Transcript Highlights:

• It rejects reductions to In-Home Supportive Services.
• And it requires the Department of Social Services to make transition support services available to adoptive
• are leading, to service cuts in transit.
• network and access to care.
• to find ways to invest in our home and community-based services system.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review heard the 2026-27 budget package, including AB 111 and AB 112 plus 16 trailer bills and two policy bills. Chair Laird described the budget as balanced over two fiscal years, with about $351.7 billion in total spending, $251.5 billion General Fund, and record reserves, while emphasizing investments in child care, homelessness, housing, Medi-Cal, education, courts, and other core programs. The Department of Finance presented each bill, outlining major items such as Medi-Cal adjustments tied to federal H.R. 1, child care and early learning funding, education and higher education investments, human services, developmental services, health, skilled nursing, resources, energy, transportation, housing, labor, state government, courts, taxation, and two policy bills on education governance and ballot measure placement. The LAO said it had no additional comments but was available for questions. The committee later achieved quorum and moved to member questions and comments, with no votes taken in the portion provided. Members largely focused on the budget’s fiscal structure and policy implications. Several senators praised staff and noted the compressed timeline, while Vice Chair Niello criticized the process as overly complex and burdensome. Senator Smallwood-Cuevas supported the budget but raised concerns about Medi-Cal changes for people with unsatisfactory immigration status, asking about access to care, the number affected, and county eligibility support; Finance said about two million people would transition to fee-for-service and that $39 million was included for care coordination, along with additional county eligibility funding. Senator Durazo said the agreement delayed, but did not resolve, cuts to immigrant health coverage, dental, and clinic payments, and argued that the budget did not create a true restoration mechanism. Senator Richardson highlighted hospital funding, public hospital definitions, DMV data protections, and court construction and maintenance needs, while Senator Grove questioned the sustainability of spending, the Medi-Cal savings assumptions, distressed hospital funding, Planned Parenthood transparency, developmental services changes, high-speed rail costs, and the property tax postponement program. Other members emphasized different priorities. Senator Blake Spear praised climate and parks investments, support for HAP homelessness funding with accountability, transit stabilization, and Care Court referral funding, while expressing concern about the lack of wildlife coexistence funding and long-term transit operating support. Senator Weber Pearson raised a technical concern in the health trailer bill regarding menopause language, arguing that the bill should refer to perimenopausal symptoms and should not narrow provider participation through contracting language. Throughout the hearing, Finance repeatedly explained that many of the budget’s savings came from reduced caseloads or delayed implementation of prior proposals, while some new spending was added to mitigate impacts and support administration of the changes. No final committee action or vote was shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• That leads us to another question on the agenda: What would it take to increase access to high-quality
• key to expanding access.
• key to expanding access.
• year to ensure there's no service disruption.
• improve as long as we continue to provide access to these programs.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• solve multiple different pieces in order to get to your access question.
• And we can be more expansive in what it means to truly live securely and to expand access to mental health
• Families deserve more than just access to care.
• Family deserve more than just access to care.
• it's really all about increasing access to mental health services.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use, and Recovery held a public hearing on 17 bills focused on behavioral health workforce shortages, studies, and commissions. Chairs Mindy Domb and Senator John Velis opened by emphasizing the severity of the Commonwealth’s mental and behavioral health workforce crisis, the resulting gaps in access to care, and the legislature’s ongoing use of loan repayment programs, studies, and commissions to address these issues. They outlined hearing procedures and noted that testimony would be limited to three minutes, with written testimony also accepted. A major portion of the hearing focused on bills to expand the primary care workforce, including H. 2205/S. 1385, which would broaden eligibility for the Mass RePay loan repayment program. Testimony from the Massachusetts Medical Society, Senator Jo Comerford, and Dr. Kate Atkinson described severe primary care shortages, long wait times, physician burnout, high debt burdens, and the need to recruit and retain physicians in more practice settings and regions. Committee members asked about the likely impact of loan repayment, the role of nurse practitioners and physician assistants, and how to prioritize limited funding. Witnesses argued that primary care investment improves access and outcomes and that the bill would help sustain community-based practices. Another large block of testimony supported H. 2208/S. 1411, the proposed perinatal behavioral health care workforce trust fund, often referred to as the Moms Matter Act. March of Dimes, perinatal mental health advocates, doulas, clinicians, parents, and organizations such as the Boston Public Health Commission and Empty Arms Bereavement Support testified that postpartum depression, anxiety, substance use, and grief are widespread, often untreated, and worsened by long waitlists and a shortage of trained, culturally competent providers. Speakers repeatedly stressed that screening alone is not enough without a workforce to provide timely treatment, and several shared personal stories of postpartum illness, loss, and difficulty accessing care. The bill was also framed as a needed complement to the Commonwealth’s recent maternal health law, which increased screening and therefore increased demand for treatment. The committee also heard support for the Bridge Act, H. 2207/S. 1388, which would create mental health capacity grants for organizations serving communities at high risk of hate crimes or hate incidents. Testimony from the Jewish Community Relations Council and the bill’s sponsor described the mental health harms of hate, including anxiety, trauma, isolation, and loss of trust, and argued that community organizations need resources to build resilience and provide support. In addition, the committee heard from the Massachusetts Mental Health Counselors Association on H. 2218/S. 1380, which would update job classifications to explicitly include licensed mental health counselors and licensed supervised mental health counselors in state behavioral health roles. Witnesses said the change would modernize hiring, expand access, and better reflect current licensure and scope of practice. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the session ended with a motion to adjourn after all testimony was completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• So the files that everyone has to fill out to be able to vote, you all have access to that material.
• The public has access to that material.
• be able to access it.
• be able to access it.
• and access to capital through our link deposit, loan. trainings and access to capital through our link

Summary: The committee heard a work session on voting access on tribal lands, beginning with a presentation from Dr. Chelsea Jones of the Brennan Center. She described barriers affecting Native voters and voters on tribal lands, including long travel distances to polling places and drop boxes, nontraditional addresses, unreliable postal service, language access, and limited broadband. Citing research, she said turnout on tribal lands trails turnout off tribal lands by about 10 percentage points nationally and about 10% in Washington, with larger gaps in some convenience voting measures. Members asked about the meaning of “lost votes,” the role of tribal leadership and community trust, and whether outreach by election officials and candidates could help; Dr. Jones emphasized that the study measured missed voting opportunities, not missing ballots, and that partnerships with trusted community leaders are important. The University of Washington Elections Database then presented data on voter registration, turnout, signature challenges, curing, and ballot rejection for voters whose addresses fall within tribal reservation boundaries. The presenters said registration on reservations increased from about 107,000 in 2010 to 137,000 in 2024, turnout on reservations remained about 8 to 9 percentage points lower than outside reservations in recent general elections, and signature-challenge and rejection rates were generally low but somewhat higher in off-year elections. They reported that about 60% to two-thirds of signature-challenged ballots are cured, with cure rates similar inside and outside reservations, and that late return is the most common reason for primary ballot rejection while signature mismatch is the leading cause in general elections. A question was raised about USPS postmarking issues and how those might affect future data; the presenters said they plan to track return method and cure timing more closely. The committee also received an overview of the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs. Staff reviewed the office’s history, the Centennial Accord, the Millennium Agreement, and related state-tribal frameworks, and GOIA Director Tim Rainan described the office’s role as a bridge between the state and tribal governments, including consultation, policy coordination, training, and convening work groups. He said GOIA now has six positions, is part of the governor’s executive cabinet, and is working on a statewide tribal relations training module and consultation handbook. In response to a question, he said tribal voting is not a major topic at the Centennial Accord but is discussed more extensively through ATNI. The committee then shifted to contracting equity, hearing from WSDOT, DES, OMWBE, and the Office of Equity. WSDOT described its race-neutral small business and veteran goals, mentorship and support programs, and its response to the federal suspension of the DBE program; DES discussed statewide contracting spend, the EDGE pilot for small construction firms, and efforts to improve procurement access; OMWBE reported growth in certified firms and about $371 million in state spend with certified firms in the most recent year, while noting ongoing impacts from federal DBE changes; and the Office of Equity outlined its broader work on agency consultation, dashboards, and systems change. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• have to be able to pull in the behavioral health services.
• help our access to care.
• ensure continued access to vaccinations.
• Rapid access to medication saves lives.
• Or the The need to have access to it.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to reliable and accessible transit options.
• to do the work they're doing to improve service and increase ridership.
• And right now in the state we have currently caps for municipalities to be able to access those to mass
• create universal access to public higher education.
• create universal access to public higher education.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing focused on House Bill 55, the governor’s FY25 supplemental budget proposal to spend about $1.3 billion in surplus Fair Share revenue. House and Senate chairs framed the bill as a one-time opportunity to invest fairly in education and transportation, while also noting the need to protect the state’s long-term fiscal balance. Administration officials said the proposal should be considered alongside the FY26 budget and related bills, since the governor’s broader Fair Share plan aims for roughly an even split between education and transportation over time. Secretary of Administration and Finance Matthew Gorzkowicz, Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt, and Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler outlined the administration’s priorities. Transportation funding would go mainly to the MBTA and related reserves, including money for the Federal Transit Administration reserve, MBTA stabilization reserve, low-income fares, winter resilience, RTA workforce support, MassDOT workforce and project delivery, and micro-transit grants. Education funding would support universal preschool expansion, early education and care capacity, early literacy tutoring, adult basic education and ESOL, early college and career technical education, MyCAP expansion, and special education circuit breaker funding. The administration emphasized that many of these investments are one-time or multi-year measures designed to address current needs without creating unsustainable recurring costs. Committee members raised concerns about regional equity, especially the large share of transportation money going to the MBTA versus regional transit authorities and rural areas. Several members asked for more detail on how the proposal would benefit Western Massachusetts and other non-MBTA regions, and whether micro-transit and Chapter 90-related investments would be sufficient. Education questions focused on special education reimbursement shortfalls, federal funding cuts to school districts, and how CTE and vocational investments would align students with workforce needs. The administration said it would provide additional data on MBTA versus RTA investment and explained that the special education circuit breaker and transportation reimbursement changes were intended to improve predictability and relief for districts. After the administration panel, Jessica Tang of AFT Massachusetts testified in support of using Fair Share funds to protect public education amid federal uncertainty and cuts. She argued that schools are facing a fiscal cliff, that vulnerable students would be hit hardest by funding losses, and that the Fair Share revenue should be used to preserve services and support students’ needs.

Transcript Highlights:

• To be of service to all mankind.
• But one of the most important things I learned was that to have access to the coast, you don't have to
• To have access to the coast, you don't have to own a wealthy beach home.
• can continue to have the option to access services remotely based on their individual needs.
• , accessible services for all.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, offered prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and then moved through privileges of the floor recognizing Fresno State Ag Leadership Development Program students and members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. The body also approved the Senate journals and took up several gubernatorial appointments, including confirmations to the Court Reporters Board and the California Law Revision Commission, each approved by roll call vote. The chamber then considered SCR 136 marking the 50th anniversaries of the California Coastal Act, Coastal Commission, and Coastal Conservancy. Supporters emphasized coastal access, habitat protection, public trails, and resilience, while one senator argued the commission can overrule local control and slow development. The resolution passed 27-4. The Senate also adopted SR 68 for Denim Day and Sexual Assault Awareness Month, with broad support focused on survivor advocacy and accountability, and SCR 130 recognizing Child Abuse Prevention Month, which passed unanimously. Several bills were then approved on unanimous roll call, including SB 1058 on school nutrition procurement, SB 930 on encryption for school exam proctoring, SB 917 on winery sales at farmers’ markets, SB 1002 on continuity of out-of-state telehealth care, SB 1036 on mitigation fee credits for redevelopment, SB 1285 on juvenile record dismissals, and SB 969 on remote developmental services. Later, SCR 131 called for an urgent, coordinated response to unsheltered homelessness, emphasizing interim shelter, permanent housing, and supportive services. Supporters said the state must stop normalizing encampments and better coordinate resources; one senator objected that the resolution did not sufficiently address self-sufficiency or alternatives to housing-first approaches. The resolution passed 34-0. The Senate also adopted SCR 157 honoring school bus drivers, approved the consent calendar, heard committee announcements, and adjourned in memory of Sandy Steers, a conservation advocate and longtime executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley.

Transcript Highlights:

• This ensures cost containment while also allowing individuals to get access to what they need to return
• Individuals need to have access to that equipment to stay healthy, to stay active, to build themselves
• to have access to.
• to have access to.
• They just need to add Dawn access, give her the same level of access that they give to other supervisors

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 66, which would expand and restructure the Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Fund. The sponsor said the substitute narrows the bill to a $25 million fund, with 50% reserved for physicians and the rest for other health professionals, and raises physician awards to at least $75,000 per year for a four-year commitment. Supporters from nursing, physical therapy, health systems, social work, and advocacy groups said the program would help recruit and retain providers in New Mexico. The committee moved the substitute and then passed the bill on a do-pass motion. House Bill 38, dealing with coverage for prosthetics, orthotics, and mobility devices, drew extensive testimony from amputees, Paralympians, clinicians, and disability advocates. The bill would clarify and expand coverage for activity prosthetics, activity wheelchairs, and related complex rehab technology, with limits on the number of devices and replacement tied to physiological changes. Supporters said access to these devices is medically necessary for physical and mental health, independence, and participation in sports and daily life. After questions about provider qualifications, insurance contracting, and replacement for growing children, the committee adopted the substitute and passed the bill. House Bill 257 would appropriate funds to increase Medicaid reimbursement for vagus nerve stimulation implants for drug-resistant epilepsy. The sponsor and manufacturer’s representative argued current reimbursement is too low, leaving only UNM Hospital performing the procedures and limiting access statewide; they said better reimbursement could reduce emergency visits and long-term Medicaid costs. Members raised concerns about the bill’s language, including whether it could allow payment above allowable rates or create uncertainty about the reimbursement standard. A motion to table failed, and the committee then passed the bill 5-4, with several members noting they supported the concept but wanted the language tightened before the next committee. The committee also passed House Bill 178, which appropriates $3 million for shade structures in rural parks and outdoor recreation areas, after testimony that the project would reduce sun exposure, heat illness, and skin cancer risk. House Bill 198, which provides $2 million for peer-to-peer mental health training and treatment for first responders, also advanced on a do-pass without recommendation after members said they supported the goal but wanted clearer language on training standards, liability, and administration. Finally, House Bill 202, which would require data-sharing agreements to help the Office of Child Advocate access records from state agencies, drew support from child advocacy groups but concern from IT and family advocates about timelines, system complexity, privacy, and the need for family collaboration; the discussion continued with suggestions to refine the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• You said you talked to Access about that.
• Senator Warner, you said you talked to access about that.
• So I would like to look at that and understand that better as it comes to Access.
• So I would like to look at that and understand that better as it comes to Access.
• County, and without the 55-bed cap, it's possible rural patients could lose access to services at the

Summary: The committee heard several bills related largely to Arizona’s behavioral health and Access system, plus a fertility coverage mandate, a state hospital admissions bill, and a naturopathic scope-of-practice bill. SB 1114 would appropriate $1 million to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for investigations into behavioral health patient brokering; the sponsor described ongoing fraud involving vulnerable Native American patients, while some members questioned why the Attorney General was not handling the work. The bill passed 10-1 with one present. SB 1116 would require claim denials and appeal determinations for American Indian Health Program behavioral health services to be reviewed by someone with at least two years of relevant clinical experience; Access said it was neutral but raised concerns about vague language and added staffing needs, and the bill passed 7-4 with one present. SB 1346 would require Access to notify providers of claim deficiencies within 72 hours and approve or deny corrected claims within 10 business days; supporters said it would reduce long delays and unpaid claims, while Access said it would need more staff and system changes. The bill passed 7-5. The committee also approved SB 1347, which requires insurance coverage for fertility preservation services for cancer patients of reproductive age whose treatment is likely to cause infertility, with a religious-employer exemption. Supporters, including cancer survivors and an advocacy representative, said the bill protects patients who must make rapid decisions before treatment begins; insurers were neutral. The bill passed unanimously 12-0. SB 1813 would require the Arizona State Hospital to admit patients based on clinical need rather than county of residence, effectively ending the Maricopa County cap tied to the Arnold v. Sarn settlement. Supporters argued the cap leaves seriously ill patients waiting in other facilities for long periods, while ADHS warned of possible litigation and rural access concerns; the bill passed 9-2 with one present. Finally, the committee began hearing SB 1178, which would allow naturopathic physicians to administer certain antibiotics, antivirals, and antifungals intravenously. The sponsor argued naturopaths should be able to practice to the full scope of their training amid physician shortages, while the Arizona Medical Association and osteopathic representatives opposed the bill, saying IV antimicrobials are high-risk therapies that require hospital-level training, monitoring, and stewardship. Testimony focused on patient safety, appropriate setting, and whether the bill should be narrowed or amended; no vote on SB 1178 was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• to critical programs and services.
• </c><01:27:28.880><c> I</c> &gt;&gt; We need more access to services. Yeah.
• I &gt;&gt; We need more access to services. Yeah.
• access to primary care.
• What do you attribute that to? access to primary care. The drive times access to primary care.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first approved the draft minutes from its May 29 meeting and then received an informational update from the Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing about the state’s ASL interpreter pipeline. Representative Woods and Associate Commissioner Ann Landry explained that the American Sign Language program at UNH Manchester, the nation’s first fully accredited program, is facing viability concerns because high tuition has left only two of a potential 20 students committed so far. They warned that if enrollment does not recover, the program could face a teachout and eventually be lost, which they said would be detrimental because many state services and legal proceedings require qualified interpreters. Members discussed possible alternatives, including whether community colleges could help, and asked for follow-up research and contact information for UNH officials. The committee also heard that interpreter demand across DHHS continues to rise and that the department must ensure compliance with civil rights and service-access requirements. The committee then turned to Medicaid policy changes tied to Senate Bill 134 and a new federal interim final rule on Medicaid community engagement, or work, requirements. DHHS officials Olivia May and Ann Landry explained that the state law and federal rule align in many areas, but the committee still needed to decide how to implement several remaining policy choices. The department recommended adopting all four short-term hardship exceptions because the federal rule requires states to take them all or none: inpatient or institutional care, federally declared emergencies, high-unemployment areas, and extensive out-of-state travel for serious medical care. Members generally supported the exceptions but raised concerns about how they would be defined and applied, especially the emergency and medical-travel categories. Several legislators asked for more clarity on terms like “extensively” and “serious or complex medical care,” and DHHS said the federal rule does not rigidly define them, though the state could refine implementation through rulemaking if authorized. The department also said the emergency exception would apply only to federally declared emergencies, not state declarations, and would be tied to the emergency event itself. No final vote on the Medicaid policy was recorded in the portion provided, but the discussion indicated the committee was reviewing the remaining decisions needed to implement Senate Bill 134 under the new federal framework.

Transcript Highlights:

• These are our services. Come to us.'
• And really our goal is simple: to confirm as many people can have access to the digital services that
• creating access or barriers or pathways for different individuals to gain access to resident services
• You can simultaneously confirm good people get access to services while combating fraud in its different
• they can control what information you need to access this government service, and not any more.

Summary: The Science and Technology Committee met without any bills on the agenda and heard two presentations. Deloitte Infrastructure Insights demonstrated an AI-enabled transportation analytics platform, Infrastructure Insights Pro, focused on vulnerable road user safety. The presenter described how the tool ingests crash, GIS, and project data to generate map-based insights, trust scores for data sources, and draft concept reports that can reduce analysis time from six to eight months to a few hours. Members asked about use in other states, cost or effort savings, and the system’s deployment at Caltrans in California. The committee then heard from OCTA and SoCure on digital identity and fraud prevention for state and local government services. The presenters argued that residents face too many separate logins and that governments should move toward a more secure, frictionless, and privacy-preserving single digital identity experience. They described identity verification using contextual signals such as device, location, and document validation, and said their tools are already used by Arizona agencies and in other states. Members raised concerns about Real ID, digital IDs, federal overreach, and privacy under the Fourth Amendment and the Arizona Constitution, emphasizing the need for state control and user choice. No votes were taken and no formal actions were reported. The committee adjourned after discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• the developmental services system, and we know that other individuals may be able to access some services
• Where you live should not matter when it comes to deciding whether you have access to our services.
• access to services statewide.
• live in deep poverty in order to access critical health care services.
• to expand access to CFAP.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Human Services held a hearing on the Governor’s May Revision, with no votes taken. The first major topic was child care and early education, where the Department of Social Services and Department of Finance outlined proposed changes to absorb federal Child Care and Development Fund and Proposition 64 revenue reductions, shift some funding between child care programs, end funding for prospective pay implementation now that the federal requirement has been rescinded, adjust the alternative payment administration structure, and fund child care infrastructure grants and a Low-Income Investment Fund contract closeout. The Legislative Analyst’s Office said the budget makes progress on the structural deficit but recommended maintaining the administration’s solution level, making reserve deposits, and avoiding new ongoing commitments; it also raised concerns about shifting reductions to the California Alternative Payment Program and about the proposed administrative-rate change. Committee members strongly criticized the proposed loss of child care slots and said they would oppose eliminating those slots, while also expressing support for child care as essential infrastructure. The committee then reviewed California State Preschool Program proposals. Finance and CDE described reductions to the preschool COLA from 2.41% to 2.01%, removal of prospective pay funding, and increases for the QRIS block grant, audit support, and rate reform implementation. Trailer bill language would codify age-based rate categories, inclusion-rate documentation, family fee collection rules, portability, and excused absences. CDE supported the QRIS increase and some attendance and family-fee changes, but warned that aligning three- and four-year-old rates could reduce support for three-year-olds and that the budget does not fully cover enrollment growth. Members also questioned whether the preschool and child care slot reductions should be reallocated rather than terminated, and the administration said the reductions were intended to reflect current utilization and avoid harm to currently enrolled families. The hearing then moved to CalFresh and nutrition programs. CDSS said the May Revision includes a one-time CalFood augmentation, funding to cover federal SNAP administrative cost-share pressures, and additional staffing and technical assistance to implement HR 1 changes, including the able-bodied adults without dependents time limit and new non-citizen eligibility rules. The department estimated HR 1 could cut CalFresh funding by $2.3 billion to $3.7 billion annually and affect about 500,000 people, with roughly 806,000 adults potentially subject to the time limit and about 34,000 non-citizens expected to lose eligibility once fully implemented. Members pressed for stronger harm mitigation, including a $98 million backfill to protect families from losing food benefits, and raised concerns about county workload and the “chilling effect” on immigrant participation. The final portion of the transcript began the IHSS presentation, noting a revised budget of $33.7 billion total funds and $12.8 billion General Fund, with proposed reductions tied to Medi-Cal asset-limit changes and other federal conformity items.

Transcript Highlights:

• are restricting access to mental health and substance use disorder services compared to medical and
• , vague, and outdated enforcement framework, which hurts consumers' access to essential services.
• Differences in access to behavioral health services are often driven by factors outside of plans' control
• patients of access to health care.
• The data is very clear that access to care prior to conception The data is very clear that access to

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then in addition to building tools that families can access on their own, we also wanted to create
• So we're continuing to think about how to extend this access, like using recorded sessions to better
• And yes, it might not be what your student or child is ready to access right now.
• It doesn't have to be labeled college; there's so many ways to access higher ed.
• and to access their accommodations to be successful.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Employment Subcommittee of the Permit Commission on Status of Persons with Disabilities met on April 27 and approved the prior meeting minutes before hearing a presentation from the Lawrence Partnership for Transition to Employment (LPTE). Presenters from UMass Boston’s Institute for Community Inclusion, the Arc of Greater Haverhill-Newburyport, Northeast, and Lawrence Public Schools described LPTE as a five-year grant focused on improving transition outcomes for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Lawrence through community partnerships, work groups, and family engagement. A major focus was a family survey designed to better understand barriers to transition planning and IEP participation. Presenters said the survey response rate increased sharply after Lawrence Public Schools helped distribute it, rising from about a dozen responses to more than 200. Survey findings showed common barriers such as scheduling conflicts, language access, childcare, transportation, and limited understanding of IEPs and transition planning. The data also suggested that many families expect college or employment outcomes for their children, but fewer reported access to pre-employment training, indicating a communication gap rather than a lack of services. Lawrence school staff explained that the district has a five-person transition team, bilingual resources, workshops, and a developing online transition hub, and that they are using the survey results to improve visibility and access to existing supports. Committee members discussed the need to start transition planning earlier, expand real-world work experiences, improve outreach to Latino families, and better connect students with college, trade, and employment pathways. Several members suggested partnerships with summer youth employment, volunteer programs, and college or alumni panels. The presenters said the grant ends in September, but the resource hub will continue through the Arc and they are exploring ways to sustain the consortium model. The meeting ended with thanks to the presenters, an update that committee members would meet with Seed on Massachusetts as a model employer, and notice that the next meeting would feature the Office of Veteran Affairs before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• way so that all residents of New Hampshire have access to this vital service.
• to people and to figure out what is the best way that we can bolster access to these services.
• I offer that the New... bolster access to these Services thank bolster access to these Services thank
• </c><01:15:02.239><c> to</c> does not provide good access to does not provide good access to paliative
• study access to for the state to study access to paliative<01:15:28.520><c> care</c><01:15:29.199><c>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> of act 107 to help residents with access of act 107 to help residents with access issues<00:39:53.920
• Access to Health Care of death in Hawaii Access to Health Care Providers<00:42:47.760><c> is</c><00:
• expand access to our rural areas.
• could wait up to five days before getting access to medicine.
• access to reproductive health.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Health Committee held its first hearing of 2025, with Chair Greg Takayama and Vice Chair Representative Leoy opening the meeting and outlining housekeeping rules, including a two-minute limit for testifiers and Zoom etiquette. The committee first heard HB 303 on health care preceptors. The Department of Health, Department of Taxation, University of Hawaiʻi, Hawaii State Center for Nursing, and several health care organizations supported the bill, saying the existing preceptor tax credit program has been successful and that expanding eligibility to additional professions and students would help address workforce shortages. In response to questions, the Department of Health said the annual tax credit cap is $1.5 million, about 650 to 670 credits are currently used each year, and the bill applies only to unpaid preceptors. The committee then moved on to HB 441, which would raise cigarette taxes. The Attorney General, Department of Health, University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center, Hawaii Public Health Institute, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, and others supported the measure as a way to reduce smoking, especially among youth, and to support tobacco control and cancer-related programs. Opponents, including the Taxpayers Protection Alliance and the Cigar Association of Hawaii, argued the tax is regressive and unreliable as a revenue source. The Department of Health noted the last cigarette tax increase was in 2011, and one witness urged a larger increase than proposed. No vote was taken on either bill in the portion of the hearing provided. The committee also heard HB 557 on telehealth. The Department of Health supported the bill so long as it did not displace executive budget priorities, and the Hawaii State Health Planning and Development Agency and Hawaii Primary Care Association supported it. HPCA said the bill would conform state insurance law to recent Medicare changes expanding audio-only telehealth coverage beyond mental health services, and it emphasized access for rural residents, kupuna, and people with disabilities. HMSA opposed the bill as written, saying it strayed from the intent of Act 107 and that audio-only telehealth should remain limited because of quality-of-care concerns, though it supported continued access and asked for a different amendment approach. A telehealth provider also testified that payment disparities limit provider expansion and that audio-only access remains important for patients with serious illness. The hearing ended in the excerpt before any committee action or vote on HB 557.

Transcript Highlights:

• access to services that are available through recent and ongoing efforts, such as CalAME and BH Connect
• access to services.
• Services through these programs? We would have to get back to you on that.
• Moving on to our next item here related to our web accessible service portal addendum.
• We're requesting an adjustment to resources to implement a web accessible service portal (WASP).

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That leads us to another question on the agenda: What would it take to increase access to high-quality
• key to expanding access.
• year to ensure there’s no service disruption.
• improve as long as we continue to provide access to these programs.
• to those full-day, full-year services.

Summary: The hearing was a joint budget discussion focused first on California preschool and child care, then on universal transitional kindergarten (TK), with later movement toward a reading-difficulties screener item. Members emphasized the need for a coordinated early childhood system that better serves families’ real schedules and needs, rather than forcing families to fit existing program structures. The preschool panel reviewed access, quality, workforce, facilities, and information systems, with repeated concern about whether current funding and program design are sufficient for infants, toddlers, three-year-olds, and full-day/full-year care. Witnesses from the Learning Policy Institute, CDSS, CDE, and community providers described major growth in preschool and child care enrollment, especially for two- and three-year-olds, but also noted persistent gaps, waitlists, workforce shortages, low reimbursement rates, and the need for more stable funding. Several witnesses urged expansion or permanence of two-year-old eligibility in CSPP, more support for mixed-delivery systems, facility conversion and renovation grants, better statewide enrollment and referral systems, and continued funding for one-time grants such as UPK coordinators and planning/implementation supports. Provider and parent testimony stressed that rate reform, enrollment-based reimbursement, and continued hold-harmless protections are needed to keep programs open and accessible. The TK panel reviewed the Governor’s budget proposal for full implementation of universal TK, including Proposition 98 funding for expansion and lower adult-to-child ratios, plus a multilingual learner screening implementation budget change proposal. LPI and CDE reported that TK enrollment has grown rapidly but uptake is now a little over half of eligible four-year-olds, with families citing lack of awareness, preference for other care, and logistical barriers such as location and hours. CDE and providers said the UPK planning and implementation grant, mixed-delivery planning grants, and UPK coordinators have been critical, but these one-time funds are set to sunset. Members pressed for more information on eligible population projections, full-day/full-year demand, teacher credential data, and how administrative credential programs are preparing leaders for early childhood settings. The committee held the issues open and requested follow-up data from the departments.

Transcript Highlights:

• An organization that may have a more direct access to those services.
• Like, why don't rural youth have access to the same number of vouchers? Is it tied to the service?
• When you're trying to access those services, are you all hoping you'll be able to do everything through
• currently have access to the supportive services that need to accompany those vouchers.
• that are available to them, and how to access those services.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• services to Children agencies providing services to Children and<00:05:14.360><c> Families</c><00:05
• <c> the</c><00:22:11.200><c> following</c> shall have access to the following shall have access to the
• the OCA to have access potentially to all agency records. name is Emily Lawrence and I'm the name is
• to our donor would they have access to our donor records<00:29:37.039><c> would</c><00:29:37.200><c>
• <c> our</c> records would they have access to our records would they have access to our accounting<00

Keywords: 1191, senate, all