Transcript Highlights:

• Today, I'm here on behalf of Community Support Services of Missouri.
• We have family in Kansas City, but we don't have any support.
• receive recovery support services dollars from the state.
• services, and without that funding those rural— ...that didn't currently have recovery support services
• 60% of our overall recovery support services budget in the year.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So we'll do Part A, which is the human services, child welfare, child support issues.
• The Department of Child Support Services.
• Long-term services and supports, including home and community-based services, are not impacted.
• Michael Henning, California Alliance of Child and Family Services.
• Michael Henning, California Alliance of Child and Family Services.

Summary: The committee first heard May Revision child care and human services items. The Department of Child Support Services described two technical adjustments, which the analyst supported. The Department of Social Services then walked through child care proposals, including a reduction in federal and Proposition 64 funding absorbed through a shift from General Child Care to the Alternative Payment program, a 2.01% child care COLA, disaster-related infrastructure grants, a new administrative support cost structure for Alternative Payment agencies, the removal of prospective pay funding after a federal rule change, a reappropriation for existing infrastructure grants, and estimates of unspent child care funds. The Legislative Analyst’s Office recommended asking for more justification for shifting reductions to CAP, supported the COLA reduction but wanted consistency across programs, recommended removing prospective pay funding, opposed the administrative cost shift, and suggested further review of disaster grant alignment. Members pressed the administration on why more slots would be cut for the same savings, why the COLA was reduced, and whether the administrative percentage would grow over time. The administration said the changes were intended to avoid disrupting currently enrolled families, reflect point-in-time relinquishments and unspent funds, and stabilize contractor operations. Public commenters, including providers, advocates, and county representatives, urged full COLA funding, rejection of child care slot reductions, preservation of prospective pay, and continued investment in child care infrastructure and access. The subcommittee then recessed before moving to health items. In Part B, the Department of State Hospitals presented its May Revision proposals, including a central utility plant replacement project at Metropolitan State Hospital, funding for a continuum electronic health record system, reduced county bed billing authority to reflect phase-in of additional LPS beds, limited contract exemption authority for online clinical subscription services, reversion of prior-year unspent operating funds, and a workforce development proposal to use Behavioral Health Services Act funds instead of General Fund for training programs. The department said the EHR would modernize records and improve continuity of care, and that the contract exemption would prevent delays in essential clinical information services. No votes were taken in the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• our service members, families, and installations.
• to service members and families.
• service members, families, and veterans.
• And these are all military families through the mobile food service van.
• So because our state values and supports veterans and families, we have a lot of benefits and services

Summary: The committee heard updates from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Navy Region Northwest, Fairchild Air Force Base, the Coast Guard, state licensing agencies, the Professional Educator Standards Board, the Washington National Guard, and a veterans behavioral health presenter. Across the military briefings, common themes were readiness, infrastructure, and quality-of-life issues for service members and families, especially child care, housing, food insecurity, medical and dental access, and military spouse employment. JBLM highlighted its role in Indo-Pacific readiness, ongoing PFAS cleanup, 212 new family housing units under construction, efforts to expand child care, and continued work to keep the Lewis Army Museum open. Navy Region Northwest discussed its major installations and economic impact, the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Plan, future carrier and submarine homeporting needs, and asked the legislature to continue support for licensure compacts, educational stability for military children, housing, and medical access. Fairchild emphasized its tanker and survival missions, child care shortages, food insecurity, aging housing, and concerns about wind turbine development near flight paths, while the Coast Guard focused on rebuilding Base Seattle for new icebreakers and on rural access to housing, medical care, and child care at dispersed stations like Neah Bay. Members repeatedly raised food insecurity and asked for follow-up on solutions. JBLM and Fairchild both described increased demand for food assistance during the shutdown, and committee members noted progress in getting mobile food vans onto JBLM. The presenters also praised state action on military spouse licensure and child care, including Senate Bill 5545 and related compact and portability efforts. The Department of Licensing reported about 9,000 self-identified military members or spouses licensed, with average time-to-license just under nine days, and said applications are prioritized when military status is self-identified. The Department of Health said its military-to-civilian crosswalk now covers more than 35 health professions, that temporary practice permits and expedited processing are in place, and that 1,300 credentials were issued to military spouses and domestic partners and 129 to military-trained health professionals in the last fiscal year, all within 30 days. The Professional Educator Standards Board explained that military spouses and service members can receive expedited teacher certification with reduced documentation, and that they are moved to the front of the review queue when they self-identify. Members asked about verification, and staff said the process relies on attestation with investigatory safeguards if needed. The Washington National Guard briefed on its dual state and federal mission, the impact of the recent shutdown on nearly 700 employees who worked without pay, and policy and budget requests including youth academy protections, alignment of the Washington Code of Military Justice with the UCMJ, making Civil Air Patrol a division of the Military Department, 911 funding, disaster assistance, and capital funding for headquarters and readiness facilities. The Guard also warned about drone threats and said it wants authority to identify, track, and monitor suspicious drones. A veterans behavioral health presenter, an Army combat veteran and clinical social worker, described high suicide risk, barriers to care, and the need for more culturally competent services, especially for women veterans and caregivers. He said Washington veterans’ suicide rate remains above the national average and emphasized that childcare, transportation, and provider shortages can prevent timely treatment. Members generally responded supportively throughout, asked for follow-up on food security and other issues, and encouraged agencies to bring forward legislative ideas for future sessions.

Transcript Highlights:

• , and long-term services and supports and health equity.
• Workforce supports and long-term services and supports and health equity.
• families affected by the proposed cuts to DMH children, youth, and family services.
• support for families entering and leaving the E.A.
• Family Shelter Program. ...strengthen support for families entering and leaving the EA Family Shelter

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Ways and Means Committee held its final public hearing on the FY26 state budget, with chairs and members emphasizing that public testimony would help shape the budget and asking speakers to keep remarks brief. Committee leaders introduced members, explained the hearing process, and repeatedly thanked residents, students, and advocates for participating. No votes were taken during the hearing. Testimony focused heavily on education funding and the Chapter 70 formula. Students from Amherst, Northampton, Gateway Regional, Chester Elementary, and other districts described budget-driven cuts to electives, special education supports, paraprofessionals, counselors, transportation, and building maintenance. They urged higher Chapter 70 aid, increased minimum aid, rural school aid, and a reopening or restructuring of the funding formula, arguing that current formulas leave many districts unable to meet student needs and force local layoffs and overrides. Other speakers urged funding or protection for a range of programs and facilities, including the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute for homicide survivor services, the Museum of African American History, the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and CART/interpreter services, the Access to Counsel housing legal aid program, the Department of Mental Health and Pocasset Mental Health Center, and Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children. One speaker opposed offshore wind-related spending and urged a reset of the state’s energy approach, while another advocated ending the aircraft sales tax exemption. Committee members responded sympathetically to many speakers, asked a few follow-up questions, and several expressed support for maintaining or expanding the programs discussed.

Transcript Highlights:

• by providing food assistance, cash assistance, child support services, and employment services.
• by providing food assistance, cash assistance, child support services, and employment services.
• by providing food assistance, cash assistance, child support services, and employment services.
• educational support and Health Services educational support and the<00:26:37.880><c> ability</c><00:
• our</c> are supporting families and and our are supporting families and and our kiddos<00:51:40.640>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We urge the committee to strengthen the supports that struggling families need most.
• Please continue to protect hungry families and support funding for food assistance. Thank you.
• services and for behavioral health care, including for those whose services have been supported by Medicaid
• , supported by courts, that this committee maintain full funding for this critical public service, supported
• support for the full $21 million to provide these critical services.

Summary: The Senate Ways and Means Committee heard an overview from OFM Director Katie Chapman See on Governor Ferguson’s 2026 supplemental budget proposal. She said the budget was built in response to higher caseloads and inflation, a roughly $390 million revenue forecast drop, new federal costs tied to H.R. 1, and a relatively small ending fund balance. The proposal would increase near general fund spending by about $1.1 billion and solve an estimated $2.3 billion two-year gap through about $800 million in reductions, revenue shifts and tax preference changes, use of other funds, and about $1 billion from the budget stabilization account. She also noted the budget is balanced over two years but not fully over four years under the state’s outlook rules. Chapman See highlighted reductions in Working Connections Child Care, including a soft cap on enrollment and holding subsidy rates at the 75th percentile, delays to long-term care and developmental disability-related changes, and across-the-board reductions to higher education and administrative spending. She also described investments in wildfire suppression and preparedness, affordability programs like utility rebates and home energy assistance, housing-related planning and permitting support, One Washington IT replacement, behavioral health workforce programs, and continued support for some K-12 initiatives such as ninth grade success and homeless student stability. In response to questions, she said some proposed cuts were based on the governor’s subjective judgment about what was critically necessary, that current child care enrollees would not be cut off immediately, and that the budget would maintain services for about 500 highest-acuity Medicaid clients who lost eligibility under federal changes. Public testimony was largely critical of the proposed cuts in K-12, early learning, and higher education. School officials, educators, nurses, and advocacy groups opposed reductions to Transition to Kindergarten, Local Effort Assistance, Running Start, MSOC, school leadership and support grants, and higher education funding, arguing the cuts would worsen existing funding gaps and harm student outcomes. Several witnesses supported restoring or maintaining funding for ninth grade success, Treehouse’s foster youth graduation program, homeless student stability, and Science on Wheels. In early learning, child care providers and advocates opposed the Working Connections cap and subsidy-rate reduction, warning it would reduce access and destabilize providers. In higher education, campus leaders and labor representatives opposed across-the-board cuts and fund shifts, while some institutions and advocates supported targeted investments such as behavioral health workforce programs and DigiPen aid restoration. In human services, Planned Parenthood advocates praised restored abortion access funding and Medicaid reimbursements. The committee took no votes or final action in the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Since I was 16, I have worked diligently to support my family, as my father is a disabled veteran and
• My comments focus on the advanced primary care services featured in the two bills I'm supporting.
• We serve 40,000 people a year through a variety of services, but our mental health center services support
• Services, and the Department of Children and Families.
• Also, mental health centers are a support system for behavioral health services for uninsured people,

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Health Care Financing held a public hearing on a large docket focused on primary care, workforce development, and medical debt. Chairs Cindy Friedman and John Lawn outlined hearing procedures and noted that testimony would be taken on 17 matters. The committee first heard testimony on bills to establish a community health center nurse practitioner residency program and to strengthen mental health centers. Senator Keenan, Rep. Keefe, and health center leaders described the Worcester nurse practitioner residency as a successful pipeline and retention strategy, citing workforce shortages, training needs in community health centers, and the cost of the program. Rep. O’Day also supported the mental health centers bill, saying it would raise payment rates, improve reimbursement for behavioral health services, and help clinics retain staff and expand access. The committee then took testimony on bills to address medical debt through hospital financial assistance reform. The Attorney General’s Office, Health Care for All, Health Law Advocates, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and individual patients supported the measure, arguing that hospital financial assistance policies are inconsistent, hard to find, and difficult to navigate. Witnesses said the bill would standardize eligibility criteria, create a uniform application, improve notice requirements, and expand access to discounted care up to 400% of the federal poverty level. Several personal stories described medical bills being sent to collections, confusion over insurance billing, and the burden of debt on low-income and chronically ill patients. Committee members asked about hospital concerns, the role of the health safety net, and whether the bill addressed root causes of medical debt; testimony emphasized that the proposal was meant to improve transparency and access rather than replace broader insurance reforms. The hearing also focused heavily on “Primary Care for You” legislation, H. 1370 and S. 867, which would increase primary care investment and create a new payment model. Rep. Haggerty, physicians, a patient, community health center leaders, and the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers described a primary care crisis marked by low reimbursement, staffing shortages, long waits, burnout, and difficulty recruiting clinicians. Supporters said the bills would shift spending toward preventive, team-based care, improve access and equity, and reduce long-term costs. The Massachusetts Association of Health Plans said it was directionally supportive of increased primary care investment but warned that any new spending must stay within the cost growth benchmark and preserve existing contracting structures. The hearing ended with additional testimony on a community health center workforce and loan repayment grant bill from Rep. Stanley, and with further discussion from Dr. Alan Garo about the need for payment reform in primary care.

Transcript Highlights:

• The department supports and ensures access to medically necessary gender-affirming care services.
• Thinking of the medical privacy laws, it sounds like you have a very nurturing, supportive family.
• And then also want to voice our support for the LGBT Health and Human Services Network's ask in support
• Hi, Kathy Sheeher, I am the founder and executive director of Trans Family Support Services.
• I'm here with Trans Family Support Services.

Summary: The joint hearing focused on access to gender-affirming care in California, with members of the Senate and Assembly budget subcommittees hearing first from the Department of Justice, Department of Managed Health Care, and Department of Health Care Services. State officials described California’s legal protections against discrimination, privacy protections, shield laws, and Medi-Cal and commercial plan coverage requirements for medically necessary gender-affirming care. They also outlined ongoing litigation and advocacy against federal actions and proposed rules that could restrict care, including challenges to executive orders, HHS declarations, and federal reimbursement rules, as well as a temporary restraining order protecting care at Rady Children’s Hospital. Committee members pressed the agencies on why some hospitals that had stopped providing care had not been sued, how the state measures network adequacy and equitable access, whether the $15 million previously allocated for gender-affirming care had been used, and what additional statutory changes might be needed. DMHC and DHCS said they regulate health plans rather than providers directly, rely on complaints and independent medical review to address denials or delays, and do not track utilization or have a specific provider category for gender-affirming care. DOJ said it is focused on the federal government as the source of pressure on hospitals and providers, while members discussed possible shield-law expansions and, if federal rules are finalized, the possibility of state-only funding to preserve access. The second panel featured a physician, clinic leaders, parents, and a transgender teen describing how families navigate care and the effects of hospital closures and insurance barriers. Dr. Johanna Olson-Kennedy gave a history of transgender health care, described puberty blockers and hormones as established treatments, and said minors need parental consent for medical interventions. J.M. Jaffe of Lyon Martin Community Health Services said community clinics are absorbing patients after hospital programs closed and asked for $26 million in state funding to expand capacity. Parents and youth testified about delays, out-of-network referrals, lost coverage, and the emotional strain of uncertainty, while also urging the Legislature to stabilize access and protect continuity of care.

Transcript Highlights:

• program is to support uh enhanced career<00:08:27.520><c> services.
• Families receive a safe place to stay and on-site services that support the whole family, including housing
• </c><00:47:29.520><c> families</c> but the comprehensive supports families but the comprehensive supports
• </c><00:47:43.760><c> family,</c> services that support the whole family, services that support the whole
• that help families employment services that help families move<00:47:57.040><c> toward</c><00:47:57.359

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the director of student support services in the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District as well.
• </c><00:20:43.799><c> accepting</c><00:20:44.200><c> service</c> low number of families accepting service
• Okay, so we can continue to make referrals at the county level if a family declines services.
• Services</c> family declines Services no Services family declines Services no Services provided<00:26
• My name is Amy Patosi, and I'm the director of Student Support Services in Burnsville.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So the in-home supportive services program.
• The in-home supportive services program, or IHSS, is a cornerstone of California's long-term supports
• services and in-home supportive services.
• supports connecting families to these basic services.
• I'm a director of deaf services, supported living services.

Summary: The subcommittee heard an overview of the governor’s IHSS budget proposals and extensive testimony from the Department of Social Services, Department of Finance, the Legislative Analyst’s Office, county representatives, labor, consumer advocates, and advocates for older adults and people with disabilities. The administration described IHSS as a large and growing program serving more than 900,000 recipients, and outlined three proposals: shifting the cost of growth in authorized hours per case to counties, eliminating the backup provider system, and aligning IHSS terminations with Medi-Cal terminations. The LAO said the overall budget estimates appeared reasonable but raised concerns about the hours-per-case proposal, including the lack of a comprehensive root-cause analysis, the limited control counties have over statewide cost growth, and uncertainty about how the baseline and savings would work. CWDA, SEIU, and consumer advocates strongly opposed the hours cost shift, arguing that counties use state-designed tools, that demographic changes and rising need explain much of the growth, and that the proposal would pressure counties to cut services and destabilize care. The chair and members repeatedly questioned the administration about the proposed baseline, the claimed savings, and whether the measure effectively circumvents the county maintenance-of-effort agreement. On the backup provider system, the administration said the statewide program is underutilized and administratively expensive, and proposed eliminating it to save about $3.5 million. The LAO suggested the Legislature consider whether administrative costs could be reduced while preserving some version of the program. County and consumer advocates opposed the cut, saying the system is a critical safety net when regular providers are unavailable, especially in rural areas and for people with complex needs. They argued that low utilization reflects the difficulty of finding emergency backup care, not lack of need, and that many counties already rely on local backup systems or other models. Committee members also pressed for better data on requests, fulfillment, and administrative costs, and discussed whether the state could support local alternatives instead of eliminating the program. The final topic was the proposal to align IHSS terminations with Medi-Cal terminations by automating the process when recipients fail to complete Medi-Cal redeterminations. The administration said this would reduce General Fund costs by about $86 million by preventing payment of IHSS in the residual program when recipients are no longer eligible for Medi-Cal, while also automating reinstatement when Medi-Cal is restored. The LAO noted the proposal has been rejected in prior years and suggested improved notice and communication to recipients as an alternative. CWDA and advocates warned that the change could create gaps in care, especially for people who lose Medi-Cal for procedural reasons, and urged additional safeguards such as better notices, faster reprocessing, and automatic reinstatement. Members questioned how many people would be affected, how the residual program currently works, and whether providers could go unpaid during the gap; the department said the automation is already built and would be activated if the proposal is approved. No votes were taken during the discussion, and the committee moved through public comment and questioning without final action on the proposals in the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm also grateful for the support for foundational public health services.
• Unspent funding for respite, family support, employment day services, and school-to-work programs are
• And I am the mom of Lily Ann, who received services like supported employment and supported living, which
• These services are vital for young families.
• Thank you for preserving critical services like the Washington Youth and Families Fund and other services

Bills: SB5998

Keywords: fiscal appropriations, budget, state funding, financial management, operating expenses, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We urge the committee to strengthen the supports that struggling families need most.
• and for behavioral health care, including for those whose services have been supported.
• Homelessness services and behavioral health care, including for those whose services have been supported
• , supported by courts, That this committee maintain full funding for this critical public service, supported
• support for the full $21 million to provide these critical services.

Bills: SB5998

Keywords: fiscal appropriations, budget, state funding, financial management, operating expenses, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• with support services tailored to K-12 families.
• with support services tailored to K-12 families.
• care coordination to help families navigate support services.
• care coordination to help families navigate support services.
• care coordination to help families navigate support services.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint Ways and Means and Finance informational briefing on grants and aids was held February 14 and was organized as a high-volume public testimony session with strict procedures: no Q&A, one representative per applicant, one minute per testimony, in-person testimony first, and then Zoom participants. The chairs also announced a recess at 11:00 a.m. for floor sessions and a reconvening at 1:00 p.m. Testimony was heard first from neighbor island applicants, then Oʻahu applicants, with members repeatedly directing speakers to line up and keep remarks brief. Neighbor island testimony focused on a wide range of capital and operating requests. Health and community projects included Hawaii Island Community Health Center’s workforce housing in Kau, Wuli Hawaiian Homestead Association’s learning center and predevelopment work, Rescue Tube Foundation’s beach rescue tube expansion, Puna Community Medical Center’s planned hospital/ER campus, Maui Humane Society’s free veterinary care after the wildfires, Hawaiʻi Care Choices’ palliative care readiness, and the Lyman Museum’s HVAC replacement. Other requests included the Maui Advanced Manufacturing Alliance’s Pāʻia Mill redevelopment, Laua 2020’s preschool and learning lab, Mālama Aina’s USDA-compliant meat processing facility, the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association’s water safety programs, Kaha P Organization’s agriculture education support, Ohana Arts’ youth performance project, Friends of the Children’s Justice Center’s emergency closet, EOA Pacific’s Marshall Islands teacher training, and the Central Pacific Youth Athletic Club’s new facility. Oʻahu testimony included the YWCA Oʻahu/Pythink Center’s renovation of Juliet M. Atherton Hall and its community kitchen, West Oʻahu Community Health Center’s wildfire protection and security needs, the Early School’s playground improvements, Surfing the Nations’ food distribution center expansion, and Sounding Joy Music Therapy’s weekly services for people with disabilities. Speakers generally emphasized community benefit, workforce development, health access, food security, disaster recovery, and support for children, seniors, and underserved populations. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Today, I'm here on behalf of Community Support Services of Missouri.
• Brock has very unique support needs, which is why we have SDS services.
• We have family in Kansas City, but we don't have any support.
• receive recovery support services dollars from the state.
• When it comes to recovery support services, think of them as speedboats.

Summary: The committee first heard the State Auditor’s fiscal year 2027 budget request. Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick described rebuilding the office after staffing had fallen to a historic low, explaining that the office has grown from 92.5 to 119 FTE but still needs several years to reach full staffing, especially at the manager level. He said most of the budget is payroll, noted the office’s use of lapsing general revenue while staffing is rebuilt, and outlined requests including core operating funds, a small sports betting audit NDI, and a $290,000 increase to the CPA stipend to address recruitment and retention problems. Members also discussed the auditor’s authority to audit state agencies and subrecipients, the office’s role in performance audits, and the meaning of “E” appropriations and the auditor’s recent general revenue conditions report. The committee then moved to public testimony on House Bill 10, focusing on Department of Health and Senior Services and Department of Mental Health issues. One witness from the American Heart Association supported continued funding for cardiac emergency response planning in schools, citing AEDs, CPR training, and about 480 schools served. Another witness from the Alzheimer’s Association urged rejection of a proposed $1 million reduction to the Missouri caregiver program, arguing it supports families caring for people with dementia and helps avoid more expensive institutional care. Most of the testimony concerned proposed cuts to developmental disability services, especially day habilitation and self-directed supports (SDS). Providers, family members, and workers said the proposed reductions would force service cuts, reduce wages, and threaten community-based care that keeps people at home and out of more costly facilities. They argued the cuts would shift costs to emergency, residential, or institutional settings and asked the committee to preserve current funding levels. Several members asked questions about provider rates, the share of services delivered by private providers, and the cost difference between SDS and institutional care. The hearing ended with the chair apologizing for earlier tension, explaining the schedule, and recessing the committee to return later because of House floor obligations.

Transcript Highlights:

• to stay continuous and to support the family.
• to stay continuous and to support the family.
• We need to ensure that youth have services available and supports available that really support their
• available and supports have uh services available and supports available<00:21:48.320><c> that</c><00
• ><c> me</c> Social Service supports available to me Social Service supports available to me to<02:20:

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• support services.
• support services.
• support services.
• support services.
• support services.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• This would increase that 14 days to 30 days to make sure that we can add transitional support services
• I'm here today in support of H. 1319, an act related to comprehensive clinical and extended support services
• I'm here today in support of H. 1319, an act related to comprehensive clinical and extended support services
• This bill would require all insurers to cover medically necessary transitional support services.
• non-clinical services like family education and work and education support.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held a hearing on a large group of behavioral health and insurance-related bills. Topics included expanding access to mental health services by allowing physician assistants to authorize Section 12 emergency holds and be recognized as licensed mental health professionals (H. 1131/S. 773); improving coverage for community behavioral health centers so commercial insurance matches MassHealth’s bundled outpatient and crisis services (H. 1276/S. 703); eliminating cost sharing for certain behavioral health services (S. 718); extending detox and clinical stabilization coverage from 14 to 30 days and adding transitional support services (H. 1319/S. 772); requiring coverage for dual-diagnosis treatment in psychiatric facilities (H. 1277/S. 771); and preserving access to treatment for serious mental illness through coverage of coordinated specialty care and assertive community treatment (H. 1135/S. 709). The committee also heard bills on preventive behavioral health services for children (H. 1228/S. 802) and post-pregnancy mental health care, including postpartum depression and pregnancy loss-related care (H. 1314/S. 823).

Transcript Highlights:

• So in terms of the bundle, the program supports transition from fee-for-service, where we were trying
• But really, the team of folks that are sort of working to support this continuum of services that are
• Best practices, opportunities to collaborate on cases, and family supports, and really enhancing the
• This is really just a snapshot of those services for women and families given the audience today.
• Together to ensure that the family has the supports and resources in the community that they need.

Keywords: 962, all

Summary: The meeting focused on maternal health and behavioral health services for pregnant and postpartum people in Connecticut. Dr. Fatmata Williams of DSS gave an update on the Husky maternity payment bundle, explaining that it was created in response to worsening maternal and neonatal outcomes and racial disparities. She said the bundle, launched in 2025, shifts payment away from fee-for-service toward prospective case rates, quality measures, and shared savings, while covering services such as doulas and maintaining access to behavioral health and other non-pregnancy-related care outside the bundle. She noted 26 maternity practices are participating, quarterly quality reports have been distributed, reconciliation is planned for 2026, and DSS is considering refinements such as adding newborns, revisiting shared losses, and possibly expanding to FQHCs after further stakeholder review. Shelly Nolan of DMHAS then described the state’s women’s services and recovery continuum, including pregnant and parenting treatment programs, women’s recovery support programs, community transition support with rent subsidies, the Proud program, REACH navigation, recovery houses, and outpatient services. She emphasized that many programs are under capacity and that DMHAS uses a no-wrong-door approach, real-time bed availability, technical assistance, and training to improve access. She also reviewed initiatives tied to substance-exposed pregnancies and safe sleep, secure storage, naloxone distribution, reproductive health integration, breastfeeding support, and upcoming conferences and trainings. She said the department works closely with DCF and community partners to reduce stigma and improve family-centered care. Beth Garrigan presented on the Access Mental Health and Substance Use for Moms program, a statewide consultation service for providers serving pregnant and postpartum individuals up to 12 months after delivery. She said the program offers real-time psychiatric consultation, referral support, and one-time face-to-face assessments, and has provided more than 4,300 consultations and resource/referral support to over 700 individuals since 2022. Members and legislators praised the service and discussed how it helps providers connect patients to care, follow up on referrals, and address barriers such as fit, stigma, and workflow. No votes were taken; the meeting ended with plans for the next meeting on June 8 and a request for Dr. Williams’ slides to be posted online.

Transcript Highlights:

• family to be their support system, whether it be natural supports or whether it be professional supports
• our family service workers as well.
• /c><04:36:35.000><c> didn't</c> support the family so those didn't support the family so those didn't
• </c><04:38:22.359><c> our</c><04:38:22.561><c> family</c><04:38:22.879><c> service</c> to um also support
• our family service to um also support our family service workers<04:38:24.080><c> um</c><04:38:25.000

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The House Children and Family Law Committee met on January 28, 2025, and first heard House Bill 322, which would give a parent paying child support the exclusive right to claim the child as a dependent on taxes. Representative Barton, the sponsor, argued that because child support is no longer tax-deductible, the paying parent should at least receive the child tax credit. Committee members and later testimony from New Hampshire Legal Assistance raised concerns that the bill would override court discretion, could disadvantage low-income custodial parents, and would not account for cases where child support payments are small or where parents share support unevenly. Several members noted that judges already allocate dependency claims in divorce orders and can modify those orders when circumstances change. After testimony, the committee moved to ITL (inexpedient to legislate) HB 322. The motion was seconded, discussion continued, and the roll call was unanimous in favor of ITL. The committee then placed the bill on consent and ended the executive session on HB 322. The committee next took up House Bill 325, which would eliminate term and reimbursement alimony in no-fault divorces. Representative Barton testified that alimony in those cases was akin to involuntary servitude and should not survive dissolution of the marriage contract. The hearing then moved into questions about whether alimony is meant to compensate a spouse for sacrifices made during the marriage, such as supporting a partner through school or staying home with children, and the sponsor maintained that post-divorce support should not continue as a marital obligation. The transcript cuts off before any vote or further action on HB 325 is shown.