Transcript Highlights:

• We're also looking at huge cuts to DMH's case management services, reducing the workforce and access
• Those are the only questions this workforce asked at that meeting.
• Those are the only questions this workforce asked at that meeting.
• Workforce supports and long-term services and supports and health equity.
• Our third pillar is disability employment and workforce supports.

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:

• development incentive models, workforce development incentive models, and<01:37:36.360> government
• ,<01:37:47.120> access,<01:37:47.680> and address workforce, access, and address workforce
• My name is Mykola Mjagkij. and workforce contributions, and promote and workforce contributions, and
• <01:47:07.920> integration, better support workforce integration, better support workforce
• <01:47:43.360> development, agency in helping workforce development, agency in helping workforce

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, moving on to the R6, allowing non-postsecondary degrees to be counted for workforce outcomes.
• The R6 allows non-postsecondary degrees to be counted for workforce outcomes.
• <00:06:13.840> Okay, Counted for workforce outcomes. Okay, good, Mr. Chair.
• considered before using workforce considered before using workforce development<00:41:31.359>
• <01:37:05.600> related apply to adult workforce related apply to adult workforce related programs

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Those workforce plans are submitted to the Minnesota Department of Health for review and approval.
• And with that, I'll turn it over to Karen. workforce plan which describes how they workforce plan which
• Those workforce plans are industry.
• be required to submit their workforce be required to submit their workforce plans<00:27:46.159><
• <01:44:12.080> and strengthening our workforce and strengthening our workforce and supporting

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• THESE CHANGES SUPPORT FLORIDA'S COMMITMENT TO ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AND WORKFORCE READINESS.
• NURSING PROGRAM TO BE USED FOR HEALTHCARE RELATED INDUSTRY PROGRAMS DIRECTING FUNDS TO CRITICAL WORKFORCE
• ALSO STRENGTHENS THE EQUITY FOR RESEARCH REGARDING FLORIDA'S MARITIME INDUSTRY WORKFORCE.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So the Workforce Development piece is really looking at improving a healthy, engaged workforce through
• So the concept of, specifically in our key work areas of workforce wellness and workforce development
• So the Workforce Development piece is really looking at improving a healthy, engaged workforce through
• So the concept of, specifically in our key work areas of workforce wellness and workforce development
• key work areas of Workforce wellness and Workforce<03:31:56.760> Development<03:31:57.760>

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Delaware, like many states, is facing significant shortages across the health care workforce, including
• Services under that program, so that the program complements rather than duplicates the state's ongoing workforce
• Services under that program, so the program complements rather than duplicates the state's ongoing workforce
• committed to serving as a partner with the state and members of the General Assembly as health care workforce

Summary: The committee met in hybrid format, approved the June 24 and June 25, 2026 minutes, and then heard several bills and a joint resolution. On House Bill 382 with House Amendment 2, Senator Hoffer explained the measure as a technical correction to prior rental-car and peer-to-peer car-sharing law that would clarify when loss-of-use damages may be recovered while preserving recovery for intentional, willful, or criminal conduct. Avis Budget Group and Enterprise Mobility supported the bill, saying it resolved ambiguity and restored limited common-law recovery, while Allstate and Toro opposed it, arguing the bill could reintroduce unfair and unpredictable fees and leave too much discretion to rental companies. No vote was taken in the transcript, and Senator Townsend said he still had questions about how the bill would operate. The committee then considered House Bill 476, a Frederica charter change that would reduce town council meetings from twice monthly to monthly and make ordinances effective immediately unless otherwise stated. Representative Postles presented it as a simple, noncontroversial change, though members noted Senator Buckson, the Senate sponsor, was not present at the time. No public comment was offered on that bill. The committee also heard House Joint Resolution 13, which directs the Department of Labor to study a Delaware health care apprenticeship degree program and report recommendations; the Delaware Health Care Association supported the resolution and urged coordination with existing workforce efforts. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 458 with House Amendment 1 on backflow devices in low-hazard buildings. Senator Pardee said the bill would exempt residences and office-type buildings from costly backflow retrofits until regulations are updated, and DHSS said the current regulations do not clearly define low hazard but that the bill’s list of exempted buildings would not raise immediate public health concerns. The Delaware Association of Realtors supported the bill, arguing the regulations were overbroad and costly, while the Delaware Rural Water Association opposed it, warning that weakening backflow protections could threaten drinking water and aquifers. The committee then adjourned without any recorded votes on the substantive bills in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• So the earned workforce credentials are kind of the main ones, I think.
• So one-half of a high school credit, the employment skills certification, or an earned workforce credential
• An earned workforce credential between 50 hours and 100 hours is $500, and an earned workforce credential

Summary: The Administrative Rules Subcommittee reviewed a series of agency rules and related requests. The Department of Corrections and Post-Prison Transfer Board reported quarterly updates with no questions, and several Commerce rules were approved, including repeals tied to the minority business enterprise and women-owned business enterprise programs and the Consolidated Incentives Act because they were superseded by Act 116 or duplicative of statute. The Insurance Department’s new rule for online marketplace guarantee providers was also approved, with Airbnb used as an example of the type of platform covered. The Department of Education presented an update to the Arkansas Adult Diploma Program to align payment milestones with Act 502 of 2025, and DFA presented a rule implementing a new tax credit for Arkansas rice used in beer and sake production under Act 874 of 2025. Members asked about verification of grain bills and whether the credit was broadly available; DFA said the rule tracks the statute and requires producers to submit the grain bill with their return. DHS then presented a SNAP rule implementing federal changes from Public Law 119-21, including raising the able-bodied adult without dependents age limit to 64, changing treatment of dependents and exemptions, and adjusting energy assistance income treatment; the rule was approved despite one public comment. Later, DHS Medical Services amended the Medicaid Rehab Hospital Manual to allow rehab hospitals to operate psychiatric units and bill Medicaid for those services, and also secured approval for a recovery audit contractor exemption because Arkansas law bars contingency-fee contractors and the state already has other program integrity safeguards. The Board of Public Accountancy’s rules implementing Act 428 of 2025 were approved after discussion of a new CPA licensure pathway requiring a bachelor’s degree plus two years of experience, changes to substantial equivalency for out-of-state CPAs, and removal of a government/not-for-profit coursework requirement. The committee also approved the Department of Education’s request to be excluded from certain reporting requirements, retained all 18 DAPSAF rules under a review of Group 3, filed outstanding 2023-session rulemaking updates, and adjourned after filing monthly updates.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman—the earned workforce credentials are kind of the main ones, I think.
• So one-half of a high school credit, the employment skills certification, or an earned workforce credential
• An earned workforce credential between 50 hours and 100 hours is $500, and an earned workforce credential

Summary: The Administrative Rules Subcommittee met to review a series of agency rules and related requests. The Department of Corrections and Post-Prison Transfer Board reported quarterly updates and had no questions, so both were filed. The Department of Commerce sought repeal of rules tied to the minority and women-owned business enterprise programs and the Consolidated Incentives Act, explaining the rules were repealed by implication or duplicative of statute; all were reviewed and approved. The Insurance Department presented a new rule implementing Act 426 of 2025 for online marketplace guarantee providers, using Airbnb-style host damage protection as an example, and it was approved. The Department of Education updated the Arkansas Adult Diploma Program rule to reflect statutory payment amounts for milestones and diplomas, and it was approved. DFA presented a rule creating a reporting method for the Arkansas rice beer and sake excise tax credit; members asked about verification of Arkansas rice use, and the rule was approved. DHS presented a SNAP rule implementing federal changes to work requirements and energy assistance counting, including raising the able-bodied adult without dependents age limit to 64 and removing some exemptions; it was approved after questions about terminology and waiver-related issues. The committee also approved DHS Medicaid rules allowing rehab hospitals to bill for psychiatric units and exempting Arkansas from the federal recovery audit contractor requirement, citing other program integrity measures already in place. The State Board of Public Accountancy, under Labor and Licensing, presented rules implementing Act 428 of 2025, including a new CPA licensure pathway with a bachelor’s degree plus two years’ experience, substantial equivalency for out-of-state CPAs, and removal of the government not-for-profit accounting requirement; despite some negative comments, both rules were approved. The committee then granted the Department of Education’s request to be excluded from certain reporting requirements, and approved its request to retain all 18 Division of Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation rules under Act 781 review. Remaining outstanding 2023-session rulemaking and monthly updates were noted in packets with no questions, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• And it is necessary to support a, you know, viable, competent workforce for the iBudget waiver recipients
• 2023 to support eligible foster youth and former foster youth's development of independent living, workforce
• 2023 to support eligible foster youth and former foster youth's development of independent living, workforce
• 2023 to support eligible foster youth and former foster youth's development of independent living, workforce

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services heard public comment on several health and human services funding concerns before moving through a series of bills. Testimony at the start focused on the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, with a client warning that proposed changes to eligibility and drug access could disrupt care for thousands of people living with HIV/AIDS, and urging the Legislature to intervene. Another speaker asked for support for the iBudget waiver, saying provider costs have risen and requesting about a 7% increase for direct support professionals to help stabilize the developmental disabilities workforce. The committee then unanimously reported favorably several bills. SB 428 expanded Florida’s swim lesson voucher program from children ages 0-4 to ages 1-7, based on drowning-prevention recommendations. SB 68 required hospitals with emergency departments to adopt pediatric emergency care policies, training, equipment standards, and readiness assessments; an amendment aligned reporting dates with the House version. SB 1718 changed the definition of when an adult visitor in an out-of-home placement becomes a non-visitor, reducing repeated background checks, made the Step Into Success pilot permanent, adjusted foster youth stipends, and created a best-practices program within the Florida Institute for Child Welfare. The committee also approved SB 606, which adds drowning-prevention and safe-bathing education to postpartum materials provided to new parents and requires hospitals and birthing centers to document compliance; members highlighted bathtub drownings as a key concern. SB 96 expanded eligibility for the Veterans Dental Care Grant Program to veterans up to 400% of the federal poverty level, while an amendment removed the bill’s specific appropriation so funding can be handled in the budget process. SB 340 required nursing students to complete a two-hour human trafficking course before taking the NCLEX. SB 1480 created a grandfathering process for certain health care providers in federally designated areas of critical need if an area is de-designated, to avoid disrupting patient-provider relationships. All bills were reported favorably, and the committee adjourned at the end of the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, we've made investments in the law enforcement and public attorney workforce capacity building
• You know, we've made investments in the law enforcement and public attorney workforce capacity building
• 23, this is in our evaluation, the Legislature has appropriated $4 million to the Public Attorney Workforce
• I think one thing that the evaluation noted is that the Public Attorney Workforce Capacity Building Fund

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, we do have to factor in workforce needs for early learning. passed to see if there's any money
• You know we do have to factor<00:04:36.400> in<00:04:36.880> workforce<00:04:37.360>
• needs<00:04:37.600> for<00:04:37.759> early factor in workforce needs for early factor
• in workforce needs for early learning.<00:04:38.800> Um<00:04:39.120> for<00:04:39.360

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, we have a workforce development council member, uh, Karia Sher, please stand to be recognized. gallery
• Uh we have<00:08:48.800> a<00:08:49.040> workforce<00:08:49.440> development<00:
• 08:49.920> council have a workforce development council have a workforce development council member

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Regardless of whether the causes are market consolidation, supply chain constraints, workforce shortages
• That big commitment allows them to really standardize their workforce, standardize their assembly lines
• That big commitment allows them to really standardize their workforce, standardized their assembly lines
• Workforce is another issue. I know some manufacturers used to run two or three shifts.
• The workforce pieces are all the same things that we have heard from our contractors.

Summary: The committee held an informational hearing on the rising cost and long delivery times for fire apparatus and related equipment, with opening remarks stressing that aging fleets, supply chain problems, and delayed replacements are affecting emergency readiness across California. Cal OES and Cal Fire described statewide procurement challenges, including higher prices, multi-year delivery timelines, two-year encumbrance limits, and the strain on mutual aid when engines remain in service beyond their intended replacement cycles. Cal Fire said it operates 537 engines, with 300 meeting replacement criteria and 243 at least 16 years old, and explained the difference between mandatory contracts and one-time acquisitions. The Department of General Services said vendors have cited labor costs, chassis pricing, and the need for longer production timelines, while also noting that statewide contracts can include nominal price increases but not open-ended price hikes. Local fire chiefs from Santa Barbara County, Los Angeles County, Napa, and Fullerton testified that apparatus prices have risen sharply while delivery times have stretched from under a year to three to five years or more. They described specific examples of engines and ladder trucks costing far more than prior purchases and arriving years later, forcing departments to keep older reserve apparatus in service, spend more on maintenance, and defer other budget priorities. Several witnesses said industry consolidation has reduced competition and contributed to delays and price increases, with Los Angeles County and Fullerton noting they have pursued antitrust complaints and litigation against major manufacturers. Napa also described proprietary parts and software limiting in-house repairs, and Santa Barbara County said a vendor’s unfulfilled delivery promise caused the department to lose its place in line. Members asked about possible solutions, including whether the state should consider manufacturing apparatus itself, whether procurement rules or prototype requirements could be streamlined, whether DGS staffing or contract processes could be accelerated, and whether more stable long-term purchasing commitments would help manufacturers plan production. Witnesses said safety-driven specification changes are necessary but can add time, and that the main bottlenecks are industry capacity, consolidation, and vendor performance. The vice chair raised concerns about how grant funding windows and local matching requirements are affected by multi-year delays, especially for small and rural departments that rely on grants and on used apparatus passed down from larger agencies. No votes were taken; the hearing concluded with committee members indicating interest in possible legislative, regulatory, and antitrust follow-up.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's just one example of the ways in which we're really trying to fix the root cause of those workforce
• I'm worried. ...trying to fix the root cause of those workforce challenges that we heard, but we know
• And then the critical workforce shortage—we know this is not the sustainable solution toward how this
• I urge the committee to support these provisions. ...in real time to workforce challenges.
• We have a more advanced workforce, and... ...so we can provide residents with uninterrupted services.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Service heard testimony on a wide range of retirement, municipal workforce, and public employee labor bills. Early testimony focused on H. 2749, a Plymouth home rule petition to classify Plymouth harbormaster employees as Group 4 for retirement purposes. Supporters, including local officials and retirement board representatives, argued the employees perform law-enforcement and rescue duties comparable to police and fire personnel, that the change would be fair, and that it would have little or no fiscal impact on the town. A separate harbormaster-related bill, H. 2743, was also introduced later in the hearing. The committee also heard testimony on provisions of the Municipal Empowerment Act (H. 56), including a temporary critical-shortage exemption allowing retired state or municipal employees to return to work in hard-to-fill positions, and a renewed OPEB commission to study retiree health care costs. Administration and municipal officials said the measures were needed to address staffing shortages and rising benefit liabilities, while emphasizing the shortage exemption would be time-limited and require proof of recruitment efforts. Related retirement bills drew support and caution: advocates for higher COLA bases and enhanced COLA benefits urged relief for retirees, but some asked the committee to wait for recommendations from the special COLA commission before acting. A major portion of the hearing concerned labor rights at the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and the Committee for Public Counsel Services. Union representatives and employees backed bills to extend just-cause protections, promotional rights, and collective bargaining rights to MWRA and CPCS workers, arguing they currently lack protections available to most other public employees. Testimony described unfair discipline, delayed promotions, and high turnover, and committee members indicated prior favorable action on similar MWRA bills and expressed support for addressing CPCS labor rights. The committee also heard from representatives of the Massachusetts Municipal Association and public higher education employees in support of H. 2820, which would require timely funding of ratified state employee contracts, with witnesses describing long delays in receiving negotiated raises and back pay. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the chair repeatedly invited written testimony and closed each panel after questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• We also know that our teaching workforce is becoming a little bit less experienced, meaning we're not
• The second project is our educator workforce analysis.
• And then we also want to identify gaps in our workforce supply in alignment with student needs.
• But we also know that there are gaps, and sometimes those are driven by workforce gaps.
• So I guess from his perspective, you know, him as an educator, he returned to the workforce.

Transcript Highlights:

• There are really three things to know about with H.R.1 that will influence the workforce of the agency
• We talked about workforce yesterday.
• We forget that we have an informal workforce, and those are our family members.
• Chair, Senator, I don't have that amount, but we do know that our workforce largely relies on a lot of
• And so if you'd like, we could definitely work with the Department of Workforce Solutions to see if we

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Department of Workforce Solutions is also ready and has programs. I don't...
• The Department of Workforce Solutions is also ready and has programs that they can provide to anyone
• And Madam Chair, Representative, did you bring up Workforce Solutions?
• Representative, Workforce Solutions, to pick up the slack if it gets closed immediately.
• Madam Chair, Representative, the Department of Workforce Solutions routinely supports individuals in

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I even knew, entering the workforce, that there would be days that came easy and those that were harder
• must issue a survey to its vendors to collect data on the state of the direct support professional workforce
• I feel like we keep repeating this every year, asking for money, but I will tell you that our workforce
• You've heard already from a couple of our providers about the direct care workforce crisis that we have
• And you've heard about the direct care workforce crisis and what that's meant, but what does that mean

Bills: SB1001, SB1011, SB1016, SB1052, SB1072, SB1100, SB1112, SB1113, SB1116, SB1118, SB1120, SB1121, SB1122, SB1123, SB1124, SB1125

Keywords: appropriation, economic security, blind individuals, older adults, state funding, medical examiners, sudden infant death, autopsy protocols, forensic pathology, public health, religious exemption, employment practices, COVID-19 vaccination, accommodation, discrimination, assisted living, health care, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, physician orders, informed consent

Summary: The committee began with member and staff introductions, then took up a series of health and human services bills. The first group focused on radiation protection in cardiac catheterization and other ionizing-radiation procedure rooms: SB 1120 would require at least half of procedure rooms in covered facilities to have a radiation protection system by July 1, 2027; SB 1118 would create a state grant program for rural hospitals to help pay for those systems; and SB 1121 would prohibit requiring lead aprons in rooms equipped with such systems, while allowing voluntary use with a real-time dosimeter. Physicians, nurses, and a hospital CEO testified that long-term radiation exposure and heavy lead aprons have caused cancer, cataracts, and orthopedic injuries, and that commercially available systems can reduce exposure to near zero. Some members raised questions about cost, vendor involvement, FDA clearance, and whether the bills should be discussed with stakeholders; the Health Systems Alliance of Arizona said it was neutral and wanted further stakeholder meetings. All three bills were adopted by 7-0 votes, with SB 1120 and SB 1121 amended. The committee then heard SB 1001, which would appropriate $1 million to the Department of Economic Security for the Older Individuals Who Are Blind program. Blind and low-vision speakers described long waitlists, the need for independent living training, and how services help seniors remain at home rather than enter more costly care. The bill passed 6-0 with one member not voting. Next, SB 1072 proposed ongoing General Fund and Medicaid spending to raise reimbursement rates for home- and community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, plus room-and-board funding and a workforce survey/reporting requirement. Providers testified that the system is underfunded, staff turnover is high, overtime is extensive, and many people wait for services; the bill passed 6-0 with one not voting. The committee also approved SB 1125, requiring the Department of Child Safety to annually seek MOUs with tribes and improve tribal access to information about placements and enforcement actions involving licensed group homes, after members asked about the stakeholder process and tribal participation. SB 1123, which removes the requirement that a supervising forensic pathologist be board-certified before delegating autopsy-related tasks to trainees, passed after Maricopa County said the change would help address training delays and workforce shortages. SB 1052, allowing mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy in assisted living facilities under specified safeguards, drew support from the sponsor and an assisted-living operator but also opposition from a member concerned about off-label treatment in nonmedical settings; it passed 5-2. Finally, SB 1112, reducing the number of acquaintance witnesses required in court-ordered treatment proceedings from two to one and allowing a judge to waive the witness requirement in some cases, passed 5-2 after testimony from supporters who said the current rule often blocks treatment for seriously mentally ill people and from opponents who argued it weakens due process. The committee then began SB 1113, which would allow service of court-ordered evaluation and treatment documents by evaluation-agency employees or other court-authorized persons, but the transcript cuts off before action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• skilled, experienced workforce.
• In particular, on workforce caseloads, we see a real.
• But workforce is the most important.
• If we could solve workforce, we could solve many of the safety issues.
• She came on, and her area of responsibility is largely workforce.