Transcript Highlights:

• and monitor them, not Big Brother, but track and monitor.
• and monitor them, not Big Brother, but track and monitor.
• and monitor them, not Big Brother, but track and monitor.
• and monitor them, not Big Brother, but track and monitor.
• and monitor them, not Big Brother, but track and monitor.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board received a presentation from Dr. Stack and Commissioner Langfeld on Kentucky’s application for a federal Medicaid-related funding opportunity tied to House Resolution 1. They described a compressed six-week stakeholder process that produced more than 50 responses and letters of support, and said the application was organized around five broad priorities: maternal health, behavioral health and substance use disorder, oral health, EMS/trauma response, and chronic disease. They emphasized that the proposal was designed to align with CMS goals, use allowable funding categories, and focus on sustainability rather than a short-term grant. Commissioner Langfeld outlined five core initiatives: rural community hubs for chronic care innovation, beginning with obesity and diabetes; a maternal and infant health effort called POWER; a behavioral health and substance use model called IMPATH; an oral health initiative called Rooted in Health; and an integrated crisis-to-care EMS and trauma response effort. He said the chronic disease work would include prevention, food-as-medicine concepts, and technology tools, while the maternal health effort would expand team-based care around mothers and infants using community health workers and doulas. The behavioral health proposal would build on existing crisis intervention models, oral health would address workforce and access gaps through training, mobile vans, and telehealth, and the EMS proposal would better connect emergency response with home-based and community care. Several senators questioned whether the proposal would meaningfully address rural hospital closures or the broader rural health care crisis. Senator Meredith said the plan was not transformational and would not save rural hospitals, while Senator Berg asked how success would be measured. In response, the presenters said they would use both lagging and leading indicators, with an emphasis on rapid-cycle feedback and data use that is more actionable in real time. They also said the work could help existing models that already show promise, such as behavioral health units and dental workforce expansion, even if it would not solve the larger funding gap created by HR1. Senator Douglas asked how the proposals would motivate patients to participate in their own health care. The presenters responded that the chronic disease prevention work would focus on obesity, diabetes prevention, nutrition, and consumer-facing technology tools to help people engage in their own care, and that EMS-community health worker partnerships could identify unmet needs in the home and reduce preventable problems. The board then moved on to its next agenda item, Medicaid managed care delivery models, with Tom Stevens, Katherine North, and Dr. Patel scheduled to present.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:38:27.760> that overturned and again we we do track that overturned and again we we do
• track that and<00:38:28.320> happy<00:38:28.560> to<00:38:28.720> provide<00:38
• The witness said that is not currently a metric that they have tracked.
• So tracking whether they open or close is not something they currently attach to the hub.
• Uh but the could track going forward.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Government Contract Committee met with a quorum, observed a moment of silence for Representative McCool after the death of his sister, and approved the April 14 minutes. The committee then reviewed a large agenda of contracts and amendments, beginning with a deferred Office of the Controller procurement involving broker services. Members questioned why a contract that had previously been handled for about $300,000 annually was now priced at about $1 million, and why the procurement was limited to one year. Office of the Controller staff said the prior vendor had held the work for more than 20 years, the work had previously been treated as not practical to bid, and the new RFP was intended to increase competition. They said the technical evaluation was scored before cost was considered, that past performance was not scored because it was seen as unreliable, and that AON received the highest technical score despite not being the lowest bidder. After discussion, the committee voted to take no action and let the contract proceed to the Finance Cabinet, with members noting continuing concerns about the pricing and process. The committee next considered a DCBS memorandum of agreement amendment for language services. DCBS representatives said the additional funding did not come from a new cut elsewhere, but from reduced spending on interpreter services because commonly used forms had been translated into other languages, freeing up funds for the contract. The committee approved the item unanimously. The final major item discussed was an initial contract for the Board of Hairdressers and Cosmetologists for legal services. Board staff said the board had been without a permanent general counsel since March 2024 and had relied on special and conflict counsel because of unusually heavy litigation, including 11 active cases, plus broader disciplinary and licensing changes tied to recent legislation and an oversight report. They said the contract was a not-to-exceed amount funded entirely by agency fees and that the board was currently running a surplus. Senator Thomas urged support, citing prior legislation and oversight findings about problems at the board and saying the contract was needed to help the board address ongoing litigation and corrective work. The committee approved the contract and then approved the remaining agenda items without objection, sending them forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• But I noticed that DEES says it would need a new tracking system.
• need a new tracking need a new tracking system<00:28:45.240> is<00:28:45.679> that
• need additional staff and a new tracking need additional staff and a new tracking system<00:34:11.639
• Okay, to get us on the right parliamentary track, Senator Burel moves ought to pass.
• Yes, we'll keep track of it. Thank you.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm not going to say that a press release is all that we need to do in order to get kids on track.
• They're doing real-time attendance tracking because they're making their systems talk to each other,
• Attendance needs to be tracked and assessed at the state level.
• Attendance needs to be tracked and assessed at the state level.
• <01:15:09.440> the that currently Local Schools track the that currently Local Schools track

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• as being any sort of assistance, and in fact, we were the largest vocal group against the proposed track
• The recent attempt to install a thoroughbred horse racing track here in Leicester is what first called
• In addition, land bank staff are eager to use their extensive experience to administer, review, track
• , a leading resource organization that tracks the cost of construction and housing, puts the state of
• And that means we're just nowhere near on track to meet the state mandates for the housing we want to

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Revenue held a public hearing on a series of bills focused largely on local-option real estate transfer fees and housing funding tools for communities facing severe affordability pressures. Testimony strongly favored bills for Somerville, Concord, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, Chatham, and a statewide local-option transfer fee, with speakers arguing that high-end real estate transactions should help fund affordable housing, anti-displacement efforts, workforce housing, and related capital improvements. Elected officials and local housing leaders described rising rents and home prices, investor activity, shrinking year-round housing stock, and difficulty recruiting or retaining teachers, police, health care workers, and other essential employees. Several witnesses emphasized that the proposals would be optional for municipalities, could include exemptions for first-time homebuyers or seniors, and would direct revenue into local affordable housing trust funds or housing banks. Committee members asked questions about who would pay the fee and whether it could make housing less affordable, and supporters responded that the fees would be targeted at higher-value transactions and designed with local flexibility. For Somerville, the delegation and Mayor Katjana Ballantyne backed both a local home rule petition and statewide enabling legislation, saying the city has already used zoning reform, inclusionary zoning, and local housing funds but still needs a new revenue source to address displacement and investor-driven purchases. For Concord, Representative Carmine Gentile and Concord housing advocates supported a home rule petition and the statewide bill, arguing that a modest fee on sales above $1 million could generate predictable revenue for affordable housing production and preservation. One committee exchange focused on whether the fee would affect most Concord sales and whether it would be passed on to buyers; supporters said the policy was intended to shift costs toward higher-value properties and help leverage other funding sources. The committee also heard testimony on House 4105, which would redirect a casino-related revenue stream to the Healthy Incentives Program. Farmers, advocates, and residents said the current funding was originally intended to support horse racing but has not met that goal, and that the money would be better used to support Massachusetts farmers and food-insecure residents through HIP. In a separate bill, Senator Becca Rausch testified in support of Senate 268, which would create a state-level hostile learning environment complaint process for higher education institutions and potentially strip tax exemptions from colleges or universities found to have such environments; she cited anti-Semitic and transphobic incidents on campuses and argued that existing federal protections should be mirrored in state law. The hearing also included testimony on college tuition debt reduction legislation from Senator Michael Moore, who said the bill would allow a deduction for tuition and fees paid to Massachusetts public colleges and universities to ease student debt and support the state’s workforce. A major portion of the hearing focused on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket housing bank proposals. Hospital, school, housing, planning, and municipal officials from Martha’s Vineyard said the island’s year-round housing shortage is harming health care, schools, and the local workforce, and urged approval of a housing bank funded by a local-option transfer fee. Nantucket witnesses made similar arguments, pointing to a very high median home price, a large seasonal housing stock, and the need for a dedicated revenue stream to preserve and create year-round housing. Supporters repeatedly cited the long-running success of the islands’ land banks as evidence that transfer fees can work without harming real estate markets. Senator Julian Cyr and Representative Thomas Moakley Luddy also backed the Cape and Islands transfer-fee bills, saying the region needs bold action and a sustainable local funding source to address its housing crisis.

Transcript Highlights:

• How have you been able to track where you're able to find audience... ...to know about Trevor, how have
• you been able to track where you're able to find audiences and make them aware, and therefore make your
• And so I think having research and supporting research and funding research to help track that.
• So much of the data that we need to be able to keep track of these outcomes that I just mentioned, the
• Much as you're trying to quickly monitor, track, measure, sort of what the behavior changes are looking

Summary: The Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee held an informational hearing on the impact of social media on LGBTQ+ youth, focusing on benefits, risks, and possible safeguards. Chair members framed the discussion around the tension between protecting young people from addictive design, harassment, hate speech, exploitation, and mental health harms while preserving access to affirming resources, community, and crisis support that many LGBTQ+ youth rely on online. Members emphasized that the hearing was meant to inform future policy rather than relitigate prior bills, and several members of the LGBTQ+ Caucus attended or participated. The first panel featured lived experience and advocacy testimony from Madi Roby of Alliance for Trans Youth Rights, Shea Gardner of LGBT Tech, and Casey Pick of the Trevor Project. Roby described social media as essential to exploring identity, finding trans language and safety information, and connecting to Trevor Project resources during a family crisis, while also acknowledging online hate and bullying. Gardner argued that lawmakers should regulate harms more precisely rather than impose broad age-based exclusions, warning that account bans and age-gating could cut off access to community, privacy-protective pseudonymity, and crisis resources. Pick testified that LGBTQ+ youth are more likely than peers to attempt suicide, that social media can be both a lifeline and a risk, and that Trevor Space and other moderated online spaces can improve mental health and reduce isolation; she also cautioned against policies that would push youth into less visible, less moderated spaces. Committee members questioned the witnesses about algorithmic feeds, addictive design, age verification, and whether platforms should be required to do more to protect youth. Several lawmakers distinguished between personalized feeds and addictive features such as infinite scroll and autoplay, and asked for more targeted prescriptions. Witnesses generally supported stronger privacy protections, limits on data collection and use, better reporting and moderation tools, digital literacy, and design changes that reduce harmful engagement patterns without eliminating access to community. The discussion also touched on the loss of LGBTQ-specific 988 services at the national level and the importance of maintaining alternative support pathways. The second panel presented research from Common Sense Media, UC Irvine, Hope Lab, and LGBTQ+ Health Australia. Researchers reported that LGBTQ+ youth often arrive online with higher depressive symptoms and limited in-person support, encounter homophobic and transphobic content at high rates, and may self-censor because of fear of harassment. At the same time, many said social media helps them feel less alone and find affirmation. Dr. Sean Young emphasized a harm-reduction approach, noting that online environments can be designed to support health and that policymakers should measure whether restrictions actually reduce harm or simply displace it. Dr. Amy Green echoed that social media is both harmful and supportive for LGBTQ+ youth, underscoring that the policy goal should be to make youth safer rather than less visible online.

Transcript Highlights:

• Tribes must have direct access to and input into the systems that track these cases.
• We need a mandatory statewide MMIP tracking system with transparency and transparency and public.
• IP tracking system with transparency and public reporting.
• Also, the need for data transparency, make sure there's tracking MMIP.
• Of the 3,000 children that were tracked between 2012 and 2021, 53% of the Native children came out of

Summary: The Select Committee on Native American Affairs held an informational hearing on the state’s response to the missing and murdered Indigenous people (MMIP) crisis, with an added focus on foster youth and child welfare. Opening remarks from the chair and members emphasized that California has made some progress through the Feather Alert, DOJ coordination, grant funding, and MMIP summits, but that the crisis remains severe and requires ongoing, not one-time, investment. Members repeatedly noted the need for stronger statewide coordination, better data, and more consistent attention to tribal communities and foster youth. Tribal leaders described the crisis as rooted in jurisdictional gaps, poor data collection, and lack of urgency from law enforcement. Witnesses from Hamul, Chachancey, Tahon, Yurok, and Hoopa tribes shared personal accounts of missing and murdered relatives, criticized inconsistent responses, and called for regional response agreements, direct tribal access to data, sustained funding, and clearer law enforcement protocols in Public Law 280 settings. Several leaders said Feather Alert and state grants have helped build infrastructure and partnerships, but stressed that trust-building, training, and accountability are still uneven across the state. The second panel featured the California Highway Patrol and the Department of Justice’s Office of Native American Affairs, both of which reported on implementation improvements. CHP said it has tightened Feather Alert practices, increased activations, improved outreach and training, appointed a tribal liaison, and expanded human trafficking training. DOJ described work under AB 3099 and AB 1334, including a Public Law 280 advisory council, improved crime reporting and data systems, MMIP outreach, and a tribal police pilot program with the Yurok Tribe. Members also raised the need to better support tribal courts and ensure protection orders are enforced. The final panel focused on foster youth as part of the MMIP crisis. Advocates from Pitt River, the California Tribal Families Coalition, and Coyote Valley said Native children are disproportionately represented in foster care and are at heightened risk of going missing or being exploited. They argued that foster care, trafficking, poverty, housing instability, and historical trauma are all connected to MMIP, and called for stronger ICWA implementation, culturally grounded services, better coordination with social workers and law enforcement, and immediate use of Feather Alert when Native children are missing. No formal votes were taken; the hearing was informational and ended with continued calls for legislative, budgetary, and policy action.

Transcript Highlights:

• their DE6, which they would submit quarterly, that shows the wages, the overtime wages, and it's all tracked
• 848, authored by Senator Perez, which, among other things, created a permanent statewide database to track
• 848, authored by Senator Perez, which, among other things, created a permanent statewide database to track
• went really far to actually try and make sure that anyone who would do harm to a student would be tracked
• We just don't track it by employer. We don't report it to the Legislature.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• did take action with the legislature's approval through administrative rule procedures to at least track
• So, I've been tracking for about 2.5 years, so that data is available for the legislature to see fee
• We are doing well and staying on track. Thank you for being here today.
• We track that in order to recognize educational attainment.
• their CE and allowing for staff to also track that continuing education as well.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The challenge is often having difficulties tracking down parents of those students and their attendance
• For more UN videos visit www.un.org opportunities to track down the parents of students missing out on
• with their students in the pre-existing school climate local indicator, which is a survey used to track
• thing to actually track for our school systems as they move into these CTE programs and that's already
• I don't know if it's 80-20 or whatever it is as the bill moves forward, but we don't want to lose track

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It seems to be on a possible track to success.
• Um, again, and so one of the things that state fed does is track where that is and then tries to help
• We also track and investigate complaints that come in from.
• That's his track because it's out of hand. the Austin City Council and we really had to take a deep look
• A list of inmates that have an immigration detainer issued so that we do keep track of these individuals

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Dixon said, and like all the other states, we track on a three-year timeline, so fiscal years 2019, 2020
• It helps us to track information on staff. In addition to that, we don't just collect information.
• And in the first nine months, we handled over 2,800 youth that I think now are on the right track, and
• they were on the wrong track before.
• But again, we're on a great track, and we look forward to being able to keep all of you informed and

Summary: The committee met to hear an overview of the Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice budget area and then received performance-measure presentations from the Department of Corrections, the Commission on Offender Review, and the Department of Juvenile Justice. Staff reviewed the roughly $7.4 billion criminal justice and judiciary budget, noting major funding areas such as corrections, law enforcement, victim services, courts, and due process, along with recent investments in prison health care, security equipment, fentanyl enforcement, court staffing, and juvenile justice salaries and education programs. Secretary Dixon of the Department of Corrections described staffing and population pressures, including growth in inmate population, overtime-driven deficits, and the opening of additional housing units. He emphasized the department’s use of performance measures and highlighted reforms such as incentivized prisons, administrative management units, reentry planning, faith-based programs, and expanded education and vocational training. Members asked about teacher hiring, public defender pay parity, fentanyl funding, staffing capacity, and the role of the National Guard; Dixon said teacher vacancies had improved, public defenders had received comparable pay increases, fentanyl funding would be addressed further by FDLE, and the Guard had helped stabilize staffing. The Commission on Offender Review reported on parole, conditional release, addiction recovery supervision, and revocations, saying its recidivism/success rates had improved over a three-year measurement period. Senator Rouson pressed the commission on clemency and pardons, saying that work was omitted from the presentation and asking for backlog and case data; the commission said it did not have those figures on hand and would follow up. The committee also discussed a conditional medical release pilot study, and members questioned the report’s conclusion that no suitable elderly inmate population could be identified, asking what criteria were used and whether stakeholders were consulted. Secretary Hall of the Department of Juvenile Justice outlined the agency’s prevention-to-residential continuum and its emphasis on education, data-driven decision-making, and evidence-based programming. He said salary increases had reduced vacancies, juvenile arrests and residential commitments had fallen sharply over time, and tools such as civil citations, risk assessments, and quality-improvement reviews were being used to guide placements and services. Hall also described the department’s use of dashboards, monthly data check-ins, and the dispositional matrix to improve outcomes and reduce recidivism.

Transcript Highlights:

• We do, of course, track time, but tracking time to that level of staff so that we can estimate accurately
• > um<01:04:27.280> tracking<01:04:27.760> time course track time but um tracking
• time course track time but um tracking time to<01:04:28.319> that<01:04:28.559> level<
• It's something that you need to continue to develop over time and track and improve.
• um tracking. um tracking.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• know the CLA from your team took the minutes and stuff yesterday, so I'm hoping that they've got the track
• ><00:01:50.880> the hoping that they've they've got the hoping that they've they've got the track
• We can get back to them with the track.
• State program fraud was a new category that we tracked beginning in 2025.
• that we tracked beginning in 2025. that we tracked beginning in 2025.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We track this and we submit it nationally for comparisons across states and across regions.
• Uh, and then our tracking wages, etc.
• We<01:03:53.440> track<01:03:53.760> this<01:03:54.000> and<01:03:54.240> we<
• /c><01:03:54.400> submit<01:03:54.720> it We track this and we submit it We track this
• have been doing of course is tracking have been doing of course is tracking carefully<01:32:24.960

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I just want to give you some outcomes that we are tracking—real outcomes.
• I just want to give you some outcomes that we are tracking—real outcomes.
• I just want to give you some outcomes that we are tracking—real outcomes.
• I just want to give you some outcomes that we are tracking—real outcomes.
• I just want to give you some outcomes that we are tracking—real outcomes.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board reconvened and heard a presentation from the Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Control unit. AG staff described the unit’s structure and work: it investigates and prosecutes Medicaid provider fraud, and also handles abuse, neglect, and exploitation cases involving vulnerable adults in facility settings when asked to assist. They said the office has prosecutors, detectives, auditors, and support staff, works with federal partners, Commonwealth’s attorneys, CHFS, DMS, OIG, and MCOs, and uses a hotline and referral line for complaints. They also explained the MCO referral process, including monthly meetings, stand-down lists, and review of referrals for a “credible allegation of fraud” before the AG office decides whether to open a criminal or civil investigation. The presentation focused heavily on current fraud trends. Staff said behavioral health is a major concern, along with participant-directed waiver services, medically assisted treatment, cash billing for services, controlled-substance billing, and vision and dental fraud. They gave examples such as duplicate time sheets for family caregivers, questionable Suboxone counseling and urine drug screening practices, and a prior optometry case involving false claims for children’s glasses. They also discussed CMS’s estimate that about 5% of Medicaid payments are improper, noted that most improper payments are at the fee-for-service level, and said there is no reliable overall fraud-rate estimate. They highlighted a sharp shift in behavioral health billing after the cabinet’s November 1, 2024 policy changes, saying individual psychotherapy spending dropped while group billing increased, suggesting providers may have moved billing to different codes. Members asked about the scale and timing of cases, how MCO referrals are screened, and whether the data reflected more people being served or just higher spending. The AG office said investigations can take years, with some federal cases still awaiting sentencing from 2018 and 2019 matters, and that they currently had nine individuals awaiting sentencing in federal court. They also reported 58 hotline reports during the referenced period, six cases opened from MCO referrals, and four additional MCO referrals not accepted for active cases. Several members raised concerns about home-based services and the risk of abuse or fraud when family members are reimbursed, and asked whether the process could be streamlined; the AG office said it had no immediate recommendations but would be willing to return with suggestions after further review.

Transcript Highlights:

• How do you keep track of that? Well, thank you for that question. how do you keep track of that?
• We do track how many physicians don't renew.
• It's hard to keep track of them.
• It's hard to keep track of them.
• Maybe they have a track phone, and maybe it's got limited minutes.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• folks then that are tracking. folks then that are tracking.
• And we have a tracking form that tracks the individuals so that we are on top of making sure that people
• And so that they track this carefully.
• And we have a tracking<00:56:27.359> form<00:56:27.839> that<00:56:28.160> tracks
• ><00:56:28.559> the tracking form that tracks the tracking form that tracks the individuals<00

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They have a track record of having done similar adaptive reuse of older buildings throughout the Northeast
• They have a track record of having done similar. develop it themselves.
• They have a track record of having done similar adaptive reuse of older buildings throughout the Northeast
• there, I was trying to decide whether or not, but you convinced me we probably shouldn't ruin our track

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But we also know people who are really in that space, so they're not tracking every, you know, whether
• hearing, and I was talking about EBT and SNAP, and I had asked the Department of Social Services, do we track
• And it was astonishing. ...is do we track how many people come off of those benefits?
• We don't actually track how many people are coming off of those benefits.

Summary: The Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee heard several housing bills. AB 2270, by Assemblymember Arambula, would give farmworker housing projects scoring parity in the state low-income housing tax credit program so they are not disadvantaged by amenity-proximity criteria that do not fit rural agricultural areas. Supporters, including La Cooperativa Campesina, said the bill would help farmworker projects compete fairly for credits; there was no opposition, and the bill was later approved 11-0 and sent to Appropriations. The committee also considered AB 2552, which would clarify use of the state’s new CEQA vehicle miles traveled (VMT) mitigation bank for affordable housing near transit. The author and supporters from the California Building Industry Association and business groups said the bill would add guardrails so the program is cost-effective and usable, while Housing California, the Planning and Conservation League, and others opposed the least-cost requirement, arguing it could undercut the new mitigation bank before implementation. After discussion about balancing housing and environmental goals, the bill passed 11-1 to Appropriations. AB 2689 would require good cause for nonrenewal of certain state-subsidized housing tenancies when a household’s income exceeds 140% of area median income for two consecutive years, with notice requirements and protections if the tenant cannot afford market rent. Some members supported the bill as a way to free up scarce subsidized units and create a housing “ladder,” while others objected that it could punish people for increasing their income. The bill was amended and passed 11-1. The consent calendar items AB 2308, AB 2397, and AB 2512 were also approved unanimously.