Transcript Highlights:

• The division paid over 125,000 claims, of which 60,664 were approved for immediate payment without the
• an effort to reach a wider audience and to properly reflect the diversity of our population, the division
• For the current fiscal year 2026, the division is still on track to meet its reversion estimate of The
• division is still on track to meet its reversion estimate of $368 million.
• For this upcoming fiscal year, the division will return back to standard operations and is estimating

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate and House Ways and Means chairs opened the FY 2027 consensus revenue hearing by emphasizing the need for a balanced, fiscally responsible budget amid federal funding cuts, health care cost pressures, and uncertainty around the federal tax law changes referred to as OB3. They also noted the state’s current revenue performance is slightly above benchmark and paid tribute to the late Representative Anne Margaret Ferranti. Secretary of Administration and Finance Matthew Gorkowitz echoed the call for caution, saying Massachusetts has protected core services while building reserves and that the FY27 budget process begins with a careful revenue estimate. Department of Revenue Commissioner Jeff Snyder, along with DOR staff, presented FY26 and FY27 tax forecasts and identified major drivers and risks: OB3’s negative impact on state revenue, surtax collections, labor market conditions, capital gains, and corporate/business excise taxes. DOR estimated OB3 would reduce FY26 revenue by about $664 million and FY27 by about $282 million, while surtax and capital gains were expected to remain strong in FY26 but soften in FY27. Members questioned the outlook for surtax, capital gains, and the potential fiscal effect of a ballot question reducing the income tax rate from 5% to 4%; DOR said that proposal could cost roughly $4.2 billion to $4.8 billion annually, with a smaller but still significant impact in FY27 because of phase-in timing. Treasurer Deb Goldberg testified next on the stabilization fund, lottery, PRIM, unclaimed property, and the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission. She reported the rainy day fund at about $8.1 billion, said the lottery was on track for $1.5 billion in FY26 net profit and projected $1.25 billion in FY27, and highlighted that iLottery is expected to launch in summer 2026 with revenue beginning in FY27 and dedicated to child care initiatives. She also described strong PRIM performance and record unclaimed property returns, while members asked about the child care use of iLottery revenue, multilingual outreach, and the economic impact of expanded liquor licensing. Mass Taxpayers Foundation President Doug Howgate and Tufts’ Evan Horowitz then offered differing revenue outlooks and policy warnings. Howgate projected modest growth, cautioned against overusing reserves for ongoing obligations, and urged caution on federal tax conformity changes and health care spending pressures. Horowitz projected higher FY26 and FY27 revenues than other witnesses, warned that the surtax and capital gains make the tax system more volatile, and said a 4% income tax ballot question could reduce FY27 revenues by roughly $800 million to $1 billion. He also flagged the rent control ballot question as a potential risk to municipal finance and suggested the state consider giving a permanent home to the independent revenue model used by Alan Clayton-Matthews.

Transcript Highlights:

• budget section, I guess we're going to call the budget section, I guess we're called Regulatory Division
• We're going to call the budget section, I guess we're called Regulatory Division for this meeting, and
• of the Industrial Commission, and that's why we're reviewing it because we handle these different divisions
• Good afternoon, Chairman Sorvaag, members of the Budget Section Regulatory Division.
• Regulatory responsibility that we’ve completed, oil and gas division rulemaking is done.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee met as the Regulatory Division of the budget section and received updates on several Industrial Commission-related agencies and programs. Legislative Council first reviewed base budget materials, then the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency reported on its current appropriation and staffing, noting that its new FTEs were being filled gradually and that it remained largely funded through special and federal funds. Agency leaders described homeownership lending, loan servicing, and housing incentive fund activity, including below-market mortgage rates, down payment assistance, and a growing servicing portfolio that has increased workload but not yet required additional FTEs. Housing Finance also detailed use of the Housing Incentive Fund and homeless grant dollars. Officials said the multifamily HIF round drew more than $73 million in requests and awarded $25 million, while the single-family program supported rural development and community land trusts. Homeless grant funding was split between emergency shelter, prevention, and rapid rehousing, with performance-based scoring used to renew or reallocate awards. Members discussed housing affordability, aging households, rental assistance, and the need to coordinate housing and site-preparation messaging with Commerce. The agency asked that HIF, single-family, and homeless funding be maintained or increased in the next session. The Department of Mineral Resources then presented its budget and operations update. Staff said the agency was on track financially, had filled most of its new reclamation FTEs, and was not expecting major litigation costs beyond normal late-biennium invoices. The director reviewed agency initiatives including Project North Star IT modernization, organizational restructuring, succession planning, rulemaking, and implementation of the development incentive well tax program and critical minerals rules. He also discussed oil and gas activity, explaining that longer laterals, especially three- and four-mile wells and the first five-mile spacing case, are helping keep production relatively flat even as rig counts ease. Members asked about gas capture, hedging, break-even prices, and the effects of Iran and Venezuela on oil markets. The committee also heard about enhanced oil recovery grants and the Pipeline Authority. The EOR program’s $25 million appropriation was fully allocated to six projects, with total awards reaching about $45.1 million when other fund balances were included, subject to a possible 5% reduction if federal DOE money does not materialize. Officials said the projects are public, reimbursement-based, and will produce results over the next several years. Finally, the Pipeline Authority outlined natural gas transmission projects, including the imminent Bakken Express line and the proposed Bakken East project, which WBI was selected to advance after an Industrial Commission RFI process. The project is moving through open season, survey permission, and regulatory work, with in-service dates projected for 2029 and 2030.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the Deputy Budget Director of the State Budget Division at DFA.
• The Licensing Department's Cannabis Control Division has a request on line 88 for $610,000 to purchase
• vehicles and equipment for the division.
• goes again with what I was Mentioning a few minutes ago about the Department of Health Facilities Division
• If you're disabled or elderly, you can't climb up on your roof.

Transcript Highlights:

• /c><01:08:44.880> the Roland who is the director of the Roland who is the director of the division
• of program standards and division of program standards and facilitates<01:08:47.040> and<01:08
• I believe that speaks to the screening for whether a student would be a student with a disability. >>
• . disability. disability.
• Do you is there more with a disability.

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call – 0:00:00 Workforce Pell Grant Update – 0:03:30 Extension Office Update – 0:33:25 Kentucky Academic Standards for Social Studies – 1:07:08 Early Literacy Outcomes – 1:32:20 Consideration of Referred Administrative Regulations – 1:58:30 Adjournment 2:13:13, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• that to how short-term disability works. that to how short-term disability works.
• I'm the division director for long-term supports and services.
• We had the hospital association represented, the aging and disability resource center.
• We had the hospital association represented, the aging and disability resource center.
• We had the hospital association represented, the aging and disability resource center.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• My son, Xavier, has a genetic disorder, an intellectual disability, and he's on the autism spectrum.
• On a personal note, my sister is disabled and uses Medicaid.
• On a personal note, my sister is disabled and uses Medicaid.
• On a personal note, my sister is disabled and uses Medicaid.
• to a, you know, an elder or a disabled to a, you know, an elder or a disabled person<00:36:34.880

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee heard House File 2591, the “Support Medicaid Not Millionaires Act,” laid over for possible inclusion in the 2025 taxes bill. Chair Gomez said the bill would create a fifth individual income tax tier on very high earners to offset any future federal Medicaid cuts, arguing that proposed federal budget changes would likely reduce Medicaid funding and create a large state budget hole. Gomez and other supporters framed Medicaid as essential for children, long-term care, mental health, substance use treatment, rural hospitals, and families across Minnesota, and criticized federal tax cuts for corporations and wealthy individuals. Several testifiers supported the bill. A SEIU Healthcare worker described how Medicaid supports her care for a disabled son and her own health needs, warning that cuts would threaten home care, hospitals, and nursing homes. A public health employee from the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees said recent state and federal layoffs had already weakened public health capacity and urged additional revenue to backfill losses. Other supporters, including community and faith leaders, said the wealthy and corporations should pay more to protect public services, youth programs, and Medicaid-funded care. A mental health provider testified that most of the people served by her clinic rely on Medicaid and that cuts would harm clinics, rural access, and the broader behavioral health system. Representative Anderson questioned whether the bill would affect Medicaid spending tied to undocumented immigrants and asked for data on MinnesotaCare and federal-state funding shares. Department of Human Services staff clarified that he was referring to MinnesotaCare, not Medicaid, and said Medicaid is generally matched by the federal government while MinnesotaCare does not have the same match. The exchange became contentious when Gomez objected to Anderson’s use of the term “illegal immigrants” and redirected the discussion back to the bill. Anderson also raised concerns about Medicaid fraud and whether the proposal would backfill any federal changes related to fraud enforcement. No vote was taken; the bill was simply laid over.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:16:42.920> in State it risks creating division in State it risks creating division in
• an accident or long-term disability an accident or long-term disability we're<01:17:51.239> just
• work rated and whether it's disabled work rated and whether it's disabled without<03:31:34.560><
• They've been disabled for a while.
• They've been disabled for a while.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• provision to appropriate $43.5 million over the next four years to the operations and maintenance division
• provision to appropriate $43.5 million over the next four years to the operations and maintenance division
• a very detailed and comprehensive report of car crashes or vehicle accidents that involve either disabling
• When an officer responds to a crash that involves disabling damage, fatality, or injury, they complete
• <00:41:55.760> and specifically those with a disability and specifically those with a disability

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm assistant chief of the crime lab division at Texas DPS. My other title is Deputy Lab Director.
• Lastly, I just want to note my cousin took Delta-9, and he's fully disabled.
• I'm a disabled veteran.
• I'm testifying as a T-Cup patient and as a disabled Navy veteran.
• Okay, this is emotional and difficult testimony. a disabled Navy veteran.

Summary: The House Committee on Public Health heard House Bill 5, a proposal to ban THC products outside the Texas Compassionate Use Program while allowing non-intoxicating CBD and CBG products under tighter regulation. Chair Van Deaver gave a lengthy background on the 2018 federal Farm Bill and Texas’s 2019 hemp law, arguing that the lack of guardrails allowed a large, unregulated THC market to develop. HB 5 would impose licensing fees, product registration, testing and inspection requirements, and restrictions intended to keep products away from children. Invited witnesses from law enforcement strongly supported the bill. Steve Dye of the Texas Police Chiefs Association and Brian Hawthorne of the Sheriffs’ Association of Texas argued that THC consumables are widely mislabeled, often far more potent than advertised, and linked to youth access, impaired driving, and organized crime. Both said regulation would be ineffective and would amount to legalization, while a ban would be easier for officers to enforce. They also emphasized support for the Texas Compassionate Use Program and said medical THC should remain available. Dr. Peter Stout of the Texas Association of Crime Lab Directors and Alice Amelot of Texas DPS testified as resource witnesses about forensic testing. They said current lab resources are already stretched thin, that quantitative testing for THC and related cannabinoids is expensive and time-consuming, and that a ban would simplify enforcement because labs could focus on presence/absence testing rather than concentration. Amelot said DPS labs are neutral on the bill but explained that mislabeled products and inaccurate certificates of analysis are common. Committee members asked about traffic safety, impairment, youth use, and the costs of enforcement and lab testing; witnesses repeatedly said the bill would reduce complexity for law enforcement but that any approach would still require more resources for labs.

Transcript Highlights:

• , division, and hatred.
• I was disabled and you offered me aid.
• I was infirmed... and people with disabilities by and people with disabilities by establishing<06:30:
• ,<06:31:05.200> and and individuals with disabilities, and and individuals with disabilities
• I was disabled Medicaid, think about it.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I have a couple of questions specifically about the Oil and Gas Division.
• I believe there may be 11 or 12 employees just in the Oil and Gas Division.
• for the state, because if the division itself is a it hinders that.
• Division that Representative Dixon was talking about in OCD.
• between our legal division, which is attorneys and paralegals, and our interdisciplinary services division

Transcript Highlights:

• It's often lost employment or medical situations, disabilities. These are crisis situations.
• this one was surprising to me: 39% of tenants represented by this program identify as having a disability
• We've had instances where 911 systems were disabled.
• CJTC and goes through a level of review that involves a chief investigator and an investigations division
• Every charge case is then reviewed by an investigator, chief investigator, the division manager, and

Summary: The committee held a work session in Mill Creek focused first on the eviction process. Judge Michael Scott of King County Superior Court described historic highs in unlawful detainer filings across Washington, especially in urban counties, and said King County has reduced its backlog and average time to resolution to about 60 days by adding two dedicated eviction judges and using more judges when needed. He also described how King County and other counties are implementing the right to counsel for indigent tenants, and noted that additional housing commissioners may help. Office of Civil Legal Aid representatives Philippe Knapp and Jane Paxe said the statewide appointed counsel program has represented more than 30,000 tenants, referred clients to social services, and helped many remain housed, but they warned of a funding shortfall that could eliminate about 17 attorneys and leave roughly 2,000 tenants without representation. A landlord-side panel argued that eviction timelines remain too long and fragmented, creating unpaid rent, safety issues, and uncertainty for both landlords and tenants; they urged more uniform procedures, streamlined rental assistance, and procedural changes to reduce refiling and delays. The second work session addressed theft and vandalism of critical infrastructure, especially copper and telecom cable theft. Committee staff reviewed existing criminal and regulatory laws covering malicious mischief, theft, scrap metal businesses, and metal property deception. Comcast, Mason Public Utility District, and the Recycled Materials Association testified that theft of aerial cable and copper has become a crisis affecting power, internet, 911 service, schools, hospitals, and line-worker safety. Utility representatives described outages, hazards, and rising costs, and asked for stronger audits of scrapyards, tougher penalties for theft affecting critical infrastructure, and tighter rules on payment and identification. Recyclers said they oppose the thefts and already operate under heavy regulation, but acknowledged enforcement gaps and the need for better coordination; committee members discussed possible bill concepts and asked for written recommendations. The final work session covered standards for law enforcement personnel. Criminal Justice Training Commission Executive Director Monica Alexander and Assistant Director Kimberly Bliss explained current certification and decertification rules, including background checks, training requirements, mandatory and discretionary grounds for decertification, and the hearing process. They said elected sheriffs are not currently required to undergo the same pre-election background check as other applicants, though they can still be decertified if already certified, and they reported a backlog of more than 1,000 cases with about 70 to 80 new cases coming in each month. Retired Judge Ann Levinson then outlined ways the legislature could strengthen and align standards for chiefs, sheriffs, and marshals, including requiring certification within a set time, setting a minimum age, requiring recent state background checks, and making loss of certification a vacancy in office. Committee members asked questions about accountability for elected sheriffs, background-check administration, and decertification outcomes.

Transcript Highlights:

• implementing the Commission's recommendations, which are vital for providing Native children with crucial developmental

Keywords: tribal sovereignty, healthcare, education, public safety, Economic Development, Tax Parity Act, PROTECT Act, trust obligations, bipartisan support, Indian Health Services

Summary: The committee meeting focused on crucial issues facing tribal nations, particularly emphasizing the federal government's trust and treaty obligations. The discussions highlighted ongoing challenges such as disparities in healthcare, education, and public safety within Native communities. Chair Murkowski underscored the importance of listening to Native leaders and aligning congressional efforts with community needs, advocating for legislative actions that support tribal sovereignty and economic development. Various initiatives, including the Tax Parity Act and the PROTECT Act, aimed at addressing jurisdictional and financial disparities, were discussed in detail. A call for bipartisan support to alleviate the funding shortages affecting Indian Health Services was made several times during the meeting. Testimonies from tribal leaders and representatives emphasized the dire need for legislative support to enhance infrastructure, healthcare access, and public safety initiatives in tribal communities.

Transcript Highlights:

• I used to teach early childhood education and developmental psychology courses.

Transcript Highlights:

• performance, it also highlights opportunities for us to engage with ABR Enterprise and some of our other divisions
• To change their mindset from trying to figure out how to help elderly and disabled individuals to needing
• information are being developed through our systems for our workers that need adaptations for any kind of disability
• Currently, we have program project managers in our oversight department or division, and you know, some

Transcript Highlights:

• And it was DOH care navigators, some individuals from the Health Care Authority through the Division
• And so again, those issues of mental health and disability sometimes come into this.
• Only about 30% are not working, and that really doesn't factor in people with disabilities or those who
• slide 12, we really have demonstrated our ability to make big improvements at the Income Support Division

Transcript Highlights:

• Click managed the product management and engineering departments for the Amrock Division of Newell Rubbermaid
• Breshears was a tax policy specialist in the Research and Fiscal Analysis Division of the Washington
• are tens of thousands of workers, many of them veterans, first-generation Americans, many of them disabled
• from our federal government, also first-generation Americans, many of them veterans, many of them disabled

Keywords: joint hearing, small business, Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, economic recovery, tax relief, job creation

Summary: In this joint hearing of the House Committee on Small Business and the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, the primary focus was on the importance of making the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) permanent. The chair emphasized that small businesses are crucial for the nation's economic recovery, especially in the wake of current federal policies perceived as detrimental. Witnesses shared their experiences and highlighted how the tax cuts facilitated job creation and business expansion, stressing the need for continued support through ongoing tax relief measures. The meeting included discussions about the economic implications of the TCJA's potential expiration, with members voicing their concerns regarding how this could impact small businesses and the broader economy.

Transcript Highlights:

• Then I'll be talking about what we do in the property tax assistance division at the Comptroller's office
• school district is one that has a jurisdiction in more than one county, PTA Property Tax Assistance division
• course, uh thanks to the leadership here we also added a bit of a sweetener for the elderly and disabled
• passed a law which I think was, was, was very worthwhile to give a 100% exemption, uh, to certain disabled

Transcript Highlights:

• I heard a call for division.
• I heard a call for division.
• All those I heard a call for division.
• > seniors,<02:54:09.040> people folks with disabilities, seniors, people folks with disabilities
• >> Division, Mr. Chair.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's the Bureau of Education Support, the Data Fact Sheet, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
• <00:13:32.240> Education Individuals with Disabilities Education Individuals with Disabilities
• And then there's sometimes children that have severe disabilities where, you know, it's not just the
• We have seven divisions within complete.
• They may have Medicaid and another insurance, like particularly kids that are severely disabled that

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee met to begin work on HB 742, which would require catastrophic special education aid to be drawn from the education trust fund, and more broadly to study special education aid/differentiated aid and related costing issues. The chair said the group was starting early because the issue has been debated for years without resolution, local districts are being forced to absorb prorated costs, and the committee wants to send the Department of Education and HHS Medicaid a clear request for data and recommendations before retained bills return in the fall. A committee clerk was also selected, with Representative Reverend volunteering to take notes for the meeting. Members reviewed background materials on special education enrollment, high-cost students, and possible funding formulas, including data on students in high-cost brackets and prior ideas such as category-based funding and caseload-based approaches. The chair also referenced research on other states, including Arkansas, which uses a different special education funding structure and audits IEPs. The committee emphasized that it was focused on the funding mechanics and costs, not on questioning whether services should be provided. Henry Lipman of HHS explained how Medicaid-to-schools currently works in New Hampshire. He said 172 school districts participate, but utilization dropped during the pandemic and remains below historical levels, in part because districts need the capacity to bill Medicaid. Under the current system, schools receive reimbursement based on half of the Medicaid fee schedule, with the school district effectively providing the state share. He said the federal government is requiring a shift by July 1, 2026, to a true certified public expenditure model based on actual costs, which should allow schools to recover 50% of their true costs and some administrative overhead. The department has received a roughly $2.5 million grant to hire a vendor and support districts through the transition, and an RFP and stakeholder meetings are underway. Committee members asked about how costs would be determined, whether the new system would use actual district-specific costs rather than averages, and how the department would support districts that do not currently participate. Lipman said the cost model would be based on each district’s own reasonable costs, subject to audit standards, and that the department expects to provide templates and technical assistance through the vendor because its staff is limited. He also said about one in four New Hampshire children are enrolled in Medicaid, that child enrollment has been relatively stable, and that continuous coverage rules should reduce churn. No votes or formal actions on HB 742 were taken during the meeting beyond organizing the subcommittee and beginning testimony and discussion.