Transcript Highlights:

• We thank the committee for the opportunity to provide comments on Senate Bill 3057 and House Bill 5376
• We urge the committee to amend Senate Bill 3057 and House Bill 5376 to include both these provisions
• We urge the committee to amend Senate 3057 and House 5376 to include both these provisions in the current
• legislation.
• Good morning to the Senate Chair Patricia Jehlen, House Chair Thomas Stanley, and Joint Committee on

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Aging and Independence held a hearing on two assisted living bills, Senate 3057 and House 5376, which would create an Assisted Living Residence Trust Fund to support certification staffing, compliance reviews, complaint investigations, ombudsman services, public reporting, appeals, and oversight. Testimony from MassALA, AARP, and the Long-Term Care Ombudsman generally supported the bills and the dedicated funding stream, but MassALA urged amendments to expand career pathways for staff through certified medication aides and to add guardrails on the use of fines as a funding source. The Ombudsman supported the fund and emphasized the need for additional staffing to better serve the state’s assisted living residents. Committee members asked for draft amendment language, and the chairs indicated they were open to further discussion, especially on fines and CMA language. The committee then heard testimony on Senate 3056 and House 5243 regarding medication administration in rest homes. Providers, including the Massachusetts Association of Residential Care Homes, LeadingAge Massachusetts, and several rest home operators, opposed proposed Department of Public Health changes that would eliminate the long-standing “responsible person” model and move rest homes toward the Medication Administration Program (MAP). Witnesses said the current model has been used for decades, is tailored to rest homes, and is essential to affordability, staffing stability, and resident continuity of care; they warned that replacing it with MAP or nurse-only administration would raise costs, worsen workforce shortages, and could force closures or resident displacement. They asked the committee to support legislation preserving responsible persons’ authority to administer medications while improving training and oversight. Committee members asked questions about the history of the responsible person model, how medication administration works day to day, whether other states use similar systems, and whether data exist comparing medication error rates under MAP and the current model. The chairs said they were still reviewing building-code-related recommendations raised in the assisted living discussion and noted that some issues might be better addressed through a task force. The hearing concluded after testimony and questions, and the committee voted to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• I will move House File 2436 before our committee to be re-referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
• I will move House File 2436 before our<00:01:00.480> committee<00:01:00.719> to<00:01:00.879
• Uh I did um present this bill in the workforce committee um because I believe that you know workforce
• present this bill in the workforce present this bill in the workforce committee<00:37:17.520>
• workforce committee. Thank you chair. workforce committee. Thank you chair.

Bills: HF2436

Keywords: child welfare, economic assistance, child care, grant program, video security cameras, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• He then thanked the committee.
• He then thanked the committee.
• I respectfully urge the committee to advance this critical legislation and help secure a stronger, more
• I respectfully urge the committee to advance this critical legislation and help secure a stronger, more
• Hello, committee. Thank you for this opportunity to speak. Hello, committee.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee on Economic Development held a hearing on the DRIVE Act, a proposal to invest $400 million in Massachusetts research and innovation without new taxes. Governor Healey and administration officials said the bill would direct $200 million to public higher education research and regional partnerships and $200 million to a research funding pool for hospitals, universities, and other institutions, with the goal of retaining talent, leveraging private and philanthropic dollars, and offsetting major federal R&D cuts. They argued that research is a core economic engine for the state, supporting jobs across labs, construction, services, and surrounding businesses, and said the bill would help protect the Commonwealth’s tax base and competitiveness during a period of federal uncertainty and cuts to SNAP, Medicaid, and other programs. Committee members raised concerns about whether Fair Share surtax dollars should instead be used for K-12 and other community needs, whether the proposal is enough given the scale of lost federal grants, and how the money would be allocated. The governor responded that the funds are one-time surplus dollars, that most surtax revenue already supports education, and that the bill is meant as a bridge to stabilize public higher education and research. She also said the legislation includes a review board and could support a revolving or matched-fund approach in some cases. Several members pressed for more detail on selection criteria, future funding, and whether private companies and large endowments should contribute more. University of Massachusetts leaders and researchers testified that federal grant cancellations and delays are already causing layoffs, furloughs, rescinded admissions, and lost research capacity. UMass officials said the bill would help preserve faculty, postdocs, graduate students, and research programs in medicine, climate science, marine science, Braille instruction, and AI decision-making. They emphasized that the funding should be merit-based and that the state needs to act quickly to prevent talent from leaving Massachusetts. Business, labor, and industry groups, including MassBio, the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, AIM, the AFL-CIO, and Building Trades, supported the bill, saying it would protect jobs, sustain the innovation ecosystem, and reinforce Massachusetts’ national leadership in research and life sciences. No vote was taken in the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Jason Wolf, with the Department of Workforce Services, said the workers' compensation program is housed
• Committee, any Thank you, Mr. Smith. Committee, any questions?
• Committee, any questions? Committee, any questions?
• any legislative action. any legislative action.
• require legislative action. require legislative action.

Keywords: 916, all

Summary: The committee opened by explaining it would work through a long list of interim topics one at a time and asked members to complete a selection form at the end. The first topic, long-term care, drew testimony from AARP Wyoming and the Wyoming Long-Term Care Association. AARP emphasized Wyoming’s aging population, the state’s roughly $200 million annual Medicaid spending on long-term care, and the need to examine whether more support for home-based care could reduce nursing home use and costs. The association agreed with supporting people at home as long as possible, but asked that any study also consider increased support for nursing homes and assisted living when home care is no longer feasible. Committee discussion also touched on adult day care and PACE-like services, with Mr. Laycock noting prior Department of Health discussion and limited adult day availability due to reimbursement concerns. The committee then heard proposals for neonatal intensive care unit family leave, expanded midwifery scope, and a modification to workers’ compensation law. The NICU leave idea, presented by the Wyoming Women’s Foundation, would explore leave options for families with premature infants in intensive care, potentially paid or unpaid, while considering business size and the burden on families who may need out-of-state care. The midwifery topic was framed as a way to address rural maternity and women’s health gaps by allowing midwives to practice to the full extent of their training. On workers’ compensation, the Wyoming Association of Municipalities sought to classify dispatch personnel as first responders so they could receive mental health coverage under workers’ compensation; the Department of Workforce Services explained that current law covers dispatchers under workers’ compensation generally, but the first responder mental health provision added in 2018 applies to law enforcement and firefighters and does not currently include dispatchers. Other topics included problematic gaming and program funding, breast cancer diagnostic and supplemental exams, prescription drug coverage for advanced metastatic cancer, SNAP education, behavioral health workforce clinical training site shortages, CPR in schools, and broader midwifery oversight. The behavioral health workforce proposal, brought by a WICHE commissioner, focused on increasing psychology internship slots in Wyoming, noting that the state currently has only three and that expanding placements could improve recruitment and retention. The CPR in schools topic drew strong support from the American Heart Association, which argued that CPR training in high school could improve bystander response in a rural state with long EMS response times; committee members asked about cost and curriculum fit, and the witnesses said hands-only CPR could be taught by school staff rather than requiring expensive certification. The midwifery discussion later broadened into concerns about oversight and standards after a representative described a constituent’s pregnancy loss and said complaints involving midwifery practice and staffing delays in investigations warranted a deeper review. No votes were taken during the portion provided, and most topics were simply introduced, discussed, and left open for further testimony or later committee selection.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for your time and workforce.
• ,<00:10:09.519> thank Senate Higher Education Committee, thank Senate Higher Education Committee
• <00:11:45.519> has state's health care workforce has state's health care workforce has unequal
• Chair and members of the committee.
• Chair, members of the committee.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• our entire state, and they house our local workforces, seniors, families, and people exiting homelessness
• /c><00:08:05.520> local state, and they house our local state, and they house our local workforces
• I have the... members of the legislative committees uh members of the legislative committees uh having
• That's exactly what this legislation is trying to accomplish, providing temporary housing where individuals
• housing units and include six workforce housing units and two<01:36:53.000> emergency<01:36:53.800

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• However, the committee has received written testimony from the USDA.
• House of Representatives. And now we'll turn to our witness testimony.
• I urge the members of the committee on both sides of the aisle to pass meaningful legislation that empowers
• Funding and workforce tend to be the issues that get in the way of those.
• Thank you Senator and thank you for your work on that legislation.

Bills: HB471

Keywords: forest management, wildfire prevention, public lands, Tribal jurisdiction, Fix Our Forests Act, wildfire, forest health, hazardous fuels reduction, fuels treatment, prescribed burning, mechanical thinning, mastication, fuel breaks, fire breaks, wildland-urban interface, WUI, fireshed, fireshed management area, fireshed registry, Fireshed Center

Summary: The meeting primarily focused on H.R. 471, the Fix Our Forests Act, which aims to address the ongoing crisis of wildfires exacerbated by climate change and the need for updated forest management practices. Various committee members voiced concerns about past federal management failures and emphasized the necessity for collaborative approaches involving local communities and stakeholders in forest management. As discussions unfolded, there were varying perspectives on the implications of certain provisions in the bill, particularly around regulatory changes and their likely impacts on public participation and environmental reviews.

Transcript Highlights:

• The prepandemic comparison of U.S. and Alabama unemployment rates and workforce...
• Unemployment rates and workforce participation are still not back to where we were in 2019.
• on the third legislative day of each session.
• We limited legislation to limit the amount the budget can grow.
• , including the STEM Council and the Workforce Council.

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• only building housing for the lowest-income households, but also for the workforce that keeps our communities
• I respectfully ask for an aye vote on this important policy to unlock workforce housing in California
• for affordable housing but can't afford market-rate housing where they live.
• gap between housing need and housing provision.
• The committee now concludes.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• e e Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the House Committee on Health, Human Services and Elderly
• And then there was no charter for the committee to potentially recommend any legislation, not that there
• is legislation we'd recommend, but we just wanted to make sure that the members of the committee knew
• to potentially recommend any committee to potentially recommend any legislation<00:05:53.120> not
• The committee and the Full House last year passed amendment language on a voice vote.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our first order of business this morning in committee work, we are going to take a look at House Bill
• Upgren here to answer questions for the committee. So I'll just open that up to the committee.
• Chairman, members of the committee.
• Chairman, members of the committee, for the record, Jim Upgren, legislative liaison with the Department
• House Bill 1404 has passed. House Bill 1404 has passed. Thank you, Senator Axtman, will carry.

Bills: HB1404

Keywords: HB 1404, North Dakota scholarship, scholarship eligibility, student aid, high school graduation, college readiness, career readiness, career and technical education, CTE, dual credit, advanced placement, AP exam, International Baccalaureate, IB exam, ACT, SAT, WorkKeys, ASVAB, JROTC, Civil Air Patrol

Summary: The Senate Education Committee met with six members present and first took up House Bill 1404, which would update North Dakota scholarship eligibility language by allowing the NDA Plus assessment to be used in place of ACT scores in certain pathways. The Department of Public Instruction explained that the bill does not eliminate the ACT entirely, but removes outdated references tied to ACT accountability testing that will no longer apply after this year’s seniors graduate. Members discussed how the change affects public and nonpublic schools, then voted 6-0 to give HB 1404 a do pass recommendation. The committee then returned to House Bill 1363, a bill dealing with school emergency response planning and automatic external defibrillators. Members adopted an amendment clarifying that the requirements apply to school-owned facilities and grounds, replacing language about school events and venues, and revising the planning language for school-based events not held on school-owned property. The committee also debated whether the bill should be mandatory or permissive; a motion to change “shall” to “may” failed, with members noting the bill’s liability protections. The committee then voted 5-1 to pass HB 1363 as amended, with Senator Gerhardt carrying the bill. Before recessing, the chair noted that House Bill 1533 would be taken up later in the day after additional information from DPI was received.

Transcript Highlights:

• Speaker, I move that the House grant permission for the Committee on Delivery of Government Efficiency
• Speaker, I move that the House grant permission for the Committee on Natural Resources to meet while
• the House is in session today at 4 p.m. in Room 3W.9 to consider pending referred and committee business
• I move that the House grant permission for the Committee on Calendars to meet while the House is in session
• On the grounds that the May 13, 2025 witness list included with the committee report of the House Committee

Summary: The House convened, established a quorum, heard an invocation and pledges, and approved several routine motions, including excuses for absent members, permission for committees to meet while the House was in session, and postponements of some bills. The chamber also received a Senate message listing measures passed by the Senate and adopted a memorial resolution honoring the 21 victims of the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, with remarks entered into the House Journal after a moment of silence. The House then took up a long third-reading calendar and passed a series of Senate bills on topics including criminal justice and corrections sunset provisions (SB 2405, 2406, 2407), election equipment testing (SB 2166), electric grid reliability and attack-preparedness exercises (SB 2148), firefighter collective bargaining (SB 777), DFPS and foster care procedures (SB 1141 and SB 1398), Medicare durable medical equipment billing (SB 1330), property tax administration (SB 1453), probate cleanup and record transfers (SB 1448 and SB 1839), mental health filing procedures (SB 53), school residency for children in safety placements (SB 226), diabetes-related amputation study (SB 1677), rapid DNA analysis (SB 1723), utility rate transparency and capacity cost recovery (SB 1664 and SB 1856), community supervision eligibility (SB 552 postponed), and other measures. Several bills passed with broad support, while others drew notable opposition and narrower margins, including SB 777, SB 2137, SB 2111, SB 1677, SB 1936, SB 1453, and SB 38. Two bills drew especially extensive debate. SB 2148, dealing with electricity supply chain reliability and tabletop exercises for critical facilities, was discussed as a grid-security measure aimed at coordinating utilities, law enforcement, ERCOT, and the PUC in the event of physical attacks; it passed unanimously. SB 1936, changing how LSD is measured for criminal prosecution from dosage-based to weight-based calculations, prompted extended discussion about lab consistency, carrier mediums, and fairness in charging, with supporters saying it would help crime labs and law enforcement and opponents warning it could distort penalties depending on the medium used; it passed 108-26. The House also passed SB 36, creating a Homeland Security Division within DPS, after questions about overlap with TDEM and the cost of adding personnel. Late in the day, the House debated SB 38 on eviction procedures, with supporters saying it targeted squatters and streamlined removal of unauthorized occupants, and opponents arguing it would make evictions too easy and worsen homelessness; it passed 85-44. The chamber also began debate on SB 37, a major higher-education governance bill that would expand governing-board oversight of curriculum, hiring, and faculty senates; members raised concerns about academic freedom, faculty governance, and the impact on humanities programs, and debate was still underway at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Justice Budget Committee will come to order.
• and man those housing units.
• and man those housing units.
• There are some committee members here that were proponents of that legislative funding.
• There are some committee members here that were proponents of that legislative funding.

Summary: The Justice Budget Committee heard detailed presentations from the Department of Juvenile Justice and the Department of Corrections on staffing, services, and budget needs. DJJ Secretary Hall emphasized that the agency’s main public safety strategy is education, along with prevention and recidivism reduction. He described major staffing improvements after pay increases for probation, detention, residential care, and prevention workers, and outlined DJJ’s mental health, aftercare, and education continuum, including the Florida Scholars Academy and Florida Youth College. He said the new statewide education model is showing early gains in progress monitoring, high school graduation, and postsecondary enrollment, while also noting ongoing operational issues such as IT connectivity, rural staffing gaps, and the need for geographic pay adjustments for teachers. He also discussed detention center replacement plans in Hillsborough, Broward, and Palm Beach, and said DJJ would transition the Broward JAC to a security contractor after the sheriff’s office pulls sworn officers from the site. Members asked about campus performance differences, teacher pay, detention education quality, and concerns about the rollout and leadership of the Scholars Academy. Hall said some campuses face rural access and infrastructure problems, but the blended learning model provides continuity when internet or staffing issues arise. He defended the superintendent’s qualifications and said early problems with inappropriate online content were addressed. Representative Porras raised concerns about educational quality and the superintendent’s past disciplinary history, while Representative Barrera urged more mentorship and fatherhood-focused programming in juvenile facilities. DOC Secretary Dixon said the prison system is under pressure from rising inmate populations, staffing shortages, and overtime costs. He argued that the system needs funded posts for every functioning housing unit, noting that the department has added housing units without enough staff and now relies heavily on overtime, mobile officer deployments, and shift conversions to keep facilities operating safely. He highlighted that many officers are new, that outside-hospital transports have risen sharply, and that mental health units require additional staffing. DOC’s mental health chief described a large and growing treatment system with outpatient, inpatient, intensive outpatient, and court-ordered services, saying about a quarter of the prison population has a diagnosed mental illness. Community corrections staff described treatment programs, employment specialists, mobile probation and reentry units, and a new mental health first aid training initiative. Reentry staff reported expanded substance abuse, education, CTE, chaplaincy, and digital learning programs, including Edovo and a forthcoming Work Bay platform. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Campbell sends up the committee substitute for House Bill 4211, and Senator Hughes is also involved
• Senator Campbell sends up the committee substitute for House Bill 111, and Senator Hughes is also recognized
• Members, this is a cleanup bill requested by the House Committee on.
• The committee substitute chair lays out as a matter. Of pending business, House Bill 145.
• Senator Nichols sends up the committee for House Bill 145, and Senator Schwartner is recognized to explain

Bills: HB111

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our committee is.
• laws, but those pro-housing laws aren't very good at producing housing units.
• You've mentioned housing quite a bit, and I'm going to speak to two things related to housing.
• to build housing.
• So you have child care, education. and skilled workforce, health care housing, and then this infrastructure

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And in addition, the joint legislative audit committee had the California State Auditor conduct an audit
• The Budget Committee is perhaps the most important committee to be on this year because of our fiscal
• Please come to this committee and say this is where our strategic workforce plan is. is going given the
• I'm the Deputy Secretary of the Workforce Strategy at the California Labor and Workforce Association.
• I mean, we've had workforce investment boards, workforce partnerships, for decades.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• rules, I call up House committee on rules, I call up House Resolution<02:18:47.760> 1345<02:18
• The House bypassed committee consideration altogether. And why?
• This legislation is not a serious house.
• Russell Fry, who is also a House Judiciary Committee member.
• Security Committee here in the House. Security Committee here in the House.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 193. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and committee.
• Finally, the department shall submit an initial report to the Senate and House committees on health and
• Thank you, committee.
• to house.
• to house.

Keywords: 974, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Health and Welfare met on May 6, 2026, with five members present. After adopting the April 28 minutes, the committee heard a brief presentation on the new Leadership Louisiana Health Fellows Program, which is intended to bring together health care, business, policy, and education leaders to study Louisiana health challenges and build a network for action. Members expressed support for the program and its potential value to health policy work. The committee then advanced several bills, often with technical or substantive amendments. SB 57, a nutrition-labeling bill, was amended to push its effective date to December 31, 2028 and reported as amended. HB 62 increased the membership of the Louisiana Women’s Policy and Research Commission to 27 members and was reported as amended. HB 193 updated membership rules for the sickle cell commission foundations so long-serving executive directors would not have to reapply repeatedly, and it was reported as amended. HB 815 would allow financial institutions to receive death certificates to help families manage accounts after a death; it was reported favorably after a question about state-licensed banks. SB 405 was substantially revised to codify LDH’s new Ascend nursing-facility quality initiative, including statewide quality oversight goals, stakeholder involvement, reporting requirements, and tools such as dashboards and surveys; after reconsidering prior action and adopting the new amendment, the bill was reported as amended. The committee also approved HB 222, which provides Medicaid dental coverage when needed for another covered medical procedure, and HB 420, which requires background checks for all DCFS employees with access to sensitive information. HB 475 requires verbal consent when AI is used to record or transcribe a medical visit and was reported favorably after a technical question. HB 246 updated membership of the Children’s Cabinet Advisory Board and the council on grandparents raising grandchildren, including replacing an inactive coalition seat with the state police superintendent or designee. HB 486 would enter Louisiana into the psychology inter-jurisdictional compact to expand access to mental health care, and HB 574 updated outdated board names on the Mental Health Advisory Services Board; both were reported favorably. Later, the committee reported HB 949, which creates a licensure framework for radiologist assistants to help address imaging workforce shortages, especially in rural areas, and HB 584, which requires foster children to be provided luggage instead of trash bags for their belongings and restores “rights” language in the Foster Youth Bill of Rights. The committee also reported HB 1214, restructuring certain LDH facilities into a single system under the secretary’s office; HB 1092, a technical renaming/terminology cleanup bill; and HB 203, which adds members to the uterine fibroids commission. Throughout the meeting, members and witnesses emphasized access to care, workforce shortages, child welfare, and quality improvement, and the committee repeatedly adopted amendments and reported the bills favorably or as amended before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• Any questions from the committee? Seeing none, anybody else wants to testify on House Bill 1025?
• c> in legislative ethics committee meets in legislative ethics committee meets in early<00:40:20.960
• Now, I had the pleasure of serving on the House Investigative Committee on COVID response advocacy.
• And so for those reasons, we respectfully urge the committee to oppose House Bill 392.
• Bill urge the committee to oppose House Bill urge the committee to oppose House Bill 392.<01:52:33.679

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you committee members for joining me today.
• So all three of those, they will fall under my committee, because I chair the Revenue and Taxation Committee
• Gibson because that's under his committee.
• we have on the committee.
• Carla Castillo and then Ashley Bennett, they're our committee consultants for this committee that we

Keywords: 988, house, all