Transcript Highlights:

• AB 680, Arreguín, foster care benefit review: AB 680, Arreguín, foster care benefit review: hold in committee
• AB 1314, Arreguín, transitional housing placement providers: do pass out on an A roll call.
• AB 349, Dixon, foster care infant supplement: due pass as amended to retain the inflation adjustment;
• AB 1120, Elhawary, Foster Youth Bill of Rights: do pass out on an A roll call.
• AB 689, Rubio, foster youth disaster aid: do pass on an A roll call.

Summary: The Assembly Appropriations Committee held its May 23, 2025 suspense hearing and opened by emphasizing the difficult budget environment, rising costs for constituents, and the need to make tough choices. The chair said many bills would be held, amended to reduce costs, or made two-year bills because the state could not afford broad program expansions this year. The committee also noted the agenda was organized alphabetically by author and that results would be posted later that day. The committee then acted on a large suspense file, taking up hundreds of Assembly bills across topics including housing, health care, education, labor, public safety, climate, water, transportation, elections, and technology. Many bills were held in committee, while many others were approved with cost-saving, clarifying, or author’s amendments. Examples included measures on CalABLE, Covered California enrollment, wildfire and insurance issues, reproductive health, school and college programs, prison and juvenile justice matters, AI and data privacy, and local government and utility regulation. Several bills were converted to two-year bills to continue discussion. Throughout the hearing, the committee repeatedly voted on bills by A roll call or B roll call, often with Republicans not voting on amended measures. Some bills were advanced with notable amendments, such as narrowing scope, removing appropriations, delaying implementation, or striking costly provisions. The committee also approved a number of committee bills and omnibus measures, including emergency management, judiciary, insurance, and water-related bills. At the end of the hearing, the chair stated that the committee had moved 435 bills to the Assembly floor, either as do pass or do pass as amended, and adjourned the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• I was just thinking about the proximity and distance and how that factors into placement.
• Policies, department policies on placement, and how do you all prioritize having the young people as
• And all children in foster care are enrolled in Medicaid.
• I am the former foster parent and proud adoptive parent of Kaylee Williams, who is nine years old.
• I have experienced it from the side of being a foster parent.

Summary: The committee first approved the May 20 minutes and then advanced HCR 95, which would create a more uniform tax base for future state and local tax exemptions and credits, requiring a two-thirds vote of both chambers to deviate from that uniformity. HB 648 was deferred by the author. HB 1049, dealing with public meeting procedures and notice requirements, was amended after discussion with the Police Jury Association, school boards, and local government groups; the amendments removed a requirement for a lawyer at every meeting and clarified notice and posting language, and the bill was reported with amendments despite opposition from local government associations and the City of Baker. The committee then heard HB 615, which would expand livestreaming and two-year archiving requirements to more public bodies, including non-elected boards and commissions with taxing or rulemaking authority. Supporters framed it as a transparency measure, while local government and association witnesses argued it would impose an unfunded mandate, especially on small volunteer boards, and raised concerns about costs, staffing, record retention, and reliance on social media platforms. The bill was not advanced. HB 1201, as amended, would provide legislators reimbursement for travel and limited out-of-session expenses, including housing and mileage, beginning with the next term; members discussed the need to make public service more financially feasible and to broaden who can afford to serve. The committee reported HB 1201 with amendments. The committee also considered two constitutional convention-related bills. HB 244 would set guardrails for any future convention by capping delegates at 144, specifying delegate selection, requiring a two-thirds delegate vote to send proposals to voters, and requiring both a majority of voters and approval by three-fourths of the parishes for ratification; after debate over whether the parish threshold was too high, the bill was reported favorably on a roll call vote. HB 4, as amended, was narrowed to require the Senate and House Governmental Affairs committees to meet in the off-season to discuss the mechanics of a possible convention, but members viewed it as more of a study resolution than binding legislation, and the committee voted to keep it in committee. The meeting then moved to confirmation hearings. Courtney Myers, nominated for Deputy Secretary for the Office of Juvenile Justice, and Ernest Jacob Reade Jr., nominated as Assistant Secretary, testified about their backgrounds and priorities, emphasizing juvenile rehabilitation, education and vocational programming, mental health services, credible messengers, family contact, and better communication with legislators and families. Nathan McBride, nominated as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Environmental Quality, testified about his engineering and government affairs background and said he would focus on legislative work, waste tire management, permitting modernization, and constituent service.

Transcript Highlights:

• 18.040> has children at our centers instead it has children at our centers instead it has fostered
• more<00:43:18.960> balanced<00:43:19.520> and<00:43:19.720> sustainable fostered
• :25.480> also<00:48:25.800> have<00:48:26.480> uh<00:48:26.800> Sarah Foster
• Care um I also have uh Sarah Foster Care um I also have uh Sarah grafstrom<00:48:27.520> from
• ER visits um increased home placement ER visits um increased cost<00:54:15.359> of<00:54:15.559

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• With regards to foster care, young adults, or young adults that had been in foster care, did... ...why
• And so that's what this program specifically is about, the Foster Youth to Independence program.
• I want to share a little bit about my journey of when I was in foster care.
• I was in foster care for many years, starting at the age of nine.
• I was in foster care from the ages of 6 to 15.

Summary: The subcommittee met with a quorum and considered three bills. First, PCS for HB 879 by Representatives Rizo and Woodson would require state colleges and universities to prioritize housing placement for students who are homeless, were in foster care, or are at risk of homelessness, and to give first priority in housing or work-study priority systems to students eligible for child-welfare-related tuition and fee exemptions. Members heard extensive supportive testimony from Florida Youth Shine participants and other advocates describing housing instability after foster care and the importance of campus housing and vouchers for student success. The bill was reported favorably by a 16-0 vote. The committee then heard CS for HB 1113 by Representative Valdes, which would standardize minimum math-content requirements for elementary teacher preparation programs and increase math content in competency-based certification programs. The sponsor cited stagnant Florida math outcomes and a state report finding limited math preparation for elementary teacher candidates. The bill drew support from the Foundation for Florida’s Future and the Florida Chamber of Commerce and was reported favorably by a 15-0 vote. Finally, the committee considered HB 827 by Representative Spencer, directing the Bureau of Workforce Statistics and Economic Research to conduct a recurring statewide study on the effects of automation and artificial intelligence on Florida’s workforce, including affected industries, at-risk workers, and training needs. Members discussed whether similar data exists in the private sector, the bill’s fiscal impact, and the sponsor’s use of AI tools in preparing remarks. The bill received supportive debate and was reported favorably without opposition.

Transcript Highlights:

• Sections six and eight from the DHS policy bill modify licensing provisions for adult foster care, family
• adult day services, child foster residence settings, and community residential services.
• and serious mental illness for children's mental health, and also deleting the term out-of-home placement
• where necessary and replacing it with residential treatment and therapeutic foster care.
• If someone has to return to shelter or an unsafe environment, and then they have a repeat IRTS placement

Bills: HF2115, HF2276, HF1644, HF99, HF2068, HF2707, HF2704, HF2406, HF1674, HF1579

Keywords: human services, aging services, disability services, behavioral health, long-term care, nursing home, nursing facility, assisted living, waiver services, medical assistance, Medicaid, case mix reimbursement, PDPM, RUG, direct care and treatment, developmental disabilities, day services, positive support, guardian, conservator

Transcript Highlights:

• . placement. placement.
• How do I know foster care is cost-effective?
• foster care is cost-effective?
• They'll be discharged and for placement.
• I live in a family foster care, and I do work.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• care indicator, so we can identify who the former foster care individuals are.
• Presky... or foster care individuals.
• But what they have and what they call it is placement authority.
• They just call it placement.
• It's just called placement. So I understand that work release, you can walk away.

Summary: The committee opened with a moment of silence for a deceased member, then approved the April minutes and heard a presentation from HHS on the Diversion Task Force and related youth services grants. Chelsea Florey described the $750,000 one-time appropriation from HB 1012, the five awarded grants, and how programs in Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks, and Minot are using the funds for youth diversion, including school-based groups, physical activity, and services for problematic sexual behavior. Members raised concerns about staffing shortages, family engagement, service silos, and whether diversion eligibility rules are too rigid; Florey said the task force is focused on better coordination, broader education about available services, and possible changes to diversion criteria, with the Children’s Cabinet likely to drive broader recommendations. The committee then received a North Dakota Lottery biennium report from Director Thomas Lawler, who reviewed the lottery’s history, games, retailer commissions, player programs, and revenue distribution. He reported about $67 million in ticket sales for the 2023-2025 biennium, about $16.2 million transferred overall, including roughly $13.6 million to the general fund, plus transfers to drug task force and compulsive gambling funds. Members asked about the compulsive gambling allocation and whether it is set by statute. Next, the Department of Corrections presented on criminal justice data sharing and reentry. Adam Anderson explained that jails, courts, DOCR, HHS, and other entities use separate systems with limited interoperability, making real-time communication largely manual. He outlined possible hub or point-to-point IT solutions, but noted cost, vendor, identifier, and data-definition challenges. Robin Schmolenberger followed with an update on a Medicaid data exchange project between DOCR and HHS to suspend and reactivate inmate Medicaid coverage automatically and improve care coordination, with full bi-directional exchange expected in fall 2026. The committee also heard from county representatives on 24-7 sobriety program fees and an AG opinion allowing local sheriffs to use cheaper testing options when courts waive fees. Finally, the North Dakota Racing Commission reviewed a troubling audit. Bruce Johnson acknowledged serious findings involving overspending from the promotion fund, missing grant documentation, a reversed decision on breeders fund eligibility, and repeated procurement violations. He said the commission has begun corrective actions, including monthly tracking of the promotion fund cap, stricter grant documentation, written procurement procedures, and clearer eligibility rules in condition books. Members pressed him on how the overspending occurred, whether the commission board would impose consequences, and whether statutory clarification is needed on the promotion fund limit and related spending rules.

Transcript Highlights:

• Assembly Bill 562 by Assemblymember Solache and others, an act relating to foster care.
• I rise to present AB 562, which will help improve outcomes for our state's foster youth.
• And county placement rates are very inconsistent.
• Children in the foster system deserve the best efforts to ensure safety, placement, stability. and keep
• It's leadership supporting foster youth. I respectfully ask for an aye vote. Thank you.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our organization has also been on the front lines of foster care and the child exploitation pipeline,
• in foster care, and the average number of out-of-home placements was 3.47.
• Research has also shown that approximately one out of five children in foster care have been paid by
• Eichler said to my daughter and I, she said, "I have put hundreds of foster children back... with the
• have in CPS cases requirements as to how long these separations can happen in permanency hearings, placement

Bills: HB168, HB 1044, HB1534, HB1914, HB2240, HB2530, HB3284, HB3395, HB3515, HB3783, HB4034, HB4213, HB168

Keywords: marriage age, minors, family law, void marriage, rights of minors, Texas marriage law, marriage ceremony, authorized officiants, family code, judges, religious leaders, parent-child relationship, Department of Family and Protective Services, legal rights, notice requirements, HB 1914, Texas Family Code, Chapter 156, conservatorship, custody

Transcript Highlights:

• TSTC's impact is very clear, with an impressive 93% job placement rates for their students.
• My youngest brother got his welding degree from there, and he is part of that 93% job placement rate.
• As my colleague just said, 93% graduation and placement rate is ridiculous, and that's how they are paid
• Members As a group of nearly 300 members, the Querro Chamber of Commerce is committed to fostering economic

Transcript Highlights:

• STC's impact is very clear, with an impressive 93% job placement. rates for their students.
• have a special connection to TSTC. got his welding degree from there and he is part of that 93% job placement
• As my colleague just said, 93% graduation and placement rate is ridiculous. and that's how they are paid
• Members, as a group of nearly 300 members, the Quero Chamber of Commerce is committed to fostering economic

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• All 50 states are members of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children.
• All 50 states are members of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children, meaning Massachusetts
• able to adopt him from Macon, Georgia, and bring him to Massachusetts, he would have ended up in the foster
• And not just any foster care system, but one that many NICU nurses who worked closely with us warned
• discharged from the hospital, mother and baby returned to Massachusetts and began the monthly post-placement

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Judiciary Committee held its inaugural hearing of the session, led by Chair Michael Day and co-chair Senator Lydia Edwards, and reviewed a large slate of bills and constitutional amendments. The chair laid out hearing procedures, including three-minute testimony limits, priority for in-person witnesses, and deadlines for reporting constitutional amendments and House bills. The committee heard testimony on 29 proposals, with many witnesses and advocates speaking in support of measures they said would clarify the law, improve access to justice, or address public safety and fairness concerns. Several bills drew extensive testimony. Supporters of H.1686/S.1254 urged creation of a commission to study intentional misrepresentation of service animals, citing disruptive and dangerous encounters with fake service dogs and the need to protect legitimate service-dog teams. H.1649/S.1168 on court transcriber fees received strong support from transcribers and CPCS, who said rates have been frozen at $3 per page since 1988 and should be raised to $4.50, with an automatic CPI adjustment; they also described the work as time-consuming and essential to the justice system. H.1768/S.1037 on indigency was backed by CPCS, which said the bill would update eligibility rules, reduce unnecessary six-month reassessments, and eliminate the $150 counsel fee for indigent adults. H.1723/S.1193 to remove the charitable immunity cap was supported by legislators and attorneys who argued the current $20,000/$100,000 caps leave seriously injured people undercompensated and make Massachusetts an outlier. The committee also heard testimony on S.1046 regarding adoptions, with multiple adoptive parents, attorneys, and agency representatives describing recent probate court interpretations that have disrupted out-of-state surrender and finalization practices. Witnesses said the bill would restore predictability and allow birth parents outside Massachusetts to use either their home-state law or Massachusetts law, while preserving ICPC safeguards. Senator Feingold testified on H.1748/S.1109, “Conrad’s Law,” to criminalize coercing someone into suicide, arguing Massachusetts should join most other states in creating a specific offense rather than relying on involuntary manslaughter charges. Representative Donahue supported H.66 to remove “so help me God” from the constitutional oath of office. No votes were taken during the hearing; the committee simply heard testimony and thanked witnesses, with chairs indicating they would continue reviewing the bills and written submissions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Financial support is provided to adoptive and foster parents to encourage permanent placement of children
• parents to encourage adoptive and foster parents to encourage permanent<00:06:56.840> placement
• of children in safe permanent placement of children in safe homes. homes. homes.
• Um we other pieces like foster care.
• She said there is a breakout between kinship care, active out-of-home placement or foster care, and adoption

Bills: HF3415

Keywords: child care, day care, licensed child care center, license-exempt child care, immigration enforcement, ICE, Customs and Border Protection, CBP, USCIS, Department of Homeland Security, DHS, judicial warrant, facility access, sensitive locations, immigrant families, Minnesota Statutes chapter 142B, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• of a child in their placement.
• So, I read it as a foster parent or parents may be appointed, right?
• It changes nothing placement.
• uh they even children who are in foster uh they even children who are in foster care,<00:07:13.599
• c><00:08:12.960> may<00:08:13.199> be foster parent or parents may be foster parent or

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• These include breakdowns in communication, gaps in child placement oversight, delays in response time
• shape in the form of legislation—bills that focus on transparency, strengthening oversight, child placement
• target key areas of reform identified through both legislation and these prior hearings: kinship placement
• target key areas of reform identified through both legislation and these prior hearings: kinship placement
• sex and labor trafficking survivors, and people under 25 impacted by crime, housing insecurity, or foster

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our state spent the last 15 years transforming this system from foster care. designed to community-based
• We want to keep families safely together if we can. can to keep them out of our foster care system.
• providers to do that. deliver services for kids and families, specifically those involved in our foster
• Family first can address a number of issues that drive children into foster care But I think one of the
• , because the foster care system also doesn't have the resources it needs to take care of them. that

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• assistance, foster parent recruitment, and expansion of support programs for at-risk youth and foster
• And child and family welfare services, including foster care support, adoption assistance, foster parent
• recruitment, and expansion of support programs for at-risk youth and foster families.
• assistance, foster parent, and child and family welfare services, including foster care support, adoption
• assistance, foster parent recruitment, and expansion of support programs for at-risk youth and foster

Summary: The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for former Senator Don Childers, the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognition of Officer Antonio Richardson as law enforcement officer of the day. The chamber announced it would take up 11 budget conference committee reports, with no third-reading bills or special-order calendar items. Members were reminded that conference reports were subject to debate but not amendment, and that the required review periods had been satisfied. The first major action was on HB 7031E, the tax package. Representative Duggan explained that the conference report included a mix of retained, modified, and new tax provisions, including sales tax holidays, property tax and homestead-related changes, reductions in certain gaming and carbon-related taxes, changes to child care and documentary stamp tax credits, a new refund process for public works construction tax paid by universities and colleges, and other tax administration changes. Debate focused on the bill’s consumer impact, the reduction of the child tax credit from three years to one, the inclusion of firearm accessories in a sales tax holiday, the absence of gas tax relief and combined reporting, and the homestead exemption provision for certain deployed diplomatic and foreign service personnel. Critics argued the package favored niche or corporate interests over broad affordability relief, while supporters said it provided targeted tax relief and reflected conference negotiations. The House adopted the conference report and passed HB 7031E by a vote of 88-11. The House then began presenting the conference report for HB 501E, the state budget, which totaled $114.5 billion for fiscal year 2026-27 and was described as below the prior year’s spending level while maintaining reserves. Subcommittee chairs outlined major budget areas: pre-K-12 funding included an increase in FEFP, salary increases for veteran teachers, stabilization funding, and support for declining enrollment; higher education included full Bright Futures funding, workforce programs, college operating support, university initiatives, and school guardian expansion; IT funding focused on Palm, ACCESS, APD’s I-Connect replacement, corrections systems, emergency management systems, and cybersecurity grants; health care funding covered Medicaid, nursing home rates, waiver provider increases, ADAP funding and restructuring, child welfare, and behavioral health; transportation and economic development included housing, cultural grants, jobs and rural infrastructure, Visit Florida, Space Florida, highway patrol equipment, and local transportation projects; justice funding included correctional construction, juvenile justice facilities, law enforcement grants, and clerk and due process reimbursements; state administration included fire stations, constrained counties, building maintenance, and Safe Florida Home; and agriculture/natural resources funding emphasized Everglades restoration, water quality, land acquisition, Florida Forever, state parks, and citrus research. Members then began questioning the budget details, including school voucher accountability, school funding formulas, public defender parity, prison technology, wastewater monitoring in prisons, ADAP policy, SNAP fraud controls and AI-assisted verification, Florida Forever funding, school lunch funding, and coral reef restoration. No final vote on HB 501E appears in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• judgments about students and their readiness, which may lead to premature labeling, lower group placement
• To foster improvement, we must gather data to pinpoint specific educational gaps in both middle and high
• Math placement data at UC San Diego demonstrates a correlation between high school math grades and actual
• The UCSD report also demonstrates that current admissions and placement practices are The UCSD report
• We have met with, and we did submit our Advanced Placement Business with Personal Finance course to be

Summary: The committee heard SB 1067, which would require annual math screening for kindergarten through second grade students beginning in 2028-29 to identify early numeracy difficulties and connect students to evidence-based supports. Senator Weber and supporters, including EdVoice, UC Davis researcher Charles Wilkes, and several education and community advocates, argued that California’s math performance is too low and that early screening would help close gaps before they widen. Opponents, including the California Mathematics Council, county superintendents, and the CTA, said the bill could narrow instruction, overemphasize deficit-based measures, and should instead be paired with stronger investments in teacher training and implementation of the California Mathematics Framework. Committee members generally expressed support for the bill’s goals while discussing how the screener would work and what kinds of follow-up supports would be needed. The committee also heard SB 1110 on child care subsidy administration, which would restructure funding for alternative payment programs and core contracts as the state moves to enrollment-based funding. Supporters said the bill would stabilize child care providers, improve payment timelines, and better reflect the administrative work of enrolling families and managing services; there was no opposition testimony. SB 1374, supported by the CSU and UC systems, would allow public higher education institutions to seek temporary restraining orders when credible threats are directed at a campus rather than a specific person. Supporters described recent campus threats that created safety concerns but did not fit current restraining-order law; there was no opposition. Senator Nilo presented SB 1321, which would direct the State Auditor to review remedial course use and student preparedness at selected UC and CSU campuses after a UC San Diego report showed a sharp decline in incoming students’ math readiness. Supporters argued the audit would help identify gaps in college readiness and the effects of K-12 changes, while some members raised concerns about bypassing the usual legislative audit process; the bill was held on call. The committee then took up SB 1086 on microschools, which would define microschools and direct model ordinances for local land-use regulation. Supporters said it would create a clearer path for small, individualized learning communities, but several members questioned whether the concept was sufficiently defined and whether the state had enough information to draft model ordinances; the bill was also placed on call after a quorum was established. Finally, SB 1181 was presented as a limited pilot program in Central Valley counties to connect schools with regional threat assessment centers when credible safety concerns arise. The author and supporters, including the mother of a student killed in a shooting and several students, said it would improve early intervention and communication; committee members raised privacy and federal-sharing concerns but indicated support, and the bill was moved forward on a vote once quorum was present.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:50:21.400> care relatives kinship providers foster care relatives kinship providers foster
• a foster parent though and the foster a foster parent though and the foster parent<04:08:56.920>
• > a<04:09:34.000> parent decide a foster parent is just a parent decide a foster parent
• > their surrogate parent and their foster their surrogate parent and their foster parent<04:09:50.960
• <04:10:24.359> parent middle of that it says a foster parent middle of that it says a foster

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting began with committee process reminders from the chair, including rules for questioning witnesses, time limits for testimony, and how motions and committee reports are handled. The chair also discussed the committee’s history, emphasized a cooperative approach with agencies and the Judiciary, and noted that a special committee on the Family Division of Circuit Court had previously done useful work; he said a new subcommittee could be appointed later to continue looking at judicial-system issues. He also mentioned that the Speaker’s office was expected to name members to the DHHS oversight committee by Friday at 1. The substantive presentation was from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Bureau of Child Support Services. Attorney John Williams introduced the bureau team, and Bureau Chief Lisa Dekowski described the program’s mission: encouraging responsible parenting, family self-sufficiency, and child well-being by locating parents, establishing paternity, setting or modifying support orders, and enforcing court-ordered child and medical support. She said the bureau operates statewide under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act, works with courts, employers, and other partners, and serves both in-state and out-of-state cases, with some international and tribal coordination. She also cited program scale, saying the bureau dispersed about $76 million to families in New Hampshire in fiscal year 2023 and that most collections go directly to families. Members asked about enforcement tools, especially passport denial. In response to a question about a case involving a very small shortfall, the bureau said the federal passport-denial threshold is $2,500 in arrears, not a few cents, and that denial remains in place until the balance is resolved or an arrangement is made with the agency, with hardship factors potentially considered. The bureau also explained that either parent can apply for services when a child support order exists and that the bureau can help initiate income withholding orders. No votes or formal actions were taken during this portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our state spent the last 15 years transforming this system from foster care redesign to community-based
• We want to keep families safely together if we can to keep them out of our foster care system.
• About 6% of kids who are removed from their homes every year and placed in foster care are coming into
• Um, Family First can address a number of issues that drive children into foster care, but I think one
• Immediately or soon without placement because the foster care system also doesn't have the resources