Transcript Highlights:

• This includes interested parties pursuing applications of SB 9, as well as SB 684 and the subsequent
• that's just with the applications that have been submitted.
• There's about 3,400 permits that have been applications that have gone through.
• Applications that are submitted before it is in place will have to be processed.
• Applications that are submitted before it is in place will have to be processed.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to process the application and time of the application came in before a deadline. >> Well, I'm referring
• Just a moment ago you talked about having hard deadlines for applications.
• We have applications.
• So they may have put in for an application. The school might not have opened, et cetera.
• We provide those lists with the other applications that are out there.

Transcript Highlights:

• We either don't get responses, get any applicants, or very few.
• Don't get responses, get any applicants, or very few.
• We have six that are truly dedicated to processing applications and separations all the time.
• We're advertising longer now because we're not getting the applicants that we used to.
• It used to be two weeks, and you'd have 50 applicants or more.

Summary: The Pre-K through 12 Budget Subcommittee met for two workshops. The first focused on vacant positions in the Division of Early Learning and the Department of Education. Committee members reviewed vacancy reports, including long-vacant positions and positions that had received discretionary pay adjustments. Division and department officials said many vacancies were being filled, advertised, or under review, but acknowledged persistent recruitment and retention problems, especially for engineering, legal, finance, IT, and other specialized roles. Members questioned whether some long-vacant positions were still necessary, whether overtime and workload were being affected, and whether outside contracting, cross-training, combining positions, or eliminating some vacancies could help. Officials said they were considering those options and noted that hiring has become slower and more difficult since the pandemic, with lower applicant volume and more competition from other agencies and private employers. The second workshop addressed draft legislation related to school choice scholarships and the FEFP. The chair said the committee’s prior hearings raised concerns about student identification numbers, cross-checking between districts and scholarship organizations, duplicated FTE reporting, delayed district payments, scholarship payment timing, and inconsistent data sources. She said the proposed language is intended to standardize scholarship processing and improve accuracy and efficiency while preserving the long-standing FEFP principle that funds follow the student. She also said funding scholarship students below the line would not solve the identified problems and could create disparities. The draft would align processing for the Family Empowerment Scholarship and Florida Tax Credit Scholarship programs and would reduce add-on weights by 50% while keeping the current policy structure. No votes were taken. The chair invited further comments and said the draft budget and legislation would continue to be refined before rollout. The meeting adjourned without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• AND IN THE FIRST APPLICATION CYCLE WE RECEIVED 56 GRANT APPLICATIONS THAT NEEDED APPROVAL BY THE BOARD
• THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
• ONCE THE APPLICATION IS APPROVED. I'M SORRY.
• WE JUST STARTED TAKING THE GRANT APPLICATIONS AUGUST 1. THEY ARE STILL ROLLING IN.
• IF THEY CONSIDERED THE BOAT AND BED THAT WOULD BE APPLICABLE. >> Chair Maney: OKAY. THANK YOU.

Transcript Highlights:

• ownership for social equity applicants ownership for social equity applicants and<01:28:20.800><
• <01:30:38.719> The applicant and get that license. The applicant and get that license.
• or the application.
• it's the applicant or the application. application. application.
• And it does apply for applications, but there would have to be a licensing round for that application

Bills: HF2300, HF2432, HF2445, HF2443, HF2439, HF3023, HF1615, HF2563

Keywords: HF2432, judiciary finance bill, public safety finance bill, corrections policy, crime victims, victim services, Minnesota victims of crime account, court fees, marriage license fee, financial crimes, fraud investigations, insurance fraud, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, BCA, Commerce Fraud Bureau, wage theft, automobile theft prevention, nonprofit security grants, 911 funding, POST Board

Transcript Highlights:

• . application. application.
• <00:50:46.559> a better with opening the application a better with opening the application
• :51:03.280> past that application opened this past that application opened this past October<00
• looking at just the number of applicants looking at just the number of applicants that<00:51:19.200
• , additional PEL eligible applicants, additional PEL eligible applicants, which<00:51:26.400>

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education heard presentations from the University of Louisville and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) on their strategic plans, enrollment trends, and budget priorities. University of Louisville President Bradley highlighted the university’s new five-year strategic plan, its R1 research status, community-engaged and opportunity college classifications, record enrollment of 25,005 students, and its role in serving first-generation, Pell-eligible, military-connected, and rural students. He also emphasized the university’s economic and workforce impact, including athletics, nursing, dentistry, and a recent Speed School building, and previewed major capital and program requests: a $142 million STEMH building, a $15 million one-time request for National Cancer Institute-related cancer research, and $5.3 million for the Kentucky Manufacturing Extension Partnership. He also discussed a planned $260 million health sciences building and the university’s efforts to expand health care access beyond Louisville through regional sites and residency partnerships. Members responded positively, with Representative Tipton asking about agency bond projects and regional health outreach, and President Bradley saying the university is evaluating debt capacity and exploring smaller projects while noting that the STEM building request would rely on state-funded debt service. He described UofL Health’s expansion into places such as Bullitt County, Shelbyville, Madisonville, and Paducah, and its efforts to train physicians for rural practice. Representative McCool praised the university’s military-friendly designation and cancer research priorities and noted personal family ties to UofL. Michaela Aman, a sophomore from Letcher County, also testified about how UofL has supported her as a rural student and emphasized the university’s commitment to opportunity and social mobility. KCTCS President Ryan Quarles and CFO Todd Kilburn then presented the system’s enrollment, completion, and workforce-training results. They said KCTCS now serves more than 110,000 students, graduated a record 24,000 students last May, and has moved from 45th to 4th nationally in graduation rate. They also highlighted that over half of students are first-generation, 60% work while enrolled, 70% of graduates work in Kentucky, and 74% graduate with no student loan debt. KCTCS described its common-course-numbering agreement with Morehead State as part of a broader transfer simplification effort, and said it trains about 200,000 Kentuckians annually when including workforce training and firefighter instruction. The system also outlined efficiency measures, including property sales, a new bookstore contract projected to save $4.3 million over five years, and a new evaluation process for real estate and facilities. KCTCS’s budget and capital requests included operating funding tied to enrollment growth, support for the TRAINs program, the ECTC training facility at Glendale, continued support for Health Force Kentucky, three capital construction projects at Jefferson, Bluegrass, and Gateway, and asset preservation funding focused on safety and security upgrades. Quarles also referenced House Bill 5, saying it would expand KCTCS’s correctional education and re-entry work and could help reduce recidivism. Members asked about the bill and its impact, and KCTCS said it already provides instruction in jails and prisons and sees the proposal as an extension of that work.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um established an application process.
• So now our application is live on the internet at KDA.
• And so our application is live.
• project that was in their application. project that was in their application.
• the other applicants the other applicants >> across<00:45:32.400> the<00:45:32.560>

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee met and approved the August 21, 2025 minutes. The main presentation came from Brandon Reid of the Kentucky Office of Agriculture Policy, who reported that implementation of the Kentucky Agriculture Economic Development Board created by Senate Bill 28 and House Joint Resolution 31 is ahead of schedule. He said the board has been appointed and has met several times, has adopted guidelines and an application process, and has launched its application on the KDA website. He also noted new staffing, including a project manager, and said the office is already working on projects, though some are confidential because of coordination with the Economic Development Cabinet and nondisclosure agreements. Members praised the effort and emphasized the importance of having agriculture represented in economic development work. Reid also described ongoing outreach by Commissioner Jonathan Shell, including farmer appreciation and classroom visits across the state. The committee then heard from Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton and Bluegrass Ag Tech Development Corp. executive director Jacob Ball about the Bluegrass Ag Tech Development Corp., a public-private partnership involving Lexington-Fayette, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, the University of Kentucky, and Altech. They said the organization aims to make Kentucky a national and international hub for ag tech, and that it has already awarded challenge grants to startups. Ball explained that the program focuses on animal protein, nutrition, sustainability, mid-size farm solutions, and Kentucky traditions such as distilling and equine. He reported that two rounds of grants have totaled $925,000, with the first round’s seven companies leveraging that into nearly $7 million in follow-on investment, supporting 56.5 Kentucky jobs and creating more than a dozen new jobs. The presentation also highlighted statewide outreach, including applications and engagement from counties across Kentucky, and the goal of expanding participation in eastern Kentucky. Members expressed support for both initiatives and discussed the value of agriculture-specific expertise in economic development. Reid said the Department of Agriculture and the Economic Development Cabinet maintain regular communication and that the new board gives agriculture a seat at the table for future site and industry recruitment efforts. No additional votes or formal actions were taken beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Other statistics that we have are the number of applications that we receive each month.
• As I mentioned, we do have a relatively high number of applications that we receive.
• 62% for those 7,000 applications.
• The application process was confusing, frustrating, and frankly dehumanizing.
• Demonstration projects like the elderly simplified application project.

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:

• It would just be the person that's creating the notification application.
• It would just be the person that's creating the notification application.
• It would just be the person that's creating the notification application.
• It would just be the person that's creating the notification application.
• Um, and the reason why is the notification application. Wouldn't the notification application.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For applicable projects requesting financial assistance, the conversation begins during the pre-application
• . $2.2 billion in applications were turned away.
• We authorize land application of treated wastewater through our Texas Land Application Permitting, or
• Applications are made available for review in public locations near the proposed facility, and the applicant
• So when an applicant submits an application to TCEQ, as you said, any industrial, or more domestic for

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Pratt, can you remind me if I recall we were expecting to pay out about $750 per applicant?
• applications from being inappropriately paid.
• and determined whether or not those applications were in fact fraudulent.
• Some of them were not; we were able to verify that they were not fraudulent applications.
• able to identify only 140 applications able to identify only 140 applications with<01:13:24.360>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee met under a new Senate power-sharing arrangement with co-chairs, began with member and staff introductions, and then received a jurisdiction overview from Senate counsel. The overview explained that the Labor Committee’s jurisdiction has not changed from the previous biennium and covers fair labor standards, minimum wage, workers’ compensation, occupational safety and health, and related agencies and boards such as the Department of Labor and Industry, Bureau of Mediation Services, PERB, and the Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals. It also noted that some topics, including paid leave, fall under other committees, while earned sick and safe time remains within Labor and Industry jurisdiction. Commissioner Nicole Blissenbach and Josiah Moore then gave a detailed Department of Labor and Industry presentation. They reviewed the department’s funding sources, emphasizing that workers’ compensation funds and construction codes/licensing revenues make up most of the budget, while the general fund is a small share. They described the department’s major divisions, including workers’ compensation, construction codes and licensing, labor standards, nursing home workforce standards, and OSHA consultation and compliance, and highlighted practical examples of their work. Examples included return-to-work assistance for an injured worker, compliance training that reduced penalties for self-insurers and claim administrators, and use of the Special Compensation Fund when an employer lacked workers’ compensation insurance. The labor standards section highlighted enforcement actions involving unpaid overtime, pregnancy and parental leave retaliation, wage deductions, and child labor violations, along with totals for 2024 collections and inquiries. The presentation also noted the Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board’s adopted rules, the expansion of construction licensing exams statewide, and OSHA consultation programs such as Min-SHARP and MINSTAR, including a Minnesota employer that recently achieved MINSTAR status. No votes or formal committee actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• our applicants was only $378 million. our applicants was only $378 million.
• go by the lowest cost application go by the lowest cost application um<00:19:31.600> to<00
• We tried to fund as applications there?
• So we round was fiber only applications.
• :57.839> aren't sometimes the the applicants aren't sometimes the the applicants aren't totally

Bills: HF3508, HF3548, HF3549

Keywords: dairy assistance, agriculture, investment, relief initiative, farm support, farm assistance, down payment, state funding, loan modification, grain indemnity, financial security, crop insurance, Minnesota agriculture, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• this legislation to suspend applications this legislation to suspend applications for<01:02:31.720
• permit is issued to an to an applicant permit is issued to an to an applicant they<01:36:32.440>
• is that when we receive an application is that when we receive an application particularly<01:40
• <01:41:23.360> with and comment on the application with and comment on the application with
• application is complete so when their application is complete so that<01:41:30.159> once<01:41

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• . ...incorporating provisions for external peer review of the grant application and also established
• They also are responsible for reviewing Cancer Innovation Fund applications.
• Last fiscal year, we received 261 applications requesting over $216 million.
• As stated previously, we did have 261 applicants who...
• And so, as stated previously, we did have 261 applicants who requested over $260 million.

Summary: The committee first received an update from the Department of Health on the Cancer Connect Collaborative, the Cancer Innovation Fund, and the new Cancer Connect Collaborative Research Incubator, created and expanded by recent legislation. The department reported that the Cancer Innovation Fund has awarded $80 million to 95 researchers to date, with $60 million available in the current cycle and 65 projects funded across 28 institutions in 16 cancer areas last year. The new pediatric cancer incubator received $30 million and awarded four Florida children’s hospitals $7.5 million each. Senators asked about outreach to oncologists statewide, peer review and accountability, funding for National Cancer Institute-affiliated institutions, and whether underserved and rural areas are being prioritized; the department said it uses website notices, listservs, collaborative outreach, and eligibility criteria favoring rural and high-cancer-care providers, and that it monitors projects through reports, expenditures, and contract provisions. The committee then heard Senate Bill 312 on patient-directed medical orders, which would create a voluntary, portable, physician-authorized electronic registry for patients to document end-of-life and serious-illness treatment preferences. Supporters, including nurses, hospice and emergency care advocates, and medical professionals, said the bill would help ensure patient wishes are accessible in emergencies, reduce unwanted interventions, and improve continuity of care. Opponents, including Florida Right to Life, argued the bill could broaden end-of-life decisions too far, raise privacy and coercion concerns, and allow withdrawal of care inappropriately. The sponsor said the measure is intended to support patient autonomy and is not anti-life, and noted she was open to amendments. After public testimony, the committee voted on SB 312 and reported it favorably. The roll call showed support from Senators Berman and Harrell, with the bill passing on the committee vote. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The point of the bill was to say that an annual application is not required; an initial application is
• Municipal zoning regulations applicable Municipal zoning regulations related<00:15:27.079> to
• superseding applicable Municipal zoning regulations<00:15:56.800> relating<00:15:57.120> to
• words applicable words applicable Municipal<00:16:18.920> zoning Municipal zoning Municipal
• Municipal zoning regulations applicable Municipal zoning regulations I<00:16:26.120> think<00

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Does this cover applications. Does this cover applications?
• Could you explain applications?
• applications to me?
• as an application. as an application.
• . >> What's an application?

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Law school applications to ABA-accredited law schools were up.
• We've had over 54 applications for 12 spots this year. We've filled eight of our spots.
• I'm happy to follow up, and we do have statistics based on our 10101 applications.
• This year, we were only able to fund all of our applicants last biennium.
• This fiscal year, we got about 35 applicants.

Summary: The work session began with a discussion of expanding opportunities in the legal profession, especially in response to shortages of lawyers in rural Washington and in public service roles. Washington State Bar Executive Director Tara Nevitt described a slowly growing but aging attorney population, noted that younger attorneys have declined, and outlined efforts such as supervised practice pathways to bar admission, reduced admission-by-motion experience requirements, expanded law clerk capacity, rural job fairs and grants, and a pilot program allowing innovative legal service delivery models. Members asked about bar passage score changes, loan repayment assistance, and the former Limited License Legal Technician program; Nevitt said the bar is monitoring other states and remains in dialogue with the court about paraprofessional licensing. Law school representatives from UW, Seattle University, and Gonzaga emphasized public service pipelines, financial barriers, and rural legal deserts, citing LRAPs, scholarships, stipends, clinics, and hybrid or regional programs designed to recruit and retain students in Washington. Seattle U highlighted its FlexJD and hybrid hub partnerships in underserved areas, while Gonzaga and UW reported substantial shares of graduates entering public service, though most still cluster in urban regions. The committee also heard from the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys and the Office of Public Defense, both of which described severe recruitment and retention problems in rural counties, with vacancies, low applicant pools, and the need for higher salaries, housing help, internships, and loan support. The Office of Public Defense said its internship and fellowship program, created by SB 5780, has already placed interns in rural counties and produced some commitments to return after graduation. The Washington State Bar’s law clerk program was also presented as a pathway that helps people train locally and remain in their communities, including by supporting succession for aging solo practitioners. The committee then shifted to family law and guardianship issues. On Title 26 guardian ad litem practice, presenters from Northwest Justice Project and private family law practice said GALs can play an important role but that training, oversight, and consistency remain major concerns, especially in domestic violence cases. They described problems such as inadequate training, bias, inconsistent recommendations, high fees, and lack of accountability, and suggested stronger, standardized training, more use of mental health professionals for custody evaluations, and better oversight mechanisms. Members asked about county practices, including rotation systems for GAL appointments and whether King County’s family court assessors provide a useful model. The discussion then moved to minor guardianships under the Uniform Guardianship Act. A Superior Court judge said the 2021 changes increased the need for court visitors and appointed counsel, but courts are struggling to find qualified attorneys and visitors, especially in rural areas. A former commissioner said most of the bill under discussion was technical cleanup to align prior amendments, though it would add some fiscal burdens. Administrative Office of the Courts staff reported that the statewide reimbursement program for UGA implementation has repeatedly run out of money earlier each year, with minor guardianship costs making up most of the expense. The Office of Public Guardianship then described rapid growth in demand for adult guardianship and less restrictive alternatives, noting that referrals and caseloads have risen sharply, but that the office is constrained by a shortage of certified professional guardians and low compensation levels. Finally, the committee began an update on Blake implementation from the Office of Civil Legal Aid, which funds civil legal services related to the decision, before the transcript cut off.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, Madam Chair and Paula, is the $5 million derived by how many applicants you had asking for how much
• Madam Chair, Representative, there is an application process. They do turn in an application.
• The engineering design applications are due in March, and the construction applications are due in May
• Madam Chair and Representative Zamora, the number of engineering applications has tended to be smaller
• than construction applications, and we do have a list.

Bills: SB193

Keywords: SB193, acequia, community ditch, irrigation works construction fund, water infrastructure, ditch infrastructure, irrigation, New Mexico water law, agricultural water, farmers, Rio Grande, acequia association, forest land protection revolving fund, state fund transfer, irrigation projects, 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• do recommend within our testimony one amendment in regards to complete and accurate accuracy of applications
• to the expeditious redevelopment and development of affordable rental housing. accuracy of uh applications
• submitted to accuracy of uh applications submitted to the<00:14:58.720> Department<00:14:59.320
• They said that because it included a special ordinance that was applicable to us, that could be deemed
• <00:16:26.880> to ordinance that appli was applicable to ordinance that appli was applicable

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Housing Committee met on March 19 for a brief public hearing on two bills. SB 79 SD1, relating to historic preservation reviews, drew support from HHFDC, DLNR/SHIPY, and NAOP Hawaiʻi, with NAOP recommending a technical amendment to ensure applications submitted to the department are complete and accurate. No opposition or questions were raised during the hearing. The committee also heard SB 170 SD2 HD1, relating to the expeditious redevelopment and development of affordable rental housing. Testimony was generally supportive, including from HHFDC, Hal Māhu, Pacific Commercial Realty, KCOM Corporation, the Green Party of Hawaiʻi, the Maui Chamber of Commerce, and several individuals, with one person testifying in opposition. Supporters emphasized the need to speed affordable housing redevelopment, especially for Lahaina fire victims, displaced residents, workers, and people experiencing homelessness. A KCOM representative described proposed technical amendments to avoid special-law concerns and to clarify that a permit in process with the county should be sufficient if an emergency proclamation expires before completion. In decision-making, the committee voted to pass SB 79 SD1 with amendments and to pass SB 170 SD2 HD1 with substantial amendments. For SB 170, the chair described amendments to incorporate Pacific Commercial Realty’s proposed changes, clarify application-completeness requirements, exclude shoreline- and erosion-impacted parcels, remove references to flooding and tsunami, clarify an exemption from HRS 343 for certain permanently affordable multifamily projects in the SMA on historic properties, and move the bill’s provisions into statute. Representatives Cochran, Kagawa, and Peric were excused on the vote. The hearing then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'd like to have their application redacted as far as any...
• The first two... qualified applicants.
• Despite this, losing applicants in the vertical license category have chosen to stall the process yet
• The same applicants were given the opportunity to participate in a mediation process that allowed them
• . ...applicants but the entire process in itself could drag out for much longer.

Bills: SB185, SB194, SB72

Keywords: veterinary medicine, veterinarian-client-patient relationship, prescription refills, animal care, regulatory compliance, agriculture authority, eminent domain, property rights, tax exemption, agriculture center, medical cannabis, cannabis license, integrated facility license, Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission, AMCC, medical marijuana, dispensary, cultivation, processing, license appeal