Transcript Highlights:

• The family health programs include the California Children’s Services Program, or CCS, the Genetically
• All these programs do show slight reductions in caseload, but—” “All these programs do show slight reductions
• So the May revise assumed a lower Program 9...
• and the Accountability Sanctions Program.
• It's very early in this first-year program.

Summary: The subcommittee heard an overview of the Department of Health Care Services’ proposed budget, including a $229.1 billion total-funds budget and projected Medi-Cal enrollment decline as redeterminations continue. Members focused heavily on the fiscal and programmatic effects of prior budget solutions and federal changes, especially the elimination of General Fund-supported Prop. 56 dental supplemental payments beginning July 1, 2026, the hospice utilization-management change, and the impact of reduced caseloads alongside rising health care costs. DHCS said it is still completing required access and rate-reduction analyses for the dental cuts and has been engaging stakeholders, but could not yet quantify the real-world effect on utilization or provider participation. The committee also reviewed the November 2025 Medi-Cal local assistance estimate, which shows higher General Fund spending despite lower enrollment, driven by managed care rate growth, Medicare cost growth, state-only claiming, and federal policy changes. The hearing then turned to provider taxes and federal H.R. 1 constraints, with extensive discussion of the MCO tax, the hospital quality assurance fee, and other health care-related taxes. DHCS explained that H.R. 1 phases down allowable tax levels and tightens “generally redistributive” rules, making the current MCO tax structure and the proposed higher hospital fee levels difficult or impossible to renew as originally designed. Staff and the LAO described the tradeoff between preserving Medi-Cal funding and avoiding higher costs on private providers and consumers. Members asked about options for preserving revenue, including possible amendments to Prop. 35 or returning to voters, and were told the department is still evaluating approaches while federal guidance remains in flux. The committee also reviewed hospital payment increases already implemented through state-directed payments, with DHCS noting that H.R. 1 will force those payments down to Medicare levels over time. Several budget change proposals were discussed and left open, including requests tied to the managed care final rule, managed care operations, hospital value strategy, long-term care payment transparency, and interoperability requirements. The committee also heard about a one-year trailer bill extension for skilled nursing facility financing, including continuation of the SNF workforce standards program, the SNF quality assurance fee, and annual rate growth, while the department develops a longer-term financing redesign for 2027-28. Members expressed skepticism about repeated rate reform efforts and questioned whether a one-year extension of the eliminated workforce quality incentive program should be restored during the transition. Finally, Covered California presented its budget and enrollment update, reporting that the expiration of the federal enhanced premium tax credit is expected to reduce affordability significantly, with average premiums roughly doubling for many enrollees and as many as 400,000 Californians potentially losing marketplace coverage over time. The exchange said California’s $190 million subsidy program is helping lower-income enrollees, but not enough to offset the federal loss, and it is also implementing a new gender-affirming care benefit and awaiting federal action on benchmark plan changes.

Transcript Highlights:

• And that was to get the program established.
• And as the program requirements and the people on the program keep getting less and less, we chose to
• If we see that there's available monies in the program, we can look to see how it might fund other programs
• This isn't a supplantation program of existing programs, but it could fund new things that are within
• Has the UND psychiatric residency program helped at all, having a local residency program to try to recruit

Summary: The committee first approved the December 10 minutes and then received a DEQ base budget summary and agency overview. DEQ staff explained that the agency is largely federally and special funded, with major ongoing costs in salaries, operating expenses, grants, and continuing appropriations. Director Dave Glatt and accounting director Beth Jacobson highlighted core programs, the move to a new chemistry laboratory, the new state fuel inspection program, wastewater-related funding from HB 1577, and implementation of SB 2267 for on-site wastewater rules. They also noted the agency’s spending patterns, possible federal EPA cuts, and the likelihood of some fee adjustments or program changes if federal support declines. Members asked about DEQ’s travel, field offices, future staffing, and how the agency would respond to reduced federal regulation. DEQ said most staff are based in Bismarck, with field offices in Fargo, Sawyer, and Gwinner, and that travel is driven by inspections and spill response. Glatt said the agency would continue to rely on science and law, and that any future federal retrenchment could mean more state responsibility but likely not a wholesale increase in FTEs. The committee also discussed a feedlot enforcement case in the Minot area, with DEQ explaining its role in ensuring compliance, permitting, and animal-waste management standards. The Department of Health and Human Services then presented on FTE block grant reporting, TANF balances, child care transfers, and the Rural Health Transformation Program. Donna Ockland explained that no line-item transfers had occurred yet for the new rural health work, but about 33 positions were planned and some current staff time could be reimbursed through approved cost allocation. HHS also reviewed TANF’s frozen eligibility and block grant structure, the transfer of up to 30% of TANF funds to child care, and recent program changes that increased benefits and raised the income limit. Staff said the department is using TANF more strategically to support child care and other allowable uses, while still carrying over unused funds as many states do. Finally, Pat and HHS staff gave an update on the Rural Health Transformation Program, saying the first funding opportunity was being posted and that the state is on track to obligate the federal funds within the required timeline. They described priorities such as workforce retention, preceptor development, technical assistance for critical access hospitals, community wellness projects, and ambulance upgrades. Members asked about rural versus urban eligibility, immigrant recruitment, evaluation of year-two funding, and how the program would address varied local workforce needs. The meeting then shifted to an Office of Management and Budget update on the new State Hospital project, where Lindsay Ashley reported continued construction progress, updated cost information, and selected alternates, with photos and details showing work underway in multiple building sections.

Transcript Highlights:

• , and so I understand how important this program is.
• This program is well-crafted.
• The Cap-and-Invest Program...
• diversion programs, and I've seen how diversion programs help people.
• diversion programs, and I've seen how diversion programs help people.

Summary: The meeting began with procedural announcements, a vote change on SB 414, and adoption of the consent calendar, including ACR 107 on the Diablo Range. Members also agreed to take several Senate messages up without reference to file. A point of order was raised urging members to respect staff by arriving on time after a late-night session. The main floor debate centered on SB 237, a major oil and gas measure. Supporters said it would help stabilize fuel supply and prices, address refinery closures, strengthen offshore pipeline safety, clarify Kern County oil permitting, and allow possible suspension of the summer gasoline blend. Opponents argued it was a giveaway to big oil and a setback for climate goals. The bill passed 59-0. The Assembly then passed SB 254, an energy affordability and wildfire package that would reduce ratepayer costs, strengthen the wildfire fund, and speed utility infrastructure and clean energy permitting; it passed 58-0. SB 840, the cap-and-invest reauthorization and spending framework, drew the most divided debate, with supporters emphasizing climate policy, transit, housing, and community investments, and opponents calling it a tax increase and slush fund; it passed 54-15 on the urgency and 54-15 on the measure. AB 1207, the Assembly’s cap-and-invest reauthorization bill, also passed, 55-10 on both urgency and the measure. Members also approved SB 352 to make the Bureau of Environmental Justice permanent and require more reporting on air quality and AB 825 to create a Westwide electricity market, which supporters said would lower costs, improve reliability, and reduce emissions; AB 825 passed 67-2. AB 8, a cannabinoids bill with Senate amendments, was concurred in 66-0, and AB 383, a firearms cleanup bill, was concurred in 66-0. The session ended with immediate transmittals of the major measures to the Senate or Governor as applicable.

Transcript Highlights:

• When we launch Film and TV Tax Credit Program 4.0 this July, it will include a new diversity program.
• would be useful to enable better calibration of the size of the program. of the program and also fiscal
• is a jobs program.
• And just a quick point on the difference between the California program and the LADC. program and the
• versus the California program... they reflect the fact that the program here in California is focused

Transcript Highlights:

• When those New Deal programs went away, the funding for those programs sorted out, and a lot of those
• Additionally, the Emergency Watershed Protection Program is another beneficial program that I'll discuss
• The 1113 program funds acequias.
• And so the way the program works is a loan-for-service program.
• The status of the program is that this program under the law allows for two students per year to enroll

Committee: House House Rural Development, Land Grants And Cultural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• CDPH OA administers the Ryan White Part B program throughout the state via two programs: the HIV Care
• Program, or HCP, and the aforementioned ADAP program.
• program.
• I've learned the program inside and out. HOPWA is my specialty. I know that program. I love ADAP.
• I love administering the programs for the elderly, the MPP program, OAHIP program, and EBHIP program,

Summary: The Select Committee on Older LGBTQ Californians held an inaugural hearing focused on the health care and support landscape for older LGBTQ Californians, including people aging with HIV and transgender, gender non-conforming, and intersex seniors. Opening remarks emphasized the long history of discrimination faced by older LGBTQ adults, the growth of the aging LGBTQ population, and the need to translate existing state commitments into concrete services. Senators highlighted concerns about nursing home vulnerability, the aging of people living with HIV, and the impact of federal actions and Medicaid cuts on California’s safety net. The first panel featured Justice in Aging, CalHHS, the Department of Aging, and the Aging and HIV Institute. Testimony described widespread inequities, including discrimination, social isolation, economic insecurity, and gaps in culturally competent care. State officials outlined the Master Plan for Aging, the first statewide survey of LGBTQIA older adults, gender-affirming care protections in Medi-Cal, and efforts to improve coordination across departments. Advocates argued the state has been too slow to respond to federal threats and that services are often hard to find or fragmented. Committee members pressed the departments on how survey findings are being turned into action, how rural and underserved communities are being reached, and whether more formal stakeholder coordination or “no wrong door” access systems are needed. The second panel focused on seniors living with HIV. A long-term survivor gave emotional testimony about the “survivorship penalty,” loss of benefits, housing insecurity, and the need for legal and navigation support, housing assistance, and protection from outdated disability standards. The Department of Aging reported on implementation of SB 258, which added HIV status to the definition of greatest social need for area agencies on aging; it said 20 of 33 area plans now identify HIV as a target population and many include specific strategies, such as LGBTQIA mental health connections programs. The Office of AIDS described Project Cornerstone, Ryan White, ADAP, HOPWA, the Medi-Cal waiver, and PrEP-AP, noting these programs serve thousands of older clients and rely on whole-person case management. Case management testimony underscored persistent needs for medication subsidies, transportation, food, and housing. Committee members questioned how ADAP rebate funds might be used, how SB 258 is enforced across local agencies, and how to reduce administrative barriers and auto-connect eligible people to benefits. The final panel began with the Department of Social Services outlining protections for TGI seniors in licensed care facilities, including SB 219’s nondiscrimination requirements and related provider notices and resident rights materials. The hearing remained focused on identifying service gaps, improving coordination across aging, health, and social service systems, and ensuring state programs better reflect the lived experience of older LGBTQ Californians.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so earning a bachelor's degree in our CSU and our UC program or outside of that program here in this
• The transfer and mission guarantee tag program The transfer admission guarantee tag program, certainly
• The program is still young, but it is growing.
• Todd mentioned the ADT programs.
• Degree programs. Individual degree programs.

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit Committee held an oversight hearing on a state audit of California’s community college transfer process, with members and witnesses broadly agreeing that transfer pathways remain too complex and inconsistent. Opening remarks emphasized that community colleges serve a large, diverse, often first-generation and low-income student population, but only about one in five transfer-intending students move to a UC, CSU, or other university within four years. Members highlighted disparities by race, region, campus, and major, and pointed to the Associate Degree for Transfer, TAG, and Cal-GETC as helpful but incomplete tools because requirements still vary across campuses and systems. State Auditor’s Office staff said the audit found that while UC and CSU overall enroll substantial numbers of transfer students, individual campuses and high-demand programs often do not, especially in STEM fields. They described barriers including missing prerequisite courses, unclear information, limited counseling, and inconsistent articulation between campuses. The audit used a computer science example to show how different UC and CSU campuses require different courses for the same major. The audit issued 22 recommendations, with 10 fully implemented and four partially implemented; remaining work centers on articulation, counseling, data sharing, and better use of ASSIST. UC, CSU, and the Community Colleges each said they support transfer and are taking steps to improve it. UC cited a new public dashboard, data-sharing agreements, new transfer pathways, and an ADT pilot at UCLA, while saying campus capacity and program differences limit systemwide mandates. CSU pointed to its strategic plan goals, the Transfer Success Pathway program, direct admissions outreach, and efforts to expand ADT alignment and credit applicability, while acknowledging that many students never reach the application stage. Community Colleges emphasized that transfer reform is central to equity and baccalaureate access, and called for stronger common course numbering, broader ADT acceptance, and more student-centered articulation. Members pressed the systems on why more uniform requirements and better coordination have not been achieved, and on how to reduce barriers for placebound and working students.

Transcript Highlights:

• The program is a special program that trains providers to provide service hours to DeafBlind community
• The program has had a huge impact on DeafBlind lives.
• Can program. The line item is 4-110-1000.
• The UMass Extension Nutrition Education Program, or NEP, is a statewide program operating out of five
• This was only done because of the VITA program. It's the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• , Infill Infrastructure Grant Program, the Joe Serna Farmworker Housing Grant Program, and along with
• a few federal programs that are administered at HCD: the HOME program and the Community Development
• HDFC-administered programs?
• That's progress, but it was still a variety of programs. And each program needed their own...
• funding programs.

Summary: The committee held an outcome review hearing on AB 519, focused on streamlining California’s affordable housing finance system. State housing officials described the work group process and the resulting report, which calls for a consolidated application and coordinated review process across HCD, CalHFA, TCAC, and CDLAC, while preserving a separate direct path for projects that do not need state subsidy. They said the goal is to reduce duplication, align timelines, and get projects to construction faster, with implementation now being carried forward through the new Housing Development Finance Committee (HDFC) and related reorganization changes. Officials from HCD, CalHFA, and HDFC said the new committee launched July 1 and is developing regulations, a unified application workbook, and review procedures, with public comment and hearings planned before final adoption. They emphasized a two-track system: one for projects needing state subsidy and one for tax credits/bonds only. Members also discussed the transition period in 2027, the need to clear existing pipeline projects first, and the possibility of construction financing tools. Committee members raised concerns about transparency, stakeholder feedback, and whether additional statutory changes would be needed; staff said current authority appears sufficient. Affordable housing developers and advocates generally supported the reforms but said the work must go beyond a single application. They urged fully funding projects, simplifying post-award functions, modernizing asset management, preserving a direct path for locally funded and rehab projects, and improving geographic equity, especially for rural and farmworker housing. Several witnesses stressed that the system also needs stable funding, including general fund support and the proposed housing bond, and that the state should continue engaging stakeholders as the new process rolls out. Public comment echoed those themes and included a veteran describing the difficulty of navigating housing and VA-related systems, reinforcing the hearing’s focus on simplifying access to housing resources.

Transcript Highlights:

• If we compare this to other adult learning programs, the other adult learning programs provide a GED,
• If we compare this to other adult learning programs, the other adult learning programs provide a GED,
• The governor did fund the AEL program. The governor did fund the Goodwill program.
• The governor did fund the AEL program. The governor did fund the Goodwill program.
• So actually, the program has been deficit spending, borrowing money from other programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> program. Uh, the DAV just met yesterday. program. Uh, the DAV just met yesterday.
• So this is a long program.
• So this is a long program.
• This is a long program.
• </c> creating a new program at MDVA. creating a new program at MDVA.

Transcript Highlights:

• Community Capital Facilities competitive programs.
• We have nine capital programs.
• We've seen greater uptake to this program.
• And a community-scaled program...
• These are for about half an FTE to run the program. To administer the program at Commerce.

Summary: The committee first received a Commerce overview of capital budget grant programs, including behavioral health facilities, Building for the Arts, Building Communities Fund, early learning facilities, library capital improvements, and youth recreational facilities. Commerce described program eligibility, match requirements, funding cycles, and project examples such as an early learning center in Spokane, a rural library in Stevens County, and a youth clubhouse in Prosser. Members asked about behavioral health capital projects, including how many facilities have been opened and how capital planning aligns with operating funding; Commerce said it could provide more data later and noted it focuses on capital while HCA, DSHS, and DOH handle operating requests. Members also raised concerns about nonprofit financial stability, project licensure, siting, and the burden of non-state match, while Commerce emphasized shovel-ready projects, community match, and efforts to reduce application burden. The committee then heard an update on the Clean Buildings Performance Standard from Commerce. Staff reviewed Washington’s building emissions laws, compliance tiers, exemptions, incentives, and district energy system decarbonization planning under House Bills 1543, 1976, and 1390. Commerce reported nearly 5,000 inquiries in 2025, a fellowship program that has helped more than 250 buildings in 16 counties, and review of nearly 30 district energy plans. The presentation highlighted that over half of Tier 1 buildings are already meeting targets, that Tier 2 incentive applications suggest the 30-cent-per-square-foot incentive often covers compliance costs, and that district decarbonization plans face common challenges such as aging infrastructure, grid readiness, workforce, and inconsistent cost reporting. Members asked what additional legislative action might help, and Commerce said it was still learning from the new rulemaking and implementation changes. Western Washington University and Corex then presented on WWU’s campus heating conversion project and a possible off-campus thermal energy partnership with the Port of Bellingham. WWU described its aging steam system, high emissions, maintenance costs, and the $51 million in Climate Commitment Account funding it has received to transition toward an electric hot-water system using technologies such as geo-exchange, heat recovery chillers, and air-source heat pumps. Corex explained its existing district energy system at the Port of Bellingham, which uses industrial waste heat and is operating at very high efficiency, and said it is exploring a heat transmission line to WWU and possibly sewer-heat recovery. Testimony from WSU and UW supported the broader decarbonization effort but raised concerns about the scale of costs, deferred maintenance, and the need for predictable state funding. A contractor witness urged the state to think bigger about public-private partnerships and other financing tools rather than forcing campuses to compete for limited funds. The committee then held a public hearing on House Bill 2330, which would create a prioritization process for capital funding for state campus district energy system decarbonization projects. Staff said the bill would establish a Commerce committee to score and rank projects, issue a preliminary framework report by December 30 of this year, and provide biennial recommended project lists beginning in 2028, while also studying barriers to energy-as-a-service contracts and public-private partnerships. The prime sponsor said the bill is intended to create a thoughtful, predictable process for deciding which projects to fund, emphasizing energy savings, emissions reductions, operating cost reductions, shovel-readiness, and the value of public-private partnerships. Testimony was mixed but generally supportive: WSU and UW backed the bill as a way to advance compliance and predictability, though WSU warned that compliance costs could be very large and that the university would likely seek state help if fines were imposed. A contractor witness supported the concept but argued the bill should help build a larger funding “pie” through partnerships and financing tools rather than simply dividing scarce resources. The committee then opened and heard testimony on House Bill 2338, which would authorize community-scaled weatherization projects. Commerce staff said the bill would allow weatherization funds and matching funds to be used for neighborhood-scale projects affecting multiple dwelling units, while still prioritizing low-income households; the fiscal note estimated about $273,000 in FY 2027 and about $237,000 per biennium ongoing for administration. Supporters from community action agencies and Spark Northwest said the bill would improve health, safety, affordability, and contractor participation by allowing weatherization to be done at a community scale, especially in mobile home parks and low-income neighborhoods. No votes were taken in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• and our One Care Program.
• The Senior Care Options Program is a program that is a partnership between UnitedHealthcare, MassHealth
• Just to go about one minute back on this program, the Quality and Equity Incentive Program at MassHealth
• And this program, though, the HECM Center program is designed based on feedback from stakeholders with
• So through this program, the entities are incentivized for the first two years of the program to assess

Summary: The Massachusetts Permanent Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities held a public hearing focused on health equity for people with disabilities. The chair opened by explaining that the session was not about specific legislation, but about sharing data, lived experience, and strategies to inform more inclusive health systems. Presenters included representatives from the Health Equity Compact, the Department of Public Health, MassHealth, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts, UMass Chan Medical School, Spaulding Rehabilitation, and the Arc of Massachusetts/Operation House Call. Speakers described how structural racism and ableism contribute to poor health outcomes, unemployment, poverty, and barriers to care for disabled people, especially disabled people of color. Testimony highlighted access problems such as inaccessible medical equipment, transportation, inadequate provider training, lack of culturally competent care, and insurance barriers. Several speakers emphasized the importance of collecting and disaggregating disability data, training providers in disability-competent care, and screening for accommodation needs. MassHealth described its Quality and Equity Incentive Program under the 1115 waiver, including disability-related metrics on data completeness, staff training, and accommodation screening, and reported early increases in hospitals collecting self-reported disability data. Brain injury advocates focused on inequities in rehabilitation access, including the impact of CMS’s “three-hour rule,” which they argued denies needed inpatient rehab to people with severe traumatic brain injury. They called for policy changes, a TBI task force, and possibly bipartisan legislation if CMS cannot revise the rule. Other testimony described DPH efforts such as one-to-one navigation, health promotion workshops, mini-grants for accessible recreation, and the Massachusetts Health and Disability Partnership. The hearing also highlighted medical education efforts like Operation House Call, which uses home visits and disability-led teaching to reduce bias and improve provider competence. No votes were taken and no formal actions were announced.

Transcript Highlights:

• , strike the new program.
• , strike the new program and apply the 10% requirement to Cal Fire's existing programs.
• AB 1679, Mark González, local pop-up small business program.
• AB 2508, Hoover, public purpose programs, holding committee.
• AB 2430, Mertucci, after-school programs, held in committee.

Committee: House Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• In our early learning silo, we restore the funding for the Gold Seal Program, the Local Match Program
• Waste cleanup programs, $166 million. Resilient Florida program, $110 million.
• and other financial aid programs.
• We have reappropriated funding for the My Safe Florida Home grant program to fully fund program administration
• That at our discretion, but the program itself, the lunch program is fully funded this year.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so we now know, given the data, which programs work and which programs don't work.
• So, and I saw, you know, the programs. I worked in those programs, and I saw.
• The programs, I worked in those programs, and I saw a lot of money being put into programs that didn't
• So I don't think more money being put into programs when there's already programs that exist, I just
• How large is this program?

Committee: House Human Services

Summary: The Assembly Human Services Committee met as a subcommittee while waiting for quorum and heard several bills related to homelessness, housing, foster youth, domestic violence, disability services, and immigrant legal aid. AB 790, by Assembly Member Avila Farias, would require cities, counties, and continuums of care receiving homelessness funds to develop systems specifically supporting women and children; it drew supportive testimony from New Economics for Women and others and passed unanimously after committee amendments. ACA 4, the Housing Opportunities Made Equal Act by Assembly Member Jackson, would dedicate 5% of the state general fund to affordable housing and homelessness solutions; supporters argued more stable funding is needed, while opponents questioned whether more spending would help, and the measure passed on a 5-2 vote. AB 349, by Assembly Member Dixon, would index the infant supplement for parenting foster youth to inflation, with testimony emphasizing the needs of teen mothers and babies in foster care; it passed unanimously after amendments. AB 779, by Assembly Member Lackey, would expand a domestic violence consultant model in child welfare offices statewide to better support survivors and keep families together; it also passed unanimously after amendments. The committee also heard AB 1335, by Assembly Member Gonzales, which would remove the CARF outside accreditation requirement for regional center vendored employment programs for people with disabilities and shift oversight to state standards. Supporters said the current accreditation process is costly, duplicative, and a barrier to expanding employment services, while the chair expressed concern about reducing quality checks; the bill was left on call and later reported out on a 5-2 vote. AB 1066, by Assembly Member Castillo, would bar state-funded immigration legal services for undocumented immigrants convicted of specified serious felonies; supporters framed it as a public safety and fiscal responsibility measure, while opponents said it would undermine due process and align California with mass deportation efforts. After extended debate, the bill failed on a 2-2 vote, and a motion for reconsideration also failed. Two bills were pulled by the author and not heard: AB 277 and AB 318. After the roll was reopened for absent members, the committee finalized the votes on the measures heard earlier, confirming passage of AB 790, ACA 4, AB 349, and AB 779, while AB 1066 remained failed. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• In April of 2024, I presented to you guys about the pilot program.
• So it's been a pleasure to build this program.
• for the pilot program, which was me.
• And that's kind of the intention of the program, right?
• One example was a pre-apprenticeship program through the Excel program at Bridgewater State in computer

Summary: The Massachusetts Permanent Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities met in June, approved the March meeting minutes, and heard a chair’s report on recent “Meet the Moment” community conversations, including a successful Lowell event and plans for a July 14 event in Northampton. The chair also announced the Commission’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month celebration on October 7 at the State House, which will include a MassAbility partnership panel on artificial intelligence and disability, and noted ongoing efforts to livestream future events when possible. A major presentation came from the Supplier Diversity Office on the Empowering Abilities in Contracting and Employment (EAC) program. The coordinator described the program’s history from a 2016 law and 2018 pilot to its statewide launch on July 1, 2025, and said it now applies to all new statewide goods and services contracts. The program’s goals are to increase certification and contracting opportunities for disability-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses, improve workforce development and disability employment among vendors, and build a resource network for employers. Reported figures included about 292 active certified businesses, roughly 40 vendors currently on EAC contracts, a projected increase to about 80 by July and more than 130 by November, and a long-term goal of 3% disability representation in vendor workforces. Commissioners praised the program and asked about comparisons with other states, geographic reach, and the mix of disability-owned versus veteran-owned businesses. The Commission also received updates from its advisory council and subcommittees. The advisory council has been sharing expertise across employment, housing, transportation, health equity, technology, and AI, and two members will help plan the October employment event. The employment subcommittee discussed transition-to-employment barriers, the disability employment tax credit, veteran services, and a State Exchange policy brief that members want reformatted into a more usable data table. The workforce supports subcommittee reported on a May 28 webinar about apprenticeships as a strategy to address workforce shortages in disability services, with more than 45 participants and examples of apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship models. The long-term services and supports/health equity subcommittee heard from the Department of Public Health’s CCATR resource center and from the Autism Self-Advocacy Network about COVID-era health care barriers and ongoing advocacy. The executive director also reported on meetings with MassHealth-related groups, caregiver organizations, agency leaders, MassAbility, and AI stakeholders, and the meeting ended with announcements and unanimous adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> program requirements. program requirements.
• </c> two programs. two programs.
• by other MDE programs.
• by other MDE programs.
• It gives them program.

Committee: House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• We've got statistics based on programs and results from programs.
• </c> programming and they have our support. programming and they have our support.
• This program housed both SNAP-Ed and FNET programs.
• So we have all of these programs.
• </c> agents who are doing that programming. agents who are doing that programming.

Summary: The Make America Healthy Kentucky Task Force met with a quorum, approved the minutes, and then heard a presentation on the state’s “food is medicine” work from Kentucky Hospital Association and Kentucky Department of Agriculture leaders, including Jim Muser, Holly Harris, and Commissioner Jonathan Shell. The chair framed the discussion around personal wellness, injury prevention, and the broader goal of improving health through better sleep, nutrition, and activity, then asked the presenters to describe current initiatives and any policy changes needed. The witnesses described a partnership linking hospitals and Kentucky farmers to improve health outcomes while supporting rural agriculture. They said the effort has moved beyond the pilot stage and now includes more than 40 hospitals statewide, with programs such as healthier hospital cafeterias, grab-and-go options, farmers markets at hospital sites, subsidized CSA boxes for employees, and medically tailored meals or groceries for patients with chronic conditions. ARH was highlighted as a leading model, with local food procurement, employee wellness efforts, and measurable outcome pilots, including a Russell County Hospital project focused on diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. They also emphasized barriers to scaling the model, including fragmented short-term funding, lack of reimbursement for food-as-medicine programs, and burdensome procurement and testing requirements that can make it difficult for small farmers to participate. The presenters said hospitals are using their own funds or temporary grants to sustain programs and argued that policy changes are needed to simplify sourcing, expand reimbursement pathways, and support clinical measurement of outcomes. No votes or formal actions beyond approving the minutes were taken during the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• This was a new program, and currently we have four people enrolled in this program.
• supervision programs...
• Programs, youth advocacy projects, intensive supervision programs, things like that.
• programs defaults to MMAC, so we do the same thing with those programs.
• This is our permanency program unit. Page 162. This is our permanency program unit.

Committee: House Budget

Summary: The House budget hearing focused on the Department of Social Services’ budget and a detailed briefing on how federal H.R. 1, referred to by the director as the “Big Beautiful Bill,” will affect Missouri’s SNAP and Medicaid programs. The director outlined the department’s divisions, current caseloads, staffing challenges, and the need to modernize eligibility systems and processes. Members repeatedly asked for breakdowns of enrollment, spending, provider rates, and the impact of federal changes on the department’s budget request. A major portion of the hearing covered H.R. 1’s new eligibility and integrity requirements. The department said SNAP work requirements will expand to groups previously exempt, certain noncitizen categories will lose eligibility, and utility deductions will be narrowed. For Medicaid, the bill requires work requirements for the adult expansion group, more frequent redeterminations, and shorter retroactive coverage periods. Members questioned how these changes interact with Missouri’s constitutional expansion language, and the director said the department’s view is that federal requirements must be followed under the supremacy clause, though she acknowledged the legal issue could ultimately be resolved by a court. The committee also discussed program integrity and error rates. The department said Missouri’s Medicaid PERM error rate was 35% in the last full review, with most errors tied to eligibility processing, and that H.R. 1 could create major financial penalties if error rates are not reduced by 2029. For SNAP, the department said the most recent federal error rate was 10.79%, with a current combined rate around 8.6%, and that future state cost-sharing could be substantial if the rate remains high. Members asked about the use of contractors, automation, and verification tools to reduce backlogs and improve accuracy. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational, and the chair said public testimony would not be taken that day.