Transcript Highlights:

• soldiers come to me who were, while deployed, their spouses are in immigration proceedings to be deported
• Many immigrants serve, and many of the people who are deported...
• soldiers come to me who were, while deployed, their spouses are in immigration proceedings to be deported
• Many immigrants serve, many, many of the people who deported.
• Many immigrants serve, many, many of the people who deported. ...is not separate from veterans' lives

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Summary: The Joint Committee on Ways and Means held an FY27 Health and Human Services budget hearing in Mattapan, hosted at the Boston Public Library branch. Chairs Lydia Edwards and Russell Holmes, along with Rep. Brandy Fluker-Reid, emphasized the significance of holding the first Ways and Means hearing ever in Mattapan and highlighted the importance of bringing state budget deliberations into a majority-Black neighborhood. Several legislators introduced themselves as they joined, and the committee noted that public testimony was not part of the format, though agencies were invited to discuss priorities and challenges. MassAbility opened the agency testimony. Leadership described the agency’s mission to support people with disabilities through employment, training, home and community life services, and disability determination. They said Governor Healey’s FY27 budget funds MassAbility at $93.3 million, a 1% reduction from FY26, and explained that the agency is responding to federal funding uncertainty and shifting program needs by redesigning services internally. Members questioned a proposed $1.3 million reduction to the Home Care Program, staffing changes, and whether services could be maintained with fewer resources. MassAbility said it was reviewing data on who uses the program, that it does not provide nursing or personal care, and that it is working with a transition plan and a working group. The agency also discussed federal uncertainty around vocational rehabilitation funding and said it had received delayed federal awards but remained in contact with national associations and federal partners. The testimony included a personal story from a participant, Joshua Corcoran, to illustrate the impact of services. The Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing testified next, requesting $11.27 million, about a 6% increase over FY26. The commission said it serves about 1.4 million residents and focuses on communication access in health care, courts, public safety, and other public systems. It highlighted interpreter and captioner workforce shortages, a mentorship program to expand the provider pool, and a modernized referral platform funded through capital contingency money. Members asked about interpreter availability, after-hours emergency coverage, ASL access for students and families, and training for police and emergency responders. The commission said staffing remains limited, especially for after-hours services, but that it is expanding training, school outreach, and partnerships with DCF and other agencies. The Massachusetts Commission for the Blind then presented its FY27 budget request of $30.8 million. The commissioner said the agency serves nearly 9,000 legally blind residents, provides training and peer support, and placed 190 consumers in competitive integrated employment this year. It also described services for older adults, vocational rehabilitation, and the Turning 22 program for young adults with additional disabilities. Members raised concerns about a 7% cut from the prior year and asked how the agency could maintain services; the commissioner said the agency had no waiting list, had trimmed overhead, and could manage the budget through internal efficiencies and strong partnerships. The Office for Refugees and Immigrants closed the session, describing expanded legal and support services for immigrants and refugees, including Know Your Rights trainings, the Massachusetts Access to Counsel Initiative, citizenship and financial literacy programs, and the Family Welcome Center in Mattapan. Members asked about federal funding losses and the structure of the new legal services program; ORI said FY26 funding is stable but FY27 federal cuts remain uncertain, and that the legal program uses a centralized intake system with priority for emergencies and first-come, first-served access.

Transcript Highlights:

• of Asian Americans here in the metro and across the state about the impact of ICE detaining and deporting
• Unsure how long he could tolerate jail, Alex considered signing papers to be deported.
• Unsure how long he could tolerate jail, Alex considered signing papers to be deported.
• so when workers believe that an interaction with law enforcement or a local jail could result in deportation
• When engagement with local law enforcement or a local jail can lead to deportation proceedings, immigrant

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• Whether you got deported, which I have students that have, or if you have students that haven't been
• Um, two have been deported.
• c><01:13:48.480><c> two</c><01:13:48.800><c> have</c><01:13:49.040><c> been</c><01:13:49.199><c> deported
• Um, two have been deported. will not be. Um, two have been deported.
• in my office who feared for their safety, of their parents and family members, if they were to be deported

Committee: House Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• immigration issues that even U.S. citizens, especially military people, are dealing with. ...are being deported
• If they crack down on your community, that is actually trying to deport you or get your status in court
• opposed to if they call their Congressperson in a racially gerrymandered map that is going to try to deport
• judicial warrant or prior conviction, zip-tying some of the women in the... family and the arrest and deportation
• Based on the color of their skin, our parents are being hunted and deported.

Committee: House Congressional Redistricting, Select

Transcript Highlights:

• Many are likely at risk of deportation and losing their health care under this bill.
• poor homeless and hungry, profit upon the sick and in need, turn in the immigrants and undocumented, deport
• Is it using protests of mass deportations as an excuse?
• Not knowing what tomorrow will bring, having to have a conversation about if my parents got deported,
• We were 48 hours away from being deported from this country. We were scared.

Transcript Highlights:

• images of kids in cages The man who brought us images of kids in cages is ripping families apart and deporting
• this week, the LA Times reported on a child in Bakersfield that is so medically fragile that a deportation
• They have followed all of the rules, and yet they are still being targeted for deportation.
• When parents worry about dropping their kids off at school might result in a deportation, they don't
• It's trying to deport a four-year-old child that came here legally and could die within days.

Summary: The Assembly met on May 23, 2025, established a quorum after a roll call, and proceeded through a long House of Origin floor session with prayers, the Pledge of Allegiance, and routine parliamentary actions. Early in the day, a motion by Assembly Member Gallagher to suspend the rules and take up AB 12 immediately failed on a 18-39 vote. The chamber then moved through the daily file, with many measures passing by wide margins, often with bipartisan support and little or no opposition. Among the notable bills discussed were measures on law enforcement oversight and records access (AB 847), CalFresh data-sharing exemptions (AB 593), campus-area housing for students and staff (AB 893), insurance and wildfire hardening updates (AB 1), missing middle housing code changes (AB 6), tribal peace officer status in a pilot program (AB 31), utility bill analysis before new mandates (AB 61), fairgrounds funding (AB 258), Diwali as a state holiday (AB 268), labor and worker organizing rights (AB 288), algorithmic price-fixing and antitrust enforcement (AB 325), elections and jail voter information (AB 331), protections for judges and court personnel (AB 343 and AB 352), school construction procurement (AB 361), school-zone speed limits (AB 382), transit worker protections (AB 394), blue carbon coastal mitigation (AB 399), K-9 standards for law enforcement (AB 400), livestock carcass composting (AB 411), translation of housing materials (AB 413), immigrant educational rights notices (AB 419), gun violence restraining order implementation (AB 451), special education and child care measures (AB 560 and AB 563), cannabis tax relief (AB 564), and disability access protections for businesses (AB 649). Several bills addressed housing, energy, public health, and public safety, and many authors emphasized affordability, transparency, and administrative efficiency. The session also included several ceremonial or recognition items, including ACR 73 declaring Italian American Heritage Month, which was adopted by voice vote after 65 coauthors were added. Most measures were approved overwhelmingly, though a few drew some dissent, including AB 421? no—AB 399 passed 42-30, AB 450 passed 49-6, AB 461 passed 49-8, and AB 621 passed 58-0. The transcript ends partway through AB 772, which was introduced as an educational equity bill addressing cyberbullying after school hours, but the remainder of that item is not included in the provided text.

Transcript Highlights:

• The man who brought us images of kids in cages is ripping families apart and deporting children.
• Just this week the LA Times reported on a child in Bakersfield that is so medically fragile that a deportation
• They have followed all of the rules and yet they are still being targeted for deportation.
• When parents worry about dropping their kids off at school might result in a deportation, they don't
• It's trying to deport a four-year-old child that came here legally and could die within days.

Transcript Highlights:

• Criminal illegal immigrants to be deported efficiently and effectively.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you want to come and pick him up and deport him, he’s here.”
• </c><01:43:10.280><c> We</c> immigration deportation we have him.
• We immigration deportation we have him.
• </c> "Do, that these people get deported before they are actually made to be convicted and do their time
• It seems to me that some of the counties are trying to deport people again before they're convicted and

Transcript Highlights:

• warrants on state soil, federal staffing changes and facility expansions, refugee relocations, and deportations
• expansions, refugee relocations facility expansions, refugee relocations and<00:51:39.359><c> deportations
• </c> and deportations. and deportations.

Summary: The committee opened a work session on 17 retained bills and moved through several measures, often with motions to ought to pass or inexpedient to legislate. House Bill 54, allowing alternative treatment centers to operate for profit, was supported as a way to improve efficiency and potentially lower costs for medical cannabis users, and it was recommended OTP by a 9-0 vote. House Bill 97, an appropriation for wastewater infrastructure, drew mixed views: supporters said the Senate’s reduced funding still met the bill’s intent, while opponents argued the funding was inadequate for critical infrastructure needs; the committee voted 5-4 to ITL. House Bill 111, extending the Right to Know Ombudsman and exempting certain assistance from unauthorized practice of law, was recommended ITL 9-0. House Bill 197, concerning state payment of a portion of local retirement contributions, was discussed as a recurring issue; members noted an amendment could fund it starting in fiscal 2027, but the committee ultimately voted 5-4 to recommend the bill itself rather than ITL. House Bill 215, requiring landfill permit applicants to submit a harms-and-benefits report, was amended to narrow its scope to future privately owned landfills only; the amendment and the bill as amended both passed 9-0. House Bill 216, on workers’ compensation credit toward retirement service, was ITL’d 9-0 after the sponsor said the proposal was too open-ended and could affect unknown numbers of people.

Transcript Highlights:

• His deportation affected our emotional peace.
• Deportation does not only move a person from a country to a country. It breaks apart families.
• His deportation affected our emotional peace.
• Deportation does not only move a person from a country to a country. It breaks apart families.
• Because the promises of a tyrant to mass deport 100 million people from this country, we all know what

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• conflicting with other records that still conflict with their records, and somebody who is ordered to be deported
• also has two other orders from court saying you're not supposed to be deported, and nobody knows what's

Bills: SB1099 , SB1896 , SB1980 , SB127 , SB614 , SB955 , SB1278 , SB1372 , SB1936 , SB1937 , SB2580 , SB2595 , SB2798

Committee: House Criminal Jurisprudence

Keywords: SB 1099, illegal alien, undocumented immigrant, unauthorized immigrant, immigration status, felony sentencing enhancement, criminal penalty increase, Texas Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, affirmative finding, judgment finding, deportation, public safety, immigration enforcement, sentencing reform, felony offense, first-degree felony, minimum sentence, Criminal Justice, Criminal Jurisprudence

Summary: The Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence met with a quorum and heard a series of Senate bills, generally receiving sponsor explanations and, in most cases, no public testimony. SB 2595 would create a Class B misdemeanor for harassing, threatening, or intimidating someone while intentionally concealing identity with a mask, with broad affirmative defenses for legitimate mask use; SB 1980 would increase penalties for assaulting peace officers, parole officers, and community supervision officers and add related presumptions and interference protections; and SB 1896 would require magistrates to issue emergency protective orders in certain family violence, sexual assault, stalking, and aggravated cases, with law enforcement required to provide needed information. All three were left pending. The committee also heard SB 955, which increases trafficking of persons from a second-degree to a first-degree felony when the victim was recruited from a correctional facility, and SB 614, which would let the Texas Forensic Science Commission refer dismissed complaints to the Office of Capital and Forensic Writs when they reference a prior FSC report; both were left pending. Members then heard several forensic and criminal procedure bills. SB 1372 would resolve a discovery/access conflict involving the DPS crime lab portal by limiting portal access to defense attorneys rather than defendants directly, prompting questions from members about access for pro se defendants; DPS’s chief crime lab witness testified neutrally. SB 1936 would change the LSD “abuse unit” definition for unmarked/unperforated paper from a square-measurement method to a 10-milligram weight standard, and SB 1937 would require a subject matter expert from the testing lab to participate in pretrial meetings in capital cases involving biological evidence to help identify viable testing and conserve resources. SB 2580 would lower the population threshold for sheriff’s departments to independently use tracking equipment and access certain communications from 3.3 million to 500,000, expanding the authority beyond Harris County; it was described as a public safety and emergency response measure and left pending. The committee also considered SB 2798, which would extend the statute of limitations for certain financial crimes from three years to seven years, with testimony from a Montgomery County assistant district attorney supporting the change because fraud is often discovered late. SB 1099 would increase penalties for felony offenses committed by undocumented or unauthorized aliens, but drew strong opposition from the Texas Civil Rights Project, which argued immigration is a federal matter and that the bill would create difficult and potentially unfair status determinations for local courts; members raised concerns about the lack of an expert-testimony requirement. SB 1278 would create an affirmative defense to prostitution prosecution for trafficking victims compelled by their traffickers to commit the conduct, and testimony from advocates and a member’s personal account emphasized the coercive, traumatic nature of trafficking; members discussed whether the defense should be narrower or framed as mitigation, and the bill was left pending. Finally, SB 127 would extend the statute of limitations for failure to report or conceal child abuse, with members discussing mandatory reporting duties and the need to allow more time for delayed discovery of cover-ups; it too was left pending before the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Today, victims face impossible choices not due to the virus, but due to fear of ICE detention and deportation
• be, 'Yay, we have a hearing, you're going to be heard'—is, 'Am I going to be picked up by ICE and deported
• should be and yay we have a hearing you're going to be heard is I'm going to be picked up by eyes and deported

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight

Summary: The Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight heard testimony on several bills. Senator Mike Moore supported S. 2185, which would delay implementation of the heavy-duty omnibus/advanced clean truck requirements while requiring the Commonwealth to purchase or lease electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicles starting in 2025; he argued the delay is needed because infrastructure, grid capacity, vehicle availability, and costs are not yet ready. The committee also heard strong support for S. 2156/H. 3318, which would require free menstrual products in public buildings, with advocates and students describing period poverty and the need to treat menstrual products like other basic restroom supplies. Senator John Keenan testified for S. 2158, a bill to let municipal light plants protect proprietary and competitively sensitive information from public disclosure while keeping board meetings and minutes open, saying it would help level the playing field against larger competitors. A major portion of the hearing focused on S. 2125/H. 3384, the language access and inclusion bill. Testimony from the AAPI Commission, Mass Speaks coalition members, Mass Appleseed, MLRI, ATASK, MAPC, the Boston Bar Association, Mass Advocates for Children, and others described barriers faced by limited-English-proficient residents in accessing MassHealth, DCF, courts, domestic violence services, schools, and other state services. Witnesses cited untranslated documents, inadequate interpretation, delays, and the burden placed on bilingual staff and children; several also pointed to recent federal moves toward English-only policy as making state action more urgent. Committee members asked questions about implementation, interpreter availability, and the role of technology and remote participation, and the chair noted the bill had been reported favorably in a prior session and intended to be again. The committee also heard testimony on time-zone legislation. Dr. Karin Johnson, representing sleep medicine interests, supported H. 3405 for permanent standard time and opposed S. 2157 for permanent daylight saving time, arguing that standard time better aligns with circadian rhythms and health, while permanent daylight saving time would worsen morning darkness and sleep disruption. Members questioned the strength of the scientific evidence and discussed school start times, geography, and whether Massachusetts should align with neighboring states. No votes were taken during the hearing, and testimony continued on additional bills as the session progressed.

Transcript Highlights:

• interpersonal acts, but also from hateful rhetoric and policies that have led to mass detentions and deportations
• interpersonal acts, but also from hateful rhetoric and policies that have led to mass detentions and deportations
• , denial of health care, and attempts to end. detentions and deportations, denial of health care, and

Transcript Highlights:

• interpersonal acts, but also from hateful rhetoric and policies that have led to mass detentions and deportations
• interpersonal acts, but also from hateful rhetoric and policies that have led to mass detentions and deportations
• , denial of health care, and attempts to end. detentions and deportations, denial of health care, and

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Human Services held an informational hearing focused on the impacts of federal HR1 on CalFresh and Medi-Cal, along with related state mitigation efforts. CDSS, DHCS, DDS, county representatives, LAO, and Finance discussed automatic exemptions, data-sharing between departments, county workload, and the timing of implementation. CDSS said about two-thirds of adults ages 18 to 64 are already known to be exempt in CalFresh, and that administrative data matches could newly exempt about 200,000 of the roughly 955,000 adults potentially at risk. DHCS said Medi-Cal work requirements would begin in 2027 and the department is working to automate exemptions, including for IHSS recipients and some caregivers, while DDS said its population is expected to be covered by auto-exemptions. County welfare directors emphasized that individualized worker contact is critical, that counties need more staffing and stable funding, and that without it they expect delays, higher error rates, and reduced exemption screening capacity. Members pressed for written timelines, county-by-county impact data, and clearer guidance; the administration said it would provide follow-up materials and technical assistance. No votes were taken. The committee then heard a separate discussion on a proposed CFAP expansion or “CFAP Plus” concept to provide state-funded benefits to additional populations affected by HR1, including lawfully present non-citizens and ABODs. CDSS said implementation could not occur before October 1, 2027 because of policy and system-design constraints, and that adding unique eligibility rules would increase complexity and cost. Finance cautioned that any expansion would have General Fund impacts likely in the hundreds of millions to multiple billions. Members asked for cost estimates and technical feedback on trailer bill language, and CDSS said it would review the proposal and respond. The hearing also covered CDSS’s CalFresh strategic plan and mandated reporter training updates. CDSS said it is hiring a strategic plan lead to develop a long-term, data-informed CalFresh plan, and that the revised mandated reporter training is on track for launch in fall/winter 2026, ahead of the July 1, 2027 statutory deadline. The training will include updated content on structural racism, ICWA protections, implicit bias, and the distinction between reporting and supporting families. Members praised the work and asked for continued updates. Later panels focused on Promise Neighborhoods, Stop the Hate, and housing programs. Promise Neighborhood advocates and CDSS described the state’s prior $12 million investment, a positive evaluation showing roughly a 4-to-1 return, and a new proposal to support place-based partnerships and community schools through AB 1969. Stop the Hate grantees and CDSS reported that the program has provided direct services, prevention, and statewide coordination to millions of Californians, and urged reauthorization before funding expires; members asked for best-practice language and discussed focusing future funding on solidarity work, harm reduction, legal services, and education. Finally, CDSS presented on the CalWORKs Housing Support Program and Housing and Disability Advocacy Program, saying proposed General Fund investments of $105 million and $55 million would prevent funding cliffs and allow the programs to continue through 2026-27, while the absence of new funding would force reductions in housing assistance, subsidies, and enrollments.

Transcript Highlights:

• I, along with colleagues, were called by the threat of mass deportations to reactivate the Los Angeles
• But the threats of mass deportations during the first Trump administration mostly remained just that:
• and the Rapid Response Network began training volunteers and getting ready for mass operations, deportations

Committee: House Public Employment and Retirement

Transcript Highlights:

• In 2009, Rodrigo faced deportation. But he didn't back down.
• In 2009,<00:08:45.200><c> Rodrigo</c><00:08:46.000><c> faced</c><00:08:46.600><c> deportation.
• </c><00:08:47.600><c> But</c><00:08:47.760><c> he</c> 2009, Rodrigo faced deportation.
• But he 2009, Rodrigo faced deportation.
• Now, the Trump deportation proceedings.

Bills: HB2987 , HB2931

Keywords: small business lending company, SBLC, SBA lending, Small Business Administration, section 7 loans, small business loans, loan guarantee, lender cap, financial institutions, credit access, small business finance, nonprofit lenders, business lending, CEASE Act, House passage, Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, sanctuary jurisdictions, office relocation, immigration policy, government operations

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> country at 3 years old and was deported country at 3 years old and was deported at<02:16:43.120>
• It's really hard to deport people back to Cuba.'
• It's really<02:30:15.040><c> hard</c><02:30:15.280><c> to</c><02:30:15.520><c> deport</c><02:30:15.920
• ><c> people</c><02:30:16.240><c> back</c><02:30:16.399><c> to</c> really hard to deport people back to
• really hard to deport people back to Cuba

Transcript Highlights:

• It provides the largest border protection in history and allows ICE to deport the illegal immigrants
• We're putting Americans first by deporting illegal immigrants and protecting taxpayer-funded benefits
• AND IT WILL FUND THE LARGEST DEPORTATION OPERATION IN AMERICAN HISTORY. MR.
• We also make sure that this bill keeps our borders secure and funds the deportation of criminal illegal
• We also make sure that this bill keeps our borders secure and funds the deportation of criminal illegal

Bills: HB1969 , HB1701 , HR1 , HR435 , SJR31 , HR436

Keywords: veterans, VA, Department of Veterans Affairs, suicide prevention, mental health, emergent suicide care, Columbia Protocol, Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale, Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program, No Wrong Door for Veterans Act, title 38, adaptive prostheses, prosthetic devices, recreational activities, sports prosthetics, pension payments, veterans benefits, Veterans Affairs Committee, suicide screening, crisis care

Transcript Highlights:

• I want criminal illegal immigrants to be deported efficiently and effectively, and the best way to do

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opened with a prayer recognizing International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and recited the Pledge of Allegiance. The Secretary then read Governor DeSantis’s proclamation calling the Legislature into special session from January 27 to January 31, 2025, limited to five subjects: combating illegal immigration, condominium regulation, agricultural relief after natural disasters, replenishing the My Safe Florida Home Program, and changes to the citizen initiative petition process. The chamber read the filed bills within the call, including several Senate bills on illegal immigration and petition process issues, all referred to Fiscal Policy. A motion was adopted to send any bills filed outside the call to the Rules Committee to determine whether introduction was warranted. The Senate President then discussed President Trump’s immigration executive orders and said Florida would align with federal efforts while preserving the Legislature’s constitutional role. He announced that Senator Gruters would sponsor legislation to implement Trump’s border and immigration plan, including funding to reimburse law enforcement costs and incentives to recruit more officers. He said the bill would be posted, referred to Appropriations later that day, and heard on the floor the next day. The session then adjourned sine die by motion without objection, with senators told the chamber would reconvene momentarily for the special session.