Transcript Highlights:

• We're going to address distressed hospitals, assistance programs, and the state's efforts to provide
• So today we welcome State Treasurer Fiona Ma, who will provide an overview and update on the CHFFA program
• Of these areas, funding for new programs has the potential to provide the biggest bang for the state
• It is the only state Graduate Medical Education (GME) program focused exclusively on primary care and
• And as always, we will provide assistance to state policymakers as California continues to consider the

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Other states are really jealous of the programs that we have put in place.
• Other states are really jealous of the programs that we have put in place.
• And that is in 1,193 regulated programs throughout the state.
• regulated programs throughout the state. regulated programs throughout the state.
• program and assistance partnership program and childcare<00:39:56.240> employees<00:39:57.040

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:00:09 Approval of Minutes 00:00:48 KOAP Report 00:01:09 Update from CHFS 00:20:27, 958, all

Summary: The meeting opened with a quorum, approval of the September 18, 2025 minutes, and a staff update on recent tobacco settlement-funded agriculture activities. The agriculture side highlighted Commissioner Shell’s outreach, including school visits, farm visits, and speaking engagements in Kentucky and a trip to Tennessee to discuss program models. A representative also described a national conference in Iowa, where Kentucky’s agriculture finance program was praised as a $180 million loan program built with tobacco settlement funds. The board noted September approvals totaling $950,000 for the agriculture development board and $3.3 million for the finance corporation, along with staff activity such as site visits, program closures, and project reports. The board also announced that the KKMP report covering 2015-2022 would be distributed and that the annual report, marking the program’s 25th anniversary, was being prepared. The board then reviewed two featured projects. The Organic Association of Kentucky requested $425,000 for organic producer support, but the board approved only one year of funding at $29,000, with members noting concern about recurring applicants and the need to evaluate long-term funding. The second project, by Joseph Dale Bentley in Lewis County, sought $51,300 to expand a small ruminant facility for goat production and export. Members were particularly interested because the project was already operating and creating market opportunities for Kentucky goat producers; the board approved half the project cost to help expand infrastructure and potentially allow quarantining on site. The cabinet then presented its annual update on tobacco settlement fund use in public health. Julie Brooks, Sarah Johnson, and Andrea Day reported on the HANS home visitation program, tobacco prevention and cessation efforts, lung cancer screening, and early childhood oral health. HANS served more families in FY25, rising from 6,293 to 6,715, and increased services from 139,943 to over 143,000. Tobacco prevention and cessation programs continued to support Quit Now Kentucky and My Life, My Quit, though officials noted federal uncertainty and the loss of federal tobacco control infrastructure. They also reported a slight decline in student outreach and cessation requests, but continued demand from schools and communities for vaping and nicotine prevention support. Lung cancer screening expanded to 55 screens, with Kentucky cited as a model for other states due to improved incidence, survival, and early detection rates. Early oral health efforts continued through local health departments, with more trainings for public health nurses, continued varnish kits, and expanded support for dental graduates and hygiene teams.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's leaving middle-income families without state assistance, even when premiums consume more than
• I assume on top of the other money we just talked about for marketplace assistance programs and small
• Specific program for state employees that are under 250% of the poverty level.
• Programs established is because the only way that these programs can provide assistance is through the
• You do have my word that there is nothing in here that mandates assistance programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are jointly in what we call the state university teaching program. We began in 2019.
• the state university teaching program. the state university teaching program.
• The state-federal program creates access to care for Medicaid patients and supports our education and
• The state federal program<00:15:11.360> creates<00:15:11.920> access<00:15:12.399> to
• > uh state directed payment program uh state directed payment program uh represents<00:18:20.640

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight Advisory Board’s fourth meeting focused primarily on a presentation from University of Kentucky and University of Louisville health leaders about the state university directed payment program. Mark Birdwhistle and Ken Marshall described the program as a long-running, value-based Medicaid arrangement that began in 2019, uses university-provided matching funds rather than provider taxes, and ties a portion of payments to quality outcomes. They said the program has improved measures such as tobacco cessation, diabetes control, depression screening, and cancer screening, while supporting access to specialty care, medical education, and workforce training. They also emphasized that Kentucky’s model is nationally notable and has helped improve health rankings and generate cost savings. A major topic was the federal reconciliation bill signed July 4, which the presenters said will reduce directed payments by 10% annually for 10 years beginning in 2028. UL Health estimated a first-year loss of about $75 million and a cumulative loss of about $600 million over the decade; UK estimated about $100 million in the first year, for a combined first-year impact of roughly $175 million. Both speakers warned the cuts could affect access to care, training capacity, and the sustainability of Kentucky’s value-based model, though they expressed hope that congressional action could alter or delay the changes. They also noted that 340B drug pricing changes could further strain already thin operating margins, but did not provide exact figures during the meeting. Committee members responded positively to the program’s reported outcomes and the institutions’ role in Kentucky health care. Senator Berg praised the quality of care and shared a personal example of being advised to stay at UofL for breast cancer treatment. Representative Moer highlighted Kentucky’s strong cancer-control score and asked for more explanation of the value-based payment structure; the presenters said the system is built around ongoing measurement, accountability, and collaboration with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. No votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the amended August 27 minutes by voice vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• a financial assistance program in just a financial assistance program in just a few<00:56:41.119>
• <00:56:52.160> program<00:56:52.640> especially financial assistance program especially
• /c><01:06:03.079> and<01:06:03.200> I assistance program my wife Ann and I assistance program
• <01:06:50.520> from<01:06:50.680> the assistance from the assistance from the state<01:
• > I financial assistance grant program and I financial assistance grant program and I want<01:09:

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I'm a big fan of the ICAN program and the SNAP program. I've run early intervention programs.
• throughout the state with our medical students and also for the development and assistance with developing
• of our state.
• One of the programs with our affiliation with NMSU is that pathway program, a seven-year program.
• state.

Transcript Highlights:

• John Connelly, Assistant Commissioner for Health Care and State Medicaid Director at the Department of
• plans, or MCOs, within the Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare programs.
• Managed care plans, or MCOs, within the Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare programs.
• benefit on the medical assistance benefit on the medical assistance program<01:48:12.719> where
• adults<01:48:13.960> and program where we assist older adults and program where we assist

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Health and Human Services Committee met on January 28, 2025, to review Governor’s budget proposals for several health-related licensing boards. The chair said no formal action would be taken and noted that final budget language was not yet available. The committee began with an overview from Bridget Anderson of the health-related licensing boards, who explained that the boards are fee-funded, operate as independent executive agencies, and handle licensing, complaints, rulemaking, and disciplinary matters. She also noted that the Board of Dentistry’s budget includes the Administrative Services Unit and criminal background check program, which can make the budget graphs appear larger than the dentistry board’s own operations. The Board of Dentistry requested funding for a new administrative staff position, estimating about $100,000 in salary, insurance, and fringe costs, to replace support lost when an administrative position was reclassified. Anderson said the board handled more than 300 complaints last year, with cases becoming more complex, especially involving surgical and implant procedures and imaging. Members asked about dental Medicaid access, but Anderson said that issue would be better directed to DHS’s Medicaid oral health division. The Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy requested a full-time position due to rapid growth in the number of regulated professionals, from about 4,000 in 2014 to nearly 10,000 now, and also sought authority to set a fee for out-of-state applicants under the Counseling Compact, with a cap of up to $100 though the board expects to charge much less. The Board of Podiatric Medicine asked to raise its fee ceiling, saying fees had not been increased since 1999 and that the board now faces a structural deficit of about $40,000 per year and declining reserves. Several senators expressed concern about “not-to-exceed” fee authority, calling it too open-ended and suggesting the legislature should scrutinize specific fee needs rather than approve broad ceilings. Similar concerns were raised during the Board of Chiropractic Examiners presentation, where the board sought $100,000 in additional spending authority and a fee increase after 32 years without an adjustment; members questioned the proposed ceiling approach and asked for more historical information before deciding. The Board of Dietetics and Nutrition Practice also discussed fee-setting authority, with the executive director explaining that the board had previously lowered fees without clear authority and later faced audit questions; she requested funding for a vacant administrative position, saying applications and revenues have increased sharply and no fee increase would be needed. The final presentation began with the Board of Pharmacy, which said it serves more than 26,000 licensees and oversees the Prescription Monitoring Program and opioid product registration. The board requested an extension of previously appropriated general fund dollars through fiscal year 2027 to continue paying legal costs tied to the insulin safety net lawsuit, emphasizing that this was not a new funding request but an extension of existing authority. No votes or formal actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• To assist our lowest-performing schools across the state of Florida, we do have...
• To assist our lowest-performing schools across the state of Florida, we do have our Bureau of School
• So I'll talk a little bit now about the services and the supports that the program has and that our state
• A little bit more on some data that we track as part of our state regional literacy director program:
• A little bit more on some data that we track as part of our state regional literacy director program,

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Pre-K-12 Education met with a quorum and first heard a Department of Education program review on three district support programs: assistance to low-performing schools, the Florida Partnership program, and regional literacy teams (RAISE). Dr. Paul Burns described how the Bureau of School Improvement supports schools with D/F grades through regional teams, classroom observations, professional learning, and targeted funding, noting that 104 of 168 low-performing schools improved after 2022-23 and that the share of failing schools fell from 6% to 4%. He also outlined the Florida Partnership’s $4 million annual appropriation for advanced-course teacher training and student access, and the RAISE literacy program’s $5 million funding, universal/targeted/intensive supports, and progress monitoring results. Senators asked about rural participation, post-COVID reading data, parent support, and how long schools remain under monitoring after improving; Burns said rural districts can participate statewide, parents can access school and department support, and schools continue to receive monitoring after exiting low-performing status to prevent recidivism. The committee then received a presentation on the school district education foundation matching grants program from Suzanne Pridgen, who explained that the Consortium of the Florida Education Foundations administers the grants, which require private matching funds and support tutoring, literacy, STEM, career education, professional learning, books, and supplies. She said the program leverages about $1.44 in private support for every state dollar. The committee then moved to the regional education consortia, where representatives from PAEC, NEFEC, and Heartland, along with several rural superintendents, described the consortia as member-led organizations that provide economies of scale, professional learning, HR, risk management, purchasing, legal and operational support, crisis assistance, and leadership development for small and fiscally constrained districts. Superintendents from Lafayette, Holmes, Calhoun, Union, DeSoto, and Hendry counties testified that the consortia are essential because rural districts often have very small staffs, multiple-duty administrators, and limited in-house expertise. They cited support with insurance and hurricane recovery, training for new finance and HR staff, instructional coaching, CTE and leadership programs, and help with turnaround schools. Members emphasized that these districts can be high-performing despite limited resources, and several senators praised the consortia’s value. Senator Gaetz asked about additional back-office collaboration, possible regulatory relief, and FEFP issues tied to scholarship-related enrollment swings; rural superintendents responded that more local control would help. The meeting ended with a motion to adjourn, which was adopted without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• program.
• They, too, are a residential program. They have a residential program.
• As they contact us for assistance, if we have the personnel, the resources, etc., State Police is always
• available to assist.
• So if those agencies need assistance, all they have to do is call State Police.

Transcript Highlights:

• TEAM PROGRAMS.
• LAST ON THAT SCREEN THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE COMPACT OFFERS IMPACTED STATES ASSISTANCE DURING
• SO THAT'S A STATEWIDE MUTUAL AID PROGRAM, HOW DOES IT TRANSITION TO THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE
• AND WE HAVE ASSISTED GOING OUT.
• SO IF WE'RE GOING TO RECEIVE STATE FUNDS, STATE LEGISLATURE MAY REQUIRE STATE THEMES TO RECEIVE STATE

Transcript Highlights:

• the Golden State Teacher Grant Program.
• funding for programs like the Golden State Teacher Program.
• I'm here to talk about the importance of teacher residency programs and the Golden State Teacher Grant
• , the Student Teacher Stipend Program, and the Golden State Teacher Grant.
• I'm here to urge you to include $100 million for the Golden State Teacher Grant Program.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• across state agencies.
• administer grant programs to support state and local educational agencies in providing special education
• administer grant programs to support state and local educational agencies in providing special education
• This is a theme we heard consistently from public education programs across the state.
• This is a theme we heard consistently from public education programs across the state.

Keywords: 907, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The May Revision includes a 2.01% cost-of-living adjustment for the California State Preschool Program
• If the state preschool program were to get a COLA equivalent to what we see in TK-12 statutory COLA of
• For this, we flagged this in particular because at present, programs receive or state preschool programs
• I’m here to speak to the need of the Cal Food Program as a lifeline for food banks in our state.
• I'm also here on behalf of TFC, and they represent 68 AP programs throughout the state.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• LORENA, YOU ARE THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS PROGRAMS FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.
• WE HAVE ONE STATE AGENCY. THE AGENCY FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES THAT HAS A PROGRAM.
• BY SHIFTING THE MEDICAID MANAGED MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM MMA TO THE STATES DENTAL PROGRAM THAT – AND
• ONE OF OUR LINES OF EFFORTS IS TO BENEFITS AND ASSISTANCE IN STATE SERVICE OFFICES.
• BENEFIT AND ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. ABOUT $8.000000. 5 PERCENT OF MY OVERALL AGENCY BUDGET.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our first issue is an update on state programs supporting the financing of health facilities and distressed
• The first is really, when we're looking at the effect of the financial assistance programs, it's helpful
• The first is really, when we're looking at the effect of the financial assistance programs, it's helpful
• The program also includes a rural health technical assistance center to support implementation directly
• The program is designed to complement, not duplicate, existing state and federal programs, targeting

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , or CARMA, program.
• Minnesota has been a national leader in long COVID, being one of the first state health department programs
• The 29 other states, both red and blue, have already recognized the value of creating a similar program
• I think the fact that there are so many states across the nation—up to 40 using this program—means that
• Coming from the state and reaching folks across the state from border to border are also being felt in

Bills: HF2435

Keywords: healthcare, dementia services, public health funding, opioid prevention, women's health, community health boards, mental health

Transcript Highlights:

• /c><00:08:04.240> assistance<00:08:04.720> program<00:08:04.960> that<00:08:05.199
• > we other farm assistance program that we other farm assistance program that we have,<00:08:05.919
• state or the county, our program and curriculum basically certify that.
• strengthen the down payment assistance strengthen the down payment assistance program.<00:21:14.000
• Uh, this is a powerful program program.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Assistant, please call the roll.
• Greetings, state senators. My name is Dr. Malachi Kote.
• State your name.
• File item one, assistant, please call. File item one, assistant, please call the absent members.
• Assistant, please call the absent members. Assistant, please call the absent members.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , financial assistance program for nuclear energy-related projects, and the pilot tax incentive financing
• assistance<00:12:02.320> program<00:12:02.680> for<00:12:02.800> nuclear assistance
• program for nuclear assistance program for nuclear energy-related<00:12:03.760> projects,<00:
• We increase funding by $7.4 million over the biennium for child care assistance program initiatives.
• the biennium for child care assistance the biennium for child care assistance program<00:20:04.000

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Roll Call 00:00:23 HB 503 Discussion 00:01:00 HB 503 Vote 00:02:17 HB 504 Discussion 00:02:53 HB 504 Vote 00:04:48 HB 500 Discussion 00:05:19 HB 500 Vote 00:29:18 HB 900 Discussion 00:32:02 HB 900 Vote 00:33:00, 958, all

Summary: The Kentucky Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee met with a quorum and first took up House Bill 503, the legislative branch budget, adopting a committee substitute and reporting it favorably. The chair said the Senate version fully funds defined calculations, provides 2% raises in each fiscal year for legislative employees, removes a paragraph on operating expense reductions, and includes $1 million in the first year for a judicial branch salary study. House Bill 504, the judicial branch budget, was then amended and reported favorably; changes included 2% annual raises for judicial employees, revised operating expense language, $1 million each year for county current services, retention of Boyle County fit-up language, reporting requirements for smaller capital projects, full funding for nine judges added in 2022, and removal of furlough prohibitions and certain budget implementation language. Both bills passed the committee unanimously with favorable expressions to the floor. The committee then considered House Bill 500, the executive branch budget, adopting a committee substitute before hearing a lengthy summary of major spending and policy changes. The chair described statewide 2% annual employee raises, agency base reductions with many exemptions, increased school safety and 911 funding, veterans and military funding, local government and severance-related changes, attorney general and auditor funding, pension and retirement system support, education funding changes including SEEK, postsecondary and scholarship provisions, public safety and corrections funding, and multiple capital projects. The chair also highlighted Medicaid-related provisions, including added waiver slots, increased state-directed payments, a 2.5% reduction in managed care vendor payments for plan years 2027 and 2028 with savings redirected to fee-for-service rates, and additional funding for behavioral health and public health programs. The bill was reported favorably after members explained their votes, with several noting they had only recently received the full 228-page bill and wanted more time for detailed review. Finally, the committee adopted a committee substitute for House Bill 900, an appropriation measure for government agencies, and reported it favorably. The chair said the bill remains a work in progress and that one-time funding requests from across the Commonwealth and across party lines would continue to be addressed as the process moves forward. All measures considered during the meeting passed the committee with unanimous or near-unanimous favorable votes, and the meeting adjourned after no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• The critical programs and services like Head Start, fuel assistance, and food security, detrimental cuts
• staffing needs, program integrity with new Assistance, helping support staffing needs, program integrity
• President, the moment that everyone has long awaited: my last question relates to state assistance benefits
• And we're committing $55.2 million for the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program, which delivers
• President, proud to serve in the State Senate, and proud to serve as the Assistant Vice Chair of the

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, adopted two commendatory resolutions honoring the Plimpton Historical Society’s Deborah Sampson Day recognition and Megan’s Light’s Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month observance, and suspended Joint Rule 12 to refer several House petitions to committee. The chamber also briefly recognized Diane Talk of the South Shore Regional Emergency Communication Center on her retirement after 30 years of dispatch service. Later, the Senate passed two local bills to enactment: House No. 4006, authorizing Dartmouth to grant an additional all-alcoholic beverages license, and House No. 473, relating to the charter of Westwood. The main business was the Senate Ways and Means presentation of the fiscal year 2027 budget, totaling about $63.3 billion. The chair described the budget as balanced, with no new taxes or tax cuts, based on a consensus revenue estimate of $986 million in growth over FY26 (2.4%), and including about $15.8 billion in federal financial participation and roughly $2.7 billion from the Fair Share surtax. The budget emphasized record local aid, including $1.376 billion in unrestricted general government aid, $7.66 billion for Chapter 70 education aid, increased minimum school aid, higher regional school transportation reimbursement, rural aid, and the revival of the Foundation Budget Review Commission. It also highlighted major investments in MassEducate free community college, food security, housing, and support for vulnerable residents. Members then engaged in extended colloquy on the budget’s major cost drivers and policy choices. Questions focused on debt service, pension and OPEB liabilities, MassHealth caseload and rising per-enrollee costs, child care funding, and program integrity in DTA and other benefit programs. The chair said debt service would be about $2.67 billion, pension payments would be $5.1 billion, OPEB would receive a $150 million payment, and MassHealth enrollment was projected at about 2 million with costs driven by acuity and medical inflation. He also said the budget includes no collective bargaining agreements and no state tax changes. Senators supporting the budget praised its investments in education, local aid, homelessness prevention, public health, libraries, and housing, while minority leaders and others stressed the need for fiscal discipline, transparency, and further work on affordability and municipal support. The Senate also received a House message on House No. 5316, which the House had nonconcurred in, and a conference committee was appointed on the disagreement.