Transcript Highlights:

• We implementation of a federal program.
• That implement the tax credit program.
• policy reality. policy reality.
• <01:49:58.320> you person you hate and not the policy you person you hate and not the policy
• <01:56:56.480> several here is if we've implemented several here is if we've implemented several

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, approved the journal, excused absent members, and suspended rules to allow co-sponsorship and vote modifications. The Senate reported passage of Senate Bills 52 and 124, and several House committees reported favorable action on bills including HB 1, HB 2, HB 94, HB 246, HB 282, HB 299, HB 307, HB 519, HB 613, and HB 648. Most of those measures were ordered to first reading and placed on the calendar; HB 1 and HB 307 were sent to the Rules Committee after having had two previous readings. The House then recessed briefly before returning to the orders of the day. The chamber took up HB 568, relating to public adjusters. The sponsor explained that the bill would prohibit new public adjuster licenses, allow current licensees to renew, impose conflict-of-interest and contract requirements, set a 5% fee cap, and bar public adjusters from negotiating claims, citing consumer protection concerns and legal opinions about the practice of law. After debate and a brief explanation of vote from a member citing local storm-related abuses, the House voted on roll call and passed HB 568 with one nay vote. The House then considered HB 1, which would opt Kentucky into the federal education freedom tax credit program. Supporters said it would allow private donations to scholarship-granting organizations to benefit Kentucky students without using state general funds, and argued it could help public, private, and homeschool families with education-related expenses. Opponents criticized the speed of the process, warned it could open the door to vouchers and charters, and argued it would mainly benefit wealthier donors while public schools remain underfunded. Members also questioned the bill’s waiver of 11th Amendment immunity and received explanations that the waiver was limited to federal-court jurisdiction over the federal program and would not create individual liability for state actors. A motion to table the bill failed with 19 votes in favor, and debate continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• . 517 and H. 876 on behalf of the Brennan Center for Justice, an independent, nonpartisan law and policy
• The Brennan Center for Justice is an independent, nonpartisan law and policy organization that works
• I'm a former resident of Amherst with two daughters here in Boston, and I'm policy and strategy director
• I have helped implement them in Colorado, Georgia, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
• This bill allows the Secretary to implement emergency contingency plans if necessary. Terry.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Committee on Election Laws held a hearing on election security bills, focusing first on S. 517 and H. 876, which would strengthen Massachusetts’ post-election audit process. Testimony from the Brennan Center, Common Cause Massachusetts, Verified Voting, and the League of Women Voters supported expanding audits to include all ballot types, increasing audit frequency from every four years to every two years, requiring statewide audit reports to be posted within 30 days and kept online for six years, and allowing municipalities to conduct audits under state standards. Witnesses also praised the bill’s creation of a work group to study risk-limiting audits and other improvements, emphasizing public confidence, transparency, and the ability of audits to detect errors or deter fraud. Committee members asked detailed questions about how Massachusetts compares with other states, how risk-limiting audits differ from current tabulation audits, how audits are selected and expanded if discrepancies appear, and what the costs and mechanics of different audit methods would be. Witnesses explained that current audits are typically random, hand-count-based checks of selected contests and batches of ballots, that risk-limiting audits use statistical sampling and can escalate to a full recount if needed, and that Massachusetts’ local-control structure makes a collaborative work group useful. They also noted that audits generally confirm results but can uncover errors that do not change outcomes, and occasionally more serious problems. The committee then heard testimony on H. 832, which would authorize the Secretary of the Commonwealth to take emergency actions affecting elections during declared emergencies. Supporters said the bill would create a clear statutory process for rescheduling or adjusting elections during severe weather or other crises, including allowing emergency absentee ballot accommodations for civilian responders, and would reduce the need for court intervention. No votes were taken on the bills during the hearing, and the meeting ended with adjournment after no additional testimony was offered.

Transcript Highlights:

• that process. uh before we can implement that process. uh before we can implement a<00:08:49.519
• I'm I'm on the board for public policy. I'm I'm on the board for public<01:18:28.960> policy.
• public policy.
• I have done public policy public policy.
• planned to implement that? planned to implement that? >> M. >> M. >> M.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Our life’s objective, as we approach our success in implementating this model. success in implementating
• So that means implemented and executed.
• :31:32.040> our multiple policy teams within our multiple policy teams within our department<01
• I know policy things are coming.
• We want know policy things are coming.

Bills: HF3526, HF3375, HF3469

Keywords: home care, licensing, fines, advisory council, grant program, client safety, healthcare regulation, HF3375, Minnesota disability waiver, waiver rate system, human services, individualized home supports, individualized home supports with training, individualized home supports with family training, positive support services, employment support services, employment development services, employment exploration services, billing limits, service authorization year

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:16:32.720> provisions more time to consider policy provisions more time to consider policy
• My name is Molly Lloyds, and I am the policy director at Lita Men.
• <00:32:25.760> the to high schools uh to implement the to high schools uh to implement the
• I’m the senior policy director at Ed Allies.
• Um we're policy director at Ed Allies.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up a series of “same and similar” provisions between the House and Senate higher education bills and adopted them one by one, with brief explanations from members and staff. The items included a cybersecurity addition for a doctoral degree program, Northstar Promise definitions and eligibility limits, self-loan provisions on institution eligibility and data disclosure, and dual training language requiring certificates, diplomas, or degrees to come from accredited postsecondary institutions. The committee also adopted an amendment to the private career school provisions that clarified exempt institutions remain within the act, and removed certain limited-license and renewal fees for institutions participating in dual training grants or the eligible training provider list. Each of these motions prevailed by voice vote. The committee then moved into policy differences between the House and Senate bills, beginning with emergency grants and hunger-free campus grants. Members discussed shifting funding from OHE-administered competitive grants to direct appropriations for the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State, while the Senate retained competitive grant access for private and tribal colleges and added reporting requirements. OHE Commissioner Dennis Olson said the added reporting would be an extra administrative task but raised no significant concerns. Testifiers from the University of Minnesota, Minnesota State, and the private college sector supported faster, more direct funding and described the grants as important for emergency housing, transportation, food insecurity, and other student basic needs. A LeadMN representative also supported the changes, saying campus staff and students wanted funds delivered more quickly. The committee also discussed direct admissions on R31. The Senate proposal would require public and charter high schools to participate in the direct admissions program by the 2029-2030 school year. Assistant Commissioner Wendy Robinson said OHE supports statewide expansion and that the program has improved FAFSA completion, college enrollment, and student retention in Minnesota. Members noted the bill had bipartisan support and heard from advocates such as Ed Allies and Students United. No votes were taken on the policy-difference items during this portion of the meeting, and the chair said further discussion of state grant and sexual misconduct policy differences would be held at a later hearing with additional OHE staff present.

Transcript Highlights:

• Importantly, there is no systematic policy in place for MAT in county jails.
• I'm not currently implementing the MAT program for juveniles, the juvenile program.
• Why exactly are they not implementing that 10 million?
• I think if the legislature decides not to implement legislation...
• Successful in implementing the work once those plans get approved.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've implemented a variety of safeguards to mitigate the effects of these fraud attempts.
• We also would want to do an equity impact assessment before implementing... ...any new safeguards.
• KNOW, SOME SOME SOME CHALLENGES WITH THIS NEW SYSTEM THAT MAY BE IMPLEMENTED. ARE THERE WAYS TOO?
• It's for acquisition, implementation, support, and maintenance.
• What stands are abstract policy concern?

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:05:10.039> the has determined if it has implemented the has determined if it has implemented
• Let's say the recommendation was, develop a policy.
• We can say, yep, they implemented it.
• and which they haven't implemented.
• they haven't implemented which they haven't implemented<00:15:08.959> um<00:15:09.440> and<

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee heard House File 3, authored by Chair Nash, which would require the Office of the Legislative Auditor to produce an annual report for fiscal committees showing how well agencies have implemented prior audit recommendations, especially those related to financial practices, internal controls, and management. Nash said the bill is intended to give legislators a clearer, ongoing tool to evaluate agencies before making funding decisions and to help prevent waste, fraud, and abuse. He noted the bill would use existing audit information rather than create a new reporting burden, though he said it would deepen the review of implementation. Legislative Auditor Judy Randall testified that the Office of the Legislative Auditor already tracks implementation to some extent through annual information collected by Minnesota Management and Budget, but that current reporting is based largely on agency self-reporting and is not always independently verified. She said the bill would expand that work and provide the legislature with more useful accountability information. A representative from Americans for Prosperity also supported the bill, calling it a transparency and stewardship measure that would help taxpayers and legislators see whether agencies are following through on recommendations. Several members spoke in favor, describing the bill as a common-sense accountability measure and comparing it to audit practices in local government and private organizations. Nash and Randall also discussed Colorado’s similar process, where audit follow-up information is presented during budget hearings. Members raised concerns about fraud and inefficiency in state government, and Nash said the bill is meant to help lawmakers better protect taxpayer dollars. The committee voted to recommend House File 3 and re-refer it to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is $151 million the all-in total cost of ownership, or just implementation?
• It would be for the five, six years of implementation, in the first year of implementation, in the first
• implementation? implementation?
• Uh, what are the ongoing annual operating costs after implementation?
• So you have to map all of policies.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: Personnel Cabinet and Kentucky Employees Health Plan officials presented a request to replace the Kentucky Human Resources Information System (CHRIS), the state’s HR/payroll ERP system procured in 2007. They said the system supports core HR and payroll for about 48,000 state employees, 24 sheriff and county clerk offices, and the Kentucky Employees Health Plan, which covers more than 300,000 lives. Officials emphasized that SAP has said the system will be end-of-life and out of support by 2030, which would eliminate security updates, vendor maintenance, and tax-compliance support. They argued that replacement is necessary to protect sensitive personnel and health data, maintain payroll accuracy, and avoid major operational and cybersecurity risks. Officials described the project as a true replacement, not just an upgrade, and said the proposed $151 million request covers a five- to six-year implementation, stabilization, and ongoing maintenance period. They broke down the estimate as including roughly $54 million for software licensing and hosting, about $76.5 million for systems integrator/professional services, and additional amounts for independent verification and validation, dependent verification for the health plan, FSA administration, contingency staffing, and hardware-related needs. They said the cost increase from prior estimates was mainly due to inflation and updated requirements. They also noted that payments would be tied to deliverables and checkpoints, with third-party IV&V oversight, and that the cabinet expects to continue normal quarterly IT reporting to LRC while also providing at least monthly project updates because of the 2030 deadline. Committee members asked about the total cost of ownership, recurring operating costs, the size of the integrator contract, how vendor costs were estimated, and how progress would be tracked. Officials said they used market research, peer-state comparisons, vendor discussions, and independent reviews, including input from AON and a third-party QA resource. They explained that the integrator would handle requirements mapping, system design, configuration, training, change management, and implementation support across the Personnel Cabinet, KHP, and other stakeholders. No vote or formal action was taken during the discussion; the meeting consisted of testimony, questions, and answers on the funding request and implementation plan.

Transcript Highlights:

• I am here to present AB 1729 to update the telework policy for state agencies.
• This policy has not been amended or updated in over 30 years.
• telework policy.
• AB 805 reflects an important step toward implementing that vision.
• AB805 reflects an important step towards implementing that vision.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , policy analyst Mary Andrew.
• Andrews, policy analyst Mark Montoya, policy analyst Natasha Davalos, policy analyst Evan Chavez, and
• We've also implemented Evolve weapon detection systems at all of our secondary schools.
• policy service.
• This is so valuable for us as we're looking at statewide policy.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:13:33.600> only agency me memoranda or policy only agency me memoranda or policy only
• the rules are intended to implement the rules are intended to implement because<01:38:38.480>
• NHRS staff implements the statute, rules, and policies, and in addition to following New Hampshire state
• <03:38:50.479> the sponsor nhrs staff implements the sponsor nhrs staff implements the statute
• <03:38:53.840> in statute rules and policies and in statute rules and policies and in addition

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held an orientation for new and returning members of the House committee on agencies and administration, with introductions from members and staff. Chair Carol Maguire outlined her expectations for hearings: keep questions focused on the bill, be respectful to witnesses, and use the committee’s orientation opportunities to learn about the jail staff, retirement system, and Office of Professional Licensure. Members also discussed related assignments on other bodies, including the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules and the Joint Committee on Employee Classification, and noted that some members already serve on those panels. A substantial portion of the meeting focused on the State Building Code and the committee’s upcoming workload. Members explained how the state code is intended to provide a common baseline while allowing limited local options, and why municipalities must formally adopt and publish any local amendments. They reviewed several anticipated bills: a consolidation bill to gather building-code enforcement materials in one place, a bill to update the state energy code, a bill to restrict municipal adoption of building-code changes, and a bill to update the electrical code. Members also discussed how building codes apply to older homes and commercial buildings, and why code updates are important for safety and clarity. The chair said the committee had 36 bills currently scheduled, including many early bills that must move by March 6 because they will be heard by two committees. She said the committee would use subcommittees for harder bills, with three subcommittees this year: pensions, licensing, and likely state building code. She also outlined the hearing schedule, including lighter bills on February 12 and the expectation of executive sessions later in the month. No votes were taken during the orientation, but members were told that public hearings do not require a quorum and that hard copies of bills would be distributed by committee staff.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh Hennepin County has worked hard to develop relationships and implement policies to attract small business
• <00:35:02.040> policies<00:35:02.560> to relationships and implement policies to relationships
• and implement policies to attract<00:35:03.240> small<00:35:03.520> business<00:35:03.920
• And so, if there's a particular policy that was implemented that had a fiscal note and that's of interest
• And so, if there's a particular policy that was implemented that had a fiscal note and that's of interest

Bills: HF1234, HF3528, HF3672, HF3679, HF3680, HF1944

Keywords: payment transparency, public contracts, contractor rights, government accountability, construction payments, barbering, licensing, examinations, barber schools, public safety, certifications, Barber Examiners Board, data transparency, Legislative Budget Office, state agencies, fiscal notes, public data, standard time, federal law, time zone

Transcript Highlights:

• with, that many of us work in day in and day out on a variety of levels, whether practitioner or policy
• What our main focus is is that we actually get to implementation.
• Passing laws is one thing, but making sure that we actually implement it correctly and judiciously in
• Build up the systems to be able to implement all the pieces.
• You know, my co-chair mentioned something: whether you're a practitioner, whether you work in policy,

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Ellen Story Commission for Postpartum Depression held its spring meeting with a large turnout, beginning with roll call and a review of the agenda. Co-chairs Representative Brandy Fluker-Reid and Senator Liz Miranda highlighted progress from the recently enacted maternal health omnibus law and the Moms Matter Act, including creation of a midwifery board, expansion of out-of-hospital birth options, doula services, lactation support, MassHealth coverage changes, and a trust fund for community-based behavioral health and substance use grants. Members also discussed implementation of the new law, the commission’s annual report, and the need to continue supporting birth centers and perinatal mental health services. A substantial portion of the meeting focused on commission membership and vacancies. Commissioners discussed whether to remain on the body, the need to fill several open seats, and whether the commission’s statutory composition should be updated to better reflect current practice and expertise. Members suggested adding more clinicians working directly with perinatal families, infant mental health experts, and a representative from PSI of Massachusetts, while also noting the value of having regulators and professional society representatives at the table. Several participants said any changes to membership would likely require legislation, and the co-chairs said they would explore options and possibly circulate a flyer or other invitation process for nominations. The commission also discussed meeting structure and future planning. Members generally supported moving to quarterly virtual meetings, with a preference for a 4 p.m. start time, and some suggested one annual in-person gathering. The group agreed to postpone the usual May Advocacy Day because the Great Hall was unavailable and instead aim for a fall event, with volunteers stepping forward to help plan it. Commissioners raised top-of-mind issues including postpartum depression screening reimbursement, care for people after miscarriage or abortion, access for undocumented pregnant people, and the impact of federal cuts. The meeting ended with agreement to crowdsource legislative priorities for the next quarter, consider future presentations from outside organizations, and send updates between meetings, followed by a motion to adjourn that passed unanimously.

Transcript Highlights:

• We got rules, policies, procedures.
• program and then by the time they got the grant and got through it, they either had renewed their policy
• That's our implementing partner. And so that's all deliverable based there.
• It might seem weird that we have an implementing vendor and we have staff O&G funds.
• They have done numerous implementations in different states, private sector, public sector.

Summary: The State Administration Budget Subcommittee heard presentations from the Department of Financial Services on the My Safe Florida Home program, the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot, and the Florida PALM financial system replacement project. For My Safe Florida Home, Stephen Fielder explained the wind-mitigation grant program, including its inspection-first process, two-to-one matching grants for most homeowners, low-income exemptions from the match, and eligible improvements such as roofs, clips/straps, water barriers, and opening protection. He reported roughly 109,000 initial inspections, nearly 59,000 grants approved, 31,000 final inspections, 25,000 reimbursements, and about $240 million paid out through the end of 2024. Members asked about premium savings, contractor pricing, fraud, owner-builder eligibility, reimbursement timing, and whether the program should have a dedicated funding source; Fielder said the program is currently closed, more than 40,000 people have signed up for updates, and the office has seen some price-gouging and impersonation issues but no major fraud trend. The committee also discussed the new prioritization rules that took effect July 1, 2024, which direct grant awards by age and income. Fielder said the program used a survey of existing applicants to implement the new priority groups and that the first group was over age 60 and low-income. Members raised questions about how premium reductions are measured, whether insurance company changes or rising insured values affect the data, and whether the program can track long-term outcomes after reimbursement. Fielder said the office reports raw premium changes based on declarations pages, knows the insurer for participants, and has validated results with multiple insurers, but does not track homeowners after they leave the program or enforce continued insurance coverage. For the My Safe Florida Condo Pilot, Fielder said the program is modeled on the home program but uses association-level applications, a maximum grant of $175,000 per association, and a similar two-to-one match. He said the application window opened briefly in November and was closed quickly because available funding could be exhausted and the department is prohibited from creating a waiting list. He identified several needed statutory changes, including better distinguishing condos from single-family homes, adjusting roof requirements for flat concrete roofs, and revisiting the unanimous unit-owner vote requirement, which he said has been a major obstacle. Chair Lopez noted the pilot is intended to be a learning process and thanked DFS staff for identifying implementation issues. The final presentation covered Florida PALM, the state’s effort to replace the 40-year-old FLAIR accounting system with a PeopleSoft-based financial management system. Fielder and PALM Director Jimmy Cox said the project began in 2014, the state contracted with Accenture in 2018, cash management went live in 2021, and the project was paused in 2022 for legislative review and remediation. They said the system is expected to go live in 2026, possibly in July rather than January, and that the project has spent about $225 million to date, with a current-year budget of about $60.9 million and a projected next-year request of about $64 million. Members asked about cybersecurity, cloud hosting, project scope, and whether the system is unique to Florida; staff said the system is not Florida-specific, access is credentialed through agency identity management, and the cloud host location is confidential. After the presentations, Chair Lopez assigned members to work with specific agencies on budget review meetings, asked them to discuss agency structure, priorities, staffing, waste reduction, and other budget issues, and set a deadline to report findings in the first week of regular session. The meeting then adjourned without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• We’re implementing this partnership because Congress aligned the Every Student Succeeds Act, Carl D.
• ... ...administration, the actual way that you're implementing the program.
• So I know that they implement. I had worked on this with our state agency here.
• So I know that they implemented a lot and looked through that.
• ... ...reporting requirements on the eligibility categories, not so much on the policy stuff.

Summary: The committee heard testimony from Nick Moore, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Office of Career and Technical Education, on efforts to better align workforce, education, and human services programs. Moore argued that WIOA, Perkins, and ESSA were designed to function as an integrated talent system, but that federal and state bureaucracy has kept them siloed. He said the Department of Labor and OCTAE are working on more integrated state plan guidance, including a 2026 plan modification timeline, combined Perkins/WIOA plans, and greater use of labor market information to align training with in-demand jobs and Workforce Pell. Moore emphasized reducing overhead, cross-training staff, using common intake and integrated case management, and focusing on the “shadow labor force” of people facing benefit cliffs, child care barriers, or other obstacles to work. He repeatedly urged states to use waivers and flexibility where possible, to consolidate or streamline local workforce structures, and to hold programs accountable through measures such as labor force participation, training-related employment, retention, and cost per successful outcome. Members asked about the balance between flexibility and accountability, the role of employers versus postsecondary institutions, rural “training deserts,” state waivers, and data systems such as Mississippi Spark and Arkansas Launch. Moore said states should use technology and integrated intake to co-enroll eligible participants in multiple programs and better match people to jobs. In response to questions, Moore said some federal rules cannot be waived, but many reporting and administrative requirements can be streamlined, and he encouraged Arkansas to propose ideas for waivers or state-level integration. He also discussed the need for enhanced wage records and state longitudinal data systems to improve workforce planning and economic development. After Moore’s presentation, DHS Secretary Janet Mann and Director Jay Hill gave a brief update on reimbursement rates, saying the department had compiled more than 100 public comments, recommended holding the current rate, and was awaiting executive review; they estimated the process could take 30 to 60 days. The committee then adjourned, noting a later audit presentation scheduled for the afternoon.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'M GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT THEY ARE AND HOW TO IMPLEMENT THOSE PRACTICES AND PROGRAMS.
• THEY ARE IMPLEMENTING THE TRAINER MODEL SO THAT ONCE A TEACHER OR A COACH LEARNS HOW TO IMPLEMENT EVIDENCE-BASED
• YOU CAN SEE THE BEST STANDARDS OF IMPLEMENTATION, PROGRESS MONITORING. WE ARE LOOKING AT P.M.
• WE LOOK AT LEGISLATION, POLICY IMPLEMENTATION AND PROBLEM SOLVING.
• INSTEAD OF 11 LITTLE INSURANCE POLICIES.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• AB 2563 would implement those recommendations into California law.
• It's smart workforce policy.
• Protected characteristics ask, is a policy or practice itself discriminatory?
• These policies were not abstract or distant. These policies were not abstract or distant.
• I'm the senior policy attorney with the Alliance for Children's Rights.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Learning Policy Institute, an education policy research organization, published an August 2025 report
• It requires effective and consistent implementation.
• I often mention my close friends that are educators and having worked in the policy myself for about
• One of the programs that PSB has implemented lately is called LEAD, and it is for new principals.
• And what are some of the strategies that we can implement to move the students to achieve that English

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Please know that our discussions on the implement implementation of the state scholarship program will
• What measures have you are implemented to crosscheck have?
• >> And have you been implementing incremental changes along the way? >> This is.
• And I know we have a lot to say about 25 26 and implement Haitian of different process.
• The amounts associated with that funding policy is shown in row 6.