Transcript Highlights:

• <00:12:26.480> that has changed at the federal level that has changed at the federal level
• actually being done at the county level. actually being done at the county level. certainly<00:19
• <00:53:05.680> or poverty, this rate of poverty or poverty, this rate of poverty or whatever
• level a little bit.
• I grew up in poverty.

Bills: HF2135, HF776, HF1581, HF1158, HF2226

Keywords: child welfare, fiscal analysis, third-party consultant, program evaluation, Minnesota, HF776, Minnesota Family Assets for Independence Initiative, family assets for independence, FAI, asset-building, matched savings, financial literacy, family savings, economic mobility, children youth and families, general fund appropriation, family support, low-income families, financial stability, budget bill

Transcript Highlights:

• It was authorized at the federal level back in 1997.
• are wanting to understand a high level are wanting to understand a high level of<00:04:49.160>
• again for kind of context and level again for kind of context and level setting<00:08:05.039>
• create complexity at the federal level create complexity at the federal level but<00:40:55.480><
• <00:42:09.280> of plus and need a nursing home level of plus and need a nursing home level

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• ended um I think I think at a 2% level ended um I think I think at a 2% level in<01:34:26.080>
• limit to which gets them into that level, I think New Hampshire has one of the lowest poverty levels
• <02:05:00.440> levels<02:05:00.920> and<02:05:01.079> while of the lowest poverty
• levels and while of the lowest poverty levels and while we<02:05:01.440> have<02:05:01.800>
• > severe we have poverty and people in severe we have poverty and people in severe poverty<02:

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The House Finance Division 3 work session continued its review of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Medicaid budget and related policy issues, with CFO Nathan White and Medicaid Director Henry Litman presenting updated materials. The discussion focused on a crosswalk between the adjusted FY 2025 Medicaid budget and the governor’s FY 2026 recommendation, plus handouts showing service additions, eligibility changes, dental rates, and other Medicaid changes since 2019. The department also said it would provide a clearer breakdown of the pharmacy cost-sharing item by general, federal, and other funds. Members asked detailed questions about the Medicaid enhancement tax, the 80% plan, and how funds are allocated between hospital payments, directed payments, and DSH uncompensated care. The department explained that the MET is being used more toward rates and directed payments to better align with federal matching rules, while DSH remains important for uncompensated care. They also noted that a pending Senate Bill 249 would keep the 80% structure and move to Senate Finance. On the trigger law, the department identified the governing provision as Chapter 342:12, Laws of 2018, and explained that if the federal match for Medicaid expansion falls below 90%, the state must notify legislative leaders and participants and the program would sunset after 180 days unless the legislature acts. The committee also reviewed current Medicaid expansion enrollment and program trends. Officials said enrollment was just under 59,000 as of March 3, with about 87,000 people enrolled over the past year and more than a quarter-million residents having used the program over its lifetime. They said enrollment has fallen from a post-pandemic high of nearly 97,000 and may eventually settle in the low 50,000s. Finally, the department discussed federal DSH funding risk, saying New Hampshire could face a significant reduction if Congress does not extend current protections, which is part of why the state has shifted more funding toward payment rates and directed payments.

Transcript Highlights:

• subsidize child care by maintaining artificially low prices for parents while paying child care workers poverty-level
• subsidize child care by maintaining artificially low prices for parents while paying child care workers poverty-level
• subsidize child care by maintaining artificially low prices for parents while paying child care workers poverty-level
• <01:26:50.639> Childare<01:26:51.120> workers<01:26:51.440> in poverty level
• Childare workers in poverty level wages.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and also at the system level.
• We've got to know the actual skills that are being... ...level and also at the system level.
• It largely won't be the career staff at these agencies at the state or federal level.
• It's more at the federal level.
• There’s also more cohort-level training that can be done.

Summary: The committee heard a presentation from Nick Moore, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Office of Career and Technical Education, focused on integrating workforce, education, training, and human services systems. Moore argued that WIOA, Perkins, and ESSA should be aligned more closely, with fewer federal and state bureaucratic layers, more state flexibility, and a stronger emphasis on labor force participation, postsecondary attainment, and training tied to in-demand jobs. He said the federal agencies are moving toward combined plan timelines for 2026, encouraged states to pursue combined plans and waivers, and described efforts to streamline reporting, reduce administrative overhead, and expand tools such as integrated intake, cross-training, virtual and mobile service delivery, apprenticeship, and talent marketplaces. Moore also emphasized accountability and outcomes, saying states should measure training-related employment, retention, and the share of funds going to direct services rather than administration. He criticized the current workforce system as too costly and ineffective, and said states should use primary labor market information, better wage records, and employer input to align training with actual job demand. Members asked about balancing flexibility with accountability, the role of employers versus postsecondary institutions, serving rural “training deserts,” state waivers, and data-sharing systems such as Mississippi’s workforce technology efforts. Moore said states can use waivers and technology to create common intake and co-enrollment across programs, and that enhanced wage records are key to better workforce planning. The committee then received a separate update from DHS Secretary Janet Mann and Director Jay Hill on reimbursement rates for aging and adult behavioral health services. They said DHS had compiled more than 100 public comments, submitted a recommendation to the governor to hold current rates, and was awaiting executive review, which they estimated could take 30 to 60 days. Members asked about the timeline and the scope of the legislation requiring monthly reports. The meeting ended with notice of a later audit presentation scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at the Big Mac building.

Transcript Highlights:

• It comes down by school grade level.
• at a grade level. at a grade level.
• In the school level, you are level.
• or are in poverty, which is in poverty or are in poverty, which is substantially<01:16:57.440> higher
• And [snorts] district level.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Benjamin Henderson with the Western Center on Law and Poverty.
• Grecia Roscoe, at the Center on Race, Poverty, and Environment...
• Greciatedosco, with the Center on Race, Poverty and Environment, in support. Thank you.
• Benjamin Henderson, with the Western Center on Law and Poverty, in support.
• That's something that's happening at a ministerial level.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard SB 1375, which would create a narrow CEQA-related exemption for certain transit and rail projects that have already undergone extensive environmental review. Senator Cortese and supporters from VTA, San Jose, MTC, and others said the bill would reduce duplicative review and help advance projects such as the Diridon Station modernization in San Jose, while preserving other environmental protections and adding committee amendments on community engagement, displacement, construction impacts, and natural resources. There was no opposition, and the bill was moved do pass as amended to Transportation on a 5-0 vote, kept on call. The committee then heard SB 1031 on compostable plastics labeling and related research. The author and supporters argued the bill would improve truth-in-labeling, reduce contamination in recycling and composting streams, and direct OEHHA to study toxicity and breakdown impacts. Opponents from manufacturers, BPI, and retailers said the bill would effectively ban compostable products in California, create costs, and fail to fix the underlying National Organic Program labeling issue. After discussion about composting capacity, labeling clarity, and costs, the bill was moved do pass as amended to Appropriations on a 2-1 vote, kept on call. Next, SB 958 on the Midway Rising redevelopment project in San Diego was presented. The author said the amended bill would shift away from a CEQA exemption and instead clarify how building-height impacts should be handled in the project’s environmental review, supporting a large housing and mixed-use project on city-owned land. San Diego representatives and the chair supported the measure, and there was no opposition. The committee voted do pass to Local Government on a 3-0 vote, kept on call. The committee also heard SB 1075 on strengthening AB 617 community air protection plans; the author and environmental justice supporters backed stronger enforcement and implementation, while local governments, business groups, and air district representatives raised concerns about land-use authority, uncertainty, and costs. The bill was moved do pass to Local Government on a 2-2 vote and remained on call. Finally, the committee heard SB 1064, which would reduce the frequency of clean truck check testing for low-use heavy-duty vehicles and equipment. The author and agricultural and trucking witnesses said the bill would cut unnecessary travel and costs without changing emissions standards, while the American Lung Association and Coalition for Clean Air opposed it as weakening an important pollution-control program. The bill was moved do pass to Transportation on a 4-0 vote, kept on call. The committee then began SB 1258 on hazardous waste site remediation for infill housing; the author and development and technical witnesses supported aligning cleanup timing with construction and occupancy, while environmental justice groups said they were likely to move to neutral after committee amendments improved the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• 12:16.720> it<00:12:17.120> keeps<00:12:17.600> the One, it keeps the 300% of poverty
• following year they make 500% of poverty, and so on.
• following year they make 500% of poverty, and so on.
• year they make 500% of poverty, and so on.
• I think to have an increase to take away any income level and then to put an income level as the last

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• or state level.
• And Kate Bybee, on behalf of the Western Center on Law and Poverty, is in support.
• I want to start with something often overlooked: poverty is not just a statistic.
• . ...who carry the invisible burden of poverty every single day.
• to the level that we need to in housing for our residents.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Housing and Community Development heard a long agenda focused mainly on housing production, higher education facilities, homelessness, and permitting reform. Early items included AB 6, which would direct HCD to convene a working group on allowing three- to ten-unit “missing middle” housing to be built under the Residential Code rather than the Building Code; AB 48, a higher education bond proposal that would fund campus repairs, modernization, disaster recovery, and student/employee housing; and AB 76, which would clarify a Chula Vista university innovation district exemption so the project can include academic buildings and housing without conflicting with surplus land rules. Supporters emphasized affordability, cost savings, student housing needs, and access to education, while members raised questions about implementation, affordability requirements, and project scope. The committee later took votes on these items, with AB 6, AB 48, and AB 76 all moving forward on unanimous or near-unanimous votes to Appropriations. Members also heard AB 595, which would create a state homeownership tax credit pilot to support affordable for-sale housing. The author and supporters argued that California’s homeownership rate is at historic lows and that the bill would help close racial wealth gaps by financing homes working families can buy. The committee approved AB 595 and sent it to Appropriations. The consent calendar, including several other housing-related bills, was also approved unanimously. A major portion of the hearing was devoted to AB 1165, the California Housing Justice Act of 2025, which would require ongoing state investment and a financing plan to address homelessness and housing affordability. The author and witnesses described the scale of homelessness, the limits of one-time funding, and the need for sustained, accountable funding streams. After testimony from housing advocates and people with lived experience, the committee passed AB 1165 on a 10-0 vote to Appropriations. Finally, the committee heard AB 609, a CEQA reform bill that would create a simplified exemption for qualifying infill housing projects in already developed areas. Supporters framed it as a targeted way to reduce delays and costs for housing near jobs and transit, while opponents from environmental justice, labor, and tribal groups warned it could reduce public participation, weaken protections for disadvantaged communities, and create consultation concerns for tribal cultural resources. The author said the bill would not change zoning or affordability tools and would continue to work with opponents on amendments. The bill was moved forward after extensive discussion, with members noting ongoing negotiations on tribal consultation and labor concerns.

Transcript Highlights:

• public policy at the local, state, and federal level.
• And I also believe that homeownership is the easiest way to break generational poverty.
• But let's remember those that are in poverty right now are the renters.
• And 34% of families live in poverty due in large part to the housing cost.
• Nearly one in four lives below the poverty line. I, too, know these challenges personally.

Summary: The committee first heard AB 1157, the Affordable Rent Act, which would lower California’s annual rent cap, remove the single-family home exemption, and eliminate the sunset on existing tenant protections. The author and supporters argued that renters are facing severe affordability pressures, especially in single-family rentals, and that stronger statewide rent stabilization is needed to prevent displacement and homelessness. Opponents, including apartment, building, and property-owner groups, said the bill would discourage housing production, harm small landlords, and override a deal they said was intended to be temporary while the state focused on building more housing. Public testimony on AB 1157 was extensive, with many renters, tenant advocates, labor groups, and community organizations speaking in support, while many landlords, business groups, and property-owner representatives spoke in opposition. Committee members were split: some praised the bill as a necessary response to the rent crisis, while others warned it could reduce investment and worsen the housing shortage. The committee ultimately voted 7-5 to pass AB 1157 to the Assembly Judiciary Committee. The committee then approved the consent calendar, including AB 413, AB 1152, and AB 1275, on a 9-0 vote. It also heard ACA 3, which would require the University of California to make available a limited number of down payment loans for eligible long-term support staff who are first-time homebuyers. Supporters said the measure would help lower-wage UC workers afford homeownership and improve retention, while UC and other opponents argued the proposal was duplicative of existing state programs, unnecessary, and potentially harmful to UC finances. The discussion focused on financing mechanics and the relationship to CalHFA, but no final vote on ACA 3 was included in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• As solar developers face an increasingly hostile environment at the federal level, a predictable, stable
• At the age of 85 and above, live 200% below the federal poverty line.
• level, and caps the deduction at $5,000.
• Federal poverty level and caps the deduction at $5,000.
• level.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The income limit for this coverage group is 185% of the federal poverty level, and it's really limited
• The income limit for this coverage group is 185% of the federal poverty level, and these are just some
• The federal poverty level is based on family size, and it increases as the family gets larger.
• The income limit for that is also 185% of the federal poverty level.
• The income limit is 185% of the federal poverty level.

Summary: The Senate Health Policy Committee met to discuss maternal and infant health, beginning with a presentation from New Jersey’s Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority (MiHA). Pamela Taylor described New Jersey’s statewide effort to reduce maternal mortality and racial disparities through the Nurture New Jersey campaign, a strategic plan with more than 80 recommendations, universal home visiting, Medicaid-covered doula care, hospital report cards, limits on non-medically indicated early elective C-sections, and a new maternal and infant health innovation center. Senators asked about doula certification, funding, home visiting, and how New Jersey coordinates across agencies; Taylor said the authority uses quarterly stakeholder meetings, annual summits, and a tracker for recommendations, and that community input helped shape its programs. Florida Agency for Health Care Administration Deputy Secretary Brian Meyer then outlined Florida Medicaid’s maternal coverage and managed care structure. He reviewed eligibility and services for pregnant women, labor and delivery, postpartum coverage, newborn coverage, and family planning, noting 12 months of postpartum coverage, expanded benefits in managed care plans, and new contracts launching February 1 with more maternal-health-focused benefits, quality measures, and a new quality withhold incentive structure. Senators questioned doula certification and duplication with Healthy Start, provider access and network adequacy, kick payments, quality reporting, and whether Florida should consider broader eligibility standards; Meyer said many details are still plan-driven, that quality metrics are public, and that the agency is working on maternal-health work groups and incentives. Department of Health Division Director Shea Holloway followed with an overview of Florida’s maternal and child health programs and data. She cited Florida CHARTS data showing pregnancy-related deaths, severe maternal morbidity, and infant mortality trends, and described the Title V block grant, the Maternal Mortality Review Committee, the Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative, the electronic prenatal risk screen, Healthy Babies, BH Impact for perinatal mental health, Healthy Start, WIC, family planning, telehealth maternity care, and the Pregnancy Care Network. Senators asked about delays in mortality review reporting, preterm birth, substance use disorder in pregnancy, WIC participation, cesarean rates, and the impact of the abortion ban; Holloway said the department is continuing to monitor outcomes, expand screening and telehealth, and use data and hospital partnerships to improve care. The committee then adjourned without further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• Benjamin Henderson with the Western Center on Law and Poverty in support.
• I am a policy advocate with the Western Center on Law and Poverty.
• I am a policy advocate with the Western Center on Law and Poverty.
• For tenants on eviction filing can mean losing a on poverty.
• So it's a separate system that needs to be created at our level and then at every individual court level

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The rest would have to live in extreme poverty.
• I am speaking on behalf of all 400 graduate-level incoming students for the Title IV-E program.
• Kelly O'Brien with the Western Center on Law and Poverty.
• Yes, Sena Rubancho with End Child Poverty California.
• Linda Way with Western Center on Law and Poverty.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But we need to get those people up that have been stuck in poverty.
• education moving in a good direction, but we need to get those people up that have been stuck in poverty
• versus the level where the people are actually, what I'd call, frontline workers?
• All of them have different entry levels. What is that? Can we consolidate that?
• There's a whole plan: how can we get people earning money and get people that are trapped in poverty

Summary: The committee met to review an audit and recommendations from the Alliance for Opportunity on reforming Arkansas workforce and social service delivery. Members discussed creating a more integrated, regional, “one-door” system that would combine eligibility screening, job training, and service referrals across DHS, workforce, health, and related programs, with an emphasis on reducing administrative overhead and redirecting more funds to direct services and training. Several members raised the need to include groups such as people in generational poverty, rural residents, reentry populations, and people involved in the court system, while also ensuring access for those without digital skills or technology. Artificial intelligence was a major topic. Members suggested using AI and a centralized database or virtual hub to pre-populate forms, identify program eligibility, notify workforce agencies, and improve efficiency, while still maintaining case managers and in-person support for those who need it. There was also discussion of benefit cliffs, DHS processes that may hinder employment, and the need for industry input and working groups to study AI and other issues. Members repeatedly asked for measurable outcomes, including return-on-investment estimates, cost savings, and performance metrics tied to the number of people moved into self-sufficiency and employment. The committee then reviewed a draft consultant services agreement with Work Ed Consulting LLC, represented by Mason Bishop, to assist with the study under Act 145 of 2025. The contract would run from March 20, 2025 through June 30, 2027, with a maximum amount of $158,000 plus possible additional services up to 10% if approved. Bishop said his work would include ongoing ROI updates and that his experience included helping create Utah’s workforce department and assisting Louisiana with similar reforms. After questions about oversight and deliverables, Representative Beck moved to advance the contract, Senator Sullivan seconded, and the committee approved it by voice vote before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• That is at the same level as the governor's recommendation.
• Above 675% of the federal poverty level. The DCT items in House File 2434 DE1 begin on line 1376.
• At 675 percent of federal poverty level, it seems like a reasonable place to reintroduce parental fees
• a full year is already at 200% of poverty level, and I think we all agree that it's very hard to live
• So $217,000 a year is the federal poverty, 675% of federal poverty level for a family of four; that's

Bills: HF2434

Keywords: healthcare, personal care assistance, worker retention, disability services, state funding

Transcript Highlights:

• At going all the way to that level is not part of what's covered in the course of our review.
• And there's just, again, a difference of opinion between our office and audit around specific levels
• levels, which would be in separate reports.
• But at a state level, at the executive branch level, you know, there are core components of things that
• And that was primarily due to the poverty counts reports they had received.

Summary: The Legislative Joint Auditing Committee met on June 5 and first adopted prior minutes and several committee reports. The executive committee report noted adoption of its minutes, staff updates on scheduled audits, approval of an annual financial audit for the City of Horseshoe Bend, and an update on the intern program. The Counties and Municipalities report covered delinquent private water and sewer audits, compliance follow-up with towns including Denning, Gum Springs, Omer, Fargo, Jericho, and Haynes, and review of current and deferred reports; the committee filed most current reports but deferred several and referred some matters to prosecutors and the Attorney General. The Educational Institutions report said 103 education audits were reviewed, most with no findings, while several school districts had findings and one Booneville School District finding was referred to law enforcement. The State Agencies report included findings at the Department of Finance and Administration and a deferred Department of Health report, and the committee filed 13 reports. The committee then received lengthy presentations on the State of Arkansas annual comprehensive financial report and the state single audit for fiscal year ended June 30, 2025. Legislative Audit issued unmodified opinions on the state financial statements, but identified two material weaknesses: insufficient internal controls at the Office of State Technology to monitor threats and unauthorized access, and improper methodology changes and documentation issues at the Division of Workforce Services affecting year-end estimates for unemployment-related accounts. The single audit covered $12.4 billion in federal awards across 469 programs, with 16 major programs reviewed. Auditors reported 33 findings overall, including 31 federal findings, $12.9 million in outstanding questioned costs, and qualified opinions for the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer program, the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund, and the Child Care Development Fund cluster. Committee members questioned DHS, the broadband office, OST, DFA, Education, and Workforce Services about the findings, corrective actions, cyber protections, federal drawdowns, child care reporting, and accounting methodology changes. Several agencies described corrective steps. DHS said it had changed how it draws Summer EBT funds, addressed provider revalidation and incarceration-related Medicaid issues, and updated internal processes and staffing. The broadband office said the questioned costs reflected invoice documentation disputes rather than missing payments and expected Treasury review to resolve the issue. OST said it was expanding logging, endpoint detection, and enterprise monitoring, and described broader cybersecurity investments, training, and a roadmap. DFA and Workforce Services addressed the workers’ compensation and unemployment accounting issues, with Workforce Services saying it had updated its policy and submitted the methodology to DFA. After discussion, the committee voted to hold the two statewide audit reports over until the August meeting, with members asked to submit specific questions in advance so only needed agencies would return. The final item was a special report on the Hot Spring County Solid Waste Authority for January 1, 2023 through June 30, 2025. The audit reviewed compliance with laws, board procedures, bidding, payroll, permits, inspections, and cash handling. It noted prior private audit findings on segregation of duties, that recent private audit reports had not been obtained for 2023 through 2025, and that the current administrator said prior office staff and bookkeeping contractors resigned when he was hired. The authority’s operations and revenue sources were described, and the report was presented for committee review.

Transcript Highlights:

• Throughout her illness, Hattie showed a level of courage and strength that inspired all of us.
• That said, I filed amendment number 35 to ensure we remember that child and family welfare centers poverty
• lot of the barriers and challenges families and, in turn, children face are born from experiencing poverty
• This amendment has been a priority of mine and of the anti-poverty work that we do out of our office,
• And I'm sure what you are finding is that there's been a tremendous level of concern that's been arising

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate took up House No. 4646, an act enhancing child welfare protections, and considered a series of amendments focused on child welfare, school discipline, truancy, foster care transparency, and related services. Several amendments were withdrawn, including Senator DiDomenico’s proposal to create a Massachusetts children’s cabinet and Senator Tarr’s amendments on timeout and isolation standards, the best-interest-of-the-child standard, and mandated reporter definitions. Other amendments were adopted, including Senator Rauch’s amendments on student transfers and reasonableness, Senator Tarr’s amendment on information management integrity and youth engagement in the Office of the Child Advocate, and the Senate Ways and Means amendment. Amendments on school compliance before CRA filings, probation certification before accepting a child requiring assistance petition, and statewide truancy and engagement standards were rejected. After the amendments were resolved, the Senate ordered the bill to a third reading and then passed it to be engrossed by a roll call vote of 39 in the affirmative and none in the negative. The chamber also adopted a motion to adjourn in memory of John Edwards and Hadley Boucher, with moments of silence held for each. Later, the Senate also adjourned in memory of former U.S. Representative Barney Frank, with remarks highlighting his civil rights work, his role in financial reform, and his historic service as the first openly gay member of Congress. Before adjournment, the Senate took up a House amendment to the Senate bill establishing the Massachusetts Data Privacy Act, voted not to concur, and requested a committee of conference. The chair appointed Senators Creem, Finegold, and O’Connor to the conference committee. The Senate then adopted an order to reconvene on Monday at 11:00 a.m. and dispense with printing a calendar, and finally adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• You would also add a weight for charter schools, for ELL, for poverty, and for special needs.
• We would apply weights for special needs, for poverty, for ELL, and for charter schools.
• If we give extra money, we want to at least establish a new kind of baseline or foundational level and
• going to be serious about trying to bring the education... ...about trying to bring the education level
• Those three areas were... ...high poverty.

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• level.
• it is worth pointing out that um poverty it is worth pointing out that um poverty among<01:10:10.320>
• level.
• level.
• Poverty does impact health.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all