Transcript Highlights:

• staff or services contracts with individuals, other public agencies, or private providers to provide
• </c><00:08:01.159><c> them</c> couple years being able to provide them couple years being able to provide
• This is providing services for children that might be in the community, providing and coordinating treatment
• This is providing services for children that might be in the community, providing and coordinating treatment
• </c><00:25:25.760><c> services</c> to us and so if we can provide services to us and so if we can provide

Keywords: Meeting Concurrently w/ (H) Families & Children, 958, all

Summary: The committee met to hear the 2025 Social Services Block Grant preliminary plan from the Department for Community Based Services. Commissioner Lisa Dennis and Executive Adviser Mary Carpenter described DCBS’s mission and explained that the federal block grant, about $21 million annually, supports Adult Protective Services, Child Protective Services, Home Safety Services, Juvenile Services, Residential Treatment Services, and staff training. They said most of the funding goes to staff and training, and that the department uses surveys, focus groups, program monitoring, funding availability, and historical data to set annual goals. They also noted that Kentucky uses the grant to fund direct services and that eligibility is generally limited to Kentucky residents or runaway juveniles based on need and available resources. Much of the discussion focused on child welfare data and the distinction between poverty and neglect. DCBS officials said Adult Protective Services investigates abuse, neglect, and exploitation of vulnerable adults, and that self-neglect cases have trended down in recent years, which they attributed in part to access to federal resources. For Child Protective Services, they reviewed intake and investigation numbers, noting that many calls screen out before meeting statutory criteria, while about 48,000 cases were assessed or investigated and about 8,000 were substantiated. Members raised concerns about how poverty can be mistaken for neglect, especially in rural areas, and DCBS said it has been working with the legislature, staff, and community partners to better define the difference and connect families to community supports when cases do not meet abuse or neglect criteria. Members also asked about the risk to federal funding and the impact on juvenile services. DCBS said it had not received notice that the $21 million block grant would be cut, but it is monitoring federal developments closely and would need to return to the General Assembly for a budget request if funding were lost. The department said about 30% of the federal share goes to juvenile services. Questions also covered the transition in staff training from Eastern Kentucky University to a broader statewide model, and the agency said it is expanding training opportunities and modernizing delivery. Officials discussed the MST pilot for youth, saying it is a successful evidence-based practice operating in three regions—Jefferson, Northern Bluegrass, and Central Kentucky—with positive outcomes and possible expansion. No votes were taken; the meeting was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, so this funding was provided to prosecutors was not provided to us two budget cycles ago.
• Um, so this funding was provided to prosecutors was not provided to us two budget cycles ago.
• provider to the other.
• </c> the treatment providers in one place. the treatment providers in one place.
• </c> still provide the discovery in the case. still provide the discovery in the case.

Keywords: 0:00:04 Call to Order 0:00:50 Dept for Public Advocacy 0:51:31 Life Learning Center 1:21:06 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The Budget Review Subcommittee on Justice and Judiciary heard testimony from the Department of Public Advocacy (DPA) on attorney compensation and alternatives to incarceration. Because the committee lacked a quorum, the chair skipped formal roll call and minutes approval, then invited DPA Public Advocate Damon Preston, Deputy Public Advocate Melanie Lowe, and alternative sentencing worker Cena/Tina Mills to present. Preston said DPA is fully state-funded, has 698 funded positions, and was near full staffing with 673 filled positions and 42 new law graduates expected to join in August. He argued that DPA’s resources lag behind those of prosecutors, noting that local prosecutorial offices receive substantially more total funding and have additional revenue sources beyond the state budget. Preston focused on salary disparities and turnover. He said DPA trial-office attorneys total about $26 million in salaries, compared with about $41.9 million for prosecutors on publicly listed state funding, and estimated that more than 100 additional prosecutors are paid through other sources, bringing total prosecutor compensation to a little over $50 million versus DPA’s $26 million. He said starting DPA attorney pay is $58,200, experienced attorney pay averages about $73,000, and that these levels are too low given law school debt and the state’s constitutional obligation to provide defense counsel. He also said DPA attorney turnover is about 20%, median service time before separation was 15 months in 2024, and exit interviews often cite salary as the main reason for leaving. He gave examples of former DPA attorneys moving to prosecutor offices for raises ranging from 12% to 50%. Committee members asked about how often defendants are represented by private counsel versus DPA and how that affects workload. Preston said a 2017 study found about 50% of misdemeanor cases and about 75% of circuit court cases were handled by DPA, with DPA handling most of the most labor-intensive cases. He said DPA will step aside when a defendant hires private counsel or is found ineligible, and he acknowledged the system historically erred by denying counsel in some cases, though he said the current concern is whether DPA is now appointed too broadly. Members requested updated trend data on appointments over the past decade. Preston also described DPA’s pay scale and said the agency’s compensation structure makes retention difficult. Mills then described DPA’s alternative sentencing worker program, which she said has operated for about 20 years and has received national recognition. She shared a case example involving a client named Patrick, who faced a prison sentence on a possession charge and was referred to a horse-based treatment and certification program in Shelbyville. She said the client wanted treatment and a fresh start, a bed became available, and she and the client’s attorney presented an alternative sentencing plan to the court. The presentation was interrupted briefly by a technical issue, but the testimony continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> could the the bill itself provides could the the bill itself provides around<00:04:44.919><c> $5
• </c> environmental footprint while providing environmental footprint while providing new<00:15:44.759
• </c><00:21:13.880><c> a</c> committee Senate file 2112 provides a committee Senate file 2112 provides
• <00:53:23.000><c> assets</c> providing assets providing assets howto<00:53:25.280><c> things</c><00:53
• </c><01:08:11.160><c> any</c> director from deed uh to provide any director from deed uh to provide any

Committee: Senate Jobs and Economic Development

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Massachusetts efforts to provide services to individuals with brain injury over the past four decades
• This would, as I said, provide payment through MassHealth for these people.
• This would, as I said, provide payment through MassHealth for these people.
• The purpose of my testimony today is to provide or offer information and some...
• I'm really acutely aware of the data, like also provided by the U.S.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities held a hearing on a broad slate of disability-related bills. Topics included creating a permanent Acquired Brain Injury Advisory Board (H. 231/S. 134), establishing a system for compensating guardians who serve incapacitated, unbefriended individuals through MassHealth (H. 253/S. 154), expanding Nikki’s Law to require MassHealth day habilitation programs to use the abuse registry (S. 165 and related bills), modernizing and streamlining the Disabled Persons Protection Commission’s statute and procedures (H. 243/S. 139), updating the definition of developmental disability to align more closely with federal law and include people such as those with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (H. 276/S. 150), removing outdated and offensive terminology from the General Laws (H. 232/S. 137), and an autism education reform bill (H. 286). Several bills had no sign-ups, and the committee also noted related measures on cueing and prompting in PCA programs (H. 277/S. 157).

Transcript Highlights:

• Please provide that to the committee. That would be great. Absolutely well, yes.
• They provide the exact same services that the WIOA Title I people, who are mandated to be local, provide
• by the state, one of them's provided by local, and they're the exact same services we're providing.
• Well, the local portion is still provided, but it's provided by saying, and this is the story I wanted
• And there's quite a few data points that we could provide to you, or that we did provide in the audit

Committee: All ALC-HOSPITAL, MEDICAID, & DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES STUDY SUBCOMMITTEE

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Kids launches together, you know, provide the food for the kids or to supplement what they're receiving
• A school is only government purchase food provided by government employees on government ground.
• to their authorize providers.
• If we're doing all that we can to provide the information to provide assistance to provide the support
• We also have career opportunities that we provide for service technicians by providing ongoing training

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Units, bonds, taxes, and bond-related projects providing a criminal penalty or for the Committee on Ways
• HB 2479 be guarant relating to the entities that provide cable or video services for the Committee on
• HB 2494 by product relating to the annexation of certain municipalities for failure to provide services
• HB 2531 by Mesa relating to the reimbursement rate for meals provided under the home delivered meals
• identifier on the payment claim or providing an administrative penalty.

Transcript Highlights:

• wants to participate virtually can sign up through that link and see the instructions there for providing
• so using the raise If anyone joining us on the Zoom would like to provide virtual public comment on
• Jeff Sheraton, president of the Greater Wilmington Housing Providers.
• Rather than providing clear rules that help housing providers avoid violations before they occur, the
• I don't even know how to say this word, but women are prompted to provide sex...

Committee: Senate Housing & Land Use

Summary: The Senate Land Use Committee met in hybrid format but did not have a quorum, so it did not approve minutes or take formal votes. The committee first heard House Bill 457, which would raise the appraisal threshold for certain DELDOT real property dispositions from $10,000 to $25,000 to match federal highway standards and reduce the time and cost of selling small surplus properties. There was little discussion and no public comment on that bill, and the chair indicated it would be circulated. The committee then took up House Bill 451, which would codify a disparate impact framework under Delaware’s Fair Housing Act. The bill was described as clarifying that housing policies or practices can violate the law even without discriminatory intent if they have an unjustified discriminatory effect on a protected class, using a burden-shifting test similar to federal law. The sponsor and DHSA said the measure was intended to preserve fair housing protections amid uncertainty at the federal level, and an additional amendment was discussed that would delay implementation for 180 days and require DHSR, with DSA and stakeholders, to conduct outreach, education, and training. Public testimony was divided. Supporters, including Housing Alliance Delaware, YWCA Delaware, and the Delaware Human and Civil Rights Commission, said the bill would protect against discriminatory outcomes, align state law with longstanding fair housing principles, and preserve recourse if federal enforcement changes. Opponents and housing-provider groups, including the Delaware Association of Realtors, Greater Wilmington Housing Providers, and the Delaware Apartment Association, argued the bill could create liability for neutral policies, rely on statistical outcomes landlords cannot easily measure, and increase litigation and costs; several asked for more time, a right-to-cure process, or further amendments. The committee adjourned without taking a formal vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• As a quick recap, current law provides a B&O exemption for any person engaged in an insurance business
• The provider response rate has fluctuated between surveys.
• The response rate also fluctuates between provider types and rate regions.
• DCYF anticipates increased error rates by providers due to the modified attendance policy.
• There is no reduction in cost to the provider when a child is absent.

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee held its last scheduled public hearing of the year on March 9, 2026, taking testimony on House Bill 2487, Substitute House Bill 2689, and Engrossed House Bill 2681. For HB 2487, staff and the Department of Revenue explained that the bill would narrow a B&O tax exemption for insurance-related businesses after a 2024 Supreme Court decision, make several related changes including annuity and assigned risk plan exemptions, adjust the advanced computing surcharge threshold for certain affiliated groups, and allow a penalties-and-interest waiver with a repayment plan. DOR supported the bill as clarifying the original intent and preventing double taxation, while insurers and health plan groups opposed it, arguing it would create higher costs, retroactive tax liability, and uncertainty; consumer and policy groups testified in support, saying it closes a loophole and restores the intended tax structure. Committee members questioned the retroactivity, the number of affected businesses, and the fiscal estimates, and the chair reminded members that amendment requests were due by noon for the next day’s executive session. For Substitute HB 2689, staff described changes to the Working Connections Child Care program that would keep income eligibility at 60% of state median income, reduce future rate-setting from the 85th to the 75th percentile, block enhanced rates for certain cross-region providers, cancel the planned move to enrollment-based prospective payments, revise attendance-based reimbursement to a full month for absences of 10 days or fewer and half-month for longer absences, and require a 65% market survey response rate for validity. The fiscal note projected substantial savings, offset by implementation and staffing costs. SEIU 925 and Head Start representatives supported the simpler House approach to attendance billing but raised concerns about the new survey threshold and the risk of increased audits and provider burden; they also noted an amendment under discussion to address the 2026 survey issue. Committee questions focused on how a full month is defined under the attendance rules. For HB 2681, staff said the bill would raise annual issuance and renewal fees for cannabis producer, processor, and retail licenses by $400, generating about $866,000 per year for the dedicated cannabis account with minimal administrative cost. No one signed up to testify, and the chair closed the hearing without a vote on any of the bills. The chair also thanked committee staff for their work and reiterated that amendments for the heard bills were due by noon that day.

Transcript Highlights:

• This problem isn't with service providers, it's with property owners.
• There are dozens and dozens of certificated telecommunications providers.
• The certificate they have is called a service provider certificate of authority.
• But for each individual city it is much less impactful than providers who are providing these services
• And the reason for that is because every provider is paying. To be in the rights of way.

Committee: House S/C on Telecommunications & Broadband

Transcript Highlights:

• that, and I have some copies here and I'm happy to provide them with you as well.
• And so these are some of the other examples that I can provide to you too, because it...
• Then there would be a back and forth with the medical provider to be able to decide.
• Providers will release a portion of that or maybe they'll redact something.
• I suppose it would be possible, but this certainly provides more clarity to the...

Bills: HB368 , HB3311 , HB1734 , HB2495 , HB2716 , HB793 , HB3376 , HB2524 , HB3421 , HB3446 , HB3181

Committee: House S/C on Family & Fiduciary Relationships

Keywords: electronic devices, family violence, criminal prosecution, protective orders, tracking, harassment, family allowance, decedent's estate, surviving spouse, minor children, inheritance, child support, maintenance, HB 1734, Family Code, Section 155.207, suit affecting the parent-child relationship, SAPCR, continuing exclusive jurisdiction, jurisdiction transfer

Transcript Highlights:

• As a reminder for the committee, the public school support budget provides state and federal funding
• Funding is provided to meet the requirements of Article 9, Section 1 of the Idaho Constitution, which
• We do pass policy to innovate and to provide services for our communities.
• We're trying to keep providing IDLA to the rural schools.
• IDLA is providing literacy programs from K through 3 for students.

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee first approved a technical correction to the Health and Welfare Division of Licensing and Certification budget, restoring 2 FTP that had been cut in error while leaving funding intact. The committee then adopted language extending the deadline for Medicaid’s state plan amendments and waivers related to the move to comprehensive managed care, after discussion of delays tied to the MMIS procurement and litigation. Both items received do-pass recommendations. The committee next considered Public School Support, beginning with a FY 2026 supplemental for the Division of Student Support to add $7.8 million in federal spending authority so schools can access full federal grant allocations. That supplemental passed. For FY 2027, members debated several competing motions on the Student Support Division budget, including proposals to reduce classified staff funding, add health insurance funding, and cut virtual school-related funding. After multiple failed motions, the committee ultimately approved a motion reducing the general fund by $14,751,600, including a $3 million reduction to virtual school discretionary funding, and adopted related language. Additional language was also approved to require reporting on virtual enrollments, shift English learner funding from central services to direct LEA distribution, modify technology curriculum contract requirements, require special education expenditure reporting, and reduce transportation funding by $7.5 million by undoing a prior statutory change. The committee then turned to the Idaho Digital Learning Academy. After extensive debate over alleged double-funding, rural access, and the absence of a policy bill, members rejected a larger $15 million reduction and then approved a smaller $13,500 reduction tied to the pending policy bill’s fiscal note. They also adopted language restricting PCIF access, requiring compliance reporting on DEI-related courses, and requesting a detailed report on IDLA expenditures, enrollments, and usage, including synchronous versus asynchronous instruction and course-level data by LEA. The meeting ended with notice that the committee would next take up the Secretary of State budget and trailer bills, with an additional 7:30 a.m. meeting before the Monday session.

Transcript Highlights:

• for what qualifies as a misleading solicitation, to provide for disclosure requirements, to provide
• for remedies and penalties, to provide for similar damages, and to provide for an unfair or deceptive
• for board membership, to provide for board member qualification, to provide for the domicile of the
• to provide for related matters.
• Provides relative to powers and functions of state banks, to provide for price thresholds for required

Bills: HB207 , HB267 , HB300 , HB464 , HB618 , HB853

Committee: House Commerce

Keywords: Louisiana Auctioneers Licensing Board, auctioneer licensing, professional licensing board, board membership, gubernatorial appointments, consumer members, public at large, Public Service Commission district, East Baton Rouge Parish, venue, domicile, licensure requirements, licensed auctioneer, occupational licensing, state board governance, Act 138, home inspectors, licensing, term limits, Louisiana State Board

Transcript Highlights:

• Everyone here is very well familiar with the Chapter 90 bill, but it provides critical aid to our cities
• This bill also provides $200 million for transportation improvements that directly support new housing
• This bill also provides $200 million for transportation improvements that directly support new housing
• This piece of legislation also provided appropriations to the Capital Investment Grant Program...
• We thank you very much for that long-term support that you've provided us.

Bills: H4987 , S2905

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Transportation

Keywords: transportation bond bill, municipal roads, municipal bridges, Chapter 90, road aid, highway funding, bridge repair, pavement, MassDOT, MBTA, rail reliability, commuter rail locomotives, Fair Share surtax, Commonwealth Transportation Fund, infrastructure financing, bond authorization, deferred maintenance, climate resilience, parkways, DCR

Transcript Highlights:

• It also provides that 7% of the revenues are down... ...28 and it also provides that 7% of the revenues
• This amendment will provide tax relief to all of our businesses.
• And I thought, how can we provide even more tax relief to our businesses?
• I would like to provide more tax relief to our businesses, more than even that was provided in with the
• It provides support for businesses, and it now, as of today, provides for tax-free diapers.

Committee: House Finance

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For public hearing, as testifiers are called upon to provide testimony, the vice chair will also call
• The program provides grants to digital equity programs instead of community technology programs.
• Program applicants for that program must provide certain evidence of local partnership.
• Program applicants for that program must provide certain evidence of local partnership.
• It just updates definitions, provides more guidance for the forum around grants.

Summary: The Technology, Economic Development and Veterans Committee held public hearings on three bills and then a work session on tourism. House Bill 2365, concerning digital equity programs, would shift more responsibility to the Broadband Office, rename the Digital Equity Opportunity Program as the Digital Opportunity Program, expand the forum’s role, and require more reporting and outreach on broadband adoption and affordability. The prime sponsor and several advocates from community organizations, PTA, and digital navigation groups supported the bill, emphasizing the need for digital skills, cybersecurity, affordability, and trusted community partners. Commerce testified that the bill has technical and fiscal concerns and would add costs, and the sponsor said amendments were likely to reduce the fiscal impact. The hearing on HB 2365 was then closed. House Bill 2446 would direct the Department of Commerce to develop a state quantum strategy by June 30, using non-state funding if possible, to identify growth areas, partnerships, and workforce and economic impacts for the quantum industry. The prime sponsor, industry representatives, and technology organizations supported the bill as a way to keep Washington competitive with other states and build a quantum ecosystem. Committee members raised questions about fiscal impact, private funding, regulatory capture, and cybersecurity risks, including concerns about quantum’s effect on passwords and AI-related harms. A Microsoft representative requested a technical amendment to broaden the definition from quantum computing to quantum technology and said the company would follow up on funding and AI-regulation questions. The hearing on HB 2446 was closed. House Bill 2357 would create a Washington Division of Civil Air Patrol within the Military Department, allowing the governor to activate it for cadet training, communications, disaster relief, cybersecurity, search and rescue, and related missions. The sponsor, the adjutant general, the Civil Air Patrol commander, and a veterans coalition representative all supported the bill, citing recent flood response work, emergency preparedness, and youth training benefits. Testimony emphasized that the proposal would clarify coordination, not change federal authorities, and would not create a fiscal impact. The hearing on HB 2357 was closed without any amendment requests. In the work session on tourism, State of Washington Tourism and industry partners presented recommendations from an advisory group calling for a more sustainable, industry-led funding model, likely through an assessment or visitor-fee structure. They argued Washington is underfunded compared with western peers and estimated that a competitive program could generate $14.6 billion in additional visitor spending over the next decade, along with significant tax revenue and lodging tax growth. Speakers from tourism, the wine commission, hospitality, and advisory group leadership stressed predictable funding, industry governance, and statewide benefits, while committee members discussed international tourism, regional access, and the need to avoid further decline in the sector. The meeting adjourned early after the work session.

Transcript Highlights:

• The legislative intent was to provide the same tax treatment of natural gas as a transportation fuel,
• The legislative intent was to provide the same tax treatment of natural gas as a transportation fuel,
• The preferences provide reduced B&O tax rates for beneficiaries based on annual income.
• The preferences provide reduced B&O tax rates for beneficiaries based on annual income.
• The preference provides a state and local property tax exemption to nonprofit organizations that buy,

Summary: The committee first received a JLARC work session on the 2025 tax preference performance reviews, covering nine tax preferences and recommending legislative action on eight. JLARC reviewed natural gas transportation fuel preferences, travel agent and tour operator B&O rates, a property tax exemption for nonprofit low-income housing developers, and several shorter reviews including senior center property tax relief, a disabled veteran adapted housing remittance, trade convention nexus treatment, wholesale sales of fertilizer/pesticides/seed, a hazardous substance tax exemption for pesticides stored for out-of-state shipment, and three energy-related preferences for a silicon smelter. JLARC generally recommended continuing preferences that met stated or inferred objectives, modifying some to improve reporting or performance metrics, and allowing the unused silicon smelter preferences to expire. The Citizen Commission endorsed JLARC’s recommendations, and committee members asked a few clarifying questions, including about trends in travel agent/tour operator beneficiaries and the housing exemption’s performance metric and data issues. The committee then heard a work session and public hearing on Senate Bill 5754, which would create a Washington State public bank. A presentation from California public banking advocates and the Bank of North Dakota described public banks as government-owned financial institutions intended to keep public funds working locally, support lending for housing, infrastructure, and community development, and partner with community banks and credit unions. Committee questions focused on leverage, liquidity, constitutional issues, and how the model would interact with existing state investment and debt structures. Staff summarized the bill’s structure, including activation conditions, governance, powers, and fiscal impacts, noting the fiscal note was largely indeterminate and startup costs could be significant. Public testimony on SB 5754 was divided. Supporters included statewide elected officials, county and city officials, labor, educators, community advocates, and residents, who argued the bank could lower borrowing costs, improve access to capital, keep public money in Washington, and help finance infrastructure, housing, and disaster resilience. Opponents included community bankers and county treasurers, who warned about risks to safety and liquidity of public funds, questioned the need for a new institution given existing programs, and argued the proposal lacked a proven track record in Washington. The hearing concluded with no vote taken in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• Negotiations are conducted by providing notice.
• I will restate the issue in question and provide a response.
• Did not provide guidance with respect to that settlement.
• There are a couple of quotes in the fact sheet to provide examples.
• that's the truth, we could provide evidence of that.

Committee: House House Government, Elections & Indian Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm here to provide contextual information.
• In first, it means providing timely and actionable data.
• Instead, it aims to provide a single assessment system that provides actionable, standards-aligned data
• That is provided by T.E.A. is not reliable.
• I serve as a technical expert and can provide a lot of national perspective.

Bills: HB8

Committee: House Public Education

Keywords: HB 8, Texas public school accountability, school accountability, public school transparency, STAAR, state assessments, instructionally supportive assessment program, Student Success Tool, Texas Education Agency, TEA, accountability ratings, A-F ratings, through-year assessment, benchmark testing, norm-referenced assessment, college career military readiness, CCMR, local accountability plan, school district performance, campus turnaround

Transcript Highlights:

• This section provides a historical review of the formula itself.
• We want them to leverage the NMPFMA group to provide education in that platform.
• FIMS is also engaged; they provide training to New Mexico school districts.
• They provided a really good quality statement for this program.
• to provide that to you at the next task force meeting.

Committee: House Public School Capital Outlay Oversight Task Force