Transcript Highlights:

• benefiting from the program right now. benefiting from the program right now.
• to learn, grow, and thrive. Thank you. to learn, grow, and thrive. Thank you.
• You know, the loss of after-school programming could seem small, but it is documented learning loss.
• could seem small, but it is programming could seem small, but it is documented<00:57:29.599> learning
• interrupted learning? interrupted learning?

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• strengthen program integrity. strengthen program integrity.
• needing higher levels of care and so on. needing higher levels of care and so on.
• programs, will reduce access for care for thousands of Minnesota residents who need a safe, drug-free
• We eliminate barriers for children to access care, and we need to keep that program going and funding
• It is an amazing program. We health. It is an amazing program.

Bills: HF2434

Keywords: healthcare, personal care assistance, worker retention, disability services, state funding, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:10:47.079> uh and consumer affairs midwives program uh and consumer affairs midwives program
• This bill lets us, lets me, be able to learn from my kupuna, learn from my aunties, my uncles.
• This bill lets us, lets me, be able to learn from my kupuna, learn from my aunties, my uncles.
• This bill lets us, lets me, be able to learn from my kupuna, learn from my aunties, my uncles.
• <01:57:36.880> from<01:57:37.079> my to learn from my kapuna learn from my to learn

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The joint House Committee on Health and Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce heard two midwifery bills, with testimony focused primarily on HB 1194. Committee chairs opened the hearing with rules for Zoom testimony and noted the bills relate to midwives. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs said it supported the intent of HB 1194 and offered comments. Supporters of the bill, including the Midwives Alliance of Hawaii, argued that midwifery should remain subject to mandatory licensure to protect consumer safety, citing the state’s regulatory licensing standards and a 2025 state auditor sunset analysis. They said the bill would strengthen educational standards and public protection, and some offered clarifying amendments. Opponents argued HB 1194 would restrict access to care and fail to protect traditional, cultural, and community-based birth practices. Testifiers from the Hawaii Home Birth Task Force, the Hawaii Home Birth Collective, the Libertarian Party of Hawaii, the Center for Reproductive Rights, Pacific Birth Collective, and Papa Ola Lōkahi said the bill would limit licensure pathways, reduce access in rural and underserved areas, and burden Native Hawaiian and traditional practitioners. Several speakers said the measure could worsen Hawaii’s maternal health shortages, especially on Maui, and urged lawmakers to defer HB 1194 or instead advance HB 1328, which they said better protects practitioner access and cultural practices. The Hawaii affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives said it opposed HB 1194 because it did not align with national or state standards for certified midwives and could create conflicts with Medicaid reimbursement and prescriptive authority. The ACLU also opposed the measure, emphasizing reproductive rights, privacy, and the need to preserve apprenticeship pathways to licensure. No vote or final committee action was taken during the portion of the hearing reflected in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• Program, which we're very fortunate that that far... ...USDA Market Access Program, which we're very
• Yes, so this is where the Market Access Program dollars that we've been able to access historically have
• Those products aren't ending up in our places of higher learning.
• regional farm equipment sharing, and even initial allocations for some programs like improving land access
• This is a critical safety net program that both helps SNAP CalFresh shoppers access fresh, healthy foods

Summary: The meeting began with a lengthy opening discussion with Secretary Karen Ross of the Department of Food and Agriculture, who reviewed the department’s proposed budget, emphasized California agriculture’s record output, and highlighted major priorities including climate-smart agriculture, groundwater management, local food systems, farm-to-school, food hubs, invasive pest prevention, bird flu response, and food safety. She also warned about federal budget cuts, especially at USDA and FDA, and discussed market access challenges abroad, rising input costs, labor shortages, and the need for automation and workforce training. Members raised questions about the future of Farm to School, the California Nutrition Incentive Program/Market Match, local food procurement, and how to better connect farmers to schools, food banks, and food hubs; Ross said the department had strong evidence the program benefits small farms and Title I schools and noted continued interest in building out local food infrastructure. The committee then took up item one on eliminating vacant positions at the Departments of Fish and Wildlife, Parks and Recreation, and Food and Agriculture. The Legislative Analyst’s Office explained that the Governor proposed eliminating 6,000 vacant positions statewide, with the Joint Legislative Budget Committee previously rejecting 650 of them, including 174 in these three departments. LAO and Finance said the vacancies represented a source of budget flexibility, but warned that eliminating them could create program impacts; LAO recommended retaining the special-funded positions at Fish and Wildlife and Food and Agriculture, while weighing the General Fund positions against other priorities. Finance argued the reductions were part of a broader budget-resiliency exercise and that departments could reclassify or shift vacancies to higher priorities. Members focused heavily on the practical impacts of the cuts. Assemblymember Petrie-Norris argued that Fish and Wildlife staffing shortages were already slowing permits needed for housing, clean energy, water, and transportation projects, and questioned the value of saving relatively small amounts of money. Fish and Wildlife officials said the department had prioritized mission-critical work and could still meet permitting obligations, but acknowledged limited-term staffing constraints. State Parks said the proposed ranger and maintenance cuts would not have immediate effects but could slow maintenance and eventually worsen deferred maintenance. Food and Agriculture said some of the eliminated positions supported early pest detection and eradication, but that the department believed it could still meet its mandate and reclassify positions if needed. The chair and several members signaled concern about the Fish and Wildlife and Parks cuts, while also noting the broader need for budget reductions. The committee then moved to item six, hearing an overview from the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation. Staff described the office’s role in CEQA implementation and said the budget requests were baseline funding to maintain existing functions, including IT services and administrative/legislative support, rather than new programs. The chair asked the presenters to move quickly through background material so the committee could get to questions, and the item began with no votes taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• The lessons learned, as hard as they are, need to be taught and need to be learned.
• Access. Even if it's by email, they should have access.
• Higher ground, which is key.
• On-site or off-site, you've got to find higher ground.
• What have you learned from what happened at New York?

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We've learned from that experience.
• There's the federal program, there's state programs, and there were new programs that were delivered
• When our system is tested by an influx of claims and by new programs that we need to administer and learn
• This is a new program.
• When new states start up, they get to learn from the mistakes of states that went before, get to learn

Keywords: Commission on Unemployment Compensation, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• What our grant program does is it has a higher Texas component to it so $50,000. 55% of who you hire
• I think we all learned a lesson during COVID. when we couldn't get access to semiconductors and we saw
• , program.
• So we have experience in standing up new programs and we've learned... every time and we've gotten better
• The Texas Poison Control Program provides immediate access to health care professionals to provide life-saving

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Even though revenue in the current year are coming in higher than in...
• I know you all believe in higher education very much.
• , perhaps, accelerated degree programs.
• higher education.
• proposals for these programs this year.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance, chaired by Assemblymember Alvarez, held a hearing focused on University of California budget issues. The committee reviewed UC core operations funding, enrollment trends, federal funding threats, Title IX implementation, and basic needs support. Major themes included the end of the Governor’s multi-year UC compact, the state’s fiscal outlook, UC’s enrollment growth, and the potential impacts of federal policy changes on research, health care, and student aid. On core funding, the Department of Finance described the Governor’s proposal to continue compact-related support, defer some payments, and authorize a cash-flow loan. The LAO recommended a smaller or no base increase, earmarking some funds for capital renewal, retiring deferrals when possible, avoiding new compact commitments, and funding UC annually rather than through compacts. UC argued that the compact has supported enrollment growth, student services, and operating costs, but said campuses face rising expenses, structural deficits, and limited reserves. Members questioned the effects of deferrals on students and discussed the need to prioritize less harmful reductions if cuts become necessary. The enrollment panel focused on UC’s growth in California resident enrollment and the nonresident replacement plan at Berkeley, UCLA, and UC San Diego. The LAO recommended maintaining the current enrollment target, funding enrollment separately from base increases, pausing the nonresident replacement plan, and holding enrollment flat in 2027-28. UC said it has already met compact enrollment goals, grown California undergraduate enrollment by about 18,800 students, and that further growth depends on ongoing state support. The committee also discussed the cost of enrollment growth, possible differential nonresident tuition, and a reporting request for UC to analyze the nonresident replacement approach; the motion to adopt supplemental reporting language passed. The hearing also covered federal funding risks, with the LAO and UC warning that federal changes could affect research grants, medical center reimbursement, and student financial aid. UC said research cancellations and suspensions are disrupting labs and graduate student support, while federal health policy changes could increase uncompensated care at UC hospitals. In the Title IX update, UC described its systemwide civil rights structure, annual student training, and campus support offices, and members praised the work while asking about ongoing concerns and intersegmental collaboration. The final basic-needs item began with Finance stating the Governor’s budget does not change ongoing support, but the transcript cuts off before further discussion or action.

Transcript Highlights:

• ERS, through our group benefit program, covers all of higher education, including the community colleges
• Our group benefit program covers all of higher education, including the community colleges in Texas.
• Our group benefit program covers all of higher ed, including the community colleges in Texas.
• The Texas Poison Control Program provides immediate access to a health care professional to provide life-saving
• We have some content programs, data content programs.

Bills: SB 1

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards

Summary: The committee heard budget presentations from the Legislative Budget Board and agency officials on several agencies, starting with the Texas Historical Commission. LBB described a large biennial reduction driven mainly by the removal of one-time funding and discussed capital projects, rider changes, and exceptional items including Presidio La Bahia and the National Museum of the Pacific War. Senators asked about heritage trails, courthouse grants, unexpended balance authority, and the status of historical-site funding. Historical Commission leadership emphasized preservation, courthouse restoration, heritage tourism, coordination with the Alamo and other Texas Revolution sites, and requested additional IT, staffing, and vehicle funding. No votes were taken. The committee then reviewed the Pension Review Board and the Employees Retirement System. The Pension Review Board’s budget was largely unchanged aside from IT maintenance and salary adjustments, with an exceptional item for additional IT enhancements. Members discussed the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System’s funding dispute and the need for a workable restoration plan. ERS presented a much larger budget, including funding for the retirement system, the group benefits plan, and the legacy payment intended to reduce unfunded liability. Senators focused heavily on pension investment returns, benchmark comparisons, and rising health-care costs, especially pharmacy spending driven by GLP-1 drugs; ERS said the plan covers about 540,000 lives and that premiums would rise 8% while benefits remain unchanged. ERS also said it had no exceptional items, and committee members requested more detailed benchmark information. The committee also heard from the Texas Emergency Services Retirement System and the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. TESSORS reported an unfunded liability, an infinite amortization period, and requested additional state support, staffing, and IT funding, including a statutory change to allow a higher contribution level; the agency warned that without more funding it may have to cut benefits. CEPRIT’s presentation covered its bond-funded cancer research and prevention portfolio, revenue-sharing from funded projects, and a request to increase salary limits for its CEO and chief scientific officer. Senators questioned CEPRIT’s accomplishments and return on investment, while CEPRIT cited screening, prevention, and research outcomes, including tens of thousands of detected cancers and precursors and hundreds of thousands of first-time screenings. The meeting ended after these presentations and questions, with no recorded committee action or vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• key program partners through those spaces.
• Some of you know about this program.
• The recommendation currently is the funded programs already exclude 20, The funded programs already exclude
• We request the state adopt enrollment-based funding for early learning and care programs.
• One is to fund the center-based programs, well, actually all the subsidized programs, for enrollment

Summary: The committee took up issue number seven, Child Care Rate Reform Transition Plan, and heard a presentation from the LAO on an eight-part transition plan for the period before implementation of the alternative methodology-based child care rate system. The plan would provide interim rate increases to existing regional market rates and standard reimbursement rates beginning January 1 of the budget year, keep the higher of SRR or ARMR as the single rate, annualize cost-of-care supplements, update hold-harmless language, eliminate the private market cap, authorize one-time systems transition funding with JLBC approval, and require annual reporting on parent co-pays. Members asked about the timeline and public/legislative feedback process, and administration staff said they were working toward the July 1, 2025 deadline while continuing stakeholder engagement through the rate and quality advisory process. Public comment was overwhelmingly focused on child care and early learning funding. Providers, county offices, advocacy groups, and education organizations urged the Legislature to move quickly on the alternative rate methodology, provide interim relief through a cost-of-living adjustment, reimburse based on enrollment rather than attendance, and preserve health and retirement benefits and workforce stability. Many speakers also pressed for funding to expand the promised 200,000 child care slots, warning that waitlists remain long and providers are under financial strain. Several commenters supported maintaining or extending grants and technical assistance for transitional kindergarten, inclusive early education, and mixed-delivery early learning programs. A separate set of comments addressed the Inclusive Early Education Expansion Program, with Sacramento County education officials and others urging a statewide plan that would extend support to the 20 counties not currently receiving grants, especially rural areas. Other speakers raised concerns about facilities and staffing impacts from TK expansion, the need for consistent eligibility rules across subsidized programs, and the importance of statewide systems-level funding. The chair thanked the LAO, administration, and public commenters, said the item would remain open until after the May Revision, and adjourned the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a pretty incredible program. It's called it ought to be a law.
• So that school readiness program providers have minimum who need minimum program assessment.
• We have SB 32 on access to school readiness programs for economically disadvantaged households by Senator
• It modifies the priority levels for the program to include to tears of income eligibility.
• Chair and thank you so much. >> 10 and always think higher education for patients staff.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We administer 42 tax and fee programs. programs for the state.
• And that's the program that we're talking about now, the CHIEF program.
• It also gives an opportunity for staff to learn about the program and do.
• to programs.
• , how the average Californian either knows about the program, gets access, you're asking for, in essence

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Office of Higher Education predicts that the Senate will leave a positive balance in the program
• Um, and so these programs have been funded for like decades, I think since I was higher ed chair.
• as well as higher education programs.
• <01:13:49.679> And well as higher education programs.
• And well as higher education programs.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Third, improving access to comprehensive treatment by revising state opioid treatment program regulatory
• These are the forensic nursing programs where, immediately after an assault, a survivor can access medical
• We can see in our data year over year that More survivors are accessing services at our programs, so
• as we've increased the number of programs across New Mexico, it is directly translating into more access
• We should have always had culturally accessible options in our SANE programming.

Transcript Highlights:

• The program is critical to ensuring access to care for all Minnesotans; however, the failure to update
• The program is critical to ensuring access to care for all Minnesotans; however, the failure to update
• The program is critical to ensuring access to care for all Minnesotans; however, the failure to update
• The program is critical to ensuring access to care for all Minnesotans; however, the failure to update
• The program is critical to ensuring access to care for all Minnesotans; however, the failure to update

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Yes, Oklahoma has passed this. Okay.
• additional barriers to accessing care. additional barriers to accessing care.
• Um, and that's similar to the critical access hospitals, another CMS program for which the Department
• to the critical access hospitals again another<00:31:18.159> CNS<00:31:18.640> program
• So, we accurate and efficient program.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee opened its Health and Human Services calendar, noted quorum, and first took up HB 194. The chair explained amendments to add an exemption for a person invited by a patient to attend a birth outside an accredited birth facility when no compensation is involved, remove a date reference in section 9, and accept Department of Health amendments. Members raised no objections, and the committee voted to pass HB 194 with amendments. The committee then heard HB 139 on insurance, with the Attorney General flagging possible unlawful delegation issues and suggesting clarifying language, while the Insurance Division stood on written testimony. A number of health organizations and advocates, including HMSA, Hawaii Association of Health Plans, oncology and fertility groups, testified in support. HB 613 on homeless youth drew broad support from state agencies, counties, youth advocates, and community groups; testimony emphasized the need for permanent safe spaces and more attention to unaccompanied minors, with one witness asking for clarity on funding and shelter capacity. HB 71 on a tax credit for family caregivers drew support from AARP, Alzheimer’s and children’s advocates, and several individuals, while the Tax Foundation raised concerns about blank provisions and the cost-effectiveness of administering a small credit. The Department of Taxation said a prior version with a $5,000 nonrefundable credit would have cost the general fund about $397.4 million. HB 716 on health care technology support received strong support from SHPDA, OHIN, and many provider groups, who described it as a one-time investment of roughly $20–25 million to connect rural and neighbor island providers to electronic health records; members questioned how the grant program would be allocated. HB 799 on physician hospital privileges also drew mixed testimony: supporters said it would align Hawaii with updated CMS rules and improve access, especially on Maui, while Maui Health and some members worried it could reduce on-call coverage and hospital safety, leading to discussion of a possible report and sunset date.

Transcript Highlights:

• learning to expand access across facilities.
• In my remarks, Tablets and hybrid learning to expand access across facilities.
• Now, you want to know how fast we get people into programs, and then they get access to the phones.
• So for FY27, we're requesting funding of $4 million for the Access to Counsel program, an increase of
• They're probably going to be looking to us to support our local cable access programs all over the Commonwealth

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Ways and Means held its sixth public hearing on the Governor’s H-2 budget proposal for fiscal year 2026, focused on public safety and judiciary agencies, at the Foxborough Community Center. After opening remarks and local welcomes, the committee heard first from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, led by Secretary Gina Kwan, who outlined a $1.72 billion budget, up $69.8 million from FY26. She said the proposal emphasizes core operations, readiness, and partnerships with municipalities, and highlighted work on firearms-law implementation, State Police reform, DOC reentry efforts, hate-crimes prevention, emergency response, and planning for major events including the World Cup. Members also raised concerns about DNA backlog reporting, State Police academy boxing and training standards, ICE communication, disaster relief funding, crime lab staffing, EMS placement, and diversity in public safety leadership. Several exchanges focused on specific operational issues. Secretary Kwan and her team said the State Police are tracking the influx of forensic work from local sheriffs, that the boxing program remains suspended pending an IACP review and likely will not return in its prior form, and that EOPS has no direct communication with ICE but supports law-enforcement coordination where appropriate. On disaster preparedness, officials said the new disaster relief fund is being developed with MEMA and A&F, currently capitalized at $14 million with another $14 million expected, though members urged a more permanent funding source. On the crime lab, staff said the roughly $4.5 million increase is intended to cover core operations and a structural funding gap rather than expand services. The secretary also said EOPS is not ready to absorb OEMS from DPH at this time, though she would keep an open mind. The committee then heard from district attorneys, led by Suffolk County DA Kevin Hayden, who said the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association is seeking a 10% increase in operating budgets, including about $16.7 million for staffing salaries, to recruit and retain prosecutors, advocates, and support staff. He said the request reflects rising workload and the need to keep the criminal justice system functioning efficiently and fairly. The hearing was recessed briefly after the district attorneys’ opening remarks, with additional testimony expected to continue afterward.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's the access.
• Under current law, treatment programs and facilities receiving public funds and narcotic treatment programs
• And patients with disrupted medication access have 3.6 times higher odds of hospitalization.
• Programs.
• What they lack is access.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Diversion programs are an important public safety tool.
• , and farm-to-school programs.
• We need to invest in programs like the farmer program, the food production investment program, the livestock
• The cost of living in California is spiking, higher and higher.
• The cost of living in California is spiking, higher and higher.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Nine times higher chances of having depression, seven times higher of having respiratory symptoms and
• Nine times higher chances of having depression, seven times higher of having respiratory symptoms and
• Nine times higher chances of having depression, seven times higher of having respiratory symptoms and
• easily accessible on tagnawa.org. easily accessible on tagnawa.org.
• that we've learned uh today. that we've learned uh today.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Public Safety held an informational briefing on the second anniversary of the Maui wildfires, with Chair Dela Alani framing the discussion around emergency preparedness, recovery, and lessons for future disasters. The main presentation came from researchers involved in the Maui Wildfire Exposure Study, who described the project as a grassroots academic-community partnership that has enrolled more than 2,000 adults and children for health screenings, social assessments, and biomonitoring. They said the study has documented elevated mental and physical health conditions, housing instability, unemployment, barriers to care, and exposure to heavy metals and other toxicants, while also noting some modest improvement in adult mental health and self-rated health compared with the prior year. The presenters emphasized that wildfire impacts remain severe two years later. They reported that about half of adult participants had worsening health since the fires, roughly 40% had direct or frequent fire exposure, and many adults showed chronic disease burdens such as hypertension, diabetes, and respiratory impairment. They also said about half of adult survivors reported depressive symptoms, about a quarter had moderate to severe anxiety, more than 4% had considered suicide in the prior month, and nearly one in four had PTSD. A clinician from the Lahaina Certified Community Behavioral Health Center described the clinic’s no-turn-away model, with case management, therapy, psychiatric evaluation, and medication management for anyone who needs it, and urged lawmakers to fund and expand that approach. The researchers also highlighted environmental findings, saying urine testing of more than 1,200 adults found heavy metal signatures that differed between burn-zone residents and those on the perimeter, with higher levels associated with displacement and ash re-exposure. They said about 20% of participants had higher-than-expected heavy metal levels 6 to 12 months after the fires, and cited a negative association between nickel levels and lung function. They argued for long-term monitoring, better cleanup methods, and a centralized health surveillance system tied to community outreach. No vote or formal committee action was taken during the briefing; the chair said the presentation materials and related reports would be posted for public access, and members were invited to ask questions after the presentation.