Transcript Highlights:

• It's moving nutritional programs from... All nutritional programs. Correct. So all the...
• , which included commodities, some different adult feeding programs. ...programs, which included commodities
• , some different adult feeding programs, different programs that came in, and it went over with our child
• “Can you assure this committee that all program assets involved in the nutritional program of the state
• It changes the title from assistant to the president to assistant to the chancellor.

Summary: The committee first considered the Lieutenant Governor’s Office budget and personnel request to move that office onto the state pay plan and increase salaries for its positions. Office representatives said the request was intended to make pay competitive with other constitutional offices and state agencies, that OPM had approved the grades, and that the office did not plan to max out any positions. Members questioned the size of the increase and the office’s workload. A motion to adopt the proposal failed on a tie vote, and the committee then voted to expunge the vote before moving on. The committee then approved a series of Governor’s letters and related personnel transfers, including cuts for Arkansas Educational Television Network, transfers within the Department of Health and several DHS divisions, and a DFA shared services reorganization. The committee also approved moving child nutrition and related nutrition programs from the Department of Education to the Department of Agriculture, with department officials explaining that the programs fit better under Agriculture because the grants come from USDA and the transfer would include the positions and funding tied to the programs. Members raised questions about how the appropriations and positions were split between state and federal funding, and about the broader implications of the transfer, but the committee ultimately approved both the Education and Agriculture sides of the move. The meeting also included extended discussion of the Educational Freedom Account program. Members questioned the $309 million appropriation, whether it matched current participation, and whether future demand could require additional funding. Department officials said the amount covered current participation and that the governor had set aside an additional $70 million in case applications increased, but that any amount beyond the appropriation would require returning to the committee. Some members argued the program’s growth could threaten funding for public schools and adequacy, while others noted that the program is governed by rules under the LEARNS Act. The committee also approved a technical title change at East Arkansas Community College from assistant to the president to assistant to the chancellor.

Transcript Highlights:

• SEGIP program. SEGIP program.
• If Assistant Commissioner Moore and Assistant Commissioner Burton would like to make their way to the
• If Assistant budget recommendations.
• Commissioner Moore and Assistant Commissioner Moore and Assistant Commissioner<01:15:42.960>
• Martha Burton, and I'm an Assistant Martha Burton, and I'm an Assistant Commissioner<01:20:03.080

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• > have<00:04:36.479> taken They're dental assistants who have taken They're dental assistants
• <00:13:02.000> and grants to nursing programs and grants to nursing programs and scholarships
• <00:13:09.279> from were awarded to nursing programs from were awarded to nursing programs
• <00:17:28.799> to assigned the military medics program to assigned the military medics program
• > that<00:21:45.840> have program that individuals that have program that individuals that

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 216, 4 February, 2026; 9:00 AM, 925, all

Summary: The committee first heard from the Board of Dental Examiners on its FY27 budget request. Board staff said the agency licenses and regulates dentistry and dental hygiene in Mississippi, with nearly 7,500 licenses and permits. They described recent accomplishments, including implementation of a new database and completion of sedation-permit inspection requirements, and said those changes created about $80,000 in savings. The board’s main remaining request was a 3% staff progression costing $20,539; members also discussed a possible $29,000 ITS charge tied to House Bill 1491, though staff said that cost might no longer be needed if the funding shifts back to ITS. The board also explained its revenue sources, including dental, hygienist, and dental assistant x-ray permits, and clarified that the “radiology” permits are for dental assistants authorized to take x-rays. Members asked about fees, renewal cycles, sedation permit classes, and continuing education requirements, and the board said it was fully staffed and did not need vacancy funding. The committee then heard from the Board of Nursing, which said it regulates about 80,000 LPN, RN, and APRN licenses and oversees workforce programs and disciplinary matters. The board emphasized its Office of Nursing Workforce, noting more than $4 million in grants to nursing programs from 2019 to 2024 and thousands of scholarships awarded to nursing students, with recipients required to work in Mississippi for a period after graduation. It said staffing remains a major problem because salaries are not competitive, leading to difficulty filling positions; between October and December, 10 positions were posted and only two were filled. The board said the legislative budget recommendation would eliminate five positions, and it requested $112,466 in salary funding to restore and support staff pay, including a maximum 7% progression for nursing positions, a 4% increase for nonexecutive staff, and a 2% increase for executive staff. The nursing board also requested additional contractual and technology funding. It said House Bill 1491 would increase annual fees by $49,486 plus a one-time $3,000 data migration charge, and it requested $13,800 for an ongoing subscription tied to the military medics program assigned to the board in the prior session. It also said a proposed human trafficking bill would require another $10,000 if enacted. Members asked about the board’s cash balance, renewal cycles, and staffing structure, including investigatory and compliance functions, and the board said it had about 39 current employees and was monitoring roughly 130 people in compliance, including about 30 in a confidential monitoring program for substance use or severe psychiatric conditions. No votes were taken; the hearing concluded with members thanking both boards and inviting follow-up questions before appropriations decisions.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:21:06.880> program.
• Uh it is a voluntary program program. Uh it is a voluntary program program.
• . program. program.
• <04:42:08.798> with<04:42:09.040> assistant which deals with assist with assistant
• assistance for potentially. assistance for potentially.

Keywords: MS House Floor - 4 February, 2026; 10:00 AM, 925, all

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the pledge, established a quorum, dispensed with reading the journal and bill introductions, and then moved through announcements recognizing visitors in the galleries, including cancer advocacy groups, Mississippi Math and Science School students, a gospel choir, Leadership Greater Jackson, and other guests. Members also made several commendations, including recognition of Elena Johnson’s softball accomplishments and a student’s appointment to West Point. On the general calendar, the House passed House Bill 1076, the SAVE Act of 2026, by a vote of 122-0. The bill is described as a consumer protection measure for veterans that prohibits pay-to-refer arrangements, tightens standards for paid claims assistance, requires written agreements and limits upfront or nonrefundable fees, and adds privacy and disclosure safeguards. The House also passed House Bill 223, designating a segment of Highway 537 as the Sergeant John Howard Tanner Memorial Highway, by 122-0. The chamber then passed House Bill 1112, which revises state aid road division laws to expand purchasing authority, increase authorized vehicles, and allow unused county road funds to be reallocated after a period of time, by 120-1. House Bill 737, with an adopted amendment, allows Medicaid providers to repay certain non-fraud overpayments in installments when immediate repayment would cause hardship and aligns the repayment timeline with federal law; it passed 116-0. The House also passed House Bill 479 on marriage and family therapy and psychology licensure changes, adopting an amendment that extends the time to verify credentials for out-of-state applicants and provides a temporary license, by 121-0. Additional bills passed included House Bill 991 on third-party registration systems for used motor vehicle parts dealers and scrap metal processors (118-0), House Bill 1072 creating voluntary portable benefits accounts for independent contractors (119-0), House Bill 1137 revising CPA licensure education and experience requirements (118-1), House Bill 571 extending the foreign-national contribution ban to ballot measures (111-1), House Bill 630 allowing certain county electors to serve as municipal poll managers in small municipalities (113-4), House Bill 858 requiring election equipment internet connectivity to be disabled on election day (116-1), House Bill 788 changing how affidavit ballots can update voter registration information, with an amendment adopted, (115-3), and House Bill 908 tying Mississippi’s mail-ballot counting rule to the outcome of pending federal litigation so state and local races would be treated the same if the current federal-race rule is struck down (the bill was under discussion at the end of the excerpt).

Transcript Highlights:

• programs.
• of program types that are completing the program over that time.
• We'll start with scholarships, tuition assistance, or loan forgiveness programs.
• Then we have the Leader and Master Professional Educator Program, which trains mentor teachers assisting
• “With teacher preparation programs, educator preparation programs, and other preparation programs who

Summary: The committee first approved the May 18 meeting minutes and then received a presentation from Legislative Audit on Arkansas Department of Education grant distributions. Auditors explained that the fiscal year 2025 report summarizes $4.6 billion in grants from state, federal, and miscellaneous sources, across school districts, charter schools, education cooperatives, and other entities, and that the report only shows amounts distributed, not how recipients ultimately used the money. Members asked about specific recipients and programs, including ClassWallet, Economics Arkansas, and CDC surveillance funding; department staff clarified that the Economics Arkansas grant is written into special language and that the CDC-related funding supports student surveys used by state agencies. Questions also focused on bonus and incentive programs such as master principal and National Board Certified teacher bonuses, with department staff saying the bonuses are generally tied to completion of the program or certification rather than classroom performance, though they would follow up on details. The committee then heard a Bureau of Legislative Research update on Consumer Price Index projections from Moody’s Analytics and S&P Global. Dr. Carlos Silva explained the difference between CPI-U and core CPI and said the estimates show inflation slowing over the forecast period, with some near-term variation between the two data providers. Members asked about the historical accuracy of prior projections, and he said the forecasts generally tend to move toward about 2 percent over time, though recent shocks have caused earlier estimates to understate actual inflation. The bulk of the meeting was devoted to the final adequacy report on teacher recruitment, retention, and salaries. BLR staff reviewed Arkansas teacher demographics, shortage areas, educator preparation pipelines, licensure exceptions, survey results from teachers and principals, and teacher support programs. They reported that Arkansas had about 32,800 teachers and 473,000 students in 2025, with an average of 11.9 years of experience and a slight increase in National Board Certified teachers. The report found shortages in multiple subject areas, especially special education, math, science, foreign language, and social studies, and identified 65 districts as high-need geographically. Survey results showed school leadership as the strongest positive factor in recruitment and retention, while workload and salary were the biggest negatives; 30 percent of responding teachers said they were considering leaving the profession. The committee also reviewed teacher salary data showing a statewide average salary of $60,254 in 2025, Arkansas ranking 45th nationally by NEA methodology, and a long-term inflation-adjusted decline in district salaries, though LEARNS Act increases improved the trend. Members asked for additional follow-up information on survey methodology, alternative licensure costs, coursework, incentives for ESL and special education endorsements, exit data, and how salary comparisons are calculated.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yang hello I'm Legislative Assistant Yang hello I'm Legislative Assistant Yang<00:05:07.600>
• January uh again Mike Len the assistant January uh again Mike Len the assistant division<00:10:00.040
• <00:35:43.280> with oversee their exploration program with oversee their exploration program
• in the way we thought this um program in the way we thought this um program would<00:52:00.040><
• <00:57:53.839> commissioner I'm looking for assistant commissioner I'm looking for assistant

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• . program. program.
• Also, continued investment in programs like the First-Generation Home Buyer Down Payment Assistance Fund
• Also, continued investment in programs like the First-Generation Home Buyer Down Payment Assistance Fund
• I'm here today in strong support of Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program, or FHPHP.
• Assistance Program, or FHPHP. Assistance Program, or FHPHP.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The cancellation of all approved BRIC program hazard mitigation project applications from fiscal year
• And I also am our assistant director that oversees all the hazard mitigation assistance programs at Cal
• And I also am our assistant director that oversees all the hazard mitigation assistance programs at CaloES
• I am the mitigation director of the California Residential Mitigation Program.
• I am the mitigation director of the California Residential Mitigation Program, which was established

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Emergency Management met to consider Assembly Joint Resolution 11, which urges the President and Congress to restore funding for FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program. Chair Rhodesia Ransom and Assembly Member Lisa Calderon described the resolution as a bipartisan effort to preserve funding for hazard mitigation projects that help communities prevent disasters rather than simply recover from them. They cited major California impacts from the program’s cancellation, including losses for wildfire mitigation, seismic retrofits, and dam safety projects in several counties and districts. Support testimony came from Catherine Freeman of the California State Association of Counties and Robin Finning of Cal OES. Freeman said counties rely on BRIC for flexible, proactive disaster-prevention funding and warned that canceling the program would set back years of resilience work. Finning said 49 communities had contacted Cal OES after the cancellation announcement and that the agency had been working closely with them on next steps. Stephanie Stevens of the California Residential Mitigation Program also testified in support, noting the loss of more than $40 million for earthquake soft-story retrofit grants. Members expressed support and noted the importance of the affected district projects. There was no opposition testimony. The committee then voted unanimously to adopt AJR 11 and refer it to third reading, with all members present voting aye. The meeting was then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The other thing that we're doing in the private sector is creating technical assistance programs that'll
• Kentucky has done a great job in building a strong child care assistance program.
• building a strong child care assistance building a strong child care assistance program.<01:17:55.840
• <01:19:53.440> This<01:19:53.679> has childcare assistance program.
• This has childcare assistance program.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from its July 30, 2025 meeting. Members then heard a presentation from Roger McCann of the Department for Community Based Services on Kentucky’s 2026-2027 Community Services Block Grant state plan. He explained that the federally funded grant, now about $12 million annually, is distributed through 23 local community action agencies that use flexible funds for locally identified needs such as housing, nutrition, transportation, Head Start, and domestic violence services. McCann said the plan is submitted every two years and that the agencies served about 264,000 Kentuckians and 130,000 families in 2024. Senator Meredith asked whether there was a central place to review local projects, and McCann said regular reports exist and could be shared with members. The committee then approved the CSBG state plan by roll call vote. After that, members received an update on Kentucky’s state-designated domestic violence shelter programs from Angela Yanelli of ZeroV, Mary Foley of Maryman House Domestic Crisis Center, and Elizabeth Martin of the Center for Women and Families. The presenters described ZeroV’s role as the statewide domestic violence coalition, its 15 member programs across all area development districts, and its contract with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to provide emergency shelter, supportive services, housing assistance, and batterers intervention programming. They emphasized that services are available 24/7 and are trauma-informed, with a strong focus on children and family support. The domestic violence providers reported high demand and rising costs. ZeroV said its network served more than 14,000 adults and children in fiscal year 2025, including nearly 900 children in shelter and more than 500 in outreach, while Maryman House reported operating at 90-92% capacity, with 53 households waiting for emergency shelter and 63 more waiting for intake. Maryman House also described an 8-unit transitional housing complex and plans for a 48-unit apartment complex if tax credit funding is approved. The Center for Women and Families highlighted school-readiness support for children, tutoring, counseling, and family services, including back-to-school supplies and rights information for homeless students. No additional votes or formal actions were taken during the domestic violence presentations.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's not more programs. more government. It's not more programs.
• program making an appropriation. program making an appropriation.
• stimulus programs. stimulus programs.
• What programs will be left amended bill. What programs will be left out?
• to their eligibility for the program. to their eligibility for the program.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• relating to prohibiting the disbursement of certain economic and tax incentives to entities that assist
• Senate Bill 722 by Colorado relating to a mobile stroke unit grant program to Health and Human Services
• Senate Bill 728 by Johnson relating to an incentive program to promote beverage container recycling to
• Senate Bill 733 by Menendez relating to the creation of a medical cannabis research program to help.
• to reimburse certain supplemental nutrition assistance program.

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 300 by Wilson relating to the scholarships under the Texas Armed Service Scholarship Program for the
• El Paso relating to the special education and special education funding on this Foundation school program
• HB 2473 by Simmons relating to the emergency insurance premium relief programs for certain residential
• AB 2514 by many relating to the eligibility to participate in certain drug court programs or for the
• HB 2564 by Wilson relating to the evaluation of Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance.

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 300 by Wilson-Early. to the scholarships under the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program for the
• HB 2465 by Reynolds relating to funding the agriculture programs in.
• services to the assisted living facility.
• HB 2545 by Gerdes, relating to the establishment of rural workforce training grant program for...
• Driving Texas Families Program for the Committee on Public Health.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Ray Mabee, assistant administrator for the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program.
• Ray Mabee, assistant administrator for the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program.
• Frank Green, assistant program administrator.
• I'm Paige Sloop, another assistant program here at IBR.
• I'm the deputy assistant administrator for the IBR program.

Summary: The Joint Oregon-Washington Legislative Action Committee met for a work session and public hearing on the Interstate 5 bridge replacement program. Program staff outlined major milestones, including the recent biological opinion, the Coast Guard’s opening of a public comment period on the Navigation Impact Report, expected decisions in early 2026 on navigational clearance and the final supplemental environmental impact statement, and a possible amended record of decision in 2026. They also discussed the Bridge Investment Program grant amendment deadline, the need for an initial finance plan, and ongoing community outreach and contractor engagement. Greg Johnson announced he was stepping down as program administrator, and Carly Francis introduced herself as interim administrator. A large portion of the meeting focused on design and cost questions. Staff said the program is studying fixed and movable spans, single- and double-deck configurations, and one versus two auxiliary lanes, with final recommendations to be made through the federal environmental process. They said the Coast Guard’s decision is central to what bridge configuration is permittable and to the timing of the updated cost estimate, which has not yet been released. Members pressed for more detail on cost drivers, potential impacts to businesses upriver, and whether the states would need to seek additional funding. Staff said they had reached agreements with four impacted river users, but the underlying evaluation materials are protected and not publicly releasable. The committee also reviewed transit-related questions. Staff explained that light rail remains part of the modified locally preferred alternative and that ridership and operations estimates are being updated using federal modeling methods. They said projected opening-day transit operations and maintenance costs have dropped from an earlier estimate of $21.8 million to about $10.3 million annually because the current model assumes lower frequency, with Oregon and Washington shares split by geography and fare recovery. Members raised concerns about TriMet’s financial stability and the need for a funding plan by fall 2027, ahead of a planned federal transit funding application in fall 2028. During public testimony, several speakers criticized the delay in releasing a new cost estimate and argued the project scope should be reduced if costs continue to rise. Testifiers from City Observatory and the Just Crossing Alliance said the project appears to be avoiding bad news, urged the committee to consider scope reductions, and questioned whether the active transportation and freeway components align with the project’s core purpose. The meeting ended with thanks to Johnson for his service and a transition to public hearing testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• The state and federal relief assistance rapidly deployed digital devices, online programming to facilitate
• assistance learning.
• Understanding this challenge, the Legislature established the Summer Assistance Program to backfill the
• Since JPA employees are not included in the Summer Assistance Program, they will not be included in the
• Summer Assistance Program.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It created a revolving loan program and then it directed OPAGA to review that program, the first report
• The first is program evaluation.
• That's an investment program at SBA.
• And a major federal program is defined as one of the entities— A major federal program is defined as
• the complexity of the program.

Summary: The Joint Legislative Auditing Committee met to receive annual overviews of its oversight responsibilities and the work of the Auditor General and OPAGA. Committee staff reviewed the committee’s authority over state and local governments, enforcement of audit-report filing requirements, repeated audit findings, Transparency Florida reporting, and lobbying compensation audits. Auditor General Cheryl Norman described her office’s independence, audit standards, quality control, and major audit areas, including the state’s annual financial and single audits, school district and university audits, operational and performance audits, and attestation work. She also noted staffing shortages, recruitment efforts, and a request for carry-forward funds to study salaries. Members asked about whether audits can quantify recoverable dollars, how school district spending comparisons are handled, and how to raise concerns about DCF-related audits or a local city audit that has been pending for years. Norman said her office can quantify findings when possible, sometimes compares costs across districts in operational audits, and that members can bring specific concerns to the appropriate deputy auditor general or the committee. She also explained that citizen or local-government audit requests may require payment of audit costs. OPAGA Coordinator Kara Collins-Gomez outlined OPAGA’s role as a legislative research unit that conducts studies directed by law, the presiding officers, or the committee, and described its policy areas, methodologies, contract monitoring, and recurring statutory reports. Deputy Auditor General Matthew Tracy explained how to read operational audit reports, including findings, criteria, condition, cause, effect, recommendations, and management responses. Deputy Auditor General Greg Senators explained financial audit reports, including audit opinions, required supplementary information, internal control and compliance findings, federal program compliance, and management letters. The meeting concluded with thanks to the presenters and a motion to adjourn, which passed without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• So as we toward your program and your dietary program and all those sorts of things, with the education
• program, Or how are you working with our public school system and maybe other types of programs that
• For educational programs.
• Our young people who are made eligible through the courts program and are released onto the program are
• to assist the parent.

Transcript Highlights:

• . program. program.
• Medicaid program or escape culpability. Medicaid program or escape culpability.
• <00:10:17.280> Intentionally assistance records. Intentionally assistance records.
• people for defrauding public programs. people for defrauding public programs.
• , is going to roll out in the programs, is going to roll out in the programs, right?

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• First, in recognition that physician assistants and nurse practitioners can sign a POLST, it updates
• The coalition introduced the POLST program and assisted then-Assembly Member Lois Wolk with the original
• The coalition introduced the Pulse Program and assisted then assembly member Lois Wolk with the original
• So with that, Committee Assistant Porter, please call the roll.
• Committee Assistant Porter, please call the roll. This is file item number eight, SB 1296.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• program.
• assist families to navigate the system. assist families to navigate the system.
• Many of which are in New Hampshire programs, New Hampshire contracted programs, certified programs.
• Very few are in national<00:48:10.319> programs. national programs. national programs.
• health programs. health programs.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first approved the draft minutes from September 26. Senator Gray then raised the idea of creating a continuing subcommittee or recurring agenda item on palliative care and hospice, noting that the issues are evolving and suggesting the committee revisit the idea in coming months. The bulk of the meeting focused on Department of Health and Human Services updates. Officials described contingency planning for SNAP amid the federal shutdown, including a USDA notice that November benefits may not be fully funded, letters to participants warning of possible delays, and coordination with the New Hampshire Food Bank and local pantries. They said New Hampshire serves about 42,000 SNAP households, with average benefits around $300 a month, and that the department is also preparing to transfer funds for a special fiscal committee meeting. WIC was discussed separately: officials said WIC benefits had been extended through November 7 using additional USDA funds, but that some community agency-based WIC services may need to pause while money is redirected to food benefits. Officials also outlined New Hampshire’s rural health transformation grant application under the federal One Big Beautiful Bill, describing a potential five-year, up-to-$1 billion opportunity focused on critical access hospitals, small rural hospitals, federally qualified health centers, community mental health centers, and EMS. Members asked about transportation, workforce, and nursing retention; officials said transportation is included in the proposal, housing is not, and workforce supports may include lower tuition or awards but not loan repayment or traditional scholarships. They also said the final application would be submitted in early November and that priorities would be adjusted depending on the eventual federal award. Finally, Medicaid director Henry Lipman gave a quarterly postpartum coverage update. He said postpartum coverage is now nearly universal nationwide, and in New Hampshire 2,351 women had used the benefit through May 2025. He reported that mental health services were the most frequently used postpartum service, followed by preventive care, substance use disorder treatment, and cardiovascular-related care, and noted that Medicaid women have experienced a disproportionate share of maternal deaths. Committee members asked about rural distribution and the share of women receiving mental health services, and Lipman said the department would follow up with additional data. The meeting then moved into the annual update on New Hampshire’s 10-year mental health plan, with staff describing progress toward a more integrated continuum of care and improved data infrastructure.