now<01:53:28.440

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee work session of the Education Policy and Administration Committee focused on House Bill 131 and House Bill 781, which were described as nearly identical bills addressing student cell phone use in schools. Members noted that HB 781 is an early bill and therefore needed committee action by Wednesday, while HB 131 did not face that deadline. The chair and members discussed the bills’ shared goal of requiring school boards to develop and adopt policies on student personal device use, with debate over whether the state should set minimum standards or leave more to local control. A major topic was funding. One member urged the committee to avoid creating an unfunded mandate and asked for some funding support, while others argued it was too early to commit money and that the committee should first establish the policy framework. The governor’s proposed funding was discussed, including a $1 million figure in the budget and a separate $250,000 amount referenced in the bill, but several members said the money would likely be insufficient to cover all students or pouch systems statewide. The committee also reviewed a handout reflecting proposed budget language that would require school boards to adopt policies on personal device use during the school day, with schoolwide implementation and exceptions for medical disability or language proficiency needs, and a DOE-administered grant program. Members spent considerable time on drafting details, especially deadlines and exceptions. They debated whether the bills should require school boards to “develop,” “adopt,” or also “implement” policies, and whether the effective date of the act should also serve as the deadline for school boards. They also discussed whether exceptions for classroom instructional use should be mandatory or merely encouraged, and whether the bills should explicitly include or exclude charter schools. Additional proposed exceptions included IEPs, 504 plans, English learners, and medical needs such as glucose sensors or insulin pumps, with some members suggesting medical issues be certified by a physician. No final vote or formal action was taken in the work session.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thankfully, we also have rights. The Americans with Disabilities Act became federal law in 1990.
• It contains the right to autonomy for every single American with a disability.
• Thankfully, we also have rights. The Americans with Disabilities Act became federal law in 1990.
• It contains the right to autonomy for every single American with a disability.
• It contains the right to autonomy for every single American with a disability.

Keywords: 926, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I would certainly see them inviting in professional people, maybe someone from the Disability Rights
• She said she is the policy director at the Disability Rights Center, the state’s protection and advocacy
• educate all children right children with disabilities<02:17:08.760><c> children</c><02:17:09.080><c>
• And so I know from our perspective as, you know, the Disability Rights Center, we end up representing
• Right.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and noted weather-related absences and a large number of new bills. The chair said a subcommittee would be formed to review three cell phone bills, and a full committee work session on bullying would be scheduled for the week after next. The committee then began a hearing on House Bill 121, which would create local special education advisory councils in school districts. Representative Glenn Cordelli, the sponsor, said the councils would be parent-driven, with parents of children with disabilities advising districts on education, safety, program development, evaluation, planning, policies, and communication with administrators. He said the bill would require at least quarterly meetings with district administration, an annual parent workshop, and a year-end report to the school board. He also cited federal guidance from the U.S. Department of Education on parent advisory councils and said the goal was to improve collaboration between parents and schools. Members raised questions about the use of “shall,” how councils would be formed in districts without PTAs/PTOs, whether the councils could function in very small districts, privacy concerns about parents disclosing their children’s disabilities, whether the councils should include guardians or educational professionals, and whether the councils would have any direct tie to the state advisory council. The sponsor said the requirement was intended to make the councils mandatory, that local districts could organize them organically if needed, that participation would be voluntary, that parents would not be required to disclose private information, and that the councils would remain advisory rather than determinative. He also said costs should be minimal. Testimony then began from Nicole Sheath, a pediatric occupational therapist and parent of four children with disabilities, who described her experience balancing advocacy, school collaboration, and the demands of her children’s therapies and education.

Transcript Highlights:

• and it hardly ever is right.
• </c> 402 which aims to modify disability 402 which aims to modify disability waiver<00:01:58.719><c>
• </c><00:03:10.519><c> and</c> rubric to make sure it's all right and rubric to make sure it's all right
• Disability speech at last year's Disability Services<00:05:05.840><c> rally</c><00:05:06.840><c> you
• </c> what's happening in the disability what's happening in the disability programs<00:10:49.880><c>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• their disability benefits as income when determining eligibility for the disabled veterans' property
• Veterans must be disabled to qualify for the exemption, yet the very disability compensation they receive
• Is that right? However you want to... First. 1354. Is that right? However you want to do it.
• Is that right? However you want to. first. 1354. Is that right? However you want to do it.
• All right, here we go. Well, thank you, Madam Chair. and members. All right, here we go.

Committee: House Military and Veterans Affairs

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• All right. Oh, there she is. She's joining us right now. There she is. She's joining us right now.
• Right, right. Okay. Chris, you have a question?
• All right.
• Right.
• Right back to Rachel and M&A. Right back to Rachel and M&A.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Workforce Support Subcommittee met with ASL and CART interpretation, took roll call, and approved the prior meeting minutes by motion and second. The main discussion focused on a proposed apprenticeship-related presentation and outreach to the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD), including a draft letter and follow-up communication with Undersecretary Josh Cutler and Amara Ram. Members said the draft looked good and discussed keeping trade partners informed, as well as the need to coordinate with the broader commission before moving forward. A substantial portion of the meeting centered on apprenticeship opportunities for people with disabilities and how to frame the topic. Members discussed a recent Apprenticeship Week event, noting employer interest, Governor Healey’s goal of expanding apprenticeships to 100,000, and concerns raised by employers about a $250 annual fee and the complexity of the registration process. Participants also discussed the need to include people with disabilities in apprenticeship conversations, challenge stereotypes about suitable jobs, and possibly involve the Commission for the Blind, higher education partners, and behavioral health apprenticeship models. The subcommittee generally agreed to focus first on child care and home health as initial apprenticeship fields, with direct support, house managers, and program managers also identified as important workforce roles. Members discussed inviting trade representatives and state liaisons, but emphasized that scheduling should not become overly complicated. They leaned toward a Zoom-only format, likely around 90 minutes, and agreed to continue coordinating offline on dates, format, and outreach before the next step.

Transcript Highlights:

• Judiciary, right? That's the Judiciary quick. All right, great.
• Right?
• sequence, the right order.
• It is a human right.
• All right. Hi.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing covered several environment and natural resources bills focused on natural and working lands, forest protection, municipal reforestation, trail accessibility, and a park naming bill. Representative Moschino and Senator Comerford described the natural and working lands bill as part of the state’s climate roadmap, arguing that protecting these lands supports carbon sequestration, resilience, biodiversity, and helps prevent development pressure on the least expensive land. Senator Comerford also testified on a separate bill to expand access to trails for people of all abilities, saying it would build on the administration’s Trails for All initiative and create a permanent advisory structure and trust fund. Representative Consolvo and family members testified in support of H. 4259 to name the tennis courts at Wether Park in Roslindale after Kim O’Connell, describing her long community service and activism. A large portion of the hearing focused on H. 952 and H. 953, bills to protect watershed and state forest lands as parks or reserves. Supporters, including environmental advocates, scientists, and organizations such as Standing Trees, Sierra Club, The Nature Conservancy, and the Massachusetts Forest Alliance’s opponents, debated whether state forests and watershed lands should be permanently reserved from logging and other active management. Supporters said the bills would improve carbon storage, water quality, biodiversity, flood and drought resilience, and would protect large acreages of public land at no cost. Opponents, including the Massachusetts Forest Alliance, argued that sustainable forest management and a mix of reserves and managed forests are needed for climate, water quality, wildfire prevention, rural jobs, and carbon outcomes, and urged the committee to allow the administration’s existing reserve process to continue. The committee also heard extensive testimony on the municipal reforestation bill, H. 1013/S. 553, which would create a statewide program, advisory council, and trust fund to support urban tree planting and maintenance. Municipal officials and advocates from Wellesley, Cambridge, Boston, the Mystic River watershed, and other communities said urban trees are critical for cooling, stormwater control, air quality, public health, and equity, especially in environmental justice neighborhoods with low canopy cover and high heat. Several witnesses emphasized that consistent funding is needed because trees take years to mature and many municipalities lack staff or watering capacity. Some witnesses asked that the bill be funded at $100 million and tied to the Mass Ready Act or environmental bond funding. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is about Medicaid for workers with disabilities.
• Some folks right now on Medicaid for workers with disabilities are paying maybe a monthly premium of
• Right now, I do training and technical assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act."
• And these are really affirmative statements about people with disabilities, right?
• , especially a physical disability and/or developmental disability, costs a lot of money, and you could

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from January 28 and January 29, 2026. It then heard several RS print requests. Senator Shippey presented RS 33115C1, a follow-up to prior foster care legislation that would set a basic 10-hour foster parent training expectation in statute, with training topics including trauma, behavior management, birth parents, court processes, and child safety; the committee voted to send it to print. Senator Wintrow presented RS 33213 to clarify that crime victims compensation and sexual assault forensic exam funding are not public benefits under prior immigration-status verification law; she explained the funds come from criminal fines and fees and are meant to support victims, and the committee voted to print it. Senator Galloway presented RS 3314 to establish the importance of voluntary newborn hearing screenings in Idaho code amid federal uncertainty, and the committee voted to print it. The committee then heard Senate Bill 1266 from Senator Galloway, which would expand expedited foster placement eligibility from relatives to “kin,” including extended family members and others with a significant family-like relationship, while keeping licensing and safety standards in place. A foster/kinship parent testified in support, describing how kinship placement helped her family care for a newborn and later adopt him. The committee voted to send SB 1266 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. Finally, Senator Wintrow presented Senate Bill 1267, which would direct the Department of Health and Welfare to study and prepare for changes to Medicaid for Workers with Disabilities so participants can continue working past age 65 without losing coverage or facing sharply higher costs. She and several testifiers described the program’s role in supporting independent living and avoiding institutionalization, and Wintrow said the bill was intended as a study/implementation directive rather than an immediate program change. Committee members raised questions about the federal changes, the meaning of “institutionalization,” and the bill’s metrics, but no motion was made; the bill was held in committee and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• All right. Oh, there she is. She's joining us right now. There she is. She's joining us right now.
• Right, right. Okay. Chris, you have a question?
• All right.
• All right.
• Right.

Summary: The Workforce Support Subcommittee met to approve the prior minutes and then focused primarily on planning a future apprenticeship-related presentation or panel. Members discussed a draft outreach letter and follow-up with the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and the Division of Apprenticeship Standards, with the goal of involving state officials, employers, and possibly trade representatives. The group also discussed how apprenticeship efforts could connect to disability employment goals, including opportunities for people with disabilities and service providers to be included in the conversation. A major topic was Governor Healey’s goal of expanding apprenticeships to 100,000 participants and concerns raised at a recent Chamber of Commerce event about barriers to entry, including education requirements and a $250 annual fee for employers. Several members noted that while large employers may absorb the fee, it could discourage small and mid-sized businesses, and they suggested a tiered fee structure or eliminating the fee altogether. Members also emphasized that apprenticeship conversations should include people with disabilities and avoid stereotypes about what jobs they can do. The subcommittee discussed possible focus areas for the event, settling tentatively on child care and home health as practical starting points, with interest in adding behavioral health as a possible model. They also discussed whether to include a representative from higher education or a state apprenticeship liaison. No final decisions were made on speakers or format, but members agreed to continue outreach, propose dates, and likely hold the session on Zoom rather than in person or hybrid.

Transcript Highlights:

• , and the right to procedural safeguards for students with disabilities, especially in school discipline
• We are a national civil rights law firm that advocates for the rights of people with disabilities.
• IDEA regulations include the right of students with disabilities facing school exclusion to a manifestation
• Immigrant students, students with disabilities, and English learner students do still, at least right
• As you've heard, this bill is critical because it protects the rights of English learners with disabilities

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Education

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held a very full public hearing on the first Education Committee hearing of the session, with testimony taken on a large slate of bills, especially H. 650/S. 436 and related measures. The chairs explained the hearing rules, including two-minute testimony limits, live streaming, written testimony, and accommodations for interpreters and disabilities. The committee first heard extensive testimony on H. 460/S. 436 and later H. 650/S. 436, bills to affirm and maintain equal access to public education for all children, including immigrant students, English learners, and students with disabilities. Witnesses included parents, advocates, educators, attorneys, and state officials, many of whom described fears caused by federal policy changes and argued that Massachusetts should codify protections for school enrollment, special education, interpreter services, and due process in discipline cases. The Attorney General’s office, Mass Advocates for Children, Lawyers for Civil Rights, MIRA, the Children’s Law Center, the Disability Law/advocacy community, and others all urged favorable action, while committee members asked questions about Plyler v. Doe, manifestation determinations, interpreter qualifications, and how the bill would mirror or preserve existing federal protections at the state level. The committee also heard testimony on H. 702/S. 460, establishing an elementary and secondary school robotics grant program, which was supported as a way to expand STEM opportunities and help schools fund robotics programs. Representative Sweeney also testified on H. 713, a bill to support student participation in 4-H programming by allowing excused absences similar to those for athletics and other sanctioned activities; members noted bipartisan support and the bill’s long history. The hearing then moved to H. 543/S. 417, a recess bill requiring at least 30 minutes of free-play recess for K-8 students. Supporters included the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the League of Women Voters, educators, and parents, who emphasized recess as important for physical health, social-emotional development, attention, and academic performance, and noted that unequal local policies create disparities across districts. Several witnesses also tied recess to broader concerns about student well-being and screen time. No votes were taken during the hearing; the committee simply received testimony and closed testimony on the bills as it moved through the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• All right, hello.
• right service, the right place, and for the correct amount of time.
• are met, right?
• All right. Questions?
• I hear that too, but I think the concern from a disability rights perspective is that it happens, and

Keywords: 907, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and their their protect the disabled and their their rights<01:52:47.119><c> and</c><01:52:47.320><c
• rights organization be the disability rights organization be open open open to<02:06:33.079><c> would
• There's not really like a disability-rights-community monolith, right?
• </c> service dog but does the disability service dog but does the disability rights<02:15:51.920><c>
• </c><02:16:07.360><c> rights</c> really like a disability rights really like a disability rights Community

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held a work session on a bill arising from the Lee case involving animal seizures and humane society involvement. Members and the commissioner discussed concerns about due process, lack of clear notice to animal owners, the need for owners to understand when they are surrendering ownership, and whether humane agents should have additional training or certification. Several members also questioned the role of the NH SPCA and humane societies, the absence of oversight, and whether there was any financial or policy conflict in their involvement. The commissioner said the Department of Agriculture does not have a direct relationship with humane societies, but does coordinate with police on seizures, and noted that problems tend to arise when agencies do not consult the department first. Testimony and discussion focused on possible fixes to the bill, including clearer written notice of rights, requiring a third-party qualified veterinarian or other neutral evaluator, establishing the condition of animals at the time of seizure for later court proceedings, and possibly using teleconferencing with a veterinarian in limited circumstances. Some members suggested the bill may need a broader study committee, while others said it should be amended now rather than delayed. The chair said the bill would be worked on further and sent to the subcommittee for more detailed review. The committee then opened a hearing on HB 250, which would allow local governing bodies to regulate dog muzzling. Representative Jodi Newell testified that the bill was intended to let municipalities respond to dangerous dogs, citing Keene’s attempt to require muzzling after a serious incident but lack of clear authority under current law. Deborah LeBlanc also testified about a dog attack that seriously injured her dog and said a muzzle requirement could have prevented the attack. Committee members asked about the incident, existing dog-control laws, and whether the dog had been leashed; the discussion suggested the bill was meant to clarify local authority over muzzling as a public safety measure.