Transcript Highlights:

• interested in development and limited space, we would likely go through an RFP process to select and evaluate
• anything, it may not be perfect when it get started, we're always going to take a step back and evaluate

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• He will give us an overview of CTE in Florida as well as our annual CTE audit, which evaluates CTE programs
• And that is really the the way that we evaluate the quality of credentials that we say here in the state

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So it really cuts into our evaluation. ...at the federal level we've been seeing that occur again, so
• So in the whole Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program process, there's an after-action report

Summary: The committee heard a series of domestic security and law enforcement presentations from the Florida Sheriffs Association, Florida Police Chiefs Association, Florida Highway Patrol, and FDLE. Sheriff Rob Hardwick outlined the sheriffs’ legislative priorities, focusing on adding xylazine to Florida’s trafficking statute and increasing penalties for luring or enticing a child under 12 from a misdemeanor to a felony. He also discussed domestic security coordination, fusion center intelligence sharing, and jail-based reentry efforts. Members asked about xylazine prevalence in Broward County and whether canine units can detect it; Hardwick said he would follow up with data and noted that dogs are not specifically trained for xylazine, though fentanyl-certified dogs may alert on mixtures. Chief Charlie Vasquez of the Florida Police Chiefs Association presented three priorities: stronger protections for law enforcement, judges, prosecutors, public defenders, and their families when threatened because of their jobs; faster and more consistent access to blood-borne pathogen testing results after exposure incidents; and mandatory life without release for anyone convicted of murdering a police or correctional officer, reviving a version of the Jason Raynor Act. Senators asked about delays in blood testing after exposure, and Vasquez said officers can be forced to take prophylactic medication while waiting for results and that the process should be streamlined. Florida Highway Patrol Director Dave Kerner described FHP’s domestic security role, including criminal interdiction, canine units, traffic homicide investigations, aviation, drones, border operations, and responses to threats such as human smuggling and the October 7-related security posture at synagogues and campuses. He said staffing remains constrained by vacancies and pay disparities, so he was not seeking more authorized troopers at this time. FDLE Deputy Commissioner David Binder then reviewed the state’s domestic security structure, fusion centers, critical infrastructure assessments, and grant funding, warning that federal homeland security dollars have declined sharply while threats remain high. He highlighted work on drone mitigation, radiological detection, vehicle barriers, and school security assessments, and emphasized the need for continued interagency coordination. The committee took no formal votes and adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm just saying that the bill didn't call for there to be an evaluation of whether or not you were fit
• of whether or not you were an evaluation of whether or not you were fit<00:09:35.279> in<00:09
• where the um what the uh or evaluating where the um what the characteristics<00:16:08.320> of
• PK Kalaka Bardi, Teach for America, in support. quantitative data needed to evaluate the quantitative
• data needed to evaluate the the<01:52:41.119> effects<01:52:41.440> of<01:52:41.679>

Bills: SB2003

Keywords: Mauna Kea, land management, University of Hawaii, astronomical observatories, leasable lands, natural resource management, stewardship authority, 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint committees on Water, Land, Culture, and the Arts and Education heard testimony and discussed SB 20003, which would require the auditor’s report under Act 255 to include a recommendation on whether the Monarch Stewardship and Oversight Authority is fit to continue managing Monaca lands. Testimony focused on the bill’s reversion language, the role of the auditor, and whether the measure gave the auditor too much discretion without clear criteria. The Office of the Auditor’s position, read into the record, was that it had strong reservations because the bill did not provide standards for assessing fitness and asked that the requirement be held or amended. Other testimony suggested a work group with relevant agencies and Hawaiian practitioners to manage the transition and reduce conflict. Committee members debated whether the bill should simply restore the original reversion language or also require an audit-based fitness determination. Several members questioned the need for a 2031 audit when Act 255 already provides for a performance and financial audit in 2031 and noted that the bill could shift authority away from the legislature. In response, the committee chair explained that the measure was intended to restore language removed during conference and to address the transition back to the University of Hawaii if the authority was not meeting the act’s purpose. The committees ultimately recommended SB 20003 be passed with amendments. The amendments would strike the auditor/audit section, add language addressing timelines by providing a 10-year lease extension and sublease extension, and make technical changes including a defective date. The committees voted to adopt the amended measure and send it forward as an SD1. The transcript also included a separate Education Committee hearing on SB 3286, which would require the University of Hawaii to develop a facilities and student housing master plan and report to the legislature. University of Hawaii testimony said the system supports the intent but that the bill’s requirements are a heavy lift across 10 campuses and should follow development of a broader academic strategy. Members raised concerns about deferred maintenance, shifting priorities, and the lack of a systemwide plan, while the university said it already has a six-year capital improvement plan but acknowledged it does not fully incorporate the broader academic and housing strategy the bill contemplates.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think there may be members of the committee that agree with you, and I have not evaluated that yet,
• I think there may be members of the committee that agree with you, and I have not evaluated that yet,
• I think there may be members of the committee that agree with you, and I have not evaluated that yet,
• I think there may be members of the committee that agree with you, and I have not evaluated that yet,
• I think there may be members of the committee that agree with you, and I have not evaluated that yet,

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Housing Committee heard testimony on HB 577, a bill to expand accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in New Hampshire. The sponsor and supporters described the state’s housing shortage and argued the bill would make it easier for property owners to build ADUs by right, up to 950 square feet, either attached or detached, while still requiring compliance with building codes, septic/water limits, and other local requirements. Supporters said the measure would help seniors age in place, provide housing for young adults, caregivers, and workers, and make better use of existing property such as garages and barns. Representative Reed raised concern that removing language related to short-term rentals could allow ADUs to be used for that purpose rather than long-term housing. The sponsor said he was open to clarifying language on short-term rentals, and another witness explained that current law already allows municipalities some choice on ingress/egress requirements, while the bill would standardize that and leave the design choice to the property owner. Several supportive witnesses followed, including the New Hampshire Home Builders Association, the New Hampshire Association of Realtors, the Business and Industry Association, AARP, Housing Action New Hampshire, 603 Forward, and New Hampshire Youth Movement. They emphasized affordability, property rights, workforce housing, intergenerational living, and the need for statewide consistency. A Derry resident testified that his existing garage space could be converted into an ADU under HB 577, but current local rules prevent that because it is detached; he said the bill would let him rent it affordably. Supporters also argued that ADUs can increase property values and help homeowners cover mortgages and taxes. In opposition, the New Hampshire Municipal Association said the bill would impose a local zoning mandate, could add density pressure on already stressed infrastructure, and did not guarantee that new units would be affordable or workforce housing. No vote or final committee action was taken in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• they testified in our committee and this year they have set up a quite an effective system for evaluating
• evaluating evaluating uh<00:22:18.000> requests<00:22:19.000> for<00:22:19.240> the
• It's a delicate balance, and going forward we're going to have to really evaluate each of these funds
• c> each<00:42:13.560> of<00:42:13.680> these<00:42:13.920> funds really evaluate
• um each of these funds really evaluate um each of these funds and<00:42:14.440> how<00:42:14.600

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of this bill, it would allow the communities to be able to come back every four years and to re-evaluate
• Chairman. ...be able to come back every four years and to re-evaluate and reassess and vote for that
• Re-evaluate these dollars.
• It's not re-evaluated for every person. If you look too, this gets applied one mill on the value.
• It's not re-evaluated for every person. If you look too, this gets applied one mill on the value.

Bills: HB0068, HB0062, HB0127, HB0109

Keywords: veterans, property tax exemption, disabled, service-connected disability, Wyoming, governmental claims, liability limits, inflation adjustment, public safety, local government insurance, HB0127, recreation mill levy, recreational facilities, public recreation, mill levy, property tax, local tax, county commissioners, school district levy, voter approval

Transcript Highlights:

• Page 11, line 10, we deleted “evaluation” and added “screen.”
• There is a difference between a full evaluation as opposed to a screening.
• <01:17:48.000> shall 15, uh reports of the evaluation shall 15, uh reports of the evaluation
• <01:18:06.400> It<01:18:06.560> would health evaluation of somebody.
• It would health evaluation of somebody.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The working group on restrictive housing met with a quorum present, approved the August 21, 2025 minutes, and adopted a procedure to take public testimony on each agenda item with a two-minute limit per testifier, with some flexibility for follow-up questions. The main presentation came from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation on restrictive housing policies and a recent outside assessment of mental health care practices at HSCF and OOTC. DCR said the assessment found strengths such as consistent medication administration and staff commitment, but also identified major problems including outdated workflows, staffing shortages, inadequate physical plant conditions, overuse of suicide/safety watch for personal safety issues, and a need for more individualized treatment plans. DCR described several corrective steps already underway: filling a long-vacant high-level mental health administrator position, adjusting evening medication passes, working with DOH on transfer and referral workflows, planning a new electronic medical records system and revised screening tools, and pursuing additional training for ACOs and mental health staff. For OOTC, DCR said the facility is overcrowded and decrepit, needs a better screening tool, and requires more mental health-specific training and staffing. For HCF, DCR said the layout limits confidential assessments and provider access, and that the proposed consolidated healthcare unit would add 43 beds, private exam rooms, and a de-escalation room. DCR also said the new unit could serve acute and chronic suicide/safety watch needs and possibly some inmates with dementia, Alzheimer’s, or significant cognitive impairment. The discussion then focused on Act 292, which DCR said is difficult to implement as written. DCR said the bill aligns with DOJ, NCCHC, and ACA guidance in defining restrictive housing, limiting duration, requiring reviews, identifying vulnerable populations, and using step-down units, but raised two major concerns: a requirement to refer vulnerable people to DOH for confinement, and a requirement for clinical assessments every 12 hours by a provider. Members responded that the law should be matched with funding and staffing, and asked what resources are needed. DCR said it submitted a request for 35 positions at a cost of about $8.6 million, and also said funding may be needed for community-based beds and contracted medical services. Members also asked about the current MOA/MOU between DOH and DCR, the working group membership, and the timeline for revisions. DCR said the group includes DCR, DOH, and governor’s office medical advisors, that a first draft is complete, and that the revised agreement should be in place by the end of the year. On staffing, DCR said ACO recruitment classes increased from five to eight, vacancy rates dropped from 34% to 24%, but OOTC still faces a projected $7.1 million shortfall and heavy overtime costs, forcing post closures and program reductions. The meeting ended with continued discussion of screening tools, including DCR’s explanation that current broad questions may over-identify people with substance-use-related symptoms as having serious mental illness, and that a more discrete tool is needed to better identify those with acute needs.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um and and so I think that is just it's those kinds of things that I think we also need to evaluate.
• <00:37:47.200> Um<00:37:47.599> but think we also need to evaluate.
• Um but think we also need to evaluate.
• A work group allows stakeholders to evaluate current eligibility structures, identify gaps, and explore
• <00:58:02.240> current<00:58:02.720> eligibility<00:58:04.079> structures, evaluate

Bills: HF4479, HF4368, HF4889

Keywords: higher education, public university, college campus, postsecondary institution, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, University of Minnesota, town hall, town hall meeting, elected official, legislator, public forum, constituent meeting, campus access, free meeting space, parking fees, civic engagement, public outreach, chapter 135A, HF4368, Minnesota State

Summary: The committee approved the April 9 minutes and then took up House File 4479, which would require public postsecondary institutions to make space available for town halls and similar official events by elected officials, with limits intended to keep the events on the official side and not campaign-related. Representative Frederick said the bill is meant to prevent universities from creating barriers such as fees or parking charges and to ensure a neutral, accessible venue for community conversations. The bill was laid over for possible later action. The committee heard supportive testimony from Jim Dimmick of Minnesota State University, Mankato, who argued that town halls should be public, open, moderated, and dialogic rather than speeches, and said universities should be centers for public discourse. He also said charging fees can undermine neutrality and that using partisan student groups to sponsor events can create the appearance of bias. Minnesota State official Mr. Omen said campuses often host these events, fees are set locally to cover costs, and student government sponsorship can sometimes avoid charges; he also noted the fee at Mankato is discounted and depends on room size. Several members raised concerns about the bill. Representative Scott, Chair Robbins, Representative Schwarz, Representative Allen, and others argued that campuses should not be required by statute to give legislators special treatment, that fees and parking costs cover real expenses, and that universities should remain focused on education rather than political events. Questions also focused on who would decide what room size is reasonable, how disputes would be handled, and who would pay for security if protests or safety issues arose. Representative Frederick responded that room selection would be a good-faith partnership with the university, that the bill does not require a town hall or guarantee a specific room, and that security funding is not spelled out in the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Going to have to evaluate on a monthly basis, too, to make sure that they continue to meet the criterion
• c><00:46:27.760> be<00:46:27.920> needing<00:46:28.240> to<00:46:28.400> evaluate
• actually going to be needing to evaluate actually going to be needing to evaluate the<00:46:29.119
• Going<00:46:35.680> to<00:46:35.839> have<00:46:36.000> to<00:46:36.319> evaluate
• on a monthly Going to have to evaluate on a monthly basis,<00:46:37.920> too,<00:46:38.079>

Bills: HB1559, HB2012, HB2297, HB2122, HB2345, HB2398, HB2534, HB2621

Keywords: telecommunication devices, student use, public schools, student engagement, educational outcomes, confiscation policy, mental health, statewide policy, community literacy, education, Title I funding, reading proficiency, underserved communities, family engagement, tutoring, literacy support, adult education, community education, literacy programs, workforce development

Transcript Highlights:

• Petitions for emergency evaluation are not and McGrder Memorial Act.
• Petitions for emergency evaluation<01:04:10.480> are<01:04:10.640> not<01:04:10.960>
• evaluation are not and McGrder Memorial Act.
• The clerk will read the next bill, please. >> House 810, study to evaluate blockchain-based real property
• >> House 810, study to evaluate >> House 810, study to evaluate blockchainbased<01:42

Keywords: House streaming session for Friday, March 20, 2026, 957, house, all

Summary: The House met in Annapolis with 107 members present and proceeded through the journal and a series of Appropriations Committee reports. Several bills were advanced on favorable reports without amendment, including measures on constitutional officers’ salaries, correctional officer retirement systems for Dorchester and Allegany counties, Carroll and Calvert County public facilities bonds, higher education financial assistance for incarcerated individuals, and a bill on community college promise scholarship eligibility for Delmar High School graduates. Other bills received amendments before being ordered for third reading, including measures on community college trustee membership, Frederick Community College board meeting and training requirements, Howard County school funding disclosures, courts administrative judges’ stipends, correctional officers retirement membership clarifications, the Children’s Cabinet Fund, and a law enforcement pension bill limiting military service credit eligibility to helicopter pilots in state aviation units. The chamber also considered HB 1581 on horse racing facility ownership, development, licensing, and operations. Amendments expanded the bill to include additional economic development provisions for the Prince George’s County Blue Line corridor, Pimlico-related funding and community input requirements, a larger lottery-fund distribution for the racing community development financing fund, and changes to the bus rapid transit grant program. The bill’s favorable report as amended was adopted, and it was ordered for third reading. During debate on a separate amendment to HB 894, the Maryland Transit and Housing Opportunity Act, members argued over project labor agreements: opponents said PLA requirements raise costs and limit competition, while supporters said the provision was optional, supported stability and predictability, and was part of a broader compromise. The amendment was rejected after discussion, and the bill remained amended. The House also took up HB 1430 on charter school facilities funding, adopting amendments that reduced the per-pupil amount and narrowed eligibility for certain districts, then advancing the bill as amended. In addition, HB 1248 was amended to convert a part-time state employment pilot program into a work group, and HB 680 was amended to adjust future appropriations for local management boards. Across the session, most actions were routine committee report adoptions and amendment votes, with no recorded roll-call counts in the excerpt except the initial quorum call.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:41:15.200> that<00:41:15.440> data<00:41:16.000> and we are able to evaluate
• that data and we are able to evaluate that data and maybe<00:41:16.319> it<00:41:16.480> will
• Um, and I hope that we are able to evaluate that data and maybe it will come at another hearing, too.
• the work that I do, like looking at this data from this page, um, uh, looking at that graph and evaluating
• the impacts of international evaluating the impacts of international migration<00:41:42.720> to

Bills: HF3004, HF3663

Keywords: workforce development, youth employment, internships, mentoring, job opportunities, digital platform, online portal, career pathways, youth workforce, employment and economic development, DEED, general fund appropriation, nonprofit grant, social media outreach, digital outreach, workforce opportunities, teen jobs, young adults, career exploration, Minnesota youth

Transcript Highlights:

• would need in frontline county worker would need in order<00:44:50.079> to<00:44:50.319> evaluate
• <00:44:50.880> a<00:44:51.119> Medicaid<00:44:51.920> uh order to evaluate a
• Medicaid uh order to evaluate a Medicaid uh application.<00:44:53.520> So,<00:44:53.760> I
• ><01:32:09.120> always<01:32:09.600> hard<01:32:09.840> to<01:32:10.080> evaluate
• because it's always hard to evaluate because it's always hard to evaluate your<01:32:10.960>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Section 35 requires the Commissioner, in consultation with other entities, to review and evaluate the
• Section 38 requires a study, evaluation, and recommendations on options for funding capital improvements
• the Henipin County review and evaluate the Henipin County baseball<01:24:44.800> stadium<01:24
• <01:25:22.800> and<01:25:23.120> recommendations<01:25:23.920> on evaluation and
• recommendations on evaluation and recommendations on options<01:25:24.560> for<01:25:24.800><

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• grant award cap of $20,000 for centers and $115,000 for licensed family child care applications were evaluated
• grant award cap of $20,000 for centers and $115,000 for licensed family child care applications were evaluated
• child care for licensed family child care applications<01:16:51.520> were<01:16:51.840> evaluated
• c><01:16:52.600> based<01:16:52.880> on<01:16:53.120> how applications were evaluated
• based on how applications were evaluated based on how much<01:16:53.520> the<01:16:53.600>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• these as people actually try evaluating these as people actually try and<01:05:39.119> set<01
• As we move forward in the process, we're always evaluating where we need people and trying to make decisions
• move forward in the process we're as we move forward in the process we're always<01:22:04.920> evaluating
• where<01:22:06.159> we<01:22:06.320> need<01:22:06.679> people always evaluating
• where we need people always evaluating where we need people and<01:22:07.560> trying<01:22:07.800

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Minnesota House Commerce Committee held its inaugural meeting with Chair Tim O’Driscoll and co-chair Representative Greg Davids opening the session and inviting members to introduce themselves. Members briefly described their districts, business backgrounds, and priorities, with recurring themes including small business competitiveness, insurance and health care access, property and real estate issues, agriculture, and making Minnesota easier to do business in. Committee staff also introduced themselves and reminded members and testifiers about sign-in procedures and microphone use. The committee then heard an overview from Eric Toell, interim director of the Office of Cannabis Management, on the agency’s work and budget priorities. He said the office now oversees adult-use cannabis, medical cannabis, and hemp-derived cannabinoid products, has grown from about nine employees to 90 full-time staff plus temporary workers, and has been working with a Cannabis Advisory Council on testing, warning labels, and implementation issues. He also described outreach efforts, including webinars, newsletters, guidebooks for local governments, and office hours for applicants, along with enforcement of hemp-derived product rules through more than 3,000 inspections and an increase in compliance rates from about 35% to 75%. Toell also reported that the medical cannabis program has surpassed 51,000 patients and nearly 2,500 registered health care providers, and that a chronic pain report found more than a third of patients reported decreased pain. On the adult-use side, he said the office has posted proposed rules for public comment, plans to adopt them after review, and will open a licensing window from February 18 to March 14. He explained that the office is also managing community reinvestment grants and a technical assistance grant, with an emphasis on safeguards to ensure funds reach intended recipients. No votes were taken during this meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• /c><00:45:18.000> to the end of two years promised to the end of two years promised to re-evaluate
• it if it was successful we re-evaluate it if it was successful we would<00:45:20.240> move<00
• I don't know what it will be for the State of New Hampshire; that is something that we'll evaluate once
• New Hampshire that is something that New Hampshire that is something that we'll<00:51:06.599> evaluate
• > this<00:51:07.760> program<00:51:08.559> is<00:51:09.200> is we'll evaluate

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on House Bill 451, which would create a postconsumer paint stewardship program in New Hampshire. Prime sponsor Representative Karen Ebel described the bill as a bipartisan, broadly supported model based on PaintCare programs used in other states. She said consumers and businesses could drop off leftover paint at participating retailers or municipal household hazardous waste sites, with the paint then collected and recycled by the stewardship organization. She emphasized that the program is intended to reduce landfill disposal, improper dumping, and contamination of groundwater and soil, while also helping municipalities save on hazardous waste handling costs. Members asked several questions about how the program would work and how it would be funded. Ebel explained that the program would be financed by a small fee charged at the point of sale on paint products, not a general sales tax, and that retailers could either list it separately or roll it into the price. She said the fee would cover the Department of Environmental Services’ administrative costs, which were described as minimal, and that the program’s structure was developed with DES and industry input. Questions also addressed whether cans would be recycled and how collected paint would be processed; Ebel said the ACA and PaintCare representatives could provide more detail, but that the paint and containers would be handled through recycling or other approved disposal methods rather than landfilled. Representative Judy Aron, a co-sponsor and chair of the House Environment and Agriculture Committee, testified in support, saying the bill had been developed over several years with stakeholders and would keep toxic paint out of landfills while saving municipalities and taxpayers money. Representative Peter Bixby, the ranking member of Environment and Agriculture, also supported the bill, saying his committee had heard it many times and that it had strong bipartisan enthusiasm. No vote was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, how are they being prioritized, and are you asking departments for reports or evaluations of the
• So, um, that's it. wondering if you are also evaluating the wondering if you are also evaluating the
• departments for reports or evaluations departments for reports or evaluations of<02:42:45.200>
• <02:51:06.880> of or modify it and to do an evaluation of or modify it and to do an evaluation
• and in December evaluated responses from uh<04:22:32.880> consortiums<04:22:33.840> led

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• fiscal year ending September 30, 2025; follow-up report of the contractor and consultant performance evaluation

Summary: The Senate convened under Senate Rule 1.101 with the Secretary presiding and handled routine business. The Office of the Auditor General submitted two reports: the Single Audit Report for the State of Michigan for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, and a follow-up report on the contractor and consultant performance evaluation process at the Michigan Department of Transportation. Both audits were referred to the Committee on Oversight. The session also noted that informational communications were available on the session website. No substantive debate, testimony, or votes occurred. Because a quorum was not present, the Senate adjourned under Senate Rule 3.104 and Joint Rule 15, to reconvene on Wednesday, July 1 at 10 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we're evaluating all that constantly with information as well as conversations with the clientele,
• MCDH staff coordinated evaluations, aligned agency eligibility, and ensured communication access throughout
• on the provider side I’m just curious what role DCF is playing just with respect to capturing, evaluating
• The department has strategically expanded evaluation and stabilization programs to address a critical
• This pilot will evaluate whether the thoughtful use of technology can enhance independence, privacy,

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing was a FY27 budget session on Health and Human Services held in Mattapan, hosted by the Joint Committee on Ways and Means. Opening remarks from Senator Lydia Edwards, Representative Brandy Fluker-Reed, Representative Russell Holmes, and Boston Public Library President David Leonard emphasized the significance of holding the first Ways and Means hearing in Mattapan, the importance of community access, and the role of libraries as human services institutions. Committee members and attendees introduced themselves before agency testimony began. MassAbility testified first, describing its mission to support people with disabilities through employment, independent living, and disability determination services. The agency highlighted federal funding uncertainty, a modest FY27 budget reduction, and a proposed reworking of its home care program, which it said is outdated and should better target those most in need. Members questioned the home care cut, staffing reductions, and federal coordination. MassAbility also shared a participant story about recovery and community support to illustrate the impact of its services. The Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing then presented its FY27 request, focusing on interpreter and captioning access, workforce development, emergency communication, aging-related hearing loss, and transition services for deaf and hard-of-hearing youth. Members asked about interpreter shortages, after-hours emergency coverage, ASL education, and community training; the commission said it is expanding mentorship and referral systems but still faces staffing and vendor challenges. The Massachusetts Commission for the Blind followed with a $30.8 million request, describing services for nearly 9,000 consumers, peer support groups, vocational rehabilitation, and Turning 22 services, while noting federal funding uncertainty and a 7% budget cut. Members raised concerns about maintaining services with fewer resources, and the commissioner said the agency had trimmed overhead and could manage the proposal. The Office for Refugees and Immigrants closed the segment, outlining expanded legal, housing, workforce, citizenship, and financial literacy supports for immigrants and refugees, including Know Your Rights trainings, legal defense initiatives, and the Massachusetts Access to Counsel Initiative. Members discussed the effects of federal policy changes, the loss of refugee resettlement funding, and the need for state support to fill gaps. No votes were taken in the portion provided; the hearing consisted of agency presentations and committee questioning.