Transcript Highlights:

• I worked in a very large law firm. I've worked in-house and I've worked in state government.
• This is causing work delays.
• This is causing work delays.
• We work closely with them.
• We work closely with them.

Summary: The committee met as the Commerce and Legal Services Division and first approved the minutes, then received a Legislative Council overview of the Attorney General’s current budget status and a blue-sheet summary of the AG’s base budget for the next biennium. Staff highlighted compliance with legislative intent items, including FTE changes, one-time funding updates, litigation pool spending, opioid settlement receipts, and continuing appropriations. Members asked about specific funds such as the Missing Indigenous People Grant Fund and the Internet Crimes Investigation Fund, and staff explained the statutory basis and status of those items. The Attorney General’s office then presented an extensive overview of its divisions and budget pressures. Chief Deputy Attorney General Clare Ness described the office’s 14 divisions, the role of the office in defending the state and recouping funds, and concerns about attorney pay, recruitment, and retention. Members discussed whether attorney salaries should be benchmarked across state government and whether more legal work could be centralized in the AG’s office. The office also described challenges with the new-and-vacant FTE pool, operating expense cuts, leased office space, and the criminal justice information systems used to connect law enforcement, prosecutors, and courts. The Crime Laboratory director gave a detailed update on space and infrastructure problems, saying the current lab is overcrowded and outdated, with safety, workflow, air-handling, glycol leak, alarm, and maintenance issues that can delay casework and risk evidence integrity. She said a 2024 study projected a need for a much larger facility and that the preferred option would be a new building on the current health department site, at an estimated cost of roughly $40 million to $45 million. She also reported that backlogs have improved significantly in DNA, firearms, fingerprint, and drug cases, though toxicology had recently developed a small backlog after an air compressor failure. The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, gaming division, and BCI also provided updates. MFCU’s new director said the unit is federally funded 75/25, focuses on fraud, abuse, and neglect, and is seeking two attorney hires while continuing to work with federal partners on cases and recertification. Gaming staff reported continued growth in charitable gaming and electronic pull-tab activity, with concerns about site competition, large trust balances, possible ineligible expenditures, and the need for more scrutiny as revenues have grown. BCI outlined its staffing, drug task forces, ICAC work, and the Missing Indigenous Person Task Force, which is using its $250,000 appropriation to help tribal nations develop emergency response plans and purchase alerting tools such as IPAWS. No formal votes were taken beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• A lot of good people went into this work.
• So we are working to build the infrastructure, to lay a foundation to support that work moving forward
• It's the Title V work. So the majority of that is permitting, enforcement, and compliance work.
• The Title V work. So the majority of that is permitting, enforcement, and compliance work.
• They've worked on this.

Summary: The Senate reconvened, read committee reports, and assigned House Bill 89 with House Amendment 1 and House Bill 393 with House Amendment 1 to the Senate Finance Committee. It then adopted Consent Calendar 64, which included resolutions recognizing Take Our Children to Work Day, Juneteenth, National Farmers Day, Invisible Disabilities Week, Stonewall Uprising Remembrance Day, National Nonprofit Day, and two property-assessment working group resolutions. The calendar passed by a unanimous roll call, and the chamber heard remarks supporting Juneteenth, Delaware agriculture, invisible disabilities awareness, and the nonprofit sector. The Senate passed the fiscal year 2026 and 2027 revenue estimates in Senate Joint Resolution 16 and Senate Joint Resolution 17, and approved the fiscal year 2027 operating budget in Senate Bill 335 after extended debate on budget growth, recurring costs, health care, education, public safety, retiree obligations, and fiscal restraint. It also passed Senate Bill 336, the one-time supplemental appropriation bill, which includes one-time investments such as a $100 million transition toward a weighted education funding formula, election support, early childhood education, classroom projects, lead remediation, and campaign finance modernization. Several members praised the budget process and staff, while others cautioned against future spending growth. Among policy bills, the Senate passed House Bill 369 to codify the Office of Gun Violence Prevention and Community Safety, House Bill 268 to increase penalties for assaulting postal workers, House Bill 374 to require workforce reporting on large public works projects, Senate Bill 253 with House Amendment 1 to standardize school bullying parental-notification procedures, Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 342 to modernize the Delaware Motion Picture and Television Development Commission, House Bill 402 to extend Clean Air Act Title V permit fees, and Senate Bill 346 with Senate Amendment 1 to streamline Environmental Appeals Board timelines. The Senate also began consideration of House Bill 293, which would add hate crimes to the Victims’ Compensation Assistance Program, but the transcript cuts off before its vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Luckily, we know what works.
• That process works because the L.A.
• Continue to work with the author.
• I've worked with the committee, and I want to thank the committee for their hard work.
• I've worked with the committee and I want to thank the committee for their hard work.

Committee: Senate Housing

Transcript Highlights:

• the compensation program and get their feedback on what's working and what hasn't been working on that
• ... ...compensation program and get their feedback on what's working and what hasn't been working on
• It doesn't work. That deterrent doesn't work. But you can respond if you'd like.
• It doesn't work. That deterrent doesn't work. But you can respond if you'd like.
• That's a goal we've all been working towards.

Committee: Senate Natural Resources and Water

Summary: The committee first heard SB 1135, which would reestablish the California Wildlife Coexistence Program to promote nonlethal human-wildlife conflict reduction and support coexistence efforts for species such as wolves, bears, and mountain lions. Supporters, including wildlife groups and local government representatives, said the prior program was effective and that proactive tools like fladry, guardian animals, deterrents, reporting, and outreach reduce conflicts and costs. Ranching and agricultural groups were opposed unless amended, saying they supported the concept but wanted changes to the wolf-livestock compensation program, including clearer practicability standards, protection of compensation funds, and more flexibility on nonlethal requirements. The bill was moved to Appropriations on a 2-0 vote, with the measure left on call. The committee then took up SB 1085, which would preserve water supply assessments for large development projects even when those projects are exempt from CEQA, so local agencies still receive information about whether sufficient water exists for the project. The author and sponsor argued the bill would keep water planning and land use planning linked and prevent “paper water” problems, while the California Building Industry Association opposed it, warning it could add delay, uncertainty, and litigation risk for housing projects already subject to other water-supply safeguards. Members discussed how the bill would affect different local structures, especially cities that also operate their own water systems, and whether the assessment adds value in those cases. The bill passed 4-1 to Local Government and was left on call. SB 1270 was next, expanding the California wildfire mitigation home-hardening pilot beyond the original six counties to include four additional high-risk counties identified by Cal OES and Cal Fire, and directing future funding toward those areas. Supporters said the recent Los Angeles fires showed the need to broaden access to home-hardening assistance, while members discussed whether the program should remain geographically targeted or be made available statewide based on need. The bill was amended in committee and passed 5-0 to Emergency Management, left on call. Finally, the committee heard SB 895, a major proposal to place a $23 billion bond on the ballot to create a California Foundation for Science and Health Research and stabilize scientific research funding in the state. The author, UC, UAW, and many research, labor, health, and university groups supported the measure, arguing that federal cuts and instability threaten California’s research workforce, innovation, and economy. Some members raised concerns about the size of the bond and about political issues involving one sponsor, but the author said the foundation would operate under California law and the bill is intended to keep science funding open and collaborative. The bill was moved out of committee on a 5-0 vote and left on call.

Transcript Highlights:

• , good work over the year.
• The work requirements.
• The work requirements.
• The goal was to provide a work point study. To see how long you all worked? What? Right. Right.
• We're still working.

Summary: The committee first took up the fiscal status statement, certification of the state surplus, and the five-year baseline budget. Officials from the Office of Planning and Budget and the Division of Administration said the January fiscal status statement had no changes, and the commissioner certified a surplus of $577,073,871. They also reviewed the baseline outlook, noting projected imbalances in later years driven by declining revenue, including the redirection of motor vehicle sales tax, and rising costs such as inflation and Medicaid-related expenses. The fiscal status statement was approved without objection. The governor’s executive budget was then presented as a third consecutive standstill budget, with administration officials emphasizing efficiency savings, no reduction in services, and no reduction in state workforce. They said the budget relies on prior savings efforts and incorporates agency-level cuts and reorganization, while also addressing higher costs in corrections, DCFS, and health care. Major items highlighted included funding for LA GATOR, the high-impact jobs program, DCFS modernization, corrections population and overtime needs, nursing home and managed care adjustments at LDH, and additional support for the MJ Foster Scholarship Program. Members asked about the impact of inflation, the use of federal versus state funds, the future of voucher and GATOR funding, and whether more support should go to DCFS and the Hero Fund. The committee also received the calculation of the FY27 expenditure limit, set at $20.1 billion, and the annual comprehensive financial report for FY2025, which received a clean audit opinion. Members approved a BA-7 increasing federal funds for an executive office transportation grant, approved additions to the Act 751 higher education deferred maintenance project list and a Baton Rouge Community College project combination, and approved contract amendments for CPRA with Coastal Estuary Services and Access Sciences. The committee also corrected a legislative intent item naming the New Orleans Recreational Development Foundation. Finally, the judiciary presented a weighted caseload study for district and appellate courts, explaining it as an updated tool to assess judicial workload and potential judgeship needs; members discussed its limits, the role of specialty courts and commissioners, and the need for further legislative-judicial collaboration before any changes are made.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I really appreciate um all the work.
• She currently works with, uh, Lane.
• understand how that works.
• work.
• work.

Committee: House New Mexico Finance Authority Oversight Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• And then out of that, we created four work groups. And these are the four work groups.
• And then out of that, we created four work groups. And these are the four work groups.
• So this work wasn't new.
• So congratulations on this great work.
• And I know a lot of the work for BCCI is focused on work early, expect success and thinking about it

Summary: The Employment Subcommittee of the Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities met on April 27 and approved the prior meeting minutes. The main presentation was from the Lawrence Partnership for Transition to Employment (LPTE), a five-year grant project focused on improving transition outcomes for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Lawrence. Presenters described the project’s community conversations, consortium, and four work groups, with emphasis on the family-partnership work group and a family survey designed to better understand engagement barriers and transition needs. The survey results showed that family participation increased sharply when Lawrence Public Schools helped distribute the survey, rising from about a dozen responses to more than 200. Key findings included barriers such as scheduling conflicts, language access, childcare, and limited understanding of the IEP and transition process. Many families said they wanted their children to pursue college or employment after high school, but fewer reported access to pre-employment training, suggesting a gap between expectations and awareness of available services. The Lawrence team also described a bilingual transition website, workshops offered at different times with interpretation and childcare, and efforts to make transition planning more visible and accessible. Committee members responded with questions and comments about cultural barriers, early transition planning, college and community college pathways, trades, summer youth employment, and how to reach families earlier, especially in middle school. Presenters said Lawrence has a strong transition team and existing resources, but needs more real-world work experiences and better communication so families understand and use them. The meeting ended with thanks to the presenters, a note that committee members would meet with SEED later in the week about Massachusetts as a model employer, and an announcement that the May meeting would feature the Office of Veterans Affairs.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you want to work, you're going to work. And for me, the money and all that didn't matter anyway.
• It doesn't work like that.
• It's sort of a never leave work, but stop working full time. It's a program.
• Never leave work, but stop working full-time.
• I want to thank Representative DeWitt for working and deferring it so we could work this out over the

Committee: House Retirement

Transcript Highlights:

• working on to make sure that we address everything. submitted, and that is what I'm committed to working
• And I'm glad that a work plan was created. There's a lot of work to be done.
• There's a lot of work to be done.
• I work in Asian Health Services.
• I work for the Watts Health Center in Los Angeles. I've worked there for 31 years.

Committee: House Health

Summary: The committee heard several health-related bills, with most testimony focused on access to care, patient safety, and health system costs. AB 554 (Prepare Act) would expand and clarify protections for HIV prevention medications, including PrEP and injectable PrEP, by limiting prior authorization and step therapy, extending no-cost coverage requirements, and improving reimbursement for small clinics. Supporters said the bill would protect access amid federal threats to HIV prevention, while insurers opposed it as an expensive mandate that could raise premiums and conflict with state affordability targets. The author argued the bill would prevent infections and preserve California’s existing public health protections. AB 577 would limit health plans and PBMs from restricting physicians’ ability to administer or dispense medications directly to patients when medically necessary. Supporters, including physicians and patient advocates, said the bill would improve continuity of care and prevent delays for vulnerable patients; opponents argued it was too broad, could increase drug costs, and could undermine specialty pharmacy networks. The author said amendments narrowed the bill to in-network providers, required patient consent and cost transparency, and exempted hospital outpatient facilities, but the measure still drew opposition over cost concerns. The committee also heard AB 546, which would require coverage of portable HEPA purifiers for vulnerable enrollees during wildfire emergencies, and AB 224, which would codify California’s updated essential health benefits benchmark plan to add infertility treatment, hearing aids, and expanded durable medical equipment coverage if approved by CMS. AB 1032 would require plans to reimburse additional behavioral health visits for wildfire survivors, and AB 849 would require trained chaperones for sensitive ultrasound exams after testimony about sexual abuse in a hospital setting. AB 1196 would update outdated rules requiring three surgeons for certain heart-lung bypass procedures, and AB 1113 would codify a right to wear a mask for health reasons. AB 1386 would add perinatal care as a required hospital service, but the author said the bill would be amended further to address hospital closures and workforce concerns. Several bills drew support from patient advocates, medical groups, and county officials, while insurers and hospital groups often opposed or sought amendments over staffing, cost, and implementation concerns. Some measures were held pending quorum or were scheduled for later action, and no final votes were taken on the bills discussed in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• There was a scope of work.
• And did you discuss any of this with her at work in the normal work? No.
• So her work at EEC was completely separate from this work? Yes.
• that you were working on?
• They both were Black, they both were Muslim, they both worked in criminal justice work, and I wanted

Summary: The hearing resumed in the Legislative Ethics Board matter involving Tara Simmons after the board confirmed no ex parte communications had occurred overnight. Respondent’s counsel moved to dismiss two allegations at the close of the board staff’s case: that Simmons pressured the Administrative Office of the Courts to alter a contract in favor of her employer, and that she violated ethics rules by combining legislative support for AEJG with a personal donation to the organization. Board staff opposed the motion, arguing the evidence showed Simmons’s legislative and personal dealings were intertwined. After a recess for deliberation, the board denied the motion to dismiss, and the hearing moved into the defense case. The first defense witness was Sharon Navas, executive director of the Equity and Education Coalition (EEC). Navas testified that she met Simmons in 2018, later hired her, and took steps to separate Simmons’s legislative duties from her work for EEC. She said Simmons was never paid for lobbying or legislative acts, that her compensation came from unrestricted funds, and that the organization used written ethics-compliance language and a formal scope of work. Navas also described the proviso-funded dashboard project involving Anthony Powers and Chris Stanley, testifying that Simmons was not involved in the project’s day-to-day work, did not attend the meetings about the dispute, and was not part of the alleged contract disagreement. On cross-examination, staff focused on the contract documents, the dashboard work, and whether the scope of work matched the parties’ understanding. Tara Simmons then testified in her own defense. She described her background, legislative career, disability accommodations, and extensive efforts to seek ethics guidance from House counsel and board-related materials before taking outside employment or supporting provisos. She said she relied on prior ethics advice when separating her legislative role from outside work and when seeking provisos for AEJG and EEC. Simmons also addressed her relationship with Anthony Powers, describing it as a friendship rooted in criminal justice reform work and prior collaboration. The hearing was still in the middle of Simmons’s direct testimony when the transcript excerpt ended, with no final ruling on the merits or disposition of the allegations.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we're willing to work with others on issues.
• That is because of how closely we work together.
• I want to thank everyone for your work on this.
• So working on pay, working on improving the working conditions for special education teachers, working
• And we'll continue to work. Thank you.

Bills: SB64 , SB19 , SB44 , SB83 , HB40 , HB100 , HJR1 , SB64 , SB19 , SB44 , SB83

Committees: Senate Senate Education , Senate House Education

Keywords: special education, office of special education, deputy secretary, public education department, IEP, individualized education program, students with disabilities, IDEA, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, dyslexia, dyslexia screening, structured literacy, reading intervention, multilayered system of supports, MTSS, student assistance team, free appropriate public education, FAPE, special education compliance, charter schools

Transcript Highlights:

• This work and this guidance is really part of the work we do to strengthen communities and help all of
• Still have work to do there. I have a question. Please.
• It's not new work for us, but really doubling down on doing so.
• There's no need to touch this; it works fine.
• And also, again, would be delighted to work with you on these issues.

Committee: Senate Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• We work side by side in social work and in the Central Mass. President with Rep.
• That person actually has to take time out from work to do this work, where everybody else that's represented
• This work is personal for me.
• This work is personal for me.
• other social work organizations to develop and now implement the Social Work Licensure Compact.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities

Summary: The Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities heard testimony on a wide range of bills affecting foster youth, child welfare oversight, homelessness services, juvenile justice, social work licensure, and human services workforce supports. Committee co-chairs Senator Robyn Kennedy and Representative Jay Livingstone opened the hybrid hearing by outlining testimony procedures and accessibility measures. Several members and legislators participated throughout the day, and many witnesses were invited to submit additional written testimony after speaking. A major portion of the hearing focused on House 227/Senate 105, which would protect federal benefits owed to children in foster care. Supporters, including advocates from Hopewell, the Disability Law Center, CPCS, the Children’s Law Center, More Than Words, Friends of Children, and youth witness Onyx Rosario, said DCF had already ended the practice of taking most Social Security and SSI benefits and now conserves them in accounts for youth, but argued the policy should be codified to prevent future reversals. Witnesses described how conserved benefits help with basic needs, housing, education, transportation, and transition to adulthood, and several noted the bill also adds financial literacy and transparency requirements. Senator Joan Comerford and others said the change would protect vulnerable youth, especially children of color, LGBTQ youth, and youth with disabilities. The committee also heard testimony on House 225, which would expand the grandparents-raising-grandchildren commission by adding appointments and helping with quorum and representation. The committee also took testimony on Senate 136, which would improve emergency housing assistance for families experiencing homelessness by easing documentation requirements, allowing use of existing state data to verify eligibility, requiring notice before benefit reductions, and creating an ombudsperson. Senator Adam Gomez and other supporters said the bill would reduce barriers for families in crisis. On House 262/Senate 148, an omnibus child welfare bill, witnesses supported provisions on data reporting, education coordination, and Office of the Child Advocate reforms, while CPCS raised concerns about expanded access to sensitive records and the OCA’s role in certain proceedings. The Office of the Child Advocate supported codifying current practices and also backed child fatality review changes in House 234/Senate 133. The committee additionally heard support for Senate 108, which would require attorneys and audio/video recording during juvenile custodial interrogations, and for House 247/Senate 116, which would update the Juvenile Justice Policy and Data Board to add supported lived-experience seats. Finally, the committee heard competing testimony on Senate 135, a bill to ensure parity in social work licensure. SEIU Local 509 and supporters argued the current exam requirement disproportionately harms Black, Latino, multilingual, and multicultural applicants and worsens workforce shortages, while the Association of Social Work Boards opposed the bill, saying the exam is a necessary public-protection measure and that removing it would conflict with interstate compact efforts. The hearing also included testimony in support of a loan repayment program for human service workers, with providers and workers describing low wages, high student debt, and the need to retain staff in essential services. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the hearing itself.

Transcript Highlights:

• They don't all work, but we don't want them to work.
• They're working, they're trying to figure out how to make them work.
• So your nursing works with your occupational therapy, who works with pharmacy, who works with the doctors
• They've been working the workforce.
• They've been working the workforce.

Committee: Joint Higher Education Institutions Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• And we look forward to that work.
• We appreciate the work of the committee.
• That never quite worked out, and this legislature has worked for decades to try to improve transfer rates
• We remain committed to working with Senator Blakespear to find a solution that works for all of us.
• And I just want to thank the author for working closely with the committee to work on amendments.

Committee: Senate Education

Summary: The committee first heard SB 998, which would clarify and expand school discrimination prevention coordinator roles, including new coordinators focused on disability and anti-AAPI discrimination. The author and supporters said the bill would strengthen school climate, provide clearer guidance and training, and help schools address discrimination before it escalates. Support came from education, civil rights, and LGBTQ+ groups, while some witnesses expressed support if amended but raised concerns about gubernatorial appointments and preferred civil service hiring. Several senators debated whether the bill duplicated existing protections and whether it diverted attention from academic priorities, but the chair and coauthors emphasized it as follow-up legislation tied to prior civil rights commitments. The committee voted SB 998 out on a due pass motion to the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the bill was placed on call. The committee then took up SB 1082, which would streamline inter-district transfer appeals by requiring faster district action, concurrent review, and clearer notice when applications are incomplete. The author and sponsor said families often face long delays and inconsistent practices, and supporters argued the bill would improve fairness and reduce administrative burden without changing local approval authority. The California School Boards Association had an oppose-unless-amended position but said it was re-evaluating after amendments, and some other groups said they were removing opposition. The committee approved the bill on a due pass as amended motion to the Senate Appropriations Committee and placed it on call. Next, the committee heard SB 960 on community college baccalaureate degrees. The author argued the bill would create a statewide framework allowing community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees in unmet workforce areas when CSU programs are unavailable or effectively inaccessible because of impaction, while also limiting growth so community colleges do not drift from their core mission. Supporters said the bill would expand access for place-bound students and align with workforce needs, while CSU and faculty opponents warned it could duplicate programs, affect faculty jobs, and worsen pressure on the CSU system. Members debated the master plan, impaction, funding inequities, and whether the bill would siphon students from CSU. The committee ultimately moved SB 960 out on a due pass as amended motion to the Senate Appropriations Committee, and the bill was placed on call. Finally, Senator Blakespear presented SB 965, which would make it easier for 16- and 17-year-olds to obtain public library cards without a parent or guardian physically present. The author and her son described inconsistent local rules and said the bill would reduce barriers while preserving local library policies on checkout and liability. The transcript ended during testimony on SB 965, before any committee vote or further action was recorded.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, for the work here.
• We worked with Assembly Member Laura Friedman on her bill. We worked with Assembly Member Wicks.
• The three of these members have really worked hard on this bill, and they have really worked with all
• They're regular people that have been out of work, not just struggling for work.
• They have been out of work. They have depleted their unemployment benefits. Been out of work.

Summary: The committee heard AB 749, which would create a blue ribbon commission to study equitable access to youth sports and recommend a statewide framework, including coaching standards, PE modernization, and funding models to reduce barriers for families. The author and supporters, including youth sports advocates, educators, coaches, and former athletes, argued that sports improve health, school engagement, and long-term opportunity, while noting racial and income disparities in participation. One member raised concerns that a new commission could add cost and regulatory burdens, but the bill was framed as a study measure rather than immediate regulation. The committee also took up AB 549, aimed at coordinating state and local security planning for major upcoming sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup, Super Bowl, and Olympic and Paralympic Games. Supporters said the bill would improve interagency coordination, protect visitors and communities, and help prevent human trafficking and discrimination during mega-events. Members discussed the need to avoid over-policing and to center community values, but the bill advanced on a due pass recommendation to Appropriations. AB 1291 addressed ticket purchasing for concerts, sports, and other live events by requiring electronic proof of purchase and allowing it to be used for entry if a ticket cannot be accessed through no fault of the buyer. Supporters said the measure would give consumers more certainty and help address problems in a monopolized ticketing market, while opponents from venues, sports teams, and entertainment groups warned it could undermine anti-scalping tools, create security problems, and burden venues with duplicate or fraudulent proofs of purchase. The committee approved the bill on a due pass as amended basis to Privacy and Consumer Protection, with the roll held open for absent members. The consent calendar item, AB 644, was also approved.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:02:43.840><c> um</c> works in the Kentucky State Senate. um works in the Kentucky State Senate
• And I greatly me work through that.
• for work.
• or find work.
• or find<00:57:46.799><c> work.

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from its July 30, 2025 meeting. Members then heard a presentation from Roger McCann of the Department for Community Based Services on Kentucky’s 2026-2027 Community Services Block Grant state plan. He explained that the federally funded grant, now about $12 million annually, is distributed through 23 local community action agencies that use flexible funds for locally identified needs such as housing, nutrition, transportation, Head Start, and domestic violence services. McCann said the plan is submitted every two years and that the agencies served about 264,000 Kentuckians and 130,000 families in 2024. Senator Meredith asked whether there was a central place to review local projects, and McCann said regular reports exist and could be shared with members. The committee then approved the CSBG state plan by roll call vote. After that, members received an update on Kentucky’s state-designated domestic violence shelter programs from Angela Yanelli of ZeroV, Mary Foley of Maryman House Domestic Crisis Center, and Elizabeth Martin of the Center for Women and Families. The presenters described ZeroV’s role as the statewide domestic violence coalition, its 15 member programs across all area development districts, and its contract with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to provide emergency shelter, supportive services, housing assistance, and batterers intervention programming. They emphasized that services are available 24/7 and are trauma-informed, with a strong focus on children and family support. The domestic violence providers reported high demand and rising costs. ZeroV said its network served more than 14,000 adults and children in fiscal year 2025, including nearly 900 children in shelter and more than 500 in outreach, while Maryman House reported operating at 90-92% capacity, with 53 households waiting for emergency shelter and 63 more waiting for intake. Maryman House also described an 8-unit transitional housing complex and plans for a 48-unit apartment complex if tax credit funding is approved. The Center for Women and Families highlighted school-readiness support for children, tutoring, counseling, and family services, including back-to-school supplies and rights information for homeless students. No additional votes or formal actions were taken during the domestic violence presentations.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I work on model cyber safety.
• The AI carried out about 80 to 90 percent of the work of the cyber attack, work that used to take a team
• It shows why this work, as my counterpart has...
• We're working with the Aspen Institute.
• McClellan, you work with plenty of other states.

Transcript Highlights:

• requirements, but even if you meet the work requirement, you still have to report the work data.
• Are our investments working?
• This does not work.
• This does not work.
• Well, I appreciate the work.

Committee: House Insurance

Transcript Highlights:

• They want meaningful work.
• and stay in this work.
• And she worked for a number of clients.
• This work group is the result of a bill passed uh, This work group is the result of a bill passed in
• A little bit about our work group process.

Summary: The committee began with an extended work session on the long-term care workforce. DSHS Assistant Secretary B. Rector described the new Home and Community Living Administration and outlined major workforce pressures: Washington had about 126,000 long-term care workers in 2022, with demand expected to outpace supply as the 85-plus population and dementia prevalence rise sharply. She emphasized that direct care workers are largely women, people of color, and immigrants, and that family caregivers are also a major part of the system. She highlighted recruitment and retention efforts funded through federal Money Follows the Person dollars, including high school training partnerships, a retention toolkit, transportation support, caregiver newsletters, tribal workforce navigators, and a remote caregiving pilot. Committee members asked about career pathways, technology use, and turnover drivers; Rector said wages, benefits, unstable hours, and workplace support are key issues and promised follow-up data. Aidan Swain of the Washington Health Care Association said skilled nursing and assisted living facilities face acute RN vacancies, wage pressures, and Medicaid reimbursement that does not cover costs, and urged modernization of training, better reimbursement, and continued support for facility-based care. Maddie Fouch of SEIU 775, representing about 55,000 caregivers, said low wages, weak benefits, lack of voice, and certification delays are driving turnover and shortages, and argued for higher compensation, better worker protections, and more transparent reimbursement. Catherine Smith of Behavioral Health Solutions described growing behavioral health needs in nursing homes, the role of expanded behavioral supports programs, and credentialing delays that slow hiring. No votes were taken; the panel was informational only. The second agenda item was an overview of the palliative care benefit work group report required by 2024 legislation. Nico Jansen of the Office of the Insurance Commissioner explained that the work group, convened with the Health Care Authority, studied a potential palliative care benefit for fully insured commercial plans and also Medicaid, PEBB, and SEBB. He said palliative care is a philosophy of care focused on symptom management, coordination, and support for serious illness, and is distinct from hospice because it can be provided alongside curative treatment. The actuarial analysis concluded that creating a new benefit would likely increase costs, estimating about a 28-cent per member per month increase overall and roughly $2.6 million to $4.5 million in annual state Medicaid costs if implemented in 2027. Jansen said the consultants did not find sufficient evidence to assume savings from avoided hospitalizations or long-term care, though several work group members disagreed and submitted response letters. Senators asked about other states, Medicare, health homes, and whether more research could clarify cost savings; OIC said some states, including Hawaii, are moving ahead with Medicaid palliative care benefits, Medicare covers some related services but not in the same way, and further evidence may emerge over time. OIC did not take a position on whether the Legislature should create the benefit. The final presentation covered health care price transparency tools in Washington and federally. Evan Klein and HCA Chief Data Officer Vishal Chaudry reviewed federal hospital and health plan transparency rules, the state all-payer claims database, prescription drug price transparency, the Health Care Cost Transparency Board, the Prescription Drug Affordability Board, and other reporting systems. They explained that the APCD contains claims from fully insured commercial plans, Medicaid, and public employee programs, but not self-insured employer data except for limited voluntary submissions. They also described how machine-readable files, consumer price tools, and aggregated dashboards are used, and noted that data limitations, delays, and complexity remain significant. Senators asked about voluntary self-insured participation, the role of AI in making data more usable, and whether transparency can really help consumers given access barriers and medical debt. HCA said AI is increasingly used by private entities to mine large transparency datasets, but state agencies still face limits in data access and analytic capacity. The committee did not take action; the session was informational and ended with a discussion of how transparency data might better inform policy and purchasing decisions in the future.