Transcript Highlights:

• I stated a grammatical confusion in the way you changed the language.
• </c> way to get things done. way to get things done.
• The motion prevails and you are on your way to Ways and Means.
• So I'll as amended to Ways and Means.
• </c><00:32:40.200><c> and</c> as amended be re-referred to Ways and as amended be re-referred to Ways

Bills: HF4074

Committee: House State Government Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Like I said, no one else seemed to interpret it that way.
• Like I said, no one else seemed to interpret it that way.
• Uh that's water under the bridge at way.
• So certain way um based on that score.
• Looking at race, uh, as a way to help identify people.

Bills: HB0108 , HB0039 , HB0091 , HB0070

Committee: House Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• from Santa Fe all the way up to Taos.
• Is that not the way you see this? Mr.
• There's other ways to attack this deal.
• And I said this in committee, additional ways.
• The way this is written, this does it.

Bills: HB111 , HB108 , HB145 , HB164 , HB291 , HJR6 , HR1 , HB63 , HB64 , HB165 , HB184 , HB200 , HB4 , HB7 , HB20 , HB65 , HB66 , HB80 , HB88 , HB96 , HB166 , HB285 , HB295 , HB306 , SB29 , SB37 , HJM2 , HJM3 , HJM1 , HM7 , HM17 , HM4 , HM22 , HM23 , HM24 , HM26 , HM2 , HM16 , HM32 , HM13 , HM47 , HM20 , HM51 , HM1 , HM31 , HM35 , HM36 , HM46 , HM53 , HM54 , HM11 , HM14 , HM21 , HM34 , HM50

Keywords: water law, state engineer, civil penalty, compliance order, water rights, overdiversion, illegal diversion, groundwater storage and recovery, well license, permit violation, water enforcement, New Mexico water code, irrigation district, conservancy district, water diversion, unauthorized water sales, measuring device, district court appeal, water resources, water compliance

Transcript Highlights:

• And the only way we win is we build fast.
• But that's one way.
• They're doing a contract somewhere else to be a travel nurse to make way, way more money, sometimes three-plus
• They're doing a contract somewhere else to be a travel nurse to make way, way more money, sometimes three
• Way, way more money, sometimes three-plus times more, and then they come back on a travel contract because

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:20:10.520><c> to</c> other lur teers but there is no way to other lur teers but there is no way
• </c> little bit to say um generally the way little bit to say um generally the way that<00:27:57.159>
• </c> so so House Bill 271 is not not the way so so House Bill 271 is not not the way to<00:39:03.400>
• We’ll get into 145 that way.
• </c> that I don't know I don't like the way that I don't know I don't like the way they<01:08:31.839>

Summary: The subcommittee heard House Bill 2712, which would remove the exam requirement for licensure as a Licensed Social Work Associate (LSWA). Members expressed concern that the exam requirement was only added in 2021 and has not been in place long enough to evaluate, but they also questioned whether licensure should be granted without a meaningful measure of competency. Testimony was split: supporters argued the exam is a barrier for applicants without formal social work education, while opponents said licensure should still require some standard of competency, especially because the title carries public expectations and insurance reimbursement implications. Karina Bonia, speaking for NASW New Hampshire, said there is very limited data because only one person in New Hampshire currently holds an LSWA. She explained that LSWA applicants may have degrees outside social work, unlike licensed social workers, and that the current exam is the same national social work exam used for higher levels of licensure. She argued that this creates a significant barrier for LSWA applicants and noted that LSWA holders are already required to complete 30 hours of training and substantial supervised hours. Members asked for data on pass/fail rates and whether a different exam or practical skills test would be more appropriate. Committee members and OPLC representatives discussed whether the current statute and board rules already provide enough authority for the board to set other criteria, and whether the exam requirement is tied to the social work compact. OPLC indicated that the current rule requires passage of a national proctored exam approved by the board, but that no national exam exists specifically for this level, and that the board may need legislative authority to develop different criteria. The discussion ended with interest in obtaining the existing rule language and possibly revisiting the issue through amendment or future legislation rather than immediately removing the exam requirement.

Transcript Highlights:

• Let me phrase it another way.
• Capital, talent, and ideas move both ways.
• Glendale's cultural role also shows in smaller ways.
• It goes both ways.
• And that's the American way.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's kind of the way people are trending.
• It's kind of the way people are trending.
• This is one way we look at that.
• This is one way we look at that.
• You work your way to a single cell.

Summary: The commission approved the July 11 minutes and then received a detailed follow-up presentation from the Department of Correction on facility footprint, mission-driven housing, programming, and technology. Commissioner Jenkins and Deputy Commissioner Peterson explained recent and planned facility changes, including the closures of Walpole, MCI Cedar Junction, and MCI Concord, the transition of the Plymouth Section 35/Mass Act program to Health and Human Services, the return of Bay State to DOC control for possible future use, and the Shattuck Hospital move to East Newton Pavilion. Members asked about operational capacity, the exclusion of support beds from occupancy figures, and the status of mothballed or unused facilities. Framingham drew particular attention because of its historically low women’s population and planned renovations; members raised concerns about the cost and the need to consider the broader women’s correctional system. A major portion of the meeting focused on mission-driven units and evidence-based programming. DOC described specialized units for health services, nursing care, clinical stabilization, mental health, residential treatment, protective custody, reentry, emerging adults, education, and substance use recovery, and noted that security threat group support beds are not used. Staff explained the distinction between general population beds and support beds, and between programming and treatment. They said core recidivism-reduction programs are based on risk-need responsivity and COMPAS assessments, with Spectrum Health Systems as the current vendor, and presented recidivism data showing lower reoffending among participants who completed programs such as violence reduction, criminal thinking, and the Correctional Recovery Academy. For women, they highlighted the pathways model at MCI Framingham, which combines trauma-informed, gender-responsive services, and reported strong outcomes for those engaged for at least 26 weeks. Members asked about how needs are identified and counted, how declinations are handled, and how the department distinguishes completion from ongoing maintenance. DOC said participation is voluntary, individuals are re-recommended over time, and completion is recorded in the system when criteria are met. They also discussed educational supports for learning disabilities and trauma, including IEP/504 coordination, tutoring, and a new school psychologist for testing. Questions were raised about family reunification programming, and DOC pointed to family-focused services, mediation, Read to Me Mommy, and the Brave unit for young fathers. Sheriff Cabral and Sheriff Cochie praised the presentation and emphasized the importance of family reunification and the realities of trauma in incarcerated people’s lives. The final section highlighted the expanded use of tablets across all facilities. DOC said tablets now support free phone calls, emails, video visits, surveys, educational content, medical updates, sick-call requests, and an earned-good-time app, while also helping with communication during facility closures and with ongoing programming. Staff said the tablets are used both for learning and recreation, and that more than half of the incarcerated population uses them monthly for educational purposes. Members discussed whether user feedback or “reviews” of programs could help increase participation, and DOC said tablet-based surveys make that possible. The meeting ended with general agreement that the department has expanded programming and technology substantially and is using them to support reentry, communication, and facility operations.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm Senator Michael Rodgich [member_8845], Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.
• I have with me the Senate Vice Chair of the Committee on Ways and Means, Senator Joe Comerford [member
• So you've got to kind of prorate it a few different ways.
• And then is there a way to partner with community colleges?
• So, you know, you think about it that way.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Summary: The Senate and House Ways and Means chairs opened the FY 2027 consensus revenue hearing by emphasizing the need for a balanced, fiscally responsible budget amid federal funding cuts, health care cost pressures, and uncertainty around the federal tax law changes referred to as OB3. They also noted the state’s current revenue performance is slightly above benchmark and paid tribute to the late Representative Anne Margaret Ferranti. Secretary of Administration and Finance Matthew Gorkowitz echoed the call for caution, saying Massachusetts has protected core services while building reserves and that the FY27 budget process begins with a careful revenue estimate. Department of Revenue Commissioner Jeff Snyder, along with DOR staff, presented FY26 and FY27 tax forecasts and identified major drivers and risks: OB3’s negative impact on state revenue, surtax collections, labor market conditions, capital gains, and corporate/business excise taxes. DOR estimated OB3 would reduce FY26 revenue by about $664 million and FY27 by about $282 million, while surtax and capital gains were expected to remain strong in FY26 but soften in FY27. Members questioned the outlook for surtax, capital gains, and the potential fiscal effect of a ballot question reducing the income tax rate from 5% to 4%; DOR said that proposal could cost roughly $4.2 billion to $4.8 billion annually, with a smaller but still significant impact in FY27 because of phase-in timing. Treasurer Deb Goldberg testified next on the stabilization fund, lottery, PRIM, unclaimed property, and the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission. She reported the rainy day fund at about $8.1 billion, said the lottery was on track for $1.5 billion in FY26 net profit and projected $1.25 billion in FY27, and highlighted that iLottery is expected to launch in summer 2026 with revenue beginning in FY27 and dedicated to child care initiatives. She also described strong PRIM performance and record unclaimed property returns, while members asked about the child care use of iLottery revenue, multilingual outreach, and the economic impact of expanded liquor licensing. Mass Taxpayers Foundation President Doug Howgate and Tufts’ Evan Horowitz then offered differing revenue outlooks and policy warnings. Howgate projected modest growth, cautioned against overusing reserves for ongoing obligations, and urged caution on federal tax conformity changes and health care spending pressures. Horowitz projected higher FY26 and FY27 revenues than other witnesses, warned that the surtax and capital gains make the tax system more volatile, and said a 4% income tax ballot question could reduce FY27 revenues by roughly $800 million to $1 billion. He also flagged the rent control ballot question as a potential risk to municipal finance and suggested the state consider giving a permanent home to the independent revenue model used by Alan Clayton-Matthews.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's no way that a contract like that should be permissible.
• They saw I was a vulnerable kid with a big name and no way out.
• , and it's not just one way.
• and it's not just one way.
• I really appreciate that. just this way and it's not just one way it's it's a lot of nuance to this I

Summary: The committee held an informational hearing on name, image, and likeness (NIL) and financial literacy for student athletes, with members framing California as a national leader on NIL but emphasizing the need for stronger protections and more consistent education. The chair and witnesses discussed how NIL opportunities now include both third-party endorsement deals and school revenue-sharing arrangements, and how the current landscape varies widely by institution, leaving athletes with a patchwork of rules and support. Several witnesses argued that student athletes, especially younger ones and those from low-income or first-generation backgrounds, are vulnerable to predatory contracts, tax problems, and pressure from family, agents, or lenders. The first panel featured Tyree Dillingham and Brandon Copeland, who called for standardized financial literacy, better guardrails against predatory NIL advances, and a player-led association or similar collective voice for athletes. They described examples of athletes not understanding paychecks, taxes, or contract terms, and warned that some schools and collectives blur the line between education and marketing. Copeland also argued that college athletics now functions like a professional business and that athletes need representation and a standard contract structure to protect them. The second panel focused on lived experience, including testimony from attorney Anthony Coronae and student athlete Mikey Williams. Coronae described reviewing a contract that he said functioned like a predatory loan disguised as marketing support, with the company taking exclusive rights to Williams’ NIL and requiring repayment far beyond the advance. Williams testified that he signed without a lawyer, later lost endorsements, scholarship, and housing stability, and only later learned the contract’s consequences. He said a required financial literacy course at Sacramento State helped him begin to understand budgeting, taxes, and contracts, and he urged the legislature to require legal review or stronger safeguards for athletes. The third panel, from San Diego State University, highlighted a more structured institutional model. Athletic director Brendan Hill described a mandatory four-year life-skills program that includes financial literacy, resume workshops, internships, and branding education, while student athlete Sloan Benchoff said the program helped her manage money and prepare for post-college life. Witnesses agreed that support is uneven across schools, that some agents and lenders are exploiting athletes, and that California should consider standardized financial education and agent regulation while also being careful not to create rules that unintentionally restrict athlete rights. No formal vote or bill action was taken at the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• It will go to Ways and Means, correct?
• And, you know, we talked about this all the way back then.
• But they only notice the roof they've got damage in some way.
• This is a long-winded way of saying not necessarily.
• It was to Ways and Means, right?

Bills: HF4881 , HF4867 , HF4422 , HF4223

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• This one, in many ways, is just a powerhouse.
• So it's come a long way in the last 50 years.
• And we also compete with China in many ways.
• I will also be giving you facts in a way.
• Is there a way to... Through innovation and technology, and the way for us to do that.

Summary: The Assembly Select Committee on Biotechnology and Medical Technology met on August 19, 2025 to examine the effects of federal grant cuts, tariff uncertainty, and related policy changes on California’s biotech, medtech, and academic research ecosystem. The chair and panelists emphasized California’s outsized role in the industry, describing major clusters in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego, and explaining how research, startup formation, manufacturing, and clinical trials are interconnected across the state. Speakers from Biocom California, California Life Sciences, Farma, UC, Stanford, CSU Biotech, and UCLA all argued that NIH and NSF funding are foundational to discovery, workforce training, and commercialization, and that disruptions are already chilling venture capital, startup formation, and hiring. Witnesses described several concrete impacts: suspended or terminated grants, reduced doctoral admissions, fewer training opportunities, canceled retreats and internships, and anxiety among graduate students and early-career researchers. UC reported hundreds of millions of dollars in suspended or terminated NIH and NSF funding, while Stanford said more than a thousand training and career-development grants nationwide have been frozen or ended, affecting multiple trainees per grant. CSU Biotech said 133 federal grants had been terminated, scaled back, or canceled, totaling about $140 million, including nearly $30 million from NIH and NSF. Industry representatives also warned that proposed antitrust limits on mergers and acquisitions could undermine the standard biotech exit path and further deter investment. Committee members asked about the duration of the disruption, the possibility of state action to offset federal losses, and whether California could better support workforce development, manufacturing, and R&D tax credits. Panelists urged the Legislature to preserve and expand state support for STEM education, internships, apprenticeship pathways, manufacturing incentives, and the R&D tax credit, and to consider infrastructure and housing as part of competitiveness. They also noted that tariffs are already raising costs for medtech components and building materials, and that China is increasingly competing for R&D, talent, and licensing deals. No formal votes or bill actions were taken at the hearing; the meeting was informational and focused on testimony and discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> relationship the way it exists today. relationship the way it exists today.
• </c> first just to get it out of the way. first just to get it out of the way.
• Is there a way to...
• </c> this way or you're leaning that way." this way or you're leaning that way."
• </c> way around. way around.

Committee: House Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> way to get all children healthcare. way to get all children healthcare.
• </c> ways to vaccinate children. ways to vaccinate children.
• , there's no way, no way my kids you, there's no way, no way my kids getting<02:38:35.040><c> any</c>
• sort of a DC way to implement this bill and there's a New Hampshire way.
• </c> mentioned New Hampshire way and DC way. mentioned New Hampshire way and DC way.

Committee: House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• When the railroad went through 150 years ago, what was the normal right-of-way?
• How wide was the normal right-of-way? I'd say I How wide was the normal right-of-way?
• Either way, they wrote a check and we cashed it. So it's a big check.
• And that way, they kind of become a retailer in a way as well.
• It's just the way that you have it listed that there is no liability in any way.

Committees: House Agriculture , House Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• I know that the way statute is written right now, it allows for installment payments.
• I give my friends that I have that are way, way more into the Constitution, knowledge-wise than I am,
• And the way it runs is because of the assessment cycle.
• And the way it runs is because of the assessment cycle.
• There's really not a way to know, but it is the only tool that we have.

Committee: House Special Committee on Property Tax Reform

Summary: The Special Committee on Property Tax Reform heard public testimony on House Bills 3253 and 3254, presented by Representatives Steinhoff and Jobe. The bills would expand assessor training and continuing education requirements, require physical inspections for large assessment increases on commercial property as well as residential property, allow greater use of technology and remote imagery in assessments, create optional electronic notices and communications for taxpayers, and move toward setting property tax levies by subclass with a small-parcel exception. The bill also included provisions to raise the per-parcel reimbursement floor for assessors, reimburse local governments for revenue losses tied to SB 190 and SB 3, provide payment options during appeals, and require counties to offer installment payment options for property taxes. The sponsors said the proposal was built from bipartisan committee discussions and statewide listening sessions, and they emphasized assessor professionalism, taxpayer flexibility, and fairness in the assessment process. Committee members asked about assessor training, the fiscal note, the parcel reimbursement formula, and how the subclass levy system would work in small jurisdictions. Witnesses from the Missouri Special Districts Association and school administrators generally supported the concepts of better assessor training, more resources, and taxpayer payment flexibility, while also warning about implementation burdens and the fiscal impact of state backfill for SB 190 and SB 3. Testimony also focused on the accuracy of ratio studies and the fairness of moving to subclass-based levies. Some members argued the current system can shift tax burdens unfairly between residential, commercial, and agricultural property owners, while others cautioned that the new structure could create winners and losers depending on local assessment practices. A representative from the State Tax Commission clarified that commissioners do receive training, corrected the parcel reimbursement discussion to note the first 20,000 parcels are treated differently under current law, and said the commission already provides assessor training. No votes were taken, and the committee adjourned after public testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, about in another way that we measure, bridges is by square foot of deck.
• Another way to look at this is a million dollars in 2021 is in today's dollars about $660,000.
• Could that be combined in some way?
• maybe the way station revolving fund rather than get it out of roads.
• And we found a way to do that without requesting additional funding for those.

Transcript Highlights:

• And if we're not doing that, then we're really not connecting the way we should.
• administration, the actual way that you’re implementing...
• administration, the actual way that you’re implementing the program.
• It's our plan to have something good, and in his whole new way of...
• It's our plan to have something good, and it is a whole new way of thinking.

Committee: All ALC-HOSPITAL, MEDICAID, & DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES STUDY SUBCOMMITTEE

Summary: The committee heard a presentation from Nick Moore, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Office of Career and Technical Education, focused on integrating workforce, education, training, and human services systems. Moore argued that WIOA, Perkins, and ESSA should be aligned more closely, with fewer federal and state bureaucratic layers, more state flexibility, and a stronger emphasis on labor force participation, postsecondary attainment, and training tied to in-demand jobs. He said the federal agencies are moving toward combined plan timelines for 2026, encouraged states to pursue combined plans and waivers, and described efforts to streamline reporting, reduce administrative overhead, and expand tools such as integrated intake, cross-training, virtual and mobile service delivery, apprenticeship, and talent marketplaces. Moore also emphasized accountability and outcomes, saying states should measure training-related employment, retention, and the share of funds going to direct services rather than administration. He criticized the current workforce system as too costly and ineffective, and said states should use primary labor market information, better wage records, and employer input to align training with actual job demand. Members asked about balancing flexibility with accountability, the role of employers versus postsecondary institutions, serving rural “training deserts,” state waivers, and data-sharing systems such as Mississippi’s workforce technology efforts. Moore said states can use waivers and technology to create common intake and co-enrollment across programs, and that enhanced wage records are key to better workforce planning. The committee then received a separate update from DHS Secretary Janet Mann and Director Jay Hill on reimbursement rates for aging and adult behavioral health services. They said DHS had compiled more than 100 public comments, submitted a recommendation to the governor to hold current rates, and was awaiting executive review, which they estimated could take 30 to 60 days. Members asked about the timeline and the scope of the legislation requiring monthly reports. The meeting ended with notice of a later audit presentation scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at the Big Mac building.

Transcript Highlights:

• I am way over time.
• For a decade, I have been trying to find ways to get that problem resolved with help, and the only way
• But the way state law works...
• That framework does not functionally change in any way.
• Has rigor been diminished for those students in any way?

Bills: SB8 , SB 8

Committees: Senate Education , Senate Education K-16

Transcript Highlights:

• Once your name is called, please make your way to the front. to these seats.
• This has been bipartisan in a way.
• That's the hope—that Big Food is going to respond in that way.
• I'm testifying on behalf of SB314, by the way.
• They hired top chefs and were able to do this in ways that came...

Bills: SB 25 , SB25 , SB314

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• It takes you all the way to the James J. Hill House to reach three-quarters of a mile.
• </c><00:48:26.000><c> in</c> Administration is leading the way in Administration is leading the way in
• </c><00:50:24.760><c> no</c> second that that is Affordable way no second that that is Affordable way
• We received 40 applications from 29 applicants, way more than the funding was allowed.
• </c> those laws and they're doing so in a way those laws and they're doing so in a way that<01:30:49.880

Committee: House Energy Finance and Policy