Transcript Highlights:

• states and allow other out-of-state businesses to throw their hat in the ring and see if they can compete
• states and allow other out-of-state businesses to throw their hat in the ring and see if they can compete
• their hat in the ring and see if they their hat in the ring and see if they can<00:07:35.199> compete
• 35.759> best<00:07:35.960> of<00:07:36.080> the<00:07:36.199> best can compete
• with the best of the best can compete with the best of the best right<00:07:36.639> here<00:07

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But inevitably a governor's attention is divided across many competing priorities.
• while still forcefully advocating for what the metropolitan region needs, even when those needs may compete
• ><00:27:46.080> those<00:27:46.280> needs<00:27:46.520> may<00:27:46.640> compete
• <00:27:47.040> with even when those needs may compete with even when those needs may compete
• your competence your competence um<01:06:42.800> and<01:06:43.080> and<01:06:43.200

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• um trying to juggle and compete different um interests and also then, as I mentioned earlier, about
• um trying to juggle and compete different um interests and also then, as I mentioned earlier, about
• 17:15.840> com potentially put an educator in in com potentially put an educator in in com competing
• um trying to juggle and competing um trying to juggle and compete<01:17:19.120> different<01:
• different um interests and also compete different um interests and also then<01:17:22.320> as

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We've seen many other states that we're competing with provide direct funding to these organizations
• And the idea that you can't compete on your own terms as private entities without some extra subsidy
• We're competing against other states that are putting more money in than, you know, what we're asking
• We're competing<00:56:06.920> against<00:56:07.320> other<00:56:07.560> states<00
• :56:08.000> that<00:56:08.160> are competing against other states that are competing against

Bills: HF1016, HF2800, HF156, HF3051, HF526, HF2658, HF2062, HF2801

Keywords: local government aid, Baldwin, taxation, base year formula, municipal funding, population aid, aid penalty forgiveness, Minnesota, city funding, appropriations, HF156, lawful gambling, veterans organizations, licensed veterans organization, Minnesota gambling law, gross profits, lawful purpose, real property repair, facility maintenance, capital assets

Transcript Highlights:

• Number two, food deserts are expanding as independent grocers cannot compete and are forced to close
• Number two, food deserts are expanding as independent grocers cannot compete and are forced to close
• Number two, food deserts are expanding as independent grocers cannot compete and are forced to close
• Number two, food deserts are expanding as independent grocers cannot compete and are forced to close
• Number two, food deserts are expanding as independent grocers cannot compete and are forced to close

Bills: HF2228, HF46, HF856, HF2149, HF2215

Keywords: homeowners insurance, property insurance, commercial property insurance, insurance affordability, insurance market stabilization, reinsurance, catastrophic reinsurance fund, self-insured pool, premium costs, coverage notice, liability reform, climate risk, climate change, housing affordability, multifamily housing, rental housing, common interest communities, cooperatives, small business insurance, Minnesota Commerce Department

Transcript Highlights:

• network as well because this network is a group, is multiple districts coming together to work on competency
• network as well because this network is a group is multiple districts coming together to work on competency
• . ...is a group, is multiple districts coming together to work on competency-based teaching.
• those districts that have been working together to try to, you know, improve our teaching through competency-based
• You know, it feels like there's some competency there.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• justice and adolescent development, as well as opportunities to strengthen policies around juvenile competency
• The juvenile justice system is also creating additional diversionary pathways using the juvenile competency
• statute to divert young people who are not competent.
• To put things back in balance with other states with whom we compete for physicians, we need to cap punitive
• what we can do in our state, growing our own programs. ...our own and really looking at cultural competence

Transcript Highlights:

• that have been found incompetent to stand trial and are. awaiting a state hospital bed to have competency
• There has also been programs that y'all have funded, the jail-based competency restoration programs.
• said, I believe that we've been informed that It sits right around 1,700 individuals awaiting for competency
• turnover rates, we will discuss those issues with the county commissioner's courts. them you are all competing
• faced with challenges of staffing Although Senate Bill 22 has helped, it is not enough when we're competing

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• These are the cities that we're going to be competing with for doctors and nurses, students, for those
• They're becoming a requirement for us to be able to compete against these other cities and in the region
• are the cities that we're going to these are the cities that we're going to be<00:09:03.680> competing
• /c><00:09:23.120> against<00:09:23.440> these<00:09:23.680> other be able to compete
• against these other be able to compete against these other cities<00:09:24.080> and<00:09:24.240

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Budget Review Subcommittee on Economic Development and Tourism met to hear presentations on a proposed downtown Lexington Arts Center. Visit Lex opened by framing the projects as regional economic development efforts that could support tourism, quality of life, and workforce attraction and retention. NextStage Development Corp. and ATG Entertainment then described a proposed $120 million project featuring a 2,500-seat performing arts center and a 20,000-square-foot visual arts gallery, with plans for up to 180 events a year, over 300,000 annual visitors, and an opening target of 2029. The presenters said the project would be funded through a $30 million state request, $30 million from ATG Entertainment, and $60 million raised by the nonprofit through philanthropy and other financing sources. They cited a feasibility study by Sound Diplomacy and compared the proposal to the Durham Performing Arts Center, arguing that similar venues have driven downtown revitalization, tourism, and economic activity in other cities. They also said the venue would include community access, school partnerships, subsidized tickets, and revenue returned to the nonprofit for grants and arts programming. Members asked about the total cost, the funding mix, whether the city of Lexington would contribute, and the building’s design. The presenters said they are in contact with city officials and are seeking city support, but have not yet hired an architect or begun conceptual design. They said the design process will involve community input and should fit Lexington’s historic downtown character. Representative Whitten asked whether the project would compete with Louisville; the presenters responded that their market analysis suggests the venue would serve audiences from Lexington, eastern Kentucky, and surrounding areas who are unlikely to travel to Louisville or Cincinnati, making the project complementary rather than competitive.

Transcript Highlights:

• our national brands, are likely to be taxed at a level making it difficult, if not impossible, to compete
• We're struggling to staff our centers because we cannot compete with the wages offered by large retailers
• We're struggling to staff our centers because we cannot compete with the wages offered by large retailers
• We're struggling to staff our centers because we cannot compete with the wages offered by large retailers
• <01:27:13.840> with centers because we cannot compete with centers because we cannot compete

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to apply to confidence and competency to apply to local<01:16:01.239> Industries<01:16:01.800
• I think there was a decision made that there needed to be a place where they can compete.
• I think there was a decision made that there needed to be a place where they can compete, and so we have
• I think there was a decision made that there needed to be a place where they can compete.
• I think there was a decision made that there needed to be a place where they can compete.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The hearing covered Senate Bill 426, which would create an early learning apprenticeship grant program. Testimony was overwhelmingly supportive from the City and County of Honolulu, the Department of Human Services, the Executive Office on Early Learning, the University of Hawaiʻi College of Education, the Attorney General’s office, the Early Childhood Action Strategy, Hawaii Children’s Action Network, the University of Hawaiʻi’s early childhood educator project, and a Zoom testifier who described the importance of investing in high-quality early childhood education. Committee discussion focused on the program’s estimated cost, with figures of about $14.5 million in 2025-26 and $15 million in 2026-27, and on whether the program would require ongoing base-budget funding. The committee recommended technical, non-substantive amendments, including a statewide-concern amendment and a deferred effective date, and both committees adopted the recommendation by vote. The committees then heard Senate Bill 1622, which would appropriate funds to establish the Aloha Intelligence Institute within the University of Hawaiʻi to support statewide artificial intelligence initiatives. University representatives described the proposal as the product of campus-wide input and outlined five pillars: governance and policy, outreach and engagement, research and development, workforce development, and AI tools for key sectors such as health care, creative industries, manufacturing, data science, astronomy, and climate change. Members questioned staffing distribution, tuition, enrollment timing, housing, campus placement, and whether positions would be permanent or temporary; the university said it planned about 10 positions across campuses, would start with internal resources, and would house the effort under the Vice President for Research and Innovation initially. The committees recommended an SD1 with the appropriation amounts blanked out, a July 31, 2050 effective date, and committee-report language on housing and West Oʻahu, and the higher education and labor/technology committees adopted the amended recommendation. Finally, the Higher Education Committee took up Senate Bill 1488, a housekeeping measure to consolidate existing University of Hawaiʻi conference center statutes into a single revolving fund structure, and Senate Bill 636, which would fund retention and internship coordinator positions and broader enrollment management efforts at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. SB 1488 drew university support and no opposition. SB 636 prompted substantial questioning about Hilo’s declining enrollment, current retention rate of 72.8 percent, and the scope of the request, which includes not only two named positions but also about $432,000 for enrollment management initiatives such as data analysis, IT support, and other student services. Hilo said it is targeting 3 to 5 percent annual enrollment growth and that the positions would support recruitment, retention, internships, and data-driven enrollment strategy. The committee pressed for a clearer broader plan, but the discussion in the transcript ended before a final vote on SB 636 was shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Other states around the country, many that compete with us, are stepping up to the plate.
• Other states around the country, many that compete of us are stepping up to the plate.
• Many of the compete of us are stepping up to the plate.
• It has been 12 years since the Commonwealth has evaluated the foundation budget, and it is alarmingly

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing was a Joint Committee on Ways and Means budget session held in Lawrence focused on the governor’s proposed FY27 education and local aid budget, with remarks from legislative co-chairs, local officials, and education agency leaders. Acting Mayor Giovanni Rodriguez and Superintendent Ralph Carrero emphasized Lawrence’s high-need student population, the importance of Chapter 70 and Student Opportunity Act funding, and the impact of state aid on schools serving many English learners and low-income families. Carrero highlighted Lawrence High School programs such as early college, dual degrees, career pathways, and early childhood classrooms embedded in the high school, while lawmakers introduced themselves and noted the importance of the hearing to their districts. Acting Secretary of Education Amy Kershaw, Commissioner of Higher Education Noi Ortega, Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Pedro Martinez, and Commissioner of Early Education and Care Amy Kershaw outlined the administration’s FY27 priorities. They described investments in literacy initiatives, universal school meals, student mental health, early college and career pathways, higher education affordability, community college and university student-success supports, preschool expansion, child care subsidies, and workforce supports for early educators. The commissioners also discussed federal funding threats, equity gaps, and the administration’s efforts to improve outcomes for Black and brown students, multilingual learners, students with disabilities, and low-income students. Members questioned the panel about the local contribution formula study, the final year of Student Opportunity Act implementation, and the need to revisit Chapter 70 funding to better address rising costs such as special education, transportation, and health care. Officials said the local contribution study report is expected by the end of June, with a draft to be shared after data analysis and public comment. Commissioner Martinez said the Student Opportunity Act narrowed funding gaps but more work is needed, and he pointed to a proposed Accelerating Achievement Initiative to support the highest-need schools. Senator Oliveira also raised concerns about Chapter 70 disparities and asked about partnerships with libraries to support literacy, prompting discussion of broader early literacy collaboration.

Transcript Highlights:

• The place that the hemp industry has filled has not replaced nor competed with teacup.
• Why the teacup program is being out-competed by me and everyone else in the hemp industry and will continue
• They even sent me refills without evaluating the effects. Instead, I chose Delta 9.
• My medical team and I are intelligent. competent, and out-of-the-box thinkers.

Bills: HB 28, SB 3

Keywords: hemp regulation, consumable products, cannabinoids, state health, youth protection, licensing fees, criminal offenses, HB28, public testimony, committee decorum, bill substitute, legislative process

Summary: The meeting featured significant discussions regarding HB28, where the chair outlined the plans to bring forward a substitute for the bill. The chair emphasized the importance of maintaining order and decorum during the proceedings. Members engaged in deliberations, and a number of public witnesses were invited to testify, thereby enriching the discussion around the bill. This interaction provided valuable insights into public sentiment regarding the issues at hand.

Transcript Highlights:

• MCHA also works with Wakely, which is an actuarial company, to evaluate and report on high-cost claims
• this<01:43:18.119> is<01:43:18.280> going<01:43:18.400> to<01:43:18.599> compete
• together and this is going to compete together and this is going to compete with<01:43:19.159>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard a reinsurance overview from Deputy Commissioner Julia Dryer of the Minnesota Department of Commerce on the Minnesota Premium Security Plan. She explained that reinsurance helps stabilize premiums in the individual market by reimbursing insurers for high-cost claims, and said Minnesota’s program has lowered premiums, preserved carrier participation, and helped maintain consumer choice. She warned that without continued funding, the program would be depleted and individual-market premiums could rise by about 25%, with potential losses in coverage and access to care. She also described the program’s structure under a federal 1332 waiver, the role of MCHA in administering the program, and the state’s receipt of more than $650 million in federal pass-through funds to date. Dryer said the current program is funded through the end of 2025, though the federal waiver authority runs through 2027. The governor’s proposal would create a new assessment on insurers, estimated at roughly 2% to 3%, to fund the state share of the program and avoid another full waiver submission. She noted that the proposal assumes MinnesotaCare funding would be held harmless and that the program would be reduced if federal basic health plan funding were negatively affected. She also said projected costs changed because individual-market enrollment has grown and enhanced federal subsidies were removed from the estimate. Members raised concerns about the proposal’s impact on premiums and the history of the fund. Senator Rasmusson argued the new assessment amounts to a large tax increase on health insurance and questioned who would be assessed and whether the surcharge would be capped. Dryer responded that the assessment would be based on annual claims experience and market conditions, with final amounts determined at the end of each year, not monthly. Senator Duckworth and Senator Frentz supported reinsurance as a way to keep premiums lower, while also questioning how the program should be financed. Senator Green asked about the mechanics of the assessment and the role of the department in setting it, and Senator H questioned why the fiscal note assumed 12% annual growth for program costs when general premium growth was lower. No vote or formal action was taken in the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• And that was on oral evaluation and prophylaxis and cleaning.
• One is oral evaluation for children.
• This is what CMS says, so this is what we're being evaluated against.
• Our oral evaluation rate is around 50%.
• So they have a 4% oral evaluation rate compared to the 17.5%.

Keywords: 962, all

Summary: The MAPOC Women and Children’s Health Subcommittee heard a presentation from Kate Parker Riley, executive director of the Connecticut Dental Health Partnership, on the Husky Dental Program and efforts to improve oral health during pregnancy. She reviewed the structure of Connecticut’s Medicaid dental benefit, the ASO model, provider network, utilization trends, and member barriers to care. She noted that children’s dental measures remain above the national median, but adult utilization is lower and the dental provider network has been shrinking, with longer wait times in rural areas. A major focus was the state’s goal to raise the rate of oral evaluation during pregnancy from about 17.5% to 25% by 2030. Riley described planned outreach to OB/GYN practices using a draft “snapshot” report showing each practice’s pregnancy oral-health rate compared with the state average, along with education materials based on ACOG and AAP guidance. Committee members and guests discussed barriers such as lack of provider training, workflow burden, access to dentists who will see pregnant patients, and the need for stronger referral bridges. Suggestions included adding simple oral-health screening questions in OB settings, using human support to make appointments, and exploring co-located dental hygienists or other embedded models. Riley also highlighted partnerships with DSS, DCF, Head Start, WIC, Read to Grow, YMCA programs, refugee resettlement agencies, and school-based and hospital partners, as well as data-sharing and navigation efforts. She said pregnant members newly identified through HUSKY will now receive outreach and navigation support. DSS dental director Carolyn MacArthur introduced herself and said she supports the initiative, noting the literature linking untreated maternal dental disease to poor child oral-health outcomes. No votes were taken; the meeting ended with thanks and a preview of upcoming July presentations on integrated behavioral health and home visitation programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• evaluators, and there's one checkered box.
• child care evaluation.
• So we're proposing to double the size of the program evaluation staff from four to eight evaluators and
• and program evaluations had done them.
• These program evaluators.

Summary: The Legislative Procedures and Arrangements Committee met with a quorum and approved the minutes from the previous meeting. The committee first considered and adopted a Joint Rule 211 change clarifying the deadline and statutory references for bill drafts involving health insurance mandates, after discussion that the process is still somewhat cumbersome but improved by the clarification. The committee then reviewed a revised draft addressing confidentiality protections for certain legislators and candidates, but members expressed concerns about the breadth, enforceability, and transparency implications of the proposal, and the committee chose not to advance it at this time. The committee received an informational update on the new NCSL Legislator Security Fund. Staff explained that North Dakota is applying for the grant, which could provide about $200 per legislator for home security or related safety expenses, subject to Emergency Commission approval and reimbursement procedures. Members asked about eligible expenses, administrative burden, and whether new legislators would be covered; staff said guidance would be provided if funding is approved. The committee also approved the 2027 timing for the State of the Judiciary, tribal-state relationship message, and State of the State address on January 5, and set the Commerce Department and agricultural commodity reports for January 13 and 14, respectively, as required by statute. A major portion of the meeting focused on legislative staffing and organizational planning. The committee approved a recommendation for 36 Senate staff positions and 41 House staff positions, along with a 3% compensation increase for session staff. Discussion centered on replacing some procedural clerk duties with permanent policy analyst staff, retaining quality assurance roles for now, and adding or repurposing positions in IT, program evaluation, legal, and administration. Members also discussed expanding program evaluation capacity and the need for clearer oversight of new programs, with staff noting upcoming training and model-sharing with other states. Finally, the committee reviewed a proposed new legislator orientation day on November 30 and broader organizational session training changes, including mock committee and floor sessions, security training, and more robust budget/appropriations instruction, but took no final action on the agenda items and adjourned after completing the budget-related recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• > six Of these eight evaluations, six Of these eight evaluations, six evaluations<00:09:38.560
• evaluations were completed. evaluations were completed.
• I think there's evaluation.
• those closeout evaluations are current. those closeout evaluations are current.
• So, at that point, a closeout<01:05:12.400> evaluation closeout evaluation closeout evaluation

Bills: HF3564

Keywords: Greater Minnesota, regional parks, trails, grants, local government, 1183, house

Summary: The Legacy Finance Committee met to approve the prior meeting minutes and then heard a presentation from the Office of the Legislative Auditor on its performance audit of the Department of Natural Resources’ administration of Outdoor Heritage Fund grants. OLA explained that the DNR generally complied with the criteria tested, but the audit identified two main problem areas: grant payments and grant monitoring. The audit covered 13 grants, mostly legislatively named grants awarded in fiscal year 2020, and reviewed agreements, amendments, payments, monitoring, and some site visits. OLA reported that for three grantees, totaling about $400,000, invoices lacked enough detail to determine whether costs were allowable, and about $5,000 was paid to two grantees without sufficient supporting documentation. The auditors also said DNR lacked policies defining allowable costs and what “directly related to and necessary” means under state law. On monitoring, DNR missed required annual visits for six grants, made payments on current progress reports that were missing or not on file, and had weaknesses in closeout evaluations, including missing required elements, late completion, and two grants with no closeout evaluation at all. OLA recommended stronger documentation, clearer guidelines with the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council, timely monitoring and closeout, obtaining progress reports before payment, and improved internal controls. Members reacted strongly to the findings, especially the repeated failures to follow grant procedures and the risks of legislatively named grants and advance payments. Representative Heintzeman and Vice Chair Skraba questioned whether the issues reflected broader problems in state grant oversight and asked about prepayments, follow-up, and whether more legislative action was needed. OLA officials said they do not rely on self-attestation, but instead retest agencies after 2 to 3 years, and noted a new annual update-report process that will track whether agencies implement prior recommendations. Judy Randall, the Legislative Auditor, said the laws and policies already exist and emphasized that the issue is ensuring agency staff follow them; she also said most recommendations in the recent update report had been implemented. No further committee action or vote was taken on the audit during this portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• She liked to compete with the pedophiles on who the pedophile would engage with sexually first, her or
• She liked to<00:25:43.200> compete<00:25:43.440> with<00:25:43.600> the<00:25:43.760
• > pedophiles<00:25:44.320> on<00:25:44.559> who to compete with the pedophiles on
• who to compete with the pedophiles on who the<00:25:45.200> pedophile<00:25:45.679> would<
• children learn, play, and compete. children learn, play, and compete.

Bills: HB0076, HB0102, HB0115

Keywords: annexation, landowner rights, municipal law, city planning, property, local government, artificial intelligence, synthetic sexual material, child protection, self-harm, criminal liability, cardiac emergency, defibrillator, school safety, training, public health, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• go out into the world armed with this language and armed with the G and not be able to necessarily compete
• go out into the world armed with this language and armed with the G and not be able to necessarily compete
• go out into the world armed with this language and armed with the G and not be able to necessarily compete
• go out into the world armed with this language and armed with the G and not be able to necessarily compete
• go out into the world armed with this language and armed with the G and not be able to necessarily compete

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint Senate hearing covered Senate Bill 1536 and Senate Bill 1571. SB 1536 concerned the Hawaii Tourism Authority’s CEO position and whether the exemption from retirement benefits should be changed. Testimony and committee discussion focused on the estimated cost, the current budgeted amount, whether the change would make the position more competitive, and whether alternatives such as a portable retirement plan had been considered. The witness said the proposal came from HTA’s legislative committee and that the position’s salary and benefits would still likely fit within the budgeted amount. No vote was taken on SB 1536 during the excerpted discussion. The hearing then moved to SB 1571, relating to tourism. Debed and HTA representatives said they supported the bill in written testimony, but HTA’s witness said the measure had not been discussed or voted on by the full board and recommended deferring action until the board could clarify its position. Several members of the public testified both in support and opposition. Opponents raised concerns about changing “Hawaiian sense of place” to “Hawaii sense of place,” warning it could weaken protections for Hawaiian culture and invite broader interpretations that might affect places like the Hawaii Convention Center. Others opposed a provision removing a two-year waiting period for HBCB board members before serving on the HTA board, citing conflict-of-interest concerns. Committee discussion centered on the meaning and practical effect of the bill’s language, especially the distinction between “Hawaiian” and “Hawaii,” the scope of HTA’s tourism and destination-management role, and whether translation and language policy were being applied too broadly or too narrowly. Some members argued the bill could help preserve Hawaiian culture and place, while others worried about exclusionary interpretations, costs, and whether resources would be better spent on programs rather than expanded translation. The hearing ended with the chair announcing a short break and moving toward decision-making, but no final action on the bill was shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• 00:26:08.039> two care services so we didn't want two care services so we didn't want two competing
• 11.200> rules<00:26:11.600> that<00:26:11.799> were<00:26:12.200> in competing
• or two rules that were in competing or two rules that were in Conflict<00:26:13.240> so<00:26
• We are competing with workforce in many different sectors, and it's not isolated to area agencies on
• Workforce issue and we are competing Workforce issue and we are competing with<01:10:16.760>

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Committee on Health and Human Services held an informational briefing on Kupuna Care funding, distribution, utilization, and the status of program rules. The Office of Aging explained that state Kupuna Care funds are distributed using the same federally approved interstate funding formula used for Older Americans Act funds, with eight weighted factors tailored to Hawaii’s conditions: older adults, greatest economic need, low-income minority status, disability, language barriers, geographic isolation, inverse population density, and older adults living alone in poverty. The department said the formula is based on census and American Community Survey data, with current county shares listed as Kauai 7.45%, Honolulu 69.61%, Maui 11.7%, and Hawaii County 17.88%. Officials said the formula is being reviewed with current data and will need federal approval and then public hearing before final adoption. Members questioned how the program works in practice, noting that the statute and eligibility language can sound like direct individual benefits even though services are delivered through area agencies on aging, ADRCs, and contracted providers such as meal and adult day care programs. The Office of Aging said ADRCs determine eligibility and then refer clients to authorized providers, who must meet service standards in their contracts. The chair pressed repeatedly for long-delayed rules, saying the Legislature had expected them years earlier and that clear rules are needed to ensure funds are spent properly and to avoid conflicts of interest. The department acknowledged the delay, said draft rules were written in 2023 after earlier commitments to finish sooner, and said it paused while federal Older Americans Act rules were being updated; it now expects to send the rules to the Deputy Attorney General, then out for public hearing, with a goal of completion in 2025. The department also reported utilization data for the last two fiscal years. In 2023, it expended about 93% of its allocation and served 5,473 older adults at an average annual cost of $1,358; in 2024, it expended about 97% and served 5,520 older adults, with the average cost down by about $200, which officials said may indicate fewer services per person. Eligibility was described as age 60 or older, U.S. citizen or qualified alien, with cognitive impairment or disability and functional deficits, and the statewide profile showed many participants were homebound, living alone, or below poverty. The most-used services were transportation, case management, and home-delivered meals. The chair also asked about the former Kupuna caregiver program; officials said the programs are now combined under Kupuna Care, with most funding going to adult day care to provide respite for working caregivers. County representatives then described local conditions, especially on Hawaii Island. Hawaii County officials said the county covers about 5,000 square miles, has about 208,000 residents, and roughly 24% are age 65 or older. They identified three main challenges: staffing shortages and retention problems among providers, shortages within the county department itself, and the loss of adult day care capacity, with only one center remaining on the island and none on the west side. They said these constraints limit service delivery even as demand grows. At the same time, they highlighted successes such as serving people in the community before they need higher levels of care, providing caregiver counseling and training through adult day care, serving 467 individuals locally, and ensuring the Resource Center answers calls from caregivers seeking help.