Transcript Highlights:

• We're really excited that she is stepping up to this role in the Education Committee, although... ...
• that she is stepping up to this role in the Education Committee, although I think this is now her third
• We found that the department has taken some steps to help support the program's success.
• I'm just offering context and explanation for the steps that we have taken since.
• That report shows the steps that the program has made to improve school safety.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The Education Committee met as a committee of reference to complete required sunset reviews and hear a performance audit. Members and staff introduced themselves at the start of the session, and the chair outlined committee procedures, including limits on public testimony and the goal of adjournment by 5 p.m. The committee then heard the sunset review of the Credit Enhancement Eligibility Board. A governor’s office representative explained that the board was created in 2016 to help qualifying schools, mostly charter schools, lower borrowing costs through a credit enhancement fund. He said the board has approved 15 projects, has no dedicated staff or budget, and is now at its statutory leverage limit, so it is mainly monitoring existing obligations. Members voiced support, and the committee voted by voice vote to recommend continuation of the board for 10 years, until July 1, 2036. The committee next reviewed the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). WICHE leadership described the interstate compact, its student exchange programs for undergraduate, graduate, and professional health care education, and related cost-savings and workforce benefits for Arizona. Testimony emphasized tuition savings for Arizona students, the return of many professional students to practice in Arizona, and the role of the compact in supporting higher education access and workforce needs. Commissioners from Arizona’s Board of Regents and Eastern Arizona College also spoke in support. The committee then voted by voice vote to recommend continuation of WICHE for 10 years, until July 1, 2036. The committee also received the Arizona Auditor General’s performance audit of the Arizona Department of Education school safety program. The audit found that while the program has grown substantially and now funds more than 1,000 school safety positions, ADE did not ensure many sampled schools complied with requirements such as operational plans, safety teams, annual training, activity logs, and expenditure documentation. The Auditor General said the department relied too heavily on written attestations and reduced monitoring as the program expanded, and recommended stronger oversight, written procedures, and better reimbursement controls. ADE’s school safety director responded that the department accepts the findings, has already begun improving monitoring, and is moving to require uploaded documentation and more risk-based reviews; he also said the department will seek additional staffing and will meet with the Auditor General and ASU to strengthen evaluation of the program. Finally, the committee took up House Bill 2142, which would establish a school safety center within ADE, assign it responsibility for administering the school safety program and providing technical assistance, and allow up to 10% of program appropriations for administration. Members discussed whether the bill should also require monitoring of emergency operations plan compliance, better address students with disabilities, and clarify coordination with other state agencies. The sponsor said he planned to offer a floor amendment to make monitoring expectations clearer. The bill was discussed but no final committee action was recorded in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Counties and cities also stepped in, raising emergency funds, issuing gift cards, and expanding food
• While our Basic Needs Center stepped in with longer pantry hours and emergency support, it should not
• In order to do that, we’re going to need to step up, we’re going to need to train, and we’re going to
• I want to acknowledge the important step the legislature and administration have already taken I want
• to acknowledge the important step the legislature and administration have already taken by investing

Summary: The joint informational hearing focused on CalFresh enrollment, food insecurity in California, the recent federal shutdown’s disruption of SNAP benefits, and the long-term effects of H.R. 1 on eligibility, benefits, and state and county costs. Opening remarks emphasized that millions of Californians rely on CalFresh, that the shutdown briefly delayed benefits for the first time in the program’s history, and that state and local governments, including Alameda County, stepped in with emergency food aid and funding. Members also framed the issue as both a hunger and affordability problem, with several noting that California’s agricultural abundance contrasts sharply with persistent food insecurity. The first panel presented research and advocacy perspectives on food hardship. PPIC’s Tess Thorman described food insecurity rates, disparities affecting households with children and Black and Latino households, and the role of nutrition programs in reducing poverty. Nourish California’s Betzabel Estudio argued that hunger is a policy choice and highlighted campaigns to expand state-funded food assistance for immigrants, support reentry populations, and continue the CalFresh fruit-and-vegetable incentive program. The California Association of Food Banks’ Josh Wright said food banks are seeing sustained high demand, lower federal food supplies, and cannot replace CalFresh, while urging more state support for food purchasing, school meals, and SunBucks. The second panel reviewed CalFresh operations and participation. The California Department of Social Services reported that CalFresh participation has risen over the past decade, with the state closing much of the participation gap through outreach, simplified applications, and demonstration projects such as the Elderly Simplified Application Project and a minimum nutrition benefit pilot. Alameda County Social Services described local caseloads, application trends, and emergency food distributions during the shutdown, while also warning that H.R. 1’s work requirements, immigrant eligibility restrictions, and possible cost-sharing could reduce enrollment. A student CalFresh ambassador testified about the burdensome application and recertification process and urged more funding for campus basic-needs centers and outreach to reduce stigma and administrative friction. In the final panel, county, food bank, and policy witnesses described the shutdown response and the expected impact of H.R. 1. Alameda County Community Food Bank and the County Welfare Directors Association said counties, food banks, and community partners mobilized emergency funds, pop-up pantries, and food purchasing to bridge the shutdown gap, but warned that hundreds of thousands of Californians could lose benefits under the new federal rules. The California Budget and Policy Center began outlining the scale of federal cuts, noting that H.R. 1 will significantly reduce SNAP funding and shift costs to states. No votes or formal committee actions were taken; the hearing was informational and concluded with discussion of possible state responses, including backfilling benefits, preserving outreach funding, and improving administrative systems to protect enrollment.

Transcript Highlights:

• guidance, the Rotary has seen record growth, greater diversity, and an unprecedented rise in women stepping
• Members, this is an important step in the right direction.
• It's something we desperately need and I believe this is a great step, first step in the right direction
• Parents who had been preparing for lullabies... eyes and first steps, find themselves coming home to
• Members, SB 262 takes an important step in addressing the workforce challenges in the CPA profession

Bills: SB5, SJR3, HB 11, HJR72, HB48, HB27, HB144, HB37, HB1481, HB581, HB1696, HB2216, HB 1035, HB1633, HB742, HB754, HB1689, HB1690, HB2669, HB391, HB517, HB1775, HB 1024, HB1607, HB252, HB1716, HB1562, HB4116, HB1866, HB1741, HB2103, HB2637, HB2884, HB3707, HB503, HB 1089, HB1757, HB2986, HB972, SB365, SB1786, SB5, SJR3, HB14, HB43, HB36, HB26, HB149, HB 121, HB206, HB136, HB3114, HB2733, HB1732, HB3700, HB467, HB 1130, HB1846, HB1442, HB 1147, HB2176, HB2701, HB805, HB2890, HB 1154, HB1644, HB2118, HB1718, HB2488, HB2596, HB2468, HB484, HB2578, HB3204, HB 1041, HB307, HB685, HB538, HB2525, HB3125, HB2027, HB2894, HB3077, HB 106, HB18, HB 11, HJR72, HB48, HB27, HB144, HB37, HB1481, HB581, HB1696, HB2216, HB 1035, HB1633, HB742, HB754, HB1689, HB1690, HB2669, HB391, HB517, HB1775, HB 1024, HB1607, HB252, HB1716, HB1562, HB4116, HB1866, HB1741, HB2103, HB2637, HB2884, HB3707, HB503, HB 1089, HB1757, HB2986, HB972

Keywords: dementia, research institute, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, funding, grants, state health initiatives, research funding, state budget, prevention, healthcare, medical research, Dementia Prevention and Research Institute, licensing, reciprocity, regulation, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, interstate agreements, tax exemption, intellectual disability

Transcript Highlights:

• The legislature has also taken steps to remove barriers to deployment, including by establishing dig
• States are also taking steps to address workforce strategies, ah, such as through training programs for
• Thankfully, we have better data at this point, uh, and, uh, so I think the first, you know, the first step
• a state is to look and see what other states are doing and see how it's working for them, see what steps
• Stages and it was helpful to me to understand how, uh, groups might work with cooperatives and step one

Transcript Highlights:

• We understand the need to step out for what whatever reason, just be sure that there are never five or
• The Secretary of State's office stepped up. our efforts to identify and work with our support system
• So I think it's important to recognize that our legislature has actually taken steps in this direction
• Many counties stepped up their efforts in that area. Thank you. We pulled out of Eric last session.
• So I guess what steps can be taken?

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Step up, step up. Well, I know you love it, but we can undo it. Well, no, we can't.
• So when our good friend President Biden was talking about getting rid of stepped-up basis, I about had
• Step up, step up. Well, I know you love it, but we can undo it. Well, no, we can't.
• So when our good friend President Biden was talking about getting rid of stepped-up basis, I about had
• Then, when you die and you pass it on to your heirs, you pass along the stepped-up basis in the value

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• But we really need the Department of Health to take this seriously and step up and coordinate with the
• But we really need the Department of Health to take this seriously and step up and coordinate with the
• It's a practical step to help the people of Hawaiʻi stabilize the insurance system.
• It's a practical step to help the people of Hawaiʻi stabilize the insurance system.
• So this bill takes a small step toward passing some of those future tax cuts.

Bills: HCR93, HCR14, HR85

Keywords: image-based sexual abuse, working group, gender-based violence, Hawaii Commission on the Status of Women, prevention efforts, survivor protections, new technologies, legal reform, HCR14, House Concurrent Resolution, perpetual easement, non-exclusive easement, state submerged lands, submerged lands, shoreline easement, drainage outfall, stormwater outfall, lagoon outfall, pipelines, Kahala Hotel & Resort

Transcript Highlights:

• You step up to the plate and you put your heart and soul on the line.
• And you step up to the plate and you put your heart and soul on the line.
• We have many things we learn in 12-step programs. You are my living and prime example.
• And I want to just close by saying you are my true 12-step program example, because the 12-step teaches
• Because the 12th step teaches you a major, important principle.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opening prayer, Pledge of Allegiance, and several introductions and recognitions, including a resolution honoring Bob Graham and a moment of silence for firefighter Roger Timmy Miley. The chamber then moved through a special-order calendar with multiple bills, many of them paired with House companions and amended before final passage. Early action included adoption of a tax conformity bill tied to federal changes in the Internal Revenue Code, with a 34-0 vote. The most extensive debate centered on CS/CS/SB 1758, a Medicaid and SNAP reform bill. The sponsor described provisions to strengthen fraud enforcement, impose work requirements for able-bodied adults, expand behavioral health services through a waiver, modernize Medicaid drug purchasing, and require a SNAP fraud-reduction plan and photo ID on EBT cards. Democrats offered amendments to delay work requirements until Medicaid expansion and to add protections for SNAP users such as caregivers, seniors, disabled individuals, and domestic violence survivors; both amendments failed. Senators also questioned implementation details, exemptions, and potential effects on vulnerable populations. After debate, the bill was placed on the calendar for third reading. The Senate also passed bills on technology education and AI instruction, a public records exemption and related Parkinson’s Disease Registry measures, designation of the SS American Victory as the state flagship, electronic payments for local governments, repeal of the sunset on legal tender recognition for gold and silver, public records protections for financial and digital-asset custodians, a Florida stablecoin pilot program, local government budget transparency, digital voyeurism, insurance customer representative licensing, and a medical freedom bill with amendments on vaccine-related materials and anti-kickback provisions. Most of these measures passed with little or no opposition, though the public records bill for gold/silver custodians and the legal tender repeal drew a few dissenting votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, you know, what is step number one?
• I mean, you know, what is step number one?
• I mean, you know, what is step number one?
• I mean, you know, what is step number one?
• What is step number one?

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then established a quorum with 34 members present and approved the prior day’s journal. The chamber also received a House message that House Bill 96 had passed and requested concurrence. During second reading, Senate Bills 17, 34, 39, and 181 were reported and sent to the Rules Committee, and Senate Resolution 56 was introduced honoring Elder Nathan Craig and Sister Amy Craig for their mission service. The chamber then took up Senate Bill 27, which would allow local governing bodies, after consulting with a coroner and making a 30-day effort to locate next of kin, to choose cremation rather than burial for indigent decedents; it also preserved options for religious organizations to take possession of a body. A committee substitute was adopted, and the bill passed 35-0. Senate Bill 30, dealing with the Motor Vehicle Commission’s restricted fee account and allowing unused funds to carry forward for commission operations, also passed unanimously 35-0. Senate Bill 40, concerning public library district boards of trustees, was amended by committee substitute and passed 34-1 after debate. Supporters said it would return county library board appointments to local officials and speed appointments, while opponents argued it could politicize libraries and weaken their independence; several members explained their votes, including concerns from library advocates and a defense that the bill still allowed local boards to seek advice. Senate Bill 76, which limits school boards from increasing occupational license taxes above the base 0.5% until a county reaches a population of 500,000, was also amended by committee substitute and passed after its sponsor argued it responded to a disputed Fayette County tax increase and would restore transparency and public trust.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, uh, we asked that that person said they'll step down or just recuse themselves.
• So, uh, we asked that that person said they'll step down or just recuse themselves.
• So, uh, we asked that that person said they'll step down or just recuse themselves.
• So, uh, we asked that that person said they'll step down or just recuse themselves.
• <00:39:34.480> down they have the obligation to step down they have the obligation to step

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There are a lot of steps, and it's a complicated process.
• So what I'm going to do is read through the steps and educate the committee as I do so, and feel free
• and it's a complicated a lot of steps and it's a complicated process.<00:13:21.760> So,<00:13
• through the steps and educate the<00:13:25.600> committee<00:13:26.480> uh<00:13:26.639
• It looks like, though, our clerk stepped out, so it might be difficult for us to confirm that.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The subcommittee first heard from the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet’s Grants Management Division on federal victim-services funding. Staff described the main grant programs they administer, including STOP VAWA, VOCA victim assistance, sexual assault services, Byrne state crisis intervention, and Project Safe Neighborhoods. They emphasized that VOCA is especially volatile because it is funded by the federal Crime Victims Fund, which has declined sharply in recent years, reducing Kentucky’s available awards and forcing cuts to state, local, and nonprofit subgrants. They also outlined steps the cabinet has taken to stabilize funding, including changing the subaward formula, aligning the grant period with the state fiscal year, subawarding one year behind the federal cycle, and retaining a reserve. Members asked about how funds reach victims, how subgrantee amounts are determined, and requested a breakdown of grant recipients and amounts; staff said they would provide that information later. The committee then received a detailed presentation from the Department of Juvenile Justice on alternatives to detention. Commissioner Randy White and staff explained that ATDs are short-term, less restrictive placements for low-risk youth, including electronic monitoring, home supervision, group homes, foster care, private child care, community programs, mentoring, evening reporting centers, and in-home wraparound services. They described the referral and approval process involving court-designated workers, detention alternative coordinators, courts, and county attorneys, and said DJJ currently has 16 ATD-related contracts, with placements, programs, and electronic monitoring among them. They also reported that between July 1, 2024, and July 30, 2025, 1,652 juveniles were involved in the process, including 168 diversion cases. Members questioned the cost of juvenile detention versus adult incarceration, whether families pay for electronic monitoring, whether there is a national model for juvenile detention, and what alternatives exist for truancy and contempt cases. DJJ said families do not generally reimburse for electronic monitoring, there is no single national model, and day treatment centers are an important alternative for some youth. The department also said it builds daily routines and wellness education into its facilities, and that more than two-thirds of its programs are evidence-based. Officials said they currently monitor vendor performance through quarterly reviews and can end contracts for poor performance, but that data tracking is still largely manual. They said the new JCOM system, now in pilot in the eastern region, should improve reporting and help identify outcomes and recidivism more effectively.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:00:03.839> And just we have to step up. And just we have to step up.
• step back and talk briefly uh briefly step back and talk briefly<01:25:10.639> about<01:25:10.880
• we, um, as many of you probably know, the Department of Transportation handles noise kind of as a step-by-step
• barriers to alleviate noise impacts that may exist along the highway system throughout the state. of a step-by-step
• process basically for of a step-by-step process basically for determining<02:19:27.519> determining

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• stepped across that line. out there ever stepped across that line.
• across the here, but but didn't step across the here, but but didn't step across the line.
• in and do happening unless we step in and do happening unless we step in and do something.
• The filter filter is a basic first step. The filter filter is a basic first step.
• We take every step we can to pro protect every step we can to pro protect every step we can to pro protect

Keywords: 920, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, this is a good step in the right direction.
• So, this is a good step in the right direction.
• So, this is a good step in the right direction.
• So, this is a good step in the right direction.
• So, this is a good step in the right direction.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This actually could keep some people in the business rather than step. Ms.
• This actually could keep some people in the business rather than step. Ms.
• This actually could keep some people in the business rather than step. Ms.
• This actually could keep some people in the business rather than step.
• <01:26:39.119> members step members step members questions<01:26:42.400> Senator questions

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We need to step in and help with them. But here's something that you guys are policy folks, right?
• We need to step in and help with them. But here's something that you guys are policy folks, right?
• Hampton continued: "We need to step in and help with them.
• And I'm hoping we can step up to the plate.
• step in that area. step in that area.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first opened with brief remarks about a member’s recovery and then heard House Bill 518, which would require the commissioner of Health and Human Services to provide a detailed annual report of all costs related to DCYF. The sponsor, Representative Erica Layon, said the bill was intended to improve transparency, clarify how much time and money are spent on DCYF work versus other departmental work, and help future discussions about staffing, resources, and whether DCYF should remain within DHHS or become a separate department. She said the department could likely produce the report without additional cost, though she was open to adjusting the reporting date and possibly adding more detail about federal mandates. Former Representative Betty Gay and several members supported the bill as a way to better document costs and procedures, while DCYF Director Marie Nunan said the department was not taking a position on the bill, already has many policies and operating procedures, and believed it could comply without a fiscal note. Members raised questions about whether the reporting requirement duplicated existing oversight, whether it should apply to other agencies, and whether the report should include federal funding mandates. Some suggested that a broader review or subcommittee on DCYF might be more useful than a single reporting bill. In executive session, the committee voted 15-1 to retain HB 518, so it will not go on the calendar. Members said they wanted more time to discuss the bill, watch the budget process, and consider whether the reporting requirement could be implemented informally or through a broader oversight effort. The committee then moved on to House Bill 775, which was introduced by Representative Jodi Nelson as a measure to support supervised visitation centers. Dr. Scott Hampton testified in favor, describing the loss of visitation centers since 2019, the role of supervised visitation in protecting children and vulnerable parents in domestic violence cases, and the potential benefits for child safety, crime prevention, and family preservation.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then we always step in the admin, And then we always step in the admin, and we all know that it's
• those groups, and then they have a step in the middle.
• So, we're really not stepping over to pick somebody else up, and I just wanted to share that with you
• So forgive me when I just step away for just a second, but it's only...
• So, we took a step back and determined how do we determine what the proper SRO support is?

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So the bill takes important steps in ensuring that children know what their rights are and have a voice
• family resource centers under contract with the Department of Children and Families, appreciate the steps
• This legislation takes the first step of addressing these issues by changing the CRA filing process to
• DCF then must within four hours take steps needed to obtain judicial approval.
• ask that you promote this—excuse me—that you report favorably on this bill and take the essential step

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities held a hybrid hearing on a series of child welfare bills focused on DCF, foster care, mandated reporting, educational records, and family support. Chair Kennedy and Chair Livingstone opened with accessibility and testimony rules, then heard testimony on bills including S.127 on expanding mandated reporters, S.107/H.235 on a Foster Children’s Bill of Rights, S.106/H.228 on transferring foster care review from DCF to the Office of the Child Advocate, H.258/S.125 on an electronic backpack for foster children’s educational records, H.205 on kinship foster care background checks, H.246/H.266 on minimizing trauma in care and protection cases, and S.159 on support for families after sudden unexpected infant death. Supporters of the mandated reporter bill, led by Sen. Feeney and Foxborough advocates, described a local model that trains all adults who work with children and argued the state should scale that approach statewide to improve recognition and reporting of abuse. Testimony on the foster care bills emphasized the need for clearer rights, better notice to children and attorneys, stronger remedies, and independent oversight. Advocates, youth with lived experience, and legal organizations described placement instability, delayed notifications, abuse in care, poor educational continuity, and the need for rights around safety, family contact, culture, language, and access to records. Several witnesses urged that the Foster Children’s Bill of Rights include enforceable court remedies, not just reporting requirements. On the oversight bill, supporters argued DCF should not review its own foster care system and pointed to poor outcomes, high placement instability, and recent investigative reporting as evidence for moving review responsibilities to the Office of the Child Advocate. On the electronic backpack bill, testimony focused on the need for real-time data sharing and a centralized system so schools can receive foster students’ records quickly and support continuity. On the trauma-minimization bill, Rep. Miskin framed the proposal as a set of practical changes to reduce harm during removals and court involvement. On the SUID bill, Sen. Lovely said families should be given information about available grief and support resources after an infant death. No votes were taken during the hearing; the committee primarily received testimony and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• And also today is a formal session, so I may have to step out to vote because there's voting in the House
• It acknowledges that screening is only the first step and that addressing the barriers to comprehensive
• They feel they need to step up.
• She might have stepped away from her computer. Jules good? Jules Good? Jacob Levy?
• Taking Bill H-245 out of committee is a needed step forward.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held a hybrid hearing on a range of bills affecting children, families, disability rights, homelessness, and social services. Early testimony focused on H.215, which would support children experiencing homelessness by speeding access to child care vouchers and early intervention screenings. Boston officials, Horizons for Homeless Children, Head Start, pediatric and early education advocates, and families described delays in child care and early intervention, the developmental risks of homelessness, and the need for automatic referrals and faster access to services. Testimony also supported H.216, which would improve emergency housing assistance by restoring presumptive eligibility, reducing documentation barriers, extending shelter stays from six to nine months, and creating an ombudsperson; providers and legal advocates said current rules leave families sleeping in cars or outside and create unnecessary administrative hurdles. The committee also heard strong support for H.210, which would repeal the “Learn Fair” school attendance sanction that cuts cash assistance to families when children miss school. Advocates from legal aid, education, and anti-poverty organizations argued the policy is punitive, burdensome, and ineffective, disproportionately affecting low-income, disabled, and Hispanic/Latino families. Several speakers said chronic absenteeism should be addressed through supports such as family outreach, wraparound services, and school engagement rather than benefit cuts. Legislators and school officials from Salem also testified that their districts reduced absenteeism through supportive strategies, not sanctions. Additional testimony addressed children’s vision bills H.202 and H.166, with optometrists and researchers urging better screening, data systems, and treatment access to close achievement gaps caused by untreated vision problems. Senator Lovely also presented S.2714, proposing a study of discrimination in public accommodations for people with service animals. Later, testimony on H.279 supported changing social work licensure rules to remove exam requirements that speakers said disproportionately exclude multilingual candidates and candidates of color. The hearing also included testimony on bills related to the Judge Rotenberg Center and electric shock devices, with disability rights advocates opposing continued use of the devices and urging the committee to reject licensing or authorization for them. No votes or committee actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Speaker, I actually have an introduction of a special guest if I can step out of order.
• If you two would both step up, and the treasurer, please.
• It shows that Missouri is taking a step in the right direction.
• It shows that Missouri is taking a step in the right direction.
• I'm going to step outside of my box.

Keywords: 959, house, all