Transcript Highlights:

• You also put a million dollars of funds into the Kentucky rural mental health suicide prevention and
• You also put a million dollars of funds into the Kentucky rural mental health suicide prevention and
• He described it as the sports legislation that puts the framework around economic development monies
• in rural Kentucky in conjunction with the Economic Development Cabinet to try to attract processors,
• He noted the mention of economic development and said that sometimes gets overlooked as economic development

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:00:19 Department of Agriculture 00:01:29, 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on General Government met with Commissioner of Agriculture Jonathan Shell to discuss the Department of Agriculture’s current budget priorities and the impact of recent legislative investments. Shell praised funding for the Farms to Food Bank program, saying it helps food banks serve Kentuckians, especially seniors, while also supporting farmers. He also highlighted County Fair Grant funding, noting a $250,000 increase helped finance a record nine county fair projects, and he described the Raising Hope rural mental health, suicide prevention, and farm safety program as life-saving, citing one event in Owensboro where 14 people were sent to the hospital after health screenings. Shell also addressed emergency preparedness and bird flu response, saying the department’s Division of Emergency Preparedness and Response is working effectively and that Kentucky has not had affected commercial or backyard flocks, only some wild geese cases. He discussed federal efforts to address egg prices and avian influenza, including biosecurity, farmer relief, and research funding, and said he expects those actions to affect prices in the coming months. He also urged the committee to codify Senate Bill 28 and referenced House Joint Resolution 371, which he said would allow the department to retain $5 million for rural economic development efforts aimed at attracting processors and other large-scale operations. In response to questions from Representative Hart, Shell said the department’s disaster role is mainly to coordinate response plans and identify agricultural needs for state and federal relief, rather than provide direct relief funding itself. He said recent flooding in Eastern Kentucky has mainly affected hay supplies for livestock producers, and that the department is working with the Cattlemen’s Association and UK Extension to locate affected farmers and secure hay donations. Shell closed by asking for continued support for agriculture economic development and for improved staff recruitment and retention, saying the department struggles to compete with other state agencies for employees. The meeting ended with thanks and adjournment, with the next meeting announced for the following Thursday.

Transcript Highlights:

• development. I don't know what that means, I guess.
• Or we would look to not exceed this as we develop requests for proposals.
• They contract with providers and develop that with the providers themselves.
• And so again, it would align those rates to the Medicare lowest rural quartile rate. Mr.
• So in terms of... ...with providers as the program was initiated and developed.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Senate Appropriations HR Division met with all members present to review the medical services portion of the HHS budget. Sarah Aker, Executive Director of Medical Services, walked the committee through several budget items, including HCBS cost-to-continue adjustments, the DD bed assessment, expansion of value-based purchasing, targeted rate increases for home health and QSP services, and the cross-disability waiver. Members generally supported the targeted increases for home health and QSP, and Aker explained that the cross-disability waiver funding would support startup work, service design, and infrastructure ahead of a planned July 1, 2028 implementation. The committee spent significant time on rate-setting and provider payment issues. Members discussed ambulance rate rebasing, with several senators expressing concern that the proposed increase was too high relative to peer states; the committee ultimately moved toward reducing that item to $1 million rather than zero so it could be revisited in conference committee. They also discussed a House-added critical access hospital networking grant and similarly leaned toward reducing it to $1 million. Aker explained the department’s value-based purchasing plans, including use of a vendor selected through RFP, and clarified how the department’s existing Medicaid managed care and hospital value-based programs work. A major portion of the meeting focused on long-term care and basic care payments, including a House-added extension of the $5 per day basic care add-on and a proposed shift in nursing facility incentive grants toward a withhold-based model. Senator Mathern indicated he would bring an amendment to delay or modify the withhold change, and Aker said the department would prefer language that directly addresses whether a withhold may be implemented. Members also discussed 1915(i) services, FMAP changes, the Medicaid legacy system modernization carryover, and a House-added legislative intent section on medical assistance. The committee adjourned for the morning with plans to return later to continue Human Services budget work and revisit unresolved items in conference committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• you know, towards the end of World War II and into the Cold War era, uranium mining and nuclear development
• I developed breast cancer at an early age, and I wonder if those two things are connected.
• To increase public safety, as well as workforce development, and I am very proud to carry it.
• Some of those entities that spoke today would like to house some of those students to help develop the
• Especially in rural communities, people don't have access to it.

Transcript Highlights:

• My agency oversees the Opportunity Enterprise Housing Development Fund.
• Not just rural areas, but that you could feasibly build more housing in those areas.
• Instance, through streamlined development review or reduced regulatory barriers.
• And, you know, we are a rural state, and EMS response sometimes takes longer.
• Senator Ferrari keyed in on our call and helped us to develop this proposal.

Transcript Highlights:

• We continue to see rural communities like mine losing access to services.
• As rural hospitals and clinics continue to shudder, 37% of rural Minnesota counties don't have a sexual
• It's our state's county attorneys that have developed this language.
• For many, many sessions, we talked about the need for rural EMS.
• Again, a lot of things have already This is a good bill for hospitals—rural hospitals.

Transcript Highlights:

• , support elite athletic development, support elite athletic development, including<00:25:00.000>
• That's minority businesses, veterans, and all within rural Colorado.
• that 30% of that funding go to rural that 30% of that funding go to rural counties<00:52:57.760>
• veterans, and all within rural Colorado. veterans, and all within rural Colorado.
• of money into developers pockets? of money into developers pockets?

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We work on a number of issues, including economic development and also our community engagement team.
• We support rural, urban, and tribal communities as well.
• Those were development projects. They were significantly higher.
• We developed a new bias awareness training in-house... ...from urban and rural communities.
• The last two things I'm going to talk about: we do a lot to develop places to get outside.

Summary: The Capital Budget Committee heard presentations from the Department of Commerce, the Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO), and a consultant on the School Construction Assistance Program (SCAP) study. Commerce officials described their agency’s role in housing, energy, local government, broadband, and other capital programs, and reported on a $5 million pilot under Senate Bill 5200 that used trusted community messengers and technical assistance to help historically excluded organizations prepare for capital funding. They said 18 organizations received direct support and 79 smaller projects were also funded, but emphasized that statutory match rules, reimbursement-based payments, site-control requirements, insurance and audit costs, and extensive contracting rules remain major barriers. Commerce outlined efforts to expand outreach, digital modernization, internal contracting improvements, tribal MOUs, and innovation centers, and members asked about small business support, housing program placement, and outreach to Eastern Washington and communities of color. RCO described its grant programs for recreation, conservation, education, and salmon/orca recovery, and reviewed equity work done before and after a 2021-23 proviso. The agency had already created a small-communities carve-out in youth athletic facilities, piloted stipends for advisory committee members, and reduced match requirements where allowed. Under the proviso, RCO completed an equity review and a planning program that funded 54 projects across 34 counties, with many applicants being new or long-absent grantees. Staff said the review led to changes in scoring criteria, clearer application guidance, more objective data measures, expanded technical assistance, and targeted community engagement. Members asked about application burden, project sizes, outreach, and how the agency is broadening participation and representation on advisory committees. The final presentation summarized a planning study on SCAP, which examined rising construction costs, fragmented grant programs, local funding barriers, and uneven district capacity. The report recommended nine major changes, including stronger planning support, a new minor-modernization category, a mechanism to use unused funds more quickly, an education-specification prototype, a SCAP enhancement program for low-capacity districts, acceptance of non-SCAP funds, phased modernization, streamlined D-form and reimbursement processes, and revisions to the SCAP formula to better account for grade-band differences, enrollment projections, and regional cost factors. Additional recommendations included ongoing monitoring and evaluation, facilities-impact reviews, matching SCAP increases to construction-cost inflation, earlier locking of funding estimates, flexible program spaces, and updated statewide building-condition assessments. No votes were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• county departments, such as public works or community development.
• The small rural counties in particular Haven't had to consistently pay for it.
• The small rural counties in particular, and the unexpected cost estimated for small rural counties to
• even introduced several fare-free services to better serve residents, especially in underserved and rural
• Additionally, this will help address food insecurity, especially in rural and underserved communities

Summary: The Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee met after several delays while waiting for the Senate to finish its floor session, and the chair announced the committee would begin once a quorum was established. The committee then heard a series of tax-related bills, with most measures being held for suspense except SB 87, which was voted out. The chair also welcomed newly appointed committee member Assembly Member Juan Carrillo. SB 359 would clarify that county-run transit systems qualify for existing sales and use tax exemptions on transit fuels such as diesel and compressed natural gas. Senator Nilo and Placer County testified that the bill would correct an inequity affecting counties operating their own transit services, especially rural counties, and would not create a new state revenue loss because the tax had not been consistently collected. Support came from the California Transit Association and the California State Association of Counties; the bill was sent to suspense. SB 603 would allow county boards of supervisors in disaster-affected counties to extend by up to three years the five-year deadline for transferring a property tax base-year value to replacement property. The author and supporters, including the California Assessors Association and the California Association of Realtors, said the measure would give local governments flexibility to address post-disaster rebuilding delays. SB 293 would extend the deadline for filing intergenerational property transfer claims from six months to three years for disaster-impacted homeowners, with testimony focused on helping families in Altadena and preserving generational homes after the Eaton Fire; the committee discussed possible refinements and the bill was held in suspense. SB 353 would extend the farm-to-food-bank tax credit through 2032, with support emphasizing food security, waste reduction, and the program’s documented results; it too was sent to suspense. SB 723 would raise the threshold for property tax exemptions on low-value properties, with the author arguing it would reduce administrative costs and ease burdens on small businesses, and the committee asked for technical work before the bill was held in suspense. SB 785 would create a $5,000 tax credit for durable medical equipment used by children with complex medical conditions, with supporters saying it could prevent hospitalizations and help families keep medically fragile children at home; it was also sent to suspense. SB 87, which would extend the sales tax exemption for volunteer fire department fundraising activities for five more years, passed the committee on a 5-0 vote and was sent to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• Especially y'all from the rural counties, um.
• And so again, for you all in rural areas, you know, Representative Small lives out in Hatch.
• part, a lot of you are from rural from rural counties, and, and then you're gonna make people drive
• Um, first, uh, we have challenges with mail service delivery in a lot of rural and tribal areas.
• Um, economic development, you said they were in the red on job creations.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's, again, about developing pathways and partnerships, you know, with CSU and UC.
• We've had several conversations with clinics, the community clinics, especially in rural areas.
• We are absolutely committed to serving these rural and place-bound students.
• Some rural counties have no OBGYNs at all.
• It's an economic development strategy.

Summary: The Assembly Higher Education Committee heard several measures focused on community college baccalaureate programs and trustee compensation. AB 2528 would raise the maximum monthly compensation cap for community college district trustees, with the author and supporters arguing the change is permissive, long overdue, and needed to make service more accessible to working people and better reflect community diversity. CSEA took a tweener position, warning about optics and asking for longer public notice before any compensation increase, while some members raised concerns about taxpayer costs and benefits. The bill was discussed but no final vote is reflected in the transcript excerpt. The committee then took up AB 2053, which would authorize Coast Community College District to offer a cybersecurity bachelor’s degree. Supporters said the bill addresses a workforce shortage, serves working adults and veterans, and includes an LAO evaluation and a sunset. CSU and its Academic Senate opposed the bill, arguing it duplicates existing CSU programs and could set a precedent for more one-off degrees. Members also raised questions about funding, Prop. 98, and whether the program would divert resources; the author said the district already has funding and that the bill is a narrow pilot. The committee voted to do pass and re-refer the bill to Appropriations, with several ayes and some no votes, and the roll left open for additional members. AB 2301, a pilot allowing up to 10 community college districts to offer nursing bachelor’s degrees, drew broad support from nursing, labor, and community college groups who said California faces a severe nursing shortage and that community colleges offer a more affordable pathway for working and rural students. CSU and other opponents argued existing ADN-to-BSN pathways are more efficient and that the bill could worsen competition for limited clinical placements and faculty. Members questioned funding and Prop. 98 impacts; the Chancellor’s Office said the pilot would not require new state funding and would rely on existing mechanisms such as Strong Workforce and nursing infrastructure grants. The committee voted to do pass and re-refer AB 2301 to Appropriations, with the roll again left open. The transcript then began AB 2694, a broader workforce-responsive baccalaureate expansion bill intended to address duplication rules and create a more flexible process for community college bachelor’s degrees, but the discussion was not completed in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's, again, about developing pathways and partnerships, you know, with CSU and UC.
• That's, again, about developing pathways and partnerships, you know, with CSU and UC.
• We are absolutely committed to serving these rural and place-bound students.
• Some rural counties have no OB-GYNs at all.
• It's an economic development strategy.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• underserved Prim primarily in uh rural underserved Prim primarily in uh rural Minnesota<00:26:50.960
• for me representing the most rural for me representing the most rural District<00:40:15.079>
• I am the senior director of the Sanaa Foundation's Workforce Development, or human development, as we
• from both Workforce Development Fund and general fund.
• funding from both Workforce Development funding from both Workforce Development Fund<01:27:41.000

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• He's become a true rural champion in all that he's done for us.
• I will be presenting tomorrow at the Legislative Development Commission.
• Relevant agency plans to the Water Development Coordinating Council.
• As we're developing this unified water infrastructure plan, we are in the process of developing a ranking
• And then it goes to the Water Development Coordinating Council.

Keywords: 985, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So I think this is all in development. This is our first time working on this.
• Counties are required to develop three-year plans.
• But the intent is to develop the full process and the... date funding.
• But the intent is to develop the full process and the The intent is to develop the full process and the
• Particularly challenging in our rural areas that have very low response volume.

Summary: The subcommittee heard presentations from the Department of State Hospitals (DSH), the Commission for Behavioral Health, and the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) on budget proposals and implementation updates. DSH outlined its proposed 2026-27 budget, including funding for patient operating expenses, IST solutions savings, conditional release program costs, LPS bed allocation changes, electrical infrastructure projects at Napa and Patton, SB 380 transitional housing feasibility work, and expanded dental services at Metropolitan and Patton. DSH also reported that it has met court-ordered IST treatment benchmarks in the Stiavedi v. Clinton case, with average time to initiate treatment down to about five days and pending placements reduced to roughly 250, while noting that Proposition 36 could increase referrals and SB 1323 may divert some individuals earlier into community-based treatment. Members asked about rising outside hospitalization costs, Medicare enrollment, the timing and structure of capital projects, and whether IST solution funds are being fully used; DSH said the savings reflect slower-than-expected ramp-up of community programs and that the Central California FACT replacement program is still on track for January 2027 activation. The Commission for Behavioral Health described its role under the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA), including data, evaluation, grantmaking, technical assistance, and transparency work. It highlighted the new statewide Innovation Partnership Fund, a five-year, $20 million-per-year program with small and large grant categories; the first RFA drew strong interest, with more than 400 questions and over 1,000 bidders’ conference participants. The Commission also discussed a proposed extension to spend down about $4.1 million remaining for the Alcove Youth Drop-in Center grants so sites can finish implementation and Stanford can complete the final evaluation. Members asked about grant duration, whether projects can be renewed, what qualifies as innovation, and whether the fund could support service delivery rather than awareness campaigns or training; the Commission said awards are expected to be three-year contracts and that proposals must be new or meaningfully expanded approaches that support BHSA priority populations. DHCS reviewed major behavioral health changes under CalAIM and BH Connect, including peer support, mobile crisis, contingency management, traditional health care practices for tribal members, updated specialty mental health access criteria, and new substance use treatment standards based on ASAM’s fourth edition. DHCS reported strong contingency management results, with more than 13,000 members served and 95% testing negative for stimulant use during treatment, and said 21 Indian health care providers have been approved to offer traditional health care practices. It also described BH Connect initiatives such as the $1.9 billion access reform and outcomes incentive program, workforce investments, evidence-based practice expansion, IMD participation by four counties, and transitional rent services. On BHSA implementation, DHCS said it is not tracking individual county contract cuts but is monitoring county plans and statewide outcomes, while stakeholders raised concerns about local prevention and service gaps. DHCS also outlined its H.R. 1 implementation strategy, including outreach, streamlined renewals, exemptions for disabled, substance use, and medically frail individuals, and proposed clinic navigator and outreach funding; it said it has not yet produced a focused estimate of H.R. 1 impacts on behavioral health populations. The discussion ended with DHCS noting that B-CHIP bond funding has supported 437 infrastructure projects, creating 546 new or expanded facilities and more than 9,500 residential beds across the state.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, moving on to page 8, we can see the Economic Development Department.
• That includes $25 million to establish a research and development deployment fund.
• For the Rural Infrastructure Revolving Loan Fund, that's for rural community water programs.
• However, on line 354, there is $12 million specifically for rural air service enhancement.
• on what that $70 million will do to rural carriers in New Mexico.

Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome to the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee.
• I'm in rural Sacramento County, and I strongly oppose this bill.
• And as I told you at the beginning, I'm from rural California.
• And rural areas are seeing higher statistics than anyone.
• And rural areas are seeing higher statistics than anyone.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I come from a rural area in California, and we are struggling with basic infrastructure.
• It will make things safer, particularly in rural communities.
• Eric Will, with Rural County Representatives of California, is in support.
• I'm from a rural area. I fight for rural.
• I'm from a rural area. I fight for rural.

Summary: The Assembly Transportation Committee heard a series of bills focused on transportation safety, climate resilience, wildlife connectivity, parking enforcement, and EV charging reliability. AB 605 would create a pilot program allowing certain hydrogen internal combustion cargo-handling equipment at ports; supporters said it could help ports stay competitive while reducing emissions, while South Coast AQMD raised concerns about possible nitrogen oxide emissions and limits on future regulation. The bill passed on an 11-0 vote to the Natural Resources Committee. AB 1132 would require Caltrans to incorporate community resilience indicators, including socioeconomic factors, into climate vulnerability assessments; supporters from Greenlining, AARP, and others said it would better protect seniors, people with disabilities, and transit users during heat waves and disasters, while some members questioned the cost during a tight budget year. It passed 9-0 to Appropriations, with some members not voting. AB 382 would lower school-zone speed limits to 20 mph and give local agencies more flexibility in how the limit is posted and enforced; supporters cited child pedestrian deaths and safety research, and the bill passed 11-0 to Appropriations. AB 902, as amended, would require transportation projects in wildlife connectivity areas to include wildlife passage features where feasible; supporters emphasized reduced collisions and habitat fragmentation, while the California Building Industry Association and COGs moved from opposition to neutral after amendments. It passed 9-1 to Local Government. AB 1014 would give Caltrans more discretion to lower speed limits on state highways based on local conditions rather than the 85th percentile rule; supporters said it would improve safety in rural and tourist areas, and the bill passed 13-0 to Appropriations. AB 1022 would end towing or booting vehicles solely for unpaid parking tickets, with supporters describing the practice as punitive and harmful to low-income drivers, while cities and parking groups argued it would weaken enforcement and create problems for out-of-state vehicles. The bill passed 9-3 to Appropriations. AB 1423 would require publicly funded EV chargers to meet reliability standards and allow enforcement of uptime requirements; supporters said taxpayers need functioning chargers, while charging-industry opponents objected to retroactive standards and possible conflicts with existing agreements. The bill passed 14-0 to Utilities and Energy. The committee also approved a consent calendar of five bills by voice vote and held roll calls open for additional members to add on.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, this bill is bringing these doctors to rural and underserved communities.
• Um, can you explain the rural and underserved community part of it?
• So that's kind of the part of the point of developing these types of residency programs.
• That, that is, uh, one of the other challenges with actually having rural medicine.
• So in the one aspect of this is a problem in rural medicine, getting people out to these areas and developing

Bills: HB163, HB 296

Keywords: judicial liability, personal bond, felony offenses, judges, criminal justice reform, voter registration, election procedures, change of address, residence requirements, Texas Election Code, Texas election law, residence address, precinct voting, county move, same-county move, Election Code, registrar, statement of residence, polling place, local elections

Transcript Highlights:

• economic development economic development program.<00:07:40.960> On<00:07:41.199> line
• :34.000> onetime development center, a onetime development center, a onetime appropriation<00:
• <00:08:54.240> a Economic Development Associates, a Economic Development Associates, a onetime
• Rise 1.4 million Workforce Development Rise 1.4 million Workforce Development Inc.
• 500,000 Workforce Development Inc. 500,000 Workforce Development Inc.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• in rural communities and community land trusts.
• And because we're a rural state, we have the same issues as other rural states do.
• As a rural state, we need those services.
• So we have the federal Child Care Development Block Grant and Child Care and Development Fund.
• Once we do this, we will develop findings.

Keywords: 908, all