Transcript Highlights:

• But I challenge the Legislative Finance Committee to ask the necessary questions: what's needed?
• We've built pathways in Business, Health Sciences, Agriculture, Culinary, and Energy.
• In Lovington, we've put real energy into attracting, growing, and retaining great educators.
• We're still producing energy as a state, particularly down in this region.
• And the time and the energy, and I'll talk about that in a little bit in just a second.

Transcript Highlights:

• All right, this committee hearing to order, the Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy Committee.
• This same clean energy and climate plan also includes a strategy to reduce miles driven, but with no
• This same clean energy and climate plan also includes a strategy to reduce miles driven, but with no
• And the state's clean energy and climate plan lays out really clearly that to achieve those goals, we
• It is the inclusion of so-called sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, as a clean energy.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy

Summary: The committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy heard testimony on several transportation and clean-fuel bills. Supporters of H. 3535 argued for delaying or pausing enforcement of Massachusetts’ zero-emission vehicle sales mandate, saying the current ACC2 timeline is unrealistic given low ZEV sales, limited charging infrastructure, dealer inventory concerns, and potential economic impacts on dealerships, consumers, and tax revenue. Opponents of that approach, including automakers and clean transportation advocates, said the state should stay on course with electrification and that the mandate is necessary to meet climate goals. The committee also heard support for H. 3570/S. 2326 to update vehicle emission standards for municipal and utility fleets, with municipal utility representatives saying current electric truck technology, charging access, and costs make the rules impractical for critical public services. A major portion of the hearing focused on S. 2246, the Freedom to Move Act, which would require MassDOT and regional planning agencies to set vehicle miles traveled reduction goals and align transportation spending with climate targets. Supporters said the bill would better coordinate transportation planning, encourage transit, biking, and walking, and help Massachusetts meet emissions goals while saving money and improving public health. Some committee members raised concerns that the bill could duplicate existing transportation climate mandates and could disadvantage rural residents who must drive long distances; witnesses responded that the bill is meant to add coordination and flexibility, not impose a one-size-fits-all solution. The committee also heard testimony on H. 3448, which would set deadlines to electrify school buses and public fleets and create programs for private fleet electrification. Advocates said fleet electrification is a practical way to cut emissions, improve air quality, and save money over time, especially for schoolchildren exposed to diesel exhaust. Several witnesses also supported low-carbon fuel standard bills H. 3576 and S. 2251, arguing they would reduce fuel carbon intensity and generate revenue for charging and clean-fuel investments. Others, including a coalition opposed to private jet expansion, objected to the bills’ treatment of sustainable aviation fuel, saying it is not scalable, is expensive, and could create land-use and food-supply tradeoffs. No votes or formal committee actions were taken in the hearing excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• We will welcome Senator Darnaro Lou, Chair of Senate Finance, to the table. Good morning.
• This bill makes an appropriation of $500,000, reduced in Senate Finance from $800,000, to the Nevada
• I know it was mentioned in the energy has a similar process.
• And so I just wanted to confirm that because I don't think that NV Energy has ever actually used theirs
• For the record, my name is Chloe Chisholm with NV Energy, here in support of SB 417.

Bills: AB568 , SB90 , SB133 , SB147 , SB229 , SB233 , SB240 , SB245 , SB280 , SB378 , SB393 , SB417 , SB434 , SB494 , SB495

Committee: Assembly Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• [Music] The hour of 1:00 having arrived, I’ll call this meeting of the House Agriculture Finance and
• Market fluctuations in the fertilizer business are greatly related to energy costs.
• So obviously if it's energy related, it's not a green fertilizer.
• </c><00:25:44.039><c> related</c> the cost that fertilizer energy related the cost that fertilizer energy
• </c> ground but ultimately put our energy ground but ultimately put our energy into<00:42:00.359><c>

Bills: HF1621 , HF1701 , HF1796 , HF1676 , HF40 , HF1428 , HF1540

Committee: House Agriculture Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• to House... ...Care Financing and last session advanced to House Ways and Means.
• It was advanced of health care financing. ...out of committee, not on an extension.
• It was advanced out of Health Care Financing.
• It solved my pain problems and gave me a boost in energy.
• Additional costs for waste disposal and energy add to that.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Public Health

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Health held a lengthy hearing to take testimony on a wide range of bills related to environmental health, PFAS, medical device chemicals, food access, lead poisoning, air quality, oral health, and school food additives. Chair Driscoll and Chair Decker emphasized that the hearing was for testimony only, no decisions would be made that day, and that written testimony could still be submitted. They also noted the high volume of speakers and asked witnesses to keep remarks brief. A major portion of the hearing focused on PFAS-related legislation, including bills to restrict PFAS in products and food packaging and to create a PFAS remediation trust fund. Municipal officials and advocates described the high costs of PFAS cleanup, especially for drinking water systems, citing Easton’s multimillion-dollar treatment investments and rate increases. Testimony from legislators and advocates argued that Massachusetts should act despite federal uncertainty, and that the state should stop PFAS at the source rather than leaving municipalities and residents to pay for remediation. The committee also heard strong support for a bill banning DEHP in medical devices, with physicians, nurses, and a bill sponsor saying the chemical can leach from IV bags and tubing and that safer alternatives already exist. The committee also heard testimony on bills to establish statewide food truck permitting, with food truck owners and a senator describing the current system as costly, duplicative, and inconsistent across municipalities. Another set of witnesses supported the “Bean New Deal,” which would expand plant-based food options in public institutions, senior nutrition programs, and WIC, citing health, equity, and cost savings. On lead poisoning, housing advocates and a representative backed bills to expand lead-safe housing requirements to all rental units, arguing the current law contributes to discrimination against families with children and leaves too much pre-1978 housing uncertified. The committee also heard support for an outdoor air pollution bill that would create an advisory committee, identify pollution hotspots, expand monitoring, and set reduction targets, with testimony from environmental justice groups, pediatricians, and legislators describing disproportionate asthma and other health harms in overburdened communities. Later testimony addressed oral health bills to create dental therapists and allow dental hygienists to administer nitrous oxide, with supporters saying the measures would expand access, reduce costs, and help underserved patients. The committee also heard testimony on a bill to prohibit harmful food dyes in competitive school foods, with parents describing behavioral and health concerns tied to synthetic dyes. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• When families can't build and hold assets, they have less ability to finance a startup, survive a slow
• They translate directly into differences in who can self-finance a startup, who can secure a loan on
• They fail for lack of backup office capacity, lack of legal guidance, bookkeeping support, and financing
• Like, what I think about the Black and Latino caucus and how we were channeling our energy around that
• And as an aside, we're also seeing the rollback of climate and clean energy work and funding, which also

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Racial Equity, Civil Rights, and Inclusion

Summary: The Joint Committee on Racial Equity, Civil Rights, and Inclusion held a hearing on the impact of federal policy on the racial wealth gap in Massachusetts, with no bills heard. Chairs Bud Williams and Miranda opened by framing the issue as a structural, long-standing disparity affecting Black and brown communities, citing major gaps in wealth, income, housing, and opportunity. Members noted this was the fourth hearing in a series on federal impacts on racial equity, and public written testimony was invited by the posted deadline. Administration witnesses Secretary Lauren Jones, Secretary Kiami Mahania, and Assistant Secretary Juan Vega described how labor, health, and economic development policy intersect with wealth-building. Jones pointed to higher unemployment, wage gaps, and underemployment among Black and Latino workers, and highlighted ESOL, workforce training, MassHire, and skills-based hiring efforts. Mahania argued poverty drives poor health, linking medical debt, Medicaid instability, maternal health, and chronic disease to wealth loss, and said federal changes could worsen both health and wealth gaps. Vega focused on entrepreneurship and procurement, citing disparities in business ownership and revenue, and described state efforts such as small business technical assistance, founder pipelines, place-based grants, and the Business Front Door; members also pressed him on microbusiness definitions, supplier diversity, and whether state programs were reaching firms that had received prior grants. Nicole O’Bean of the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts testified that Black-owned businesses face a hostile environment due to tariffs, DEI rollbacks, immigration enforcement, capital barriers, and federal funding cuts that reduce contracts from education, health care, and nonprofit sectors. She emphasized that certification alone is not enough and called for stronger inclusive procurement outcomes, better data, and more support for microbusinesses. Dr. Melissa Colon and Dr. Fabian Torres-Dal of the Mauricio Gaston Institute testified on Latino wealth gaps, especially low homeownership, high rent burden, limited access to credit, and occupational segregation; they said structural racism, wage gaps, and education inequities are central drivers and urged housing, labor, and education reforms. Committee members repeatedly linked the hearing’s themes to redlining, medical debt, single-parent households, financial literacy, and the need for legislation and state programs to close the gap, but no votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Committee regarding Appropriations Health and Welfare Public Health Services, Senate Bill 1429 by Finance
• Senate Bill 1432, by the Finance Committee, an act relating to the appropriation to the Department of
• Senate Bill 1433, by the Finance Committee, an act relating to the appropriation to the Department of
• Senate Bill 1434, by the Finance Committee, an act relating to the appropriation to the Department of
• Senate Bill 1437 by Finance Committee, an Act relating to the appropriation to the Idaho State Police

Transcript Highlights:

• I am the Legislative Finance Committee Analyst for the Department of Information Technology.
• We have Jacob Gable, the Department of Finance and Administration Analyst talking about the Executive
• But what becomes extremely challenging is having the finance and accounting staff to make sure we're
• We have the finance team here and They hit it every single day, fixing, cleaning, finding money that
• to really hone the craft of working you know, the procurement code and finance in the state.

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Cyrus Reid on behalf of the Department of Energy.
• There’s no attention nor ability to finance expansion.
• a 40-year term versus a 30-year term. ...for those projects they are financing.
• I know there are school districts that are looking at financing structures for school buildings with
• With 30-year financing, almost a third of that cost is placed on existing ratepayers before a single

Bills: SB863 , SB1190 , SB1261 , SB1413 , SB1624 , SB1662 , SB1663 , SB1855 , SB1967 , SB2124 , SB2204 , SB1623

Committee: Senate Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> revamp, they're going to do a an energy revamp, they're going to do a an energy efficiency<00:33
• Once we send the revenue estimates to the finance committee, the finance committee will then look at
• Once we send the revenue estimates to the finance committee, the finance committee will then look at
• Once we send the revenue estimates to the finance committee, the finance committee will then look at
• Recommendation to Finance.

Committee: Senate Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• And we spent a couple years on Finance, and he’s from my home city.
• One of the ways that I learned that was we served on Finance together.
• And in serving on Finance, Charlie's got a really, really good math mind.
• I got sent to the back row when I was an energy chair.
• I was a Senate energy chair.

Summary: The Senate first handled several House amendments to Senate bills and passed them, including SB 194 updating the definition of disabled veteran taxpayer, SB 499 requiring toxicology tests in auto accidents, SB 672 on Real Estate Commission licensing discipline, SB 724 on home confinement officers and the EMS retirement system, SB 897 on alcohol and drug counselor licensure, and SB 982 creating the Neighborhood Access Road Program. In each case, the chamber agreed to the House changes and then passed the bill, with some measures also given effective dates, including SB 724 effective July 1, 2026 and SB 648 effective from passage. The Senate also concurred in amendments to SB 197, doubling penalties for sex crimes against minors, and SB 648, which removed restrictions on foreign entities in the Strategic and Critical Resources Act. The chamber then took up a series of additional bills and conference actions. It appointed a conference committee on HB 4588 after refusing to recede from its amendment. The Senate passed HB 4009, the Portable Benefit Account Act, after adopting a Banking and Insurance committee strike-and-insert amendment that moved the program to the Division of Labor, expanded portable benefit definitions, and made technical changes. Later, the Senate also passed SB 182 on annexation by minor boundary adjustment after amending the House changes to allow one annexation per year instead of one every two years, and it passed HB 5101 increasing strangulation penalties, HB 4364 on juvenile offender bail and counsel language, HB 4412 on age verification for certain websites, HB 5564 on deputy sheriff vacation carryover, HB 4138 on sex offender registration fees, HB 4951 after receding from its earlier amendment on continuing education, SB 4 after receding from its amendment, SB 389 after refusing to concur in a House amendment that would have stripped the bill, SB 927 on beekeeping and municipal regulation, and HB 5214 on drug testing for parents before reunification. A major portion of the meeting was devoted to Senate Resolution 67 honoring Senator Michael Andrew Woelfel and Senate Resolution 68 honoring Senator Charles Houston Clements. Numerous senators gave extended remarks praising Woelfel’s legal skill, candor, mentorship, and service, and Clements’s long service, institutional knowledge, steadiness, and friendship. Both resolutions were adopted by roll call votes, with SR 67 passing 34-0 and SR 68 passing 33-1. After the resolutions, the Senate recessed briefly to present the outgoing senators with resolutions and flags flown over the Capitol.

Transcript Highlights:

• I am an analyst with the Department of Finance and Administration (DFA).
• The House Appropriations and Finance Committee (HAFC) adopted the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC)
• And myself, I am Vice President of Finance for New Mexico State.
• So, Family, Career, and Community and Vice President of Finance for New Mexico State.
• I'm with the Legislative Finance Committee.

Committees: Senate Senate Finance , Senate House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Not that we're not focusing energy on the stuff that's green.
• The same conversation is happening within the energy industry.
• For finance, EPM, and projects. So EPM stands for enterprise performance management.
• “Finance, EPM, and projects.
• And then where the finance and the HCM modules all work together in a very cohesive unit.

Summary: The committee received several informational reports from NDIT and DPI. Justin Data reviewed the quarterly major IT project portfolio, noting the portfolio was slightly under budget and behind schedule overall, with three red schedule items: Bed Management System and Vital Records were essentially complete and being closed out, and the Roadway Capital Planning Project was delayed by vendor bug fixes after testing. He also summarized recent project startups and closeouts, including the Victim Notification System, Medicaid data exchange, Highway Patrol’s motor carrier permit system, and several completed HHS and RIMS projects. Members asked for follow-up on ADA compliance work, the public-facing RIO website, and the state’s mainframe retirement timeline, and staff agreed to provide updates later. Craig Falkley reported on coordination of services with political subdivisions and higher education, including StageNet, cybersecurity, radio/911 services, and PeopleSoft coordination. He also explained distributed ledger technology as a tool for transparency and fraud prevention, but said it is not widely used in state government and suggested the report be modernized to focus more broadly on emerging technologies such as AI and cybersecurity. The committee generally agreed that the topic should be updated. Chris Gurgan presented the mandatory cybersecurity incident reporting program created by HB 1314, explaining how agencies and political subdivisions report incidents through NDIT’s website or service desk. He said 77 incidents had been reported since 2021, 47 met the statutory definition, and most were phishing-related; most reported incidents were resolved, with one recent ransomware matter still open. He also reviewed notable incidents since the last report, including the PowerSchool compromise, a SimpleHelp intrusion at a school district, a court intrusion, a WSUS vulnerability, a business email compromise, and a recent ransomware incident involving a non-state critical infrastructure entity. Members asked about recovery of stolen funds, early warning signs, smishing, training, MFA, conditional access, and cybersecurity maturity assessments; Gurgan said the state uses MFA and conditional access, provides awareness training to state employees, and would return with more information on maturity assessments. Tony Ambrose then updated the committee on the K-12 student information system bridge project. He said district implementation of Infinite Campus had begun statewide, but the data migration vendor originally selected was terminated for poor performance and replaced by Aurora Educational Technology, which had experience with similar statewide migrations. He also said DPI is migrating special education data from Tynet into Infinite Campus, and that some SLDS-based tools such as e-transcripts and Choice Ready may not function exactly as they do now at July 1, requiring interim or alternative solutions. Members raised concerns about summer school disruptions, the timing of the cutover, and whether the new system would support existing reporting and transcript functions; DPI said it was working on identity, authentication, data-sharing agreements, and post-go-live integrations, and would continue to refine the plan beyond June 30.

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to convene today's hearing of the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy.
• We support almost every ...alternative energy, alternative fuels.
• California Energy Commission and others for information about this 900-acre site.
• Because the decisions depend on the internal finances of those refineries.
• Really happy to welcome all of our energy principals today.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy heard SB 1259, which would require refineries to provide advance closure and remediation planning information, and SB 1425, which would authorize the High-Speed Rail Authority to create a permit process for encroachments in its right of way. The committee also held an informational hearing on California electricity reliability and the future of the Strategic Reliability Reserve. The chair opened by noting the hearing room change, testimony limits, and that the committee would proceed without a quorum at first, then later established quorum for votes. On SB 1259, Senator Blake Spear argued the bill would give communities and state agencies needed information to plan for refinery closures, cleanup, and land reuse, comparing the requirement to estate planning. Supporters, including Benicia City Councilmember Carrie Birdseye and UC Santa Barbara professor Ranjit Schmook, said the bill would help communities facing refinery closures avoid being left without information and better prepare for redevelopment and remediation. Opponents, including the Western States Petroleum Association, the State Building and Construction Trades Council, and business groups, argued the bill could send negative market signals, create conflicts with federal reporting, and potentially accelerate refinery closures. The committee passed SB 1259 on a 7-3 vote, later reopening the roll and recording additional votes before moving it out as amended to Appropriations. On SB 1425, Senator Cortese and sponsor Robert Pearsall said the bill would help the High-Speed Rail Authority manage utility, broadband, drainage, and vegetation encroachments along the project corridor and reduce delays. Labor and construction groups supported the measure as a way to add certainty and speed project delivery. Utilities and local agencies, including LADWP, Southern California Gas, Southern California Edison, PG&E, and others, opposed unless amended, saying the bill needed clearer language on emergencies, existing agreements, and potential impacts on their own rights of way and service obligations. After discussion about emergency language and utility coordination, the committee passed SB 1425 as amended to Appropriations on a 10-3 vote. In the oversight hearing, CEC, CPUC, CAISO, and DWR officials reported that California’s summer reliability outlook is better than in prior years, with substantial new procurement, storage, and demand-response resources added since 2020. They said the state is projected to meet its summer reliability standard and has not needed a flex alert for three straight years, but cautioned that extreme heat, fire, hydro conditions, and federal policy uncertainty still pose risks. Officials emphasized that the current Strategic Reliability Reserve remains important as a backstop, while longer-term planning must address rising demand from electrification and data centers and the eventual retirement of emergency resources.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:14:19.279><c> the</c> administering the tax and to finance the administering the tax and to finance
• </c> for the project and financing costs. for the project and financing costs.
• </c> for it through u traditional financing for it through u traditional financing methods.<00:20:02.320
• </c> uh tax increment financing proposals. uh tax increment financing proposals.
• </c><01:17:44.560><c> by</c> West Block builds on this energy by West Block builds on this energy by

Committee: Senate Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 2988, municipal tax increment financing infrastructure — Ways and Means.
• HB 4007, municipal tax increment finance.
• HB 4007, municipal tax increment financing — Ways and Means.
• HB 2949, energy cost large data; HB 2950, tourism improvement area; HB 2952, deeds identification forgery
• Mays and her team won a $375,000 judgment against two Tucson real estate companies for mortgage financing

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill was amended in the Senate Finance Committee on May 13, and as a result of the amendment, we
• Then, on the May 23 Senate Finance work session... ...the amendment was rescinded and a new amendment
• And it was something that was included when we work session did out of Senate Finance.
• And NV Energy reached out with these type of questions.
• So that is the objective, 100%, and NV Energy reached out with these type of questions, AT&T reached

Bills: AB93 , AB204 , AB414 , AB504 , AB598

Committee: Assembly Commerce and Labor

Transcript Highlights:

• Local districts should not be forced to finance placements they did not initiate, approve, or control
• placements they did not finance placements they did not initiate,<01:04:53.120><c> approve,</c><01:04
• </c> Energy to study the RPS every 5 years. Energy to study the RPS every 5 years.
• House Bill 1718, relative to authorizing energy storage in connection with net metering.
• </c><04:00:51.520><c> storage</c> relative to authorizing energy storage relative to authorizing energy

Transcript Highlights:

• DGS-sponsored sustainability and energy efficiency projects.
• Good morning, Matt Schuller, Department of Finance.
• Good morning, Matt Schuller, Department of Finance.
• Yes, Sabrina Adams with the Department of Finance.
• Department of Finance, is that a waste of our money?

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:

• heard the first reading of the bill, and it is referred to the committee on natural resources and energy
• Now you've heard the first reading of the bill, and it is referred to the committee on finance.
• <00:05:40.479><c> the</c><00:05:40.639><c> committee</c><00:05:40.880><c> on</c><00:05:41.199><c> finance
• Senate Finance will meet at 1:30. >> Senator from Washington. >> Senate Appropriations will meet at 1