Transcript Highlights:

• as amended has been moved to the general as amended has been moved to the general register. register
• bill is to send it to the general bill is to send it to the general register. register. register
• moving this to the general register and moving this to the general register and I'll<01:16:01.480>
• to the general register. to the general register. Thank<01:27:09.480> you.
• be re-referred to the General Register. be re-referred to the General Register.

Bills: HF3643, HF4470, HF4462, HF4366, HF4172, HF3629, HF4356, HF3093

Keywords: Melissa Hortman, Mark Hortman, memorial park, state park, working group, Minnesota Historical Society, Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board, Saint Paul, Department of Natural Resources, Department of Administration, Legislative Coordinating Commission, general fund appropriation, park planning, interpretive services, public engagement, state memorial, land use, natural resources, commemorative legislation, HF4470

Transcript Highlights:

• establishment of a reimbursable general establishment of a reimbursable general obligation<00:03
• Coen LA with Deputy Attorney General Coen LA with Deputy Attorney General good<00:05:00.280>
• Debt general General obligation Bond Debt general General obligation Bond Debt Service<00:10:
• <00:36:38.640> in increasing cost um just in general in increasing cost um just in general
• that we don't have income or general that we don't have income or general fund<00:45:21.359>

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Economic Development and Tourism and on Water and Land heard testimony on HB 504, a measure relating to environmental stewardship and funding for natural resource protection and restoration. Supporters included multiple state agencies and advocacy groups, such as DLNR, HTA, Hawaiʻi Ocean Legislative Task Force, Resources Legacy Fund, the Hawaiʻi Climate Action Coalition, and others, who said the bill would create dedicated funding for environmental, climate, and cultural resource needs and help address wildfire, flood, coastal storm, and tourism-related impacts. Several witnesses emphasized that Hawaiʻi’s environmental funding gap is large and that visitor contributions should be directed to stewardship and restoration. Some supporters also urged that the measure be applied equitably across all visitor accommodations and related uses, including cruise ship cabins and state rooms, while a few suggested amendments to broaden coverage or create a working group for implementation. Opposition and concerns focused largely on the bill’s tax structure and legal/administrative issues. The Department of Budget and Finance and the Tax Foundation questioned the reimbursable general obligation bond special fund in part two, suggesting it be converted to a regular special fund or deleted. The Attorney General’s office said part two may violate the single-subject rule in the state constitution and recommended deleting it. The Department of Taxation said the proposed points-and-miles language would be difficult to audit and enforce, and Expedia and others said the proposed tax treatment of loyalty points and certain payment forms would be operationally difficult. Industry witnesses also warned the bill could raise costs in a high-tax destination and asked for more marketing support if the tax is increased. The committee also heard concerns that a new tax on cruise ship cabins could raise federal preemption issues. The chair noted the testimony count as 23 in support, 179 in opposition, and one with comments. No vote was taken in the portion provided, and the hearing ended with questions from senators and agency responses about possible amendments, enforcement, and constitutional concerns.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:02:24.200> the session with the tax bill in general the session with the tax bill in general
• front of you you can say in a general front of you you can say in a general sense<00:24:01.400><
• If it doesn't go in the general fund, there's that much less money in the general fund for everything
• :49:03.079> for less money in the general fund for less money in the general fund for everything
• a transfer of wealth between Generations a transfer of wealth between Generations based<00:53:48.839

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:59:06.865> [snorts] fuel generation mix. [snorts] fuel generation mix.
• state's electricity fuel generation mix. state's electricity fuel generation mix.
• foregone revenue to the state general foregone revenue to the state general fund<00:59:45.200>
• This share has steadily generation.
• the state's electricity generation mix. the state's electricity generation mix.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• General? General?
• /c> >> Carrie Bishop, Assistant General >> Carrie Bishop, Assistant General Counsel,<00:02
• :10:27.280> deputy >> Todd Allen, general counsel deputy >> Todd Allen, general counsel
• Inspector General for the cabinet. Inspector General for the cabinet.
• Four million, 201 in general fund, and 10,541.

Keywords: 0:06 - Roll Call 0:30 - Approval of Minutes 0:45 - OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL 2:08 - FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION CABINET - OFFICE OF THE CONTROLLER 2:55 - BOARD OF DENTISTRY 5:30 - BOARD OF OPHTHALMIC DISPENSERS 7:30 - BOARD OF NURSING 8:32 - BOARD OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES 9:30 - EDUCATION AND LABOR CABINET - DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, OFFICE OF DISTRICT SUPPORT SERVICES 15:35 - CABINET FOR HEALTH AND FAMILY SERVICES, DEPARTMENT FOR PUBLIC HEALTH 18:44 - CABINET FOR HEALTH AND FAMILY SERVICES, OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL, HEALTH SERVICES AND FACILITIES 23:39 - CABINET FOR HEALTH AND FAMILY SERVICES, DEPARTMENT FOR MEDICAID SERVICES 1:01:46 - CABINET FOR HEALTH AND FAMILY SERVICES, DEPARTMENT FOR PUBLIC HEALTH, OFFICE FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL HEALTH CARE NEEDS 1:03:46 - Next meeting/adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes and then took up a series of administrative regulations from several agencies. Early items included Attorney General consumer protection rules on removal sales, health spas, liquidation sales, and nonresident sellers of visual aid glasses; Finance and Administration Controller rules on clearinghouse validation and fraud prevention; and Board of Dentistry rules updating exam requirements, controlled substance prescribing, training for neuromodulators and dermal fillers, infection control, sedation/anesthesia continuing education, and required education on pediatric abusive head trauma and controlled substance ingestion prevention. The committee also approved staff amendments on these items, generally to conform to KRS Chapter 13A, and members asked a brief question about the dentistry controlled-substances changes, which was answered as an alignment with statute. The committee next approved regulations for the Board of Ophthalmic Dispensers, Board of Nursing, and Board of Emergency Medical Services. The ophthalmic dispensers package would revise meeting and recordkeeping language, raise renewal fees, set reinstatement and apprentice-license rules, add complaint and hearing procedures, and repeal a duplicative regulation. The nursing regulations would streamline approval of training programs and require notice and documentation of site visits and deficiencies. EMS rules would create five EMS medical director certifications, set expiration and renewal requirements, require publication of disciplinary sanctions, and exempt currently approved directors before October 1, 2026. Staff amendments were adopted without objection on each set. The Education and Labor Cabinet’s school transportation regulation drew extended discussion. The agency explained the changes were intended to implement Senate Bill 46 and update references affected by later legislation, including an oral amendment to delete a subsection reference tied to KRS 160.380. The committee adopted both the agency and oral amendments without objection after brief questions about the scope of the bill changes and van transportation for students. The committee then heard a lengthy package from the Department for Public Health on WIC and related nutrition program regulations, including updates to infant and child certification periods, documentation requirements, vendor criteria, sanctions, hearing procedures, and high-risk vendor standards. Staff amendments were adopted without objection. Finally, the committee considered the Inspector General’s regulation for freestanding birthing centers, which included both staff and agency amendments. The agency changes would require two neonatal resuscitation program-certified staff, set rules for medical director vacancies and appeals, revise facility and staffing terminology, adjust transfer-agreement requirements, and allow waivers when agreements cannot be secured. Mary Katherine DeLodder of the Kentucky Birth Coalition testified in support, saying the parties had worked through concerns and were ready to move forward. The committee then moved on to Medicaid’s 1915C child waiver regulations, where staff amendments were adopted, but Lucy Heskins of Kentucky Protection and Advocacy testified against the package because it did not include person-directed services, which she said are required by Kentucky law and important for families using the waiver.

Transcript Highlights:

• From 2025 to 2026, the general fund impact is $30,800.
• The second year, general fund impact is $551,899.
• The Attorney General gets 20. That number is reduced by 4 to 16.
• would revert to the General Fund. ...requiring that any unspent balance of the General Fund appropriation
• would be required to revert to the General Fund.

Bills: AB49, AB93, AB108, AB169, AB188, AB212, AB221, AB224, AB251, AB282, AB284, AB296, AB304, AB331, AB356, AB366, AB375, AB409, AB467, AB475, AB476, AB479, AB494, AB514, AB515, AB533, AB542, AB550, AB558, AB567, AB568, AB571, AB581, AB583, AB584, AB585, AB595, AB596, AB597, SB170, SB427, SB460, SB508

Keywords: educational personnel, teacher licensing, reciprocal licensure, provisional teaching, school counselors, school nurses, school social workers, state education standards, public employees, police officers, benefits, appropriation, law enforcement, outdoor education, recreation, grant program, environment, funding, health insurance, speech-language pathology

Transcript Highlights:

• General Lady from Santa Fe, Mr.
• General election or how does that work if they approve it? Mr.
• Generally, close. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
• Speaker, gentlemen, I'm assuming you're talking about general.
• General Lady to close. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, gentlemen.

Bills: HB111, HJR1, HB61, HB8, HB30, HB43, HB156, HJM2, HM7, HM17, HM4, HM22, HM23, HM24, HM26, HM2, HM16, HM11, HM14, HM21, HM34, HM50, HB70, SB3, HJM3

Keywords: water law, state engineer, civil penalty, compliance order, water rights, overdiversion, illegal diversion, groundwater storage and recovery, well license, permit violation, water enforcement, New Mexico water code, irrigation district, conservancy district, water diversion, unauthorized water sales, measuring device, district court appeal, water resources, water compliance

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the one about the general revenues being redistributed back to the agencies, right?
• And so that's generally why I think these sorts of policies are not always a good idea.
• Is it benefiting taxpayers generally? Is it benefiting the people that live in your district?
• But generally, a project of this size goes pretty fast. So that's my only input.
• He said roughly half of the jobs in the state are generated by small businesses.

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, established a quorum, granted several leaves, and received gubernatorial approval notices for multiple fiscal-session measures. The chamber then referred House Bill 1034 back to the Joint Budget Committee so pay raises could be stripped out and cybersecurity/bank-fee funding handled later. House Bill 1103, increasing the homestead property tax credit by $75, passed 94-0. Members then considered several budget amendments and appropriations. Amendments to House Bills 1007, 1022, 1036, and 1064 were adopted, and Senate Bill 76, a $2 million appropriation for county extension office capital improvements, passed 87-7. A batch of appropriation bills passed, but several individual bills failed, including House Bills 1023, 1035, 1053, and 1066. House Bills 1089 and 1090, supplemental appropriations for pregnancy crisis centers and waste tire cleanup, both passed. House Bill 1093, a corrections reappropriation bill that excluded use of funds in Franklin County, also passed 94-0. The most extensive debate centered on House Bill 1100 Amendment 1, which set out the RSA and one-time funding package. Supporters described major allocations for corrections, state police, LEARNS Freedom Accounts, Medicaid, vehicle purchases, and a proposed $300 million economic-development site-preparation and road package tied to a confidential project. Opponents criticized the secrecy, size, and policy approach of the incentive, while supporters argued it could bring jobs and broader economic benefits. The amendment passed 54-36-3. The House also passed Senate Bills 8, 16, 30, 63, 67, and 73, while Senate Bills 41 and 59 failed, and Senate Bill 10 passed after being briefly set aside for clarification. The chamber adjourned to 1 p.m. the next day, with committee meetings announced for budget and house management.

Transcript Highlights:

• You see other general government.
• And then they move to general government services and more general, very, very tiny public safety component
• Property tax really goes into their general fund, largely, and so their general fund is a lot like our
• general revenue fund.
• Which is the third largest, it's almost equal to general government services.

Summary: The Select Committee on Property Taxes met for a listening session focused on a presentation by Amy Baker of the Joint Legislative Office of Economic and Demographic Research on local government revenues and expenditures. Baker reviewed statewide financial data for counties, municipalities, and independent special districts, using 2018-19 as a baseline year because it was stable and pre-COVID. She explained that counties rely heavily on taxes, with ad valorem taxes making up about 73% of county tax revenue and about 24% of total county revenues statewide, while municipalities rely more on charges for services and have a lower statewide ad valorem share of about 14.7%. She also noted wide variation across local governments, with some counties and cities highly dependent on property taxes and others using them minimally or not at all. Special districts were shown to be very different from counties and cities, with hospital-related revenues and expenditures dominating many of them, while water management districts were more reliant on ad valorem taxes and focused expenditures on the physical environment. Baker also summarized expenditure patterns: counties spent the largest share on public safety, while municipalities spent the largest share on general government services, followed by physical environment and public safety. She emphasized that local government structures vary widely and that the committee should study what characteristics are associated with greater property tax reliance. She said the next research steps would be to extend the analysis through later years, including the COVID and inflation period, and to examine institutional and legal factors that shape local fiscal structures. Members asked about unfunded mandates, fuel taxes, reserves, school taxes, millage rates, and how property taxes relate to specific services such as police and fire. Baker said the current analysis did not yet account for mandates or school taxes and that further work could examine links between revenues and expenditures, commercial versus residential tax burdens, and other factors. After the presentation, members reported back on local meetings with counties and municipalities. Several described large differences in millage rates, revenue mixes, and the impact of any property tax changes on fiscally constrained counties versus larger, wealthier ones. Concerns were raised about how local governments would replace lost revenue, especially for public safety and emergency response, and members discussed the need to consider both revenue replacement and ways to rein in spending. The co-chairs said the committee would continue gathering information, send members follow-up homework and requests for panel suggestions, and invite additional input from constituents, stakeholders, and local governments. The meeting ended with no votes or formal actions beyond adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• And he said, I want to use that to generate all...
• The casino would generate $75 million in taxes.
• If we establish this, we can generate more funds, hopefully.
• Generally, term limits promote healthy and robust governance.
• Generally, term limits promote healthy and robust governance.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Transportation heard testimony on a range of bills focused on transportation funding, governance, and equity. Supporters backed proposals to create a North Central Massachusetts intercity passenger rail fund tied to a possible new gaming license (H. 3680/S. 2363), local parking assessments (H. 3756), third-party delivery fees (S. 2356/H. 3774), broader roadway pricing and congestion management measures (S. 2353/S. 2354), tolling equity and regional transit authority advisory boards (S. 2400/S. 2401), and Steamship Authority oversight reforms including board term limits (S. 2395). Testimony in favor emphasized new dedicated revenue sources, commuter rail expansion, regional equity, improved oversight, and better transit access for riders and communities that rely on public transportation. There was also testimony in opposition to the third-party delivery fee bills from Chamber of Progress, which argued the fee would raise costs for consumers, small businesses, and delivery workers, could reduce demand and jobs, and might not achieve the intended environmental benefits. Associated Builders and Contractors of Massachusetts opposed H. 3633, a transit expansion, electrification, and resiliency bill, specifically objecting to its mandatory project labor agreement requirement and saying it would limit competition and disadvantage non-union contractors and workers. Several witnesses spoke in favor of the Steamship Authority bill, saying term limits would improve transparency, accountability, and board turnover. The committee also heard detailed support for the North Central rail proposal from a legislator, the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce, and a transportation advocate, who described the bill as a way to generate long-term bonded revenue for rail infrastructure. After testimony concluded and no questions remained, the chairs entertained and received a motion to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's supported by special and general revenue.
• maintenance, supported by general revenue.
• So generally, we get one year of E-Rate.
• This is supported by the Attorney General Opioid Grant.
• Generally speaking, gotcha.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll hit it on a general tax a little bit later.
• If you look at the executive program, my program, which includes general counsel, inspector general,
• Right now, finally, there's general tax. General tax causes a little pause.
• And it's not general revenue funding, okay?
• General tax is funded not only from general revenue, but also from our operating trust fund.

Transcript Highlights:

• They used highway funds in the general fund.
• the monthly general fee.
• It's 10% of unrestricted general fund revenues for that year. Oh, 10% of their general.
• Can you pay $2,300 out of your general fund to the street fund annually?
• And I just have my general fund account, and it has been reconciled as well. Okay.

Summary: The committee first heard updates on delinquent private water and sewer reports. For reports due as of December 31, 2012, staff said five additional 2024 reports had been received since the December meeting, bringing the total of released escrow funds to 17 and leaving 26 still escrowed. For reports delinquent as of December 31, 2023, two more reports were received, bringing 59 of the original 64 into compliance and leaving five outstanding. Both update reports were filed without objection. The committee then discussed Act 709 of 2021 and the town of Daisy’s repayment of street turnback funds. Staff said Daisy had made improper payments to a nonprofit, used restricted street funds for fire truck and fire department building costs, and had not adopted the required repayment ordinance or obtained approval for a reduced repayment percentage. Mayor Lisa Cogburn said the city council had not approved repayment because members disputed the amount, though she said the city had funds to pay. After questions from members and staff explaining the audit calculations, the committee adopted a motion requiring Daisy to repay 10% of unrestricted general fund revenues under the statute and to withhold turnback funds if the city fails to comply. The report was then filed. The committee reviewed numerous deferred and current audit findings from cities, counties, and water systems. Several local officials appeared and described corrective steps, including Harrison district court, Carroll County airport, Izard County treasurer, Alexander district court, Town of 56 officials, Bull Shoals, Lone Oak County, Beaver, Central City, Gravette, Ralston Water Department, Thornton Waterworks, Ozan, and Lee County. Findings included missing or inaccurate reconciliations, unsupported credit card charges, payroll and compensation issues, improper use of public funds, missing receipts, and budget overruns. Some matters were referred to the prosecuting attorney and Attorney General, including Bull Shoals and Lone Oak County, while others were filed or deferred as appropriate. The committee also deferred two private water and sewer reports for lack of proper responses, filed 19 reports with resolved findings, and filed 53 reports with no findings. Before adjourning, the committee set its next meeting for February 12, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• So it's a little long, and actually there's not much general fund money.
• General fund money in this.
• I can get the exact number of general fund in here.
• So the salary and wages, and this is all general fund for the most part.
• I went to touch on the general fund increase because of fleet rate.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 2014, the budget for the Industrial Commission, with Representative Kempenich walking through the agency’s major components: the administrative office, Bank of North Dakota, housing finance, Department of Mineral Resources, and the State Mill and Elevator. He described mostly special-fund operations, including bond payments, economic development programs, the rail loan program, the Rebuilder’s Loan Program, housing incentive funding, abandoned well reclamation work, lignite research, litigation reserves, and a capacity purchase arrangement for a future natural gas pipeline. He also explained several one-time funding items, such as grid resiliency grants, housing-related transfers from the Strategic Investment Fund, and enhanced oil recovery funding repurposed from a prior salt cavern study. Members asked about the reduction in housing incentive funding from the Senate version, the use of one-time Strategic Investment Fund dollars for ongoing housing programs, and whether a trigger should be added to increase housing funding later. Kempenich said no trigger was discussed and emphasized that housing needs vary widely across the state. Another exchange focused on the enhanced oil recovery grant program, which he said would be driven largely by the Energy and Environmental Research Center and would use repurposed funds. A longer discussion covered the natural gas pipeline capacity purchase, including its purpose, possible routes, and the idea that the state would be buying capacity rather than immediately building a pipeline. The committee adopted Amendment 25.0181.0207 on a 21-1 vote, with one member absent and not voting. The committee then passed HB 2014 as amended on a 21-1 vote, with one member absent and not voting. Representative Kempenich was designated to carry the bill. The chair then noted this was the final budget hearing for the committee, with one bill remaining to be heard later.

Transcript Highlights:

• General obligation bond debt service.
• And that concludes General Obligation Bond Debt Service. Members, any questions?
• So as Charles said, we don't receive any general revenue.
• It is not general revenue. You're not having to allocate that fund.
• So, next, the SAPCS state line item in the Office of the Attorney General Budget.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Some carriers even will not cover general anesthesia for dental care necessary before organ transplants
• Coverage of general anesthesia until a health emergency arises just prolongs the suffering.
• Health insurance for necessary general anesthesia for these dental procedures.
• exclude general anesthesia when it is necessary for a dental procedure.
• As somebody who has provided general anesthesia for these procedures.

Bills: SB227, SB269, SB407, SB463, SB527, SB547, SB1283, SB1380, SB1383, SB1511, SB1640, SB1784, SB2069

Keywords: school funding, education reform, state budget, property taxes, equity in education, healthcare policy, vaccines, exemptions, religious beliefs, public health, workplace violence, healthcare facilities, definition expansion, safety regulations, health and safety code, health insurance, anesthesia, pediatric dental services, coverage, medical necessity

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:28:19.120> speaking, to a roadway, but generally speaking, to a roadway, but generally
• >> General<01:56:02.080> orders. >> General orders. >> General orders.
• general order second reading of bills. general order second reading of bills.
• how high the generation costs are. how high the generation costs are.
• generally defines a child or a minor. generally defines a child or a minor.

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The Senate came to order, established a quorum, and approved the journal. It then took up several introductions and resolutions, including House Bill 1139 on artificial intelligence in healthcare and House Bill 1263 on requirements for conversational AI services, both referred to the Business, Labor, and Technology Committee. The chamber also moved out of order to consider resolutions and adopted Senate Joint Resolution 25, recognizing the 150th anniversary of the Colorado Mining Association and its role in Colorado’s history and economy. The resolution passed 34-0, and the current roll call was added as co-sponsors. The Senate also adopted House Joint Resolution 1030, designating a portion of Colorado Highway 14 in Weld County as Mono and Matt Road in memory of Eduardo Mono Hernandez and Matthew Garcia. Supporters described the resolution as a tribute to the two Greeley Central High School student-athletes and to the community’s response after their 2014 deaths. The resolution passed 34-0, and the current roll call was added as co-sponsors. Later, the Senate considered a gubernatorial appointment to the Transportation Commission: Juan Marano of Aurora, to represent the Third Transportation District. The appointment was confirmed on a 19-16 vote. The chamber then took up the third-reading consent calendar and passed House Bill 1235 on medical assistance updates, House Bill 1299 on reducing regulatory burdens on local education providers, and Senate Bill 175 on workers’ compensation experience modification factors. House Bill 1235 passed 31-4, House Bill 1299 passed 35-0, and Senate Bill 175 passed without recorded opposition. On final passage, the Senate adopted a technical third-reading amendment to House Bill 113 on election law changes, then passed the bill 23-12 after debate over election-related vulnerabilities. It also passed House Bill 1346, allowing the Department of the Treasury to sell unsold insurance premium tax credits to non-insurance entities, by 23-12; House Bill 1252, updating state entities responsible for emergency response, by 33-2; House Bill 1010, increasing support for older adults in the workforce, by 23-12; and Senate Bill 177, concerning limited access to adjoining property for repairs, after extended debate in which Senator Kirkmeyer argued the measure infringed on private property rights and should be rejected.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm Bartlett Cleland, general counsel for NetChoice.
• Chair, as we get closer to talking about the bill generally.
• when we literally have the less generous when we literally have the most<00:21:57.919> generous
• This is going to generate a lot of revenue for the state that way.
• Our data centers generally will travel around the country in building these.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Right, next up is Lauren, Deputy Solicitor General for the Attorney General, on Zoom, I believe.
• for the Attorney solicitor general for the Attorney General<00:02:33.640> on<00:02:33.840>
• generation generation make<00:18:00.120> them<00:18:01.080> either<00:18:01.440> set
• attorney the deputy attorney general attorney the deputy attorney general didn't<01:16:07.400>
• <01:21:15.960> making suggested by the Attorney General making suggested by the Attorney General

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Judiciary Committee heard SB 1231, which would repeal the Parentage Uniform Act of 1973 and update Hawaii’s parentage laws, including parts of the Uniform Parentage Act of 2017. Supporters said the current statutes are outdated and do not adequately address assisted reproduction, surrogacy, and modern family formation. The Attorney General’s office supported the bill with technical amendments, including conforming changes to the Probate Code and child support provisions, and several testifiers urged passage as a needed modernization of the law. A major point of disagreement was Part 10, which concerns donor anonymity. Some supporters, including members of the task force, the Uniform Law Commission, fertility and family law practitioners, and LGBTQ+ advocates, backed the bill as written or said it should move forward even if Part 10 is removed. Others, including donor-conceived adults, parents, and advocacy groups, opposed Part 10 and urged the committee to adopt the 2024 version of Article 9 or delete Part 10 entirely, arguing that anonymous donation harms donor-conceived people’s access to genetic, medical, and identity information and that anonymity is not realistic in the DNA-testing era. One task force member and attorney said she supported the bill but preferred removing Part 10 if necessary to pass the rest. The hearing included extensive public testimony both in support and opposition, with many individuals describing personal experiences with adoption, IVF, surrogacy, and donor conception. No committee vote or final action on the bill was taken during the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• While we have seen poverty decrease for the general population since 2012, it has...
• Our proposal is for $74.8 million General Fund ongoing in 2025-26.
• Overall, it could be upwards of billions in additional state General Fund costs.
• SSI is federally funded, and SSP is funded by the state General Fund.
• You were very specific about $15 million ongoing, but you said non-General Fund.

Summary: The joint Assembly Budget Subcommittee hearing focused first on long-term services and supports for older adults, especially the “forgotten/overlooked middle” who earn too much for Medi-Cal but cannot afford private long-term care. Administration witnesses from DHCS, the Department of Aging, and Social Services described Medicare’s limited long-term care coverage, Medi-Cal’s role, the elimination of the Medi-Cal asset test, and ongoing state studies and listening sessions on financing options. Testimony from advocates and researchers emphasized rising homelessness among older adults, the need for better navigation and coordination across health, aging, housing, and social service systems, and short-term policy steps such as share-of-cost reform, housing stability supports, and protecting home- and community-based services. Members highlighted the need for a coordinated, no-wrong-door approach and asked for the most impactful budget investments to address affordability and homelessness risk. The second major topic was the Community-Based Adult Services (CBAS) program. CDA reported that CBAS helps participants remain in the community, that 304 centers operate statewide serving about 42,000 people, and that demand is stable but access gaps remain in some regions. DHCS explained that a 2024 rate increase authorized by SB 159 became inoperative after Proposition 35, and that a separate 10% rate change on the fee schedule was the result of a DHCS system error; the department said it would not require recoupment, though managed care plans may act under their contracts. CBAS providers and advocates warned that reimbursement rates have not kept pace with costs, that several centers have closed, and that clawbacks could trigger more closures. They requested $74.8 million ongoing General Fund to close part of the rate gap and preserve the program, while members expressed concern about closures and the cost savings of keeping people out of more expensive institutional care. The hearing then moved to In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) and statewide collective bargaining. CDSS reviewed provider recruitment and retention efforts, including electronic timesheets, direct deposit, and the now-completed IHSS Career Pathways program, which trained more than 59,000 providers. CDSS also summarized its AB 102 workgroup report on statewide versus regional bargaining, saying the final report would be sent to the Legislature soon and that statewide bargaining appeared more viable than regional bargaining, though it would require clear statutory scope and major fiscal changes. The department estimated that each $1 per hour statewide wage increase would cost at least $1.3 billion to $1.5 billion annually. Labor advocates argued that IHSS wages, benefits, and training are too inconsistent across counties and called for statewide bargaining, consumer participation, and ongoing state funding. County representatives supported stronger wages but cautioned that counties need protection from new costs and administrative burdens, and consumer advocates warned that moving bargaining to the state could weaken local consumer control and the program’s consumer-driven structure.