Transcript Highlights:

• the department, the impossibility of serving children when there are no placements and there are limited
• Could you explain what is limiting? This type of care for the kids in our state.
• Caseloads are way too high. We all know that.
• You all talk about caseloads and graduated caseloads in the settlement agreement.
• Attack their worker, and it goes back to the horrible working conditions and the big caseloads.

Transcript Highlights:

• . ...like 750 students for a caseload.
• , and that limit has been reached.
• What is your caseload?
• An average caseload is roughly 30 people per case manager.
• So folks are really sticking to that limit, that new monthly cap that folks have.

Keywords: 995, all

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

Transcript Highlights:

• There's a $4.3 million increase in the upper payment limit for nursing facilities due to changes in the
• my head several questions, but I'll limit it to one, and that is in regard to the HCBS services, home
• When we give them a full caseload, then we see a high turnover rate across those new employees.
• Are you seeing where the caseloads are going to go down for the workers that you have remaining with
• We have seen a reduction in caseloads per worker. You have? Yes, ma'am.

Keywords: 965, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We are proud to say that we've reduced our pending caseloads to pre-pandemic levels.
• We have no control over that caseload or that workload on the district defense side.
• It's important, as I mentioned, Madam Chair, that we don't control the caseload.
• As I mentioned, our workloads and our caseloads are challenges, right, and we don't control those.
• As I mentioned, our caseload standard is from 1991.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• On top of that, the caseload stress of all of the things, and they may be running from county to county
• That means our delinquent attorneys are handling a huge caseload, trying to determine what to do with
• We would love to see a prosecutor in each district that doesn't have a shared caseload that isn't doing
• I think, as DA Austin pointed out, you're looking at the juvenile deprived caseload, the delinquent caseload
• And of course, she was very happy for her boss, but also she recognized that if her caseload continues

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:47:51.480><c> um</c><00:47:51.640><c> without</c><00:47:51.839><c> a</c> limit um without a limit
• They may have metals limits. They may have nutrients limits.
• They may have metals limits.
• They may have metals limits.
• The national standard is 1 to 50 in an average caseload and 1 to 35 when it's a specialty caseload.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard an overview from the Agriculture Commissioner on the department’s major divisions and staffing. He described the Office of the Commissioner, Agricultural Development, Pesticides, Regulatory Services, Weights and Measures, Animal Industry, Plant Industry, and Soil Conservation, noting that many programs are federally funded or supported by dedicated fees and fines. He said the department has 44 full-time positions plus one DoIT employee shared with other agencies, and that HR services are now contracted through Administrative Services. He also explained that Soil Conservation is administratively attached to the department and funded through Moose Plate grants and county contributions, not direct state funding. Members asked about specific program functions and issues, including weights and measures inspections, animal health, bird flu response, internships, invasive species, and the Big E/New Hampshire building. The commissioner said weights and measures covers nearly all commercial measuring devices and products sold by weight, and that inspectors are currently part-time police officers, though the department is discussing removing that requirement. He said the department is actively involved in bird flu monitoring, including regular calls with USDA and the state veterinarian and collecting milk samples from dairy farms. On invasive species, he focused on Japanese knotweed and bittersweet, saying the department has only one staff person working on the issue, mainly as a coordinator with DOT and towns, and that eradication is extremely difficult. He also said the department does not run student internships and refers inquiries to UNH Cooperative Extension. The committee discussed budget and revenue issues, including three new general fund positions, one of which is the assistant commissioner and another a biological scientist for invasive species. The commissioner said the department had been in “triage mode,” that an assistant commissioner was needed because of workload, and that the department is a net positive to the General Fund each year. He said some fees and fines have not been updated in decades and would require legislation to change, including a proposed $5 fee for each animal database certificate to help fund a system that costs about $250,000 annually to maintain. In response to questions about budget reductions, he said the department protected personnel, reduced the cost-of-care fund, fair grants, and land preservation funding to about $25,000 each, and did not plan to buy new vehicles or computers. He also said he could not support including the $50,000 Conservation District resilience grant program in his budget under the current reduction targets, though he remained hopeful it might be funded another way.

Transcript Highlights:

• , or 3-year statute of limitations, on our look back.
• benefits to these these SGU give limited benefits to these these SGU veterans,<01:28:08.200><c> and<
• So there's a limited set of benefits here.
• So there's<01:29:06.320><c> a</c><01:29:06.400><c> limited</c><01:29:06.760><c> set</c><01:29:06.960>
• </c> there's a limited set of benefits here. there's a limited set of benefits here.

Bills: HF3489, HF3393, HF3785, SF856, HF4006, HF4615, HF3919, HF4591, HF3682, HF4240

Keywords: grooming, child protection, student safety, sexual exploitation, educator licensing, teacher discipline, mandatory reporting, mandated reporter training, school misconduct, predatory offender, child abuse, sexual abuse, sex trafficking, child sexual abuse material, child pornography, position of authority, school employee, school administrator, license revocation, license suspension

Transcript Highlights:

• are some colleges that are growing rapidly and there are others that are still continuing to see limited
• And we are working with the Department of Finance to provide them with the latest caseload update so
• Is it people feeling that there isn't—the caseload doesn't exist for a full-time?
• One of which was insufficient caseload.
• Given very real limitations that exist in places like rural areas, I get that.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In fact, the only rules applying to them limit how contracts between referral agencies and assisted living
• Secondly, Texas needs to set an upper limit on how long a referral agency can track a lead or own a lead
• Important protections and choices are limited for seniors, and the industry will also be affected greatly
• DFPS evaluates their performance on an ongoing basis, yet they have limited options when SSCCs are not
• 4130 adjusts that timeline to 180 days to allow. with the time frame needed for DFPS to transfer caseloads

Bills: HB1531, HB2667, HB2809, HB2865, HB3589, HB3151, HB3748, HB3750, HB4419, HB4643, HB3597, HB4129, HB4130, HB4131

Keywords: workplace violence prevention, health and safety code, Chapter 331, facility definition, home and community support services agency, home health agency, home health care, nursing staff, registered nurses, health care workplace safety, hospital, nursing facility, ambulatory surgical center, freestanding emergency medical care facility, mental hospital, Texas health care regulation, provider compliance, occupational safety, senior living, referral agencies

Transcript Highlights:

• Increased caseload— is that because we expect fewer people to take advantage of the program?
• were made here for caseload primarily.
• It means that basically the caseload is increasing year over year.
• We have developed a list of target drugs given the limited funds available this year.
• System that we put in place would account for the limited storage on-site. Got it, thank you.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We won’t change the two-minute time limit; I don’t think that’s fair to do midstream.
• H.R. 1 expands the population subject to these work requirements by increasing the upper age limit from
• But independent of that provision, any caseload reductions would accrue 100% to the federal government
• It's lowered caseload and administrative burden in some regards, and total benefits paid out.
• Is there an age limit that you were thinking or you were talking with Mr.

Bills: HB2180, HB2184, HB2188, HB2194, HB2206, HB2321, HB2322, HB2438, HB2442, HB2448, HB2727, HB2797

Keywords: appropriation, funding, University of Arizona, education, state budget, fetal death, funeral homes, informed consent, abortion, women's rights, medical assistance, emotional support, language acquisition, early intervention, hearing impairment, grant program, deaf education, health care, insurance claims, prior authorization

Transcript Highlights:

• We are projecting caseloads in the 2025-26 year for child welfare.
• Once again, we are limited to two minutes. Please state your name and affiliation.
• You could limit the one in the front so that it's time-limited, allowing you to get to your panels, and
• then don't have a time limit on the one in the end.
• Put a time limit on the panels themselves. The first panel was an hour and a half. People left.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, basically it's the caseload side of it.
• We've created the special judge classification based upon caseload, but that's purely statutory because
• We limit what cases they can review, and you can see through that 1 through 13 is what they have the

Bills: HB2650, HB2696, HB3177, HB3264, HB3298, HB3321, HB3322, HB3497, HB3499, HB3500, HB3742, HB3845, HB3941, HB3970, HB3980, HB3981, HB4421

Keywords: probate, estate administration, summary administration, decedent, inheritance, open records, educational records, cybersecurity, student privacy, confidential information, court reporters, salaries, legislation, employment compensation, state administration, Oklahoma, criminal justice, minimum sentences, parole eligibility, violent crimes

Transcript Highlights:

• caseloads, and strongly recommended<00:30:41.160><c> that</c><00:30:41.360><c> we</c><00:30:41.760><
• And here on this slide, you can see what that spending looked like, as well as the growth of caseloads
• Like we already stated, we projected based on historical data that our KTAP caseloads would increase
• We thought that we were hopeful that our TANF caseloads would level out and, as well as the spending
• , and our out-of-home care caseloads, and our out-of-home care costs. costs. costs.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from its September 24 meeting after a motion and second. It then heard a presentation from New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Secretary Elizabeth Gragensky on that state’s early childhood system and planned universal child care rollout. She described how New Mexico consolidated multiple prenatal-to-age-five programs into a cabinet-level department, expanded pre-K to a longer day, and uses a cost model to set reimbursement rates intended to cover true provider costs, including wages, benefits, occupancy, food, and reserves. She also said the state created an Early Childhood Trust Fund and secured a constitutional amendment to dedicate 0.60% of the land grant permanent fund to early care and education, with the department’s budget growing from about $400 million in 2021 to just under $1 billion this year. Gragensky said families can begin applying for universal child care on November 1, with participation voluntary for both families and providers. She reported that New Mexico is aiming to expand capacity by adding 1,000 registered home providers, 120 group homes, and about 55 more centers, supported in part by a $13 million low-interest loan fund and a request for an additional $20 million. She said the state has seen growth in early childhood professionals, including a 64% increase over the last three to four years, and pointed to reported outcomes such as a 21% increase in literacy and a 75% kindergarten readiness rate, while noting that some measures are new and baseline comparisons are still being developed. Members asked about the funding sources, provider profitability, workforce development, and measurable outcomes. Gragensky said the program is designed to support provider sustainability through rates tied to true cost and includes allowances for sick leave, vacation, benefits, and reserves. She also said maternal labor force participation is 10% higher than the national rate and attributed that in part to child care access. The committee then moved to a separate presentation by Department for Community Based Services Commissioner Lisa Dennis and Division of Family Support Director Roger McCann on anticipated cuts to TANF and SNAP, beginning with an overview of TANF as a federal block grant with a fixed annual Kentucky allocation of about $180.7 million.

Transcript Highlights:

• on one waiver support coordinator per client, so it is not possible for a mentor to carry a full caseload
• , whereas the maximum caseloads are 43, and properly to carry a full caseload, whereas the maximum caseloads
• on one waiver support coordinator per client, so it is not possible for a mentor to carry a full caseload
• , whereas the maximum caseloads are 43, and properly to carry a full caseload, whereas the maximum caseloads

Summary: The Budget Committee took up six bills. HB 313 passed unanimously and was reported favorably; it exempts vehicles or motorcycles displaying the Purple Heart specialty license plate from paying tolls on Florida facilities. HB 749 also passed and was reported favorably; it extends benefits to firefighters injured during training exercises. CS/HB 1103 passed and was reported favorably; it addresses APD’s developmental disability waitlist by increasing transparency, creating statewide family care councils, expanding the existing pilot program statewide on a phased timeline, and improving coordination for young adults transitioning out of foster care. Testimony on HB 1103 focused on the long waitlist, the need for more provider capacity and support coordinators, and concerns from Disability Rights Florida about moving too quickly without enough data, while supporters argued the current system is not working and families need access to services now. HB 1097 passed after a unanimous amendment removing an appropriation; it creates a premier academic insurance research center at Florida State University to conduct applied insurance and catastrophic risk research, with members discussing the transition from FIU and noting continued collaboration. HB 1309 passed and was reported favorably; it requires evidence-based reading interventions for K-2 students with reading deficiencies and creates a reading coaches program for grades 4-12. Supporters from education and business groups appeared in favor. CS/HB 433 also passed and was reported favorably, though it drew the most debate. The bill requires agencies to review existing rules and guidance documents for consistency with legislative intent, repromulgate rules over time, and report licensing metrics. Members raised concerns about possible duplication of work, staffing needs, and cost, while the sponsor and supporters argued agencies should already be doing this and that the bill would reduce unnecessary regulation and improve accountability. The committee then adjourned after completing its agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's a $4.3 million increase in the upper payment limit for nursing facilities due to changes in the
• my head several questions, but I'll limit it to one, and that is in regard to the HCBS services, home
• When we give them a full caseload, then we see a high turnover rate across those new employees.
• Are you seeing where the caseloads are going to go down for the workers that you have remaining with
• We have seen a reduction in caseloads per worker. You have? Yes, ma'am.

Summary: The committee first heard a budget presentation on LSU Health Care Services Division and Lallie Kemp Medical Center. Staff reviewed HCSD’s roughly $74.7 million budget, much of it tied to legacy obligations for former LSU hospital systems and support for Lallie Kemp. Committee members asked about prisoner care, risk management costs, declining admissions and emergency visits, and the hospital’s 340B drug program. Lallie Kemp officials explained that prisoner care serves multiple state and local facilities, that lower admissions largely reflect more patients being placed in observation status, and that the in-house 340B program provides major savings to patients and the prison system. Members also asked about care for unhoused patients and the hospital’s discharge practices, and the hospital said social services works to find placement when possible. The committee then moved to the Louisiana Department of Health budget, which was presented as just under $23.5 billion, with Medicaid making up more than 90 percent of the total. The presentation covered the Office of the Secretary, Office of Public Health, Office of Behavioral Health, Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities, and Medicaid. Major items included the new Rural Health Transformation Program, the transfer of several functions from DCFS to LDH under the One Door initiative, changes to SNAP administration, and large Medicaid adjustments driven by enrollment, utilization, and federal policy changes. Testimony also highlighted the statewide crisis hub and 988, the commodity food program for seniors, women’s health and maternal outcomes, and the department’s efforts to modernize technology and reorganize services. Members questioned LDH officials on a wide range of budget and policy issues, including the rural health grant, crisis services, Medicaid redeterminations, provider taxes, physician and hospital supplemental payments, nursing home rates, HCBS funding, and the impact of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act. LDH said the rural health grant would support workforce, technology, and care-delivery improvements; that the crisis hub and mobile crisis units are being expanded to improve access and reduce emergency room use; and that the department is working to keep the SNAP error rate below 6 percent to avoid a projected state cost increase. Officials also said they expect to return next year with additional funding requests for HCBS and other programs, while emphasizing that current budget changes are largely meant to realign funding with actual expenditures and new federal requirements. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• And if there is a way to limit that concern, I'm all ears.
• It makes no sense. ...caseloads and the jails.
• Their caseloads are very large, and they get larger by the day.
• When we limit what companies can gather, we limit what can be exploited, stopping harm before it starts
• But we're hoping this is a limited tool that is used rarely, but saves lives.

Summary: The committee heard several public safety bills, with testimony split between supporters who framed the measures as targeted fixes and opponents who warned about overcriminalization and unintended consequences. SB 701, by Senator Wahab, drew support from law enforcement and local government groups, who said state law lacks a tool to address the conduct at issue; the ACLU opposed it as duplicative of existing law, while public defenders said they may withdraw opposition after amendments. Because there was no quorum at that point, the bill was held open without a vote. SB 834, by Senator DeRazzo, was presented as a technical cleanup bill to improve California’s automatic record clearance system by preventing outdated “pending” charges from blocking relief, requiring local court records to match DOJ records, and creating a way for people to obtain proof of relief. It received broad support from criminal justice reform and defense organizations, with no opposition, and the chair indicated support, but no final action was taken during the hearing. SB 248, by Senator Rubio, would require DOJ to send new gun purchasers educational materials during the waiting period about safe storage, suicide prevention, domestic violence, and related resources; supporters called it common-sense education, while one opponent argued the information is already available. The committee voted the bill out on a due-pass motion to Appropriations, but it remained on call pending one additional vote. Senator Rubio’s SB 19, the Safe Schools and Places of Worship Act, would create a new offense for credible threats against schools or houses of worship even when no specific individual is named. Supporters, including law enforcement and Jewish community advocates, said current law leaves a loophole and that the bill would help prevent panic and resource-draining lockdowns; opponents from civil liberties and youth justice groups argued existing law already covers threats and that the bill would worsen the school-to-prison pipeline. After a motion and second, the committee voted due pass to Appropriations, with the measure also left on call. Later, SB 759 by Senator Archuleta, prompted by the killing of Whittier Officer Keith Boyer, would require a court hearing after a third supervision violation or new offense for people on post-release community supervision; supporters said it adds accountability, while opponents said it removes probation discretion and could increase jail and court burdens. The bill passed due pass to Appropriations and was reported as passing. The committee also heard SB 6 by Senator Ashby, which would schedule xylazine as a controlled substance while preserving veterinary use. Supporters, including veterinarians, law enforcement, and a parent who lost a son to a drug-related death, said the drug is increasingly present in fentanyl mixtures and needs to be controlled; opponents from drug policy and civil liberties groups argued scheduling would criminalize users, hinder research, and repeat failed drug-war policies. After extensive debate, the committee voted the bill out due pass to Appropriations, and it passed. Finally, SB 11, the AI Abuse Protection Act, was introduced to regulate AI-generated voice, image, and video replicas, with supporters emphasizing protection against deepfakes and nonconsensual images; the California Chamber of Commerce opposed unless amended, seeking narrower definitions and limits on consumer warnings. The hearing ended while SB 11 was still under discussion, with no final vote reflected in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• Regardless of cause, when people can't afford food, they have very limited options.
• Recent caseload trends indicate that we're narrowing this participation gap.
• We did not limit it to CalFresh recipients.
• Additionally, Additionally, HR1 expands CalFresh's harsh time limits, which limit assistance to three
• all CalFresh participants from time limits.

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:

• Additionally, all of the testifiers who have signed up in advance have been provided with a time limit
• Please adhere to these time limits. We are short on time and we have a lot of bills.
• Siegel, I'll just note too that we're 30 seconds over the time limit, so if there are a couple of points
• Just to let you know, we are on a very tight schedule, so we're limiting time.
• Many counties, especially in rural areas with limited tax bases, are facing the difficult reality of

Bills: HF1354, HF1901, HF2124, HF2130, HF2260, HF2099, HF104, HF134, HF1769

Keywords: public safety, school safety, active shooter, active shooter drill, violence prevention, threat reporting, anonymous tip line, See It, Say It, Send It, Minnesota Fusion Center, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, BCA, officer-involved death, missing person, endangered missing person, criminal background check, national background check, FBI fingerprint check, adult entertainment license, massage license, correctional facilities

Transcript Highlights:

• leveled off in 2024, but remained historically high. accounted for more than 40% of the court's civil caseload
• It's really difficult to determine what the caseload was going to be in the courts because we don't and
• is, there's a number of counties and areas across the state that because of. population growth or caseload
• Impacts to our capacity. and unknown caseloads, coordination with other agencies, which is sometimes
• Recently, TDCJ has implemented tablets, and I believe that we can send limited information through the

Keywords: 1184, house, all