Transcript Highlights:

• This program was canceled at the federal level in 2025.
• and the Virginia Fresh Match program.
• But, you know, I think that that's definitely a valuable program.
• But, you know, I think that that's definitely a valuable program.
• Because summer meals programs... ...time of the year, how we start talking about summer meals programs

Keywords: Virginia Commission to End Hunger, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• accurate knowledge of dhs's program accurate knowledge of dhs's program Integrity<00:09:14.120><
• DHS program this proposal expands the DHS program this proposal expands the scope<00:12:14.760> to
• and program integrity package.
• go on the same programs.
• I'm noticing, you know, there was a comment earlier about federal programs and state programs.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• public assistance program, Ms. Klein. public assistance program, Ms. Klein.
• employment programs. employment programs.
• programs that they're already doing. programs that they're already doing.
• program? No. program? No.
• They have psychiatric programs, pediatric psych programs.

Keywords: Roll Call - 00:10 Discussion on SCR 61 – 01:46 Vote on SCR 61 – 11:33 Discussion on SR 18 – 12:30 Vote on SR 18 - 30:01 Discussion on Ky Residential Autism Services – 32:34 Questions & Comments – 56:56, 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and first considered Senate Concurrent Resolution 61, sponsored by Senator Shelley Funke Frommeyer and Representative Matt Lockett. The resolution, as amended by committee substitute, would create a legislative task force tied to the MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) framework to study Kentucky health policy, including Medicaid drug approvals, preventive and alternative therapies, holistic health education, oversight and transparency in health care, and research into integrative approaches. Supporters said the goal was to address chronic disease and reduce over-medication, while emphasizing the effort was not intended as an attack on agriculture or the pharmaceutical industry. The resolution received favorable expression and passed the committee 9-0. The committee then heard Senate Resolution 18 from Senator Neal, urging Kentucky to maximize participation in the federal SNAP Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) program. Testimony from Jessica Klein of the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy and Secretary Eric Friedlander explained that SNAP E&T provides job training, education, and support services for SNAP participants, and that the program is federally matched and does not require additional General Assembly funding in the normal course. Members discussed how the program works, whether it could create new state costs, and how it fits with efforts to connect food assistance, workforce development, and local agriculture. Questions also focused on whether SNAP spending can be steered toward healthier foods and farmers markets, including Kentucky’s Double Dollars program, which was described as helping participants buy produce, meat, and dairy at participating markets and some retailers. Several members expressed support for the workforce goals but asked for more information on fiscal impacts and purchasing data. Secretary Friedlander said the SNAP E&T funds are separate from nutrition benefits, and that the state match generally comes from employer, university, or workforce partner contributions rather than new state appropriations. Senator Herron explained her vote in favor by saying the program could help people gain education and employment and reduce reliance on SNAP over time. Senate Resolution 18 was then adopted by the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's the normal mode of operating because all these programs require it.
• And so SANDAG doesn't by itself program dollars for the State Highway Operations and Protection Program
• And so SANDAG doesn't by itself program dollars for the State Highway Operations and Protection Program
• I'll skip the overview of the grant program itself.
• 36 programs.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The final program is the Emergency Services Program.
• the holistic health and fitness program the holistic health and fitness program um<00:09:03.959>
• <00:09:44.720> for funding the largest program for funding the largest program for dma<00:
• I'm going to go back to the Programs and Services program, which again is the smaller of the programs
• support and another MACV program.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Veterans and Military Affairs Division held its first meeting with a quorum present, opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, and reviewed decorum expectations and basic operating rules. Members and staff introduced themselves, and Chair Aaron Repinski emphasized that the committee would operate as a nonpartisan body focused on veterans’ issues. No minutes were approved because it was the division’s first meeting. Nonpartisan House staff then gave an overview of the Department of Military Affairs and the Department of Veterans Affairs, including their missions, organizational structure, and budgets. The presentation highlighted the Minnesota National Guard, Camp Ripley, enlistment incentives, the Emergency Services Program, and the Veterans Affairs programs for veterans homes, cemeteries, benefits assistance, and state-funded benefits such as the State Soldiers Assistance Program, Minnesota GI Bill, and Post-9/11 bonus. Staff also noted housing and homelessness-related initiatives, several committee-supported outside programs, and the Support Our Troops license plate funding split between the two agencies. The committee then heard from Trent Dils of Disabled American Veterans Minnesota on behalf of the Commander's Task Force, a coalition of congressionally chartered veterans organizations. He described the group’s unanimous legislative process and urged continuation of a separate veterans omnibus bill, arguing it has helped keep veterans issues apart from broader partisan disputes. He also began outlining the task force’s 2025 priorities, including hunting, fishing, and trapping benefits for veterans, but the transcript cuts off before the full list or any committee action on those priorities is completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thomas Chu program specialist sorry as Thomas Chu program specialist sorry as well<00:02:23.200> as
• Who runs this entire program?
• our four-year program.
• our four-year program.
• program program support LCC program support<02:16:11.360> uh<02:16:11.599> cademy<02:16

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Next, we have the Universities of Distinction Program, which is intended to focus on a core program unique
• The funds would help recognize a program that was already distinguished or assist a program that was
• Okay, moving to the world-class faculty and scholar program.
• programs benefited by receiving some of these funds.
• The line program, The LEY program was created in 2022 as well to help grow university nursing programs

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education received a presentation from Tim Jones, Senior Vice Chancellor and CFO for the State University System of Florida, on the system’s funding methodology, budget structure, tuition, and performance-based funding. He outlined the system’s scale, including 12 universities, more than 430,000 students taking classes, about 78,000 employees, and a roughly $20 billion operating budget. He also reviewed tuition levels, noting Florida’s low resident undergraduate tuition, the lack of tuition increases since 2013, and the distinction between state-set resident tuition and Board of Governors authority over other tuition categories. Jones described several funding components, including performance funding, preeminence funding, faculty recruitment and retention programs, universities of distinction, nursing pipeline and matching programs, and operational enhancements. He explained that performance funding is based on a 100-point model tied to retention, graduation, employment, and other metrics, with student success plans required if scores decline or fall below 70 points. He said the current performance funding allocation is $350 million and the legislative budget request seeks $400 million. He also said the new SUS 30 strategic plan will lead to updates in the performance metrics and benchmarks, with some changes possibly phased in over time. Senators asked questions about how the new strategic plan will affect future scoring, how long universities have to improve after declining scores, and how out-of-state enrollment and tuition are handled. Jones said universities will be evaluated on the current metrics for the upcoming budget cycle, while the new plan’s changes will be developed later and may include glide paths. He also said there is no statutory cap on nonresident students, though the Board of Governors has a 10% systemwide guideline under discussion, and that graduate out-of-state tuition varies by program and requires institutional and Board of Governors approval. No votes were taken, no public testimony was offered, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• the crisis and created similar programs the crisis and created similar programs to<00:40:07.440>
• > are programs directed payment programs are programs directed payment programs are not<01:09:
• it but these directed payment programs it but these directed payment programs are<01:14:16.760><
• <01:30:39.320> it's of our program it's of our program it's smaller<01:30:41.280> this<
• line none of the costs of this program line none of the costs of this program will<01:31:58.639>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• >> So, is this the the the program >> So, is this the the the program management?
• programs.
• programs.
• program.
• . programs. programs.

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• betterment of buildings program. betterment of buildings program.
• Uh the governor's Grant Program.
• And TED is a statewide program. infrastructure program or TED we're also infrastructure program or TED
• uh on this program. uh on this program.
• . program. program.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a client of the AIDS Drug Assistance Program. I'm a client of the AIDS Drug Assistance Program.
• Now, there are some 340B-type programs.
• The bill makes this program permanent.
• The bill makes this program permanent.
• The bill makes this program permanent, with a statewide program and expansion into more diverse areas

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services heard public comment on several health and human services funding concerns before moving through a series of bills. Testimony at the start focused on the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, with a client warning that proposed changes to eligibility and drug access could disrupt care for thousands of people living with HIV/AIDS, and urging the Legislature to intervene. Another speaker asked for support for the iBudget waiver, saying provider costs have risen and requesting about a 7% increase for direct support professionals to help stabilize the developmental disabilities workforce. The committee then unanimously reported favorably several bills. SB 428 expanded Florida’s swim lesson voucher program from children ages 0-4 to ages 1-7, based on drowning-prevention recommendations. SB 68 required hospitals with emergency departments to adopt pediatric emergency care policies, training, equipment standards, and readiness assessments; an amendment aligned reporting dates with the House version. SB 1718 changed the definition of when an adult visitor in an out-of-home placement becomes a non-visitor, reducing repeated background checks, made the Step Into Success pilot permanent, adjusted foster youth stipends, and created a best-practices program within the Florida Institute for Child Welfare. The committee also approved SB 606, which adds drowning-prevention and safe-bathing education to postpartum materials provided to new parents and requires hospitals and birthing centers to document compliance; members highlighted bathtub drownings as a key concern. SB 96 expanded eligibility for the Veterans Dental Care Grant Program to veterans up to 400% of the federal poverty level, while an amendment removed the bill’s specific appropriation so funding can be handled in the budget process. SB 340 required nursing students to complete a two-hour human trafficking course before taking the NCLEX. SB 1480 created a grandfathering process for certain health care providers in federally designated areas of critical need if an area is de-designated, to avoid disrupting patient-provider relationships. All bills were reported favorably, and the committee adjourned at the end of the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• providers who meet Minimum Program Assessment Composite scores.
• It was such a success that 50 states now model their programs after our original program.
• We don't want to see the program go away.
• To my knowledge, we're the only state that has put that into their IOTA program among the 40-plus programs
• This is a pilot program. This program will only be implemented in Hillsborough County.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Medicaid program.
• <01:47:03.520> that program and and that is a program that program and and that is a program
• and the progress of the program.
• and the progress of the program.
• program and the progress of the program program and the progress of the program it<01:58:02.079>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting began as a Division 3 work session on HB 71, but much of the early discussion focused on whether a previously discussed non-germane amendment could be considered or voted on that day. Members and the chair debated process and notice requirements, and the clerk’s guidance was that the amendment needed a separate public hearing before the full Finance Committee. The amendment was described as requiring DHHS contracts and addenda to include compliance with the Patient Bill of Rights, with a repeal date so the requirement would expire on November 30, 2026. The motion to move OTP on HB 71 with the amendment was withdrawn, and the committee agreed the amendment would be scheduled for a future full Finance hearing instead. The committee then turned to HB 71 itself and heard testimony from DHHS representatives John Williams and Jenny O’Higgins on the fiscal note and policy implications. Members questioned the estimate that the bill could put $12 million to $18 million per year in federal funding at risk, including HUD and Office of Refugee Resettlement funds. DHHS explained that the estimate was based on a broad reading of the bill’s term “specified alien,” which they said was not clearly defined in the bill, so they analyzed it using the federal definition of “alien” and assumed the bill could affect lawfully present non-citizens as well as undocumented individuals. They said the figure represented a worst-case scenario and that they were not claiming the loss was certain. Members also pressed DHHS on whether the bill could affect emergency sheltering in schools, public academies, or institutions of higher learning during disasters. DHHS said the language could create conflicts with federal funding conditions because emergency shelter programs generally cannot impose barriers on who may be sheltered, and they warned that excluding certain people could affect refugee-related and HUD funding. Questions were raised about whether the bill’s language would apply to private institutions as well as public ones, and whether the state could still use schools in short-term emergencies. DHHS said the language was broad, that they could not answer every legal question definitively, and that they would need input from public health and legal staff. No final vote on HB 71 was taken in the portion provided; the committee remained in discussion/work session mode after the amendment motion was withdrawn.

Transcript Highlights:

• FIRST WILL TAKE UP TAB ONE A PROGRAM REVIEW OF THE DISTRICT SUPPORT PROGRAMS AS PART OF OUR REVIEW OF
• AND THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM OF THE FLORIDA PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM IS TO SPECIFICALLY DELIVER TEACHER
• OUR RURAL DISTRICTS ARE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAMS.
• THEY ARE TWO DIFFERENT PROGRAMS.
• LET'S DEVELOP A PROGRAM ALONG THOSE NEEDS.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• :47.000> program<00:14:47.279> to<00:14:47.440> provide Hawaii promise program to
• that as they who utilize the program that as they exit<00:25:57.039> the<00:25:57.240> program
• national accreditation for that program national accreditation for that program the<01:05:47.200
• Right, so this particular program, I do have a researcher with me that is part of that program.
• I'm Kevin Ramirez, the program manager for the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawaii, a program of the

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Higher Education met at the University of Hawaiʻi’s Bachman Hall and heard testimony on several UH-related bills. HB 542 would expand the Hawaiʻi Promise Program to provide unmet-need scholarships at four-year UH campuses. UH system officials, the UH Student Caucus, and a Honolulu Community College student testified in support, emphasizing college affordability, student retention, and workforce needs. Committee members asked about current program data, eligibility, transfer patterns, and cost; UH said it had data available, noted about 10% of current Hawaiʻi Promise students transfer to four-year campuses, and estimated the full expansion would cost about $12 million. UH also suggested a possible alternative of focusing on transfer opportunities from two-year to four-year campuses. The committee then heard HB 840, which concerns athletics appropriations for UH. UH Mānoa and UH Hilo supported the bill. UH officials said the funding would help cover recurring athletics operating costs, women’s sports travel and recruiting, Austin Awards, and a new nutrition fueling station, while Hilo said the money would help with travel, per diem, and conference-related costs. Members asked about the history of the athletics funding, the difference between Austin Awards and special talent waivers, NIL planning, and whether the appropriation should be restored to the base budget. UH explained that a $4 million athletics appropriation was originally made in 2018 or 2019, later removed from the base, and has been reappropriated annually since then. Finally, the committee heard HB 842, which would fund three additional permanent mental health practitioner positions at UH Mānoa’s Counseling and Student Development Center. UH supported the bill, and Academic Labor United and a high school student testified in favor, citing student stress, overwork, and the need for more counseling access. In questions, members discussed the current counselor-to-student ratio, recruitment challenges in a tight labor market, and strategies for hiring, including looking at candidates on soft-money grants who may be seeking stable employment. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• and **$8.3 billion** matching federal funds for the Medi-Cal program.
• **$6.24 billion** was to meet cash flow needs, so the Medi-Cal program, unlike many other programs, runs
• I would say that Medi-Cal is one of those programs, and we are looking at several programs that are also
• This is for program costs. And again, cash flow needs.
• Changes to the program were occurring at the same time.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• funded new program this program was funded new program this program was funded through<00:09:45.839
• MTA members have participated in the grant program for the entire 10 years of the program.
• MTA members have participated in the grant program for the entire 10 years of the program.
• MTA members have participated in the grant program for the entire 10 years of the program.
• programs like the line extension program programs like the line extension program in<00:48:12.440

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• To date, it has really worked for some programs, and I think as we talk about moving from pilot programs
• I not only see these as sister programs, but highly complementary programs.
• into five associate degree programs.
• In 1893 a two-year program was created since its founding in 1893 a two-year program was created at UMass
• nutrition program.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Higher Education held its first hearing and heard testimony on a wide range of bills, including hunger-free campuses, FAFSA completion, early college/college-in-high-school programs, banning legacy preferences, AP credit consistency, and tuition equity for the Stockbridge School of Agriculture. Committee leaders opened by outlining the hearing process and noting the three-minute testimony limit. Legislators and advocates generally framed the bills as equity and access measures aimed at improving college affordability, student success, and workforce development. Representative Vargas testified for H. 1466 and H. 1467, arguing that hunger-free campus should be codified because many public college and community college students face food insecurity, and that FAFSA completion should be improved through individualized outreach and an opt-out or completion requirement. Senator Lovely, the Greater Boston Food Bank, and other advocates supported the hunger-free campus bill, citing data that 44% of public university and community college students experienced food insecurity in 2023 and that food insecurity harms graduation rates. Femi Stoltz and Shanti Lopez Toro backed the FAFSA bill, saying many students miss out on Pell grants and need direct support; they pointed to state examples such as Louisiana and to recent state action requiring FAFSA awareness. Committee members asked about the federal FAFSA rollout, regional equity in food access, and the need for long-term funding and data collection. A large panel supported H. 1455 on college and high school/early college, including former Chair Roy, the Massachusetts Alliance for Early College, a student graduate, MBAE, and Tripp Jones. They described early college as a proven model that helps low-income and first-generation students, improves degree attainment, and supports workforce needs; witnesses said the goal is to scale from about 9,000 students and 55 partnerships toward 22,000 to 25,000 students by 2030, with possible future growth beyond that. Members raised questions about funding, public-private partnerships, parental involvement, faculty development, and whether the bill should include data review and more standardized policies across institutions. Representative Garcia also testified for H. 1432 on AP credit, saying students should receive consistent credit for AP scores of 3, 4, or 5. Senator Edwards and James Murphy testified for the legacy preference ban, arguing it is unfair and rooted in exclusionary history; they said some states have already banned legacy preferences in public and private institutions. Finally, UMass Dean Michael Fox, alumnus Dan Mayer, and student Jake Rasmussen supported S. 920 to include Stockbridge associate degree programs in MassEducate, saying tuition equity would help enrollment and support Massachusetts agriculture and green-industry jobs.

Transcript Highlights:

• accreditation of certain postsecondary secondary education institutions in the state of certain programs
• Education HB 1706 by Garcia Bay relating to the additional requirements of individualized education programs
• Grant program for the Committee on Culture and Recreation and Tourism.
• pre-kindergarten programs at public schools for the Committee on Public Education.
• HB 2395 by Dutton relating to the grant program to provide a public-school pre-kindergarten programs

Transcript Highlights:

• Holcomb: I LOVE THIS PROGRAM.
• YOUR PROGRAM, WHEN THE CHILDREN GET INTO THE PROGRAM IN A NEW SCHOOL, COMMUNITY, OR STATE YOUR PROGRAM
• WE ALSO OF THE JOBS ARE IN THE GRANT PROGRAM.
• AS PART OF THE SKILL PROGRAM.
• THERE ARE SOME GREAT PROGRAMS OUT THERE LIKE SPOON TO AND ANCHOR THROUGH LIFE AND I BELIEVE THESE PROGRAMS