Transcript Highlights:

• process... ...have had with Colonel Noble is to talk about their hiring and interviewing process for
• In collaboration with Suffolk University, the Housing Court introduced a free online guided interview
• , that work with the family from kind of like a clinical therapy lens.
• . ...forensic interviews, connecting them to mental health resources, providing the information they
• how to interview persons with disabilities, including those with limited or no speech.

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:

• The program can interview more quickly.
• The program can interview more quickly.
• The program can interview more quickly.
• interview interview and<02:08:52.239> then<02:08:52.440> only<02:08:52.719> when
• the interview panel and then only when the interview panel determines<02:08:54.599> who<02:08

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up SB 1494 on hearing aids. Testimony was generally supportive of expanding hearing-aid coverage, with the Insurance Division raising concern about possible federal defrayment issues, SHPDA supporting the goal of hearing augmentation, DCAB strongly supporting the bill as an important access issue, and health plans and insurers asking for amendments. Kaiser Permanente and the Hawaii Association of Health Plans requested changes to add a medical-necessity standard and clarify annual notice language, while HMSA suggested the proposal should be studied by the auditor. The chair noted concerns about federal preemption and the lack of an audit, and deferred the bill in favor of a related resolution calling for a study. The committee then heard SB 1448, an emergency appropriation for the Hawaii State Hospital. DAGS and the Department of Health supported the measure, with the hospital administrator saying the funding would improve the environment of care, support cleaning, and allow a third-party review of the building. Committee members questioned the size of the request and the status of litigation against the design-builder. Administration witnesses said they were pursuing a comprehensive study involving destructive testing, had made a demand on the design-builder to fund the study, and were using different processes than before. They also said the roof work would be handled through a separate CIP request. No final action was taken in the portion provided. The committee next heard SB 1432, relating to the future responsibilities of the Department of Health and land issues at Kalaupapa after the last patient dies. DOH supported the bill in part but said its long-term role would be limited mainly to environmental cleanup, with operations expected to continue under the National Park Service and land-use decisions left to DHHL and beneficiary consultation. DHHL asked that the measure reflect that any land-use or zoning changes on homeland lands require commission approval and beneficiary consultation. Testifiers from Kalaupapa and Maui County, including Degra Vanderbilt-Papa and Council Member Keani Rollins-Fernandez, supported deferring the bill, saying there had been no meaningful community discussion about provisions affecting Kalaupapa’s future management and possible transfer of responsibilities to Maui County. The committee also read into the record written testimony from Gloria Marks emphasizing that Kalaupapa stakeholders must be included in future discussions. Finally, the committee heard SB 955 on fitness-to-proceed examinations. The Judiciary and the Public Defender’s Office both supported raising pay and standardizing expectations for private examiners, but opposed reducing felony fitness evaluations from three examiners to one and opposed expanding use of expedited reports. They argued that a single examiner would reduce reliability, create a more adversarial process, and likely increase costs and contested hearings, while expedited reports do not contain enough information for a proper fitness determination. The Department of Health also supported the bill’s intent but asked to preserve a three-examiner framework and said the goal was to reduce the number of people sent to the State Hospital, where admissions have reportedly risen about 20% year over year since Act 26. The bill remained under discussion in the excerpt, with no final vote shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• County Department of Public Health has already closed some clinics and is trying to keep the rest open
• County Department of Public Health has already closed some clinics and trying to keep the rest open.
• Say if you're having a clinic. if the vaccine is given as part of an outreach clinic, say if you're having
• a clinic to respond to an outbreak of measles.
• So, as an example, the number of active clinics in My Turn has decreased by 83%, from 48,000 in 2021-

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• own internal auditor noted in 2023 that inspection case files were not always complete, missing interview
• to fill a state application and to do statements of qualifications, which are necessary to get interviews
• We do also what we call pop-up clinics along with our sister agencies... ...also what we call pop-up
• clinics along with our sister agencies and take complaints and things of that nature.
• I think one of the issues that we have is we're relying on data through surveys and interviews to actually

Summary: The hearing focused on a state audit of Cal/OSHA titled “The Division of Occupational Safety and Health: Process Deficiencies and Staffing Shortages Limit Its Ability to Protect Workers.” Committee leaders and the audit team described serious workplace tragedies, argued that California’s worker protections are not being adequately enforced, and said the audit was prompted by concerns that Cal/OSHA was too often relying on letters instead of inspections, delaying investigations, and closing cases without enough documentation. Members repeatedly emphasized that the issue was not just staffing, but also outdated policies, weak oversight, and inconsistent enforcement. State Auditor Grant Parks said the audit found a 32% vacancy rate in 2023-24, heavy reliance on hard-copy files, outdated or unclear policies, and inconsistent decision-making in complaints, accidents, citations, and fine reductions. He said Cal/OSHA conducted on-site inspections in only about 20% of complaints, used letter investigations more than 80% of the time, often lacked evidence that hazards were corrected, and sometimes failed to inspect serious injury cases on time. The audit also found weak documentation for fine calculations and settlement reductions, with some penalties reduced substantially without clear explanations. Parks said the agency had accepted the findings and would provide progress updates later in the year. Committee members pressed the auditor on vacancy rates, the use of letter investigations, the low rate of criminal referrals, and whether fines were being reduced too often. Cal/OSHA and DIR officials responded that the vacancy rate had fallen to 12% partly because 66 vacant positions were eliminated in a statewide budget reduction and partly because of hiring; they said 126 people had been hired in the first half of the year. They also said they had hired a policy writer, were updating several policies, were planning periodic internal audits, and were developing a new data management system expected to go live in late 2026 or early 2027. On fines, officials said Title 8 sets base penalties and allows adjustments based on factors like employer size, history, and good faith, with appeals and informal conferences also affecting final amounts. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• You submitted over 1,000 pages of records to the committee, conducted over 1,000 individual interviews
• Did you perform clinical trials before you made that claim? I'm not a doctor, so no.
• Actually making in that interview, which is well-documented over and over again. 38,000 FBI employees
• During a 2023 interview..." "...you with Steve Bannon.
• I encourage you to read the rest of the interview.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:55:03.720> people they interview people they interview people um<00:55:05.040> by
• You said, uh, Tim, that there might be an interview for about 15 minutes.
• But then I want to go from after that interview: what then occurs with the child?
• uh Tim that there might be an interview uh Tim that there might be an interview for<00:59:52.520
• I want to go from after that interview I want to go from after that interview what<01:00:05.720>

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The commission on the costing of special education met to review several documents and updates, including draft materials on residential placements, an LBA dispute resolution report, prior minutes, rate-setting rules, and a letter involving Senator Hassan. The minutes from March 16 were approved by motion, second, and one abstention. Members also received an update that the LBA special education performance audit is still pending; the report is expected to be very large, NHED and the Board of Education must review and comment before release, and it likely will not be available until late summer or early fall. The separate EFA audit was also noted as still unreleased, and members said they may return later to issues involving EFA costing and differentiated aid. A major focus was HB 1099, which would create a committee to study the cost and liability of providing educational services to students placed in residential facilities. The chair explained that the House version had passed unanimously and the bill was headed to a committee of conference. Members discussed a proposed amendment to add the phrase “including but not limited to” so the study would cover not only court-ordered or treatment-related placements but also other residential placements, including those tied to school district decisions. Some members said this was a substantial expansion, while others said it would simply give the committee broader latitude. Jason Stock of the Winnisquam Regional School Board described how the issue arose during budget work at Winnisquam, where the district was trying to determine who should pay for educational services for students living at Spaulding Youth Center in Northfield. He said the district had 10 students attending Winnisquam, including three foster students and seven students connected to Spaulding, and that Spaulding-specific invoicing for 2024-2025 totaled $141,417.05 for eight students. Members also discussed rising private placement tuition costs and the difficulty of determining residency and fiscal responsibility for students placed in residential settings. Department counsel explained that under RSA 193:27 and 193:28, children placed in a home for children may attend the local district school, and that special education cost responsibility depends on whether the student is identified as disabled and on the nature of the placement. Spaulding representatives had not yet presented by the end of the excerpt, and the committee was still working through the residency and funding questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• of clinics to actually see Medicaid patients.
• I work for Hanger Clinic.
• I show you as Eric Olson, Hangar Clinic.
• I'm the director of clinical research at Ottobock.
• As for clinical evidence, not all clinical evidence is created equal.

Bills: HB2646, HB3941, HB5153, HB5155, HB5394, HB 1106, HB426, HB4529, HB3984, HB4273, HB 1097, HB3940, HB1941, HB4377, HB3153

Keywords: child care, task force, high-quality care, affordability, prekindergarten partnerships, foster care, transitional living, Medicaid reform, youth assistance, independent living, services for youth, employment training, educational support, mental health services, health care, public health, child health program, reimbursement, local health entities, maternal health

Transcript Highlights:

• the child to minimize duplicative interviews.
• You just said avoiding duplicate interviews.
• like a SANE interview type of situation.
• > own<05:02:05.040> interviews<05:02:05.558> and conduct their own interviews and
• <05:02:22.958> type interviewers like a sane interview type interviewers like a sane interview

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on House Bill 146, which would require longer retention and quicker disclosure of certain video recordings from traffic stops and similar motor vehicle violations when a citation is disputed. The prime sponsor described the bill as a response to a constituent who challenged a speeding ticket but could not obtain a cruiser video before it was deleted under the current 30-day retention practice. Supporters argued the bill is about fairness and access to potentially exculpatory evidence, and one member suggested a simple 60-day retention period might avoid confusion over different timelines. The sponsor also noted that the bill would not affect criminal cases and that victims and complainants should have access to the same evidence as law enforcement when a recording is relevant to a defense. Major Brendan Davey of the New Hampshire State Police testified in opposition. He said the proposal would create a different discovery standard for one type of evidence, could discourage agencies from adopting body-worn or cruiser cameras, and would add cost and administrative burden. He explained that the State Police already retain routine traffic-stop videos for at least 30 days, but keep videos much longer when complaints or possible litigation are involved, and said the current system balances efficiency with accountability. He also argued the underlying speeding case did not make the trooper video directly material to the citation, though he acknowledged the legislature could choose a longer blanket retention period if it wished. No vote was taken during the hearing. The committee then opened a public hearing on House Bill 638, which would allow people serving life without parole sentences to become eligible for a parole hearing at age 60 after serving at least 18 years, provided they have had no major conduct violations in the prior 10 years. The sponsor said the bill is intended to give a narrow second look to a small number of elderly prisoners, citing the high cost of incarceration and the health challenges of aging in prison. He emphasized that the bill would not automatically release anyone, would not apply to capital murder convictions under RSA 630:1, and would still allow victims to participate in the parole process. Testimony on HB 638 was mixed. Alexander Bailey, a survivor of violent crime and domestic violence advocate, supported the bill, saying many survivors favor rehabilitation, second chances, and restorative justice, and that people in prison often age faster and face serious health and safety problems. Another supporter, Russell Roy, began offering a personal story about crime, addiction, and violence in Concord, but the transcript cuts off before his full remarks. Committee members asked about why age 60 was chosen, how released individuals would support themselves, and whether victims or families would be consulted; the sponsor said 60 was meant to limit eligibility and reflect the health realities of prison, and that parole boards already consider support networks and victim input. No action or vote was taken in the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• So then we started interviewing behavioral health care providers and addiction counselors across the
• We want them to be counseling patients, providing clinical services, looking for drug interactions.
• I do work with a clinic, Ideal Option, that has six clinics located throughout the state, and we run
• Do you know how many school-based health clinics are in New Mexico?
• They have a school-based health clinic.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our clinical professional counselors program began in 1984.
• So they want to get their license as a clinical counselor.
• Sunrise Clinics is part of the expansion that happened with school-based clinics.
• there in Santa Rosa, as well as in the school-based clinic.
• As Tim notes, we went from four clinics to 24 clinics, which came here in this region of those 24 new

Transcript Highlights:

• Clinically, genetic counselors are crucial educators and advocates for patients as well as other healthcare
• Genetic counselors often work in hospitals, clinics, labs, and biotech companies, and they play an especially
• important role clinically in areas like oncology, prenatal care, and rare diseases.
• Many of those are working in research rather than clinically.
• I have not interviewed every single school district in working on this bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• technical colleges, infusing students into our job training partnerships experiences, which align with clinical
• Partnerships, which align with clinical training activities, as well as partnerships with our local businesses
• that our students have communication skills, that they understand resume writing, that they can interview
• Health, specifically the Marcus Neuroscience Institute, provides opportunities in both research and clinical
• The Journal of Clinical Neurology and Neuroscience: this student studied the prevalence of pain phenotypes

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education Postsecondary met to receive an update from Florida developmental research lab schools on articulated health care programs created under the Live Healthy initiative and Senate Bill 76. Chair Calatayud opened the meeting, confirmed a quorum, and heard presentations from P.K. Young/University of Florida, Florida State University Schools, FAMU Developmental Research School, and Florida Atlantic University Laboratory School. Each school described efforts to build K-12-to-postsecondary health care pathways, expand dual enrollment and industry certifications, and share replicable curriculum models with other districts. FSU Schools highlighted its HERO program, including CNA and food manager certifications, dual enrollment growth, reserve seating at colleges, and a paid internship with the Department of Health tied to emergency shelter operations. P.K. Young described its Healthy Lives Blueprint, which combines K-8 wellness experiences, a new high school health and human performance pathway, AP and science course expansion, a planned gymnasium redesign, and partnerships with Santa Fe College and UF. FAMU DRS reported growing dual enrollment, partnerships with FAMU, Tallahassee State, and Lively, and a goal of serving at least 100 students and 40 staff through health career exposure, certifications, and AA/AS pathways. FAU Lab School described a more advanced model that integrates elementary through high school research and health science experiences, including biotechnology, bioengineering, and partnerships with health and research institutions. The school reported 87 peer-reviewed student publications, more than $350,000 in student grants, six patents, and pipelines into FAU’s medical and nursing programs, including a Med Direct pathway and a National Merit Scholar pipeline. Committee members asked about student readiness for nursing programs, dual enrollment, articulation with state colleges, and how the lab school models could be disseminated statewide. The meeting concluded with praise for the programs and a motion by Senator Fine to adjourn, which was adopted without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• for a story that's very, really clinical for a story that's very, very<00:04:34.560> personal.
• I first interviewed Hannah in April of 2022, nearly 6 years after she graduated high school.
• Because of the 3-year limitation, Hannah was never interviewed by MDE investigators.
• :13:09.680> of<00:13:09.839> 2022, interviewed Hannah in April of 2022, interviewed Hannah
• <00:13:16.560> by<00:13:16.720> MDE was never interviewed by MDE was never interviewed

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And in early interviews, some of our residents said they really felt like this process would help them
• We have provided clinical screenings for 1,100 of those.
• We currently Karen Jansch: are working with the public defender's office, primary care clinics, school

Transcript Highlights:

• Had that search open during late November, December, January, February, went through the interviewing
• When I was going through the interview process... ...values, mission, and vision.
• When I was going through the interview process, and the reason I thought it was important to leave this
• When I was going through the interview process, the vision was talked about and how it relates to what
• The clinic is open and sees community people, and that started just in February.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair and members, House Bill 2184, fetal death funeral homes, mandates that a hospital, abortion clinic
• Madam Chair and members, House Bill 2322, DCS investigations, interviews, recording, enables video or
• audio recordings of interviews with a child and the Department of Child Safety.
• Madam Chair, members, House Bill 2322, DCS Investigations, interviews, recording, and it enables the
• video or audio recordings of interviews with a child and department of child safety.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The committee worked through a very long minority caucus calendar covering a wide range of bills, with many items being described and then either left on consent, pulled from consent, or noted for votes. Topics included bullion and state depository proposals, a produce incentive appropriation, a biennial budget change, veterans services funding, driver licensing and traffic enforcement measures, procurement and public records changes, school board and school facilities rules, SNAP work requirements and verification, child welfare and juvenile justice provisions, housing and homelessness measures, energy and fuel policy, election administration, and several tax, commerce, and licensing bills. Members repeatedly raised concerns about constitutionality, federal preemption, duplication of existing law, and whether some measures were policy priorities that had been vetoed in prior sessions and were returning unchanged. Several bills drew extended debate. Members objected to English-proficiency requirements for commercial drivers and motor carriers, arguing federal law and the supremacy clause would bar them. Earned wage access regulation prompted strong opposition over consumer harm, overdraft cycles, and high effective APRs. School-related bills were criticized for overregulating public schools while not imposing similar requirements on ESA/private-school programs, especially on fingerprint clearance and reporting. SNAP-related bills were also opposed as setting unrealistic mandates and repeating vetoed proposals. Other contested measures included a drag-show criminalization bill, a bill restricting photo enforcement, a bill limiting local regulation of unmanned aircraft, and a bill conforming Arizona tax law to federal changes, which members said would benefit wealthy taxpayers and corporations without a clear funding source. The committee also heard a number of supportive or less controversial measures, including bills on veterans awareness, dementia care telemonitoring, Braille transcription funding, CPA licensure pathways, cash acceptance by retailers, and some child safety and court administration changes. Several bills were pulled from consent for further discussion, while others were noted as having unanimous or near-unanimous votes. The meeting ended with caucus announcements, including an affordability award presentation, an upcoming Latino Caucus discussion on community land trusts, and an invitation to African American Legislative Day activities, followed by adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• services, the family connections model, is not eligible for federal reimbursement, but Motivational interviewing
• Those are motivational interviewing and safe care. Thank you, Madam Chair.
• It's for serious reasons, but I think there should be a forensic interview that they will have at different
• Whether it's a doctor's visit to do a physical or meeting with a clinical social worker to assess what
• Interviews during different processes in family courts when there is mention of child neglect or abuse

Transcript Highlights:

• I've had the pleasure of interviewing her right before this session and I have been impressed with her
• I've had the<00:05:25.600> pleasure<00:05:25.919> of<00:05:26.160> interviewing<
• 00:05:26.800> her<00:05:27.120> right the pleasure of interviewing her right the pleasure
• of interviewing her right before<00:05:28.560> this<00:05:28.800> session<00:05:29.680
• Dant, and I'm a Manoa social work student intern at Spill the Tea Cafe, an inclusive mental health clinic

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Judiciary Committee heard testimony on Governor’s Message 666, the nomination of Rose Kea to the Commission on the Status of Women for a term ending June 30, 2029. Testimony was overwhelmingly in support from business and community members, and Kea described her background as a real estate broker, small business owner, and nonprofit volunteer leader, saying her experience with workplace equity and women-owned businesses would help the commission. Senators questioned her about the connection between her background and the commission’s work, and about how she would respond to current threats to women’s rights; she said the commission should serve as a unifying and leading force for gender equity. The committee later voted to advise and consent, with the chair’s recommendation adopted. The committee also considered SCR 128 and SR 107, which sought information on state lands leased to the federal government. The Department of the Attorney General opposed the resolutions as drafted, saying the AG does not maintain the lease inventory and that the request should instead go to the agencies that manage the land, such as DLNR, DOE, and DOT. The committee amended the measures to ask the AG to determine whether there are constitutional or other legal impediments to continued leasing or new leases, including whether nominal lease amounts violate law, and then passed both with amendments. Next, the committee took up STR 153 and SR 123, which request the County of Maui to complete the transfer of the Hoie roads, including Hoie Road F, to resolve jurisdictional ambiguities. The judiciary administrator testified in support, and the measures were passed, with the committee adopting the chair’s recommendation. Finally, the committee heard STR 179 and SR 149 on reviewing the Hawaii Revised Statutes for gender-neutral language. The LGBTQ+ Commission and the Commission on the Status of Women supported the effort, though the women’s commission asked for more time and a set date to dissolve the work group. The committee amended the resolutions to assign the review to the Legislative Reference Bureau, with consultation from the LGBTQ+ Commission, the Commission on the Status of Women, civil rights experts, and law-related organizations, and set interim and final reporting deadlines before passing the measures with amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• gender-affirming care and protects patients from being tracked or targeted simply by walking into a clinic
• Madam Chair and Madam Chair, would data segregation create any type of clinical blind spots?
• I will also just say, Madam Chair, when I first came into office, somebody interviewed me and asked me
• So, Madam Chair, Madam Leader, as I understand it then, it's for the outpatient clinics.
• , if the clinic was owned by an individual provider, Dr.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then lastly, we work with Hartford HealthCare's Neighborhood, a mobile clinic, as well, to have pop-up
• region, but it's been a really good partnership to enable making dental appointments at those health clinics
• Enable making dental appointments at those health clinics.
• We have, and I think last year I presented to this committee, all of these kinds of large clinical research
• So I'm the Senior Director of Clinical Operations at Women's Health Connecticut, and we are one of the

Keywords: 962, all

Summary: The MAPOC Women and Children’s Health Subcommittee heard a presentation from Kate Parker Riley, executive director of the Connecticut Dental Health Partnership, on the Husky Dental Program and efforts to improve oral health during pregnancy. She reviewed the structure of Connecticut’s Medicaid dental benefit, the ASO model, provider network, utilization trends, and member barriers to care. She noted that children’s dental measures remain above the national median, but adult utilization is lower and the dental provider network has been shrinking, with longer wait times in rural areas. A major focus was the state’s goal to raise the rate of oral evaluation during pregnancy from about 17.5% to 25% by 2030. Riley described planned outreach to OB/GYN practices using a draft “snapshot” report showing each practice’s pregnancy oral-health rate compared with the state average, along with education materials based on ACOG and AAP guidance. Committee members and guests discussed barriers such as lack of provider training, workflow burden, access to dentists who will see pregnant patients, and the need for stronger referral bridges. Suggestions included adding simple oral-health screening questions in OB settings, using human support to make appointments, and exploring co-located dental hygienists or other embedded models. Riley also highlighted partnerships with DSS, DCF, Head Start, WIC, Read to Grow, YMCA programs, refugee resettlement agencies, and school-based and hospital partners, as well as data-sharing and navigation efforts. She said pregnant members newly identified through HUSKY will now receive outreach and navigation support. DSS dental director Carolyn MacArthur introduced herself and said she supports the initiative, noting the literature linking untreated maternal dental disease to poor child oral-health outcomes. No votes were taken; the meeting ended with thanks and a preview of upcoming July presentations on integrated behavioral health and home visitation programs.