Transcript Highlights:

• We are a conservation organization, but my entire team cares very deeply about our communities as well
• So again, we're trying to have a collaborative stakeholders... and one of you said, you know, the problem
• So by no means are we saying, let’s not take care of our watersheds or let’s not do any of that stuff
• And so since 2018, we've collaborated with Cal OES, and you'll hear from my colleague here in a moment
• You know, we can change behaviors to protect those that we most care about, and we can align programs

Summary: The hearing focused on California wildfire resilience, with the first panel discussing statewide funding, policy, and strategic priorities, and the second panel shifting to home hardening and defensible space. The LAO outlined the state’s wildfire risk, the large increase in resilience spending in recent years, and the fact that most funding has been one-time rather than ongoing. Testimony emphasized that wildfire risk varies greatly by region, that the state must balance response spending with prevention, and that success should be measured more carefully than by acres treated alone. Witnesses also noted the importance of local, federal, utility, and Proposition 4 funding sources, as well as the need for long-term maintenance and strategic prioritization rather than scattered projects. Cal Fire leadership and other witnesses stressed that California’s wildfire problem is not uniform: forested areas, chaparral, and wildland-urban interface communities require different strategies. In Northern California and forested watersheds, speakers emphasized fuels reduction, prescribed and cultural burning, strategic fuel breaks, watershed protection, and maintaining forest health. In Southern California, testimony focused on wind-driven fires, ember intrusion, ignition prevention along roads and power lines, and the limits of large-scale vegetation clearing. Several witnesses argued that the state should invest where it can leverage local and regional partnerships, support capacity-building programs like Regional Forest and Fire Capacity, and improve data systems to track treatment effectiveness and project outcomes. Members repeatedly pressed witnesses on how to prioritize limited funds, asking what should be done more of, less of, and first. The chair argued that protecting homes and communities through hardening and defensible space should be a major priority, especially near structures, while also acknowledging the need for broader landscape work and watershed protection. There was discussion of incentives such as insurance discounts, property tax treatment, and community certification for hardened homes, along with the need for multiple payers rather than relying on the state alone. Cal Fire reported new and expanding data tools, including treatment trackers, defensible space inspection dashboards, and a fuels treatment effectiveness program that evaluates whether nearby treatments affected wildfire behavior. No votes were taken because the hearing was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:13:37.440> um<00:13:37.600> that called emotional spiritual care um that called
• emotional spiritual care um that we<00:13:37.880> bring<00:13:38.120> in<00:13:38.399>
• <00:31:34.760> among responsibility this collaboration among responsibility this collaboration
• The folks that have the expertise, uh, in care, especially for a brain injury.
• Brain Injury Care uh into the settlement Brain Injury Care uh into the settlement process<01:06:34.599

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• care.
• Collaboration and partnerships.
• care and custody.
• I talked in my opening about collaboration and building stronger partnerships.
• Take care. All right, take care. Good to see you, but why that's it? Thank you. I don't even.

Summary: The Criminal Justice Committee met with a quorum present and temporarily postponed SB 156. The committee first considered the confirmation of Matthew Walsh as Secretary of the Department of Juvenile Justice. Walsh described his background in law enforcement, social work, and juvenile justice, and outlined DJJ priorities including recruitment and retention, staff wellness, collaboration with DCF and other agencies, aging facilities, and expanding educational and vocational opportunities for youth. Members asked about his social work training, lockout youth, bed space, recidivism, and the Florida Scholars Academy. The committee voted unanimously to favorably report his confirmation. The committee then took up SPB 704, a committee bill extending the public records exemption for conviction integrity unit reinvestigation information. Senator Martin explained that the exemption was originally created to protect active innocence reviews and should continue past its current sunset date. With no opposition or debate, the committee voted unanimously to report the bill favorably as a committee bill. Next, the committee considered CS for SB 32, as amended, which creates an injunction for protection against serious violence by a known person and adds it to the statewide injunction verification system and related enforcement provisions. Senator Sharif said the bill is intended to give judges a faster tool to protect victims who have reported serious violence to law enforcement, while supporters said it addresses cases where victims are harmed before a repeat-violence injunction can be granted. Eric Friday of Florida Carry opposed the bill, warning it could be misused against self-defense situations and create problems in cases already covered by existing injunction laws. After debate, the committee voted unanimously to report the bill favorably. The committee then considered SB 210, which extends public records protections to petitions for injunctions for protection against serious violence by a known person, including dismissed petitions and identifying information before service. There was no opposition, and the committee voted unanimously to report SB 210 favorably before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• introduced that we work collaboratively introduced that we work collaboratively on<00:30:36.559>
• We have been working collaboratively and very, very closely with the family courts, model court, who
• We have been working collaboratively and very, very closely with the family courts, model court, who
• The fact of the matter is that children sent to congregate care face worse permanency outcomes.
• The fact of the matter is that children sent to congregate care face worse permanency outcomes.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And having had taken care of family members that were elderly and going through long-term care and all
• Even though my aunt, my dad was actually put into hospice care, it still required me to drive all the
• and long-term care and >> [clears throat] >> [clears throat] >> [clears throat] >
• give for her, but she um was to care give for her, but she um was formally<00:03:42.040> diagnosed
• , care, care, it<00:03:57.080> still<00:03:57.560> required<00:03:58.560> me<00:

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Committee on Health and Human Services held a hearing on several Governor’s Message nominations. The chair opened with instructions about live streaming, testimony limits, and the possibility of reconvening if technical problems occurred. One nomination, GM 542 for Jamie Gagnon to the West O‘ahu subarea of the Hawaii Health Planning Council, was initially deferred because he was not present and there was concern he may not have received notice; when recalled later in the hearing, he testified that he wanted to help address limited provider resources and improve coordination of care. The committee also heard from Christine Cabingao Ting Kang for GM 541, but she was not present and her nomination was deferred to Wednesday, March 11 at 1:00 p.m. in Room 225. The committee then heard strong support testimony for GM 688, Raelynn Tenno for the Pa‘ala Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs. Tenno said she wanted another term because of her experience caring for elderly family members and her work on emergency preparedness for older adults and condominium/HOA communities. Supporters from the Office of Aging, the PABEA chair, the Hawaii Family Caregiver Coalition, and others praised her knowledge of housing, elder issues, and community service. GM 712, Kathleen Merriam for the State Council on Mental Health, also drew support; Merriam described over 40 years in mental health work, including managing a community mental health center in Kaneohe and supporting clubhouse programs. The committee also considered GM 560, Jeffrey Hicks for the Juvenile Justice State Advisory Council. Hicks said his career in justice and juvenile work motivated him to continue contributing to rehabilitation efforts for youth. The chair and members discussed the importance of prevention and rehabilitation in juvenile justice. After testimony, the committee moved to decision-making and voted to advise and consent on GM 542, GM 688, GM 712, and GM 560, while GM 541 was deferred to a later date and time. The hearing then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• I just really want the wording to be very careful.
• My dad was an English teacher, and he didn't use it, but he cares more about, or would have cared if
• We would collaborate with other offices. We could provide that statewide guidance.
• We would collaborate with other offices and agencies as relevant.
• collaboration.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The commission held its 16th and final meeting to review and vote on revisions to its draft report on combating antisemitism. After roll call, members approved the prior meeting minutes, adopted a procedure for handling substantive and technical edits, and authorized limited technical corrections after the meeting. Senator John Velis’s letter was read into the record noting his military deployment and support for the final report, and the commission discussed the scope of the report, including its 118 findings and recommendations and the large volume of testimony received over the year. Members then worked through a series of amendments to the report. The chair’s prefatory statement was revised to restore language and data about Massachusetts Jews’ relationship to Israel and the impact on the commission’s work. Commissioner Liken’s proposal called for DESE guidance and teacher training to support intellectually diverse K-12 classrooms; members debated how to ensure it could not be used to justify biased or false material, and the amendment passed with discussion about existing guardrails. Commissioner Hay’s technical edits were adopted, and commissioners also discussed whether DESE’s new reporting system should anonymize data; the language was revised to specify anonymized data and approved. Additional amendments were adopted on public safety and higher education, including clarifying support for nonprofit security grants and personnel grants, refining language on academic boycotts, and adding references to Zionist identity and presumed Zionist identity as possible bases for antisemitic treatment. Commissioner Kipnis’s revisions to the prefatory statement were also considered, with some members objecting to the removal of language about minimization and traumatic invalidation and others supporting a more concise, fact-driven tone. The commission also approved language strengthening recommendations by changing several “should” statements to “must.” Treasurer Deborah Goldberg then delivered closing remarks praising the commission’s work and sharing personal family history to illustrate the persistence of antisemitism in Massachusetts. She said the report offers a practical roadmap, including bias reporting in schools, security coordination, and broader anti-discrimination training, and emphasized that the recommendations will help all communities. Commissioners thanked her for her leadership and testimony. The meeting continued with further amendments, including one on law enforcement security grants and another on higher education findings and recommendations, and the commission repeatedly voted by roll call, generally approving the revisions unanimously.

Transcript Highlights:

• of, we're more than willing to take care of it.
• Florida has always been a health care and solutions to maximize access and care and prepare for Florida's
• Florida has always been a health care and solutions to maximize access and care and prepare for Florida's
• or VPAs and focuses on health care for our pets.
• and vet care in the state of Florida.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and considered several bills, reporting each favorably after hearing sponsor presentations, public testimony, and member questions. SB 578 would allow wine to be sold in recyclable containers, aligning wine with beer container rules; it received support from Americans for Prosperity and passed without debate. SB 606 clarified when guests in public lodging or food service establishments may be removed for nonpayment, updated notice and checkout provisions, and removed a mandatory arrest requirement, with support from hotel and restaurant industry groups; it also passed favorably. Members then heard SB 202, which addresses a municipal water utility surcharge issue affecting Miami Gardens and North Miami Beach by requiring the utility to charge residents where the plant sits the same rate it charges its own residents. The sponsor and supporters described it as a fairness issue, while North Miami Beach argued it would shift costs and threaten utility finances; the bill was reported favorably. SB 570 modernized and clarified the scope of work for swimming pool and spa contractors, and SB 928, as amended, regulated non-approved disposable nicotine devices by restricting advertising and display, increasing inspections and penalties, and adding a school-buffer provision; both were reported favorably. The committee also approved SB 346, which repeals state preemption over local regulation of hoisting equipment and cranes, prompted by concerns after Hurricane Milton and a crane collapse in St. Petersburg. Supporters said local governments need authority to address storm-related crane safety, while industry representatives warned against patchwork regulation and said local oversight already exists in some areas. Finally, the committee took up SB 652, creating Veterinary Professional Associates to perform certain tasks, including limited surgeries under veterinarian supervision; animal welfare groups supported it as a way to expand access, while some veterinarians opposed the surgery provisions. The bill was reported favorably after amendment. The committee then began SB 354, a major overhaul of Public Service Commission oversight, including expanding the commission, adding financial expertise, tightening rate-setting and storm-hardening review, and increasing transparency for nonprofit water and wastewater utilities; the substitute amendment was adopted and public testimony was heard from consumer advocates and utility-related groups, but the transcript ends before final action on the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• We should be focused on taking care of our communities.
• But that's our federal delegation that needs to take care of ICE, not us.
• At CV&M, we believe it is our responsibility to care for our land, air, and water, because we care deeply
• Joanna was a nurse, and she was requesting the care that she needed.
• They did not care. All those employees got other jobs or left.

Bills: SB100

Keywords: burglary, aggravated burglary, dwelling, criminal law, property rights, 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm grateful that some people cared enough about me to figure out... how I learned differently, and this
• From 2023 to 2024, I collaborated with the Windham School District.
• here, and now I’m 16 and starting to look at colleges, but I keep coming back to Austin because I care
• They cared deeply and worked hard, but the system didn't have the tools, training, or funding to do so
• I regularly collaborate with educators and administrators who really want to, as Becky said, serve the

Keywords: special education, funding gap, dyslexia, House Bill 2, Senate Bill 568, House Bill 3928, disability penalty

Summary: The meeting primarily focused on special education funding, with significant discussions around House Bill 2 (HB2), Senate Bill 568 (SB568), and House Bill 3928 (HB3928). Key speakers advocated for increased funding to close the estimated $1.7 billion annual gap that affects special education in Texas public schools. Several witnesses, including educators and students affected by dyslexia, provided personal testimonies about the impact of insufficient funding and the disability penalty, which penalizes schools financially for identifying students needing special education services. The committee demonstrated a strong commitment to advocate for changes that would improve special education resources and training for teachers, thereby ensuring that all Texas children receive the educational support they need to thrive.

Transcript Highlights:

• And also, is there any collaboration to our, um, our neighbors to the south, Mexico?
• Do you all have any type of, um, collaboration in terms of research there?
• SAS is open to feedback and collaboration.
• And so specifically we do collaborate. We've got several other minor municipalities in our area.
• We have been in conversations with Representative Gerdes, and we would be happy to collaborate.

Bills: HB206

Keywords: HB206, school district bonds, bond election, voter approval, Education Code, Chapter 45, Section 45.003, Section 45.0034, Texas schools, school finance, local tax election, bond referendum, school construction, capital improvements, election frequency, five-year waiting period, district bonds, public school funding

Transcript Highlights:

• Actually, I was in 1960, but I don't think I cared much about it then.
• We want to be careful with that, but there's a responsibility we all have to that.
• So, there's nobody out there working that doesn't care.
• Collaboration and intergovernmental collaboration are essential to solving issues that can potentially
• You can set it to a certain point where I don't care if it comes up two feet; I care if it comes up ten

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• NJPPC, and perform care and future contracted system administrators with references to the Child Collaborative
• Mental Health Care Program, CCMHCP, and contracted system administrators. ...to the Child Collaborative
• Doesn't care what state statute. That is what governs.
• Our number one budget request is to work on a health care solution.
• So I just want us to be very careful about that.

Keywords: 1146, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Support the implementation of these recommendations through our work in concert and collaboration with
• And contributing to other DESE programming and efforts through the collaboration with all their offices
• Please consider us as someone who wants to collaborate, and it just means a lot you being here today
• We need collaboration across universities.
• Second only to health care and maybe finance. We're the second or third largest industry.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The meeting opened with approval of the July 9, 2025 minutes and a roll call confirming quorum. DESE Commissioner Pedro Martinez gave his first official testimony, affirming the department’s commitment to preventing antisemitism and societal bias in schools, saying DESE supports the commission’s recommendations and will add staff resources to help develop and disseminate guidance and instructional materials. He said DESE’s rubric and guidance for identifying effective curricula and resources should be finalized in late fall, and commissioners welcomed the partnership and asked about the ongoing Section 98A work. The commission then heard from Professor Eitan Hirsch of Tufts, who presented research on antisemitism and campus climate. He described survey findings showing sharply different Jewish and non-Jewish views on Israel, increasing social pressure on Jewish students, and a growing tendency for Jewish students to hide their identity or feel penalized for participating in Jewish life. He argued that colleges need to do more to teach students how to handle dissent and build cultures of viewpoint diversity, and commissioners asked about best practices, regional differences, and the role of campus climate surveys. Rabbi Fine of UMass Amherst Hillel and student Sky Landau testified about antisemitism at UMass, especially since October 7. Fine described both a thriving Jewish student community and serious incidents including harassment, vandalism, classroom issues, protests, and students hiding Jewish identity; he said the university is working with Hillel and DEI leadership on goals and strategy for Jewish inclusion, and he urged more training and structured dialogue. Landau described antisemitic incidents she experienced or witnessed, including hostile BDS meetings, exclusion of Zionist students, Holocaust denial, threats, and social ostracism, and said Hillel was the only consistently safe space for her. Commissioners discussed reporting pathways, affinity groups, mental health supports, and ways to distinguish criticism of Israel from antisemitism. Later, the commission moved to its recommendations and made several edits before voting, including deleting offensive wording in a footnote, adding a citation to recent FBI hate crime data, and restoring language tied to an existing DESE regulation, 603 CMR 26.05, on classroom neutrality and fact-based instruction. Commissioners also reiterated that criticism of Israel’s government is not inherently antisemitic. The meeting included a brief interruption by a protester, after which the commission recessed and then resumed its work on the draft recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, educator preparation programs should collaborate with PED to conduct a thorough and transparent
• We just have to be more careful that we are stipulating the core of what teachers really have to know
• And that really includes a very strong partnership and collaboration with our higher ed institutions
• And again We feel like this is a clear collaboration and partnership with our institutions of higher
• So, you You mentioned the partnership with UNM and UNMH in terms of potential health care needs.

Transcript Highlights:

• And they were going to manage care and they call them managed care organizations.
• And they were going to manage care and they call them managed care organizations.
• coordinate care better. coordinate care better.
• health care providers? health care providers?
• :04:45.720> primary<00:04:46.160> care increase in primary care increase in primary care

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The interview focused on Senate File 3612, which the senator described as “patient-centered care” legislation for Minnesota’s Medicaid and MinnesotaCare programs. He said the bill would remove private insurers and HMOs from administering those public programs, replace them with a state contract for claims processing and administrative services, and shift care coordination directly to primary care clinics, counties, and nonprofits. He argued the current managed-care system creates churn, prior-authorization barriers, and fragmented care, and said providers should manage care rather than insurers. The senator repeatedly cited Connecticut as a model, saying that state moved away from managed care, improved primary care participation, and saved money. He also argued Minnesota’s current system lacks transparency and may be overpaying health plans, pointing to fraud concerns and a past example in which UCare returned money to the state after an overpayment. He said the bill would improve accountability, make fraud easier to detect, and could save taxpayers billions, though he emphasized his main goal was better care rather than savings. On support and prospects, he said the bill has backing from the governor and the American Cancer Society but currently only DFL co-authors. He said he does not expect it to become law this year because the fiscal note and details are still pending, and he does not expect insurance companies to support it. He added that he is open to discussion but sees the insurers as fundamentally opposed. The interview ended with him saying workers in insurance and claims processing should be treated fairly and offered retraining or dislocated-worker support if broader reforms reduce their roles.

Transcript Highlights:

• But perhaps the most health care system.
• It includes subsidized child care. It includes guarantees about housing.
• It includes subsidized child care. It includes guarantees about housing.
• It includes subsidized child care. It includes guarantees about housing.
• It includes subsidized child care. It includes guarantees about housing.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's also called the CARE project. The CARE project has made significant and measurable progress.
• To date, we have six out of eight veterans' homes currently implemented in the CARE project.
• With this CARE project implementation, we are currently supporting over 800 veterans, and 57 percent
• efficiency and care coordination.
• This will help CalVet complete the final implementation of the CARE project, especially with the new

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee 5 on State Administration held a May Revise hearing focused on state administration proposals, with the chair noting no actions would be taken and all items would remain open. The committee heard presentations on a range of budget proposals, including technical adjustments for the Governor’s Office of Service and Community Engagement and the California Workforce Development Board, security and election-related funding for the Secretary of State, modernization and loan-backfill requests for the Department of Consumer Affairs, and multiple Employment Development Department updates covering EDD Next, UI and DI/PFL benefit estimates, workforce funding, and an EMT training reappropriation. Several items drew discussion from the LAO and committee members. The LAO generally supported technical or modernization items such as PERB’s implementation requests, GoServe’s College Corps adjustment, the Secretary of State’s security and HAVA grant items, and the Board of Pharmacy modernization proposal, but raised concerns about the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education’s proposed $10 million General Fund backfill and interest-free loan language. For EDD, the LAO flagged the size of the DI/PFL benefit adjustment and the unusual structure of the document management system proposal within EDD Next, while EDD said the changes reflected higher participation and benefit levels after SB 951 and ongoing modernization needs. The Department of Industrial Relations drew the most extensive questioning. It proposed funding for legal unit reclassifications, EAMS and Cal/OSHA data modernization, a new Cal/OSHA emerging technologies unit, a COYA reappropriation, and trailer bill changes requiring electronic payment of employer assessments and adjusting the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board timeline. Members pressed DIR on high vacancy rates, long wage theft and workers’ compensation backlogs, low collection rates for fines, and the need for clearer workload and outcome measures. DIR said the requests were intended to improve efficiency, support audits and corrective action plans, and better address emerging workplace risks, while the LAO said the workload drivers behind delays remain unclear. The hearing also included support for CalHR’s employee assistance program consolidation and CDT’s proposal to expand “Poppy,” a statewide generative AI assistant for state employees.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:42:16.079> other collaborate with other entities, other collaborate with other entities
• Care. It's always a pleasure to see you.
• Chairman and thank you m Mr.<01:28:11.760> Care.
• Care. It's always a pleasure to see Mr. Care.
• responsibilities. ...care responsibilities.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:03:53.840> um prevailing method for managed care um prevailing method for managed care
• <00:04:44.080> is You know, I know that healthc care is You know, I know that healthc care
• We all know that 60 70% of care.
• We want to take care of everybody who needs health care needs.
• <00:18:15.919> organization type of accountable care organization type of accountable care

Keywords: 00:00 - Call to Order/Roll Call 01:38 - Discussion of 26RS SCR 9 22:00 - Roll Call Vote on 26RS SCR 9 23:15 - Discussion of 26RS SJR 23 33:20 - Roll Call Vote on 26RS SJR 23 35:18 - Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The House Standing Committee on Health Services met with a quorum and first heard Senate Concurrent Resolution 9 from Sen. Steve Meredith. He argued that Kentucky’s Medicaid system is too costly and bureaucratic, saying spending has grown dramatically and that managed care organizations do not align with improving health outcomes. His proposal would create a feasibility study for a five-year pilot of an “accountable community healthcare organization” in three area development districts, with a locally owned, nonprofit, provider-driven model intended to reduce costs, address social determinants of health, and keep savings in the community. Members asked about how the model would differ from MCOs, administrative costs, eligibility changes, and implementation costs; Meredith said the model would eliminate preauthorization barriers, rely on provider and community risk-sharing, and could be funded initially through existing grant opportunities. The committee then voted unanimously to report SCR 9 favorably. The committee next took up Senate Joint Resolution 23, the “Food is Medicine” resolution, introduced by Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer and Dana Feldman of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. They described the resolution as part of a broader wellness and rural prosperity effort, emphasizing that nutrition should be treated as part of health care and that Kentucky agriculture can support better health outcomes through local, healthy food. They said the effort grew out of task force work and regional listening sessions and is intended to build a foundation for continued collaboration between hospitals, agriculture, and state agencies. Members expressed support for the concept and the partnership approach, and the discussion highlighted using evaluation and shared learning to expand the initiative.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a good example of effective collaboration.
• In care of foster kids and tribal kids in care of foster families. We implemented House Bill 161.
• Chair, I'd like for us to just all be a little more careful about how we communicate.
• We're all here; I don't think there's a member in this committee that doesn't care about veterans.
• You have laws, you make laws, you use that to take care of people's money and help people. Help.