Transcript Highlights:

• population in our online school that we work really hard to deliver all the tools, including CTE delivery
• Support regional delivery models.
• That you can't buy their meal when they go.
• For your meals and also on the bonding.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:52:49.680><c> The</c> costs due to travel, lodging, meals.
• The costs due to travel, lodging, meals.
• In addition, this proposal also would capture the incremental increase in the retail delivery fee, and
• In addition, this proposal also would capture the incremental increase in the retail delivery fee, and
• </c> tax, or even, you know, the the delivery tax, or even, you know, the the delivery fee<01:31:20.720

Committee: House Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• There's also probably Some cases where online education should be an appropriate medium of delivery of
• And this is on universal school meals. It's interesting.
• So these numbers are actually about participation rates, meaning the number of meals being served in
• And also my understanding is that the federal amount that's going to universal school meals is closer
• I'm making X meals, and you can only charge me so much, regardless of whether I buy ribeyes or ground

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Epinephrine delivery system to your bill do pass out on an A-roll call.
• AB 1495, Valencia Home Health Aids Training, do pass out on an A roll call. 6 Wallace, older adults meal

Committee: House Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• Pilot funds will support the delivery of long-term, intensive support that is personalized to the needs
• additionally 17% of our students receive special education services, and 56% qualify for free and reduced meals
• additionally 17% of our students receive special education services, and 56% qualify for free and reduced meals
• additionally 17% of our students receive special education services, and 56% qualify for free and reduced meals
• Education services and 56% qualify for free and reduced meals, highlighting the need for our targeted

Committee: Senate Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• The question was on the survey: have you skipped more than two meals in a week?
• Okay, now we're going to move to the Rural Healthcare Delivery Fund and inviting up Mr.
• As one response, the legislature created the Rural Healthcare Delivery Fund in 2023 to aid providers
• If you will turn to Tab C in your binders, you'll find a health note on the Rural Healthcare Delivery
• Healthcare delivery, and we're looking at doing a spotlight on cash balances.

Transcript Highlights:

• Hospitals have cut back on labor and delivery, certain surgery care, surgical care, and that is troubling
• And as the father of a four-year-old and two-year-old, I think labor and delivery is always on my mind
• increasingly remaining open by offering fewer services: closing outpatient primary care, shutting labor and delivery
• So thinking about medically tailored meals, produce prescription programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• public education... ...opportunities the state provided: a strong public education and free school meals
• Increased costs for delivery of these services will ultimately fall on those seeking licensure at a time
• These are important opportunities for physicians to learn about how medicine and care delivery is evolving
• These are important opportunities for physicians to learn about how medicine and care delivery is evolving

Committee: House Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• work, but also from the opportunities the state provided: a strong public education and free school meals
• Increased costs for delivery of these services will ultimately fall on those seeking licensure at a time
• These are important opportunities for physicians to learn about how medicine and care delivery is evolving
• These are important opportunities for physicians to learn about how medicine and care delivery is evolving

Summary: House Finance met in executive session on Gross Substitute Senate Bill 6346, the proposed “millionaires’ income tax” package. Staff reviewed the bill and a long list of amendments affecting the new income tax, related business tax changes, and several exemptions and implementation provisions. The committee adopted amendments to exempt diapers from sales tax, allow certain tribal income treatment clarifications, create an advisory group to help implement the tax, move up the repeal date for some business tax changes, and require the measure to go to the voters; several other amendments on federal conformity, agricultural income, pass-through entities, and the marriage threshold were rejected or withdrawn. The committee then adopted the striking amendment as amended and advanced the bill on a 9-6 do pass vote, with supporters arguing it would fund education, health care, child care, and tax relief, and opponents warning about competitiveness, capital flight, and the state’s spending growth. The committee then held a public hearing on Senate Bill 6097, which would add federally recognized Indian tribes as eligible entities for county Conservation Futures Program funding. Staff said the bill would not change the tax levy structure and would have no state revenue impact, while tribal witnesses said it would improve voluntary conservation partnerships for habitat, farmland, and open space. Members asked about the bill’s scope, and staff confirmed it applies only to federally recognized tribes. House Finance also heard Senate Bill 6162, a property tax reform measure that would consolidate the state school levy, expand senior and disability property tax exemptions, raise income thresholds, and simplify the application process with a standard deduction. The prime sponsor and county assessors supported the bill as a way to help seniors, disabled persons, and disabled veterans stay in their homes and reduce administrative burden, while several testifiers opposed it as a tax shift that would raise costs for others and potentially strain local revenues. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 6113, an administrative and technical tax cleanup bill related to last year’s tax changes; the Department of Revenue supported it and noted a possible clarifying amendment, while nonprofits, schools, libraries, health care groups, workforce training providers, and trade associations asked for additional exemptions for live presentations and related educational activities. The chair announced that Senate Bill 6097 would be added to Monday’s executive session, Senate Bill 6114 was removed, and amendments for Monday’s bills were due by 5 p.m. that day.

Transcript Highlights:

• also looked at residencies in California and the downstream impacts on physicians and health care delivery
• $20 million for services that support access to abortion care, including transportation, lodging, meals
• $20 million for services that support access to abortion care, including transportation, lodging, meals
• I'm leaving Sacramento County today without a large-scale delivery system.
• much time it will now take us to provide as many resources as we can for these families, including Meals

Transcript Highlights:

• also looked at residencies in California and the downstream impacts on physicians and health care delivery
• $20 million for services that support access to abortion care, including transportation, lodging, meals
• $20 million for services that support access to abortion care, including transportation, lodging, meals
• I'm leaving Sacramento County today without a large-scale delivery system.
• much time it will now take us to provide as many resources as we can for these families, including Meals

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health began with a hearing on the impacts of H.R. 1 on California health programs, focusing first on reproductive health state investments. HCAI outlined five state-funded reproductive health programs created after Dobbs, including uncompensated care, practical support, capital and clinical infrastructure, and workforce programs. Essential Access Health and Planned Parenthood testified that these funds have served hundreds of thousands of patients, but warned that the uncompensated care program is fully awarded and needs renewal, and that Title X and Medicaid-related federal uncertainty continues to threaten access. Members questioned who the uncompensated care program serves, why Medi-Cal covers a large share of abortions, and whether Planned Parenthood could expand prenatal services; public commenters urged continued support for reproductive health access. The committee then took up long-term care services and supports, starting with the HCBA and Assisted Living Waiver programs. DHCS reported large wait lists for both programs and said enrollment is limited by workforce and provider capacity, while LAO noted that increasing slots alone may not increase access without additional programmatic changes. Members pressed the department on whether more slots should be added given the lower cost of home- and community-based care compared with skilled nursing facilities, and public testimony argued that the wait lists should be reduced and that staffing concerns do not fully explain unused capacity. The committee also heard testimony on congregate living health facilities, where providers and a patient family described the homes as critical, lower-cost alternatives to nursing facilities for younger, medically complex people. Witnesses requested short-term bridge funding, while DHCS said it is proposing to transition CLFs into a managed care benefit by January 1, 2028, which would remove caps and expand access statewide. The final long-term care topic was PACE. DHCS explained that it has paused new PACE applications and service expansions for at least two years to reassess oversight capacity and develop a statewide strategic growth framework, while existing programs continue operating. CalPACE supported the pause as a planning measure but asked for four additional state nurse positions to reduce delays in level-of-care determinations and speed enrollment for frail older adults. Members shared personal stories about how PACE has helped family members and asked how the state will meet growing demand; DHCS said stakeholder engagement will begin later in the year and that some existing applications already in process will continue. Public commenters broadly supported PACE, HCBA, and CLF funding requests. The hearing then moved to the Department of Health Care Services’ 2026-27 Medi-Cal budget and related trailer bills. DHCS said Medi-Cal spending has grown due to coverage expansions, higher acuity, rising utilization, and especially pharmacy costs, and it described proposals to extend the current skilled nursing facility financing framework for one year while the state develops a new value-based payment strategy. LAO said most recent Medi-Cal spending growth has been driven more by higher per-enrollee costs than by caseload growth, with pharmacy spending growing especially quickly, and recommended better and more timely data to analyze the drivers. Members expressed concern about the rapid rise in Medi-Cal spending and asked for more detail on the largest cost increases.

Transcript Highlights:

• The question is how to think differently about paying for delivery models so they remain sustainable
• /c><00:12:30.079><c> and</c><00:12:30.320><c> those</c><00:12:30.800><c> uh</c><00:12:31.040><c> delivery
• </c> that and the and and those uh delivery that and the and and those uh delivery models,<00:12:32.160
• c><00:58:10.480><c> health</c><00:58:10.640><c> act</c><00:58:10.880><c> of</c> original community meal
• health act of original community meal health act of 1963.<00:58:12.559><c> CCBHC's</c><00:58:13.440>

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes, then heard a lengthy presentation from the Department for Public Health on Kentucky’s rural health transformation plan and related budget questions. Commissioner John Langfeld said the state received a $212.9 million federal award, one of the larger awards nationally, and outlined five focus areas: maternal and infant health, integrated EMS/trauma response, behavioral health and substance use disorder, oral health, and chronic disease prevention with an emphasis on obesity and diabetes. He stressed that the effort is intended to be integrated, data-driven, and sustainable, and that the federal funds cannot be used for new construction, clinician salaries, research and development, EHR replacement, or to pay for currently billable services. He also said the program carries accountability requirements and that funds can be clawed back if milestones are not met. Members pressed for clarification on duplication with other budget requests, sustainability after the five-year funding period, and how success would be measured. Langfeld said he was not aware of any duplicate funding with the department’s additional budget requests and said the rural health funds were separate from those requests. He also said the program will be tracked through specific metrics and timelines, using both execution measures and outcome measures such as readmissions, with more rapid-cycle feedback to allow course correction. Representative Fleming raised concerns about possible overlap with navigator funding and asked for more detail on the budget breakdown; Langfeld said a detailed line-item budget had been prepared but was still awaiting final CMS approval before release, and that he would explore sharing more information once restrictions were lifted. The committee then heard from the Kentucky State Public Health Laboratory about a request for a new central lab expansion. The presenter described the current 35-year-old facility as outdated and constrained by aging infrastructure, obsolete equipment, deferred maintenance, and inadequate space, and said the lab performs critical work with no in-state alternative for many services, including newborn screening, select-agent and biosafety level 3 testing, animal necropsy for rabies, genetic sequencing, environmental and food safety testing, and response to emerging infectious diseases. The project is already in design phase C, expected to finish in mid-April, with construction funding sought at roughly $276 million on top of about $35 million already approved for design. Members asked about long-term operating costs, backup arrangements, and whether the current facility would remain in use; the presenter said the current lab would continue to be used by the department while other divisions move into vacated space, and that the lab has mutual-aid agreements with the Southeast Consortium and universities for contingency support. Finally, the Department for Community Based Services began its budget presentation on SNAP and relative caregiver issues. Commissioner Lisa Dennis and budget director Misty Sammons identified the governor’s recommended budget items tied to new federal requirements under HR1, including changes affecting payment error rates. The discussion was just beginning when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our childhood investments are economically sustainable, data-driven, and supportive of both mixed delivery
• still unpacking this, we don't have all the answers yet, is a lot of these programs are built around meal
• holding school districts to 178 days of school a year, they're having less school and serving less meals

Summary: The committee met to review the minutes and then held a workshop-style discussion with Arkansas Department of Education early childhood officials about the state’s early learning programs, funding, and access. Officials explained that the state-funded ABC program has been largely flat for years, rising from $11 million to about $14 million in 2018, while the federally funded SRA/CCDF side is much larger. They described differences between the programs, including ABC’s 10-month school-year structure, current enrollment of about 23,000 children in ABC and about 14,871 in SRA, and a SRA wait list that has grown to roughly 2,971 children. Members raised concerns about rural access, school-based versus community-based providers, reimbursement rates, and the need to align early childhood funding with K-12 and kindergarten readiness goals. A major topic was the recent $14.741 million PDG B-5 competitive grant. Officials said it is a one-year systems-building grant, not a direct services grant, and will support local leads, CLASS observations, workforce efforts, and data systems while helping offset some costs that otherwise would have been paid through CCDF. Members also discussed the end of a federal pre-K funding stream in June, with children either moving into ABC slots or requalifying for SRA, and the state’s new enrollment-based payment approach, which officials said saved about $576,000. The committee also heard that the current cost-of-care study is about three years old and that a new market-rate survey is being planned. Several members questioned dual enrollment in home visiting/HIPPY and ABC, with officials saying about 1,200 children are enrolled in both and that limiting double enrollment could save about $2.4 million and affect roughly 470 children. Members also asked about provider closures after rate changes; officials said eight providers cited funding as a reason for closing, while 26 new providers have been added under the new rates. The discussion ended with broad agreement that the committee should continue regular updates, keep providers and families informed, and explore policy changes, waivers, and possible state investments to improve stability, access, and quality in early childhood education.

Transcript Highlights:

• the earlier we educate our children in our state about the evils of tobacco and nicotine and the delivery
• histories, confirm vaccination status, adopt self-examination schedules, and incorporate balanced meals
• histories, confirm vaccination status, adopt self-examination schedules, and incorporate balanced meals

Summary: The Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee met on January 27 and heard extensive public testimony on several bills before moving into executive session. Senate Bill 5921 would create a Department of Health medical psilocybin program for adults with qualifying conditions, with licensed producers and clinician participation requirements, training, background checks, and program standards. Supporters, including the sponsor and many clinicians, veterans, first responders, and patients, described psilocybin as promising for treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, trauma, and end-of-life anxiety, while opponents and some medical groups raised concerns about missing safeguards, contraindications, monitoring, cost, and the bill’s narrow medical model. Testimony was split sharply, with many also urging broader decriminalization or community-use protections. The committee later heard Senate Bill 6115, which would have the Department of Health contract for age-appropriate cancer education for grades 6-12; supporters from Cancer Pathways, educators, and families said it would improve prevention and risk awareness, while the bill drew substantial opposition in sign-in counts, and the hearing was ultimately closed without action that day. The committee also heard Senate Bill 5185, a pilot pathway for international medical graduates to obtain full unrestricted primary care licensure after supervised clinical practice, completion of exam and competency requirements, and annual reporting. The sponsor, Washington Medical Association, the Medical Commission, and IMG advocates said the proposal would expand access to primary care while maintaining patient safety, and the bill received supportive testimony. In executive session, the committee adopted proposed substitutes and advanced Senate Bill 5916 on non-opioid pain drugs, Senate Bill 5985 on endometriosis, Senate Bill 6019 on home care rate statutes, Senate Bill 6161 on dementia information, and Senate Bill 6183 on HIV antiviral drug coverage. For Senate Bill 5981 on the 340B drug pricing program, the committee adopted an amendment adding reporting and transparency requirements before moving the bill forward. The committee then adjourned, and the remaining hearing items were rescheduled for a later date.

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> Senator Leek: THIS AMENDMENT CONFORMS THE SENATE BILLS HOUSE COMPANION BILL ALLOWS FOR WINE DELIVERY
• EMPLOYERS TO FORCE MINOR EMPLOYEES TO WORK OVER 30 HOURS A WEEK DURING SCHOOL TIME AND GETTING RID OF MEAL
• EMPLOYERS TO FORCE MINOR EMPLOYEES TO WORK OVER 30 HOURS A WEEK DURING SCHOOL TIME AND GETTING RID OF MEAL

Transcript Highlights:

• Packaging necessary to contain food for delivery, bowls, clam shells not covered.
• And the fact that Meals on Wheels, for example, is included in here, hospitals, nursing homes.
• Bradley: Meals provided to guests staying at a hotel, lodging house, or rooming house.
• </c> Meals on Wheels. Meals on Wheels.
• </c><05:02:39.920><c> on</c><05:02:40.080><c> Wheels,</c> hospitals, Meals on Wheels, hospitals, Meals

Transcript Highlights:

• There are deliveries. Animals need to go to market.
• There are deliveries. Animals need to go to market.
• They prepared and served hundreds of meals again in coordination with our state and local partners and
• </c> prepared and served hundreds of meals prepared and served hundreds of meals again<01:05:46.480><
• </c> the country to uh improve the delivery the country to uh improve the delivery of<01:09:01.920><c

Summary: The committee met to adopt the minutes of the second meeting by voice vote, then heard an update focused on disaster preparedness, resiliency, response, and coordination among state agencies and partners. The chair emphasized avoiding duplication of resources and highlighted the importance of agriculture-related response issues, including animal evacuation, feed distribution, and the role of extension services during disasters. The Department for Public Health was invited to explain its role in emergency planning and response. Public Health described its Emergency Preparedness and Response Branch as the lead coordinating agency for Emergency Support Function 8, covering health and medical services under Kentucky’s emergency operations framework. Testimony outlined its broad responsibilities, including support for hospitals, morgues, local health departments, behavioral health, crisis counseling, suspicious package testing, disease outbreaks, and coordination with emergency management, EMS, transportation, and nonprofit and private partners. Officials also described the agency’s risk-assessment process, training and exercise programs, and deployed assets such as PPE caches, deployable communications, a federal medical station, a mobile treatment center, and alternate care support used in events like the eastern Kentucky floods and COVID-19. The agency also discussed funding through federal cooperative agreements for public health emergency preparedness and hospital preparedness, noting that these programs have evolved since 9/11 and have been shaped by major disasters and emerging threats. Officials said Kentucky’s funding has declined over time and that current awards are partially funded for the first time in the program’s history. They expressed support for efficiency if federal programs are consolidated, but cautioned that combining programs could risk further funding losses.

Transcript Highlights:

• We made sure no child will go hungry while learning in our public schools by ensuring free school meals
• We made sure no child will go hungry while learning in our public schools by ensuring free school meals
• You see it through universal meals, all things made possible through the surtax.
• ..which Matt will address, cutting back on some of the meal time, prep time, that sort of thing.
• Our elder care delivery service infrastructure would come crumbling Care delivery service infrastructure

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• The governor's proposal has included $19 million for senior meals.
• But did that stay in the budget, the $19 million for our seniors for their meals?
• The governor's proposal has included $19 million for senior meals.
• But did that stay in the budget, the $19 million for our seniors for their meals?
• </c> million for our seniors for their meals? million for our seniors for their meals?

Summary: The House convened with 97 members present, declared a quorum, approved excusing absent members, and suspended the rules to allow co-sponsorships and vote modifications. The journal for February 25, 2026 was approved. The clerk also reported that the Senate had passed Senate Bills 98 and 122 and requested concurrence. The House then received second-reading reports on a range of bills, including measures on prison educational programs, respiratory care, dietitians, wildlife depredation, temporary structures, military families, civil rights, local boards of education, light pollution, controlled-substance prescribing licenses, youth health services, class sizes for exceptional children, the athletic trainer compact, limited commercial driver’s licenses, and Senate Bill 145 relating to the Department of Agriculture and Alcohol Beverage Control. Committee reports moved several bills forward, including the main budget bills House Bill 500 and House Bill 504, along with measures on workforce investment, data centers, domestic violence, guardians ad litem, domestic relations, health delivery and “food is medicine” initiatives, state personnel, open records, and fish and wildlife resources. House Bill 500 and House Bill 504 were taken from the Rules Committee and placed on the orders of the day. House Bill 500, the executive branch budget bill, was then taken up for third reading and explanation. Members presented extensive floor explanations of House Bill 500 and House Committee Substitute 1, describing it as a “good first draft” of the executive budget. Supporters said the proposal emphasizes restrained spending growth, base reductions with exemptions for key areas, employee salary increments, and deposits to the Budget Reserve Trust Fund for future one-time investments. They highlighted funding for K-12 education, postsecondary aid and workforce training, Medicaid and behavioral health, public health infrastructure, pensions, veterans, public safety, economic development, tourism, and state technology and facility maintenance. The budget substitute was adopted by voice vote, and the discussion continued with detailed descriptions of the bill’s provisions; no final passage vote was shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Children who receive free and reduced meals? Do they have children who have unstable housing?
• do they have children uh who um meals do they have children uh who um have<01:09:09.440><c> unstable
• Hawaii is one of of educational delivery Hawaii is one of I<01:19:17.199><c> think</c><01:19:17.440>
• system that was a educational delivery system that was a lot<01:41:47.520><c> of</c><01:41:47.599><c
• This pre-K-only charter school model can maximize the mixed delivery system.