Transcript Highlights:

• Since the pandemic, we have dedicated more funding to helping home care workers earn a living wage.
• requirements under the bill do not overburden home care agencies, especially smaller providers, or increase
• Speaker, the demand for home care services is expected to increase dramatically as our aging population
• This is a 33% increase since 2012.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The House opened with routine ceremonial business, including the Pledge of Allegiance and adoption of several resolutions, such as congratulations to the Williamsburg Grange on its 125th anniversary and to Fire Captain Melissa Blodgett on her retirement. The chamber also concurred in a Senate petition to establish a sick leave bank for a Bristol County Sheriff’s Department employee and suspended Joint Rule 12 to advance local petitions, including one involving the Dalton Fire District and another renaming a Chelmsford bridge. The main floor action centered on several Ways and Means bills. The House advanced a bill amending laws relative to individuals with disabilities, replacing outdated and offensive terminology in the General Laws with person-first language; members spoke at length in support, emphasizing dignity, inclusion, and the bill’s non-substantive nature. The bill was engrossed by a roll call vote, 152-0. The House also took up and engrossed a bill to improve Massachusetts home care, which would create a licensing and oversight framework for private-pay home care agencies, establish standards for contracts, background checks, training, insurance, and consumer protections, and create advisory committees to guide implementation. An amendment establishing a Family Caregiver Commission was adopted 154-0, and the bill itself was then engrossed 153-1. In addition, the House passed or engrossed several other measures, including a bill authorizing the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority to provide sewer services to land in Sharon, a sick leave bank bill for a Trial Court employee, a Marblehead parking fines bill, a Hingham municipal property bill for a center for active living, and a Taunton bill allowing continued employment of Police Chief Edward J. Walsh. The chamber also handled numerous calendar items, holding or passing over many while advancing a few. The session ended with a special adjournment in memory of former Representative George L. Sacco Jr., and the House adjourned to meet the next day at 11 a.m. in informal session.

Transcript Highlights:

• California is experiencing an insurance crisis, one that has been driven in large part by increased wildfire
• With extreme wildfire increases over the past decade, there's a need to better plan and prepare communities
• family leave insurance program to cover chosen family will represent less than a tenth of a percent increase
• Oasis Legal Services, Orange County Equality Coalition, Parent Voices California, Santa Clara County Wage

Summary: The Assembly Insurance Committee met to hear several bills related to insurance coverage, wildfire risk, workers’ compensation, and paid family leave. SB 8 by Senator Ashby would extend workers’ compensation and disability protections to Sacramento County park rangers, with testimony emphasizing that they perform law-enforcement-like duties and should receive the same protections as comparable officers. SB 429 by Senator Cortese would create a public wildfire catastrophe model and related wildfire safety program, with support from the Department of Insurance and consumer advocates who said public access to modeling data would improve transparency and help evaluate private insurance risk models. The committee also heard SB 525 by Senator Jones, which would require the FAIR Plan to offer coverage options for manufactured and mobile home owners, including replacement cost coverage. Supporters said the bill would help lower-income residents obtain meaningful insurance protection, while no opposition testified. SB 495 by Senator Allen, as amended, would require insurers to provide a larger contents-coverage advance after a total loss during a declared emergency without requiring an immediate itemized inventory, extend proof-of-loss deadlines, and require insurers to provide catastrophe modeling and reinsurance data to the Department of Insurance. Several insurers withdrew opposition after amendments, and the Department of Insurance and United Policyholders supported the measure. SB 590 by Senator Durazo would expand paid family leave to cover care for designated persons or chosen family members, with strong support from AARP, labor, civil rights, caregiving, and health organizations, and testimony from a parent describing the need to care for a non-legal family member during surgery recovery. The committee also took up consent items SB 230 and SB 854. After roll calls, SB 8, SB 429, SB 495, SB 525, and SB 590 all received do-pass votes, with SB 429 sent to the Committee on Emergency Management, SB 495 to Judiciary, and SB 525 and SB 590 to Appropriations. The consent calendar bills were also approved, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• That mission is to improve the lives of New Mexico families by increasing economic opportunities and
• I believe economic development is more than creating jobs and increasing GDP, however.
• As part of a broader package with LITA, JTIP, and our high wage tax credit, it plays an essential part
• This approach really increases the ability for all communities to interact with government, so it's an

Committee: Senate Senate Rules

Transcript Highlights:

• increases.
• </c><00:11:16.760><c> on</c> has been a price increase on has been a price increase on non-resident<00
• We had an increase of $10 per type that was not across-the-board license fee increase.
• And where is the increase?
• There was just a two- or three-year increase where they increased a little bit in each year.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard a presentation from the University System of New Hampshire chancellor on the system’s budget, enrollment, finances, workforce role, and response to federal policy changes. The chancellor said the governor’s recommended budget would reduce university system funding by about $16.5 million over the biennium, or roughly 8.3%, and asked that state funding be held at the governor’s level. She described planned cost reductions already underway, including lower headcount, reduced benefits and retirement contributions, property sales, and lease reductions, and said the system expects to remove about $20 million from its cost structure in fiscal year 2026. A large portion of the discussion focused on enrollment and finances. The chancellor said fall 2024 enrollment was about 23,000, with New Hampshire enrollment increasing for the first time since 2013, and noted that the system remains a major workforce pipeline, with about 3,000 graduates entering the state workforce each year. She explained that net tuition has fallen over time because of declining enrollment and increased financial aid, while research grants and contracts have grown significantly. She also walked through endowment funding, explaining that payouts are based on a 12-quarter rolling average and are intentionally smoothed to reduce volatility; members asked for follow-up information on payout comparisons, administrative salaries, headcounts, and compensation per student. Members questioned the university about the relationship between state support, tuition, endowments, and research spending. The chancellor said the system has used state capital support to leverage major investments, including the UNH Life Sciences building, Plymouth’s Hyde Hall, and the Olson Advanced Manufacturing Center, and described partnerships with businesses such as Lonza and regional manufacturers. She also explained a long-running New Hampshire 529-related revenue stream that has built endowment support for scholarships, and said the system’s endowment now totals about $988 million. In response to questions about possible cuts, she said the system is considering academic program sharing, consolidation of specialties, online delivery, AI-assisted administrative efficiencies, and footprint reductions, but declined to name specific programs. The committee also discussed DEI-related issues and federal grants. The chancellor said the system is reviewing executive orders and a U.S. Department of Education Dear Colleague letter, and that general counsel is working through websites, programs, and more than 1,200 federal grants to ensure compliance. She said the system spends about $3 million on what it calls DEI-related offices and services, but emphasized that these services include disability support, veteran support, Title IX, ADA, and employment-law compliance, and that the system does not have race-based programs, separate housing, or separate graduation ceremonies. She reported that the system had received stop-work orders on four federal grants totaling about $700,000 and warned that reductions in federal direct or indirect costs could affect research, jobs, and innovation.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 608 at the core is looking to protect what the analysis so beautifully mentioned: the increase of
• the lack of equitable access to condoms and protection across California is attributable to that increase
• Our office has seen an exponential increase in the number of students seeking services after experiencing
• The California Department Our office has seen an exponential increase in the number of students seeking
• Hate and harassment targeting youth is increasing, and it is showing up in our schools.

Committee: House Education

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Many reported having no paid leave or only partial wage replacement, and we know that these outcomes
• leave, even if it wasn’t the full 12 weeks or a full six weeks, having even just some paid Leave increased
• So we need to get the word out to parents, mothers, who are particularly interested in increasing their
• Department of Commerce because there are daycare, they do pay for daycare for people who want to increase
• So, for my understanding, it has been a long time since that fund's been looked at or increased.

Committee: All EDUCATION- HOUSE EARLY CHILDHOOD SUBCOMMITTEE

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Seven percent to 10% annually is our average rate increase, but we are learning from our insurance broker
• this year that we're looking at about a 25% increase.
• This year we're looking at that 25% increase, and just like in other years, they shop around.
• We've lost firefighters to other states that provide higher benefits packages and higher wage packages
• council need to look at their budget, look at what they've been paying, what they anticipate price increases

Committee: House State Affairs

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There are significant concerns of a potential increased risk to litigation if water agencies fail to
• experiencing an insurance crisis that we all know and it's one that's been driven a large part by our increased
• Increasing over the past decade, there's a need to better plan and prepare communities at a level we
• County could reach $131 billion, with up to $45 billion in insured losses and $297 million in lost wages
• state regulators that four lines, including the dorm. government, Mesa-Selmar Line, saw a momentary increase

Committee: House Emergency Management

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Immigration enforcement in Hawaii has sharply increased.
• Immigration enforcement in Hawaii has sharply increased.
• > allow</c><01:04:46.400><c> families</c> high-wage positions that allow families high-wage positions
• :03.280><c> by</c> This bill increases transparency by This bill increases transparency by requiring<
• This bill increases accountability for high-impact AI systems.

Bills: HB1838 , HB1870 , HB2445 , HB2540 , HB1886 , HB1839 , HB2269 , HB1939 , HB2037 , HB1635 , HB1941 , HB1576 , HB2568 , HB2267 , HB2590 , HB2266 , HB2597 , HB2499 , HB2500 , HB2502 , HB2607 , HB2137 , HB2357 , HB1782

Committee: House Economic Development & Technology

Keywords: HB1838, Hawaii, Act 142, U visa, T visa, U nonimmigrant status, T nonimmigrant status, immigration certification, visa certification, Form I-918 Supplement B, Form I-914 Supplement B, noncitizen victims, crime victim, human trafficking, victim helpfulness, law enforcement certification, prosecutor certification, judicial review, circuit court, confidentiality

Summary: The committee opened testimony on House Bill 1838, relating to visas. Testifiers from the State Health Planning and Development Agency, the legal clinic, the Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the ACLU, CARES, and immigrant-rights groups strongly supported the bill, saying it would bring Hawaii into compliance with federal law, standardize and speed up certification for U and T visa applicants, and better protect survivors of crime and trafficking. Supporters emphasized that delays in certification can leave eligible survivors waiting years for federal visa access and can undermine public safety by discouraging victims from reporting crimes. The chair announced there were 103 testimonies in support and one in opposition, and the committee then moved on without taking a vote on the bill in the hearing. The committee next heard House Bill 1870, concerning protected locations and immigration enforcement. Testimony from the Hawaii Coalition for Immigrant Rights, ACLU of Hawaii, educators, students, and community advocates supported limiting immigration enforcement at schools and other essential-service sites, arguing that families should be able to access education, health care, shelters, libraries, and social services without fear. The Department of Education said it had already issued guidance in March 2025 for how staff should respond when law enforcement comes onto campus, and the Public Charter School Commission noted implementation would need to occur at the school level. Testifiers said the bill would create standardized protocols and protect students and families from fear and disruption; the chair reported 142 testimonies in support, one in opposition, and five comments. The committee then took up House Bill 2445, relating to student safety and law enforcement on campus. The Department of Education again said it had already rolled out statewide guidance and described its process for staff to notify administration, verify law enforcement identification and purpose, and route matters through the complex area superintendent and attorney general, while noting emergencies would be handled differently. A committee member questioned whether the procedures were sufficiently standardized and whether staff were trained for unusual situations. Student and community testifiers supported the bill, saying schools should remain safe havens and that clear procedures are needed if federal immigration enforcement appears on campus. The Department of Law Enforcement testified in opposition to parts of the measure, raising concerns about masking requirements, vehicle markings, officer safety, doxxing, retaliation, costs, and possible supremacy-clause conflicts, and suggested more exemptions and a compromise approach. The chair reported 106 testimonies in support, two comments, and no opposition for the bill before moving on to the next measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill will increase the qualified workforce in veterinary practices.
• It will increase access to care.
• That's true, unless we actually increase that.
• in wages and also more people wanting to enter the industry.
• By increasing demand and a generation... ...quality health care.

Summary: The committee first approved the January 28, 2026 minutes and held Senate Bill 1241 for a later hearing because a witness was unavailable. It then took up Senate Bill 1144, which would create an alternative pathway for veterinary technician certification through supervised on-the-job training and board-approved skills standards. Supporters, including the Arizona Humane Society, a high school student in a veterinary program, and other advocates, said the bill would help address workforce shortages, reduce student debt, and improve access to care, especially in rural and low-income areas. Opponents, including the Arizona Veterinary Technician Association and several veterinarians, argued the bill could weaken training standards, increase liability, and create safety risks; the Arizona Veterinary Medical Association ultimately moved to neutral after amendments added supervision and affidavit requirements. The committee adopted the amendment and then passed SB 1144 as amended on a 6-1 vote. The committee next passed Senate Bill 1247 unanimously. That bill would allow a person who does not receive care services to live with a resident in an assisted living center, and would bar the Department of Health Services from imposing requirements on that person that the resident would not face. Supporters said the bill was needed to fix a recent agency interpretation that could force spouses or other companions to separate or pay for services they do not use, and noted a possible floor amendment to extend the same treatment to assisted living homes. The committee then heard Senate Bill 1286, which would extend from 14 days to 60 days the period for veterinary prescriptions and renewals issued through telemedicine. Supporters said the change would improve access in underserved and rural areas and reflect how telemedicine is already used in human medicine, while opponents warned that longer telemedicine prescriptions could delay necessary exams and diagnostics, increase the risk of misdiagnosis, and create animal welfare and liability concerns. After testimony, the sponsor asked that the bill be held for a possible amendment next week, so no vote was taken. The committee also passed Senate Bill 1164, which would allow Medicaid claims to continue under a prior owner’s billing number during a skilled nursing or assisted living facility change of ownership until new enrollment is complete; supporters said this would prevent long reimbursement delays, while Access raised concerns about federal-law conflicts and said it needed advance notice to process ownership changes. The bill passed 6-0 with one member not voting. Finally, the committee passed Senate Bill 1181, which expands CPA licensure pathways by allowing combinations of degree and work experience and updates reciprocity and rulemaking provisions, and Senate Bill 1415, which creates a licensing path for salaried insurance adjusters with out-of-state credentials, subject to an amendment clarifying exam and employment requirements. Both bills were supported as workforce and mobility measures, and both were reported out of committee on unanimous or near-unanimous votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Her numerous accomplishments over the decades in office include fighting for the minimum wage for tipped
• /c><00:24:34.799><c> for</c><00:24:34.960><c> tipped</c><00:24:35.400><c> workers,</c> the minimum wage
• for tipped workers, the minimum wage for tipped workers, increasing<00:24:36.960><c> penalties</c><00
• :24:37.520><c> for</c><00:24:37.760><c> domestic</c><00:24:38.159><c> abuse</c> increasing penalties
• for domestic abuse increasing penalties for domestic abuse and<00:24:38.799><c> sexual</c><00:24:39.320

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• headcount increasing, but full-time equivalent (FTE) is increasing.
• And that 7.2% increase follows a previous year's increase of 5.6%.
• We're seeing headcount increases, and we're seeing completions increase.
• It was a 5.8% increase in enrollment and a 7% increase in completions over last year.
• So I want to underscore that increases in headcount and increases in funded double FTE.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> increased, not these. increased, not these.
• So the 3% increase.
• </c> the pay increase, right? the pay increase, right?
• . increase. increase.
• </c> and how these do drive high wage jobs. and how these do drive high wage jobs.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Both of these bills create increased certainty and transparency for taxpayers.
• Louis Park supports increasing housing opportunities for its residents, including policies that create
• Work preferences have changed significantly in the last five years with increased access...
• To remote work and increase complexity with tax laws.
• It is essential to recognize the increasing mobility of today's workforce.

Bills: HF2048 , HF2360 , HF2006 , HF950 , HF912 , HF3140 , HF2931

Committee: House Taxes

Keywords: individual income tax, retirement contributions, tax corrections, annuity contracts, tax year attribution, tax credit, economic development, community investment, data disclosure, Minnesota regulations, tax increment financing, municipal authority, job creation, transferred increment, public hearing, nonresident employees, income tax exemption, Minnesota taxation, employment duties, tax withholding

Transcript Highlights:

• So that gets us to $61.2 million total increase.
• And so that gets us to a total increase of around $28.6 million based on what was funded last year for
• the child welfare system, around a 2% increase in this funding formula.
• If That right now what we're funding with Tiers 1 and 2 is like a 2% increase.
• If we did consider doing Tier 3, how much more of an increase would that be? You're recognized.

Summary: The Human Services Subcommittee met with a quorum present and took up a presentation from the Department of Children and Families on HB 7089, which revises how Florida’s community-based care (CBC) lead agencies for child welfare are funded. Representative McFarland described the bill’s background, arguing that the prior formula relied too heavily on outdated, static factors and produced inequities among CBCs. She emphasized that the new approach is intended to provide a more stable, transparent, and statute-based funding method that better supports prevention, case management, and family services while reducing year-to-year political uncertainty. DCF Chief of Staff Casey Penn explained that HB 7089 required an actuarially sound, reimbursement-based formula developed with CBC and provider input. The new model uses a cost-based structure with three tiers: Tier 1 for operational and administrative costs, Tier 2 for per-child/per-month service costs, and a possible Tier 3 incentive component for performance measures if the Legislature chooses to fund it. The model includes regional growth factors, inflation adjustments, a 2% risk corridor for Tier 2, a hold-harmless provision for agencies that would otherwise receive less than prior funding, and the ability for CBCs to retain some state general revenue savings. DCF said the model produced a total budget need of about $1.392 billion, roughly $28.6 million above the prior year after offsets, and that the department is also updating its child welfare case management system to improve data quality and future modeling. Members asked about whether prevention spending is captured, how Tier 3 incentives would work and how much they might cost, how the formula accounts for insurance, hurricanes, child acuity, and staffing costs, and whether CBC executives’ compensation is capped. DCF said prevention is included in the model but is not yet separately broken out due to data limitations, Tier 3 is optional and not yet costed, and the formula can incorporate additional growth factors if needed. On executive pay, DCF explained that compensation is limited by statute for CBC contracts, but multiple contracts and non-state funding sources can affect total compensation; staff later clarified that CBC CEOs with multiple contracts had been reviewed for compliance. The meeting ended after questions, and Representative Miller moved to adjourn; the subcommittee adjourned without any vote on the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• We need fee sharing to help us increase our staff so we are able to afford more employees to be pulled
• Chaplains are not paid a salary or an hourly wage.
• Chaplains are not paid a salary or an hourly wage.
• They support retention in a profession that faces increasing stress and recruitment challenges.
• Thank you so much for your testimony. increasing stress and recruitment increasing stress and recruitment

Bills: HF3169 , HF3749 , HF2605 , HF3541 , HF4102 , HF3513 , HF268

Committee: House Transportation Finance and Policy

Keywords: suicide prevention, transportation, mental health, bridge safety, data collection, state law, bridge inspection, active transportation, truck parking, public safety, vehicle registration, fee structure, full-service providers, Capitol security, emergency management, state buildings, law enforcement, Minnesota State Patrol, State Patrol compensation, trooper salary

Transcript Highlights:

• So when we lower the resources available at the state for investments, you increase the likelihood of
• more property tax increases at the local level.
• , which she was for my father in our restaurant, you do not get paid minimum wage.
• It increased during the pandemic.
• It increased during the pandemic.

Committee: House Taxes

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And secondly, I think that people can leave state government to go to the private sector for higher wages
• , not better benefits, but higher wages.
• that I come from The HR department would participate in roundtables with like industries to compare wage

Bills: SM13 , SM14

Committee: Senate Senate Rules

Keywords: land grant, Las Vegas, governance, self-governance, judicial management, forced sterilization, coerced sterilization, Indigenous women, Native American women, women of color, reproductive justice, reproductive sovereignty, truth and reconciliation commission, memorial, trauma-informed care, reparative justice, human rights, bodily autonomy, Indian Health Service, Indian affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Returns and extensions increased by 11.5%, and returns increased by... produced by the department of
• </c><00:48:06.599><c> by</c> point estimates in red increased by point estimates in red increased by
• </c> be when did it go when did that increase be when did it go when did that increase go<00:58:29.920
• </c> The increased mortgage um or increased The increased mortgage um or increased time<01:57:56.719>
• </c> seen some increase seen some increase there<02:05:17.239><c> any</c><02:05:17.520><c> questions<

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee received an overview from Chris of the Legislative Budget Assistance Office on how it will estimate unrestricted revenues for the General Fund, Education Trust Fund, Highway Fund, and Fish and Game Fund. He explained that the committee’s work is based on current law, not pending bills, and that the estimates will feed into a House resolution and an amendment to House Bill 1, the operating budget. He also described the broader budget process, including how House and Senate estimates are reconciled, how surplus statements account for revenue changes from enacted bills, and how a committee of conference could resolve differences later in the session. No votes were taken. Members then asked about why the Education Trust Fund was running below plan. Chris said the shortfall appeared to be driven largely by business taxes, including differences in the BET/BPT split and improved tax-processing systems that better track where business tax payments belong. Representative Orr also asked about tobacco tax collections and out-of-state sales; Chris said tobacco revenue was likely overestimated in 2023 based on COVID-era patterns, with more people smoking at home, and noted that e-cigarette tax revenue goes to the General Fund while cigarette taxes are split between the General Fund and Education Trust Fund. He said he did not have a specific estimate for cross-border sales. Commissioner Lindsay St. Pierre of the Department of Revenue then began a deeper dive into the department’s role and the taxes it administers. She reviewed the department’s mission, organizational structure, taxpayer services, and the tax policy and legislative analysis staff who prepare fiscal notes and testify on bills. She noted that the department administers about $2.9 billion in revenue across major taxes such as business taxes, meals and rooms, and utility property tax, and that the figures being discussed were preliminary because the annual report had not yet been issued. The discussion was informational only, with no formal action taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• cost increases, including health care cost growth, Chapter 257 provider rate increases, collective bargaining
• , Chapter 257 provider rate increases, collective bargaining salary increases, and caseload and acuity
• Out of that, I think you said 18% increase.
• Have you seen any increases in uptake of that? I think there was...
• Have you seen any increases in uptake of that?

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Summary: The hearing was a Joint Committee on Ways and Means budget session on health and human services, held in Clinton and opened with remarks from the House and Senate co-chairs, local officials, and committee members. The chairs emphasized the importance of hearing directly from agencies about the Commonwealth’s health care and human services budget needs, thanked Clinton for hosting, and introduced the day’s panels, beginning with the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) and then MassHealth. Secretary Kiame Mahania presented Governor Healey’s FY27 EOHHS budget, describing a $33.7 billion request driven largely by non-discretionary cost growth, caseload increases, and federal uncertainty. He highlighted targeted investments in foster parent reimbursement, family resource centers, maternal health, food assistance, immigrant legal services, and workforce rates, while warning that federal cuts and the Trump administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act could strip billions from state health funding. Members questioned him about primary care shortages, federal program integrity audits, ConnectorCare, regional health disparities, and the proposed cap on adult dental coverage; he defended the cap as a difficult but necessary cost-control measure and said the administration would continue cooperating with federal partners. Undersecretary Michael Levine then testified for MassHealth, saying the agency faces two major challenges: rapid cost growth and looming federal changes. He outlined a $22.7 billion gross MassHealth budget and proposed actions including a moratorium on new expansions, capping adult dental benefits at $1,000, ending GLP-1 coverage for weight loss only, reducing care management spending to peer-state levels, and convening work groups to slow growth in personal care attendant, adult foster care, and adult day health programs. He also warned that federal policy changes could cause about 300,000 residents to lose coverage by 2030 and reduce federal revenue by about $3.5 billion, and said MassHealth would use outreach and systems changes to help eligible members stay covered. Members raised concerns about the impact of these cuts on homeless care, preventive services, dental access, GLP-1s, and regional hospital and specialist shortages, while Levine argued the proposals were aimed at preserving core coverage and sustainability.