Transcript Highlights:

• We will receive presentations from Jennifer when hold director of DOH is Division of Medical Quality
• We'll begin the update with Division of Medical Quality Assurance this window. You're recognized.
• Hold on the director for the Division of Medical Quality Assurance that the Department of Health and
• and the Board of Pharmacy to ensure patients are provided with information regarding primary care services
• Positions that are with practicing within their scope are allowed to do those services with regards to

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to share that before I joined the state, I ran a local direct service organization in the Bay
• I ran a local direct service organization in the Bay Area for 40 years and worked with people and so.
• How is the service level determined?
• So there's kind of two pieces to that current service level adjustment.
• Yeah, and obviously we want quality classroom settings, but certainly not.

Summary: The committee heard an update on the administration’s Career Education Master Plan and the new California Education Interagency Council. Administration and agency staff described efforts to better connect K-12, higher education, workforce, and data systems, including the California Cradle to Career Data System, e-Transcript California, and a proposed career passport. They emphasized regional coordination with workforce boards and community colleges, and said the new council’s immediate tasks are to hold its first meeting by the end of June, enter into a data-sharing MOU, and complete a strategic plan by the end of November. Members asked about the council’s authority, reporting requirements, and how it would relate to the broader Master Plan for Higher Education; staff said the council will make recommendations but does not have implementation authority. The committee then took up the Governor’s proposed $100 million one-time expansion of dual enrollment grants and related changes to instructional minute requirements. Finance and the Department of Education said the proposal would support middle college, early college, and CCAP programs, add technical assistance, prioritize high-need LEAs, and reduce the minimum instructional day for certain dual enrollment students from 240 to 180 minutes to ease scheduling barriers. The Chancellor’s Office strongly supported the investment, citing access, acceleration, and equity benefits, while the LAO recommended rejecting the funding, arguing the state already provides ongoing support and that the proposal does not address major barriers. Members raised questions about adult learners, A-G alignment, reporting on outcomes and expenditures, rural access, transportation, staffing, and whether the funding would create lasting program capacity. The item was left open after discussion. The committee also considered trailer bill language to align the definition of long-term English learners across data systems. Finance and CDE said the change would simplify identification by defining LTELs as students who have not attained English proficiency within seven years and RTELs as students not proficient within six years, matching the dashboard and research-based timelines. CDE said the current mismatch between dashboard and assessment definitions creates confusion and delays, while some members and advocates worried the change could reduce earlier intervention or should be handled through policy committees rather than the budget process. The committee voted to reject the proposal and refer it to policy, though the administration said it still supports the budget language. Finally, the committee heard a proposal to extend the Supporting Inclusive Practices project by one year, through June 30, 2027. CDE said the project is promising but raised concerns about the contract structure and fiscal management, while Marysville Joint Unified School District testified that SIP had helped expand inclusive preschool and district-wide practices and reduce reliance on more restrictive placements. Members questioned why funds had not been fully encumbered and whether the remaining money should be redirected to areas with greater implementation need. The item was discussed but no final action was described in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Nobody making sure kids with special needs get the quality education they deserve.
• <00:30:29.840> education<00:30:30.399> they quality education they quality education they
• people with services providing people with disabilities.<00:37:16.320> And<00:37:16.480> we
• We're also working to improve the efficiency and customer service across state agencies.
• <00:40:20.720> across efficiency and customer service across efficiency and customer service

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• They report regularly and as international assessments as Florida's virtual school services students
• And if it surplus, it can be used for affordable housing for service people as well as first responders
• It's required that a job engine charter school provide ese services.
• And perhaps this attracting jobs is the quality of schools.
• The bill expands services available for children with special needs to include infants and toddlers.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• He instituted the values of service, integrity, respect, and quality within FDLE, and those values still
• remain strong. ...service, integrity, respect, and quality within FDLE, and those values still remain
• Bid contracts under a master services agreement for various services, including what I do, which is health
• One is the service and community. So, Ms.
• We fund them to basically provide a service to the state, which is to create a service to— We fund them

Summary: The Committee on Ethics and Elections met to consider several executive appointments, beginning with Matthew Walsh, Secretary of the Department of Juvenile Justice, for confirmation. Walsh outlined his long law-enforcement career, social work background, and priorities at DJJ, including staff wellness, reclassifying juvenile detention and probation officers as officers under statute, adding beds to move youth from detention into residential programs, and increasing per diem funding. Members asked about detention “dead time” and the need to get adjudicated youth into programming sooner. Public testimony included support from Barney Bishop and Christian Minor, and the committee voted unanimously to approve Walsh’s nomination and forward it to the full Senate. The committee then heard from Tina Vidal-Duarte, nominee for the Florida Atlantic University Board of Trustees. She described her business background as CEO of CDR Health, her education, and extensive nonprofit and board service, including leadership roles with the Florida Grand Opera, the Homeless Trust of Miami-Dade County, FAU, and the Hope Florida Foundation. Senators questioned her about free speech issues involving FAU faculty, her relationship with the new FAU president, student diversity, AI and workforce planning, and her prior role on Hope Florida. She also answered questions about her company’s work at the Everglades detention center and the bidding process for state contracts. Public testimony opposed her nomination, citing concerns about her business ties, Hope Florida, and detention-center contracts. Debate split largely along partisan lines, and the committee approved her nomination on a recorded vote. Afterward, the committee took up the remaining nominations in Tabs 2 through 15, excluding Tab 10, and approved them as a group by voice/recorded vote for forwarding to the full Senate. The meeting then concluded with no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• , and the result was substandard service.
• Bill thank you all for your uh service Bill thank you all for your uh service to<00:12:49.800>
• Shavers stated, we want the dollars to go to quality tutoring services, and we hope the parents are going
• My kids don't listen to me either. are good tutoring services chair Kisha are good tutoring services
• > we<00:17:44.520> hope quality tutoring services and we hope quality tutoring services and

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm proud to run HZ day to day, providing cradle-to-career services to...
• When people hear anti-poverty legislation, they only think about direct services.
• , wraparound services that are underwritten by public and private sources.
• Our service and advocacy approaches are based on every three-year needs assessments and strategic service
• Access to health and mental health services as needed.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Business held its final hearing of the session on H. 5187 and S. 3022, the Enough Act, with Chair Andy Vargas and Senator Adam Gomez opening by thanking committee members and stakeholders for their work during the session. The bills were described as a grant-based, place-based anti-poverty initiative intended to support cradle-to-career services by funding local nonprofits, schools, community organizations, and backbone entities that can coordinate housing, education, health, workforce, and family supports in high-poverty neighborhoods. Testimony was overwhelmingly in support of the bills. Speakers including Strategies for Children, Chelsea Public Schools, Bunker Hill Community College, Senator Sal DiDomenico, Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian, Rep. Antonio Cabral, the Harlem Children’s Zone’s Kwame Owusu Kesse and Jeffrey Canada, former Education Secretary Paul Reville, AFT Massachusetts, United Way, the Boston Foundation, Give Black Alliance, Eastern Bank Foundation, and others argued that poverty is a systems issue that schools alone cannot solve. They emphasized the need for local control, community voice, coordinated services, and long-term public-private investment, often citing examples from Chelsea, New Bedford, Springfield, Lowell, Boston, and other communities, as well as the Harlem Children’s Zone and Maryland’s similar model. Committee members asked several questions about how the bill would function in practice, including what organizations would do on day one, how it would interact with existing efforts like community schools, McKinney-Vento, and the Student Opportunity Act, and how it would be sustained over time. Witnesses said the act would help create or strengthen backbone organizations, reduce duplication, align existing resources, and leverage philanthropy and future revenue sources for long-term sustainability. No vote was taken during the hearing, but multiple speakers urged the committee to report the bill favorably and quickly.

Transcript Highlights:

• So our first item here is for the veteran services department.
• Our first item here is for the Veteran Services Department.
• That would include $375,000 in the contracts category to implement those really critical veteran services
• You all created this fund in statute last year to improve quality of life at bases in the state.
• last year to improve quality of life at bases in the state.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Department of Youth and Family Services Department of Youth and Family Services and<01:05:02.039
• The folks that we see generally work in the service industries, factory work, the food service industries
• The folks that we see generally work in the service industries, factory work, the food service industries
• Thank you very much. service to our community we have over service to our community we have over 300<
• <01:21:49.239> in see generally work in the service in see generally work in the service in

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• assessment uh uh landfill fees service assessment uh uh landfill fees service charges<00:20:13.919
• But we don't, you know, pay for that service.
• We don't, you know, pay for that service.
• He said this reduces costs and improves quality of life.
• will be degradated down and the quality will be degradated down and the quality of<00:54:05.640>

Bills: HF1359, HF1829, HF290, HF1933, HF926

Keywords: solid waste management, resource management account, environmental fund, taxation, Minnesota statutes, homestead, property tax, classification, disability, resort properties, recreational use, commercial property, tax refund, estimated tax, interest on refunds, income tax, corporate franchise tax, S corporation, partnership, corporation

Transcript Highlights:

• To establish a grant program to support community based organizations that provide direct services and
• Yet many feel like the quality of their healthcare is also decreasing.
• Additionally, we are also adding managed service organizations, or MSOs.
• MSOs help provide a variety of non-clinical services, like billing and collections, information service
• My district The district has the worst air quality in the country, and 750 people are diagnosed with

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That was put in place for compliance with the water quality standard.
• That’s in the water quality standards.
• That’s in the water quality standards.
• That’s in the water quality standards.
• That’s in the water quality standards.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I've spent the last 40 years of my life and career in public service in law enforcement.
• My mom, he then went into public service, became a county engineer for the next 25 years.
• I appreciate his service to New College. You could hear his passion on display.
• Thank you for considering my continued service. I'm honored to contribute to Valencia.
• Consortium Service Organizations to distinguish them from the K-12 counterparts.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education first took up a block of confirmation hearings for trustees and board members at several public universities and state colleges. Appointees from Florida A&M University, Florida International University, New College of Florida, Pasco-Hernando State College, South Florida State College, Valencia College, Florida Atlantic University, and the University of Florida described their backgrounds and emphasized themes such as governance, student success, workforce alignment, fiscal stewardship, research growth, and institutional reputation. Members asked a few questions, but most nominees received no substantive opposition. The committee then voted unanimously to recommend confirmation of the group of appointees on tabs 3 through 18 and forwarded them to Ethics and Elections. The committee next heard Senate Bill 114 by Senator Trumbull, which would create the Florida Center of Excellence in Insurance and Risk Management at Florida State University, move the public hurricane loss projection model from FIU to FSU, and provide funding for the effort. Trumbull said the bill is intended to strengthen the state’s insurance research capacity and broaden study of insurance lines beyond wind risk. Senators asked about the impact on FIU and the distinction between the new center and existing FIU work; Trumbull said FIU’s Wall of Wind would remain and that the state-owned model would simply be contracted to FSU instead of FIU. The committee reported the bill favorably. The committee then considered Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 1624 by Senator Calatayud, a wide-ranging higher education bill addressing tuition, workforce programs, institutional operations, and naming changes. Amendments were adopted to create state college regional consortium service organizations for rural colleges, remove a proposed out-of-state fee change for nonresident online students, extend university master plan update cycles from five to 10 years, and rename Hillsborough Community College as Hillsborough College. The bill also changed several references from specific minority categories to “underrepresented,” revised aid and waiver provisions, adjusted adult education and career program rules, and made other technical changes. Senators Smith and Davis questioned the shift away from enumerated categories, arguing it could obscure disparities affecting groups such as Black students, women in STEM, and students with disabilities; Calatayud said the intent was to focus on socioeconomic access and flexibility for institutions. After debate, the committee voted 6-2 to report the bill favorably, with Senators Davis and Smith voting no, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Fish and Wildlife Service Partners Fish and Wildlife Service and Thurston Conservation District to convene
• And in doing that, it's also going to improve their quality of life.
• It allows us to provide that higher level of need and service for veterans.
• That higher level of need and service for veterans.
• They have a huge need to continue to provide that service.

Summary: The Joint Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs heard presentations on several military and veterans-related topics. Dr. Dan Calvert briefed the committee on the JBLM Sentinel Landscape Partnership, explaining its voluntary conservation work to reduce encroachment around the base by protecting prairie habitat, supporting agriculture, and managing sensitive species. He described REPI funding, recent and proposed projects, and possible policy support such as state designation, dedicated funding, management endowments, prescribed fire flexibility, and water-right transfer tools. Members asked about seed sourcing, the distinction between natural-resource encroachment and development-related encroachment, and the impact of federal REPI staffing cuts. David Puente of the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs updated the committee on plans for a new state veterans cemetery in the Tri-Cities area and a replacement Spokane Veterans Home. He said the cemetery project has two candidate sites near Richland/West Richland, with pre-design funded by the legislature and a future request expected for land purchase and construction; he also noted the current cemetery funding source is limited and would not support a second cemetery without additional state operating funds. On the Spokane home, he described the current facility’s limitations and said the replacement would be a 120-bed, small-house model on a larger site, with the VA expected to cover 65% of construction costs if the state provides the match. He also reviewed agency budget reductions, including vacant positions, reduced outreach, cuts to counseling and wellness funding, and reduced support for veterans service organizations. Blue Star Families’ Puget Sound chapter also presented on its programs for military-connected families, including Coffee Connects, a children’s book club, outdoor programming, career support, and Blue Star Welcome Week. The group said it is expanding beyond the South Sound and is using local outposts and online networks to reach more families, while also helping with food insecurity through grocery gift cards and partnerships with local nonprofits. Committee members discussed the need to expand the organization statewide and the ongoing food-security challenges facing military families. During the final discussion on potential legislation, members raised ideas including restoring Washington National Guard retention efforts, expanding E-CAP eligibility to military families, revisiting the composition of the Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee, and addressing veterans’ preference issues for service members who have not yet received a DD-214. The committee did not take any formal votes or actions, but members and presenters discussed future policy and budget requests, and the chairs thanked the presenters and staff before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• , and to ensure that new development is safe from coastal hazards, ...habitats and water quality, and
• We do this by ensuring safe drinking water, protecting and improving water quality, and managing the
• Maramonte about some of the concerns that those water quality control plans tacitly only acknowledge
• control plan, That the water board considered housing in developing the water quality control plan.
• , and stormwater infrastructure that protects the quality of our water, ensures safe drinking water,

Summary: The Assembly Select Committee on Regulatory Authority held its first hearing to examine how California’s regulatory framework affects housing production, affordability, and timelines. Chair Pacheco and Assemblymember Haney framed the discussion around the state’s housing shortage and the need to reduce costs while maintaining environmental, safety, and community protections. The first panel featured housing experts and industry representatives who argued that state regulations, code complexity, utility constraints, and agency review processes add substantial cost and delay to development. Bill Fulton described overlapping state and local land-use authorities and the tension among housing, coastal protection, climate, and wildfire goals. CBIA’s Chris Ochoa and California Apartment Association representative Bob Raymer said building codes, energy mandates, and agency processes have materially increased per-home costs, and they urged more centralized affordability analysis and greater scrutiny of regulatory impacts. The Bay Area Council’s Louis Marante called for a statewide cost target for housing and stronger timelines and accountability for state agency reviews. The second panel brought in state agencies to explain their roles. HCD said its housing element enforcement, streamlining laws, and technical assistance have helped increase production, shorten entitlement timelines, and improve compliance by local governments. CARB said SB 375 is a planning law that does not directly regulate land use, and argued that regional housing assumptions in sustainable communities strategies are not being fully implemented on the ground. The Coastal Commission said it works with local governments to balance coastal protection, sea-level-rise risk, and housing, and noted recent guidance and pilot efforts to streamline housing approvals in the coastal zone. The Energy Commission said its building energy standards are designed to be cost-effective and save consumers money over time, though they can add some design and documentation complexity. Fish and Wildlife and DTSC both emphasized early engagement and collaboration to reduce delays while protecting natural resources and public health; DTSC said it is refining vapor intrusion guidance and using brownfield grants to support redevelopment. The State Water Resources Control Board said it uses general orders and basin planning to provide predictable permitting while balancing water quality, water rights, and housing needs, and noted billions in grants and loans for water infrastructure and site remediation that can support housing affordability. In response to questions from Assemblymember Haney, several agencies described ongoing coordination across departments, including regular meetings among HCD, CARB, the Coastal Commission, and transportation agencies, as well as broader interagency efforts to reduce redundancies and identify pinch points in project delivery. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken during the hearing; the main outcome was informational testimony and discussion of possible future reforms to improve coordination, predictability, and affordability in state regulatory processes.

Transcript Highlights:

• MDOR's quality assurance team measures the quality of all of our work by randomly selecting calls that
• <00:43:24.600> Um, Actually leads to quality jobs.
• ensure quality of goods and services ensure quality of goods and services facilitate<01:03:40.320
• Yes, we have on 7.9 what employers can use electronic monitoring for: ensuring quality of goods and services
• ensuring quality of goods and services ensuring quality of goods and services facilitating<01:09

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We will be taking our first panel out of turn in order to utilize our incredible interpretation services
• Urban farms and community gardens provide not only healthy food; they help to improve air quality and
• Thank you for your service on the commission as well, Rep. We really appreciate it. Absolutely.
• All right, no questions, and thank you for your service on the Food Policy Council as well.
• Of course, they improve air quality, absorb carbon, provide habitats for pollinators, ...cities.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries held a public hearing on 19 legislative proposals, with testimony limited to three minutes per speaker and seven minutes per panel. The hearing opened with testimony on bills promoting urban agriculture and vacant-lot conversion, including H.121/S.61, which Green Roots staff and community members supported as a way to turn vacant lots in environmental justice communities into urban farms and gardens that improve food access, health, community cohesion, and climate resilience. Rep. James Arena-DeRosa also spoke in support of H.109/S.56, the PFAS bill, describing it as a measure to protect soil and farms from contamination and to create relief for affected farmers. A major portion of the hearing focused on H.109/S.56, which would ban land application of sewage sludge/biosolids, provide liability protection and relief funds for farmers, and address PFAS contamination in soil, water, crops, and animals. Testimony came from environmental groups, farm organizations, and individual farmers, including the Mass Food System Collaborative, Conservation Law Foundation, Clean Water Action, CEMAP, NOFA, Sierra Club, and several farmers who described contamination in Maine and Massachusetts and urged the committee to act. Witnesses emphasized that PFAS poses serious health risks, that farmers should not bear responsibility for legacy contamination, and that the bill should be paired with funding for testing, remediation, and assistance. Committee members asked questions about farm liability, the scope of the bill, contamination in different ownership situations, and the costs and timelines of remediation, with Senator Comerford and others clarifying that the bill is intended to protect farms and farmers rather than non-agricultural landholders. The committee also heard strong support for H.416, a farm-to-institution pilot program, from Rep. Lee Davis, Berkshire Agricultural Ventures, and Berkshire Bounty. They said the pilot would connect Massachusetts farms to schools, hospitals, correctional facilities, and other institutions, creating new markets, strengthening local supply chains, and supporting food-is-medicine efforts. Members discussed whether the model could be statewide and referenced existing programs such as Island Grown Initiative and local hospital and insurance partnerships. Another agricultural bill, H.1058, was supported by Rep. Mark Sylvia and the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association as a way to allow unused cranberry water rights to be transferred within the same watershed for municipal mitigation while helping growers retire or consolidate bogs. The hearing also included testimony on the broader farm omnibus bill H.112/S.55 and related measures, with the Massachusetts Farm Bureau and others praising the committee’s work on agricultural resilience, food security, agritourism, workforce development, and farmland access, while suggesting additional transportation-related fixes for farmers. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• fees, if you remember, are for services fees, if you remember, are for services that<01:08:12.720
• That's a contract for services.
• That's a contract for services.
• Uh I'm afraid a contract for services.
• vehicle services thirdparty providers. vehicle services thirdparty providers.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Paul, that's not Legislative Council Service. Sarah, we admire your Legislative Council Service. M.
• Green, Legislative Council Service. Thank you.
• Stevens and Associates, which is an environmental services and engineering firm.
• We have a very robust sampling program that we undertake to ensure that water quality.
• Thank you for all your public service.

Summary: The committee first heard a presentation from the Environment Department on PFAS contamination in private wells in La Cienega, Santa Fe County. Staff said the plume likely came from historic use of firefighting foam associated with airport and National Guard fire-training activities, with possible additional contribution from septic systems and consumer products. They described the contamination as affecting about 200 private wells, the short-term response of providing residential filters through a $2 million legislative appropriation, and ongoing work to define the plume’s full extent, identify responsible parties, and consider longer-term regional water solutions. Members asked about filter costs, replacement schedules, disposal of used cartridges, follow-up testing, health studies, and whether cleanup or containment had begun; the department said cleanup would follow once the plume is fully mapped and that DOH is soliciting interest in a blood study. The committee also discussed the need to track disposal of PFAS filters and the possibility of broader statewide capacity for similar work. The committee then took up abandoned uranium mine cleanup. NMED and EMNRD staff reviewed the new uranium mine reclamation program created by HB 164, the state dashboard tracking sites, and the FY26 appropriation of $20 million for neglected contaminated sites, of which $12 million is being used for neglected uranium mines and the remainder for other contaminated sites. They said six contractors were hired, three priority sites in Grant County are moving forward quickly, and additional sites are being prepared for possible FY27 work. Members pressed for details on how funds are spent, why the revolving fund remains unfunded, how federal, state, tribal, and landowner requirements are coordinated, where contaminated material will be moved, and whether cleanup could also address homes built with contaminated materials. Staff said the work is governed by multiple regulatory layers, that the state is seeking an additional $25 million for FY27-FY28 plus a time extension, and that partnerships with tribes would require longer-term agreements. The committee also discussed federal cleanup efforts and the new Good Samaritan law, with members urging stronger advocacy for New Mexico sites, including tribal lands, and asking whether the Attorney General should pursue legal action against federal parties responsible for legacy contamination. Staff explained that some sites are already covered by settlement funds tied to responsible parties, while neglected sites are those with no responsible party and no other cleanup program. The committee then heard from EMNRD on Class VI carbon sequestration primacy. Staff said New Mexico currently has no operating Class VI wells, about 27 Class II acid-gas injection wells are operating, and only a small number might be candidates for conversion. They explained that the state’s primacy application would require more public outreach than federal rules alone, and that cost estimates for post-injection site care are based on long planning horizons, with some costs borne by operators and some by the state after closure. No votes were taken on the substantive items discussed; the committee approved the prior meeting minutes and took a brief recess between presentations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Into four services, if they're enrolled in Medicaid outside of the Indian Health Services, they get services
• So, Indian Health Services.
• If it's fee-for-service, which Indian Health Service is fee-for-service... service, then we pay whatever
• services.
• School-Based Medicaid Services.