Transcript Highlights:

• </c> courts operate in all 120 counties. courts operate in all 120 counties.
• </c> center.
• Penroll Mental Health Center center.
• Eastern Kentucky, our Floyd County program, does operate on a regional model to allow people to attend
• </c><00:40:23.280><c> to</c> does operate on a regional model to does operate on a regional model to

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The subcommittee received an overview of Kentucky’s specialty courts from Audrey Collins of the Department of Specialty Courts and the Administrative Office of the Courts, along with testimony from Christian County District Judge Foster Cutoff. Collins described the mission and structure of drug, mental health, and veterans treatment courts, emphasizing therapeutic jurisprudence, individualized treatment, judicial oversight, and multidisciplinary teams. She said Kentucky currently has about 2,991 active participants across the three court types, with drug courts in all 120 counties, mental health courts in 17 counties, and veterans treatment courts in eight counties. She also highlighted reported outcomes such as 7,658 entrants and 4,384 successful completions from 2020 to 2024, a five-year average completion rate of 57%, and lower recidivism among graduates than the statewide average. Collins also reviewed funding and costs, saying the department’s fiscal year 2025 budget was $18.6 million, with most of it from general funds, plus restricted and federal funds. She noted spending on personnel, treatment services, and drug testing, and said specialty courts allow participants to remain employed and meet obligations such as child support and restitution. She said participants paid more than $5.4 million in child support, restitution, and other court-related obligations over five years, and that a statewide evaluation by Morehead State University is underway. In response to questions, she said a dip in 2024 collections may have been affected by a case management system overhaul, and that court costs can be waived in some indigent cases while restitution is still required. Judge Cutoff described veterans treatment court and mental health court in Christian County, saying the programs are especially important because of the nearby Fort Campbell military community and because they help veterans with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, substance use, and related issues. He said the courts rely heavily on staff, treatment providers, and the VA, which helps connect participants to benefits and therapy. He also said mental health court participants receive housing, benefits, and medication support, and that the programs can keep people out of jail and help them stabilize. Committee members asked about the legal basis and history of the courts, and Collins explained that Kentucky’s specialty courts began as pilot programs in the mid-1990s, shifted from federal support to state funding around 2008-2009, and are now largely state funded. No votes or formal actions were taken during the discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• And the Kentucky Climate Center is one of 13 centers within what's called the Applied Research and Technology
• So, uh, but the Kentucky Climate Center is one of those 13 centers within WKU.
• is one of those Kentucky Climate Center is one of those 13<00:03:30.560><c> centers</c><00:03:30.959
• </c><00:25:32.480><c> when</c> up a long-term recovery operation when up a long-term recovery operation
• ><c> covered</c> disaster readiness center covered disaster readiness center covered financially?

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The task force met with a quorum, approved the August meeting minutes, and heard a presentation from Dr. Jerry Brosky of the Kentucky Mesonet and Kentucky Climate Center. He described the Mesonet’s statewide weather network, now with 84 stations in 78 counties, real-time data used by the National Weather Service, mobile apps, and more than a billion observations. He said recent legislative funding has allowed upgrades such as soil temperature and moisture sensors, cameras at every site, and improved communications and power systems, and has enabled expansion into new counties. He also highlighted products used for flooding, drought, and heat safety, including a wet bulb globe temperature tool being developed with the Department of Public Health. In response to questions, he said counties interested in a station should contact his center, that a station typically costs about $50,000, and that the program is already considering a second Pike County site. The committee then heard from Ryan Drain of Blue Skies and Chris McGee of the American Red Cross on long-term disaster recovery and a software platform called Darcy, short for Disaster Aware and Ready Communities Initiative. McGee explained the Red Cross’s long-term recovery work, including support for recovery groups, direct financial assistance, grantmaking, and coordination with local and federal partners. He emphasized that disasters are occurring more frequently and with repeated impacts, and shared examples from Kentucky and other states showing the need for organized recovery and storm shelter support. Drain said Darcy was developed after the 2021 Mayfield-Graves tornado recovery to replace fragmented spreadsheets and PDFs with a centralized, survivor-led system for preparedness, response, and recovery, designed to improve coordination, reduce duplication, and shorten recovery time. No votes or formal actions were taken beyond adoption of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• California has five fusion centers operating under the State Threat Assessment Center, embedded in a
• The fusion center network operates mostly in secret, with opaque authorities and governance structures
• Fusion centers are ostensibly state-operated agents. legally or effectively.
• The fusion center network operates mostly in secret with opaque authorities and governance structures
• California's fusion centers are led by the State Threat Assessment Center, which is operated by the California

Summary: The committee met as a subcommittee for much of the hearing because it initially lacked a quorum, then later established one and began taking votes. The state auditor gave a status update on ongoing audits, including several JALAC-requested audits in progress, other statutory audits, staffing growth in his office, and the number of new JALAC audits his office could start in the coming months. The committee also heard that one audit request on Prop. 28 was held, and another PUC-related request was moved off consent and heard on the regular calendar. Members then heard and discussed several audit requests. Senator Cervantes presented a request to audit California fusion centers, with witnesses from the FBI and ACLU supporting the need for transparency and oversight; opponents argued the request was politically motivated and could interfere with counterterrorism work. Senator Allen presented a request on CPUC enforcement of Rule 21 interconnection timelines for solar and storage projects, supported by industry and school representatives who described long delays and financial harm, while CPUC staff said the issue was being addressed through workshops and a formal proceeding. Senator Perez presented a request to audit Caltrans’ administration of the former SR 710 extension properties and affordable sales program, citing tenant complaints about maintenance, pricing, and transparency; Caltrans said it was working to complete sales and improve administration. Senator Umberg presented a request to audit the Orange County Board of Education over transparency, contracting, litigation spending, charter oversight, and whistleblower issues, while board representatives said there was no factual basis for an audit and that existing legal remedies had not been invoked. After quorum was established, the committee approved the consent-calendar DMV license revocation audit and then approved the PUC utility timeliness audit and the Caltrans SR 710 audit. The fusion center audit was left on call after a split vote, and the Orange County Board of Education audit continued with testimony from the board’s representatives after the committee had already moved on to other business.

Transcript Highlights:

• Regarding the new SEOC, our current State Emergency Operations Center, or EOC, has been in use now for
• center here in Tallahassee.
• Regarding the new SEOC, our current State Emergency Operations Center or EOC has been in use now for
• Earlier we had, I think, discussed regional, like PSOPs, where we move emergency operations centers for
• But then each and every bureau, each and every area, to include the State Emergency Operations Center

Summary: The Economic Development Budget Subcommittee received a lengthy presentation from Kevin Guthrie, Executive Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, on disaster costs, recovery operations, sheltering, and major capital projects. He reviewed the 2024 hurricane season impacts from Debby, Helene, and Milton, explaining how FEMA public assistance and state reimbursement work, how cost shares can shift from 75/25 to 90/10 after a federal threshold is reached, and how Florida uses prior storm data and inflation to estimate recovery costs. He also described the state’s faster reimbursement timelines, crediting legislative investments in technology and digital field documentation, and said the division is working to reduce disaster closeout timelines from decades to about seven years. Members asked about debris removal, FEMA de-obligations, local preparedness, and whether regional shelters or co-located emergency operations centers could be used more efficiently. Guthrie said debris assistance is complicated and should generally remain tied to local contracts and planning, though the state will help fiscally constrained communities when needed. He explained de-obligations as FEMA clawing back previously approved funds after later review, and said Florida’s FROC program is helping local governments reduce those risks through standardized documentation, procurement review, and training. He also urged more mandatory emergency-management training for local and state officials and cautioned against weakening the FEMA 50% rule for rebuilding damaged structures. Guthrie provided updates on the new central Florida warehouse in Auburndale and the new State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee. He said the warehouse will improve logistics, include cold and ultra-cold storage, and be run by a private vendor with virtual inventory tracking, while the new EOC is designed for Category 5 conditions and expanded partner capacity. He acknowledged budget pressures that reduced the size of the EOC project and said an additional IT request was needed because those costs were not originally included. The meeting ended with praise for FDEM’s work and no votes or formal actions beyond adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Regional projects are needed.
• Securing the future viability of agriculture and all other users within the region. Thank you.
• For many years, agricultural operations in the North Florida Regional Water Supply Planning Area have
• , which is national security.
• , which is national security.

Summary: The Committee on Rules heard a long agenda of growth-management, elections, education, housing, and professional-licensing bills. The first major item was SB 354 on “Blue Ribbon Projects,” a framework for very large planned developments on at least 15,000 contiguous acres with 60% reserved area. After adopting a strike-all amendment, senators debated whether the bill adequately protected conservation land, local government authority, neighboring property, concurrency, and multi-county projects. Supporters argued it would create more orderly, master-planned growth and preserve large areas of land; opponents said the reserve areas were too weakly protected and the bill preempted local control. The committee adopted the amendment and then reported the bill favorably on a party-line style roll call, with Chair Pasadomo and Vice Chair Jones voting no. The committee then approved SB 620 on candidate qualifying, which requires candidates to disclose any foreign citizenship and, through amendments, adds a 2026 congressional qualifying framework tied to apportionment and redistricting, including revised petition rules and deadlines. Members discussed disclosure, redistricting, and candidate vetting, and the bill was reported favorably. CS/CS/CS/SB 1452, a Department of Financial Services bill, was also amended and approved; the amendments addressed My Safe Florida Home, unclaimed property, firefighter hiring, workforce housing code accommodations, and related financial-services issues. CS/CS/SB 1620, the school board members’ bill of rights, was narrowed by substitute amendment to focus on access to records, fiscal transparency, NDAs, and related rights, and it passed after supportive testimony from school board and superintendent representatives. The committee also passed CS/HB 245, which replaces the term “child pornography” with “child sexual abuse material,” after debate over whether the terminology change could affect the seriousness of the crime or existing case law. SB 1548, a Live Local/affordable housing update, was reported favorably with little debate. Finally, the committee approved the veterinary medicine bill creating veterinary professional associates, after amending it to require immediate supervision by a licensed veterinarian. Throughout the meeting, many public commenters and senators weighed in on the balance between development and conservation, local control, and the scope of state regulation, with several bills drawing both strong support and strong opposition before final votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're seeking operational support for our burn care unit at Straub Medical Center.
• We operate the only burn unit in the state and across the Pacific region.
• This includes our secured paper shredding operations, solely run by staff with disabilities, our textile
• This includes our secured paper shredding operations, solely run by staff with disabilities, our textile
• would support the operations at those innovative and unique centers.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint Ways and Means and Finance informational briefing on grants and aids was held February 14 and was organized as a high-volume public testimony session with strict procedures: no Q&A, one representative per applicant, one minute per testimony, in-person testimony first, and then Zoom participants. The chairs also announced a recess at 11:00 a.m. for floor sessions and a reconvening at 1:00 p.m. Testimony was heard first from neighbor island applicants, then Oʻahu applicants, with members repeatedly directing speakers to line up and keep remarks brief. Neighbor island testimony focused on a wide range of capital and operating requests. Health and community projects included Hawaii Island Community Health Center’s workforce housing in Kau, Wuli Hawaiian Homestead Association’s learning center and predevelopment work, Rescue Tube Foundation’s beach rescue tube expansion, Puna Community Medical Center’s planned hospital/ER campus, Maui Humane Society’s free veterinary care after the wildfires, Hawaiʻi Care Choices’ palliative care readiness, and the Lyman Museum’s HVAC replacement. Other requests included the Maui Advanced Manufacturing Alliance’s Pāʻia Mill redevelopment, Laua 2020’s preschool and learning lab, Mālama Aina’s USDA-compliant meat processing facility, the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association’s water safety programs, Kaha P Organization’s agriculture education support, Ohana Arts’ youth performance project, Friends of the Children’s Justice Center’s emergency closet, EOA Pacific’s Marshall Islands teacher training, and the Central Pacific Youth Athletic Club’s new facility. Oʻahu testimony included the YWCA Oʻahu/Pythink Center’s renovation of Juliet M. Atherton Hall and its community kitchen, West Oʻahu Community Health Center’s wildfire protection and security needs, the Early School’s playground improvements, Surfing the Nations’ food distribution center expansion, and Sounding Joy Music Therapy’s weekly services for people with disabilities. Speakers generally emphasized community benefit, workforce development, health access, food security, disaster recovery, and support for children, seniors, and underserved populations. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• space with gaming operations.
• This provisional period will allow small pest control operators to continue operations while these new
• We have a private member security entrance.
• The region has significantly fewer physicians per capita than the state average.
• The region has significantly fewer physicians per capita than the state average.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Additionally, we've secured.
• centers. ...attention through community members was accessing quality supports from our regional centers
• costs on transit operators.
• Center in a non-midterm week.
• Center in a non-midterm week.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , secure and ethical use of artificial for the responsible, secure and ethical use of artificial intelligence
• So we keep the data internal in our secure environment.
• We built This Gen Ed tool in our secure cloud tenant.
• Candice Brower, Regional Council for North Florida, that the first region, 32 counties in North Florida
• That is the actual regional council in the 3rd region. And so he is retired and they have not.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:34:11.200><c> centers</c><00:34:11.760><c> and</c> designation of regional centers and designation
• of regional centers and programs.<00:34:13.520><c> Um</c><00:34:14.720><c> as</c><00:34:14.960><c> you
• I am the CT director in Berlin, New Hampshire, the regional center.
• center.
• [snorts] Um we do have regional center.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We also did regional training.
• Like how many of those are operational?
• And of the ones that are operational, do you know roughly how long they have been operational?
• In both of those plan is that very much so those those regional water planning groups those in the Regional
• Regional water planning groups.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• commercial center.
• commercial center.
• It builds on the regional and national draw of destinations like the Chaska Curling Center by creating
• Prairie Center from cult classic movies Prairie Center from cult classic movies like<00:33:38.679><c>
• </c> with the Eden Prairie Center with the Eden Prairie Center Eden<00:35:01.280><c> Prairie</c><00:35

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• 04.240><c> missiles,</c><00:08:04.879><c> everyone</c> security forces, the missiles, everyone security
• As China and Russia national security.
• </c> pipeline, entire regions pay the price. pipeline, entire regions pay the price.
• </c><03:39:38.160><c> profit</c><03:39:38.640><c> centered</c> to have profit centering profit centered
• . security. security.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Friday, December 12, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a $250,000 transfer from professional fees to operating expenses.
• Are those operating expenses more than what you'd anticipated?
• I have one in my district, Boonville Human Development Center.
• At all the centers, because it's a hard job. But right now, yes.
• We're already paying for security. It's very secure inside the gates.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• One operation that my agents Shut down 26 viable structures shown here.
• We, in fact, operate as a unit very much from my military background.
• We've also asked for a judicial security officer. Let me address that.
• But I do think it's time that we have a judicial security officer housed at the Judicial Center that
• puts together a statewide plan for judges and staff. security.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> evolving fields not only cyber security evolving fields not only cyber security and<00:14:01.240
• </c> Metro State in terms of cyber security Metro State in terms of cyber security so<00:15:35.519><c
• <00:29:45.880><c> artificial</c> security artificial security artificial intelligence<00:29:47.960><c
• independently operate uh we have a very independently operate uh we have a very strong<00:39:26.240><
• </c> the complex IRS Federal and Securities the complex IRS Federal and Securities and<00:39:44.520><

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And then Echo Glen Children's Center, you know, their safe operating capacity is 112.
• Placement limitations at the secure facilities.
• And then maximum security units or maximum security beds.
• Sometimes it's directly from a secure facility.
• Sometimes it's directly from a secure facility.

Summary: The committee heard testimony on the effects of H.R. 1 on Washington’s Medicaid, developmental disability, long-term care, and food assistance systems, followed by a separate discussion of juvenile rehabilitation caseloads and placement capacity. DSHS officials said HR1 could affect home equity rules, immigration-related eligibility, work requirements for some expansion-population enrollees, and provider taxes, while also creating a future opportunity for a new 1915(c) waiver. Advocates and providers warned that any state response that cuts home and community-based services would worsen already thin provider networks, increase waiting lists, push more people into hospitals or out-of-state placements, and strain families and workers. A pediatric behavioral health expert and a supported living provider said Medicaid reimbursement is already too low and further reductions would threaten outpatient, residential, and inpatient services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and severe behavioral needs. The committee then turned to SNAP and the state food assistance program. DSHS said HR1 would tighten work requirements and exemptions, end some immigrant eligibility for the federal program, eliminate the SNAP education program, raise state administrative costs, and eventually require Washington to share in benefit costs based on its error rate. Officials estimated large numbers of residents could lose or see reduced benefits, with significant added state costs. Anti-hunger advocates, a food bank director, and a SNAP recipient described the program as essential for low-income families, seniors, and people with disabilities, and said the changes would increase paperwork, reduce benefits, and worsen food insecurity while also harming local food economies. Testimony emphasized that food banks cannot replace SNAP and that work requirements may be difficult to meet for caregivers, people with disabilities, and those facing child care or transportation barriers. In the juvenile justice portion, the Caseload Forecast Council presented the JR forecast, which is currently mostly flat through the end of the biennium but expected to grow modestly over the longer term. Members discussed how policy choices, including the 2019 JR-25 law, have increased lengths of stay for adult-sentenced youth in JR, while diversion and other reforms have affected regular JR trends. A court researcher explained the data available to help forecast admissions and noted ongoing efforts to improve data sharing with JR, AOC, and county systems, though staffing and system-lag issues limit how quickly data can be produced. Juvenile court administrators and DCYF officials described the community-based juvenile justice continuum, rising complexity in the JR population, overcrowding at Green Hill and placement constraints at Echo Glen and Harbor Heights, and the need for more flexible community transition and mental health capacity. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• . operation. operation.
• . region. region.
• The regional burn treatment center we heard about, the hyperbaric medicine and advanced wound care we
• It has a very important poison treatment medical toxicology center that serves the region and the state
• </c><01:56:47.080><c> and</c><01:56:47.240><c> the</c> center that serves uh the region and the center

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a national designation from the Department of Homeland Security and the National In operations
• We have a national designation from the Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency
• And then with North Dakota's stand-up of the 13 regional CTE centers, Minot has one here as well.
• center.
• There's not an actual center.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the Director of Operations at Tribal Nations Research Group. We work with...
• I'm the Director of Operations at Tribal Nations Research Group.
• Yes, and I believe Standing Rock secured theirs, and so did MHA. Okay. Yes.
• Yes, and I believe Standing Rock secured theirs, and so did MHA. Okay. Yes.
• So for a year, the Recovery Center staff members brought him to So for a year, the Recovery Center staff

Summary: The meeting focused heavily on behavioral health and substance use treatment, especially the IMD exclusion and whether North Dakota should pursue a Section 1115 waiver to allow Medicaid reimbursement for services in institutions for mental diseases for adults ages 21 to 64. Turtle Mountain representatives described major local needs, including limited access to care, high syphilis rates, and the importance of timely public health data. They also discussed the tribe’s recovery center, which opened the prior year, now operating five levels of care with 16 beds, and the desire to expand capacity, possibly through an IMD waiver or related policy changes. Committee members also raised related issues such as rural health transformation funding, telehealth, workforce retention, and the need for better coordination between tribal and state public health systems. A central issue was Turtle Mountain Public Health’s long-running effort to secure a data use agreement with the state so it can receive surveillance data and respond directly to infectious disease cases among tribal members. Speakers said the tribe had a successful COVID-era agreement that allowed faster contact tracing and case management, but that agreement ended with the pandemic. They argued that current delays in sharing data, especially for sexually transmitted infections, leave the tribe unable to respond quickly, while the state and county epidemiology workload is too distant and stretched to be effective. Committee members expressed support and said they would look into the issue, noting that other tribes have secured similar agreements. The committee also heard a detailed presentation from the National Health Law Program on the IMD exclusion. The presenter explained that federal Medicaid law generally bars payment for care in facilities with more than 16 beds, but that states can use other tools such as state plan amendments, managed care arrangements, telehealth, and community-based services. He said IMD waivers are administratively complex, time-limited, and have shown mixed results in other states, with some gains in residential treatment access but limited evidence of improved overdose outcomes or stronger community-based care. He urged the committee to consider broader continuum-of-care solutions and cautioned that waivers alone are not a cure-all. No final vote was taken on the bill draft during the portion shown, but the committee discussed the proposal to appropriate $49,000 and one FTE to HHS to pursue an IMD waiver and report back in the next interim. Members also debated the policy rationale for the 16-bed limit, the role of the state versus tribal sovereignty, and whether the bill should move through the Health Care or Human Services committee in the future.