Video & Transcript : 'funding challenges' :

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CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Health Committee Jun 24th, 2026

Health

Transcript Highlights:
  • I also understand the challenges of our community colleges.
  • As a large purchaser, self-funding allows for... ...fee-for-service payment model.
  • I think that the challenge that the hospital has is, you know... ...situation.
  • So it again illustrates this challenge.
  • As such, this continued care is often challenging to access.
Committee: Senate Health
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections Feb 16th, 2026 at 08:30 am

State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections

Transcript Highlights:
  • First, it amends how challengers may challenge another voter's registration.
  • Additionally, the challenger must file a separate voter registration challenge form and signed affidavit
  • challenge.
  • Even though most challenges fail, notifications of a registration challenge can deter eligible voters
  • The practice of voter challenges has been on the rise.
MA
Transcript Highlights:
  • But we've got to fund it. You have to fund it. But usually we get that first funding year.
  • Now, last year, we got a second funding year.
  • consolidation's about funding.
  • That's a challenge.
  • They rise to the challenge of doing the right thing. And I think that's a challenge...
Summary: The meeting was the third public session of the Special Commission on Correctional Consolidation and Collaboration. Members introduced themselves, and the commission approved the prior meeting minutes. The main presentation came from the Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association, led by several sheriffs, who described the role of sheriffs’ offices as independently elected county institutions that operate jails and houses of correction, regional lockups, civil process, 911 communications in some counties, school resource officers, and investigative units. They emphasized that most of their population is pretrial, that admissions and releases are far higher than the Department of Correction’s, and that their facilities now house more people overall than DOC despite having a smaller budget. The sheriffs argued that their work has shifted toward rehabilitation, reentry, and public health, highlighting extensive programming in mental health, substance use treatment, medication-assisted treatment, education, vocational training, and gender-specific, trauma-informed services. They said standardized risk/needs assessments and better funding would help make services more consistent across counties. They also described specialized units and models such as regional evaluation and stabilization units, older-adult housing, emerging adult and gang-intervention programs, and reentry centers that connect people to housing, employment, family support, and community services. Several examples were cited, including Suffolk’s Project Evolve, Middlesex’s older-adult unit, Hampden’s MAGIC program, Worcester’s STOP program, and county reentry centers across the state. A major theme was that these programs are expensive but, in the sheriffs’ view, reduce recidivism and improve safety by stabilizing people before release and supporting them afterward. They pointed to COVID-19 as a period when sheriffs adapted facilities for quarantine and medical care, and said they continue to work with public health partners. They also stressed that their facilities are heavily audited by state and federal agencies and that maintaining humane, safe conditions requires significant staffing and operating costs. Commission members responded favorably at points, noting the importance of the turnover in sheriff populations and the need to understand the different correctional mission compared with DOC. The meeting ended with discussion of future commission dates and a note that the presentation materials would be shared electronically.
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Human Services Committee Apr 6th, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • There simply aren’t providers in our area, so accessing in-person services has become a real challenge
  • Because of remote service, So accessing in-person services has become a real challenge for us.
  • We cannot solve today's challenges with yesterday's framework.
  • Recognizing the unique challenges that veterans face after service, SB 1201 does three things.
  • This bill is a stability mechanism, not a funding enhancement.
Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on disability services, food security, veterans, aging services, and child care. SB 969 by Senator Reyes would make permanent the option for Californians with intellectual and developmental disabilities to receive certain regional center services remotely; supporters said remote services improve access, continuity, safety, and choice, and there was no opposition. The committee initially lacked a quorum, so action on the bill was delayed until later in the hearing, when it was moved on a 4-0 vote to Appropriations. SB 1025 by Senator Hurtado would create an Office of Food Security and Affordability to coordinate state food programs, improve CalFresh enrollment, reduce duplication, and support a 24-hour hunger hotline; supporters framed it as a coordination and strategic-planning measure, while some members questioned whether existing programs should be evaluated first and whether the bill needed stronger reporting and accountability. It passed 3-0 to Governmental Organization. The committee also heard SB 1052 by Senator Gonzalez, which would allow the State Council on Developmental Disabilities to appoint contingent authorized representatives so people with developmental disabilities are not left without support if a parent or other primary helper becomes unavailable. Supporters, including families and disability advocates, described emergencies, immigration enforcement fears, and service interruptions as reasons for the bill; members asked about the current approval and renewal process and whether the annual renewal requirement could be streamlined. The bill passed 3-0 to Appropriations. SB 1077, also by Senator Gonzalez, would require the Department of Social Services to prepare for future federal shutdowns by creating a communications and contingency plan for CalFresh disruptions and a state-backed emergency benefits mechanism; supporters cited the 43-day federal shutdown and delays in benefits, and the bill passed 4-0 to Appropriations. Other measures discussed included SB 1201 by Senator McNerney, the No Hungry Heroes Act, which would seek waivers and direct referrals to protect veterans from federal SNAP changes and job-search-related income calculations; it passed 3-0 to Military and Veterans Affairs. SB 1261 by Senator Laird would let aging and disability resource connections continue operating during partner transitions so people do not lose access to “no wrong door” services; it passed 3-0 to Appropriations. SB 1110 by Senator Becker would update child care subsidy funding and reimbursement structures to better reflect direct family services and stabilize providers; the author said a provision tied to the budget would be removed, and the bill passed 4-0 to Education. Finally, SB 991 by Senator Menjivar was presented to improve how abuse and neglect findings in residential care facilities for the elderly are categorized in the licensing database, so serious abuse is not lumped together with lesser violations; testimony described examples of sexual assault and restraint being recorded as generic residents’ rights violations.
NH
Transcript Highlights:
  • . fund. fund.
  • But we do have our challenges.
  • But we do have our challenges.
  • But we do have our challenges.
  • But we do have our challenges.
Summary: The committee discussed House Bill 185, which would amend RSA 3109 to add timelines for OPLC’s complaint review and investigation process. Members reviewed the existing five-year limitation period for misconduct complaints and noted that the bill would add a 30-day deadline for the office to make a recommendation to the board and a 90-day deadline to complete investigations. Some members raised concerns that the new deadlines could conflict with the existing statute of limitations, create pressure to dismiss cases too quickly, and potentially undermine the separation between OPLC’s investigative role and the boards’ adjudicatory role established by House Bill 655. Nicholas Fry, OPLC general counsel, testified that the agency’s fiscal note originally assumed it would need roughly double its staff to meet the proposed deadlines, though a later amendment reduced that estimate somewhat. He said OPLC would still need additional personnel, including investigatory paralegals and a physician investigator for the Board of Medicine, to meet the timeframes. He also explained OPLC’s current complaint and hearing procedures, including new consumer-friendly correspondence, website guidance, and efforts by the enforcement division to improve transparency and communication with complainants and licensees. Bob Quinn of the New Hampshire Association of Realtors testified in support of the bill’s basic goal of speeding up intake and investigation, saying the 30-day intake/review period was reasonable and that the bill would not change OPLC’s role in that first step. He argued, however, that the investigation step is where delays occur, especially for lower-priority complaints, and that some cases have remained unresolved for years. Committee members also questioned how the added staffing costs would be paid, with discussion of whether they would come from license fees or the general fund. No vote or final action was taken in the portion of the meeting provided.
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Floor Session Mar 10th, 2026

Washington House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • The good gentleman from the 34th listed off a set of priorities that could be funded in the general fund
  • Fund. However, Mr.
  • I say some of these funds, because we're not talking about a majority of the funds raised through this
  • Right into the general fund. Mr. Speaker, you don't have to be... Right into the general fund. Mr.
  • Because we have a challenge.
Summary: The House debated a series of amendments to a major income tax bill, with repeated arguments over tax fairness, affordability, administrative feasibility, and the role of the Department of Revenue. Early motions to reconsider a failed child care amendment were rejected, and Amendment 2561, which would have restricted data sharing with the IRS, was also defeated after debate over privacy, federal relationships, and whether the proposal was administrable. Amendment 2579, which would have required annual reporting on the tax’s effects on filers, businesses, and charitable donations, likewise failed, with supporters emphasizing transparency and opponents arguing DOR was not the right agency and the report was too speculative. Amendment 2598, proposing to use half of new revenue for a broad sales tax cut, was rejected despite arguments that it would reduce regressivity and provide immediate relief; Amendment 2556, expanding sales tax exemptions for diapers and other child-care essentials to include adult diapers and earlier implementation, also failed after debate over scope and timing.
HI

Hawaii 2025 Regular Session

FIN/WAM Joint Info Briefing - Tue Jan 21, 2025 @ 1:00 PM HST

Hawaii House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • </c><00:07:08.120><c> for</c> concerned about our our uh funding for concerned about our our uh funding
  • ensure eligibility for various programs and funding sources to address gaps in state funding.
  • ensure eligibility for various programs and funding sources to address gaps in state funding.
  • gaps in state funding our third address gaps in state funding our third priority<00:20:38.400><c> is
  • We have the Rental Housing Revolving Fund, the DIRF fund.
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Rules Committee Jan 21st, 2026

Rules

Transcript Highlights:
  • Because, again, it's a challenge, but it's not just our challenge.
  • They had the same challenge. They have the same challenge.
  • Because, again, it's a challenge, but it's not just our challenge.
  • They had the same challenge. They have the same challenge. of conversations with Texas.
  • They have the same challenge. They have the same challenge.
Committee: Senate Rules
Summary: The committee first handled several routine items, approving three gubernatorial appointees not required to appear: Hampus Eitsiter to the Boating and Waterways Commission, Peter Stern to the California Horse Racing Board, and Dean White to the State Mining and Geology Board. It also approved referral of bills to committees and floor acknowledgements, all by 5-0 votes. The committee then heard Tyler Sadwith’s appointment as Chief Deputy Director of Healthcare Programs at the Department of Health Care Services. Sadwith said his priorities would be protecting Medi-Cal access amid federal changes and continuing CalAIM and behavioral health reforms. Senators questioned him extensively about rural and financially distressed hospitals, Medi-Cal reimbursement, eligibility redeterminations, work requirements, fraud controls, dental access, labor and delivery closures, and CalAIM’s evaluation. He said DHCS is working on expedited payments, hospital monitoring, county technical assistance, targeted audits, and community supports such as medically tailored meals. Public commenters from county, hospital, and care organizations supported his confirmation, and the committee voted 5-0 to send the appointment to the full Senate. The committee also heard from Dr. Chris Thayer, nominated to lead the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Thayer described OEHHA’s role as providing transparent, scientifically rigorous health assessments and risk communication to inform other agencies and policymakers. Senators focused on the agency’s use of models versus real-world data, CalEnviroScreen, Prop 65, PFAS, wildfire health impacts, and how OEHHA communicates risk to the public. Thayer said the office relies on a mix of data sources where direct evidence is limited, is updating CalEnviroScreen, and is working to reduce Prop 65 over-warning through guidance and outreach. The discussion did not reach a final vote on his appointment in the portion provided.
NH
Transcript Highlights:
  • So state scholarship funds are federal and state funds.
  • federal funds.
  • federal funds.
  • federal funds.
  • federal funds.
Summary: The meeting opened without a quorum, so approval of the prior draft minutes was deferred until later. The committee then heard a DHS update from Commissioner Lori Weaver and COO David Weers, who described the recent flood at the Brown building and the relocation of nearly 400 DHS staff while operations are restored. They also outlined New Hampshire Care Connections, a privacy- and consent-focused closed-loop referral platform intended to improve referrals among providers, reduce duplication, and support continuity of care, with an Upper Valley implementation partnered with Dartmouth Health and an Epic integration already underway. Members asked whether the system would merge medical records or simply track referrals. DHS said it is not intended to store or transmit full medical records, but to integrate with providers’ electronic health record systems so referrals can be sent, received, and tracked, with consent controls limiting what information can be shared. Officials said the project will be tested over the coming months, with metrics, governance, and advisory committee oversight, and that it is tied to broader rural health transformation efforts and statewide implementation after the regional pilot. The committee also received the annual report from the Child Care Advisory Council. Maryanne Barter and Jessica Carver said the council worked with licensing to streamline the child care licensing rules, reducing the handbook by about 30%, and is now helping develop an informal dispute resolution process, revising the Granite Steps for Quality system, and creating a clearer handbook for providers handling state scholarship audits. They reported ongoing concern about child care closures and workforce shortages, said there is currently no wait list for child care assistance, and discussed questions about federal CCDF immunization requirements, which DHS said it would follow up on with federal technical assistance partners. After quorum was established, the committee moved to approve the minutes from the prior meeting.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Floor Session - Part 3 - 05/17/26

Minnesota Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • It also introduces a modernization fund, and that will become a mechanism for adding funding to it to
  • The psilocybin funding federal funding request that we passed out, we also add to that a direction to
  • RECEIVED 33% OF THE TOTAL FUNDS.
  • back from the Conservation Fund.
  • FUNDING IS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED.
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Committee on Climate Change and Global Warming Jun 21st, 2026 at 12:00 pm

Senate Committee on Climate Change and Global Warming

Transcript Highlights:
  • And then a breakdown of your federal funds that you had, if you've lost federal funds, and how that's
  • Yes, so I just wanted to comment on federal funding, where federal funding is a very, very unpredictable
  • ' efforts, and federal funding, too.
  • And in terms of dairy, making sure that a fund that's on the books for milk producers, that those funds
  • I don't know. ...or that a fund that's on the books for milk producers, that those funds, we needed a
Summary: The committee held a hearing on natural and working lands, carbon sequestration, and related provisions in Governor Healey’s $3 billion Mass Ready Act. EEA officials described the bill’s investments in flooding, land protection, tree planting, wetlands restoration, biodiversity, dams, seawalls, and coastal resilience, along with permitting reforms intended to speed ecological restoration projects. They also outlined current programs on resilient lands, healthy soils, forest climate solutions, forest reserves, and urban tree planting, and said the administration expects natural and working lands to offset up to 7 million metric tons of residual emissions by 2050, while acknowledging that additional strategies will be needed to close the gap to the state’s 10-million-ton offset target. Committee members pressed EEA on the cost of reaching the 30% conservation-by-2030 goal, the loss of a federal USDA grant of about $22 million, the adequacy of current sequestration estimates, and whether the state should consider regional approaches or statutory changes. EEA said current state conservation spending has been about $35 million to $40 million annually, that the Mass Ready Act is intended to help double the pace of conservation, and that federal funding remains uncertain. Senators also raised concerns about PILOT payments for state-owned land, the management of state forests, and the proposed Chapter 91 general license for restoration projects. EEA said the bill’s forest reserve language is meant to create a more durable designation process while still allowing limited active management. Advocates from The Nature Conservancy and Mass Audubon supported stronger investment in land conservation and restoration, saying natural and working lands are a cost-effective climate strategy that also provides biodiversity, water quality, and public health benefits. They urged passage of legislation to increase funding, improve PILOT equity, and strengthen land-use planning and mitigation requirements. They also backed removing Chapter 91 licensing requirements for ecological restoration, arguing that the current process adds cost and delay. In a later panel, a forest scientist and an urban forestry advocate emphasized the carbon and cooling benefits of mature trees, called for greater protection of older forests, and supported bills to expand municipal reforestation and modernize public shade tree law. No votes were taken during the hearing.
ND

North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Government Finance Committee Mar 19th, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • The next fund is the Foundation Aid Stabilization Fund, which is funded from a portion of oil and gas
  • There is an appropriation from that fund for the school K-12 funding formula.
  • Chairman, the last fund listed is the Strategic Investment and Improvements Fund.
  • from the agencies are put back into the fleet fund to run that fund.
  • tax distribution fund, and 25% into the flexible transportation fund.
Summary: The Government Finance Committee met with new leadership, approved the December 11 minutes, and received a series of informational updates on the state’s finances and related policy issues. The Office of Management and Budget reported the general fund is tracking very close to forecast, with revenues about $2 million above forecast and an estimated ending balance of about $397 million, higher than previously expected. OMB also reviewed balances in major funds, including the budget stabilization fund, legacy fund, foundation aid stabilization fund, social services fund, and strategic investment and improvements fund, and answered questions about oil tax revenues and fund management. The Tax Department provided updates on taxable sales and purchases by county and industry, noting Cass County as the largest county by taxable sales and that retail trade remains the largest industry sector. Tax Commissioner Brian Kroshus also discussed the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act and its estimated effects on North Dakota income tax collections, explaining that the projected revenue impacts are measured against a 2025 baseline and that some provisions are temporary while others are permanent. He also reported that primary residence tax credit applications were running ahead of last year, with more than 154,000 received so far and an expectation of roughly 160,000-plus applications. The committee also heard fee-study presentations from the Department of Transportation and the Information Technology Department. DOT explained that driver’s license fees cover only about half of program costs and that the shortfall is subsidized by the highway fund, while also noting recent changes such as the blackout plate and motor vehicle excise tax distribution changes. NDIT described its internal service fund model, current billing structure, and possible future changes to simplify invoices and billing frequency. Legislative staff also updated the committee on office space needs in Bismarck-Mandan and on legislative branch space planning, and subcommittees reported progress on fixed-route transit funding and regional jail capacity, including a visit to the Burleigh-Morton detention facility and discussion of future prison bed needs. No formal votes or legislative actions beyond approving the minutes were taken, and the committee adjourned with its next meeting set for June 25.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Health Finance and Policy Committee 3/25/26

Health Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • </c> we'd be challenged with. we'd be challenged with. Go<00:28:46.960><c> ahead.
  • And we to the health care access fund.
  • </c> keeping it in fi- funneling those funds keeping it in fi- funneling those funds to<00:42:34.960>
  • </c> state budget [clears throat] challenges state budget [clears throat] challenges and<00:51:22.440
  • Go ahead, please. bill to continue the council's funding bill to continue the council's funding for<01
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Energy Committee Meeting - 2025-03-25

Energy Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • We also have $1,000,000 for the general fund.
  • You know, I know it's a kind of a duality potential from how the fund is spent, whether it's RDA funds
  • or general funds.
  • So for this year, I think we're expecting full funding.
  • It's a challenging budget year.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Elections Mar 6th, 2025

Elections

Transcript Highlights:
  • I will say, though, that the 2024 elections were not without their challenges.
  • This has created some challenging situations.
  • And we do have funding from the legislature.
  • Somebody's holding an election, or they're making a challenge.
  • And the challenge was rejected.
Committee: House Elections
WA
Transcript Highlights:
  • And that those funds would be put toward two different aspects of the process.
  • The wildfire fund work will be taken up in week two.
  • Providing funding...
  • Overall, though, there is less funding to address a growing need in that space.
  • And then finally, commercial access funding for technical assistance to retailers.
Summary: The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee opened its 2026 session with committee housekeeping, member introductions, and a reminder that schedules are set a week in advance and amendments must be submitted by the prior day’s deadlines. Chair Reeves emphasized solution-oriented, collaborative, and respectful participation, then outlined that the committee would focus on three interim reports relevant to its work this session: municipal water efficiency, ecosystem services, and food policy. The first presentation, from the William D. Ruckelshaus Center and WSU, reviewed Washington’s municipal water efficiency statute and regulation. Presenters said interviewees largely agreed on the need for better data collection, more technical assistance for smaller systems, and more state funding for both agency staffing and water system infrastructure. Most opposed shifting oversight of the conservation program from the Department of Health to Ecology, and the report recommended keeping oversight at DOH while improving collaboration across agencies and tribes. The presenters also urged broader statewide water planning, more consistent reporting using the AWWA water audit method instead of leakage percentage, re-evaluating the 500-connection threshold, and addressing outdoor water use, rebates, reuse, and public education. Members asked about creating a new office for water oversight, but the presenters said that idea was generally viewed as too costly and impractical under current budget conditions. DNR then presented its 2025 ecosystem services work group report. The department described ecosystem services markets it studied, including regulatory and voluntary forest carbon, avoided wildfire emissions, and water leasing, with lower potential identified for blue carbon, biodiversity, and water quality markets. DNR said about 15,000 acres of state forest land may have carbon-market potential, but emphasized that the analysis was broad and not project-specific, so the report recommends pilots, continued market monitoring, use of third-party developers, and clarification of authority through House Bill 2170. Committee members asked about economic feasibility, timber tradeoffs, and how success would be defined, and DNR said those questions would be better addressed in future, more detailed project-level work. The final presentation covered the Food Policy Forum’s 2025 report to the legislature. Speakers described broad consensus recommendations on food security, local foods in schools, farm-to-food-bank programs, a state farm bill, commercial access, and food system infrastructure. They highlighted pressures on agriculture from development, flooding, drought, water shortages, and the need to preserve farmland and support farmers, food banks, and local procurement systems. The committee chair thanked the presenters and noted that several related bills and policy proposals would be heard later in session. No votes were taken; the meeting concluded after the presentations and brief member questions.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Higher Education Mar 4th, 2025

Higher Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • Funding is also important.
  • Research Support Fund.
  • , additional funding, and old funding.
  • program. funding.
  • That is a huge opportunity for TWU and Texas to leverage state funding with federal funding.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Committee on State and Local Government - Part 2 - 03/27/26

State and Local Government

Transcript Highlights:
  • These challenges extend beyond cost.
  • </c> These challenges extend beyond cost. These challenges extend beyond cost.
  • If the challenge for this bill, and it doesn't talk about price, but the challenge for this bill is what
  • </c> continue to qualify for state funding. continue to qualify for state funding.
  • </c> to withhold funds if we identify fraud. to withhold funds if we identify fraud.
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Transportation Oct 16th, 2025

Transcript Highlights:
  • Because of the revenues that you increased in the last session, you should have enough funding to fund
  • Here's funding, create a program, find places, award the funding, come back and report to you.
  • Funding first, projects after, or projects first, funding after, are two different timelines for the
  • Funding first projects and decide who receives the funding. That's true for any option.
  • But again, these are all what's funded below the funding line, or what is available to be funded as we
Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee met on October 16, 2025, for a budget and revenue overview, a traffic safety presentation, and a discussion of potential transit and active transportation grant programs. Committee staff reviewed the adopted 2025-27 transportation budget, noting $15.5 billion in expenditures, the large share for WSDOT, and the mix of revenue sources including fuel tax, vehicle-related fees, federal funds, Climate Commitment Act revenue, and new 2025 revenues from SB 5801 and SB 5802. Staff said the 2025 session produced a balanced four-year plan, preserved major project schedules, maintained highway preservation funding, and added money for culverts, local preservation, and other priorities. They also described a September forecast showing lower motor fuel consumption than previously expected, but still enough revenue growth to keep the transportation plan balanced. For the 2026 supplemental, staff said agency requests were relatively modest overall, with most capital requests reflecting reappropriations and timing shifts rather than new projects, while WSDOT’s addendum identified much larger future needs for maintenance, preservation, paving, culverts, and safety work. Senators asked for more detail on how revenues are distributed by fund type and geography, how much of the maintenance and preservation request is actual maintenance versus equipment, whether paving needs could be supported through bonding, and how electric vehicle sales trends might affect forecasts. The committee then heard a remote presentation from Dr. Jessica Chikino of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety on traffic safety trends and countermeasures. She said U.S. traffic fatalities have risen sharply over the past decade, with especially large increases for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists, and argued that the U.S. lags other high-income countries in roadway safety. Her presentation highlighted IIHS’s “30 by 30” goal to reduce fatalities 30% by 2030 through safer speeds, stronger impaired-driving countermeasures, better pedestrian protection, and safer commercial vehicles. She discussed research linking higher speed limits to higher fatality risk, the benefits of lower urban speed limits, speed safety cameras, traffic calming, lighting, pedestrian beacons, and safer intersection design. She also described ongoing work with Bellevue on smart signal technology and pedestrian safety pilots. Committee members thanked her for the presentation and said they would share the materials with others. In the final work session, the committee revisited transit and active transportation grant concepts that had been included in the Senate budget proposal but did not advance in 2025. Barb Chamberlain of WSDOT’s Active Transportation Division explained how grant programs need runway, staff capacity, applicant readiness, and clear criteria, and compared program design to getting a plane off the ground. She discussed the proposed Senior Transportation Emphasis Program and regional trails/cycle highways concepts, noting that some projects could be structured as funding-first programs while others would work better as project-line or project-first models. She said regional trail projects are already eligible under existing programs but often score lower because current criteria emphasize safety and population served. Justin Leighton of the Washington State Transit Association then reviewed transit grant programs and argued that transit safety and security needs remain underfunded, including operator barriers, lighting, shelters, behavioral health coordination, and non-uniformed security staff. He said many transit capital programs are oversubscribed, that operator barrier retrofits alone could cost $20 million to $30 million, and that agencies face uncertainty about how recent sales tax changes apply to security-related contracts. No votes were taken during the meeting.
NM

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

IC - Legislative Health and Human Services Jul 21st, 2025

Legislative Health & Human Services Committee

Transcript Highlights:
  • And really quickly, are you just getting state funding or is that federal funding as well?
  • Quickly say, the other rural funding, our social work students are being rejected to receive those funds
  • Before the current federal funding cuts, it wasn't funded in the next five-year renewal cycle, so we
  • Or in the budgeted funds that you are referencing in the final bullet? Medicaid funds are involved.
  • And so we fund based on the funding formula.