Transcript Highlights:

• I want it to be a separate appropriation in the budget such that it will be earmarked for this program
• So I've learned to you know budgets.
• In the last budget,<00:38:37.200><c> there</c><00:38:37.359><c> was</c><00:38:37.599><c> a</c><00:38:
• Municipal budgets for health offices are also very limited.
• Municipal budgets for health offices are also very limited.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee met on December 19, 2025, approved the draft minutes from the November 21 regular meeting, and received a DHS commissioners update. Patricia Tilly reported on the state’s rural health transformation application, saying CMS had provided only one question and positive feedback, that the final federal award amount was still pending, and that DHS was preparing an accept-and-expend item for fiscal review using an up-to amount. She also said the new Hampstead YDC facility remains on track, with substantive construction expected by late summer 2026 and move-in likely in early January 2027. In response to questions, she confirmed the playground/outdoor activity area had been in the original design and was added when funding became available. Henry Litman, Medicaid director, discussed the Senate Bill 248 study committee report on palliative and hospice care. He explained the distinction between palliative care, which can be provided while a patient still seeks curative treatment, and hospice care, which involves electing not to pursue curative services. He said the committee’s work pointed to a need for better education for providers and the public, and described ongoing conversations with the Foundation for Healthy Communities and Home Health and Hospice about developing materials and possibly addressing how palliative services are bundled. He also said the study committee itself did not generate future legislation, though members could pursue it separately. Litman then answered questions about Medicaid eligibility and long-term services and supports, including delays in processing, the backlog from pandemic-era redeterminations, and efforts to speed reviews. He said the department is using temporary staffing funded in part by last session’s legislation, working with the New Hampshire Healthcare Association, counties, and UNH Law to streamline policy and training, and relying more on electronic asset verification while still guarding against improper asset transfers. He emphasized the goal of balancing faster access to benefits with compliance and fraud prevention. Robert Rodler followed with the annual tuition waiver update for children in foster care or guardianship. He reported 82 applicants and 65 waivers granted, including 35 for USNH schools and 30 for the community college system, and noted a correction would be issued for inaccurate continuing/new student figures in the report. Senator Gray said he intends to pursue a separate budget appropriation for these tuition waiver costs in the future so the funding would be clearly identified and easier to track. No additional votes were taken beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• quickly note at the outset that the proposed legislation and funding is not within the governor's budget
• within legislation and funding is not within the<00:04:57.759><c> governor's</c><00:04:58.160><c> budget
• so as a department the governor's budget so as a department we<00:04:59.479><c> are</c><00:04:59.800
• Chair, Representative Gomez—oh, just so what is the base budget for the program is what I was really
• What is the base budget for the program is what I was really asking.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I think many of us sit on budget committees related to this.
• And on the budget stuff, you know, I just gave you my short list.
• The solution is to make sure that we're getting every dollar's worth of value out of their budget, so
• One, increase the annual routine budgets for flood control.
• Budget constraints meant no funding for the program was available in 2025.

Summary: The committee held an informational hearing on flood risk and flood management in California, with opening remarks emphasizing that flooding is a statewide and growing threat due to climate change, including the possibility of extreme losses in a worst-case event. Members noted recent flooding in places such as San Diego, the Tulare Basin, and Pajaro, and framed the hearing as a way to better understand prevention, response, and how to capture excess water for later use. Jeffrey Mount of PPIC gave the main overview, describing California’s high flood exposure, the different flood types the state faces, and the mix of structural and non-structural tools used to manage them. He stressed that levees, dams, bypasses, land-use planning, flood insurance, and emergency response all matter, but that risk is rising because current standards are based on past hydrology rather than future climate conditions. He also warned that flood management is underfunded, that the National Flood Insurance Program is weak, and that federal support is increasingly uncertain. Members asked about groundwater recharge, permitting, NOAA and federal cuts, and which communities are most at risk; Mount said recharge can help but does not eliminate flood risk, and that small Central Valley communities and heavily developed floodplains are especially concerning. State officials Laura Hollander of the Department of Water Resources and Jane Dolan of the Central Valley Flood Protection Board described the state’s role in forecasting, emergency response, grants, planning, and the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan. They highlighted aging infrastructure, the need for better coordination, and the state’s special liability in the Central Valley after the Paterno decision. Dolan reviewed the history of major floods and said the plan calls for about $1 billion per year over 30 years to meet current needs, while Hollander said the state works with local and federal partners on preparedness, response, and subventions projects. Both emphasized that floodplain planning, regional coordination, and faster permitting are important, but that more consistent funding is needed. A later panel from local flood agencies and districts reinforced those points, arguing that the state’s annual flood funding is below identified needs and that a proposed statewide flood and dam safety bond was reduced substantially in the broader climate bond package. Witnesses urged more routine maintenance funding, support for regional flood planning, and continued federal-state-local partnerships to reduce risk and maintain eligibility for federal assistance. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken during the informational hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> budget? Commissioner. budget? Commissioner. &gt;&gt; Mr.<00:24:20.320><c> Chair.
• That is going to be a budget to do that.
• </c><00:25:14.720><c> We</c> cut its budget 8.4% last year. We cut its budget 8.4% last year.
• </c> fighting for this one in my budget. fighting for this one in my budget.
• </c> like there would be uh budget like there would be uh budget um<01:18:05.440><c> challenges</c><01

Bills: HF3738, HF2295, HF3520, HF3666

Keywords: pediatric care, hospital discharge, home care, healthcare accessibility, nursing services, family support, mental health, crisis services, Dakota County, mobile crisis response, public safety, treatment services, rehabilitation, behavioral health fund, client eligibility, home and community-based services, case management, waiver services, county services, disability advocacy

Transcript Highlights:

• and we will have authorized that budget and we will have authorized that into<00:26:32.480><c> the</
• And yes, this is a governance budget proposal, and it really is under the premise of wanting to pay DRS
• And yes, this is a governance budget proposal, and it really is under the premise of wanting to pay DRS
• Potential challenge is as we get to that last payment of the year, and if we have a set budget, we'll
• . um I think uh which improvement budget. um I think uh which is<01:38:01.000><c> um</c><01:38:02.000

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Next up, we have our budget walkthrough from nonpartisan staff. Welcome.
• education budget jurisdiction includes the<01:29:10.440><c> office</c><01:29:10.679><c> of</c><01:29
• that you are all tasked with budget that you are all tasked with building<01:29:52.920><c> this</c><
• jurisdiction um so we won't talk budget jurisdiction um so we won't talk about<01:35:10.239><c> them
• </c><01:37:52.239><c> but</c> the governor's recommended budget but the governor's recommended budget

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> a hint of our deltoids during budget a hint of our deltoids during budget discussions. discussions
• </c> area of the budget area of the budget where<03:31:19.359><c> we</c><03:31:19.680><c> would</c><03
• </c> budget? Representative Beerman. budget? Representative Beerman.
• </c> included in the framework of the budget included in the framework of the budget agreement<03:33:
• </c> trying to establish the state budget trying to establish the state budget which<03:34:02.239><c>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• These businesses have planned their R&D budgets, and their R&D budgets are based on this.
• These businesses have planned their R&D budgets, and their R&D budgets are based on this.
• These businesses have planned their R&D budgets, and their R&D budgets are based on this.
• These businesses have planned their R&D budgets, and their R&D budgets are based on this.
• budgets and their R&amp;D budgets are based on<03:15:49.439><c> this.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• What's very alarming is the lack of having a budget.
• As far as a specific area about budget for cafeteria, that is an issue.
• As far as the budget also, we are in the process of establishing a budget.
• >> As far as the budget also, we are in the process of establishing a budget.
• >> As far as the budget also, we are in the process of establishing a budget.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee on Education met on March 19 and moved through several bills under time pressure, hearing mostly brief testimony. SB 2024 SD2 and SB 896 SD2, both concerning public-private partnerships for charter school facilities, drew support from the Department of Education, the Charter School Commission, White Kids Can, and Hawaii Technology Academy. DOE said any P3 model should apply only to charter schools on private land and not affect public schools on DOE land. Supporters argued the approach could speed construction, reduce costs, and keep public money in public assets, while UPW and HGA raised concerns about privatization. In response, SFA said the intent was to mirror the existing conversion charter school model, with public ownership of assets and unionized staff, and noted some regions have waited years for schools. SB 2613 SD1 on TMK transfers was heard next. DOE said the bill had originally been supported as part of the governor’s package but was amended to require DOE to convey lands for 13 libraries on DOE property, which DOE said would create “donut holes” in campuses and was unnecessary because existing agreements already govern library use. The State Public Library System supported the bill, saying it has long coexisted with DOE but needs clearer separation and more reliable control over its sites. The Attorney General’s office said the library system currently lacks express statutory authority to own real property and flagged implementation issues because some of the affected parcels are not currently owned by DOE. Committee members questioned both sides about current agreements, communication, and how the bill would change operations. SB 494 SD2, concerning charter school audits, received comments from the Charter School Commission, which said the bill was redundant because charter schools already undergo annual audits during the term of their contracts. The Office of the Auditor was also present. SB 2391 SD2, relating to automatic pay increases for teachers, drew strong opposition from the Office of Collective Bargaining, which said step movement and longevity increases are negotiated in each contract and do not automatically carry over when a contract expires; it warned the bill could affect upcoming negotiations with HSTA. HSTA and several other supporters argued the bill would standardize annual step movement, improve retention, and reflect existing contract language. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've participated in infrastructure conversations, one-on-one commissions on budgets.
• We've participated in infrastructure conversations, one-on-one commissions on budgets.
• You've got, you're facing a bunch of much more urgent needs for your budget.
• And I think we need to budget the time to do that.
• And I think we need to budget the time to do that.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Commission on Correctional Consolidation and Collaboration met on October 17 with members attending in person and virtually. The commission approved the September 15 minutes and then heard a detailed presentation from DCAM Commissioner Adam Bakey on the correctional facilities portfolio, including the age and condition of DOC and sheriff facilities, deferred maintenance, ADA compliance, decarbonization mandates, and how capital funding is allocated. Bakey said the correctional portfolio includes 36 facilities, with average ages over 50 years, and described how older, rapidly built facilities from the tough-on-crime era now face significant maintenance and replacement needs. He also explained the distinction between catch-up deferred maintenance and ongoing keep-up needs, and noted that construction costs and code thresholds have made projects more expensive. Commissioners and sheriffs asked about ADA requirements, aging and overcrowded facilities, hazardous materials, parts availability for obsolete systems, plumbing and health risks, and whether a newer, more modern correctional facility should be considered. Bakey said many projects trigger broader code upgrades, that some dormant facilities remain in the portfolio, and that health-care and correctional construction are among the most expensive building types. He outlined current funding, including annual deferred maintenance allocations for DOC and formula-based five-year commitments for sheriffs, plus a new competitive capital program for larger sheriff projects. He also explained the Designer Selection Board and “house doctor” process used to procure architects and engineers. The commission then shifted to planning its next steps, focusing on public input. Members agreed the next meeting should likely be a public hearing or include public testimony, with possible input from people with lived experience and consideration of facility tours, especially of women’s facilities such as Framingham. Members emphasized the need to define the commission’s scope clearly so testimony stays focused on structural and consolidation issues rather than all correctional policy topics. The meeting ended with plans for the co-chairs to coordinate the public process and a motion to adjourn, which passed without opposition.

Transcript Highlights:

• after Proposition 2 1/2 became law, and our system of funding education largely through municipal budgets
• by the first year, 60% the following year, 40% then 20%, and then it would shift to the municipal budget
• And obviously, this is a big part of the foundation budget, right?
• And obviously, this is a big part of the foundation budget, right?
• That's in their power to do so as long as it's above the foundation budget, which sets the minimum of

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held a public hearing on a large slate of bills, with most testimony focused on two main topics: improving access to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for students with disabilities, and raising educator pay statewide. On the AAC bills (House 514/Senate 418), parents, advocates, and attorneys described how AAC devices and communication books help nonverbal or minimally verbal children communicate, participate in class, and reduce frustration and behavioral issues. Testimony emphasized that while districts are generally required to provide devices, many teachers and school staff lack training to use them effectively; the bill would direct DESE to update licensure and training requirements so newly licensed teachers are prepared to support AAC users. Committee members asked about current teacher-prep practices, implementation, and whether DESE could act without legislation, and witnesses said the proposal was intended as a long-term solution and had previously received some support and compromise language. The committee also heard extensive testimony on House 733/Senate 370, which would set a statewide minimum salary of $70,000 for teachers and $55,000 for education support professionals (ESPs/paras), with inflation adjustments and a phase-in structure that would shift costs over time from the state to municipalities. Supporters, including the bill sponsor, MTA leaders, and school employees from several districts, argued that current pay is not a living wage, contributes to staffing shortages and turnover, and forces many educators to work multiple jobs or rely on public assistance. They said the bill would help recruit and retain staff and better reflect the importance of the work. Committee members raised questions about how the state would fund the mandate, how it would interact with Chapter 70 school aid and local budgets, whether other states have similar mechanisms, and whether the proposal could create disincentives for districts already paying above the floor. Witnesses pointed to the Student Opportunity Act, the Fair Share Amendment, and the need for a broader school funding formula review as possible parts of the solution. The committee also briefly heard and discussed Senate Bill 435/House Bill 736, which would require de-escalation training for school bus operators, with the training paid for by employers. The sponsor and a parent advocate said the bill was prompted by a school bus incident involving a child with cerebral palsy and epilepsy and would improve safety and reduce reliance on law enforcement. Members asked whether the bill should also cover bus monitors and other transportation staff, and whether private contractors and public operators currently provide similar training. At the end of the hearing, the chairs closed testimony on the full list of bills and adjourned the hearing without taking any votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• At a time of budget strain and rising costs, is it fair for taxpayers to subsidize corporate labor costs
• As you know, it's my second year as the chair on the Assembly side of the health budget subcommittee,
• ... ...behind what we all voted on last night in terms of this budget.
• . but behind what we all voted on last night in terms of this budget.
• That is, in our budget, we are going to be considering that in the next little bit.

Summary: The Assembly Health Committee heard several bills focused on mental health access, preventive care, health care costs, detention oversight, and daylight saving time. SB 989 would streamline Care Court referrals by allowing first responders to ask county behavioral health agencies to review and file petitions; supporters, especially firefighters and families, said the current process is too burdensome, while Disability Rights California and other opponents argued Care Court is coercive and unproven. SB 1089, as amended, would direct CalRx/HHS to help distribute GLP-1 medications more broadly and more affordably; the author described her own experience with the drugs, and the bill drew support from medical and life sciences groups with no opposition. SB 1309 would eliminate out-of-pocket costs for medically appropriate lung cancer screening follow-up care; cancer advocates and survivors strongly supported it, while health plans and insurers opposed it as costly and said the bigger problem is low initial screening rates. The committee also heard SB 1284, which would require DHCS to report large employers whose workers are enrolled in Medi-Cal and estimate taxpayer costs, framed by supporters as a transparency measure about corporate reliance on public coverage. SCR 7, urging permanent standard time for health reasons, passed with support from medical groups and no opposition. SB 995, the Masuma Khan Justice Act, would create statewide inspection and enforcement standards for large involuntary residential facilities, including private immigration detention centers and certain youth facilities; supporters cited unsafe and inhumane conditions, while county probation officials objected to duplicative oversight for secure youth treatment facilities. The committee took votes on each measure, and the bills and resolution advanced, with SB 1309 and SB 1284 moving on amended and the others also reported out; the consent calendar was approved as well.

Transcript Highlights:

• At a time of budget strain and rising costs, is it fair for taxpayers to subsidize corporate labor costs
• At a time of budget strain and rising costs, is it fair for taxpayers to subsidize corporate labor costs
• As you know, it's my second year as the chair on the assembly side of the health budget subcommittee,
• . but ...behind what we all voted on last night in terms of this budget.
• That is, in our budget, we are going to be considering that in the next little bit.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As you know, and you know well that I know, when school districts form their budgets, they base it on
• I know this is an issue that our Chair of the Budget Subcommittee has focused on.
• I think the conversation needs to be, you know, and there is something in the budget to provide some
• growth, which is the right thing to do in the proposed budget anyway, but I think it appears to still
• I still see you as my budget chair always. Thank you for bringing this very important bill forward.

Summary: The Assembly Education Committee heard a lengthy agenda of education-related bills, with quorum established at the start and several measures taken up on consent or special order. The committee also announced that AB 1644, AB 2362, and later AB 2197 were pulled from the hearing. Members reminded the public of hearing rules and limited testimony to two witnesses each in support and opposition. AB 2651, by Assemblymember Bonta, would require schools to notify parents when school vaccination rates fall below herd-immunity thresholds. Supporters, including physicians, the California State PTA, public health groups, and school employee organizations, argued that families need timely, school-specific information to protect children and vulnerable community members. Opponents raised concerns about privacy, stigma, and whether school-level snapshots could be misleading. The bill passed the committee 5-1 and later 7-1 on the roll call. AB 2509, by Assemblymember Schultz, would allow districts to use a five-year rolling average for ADA funding calculations; supporters said it would stabilize funding amid attendance declines, while one member noted concerns about masking long-term enrollment problems. It passed 5-1 and later 7-2. The committee also approved AB 2430, which would expand after-school access, especially for high school students, improve funding and transparency, and create a work group on program quality. Testimony emphasized the value of expanded learning for youth development and working families, and members discussed the need to address middle school access as well. AB 2526, focused on special education funding, would expand the low-incidence fund to include students qualifying for the California alternate assessment; supporters said it would better align funding with student need, while some concerns remained about over-identification. AB 2325, the Pathways to Bilingual Teaching Act, would create a grant program to build bilingual teacher pipelines through partnerships among schools, community colleges, and universities; it received strong support and passed unanimously. AB 2460, presented by Assemblymember Pellerin for Assemblymember Celeste Rodriguez, would update school mental-health referral protocols to address trauma related to immigration enforcement; it also passed unanimously. AB 2404, which sought to require Central Valley representation on several governor-appointed bodies, drew debate over geographic representation and board composition and ultimately failed on a 2-5 vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• As you know, and you know well that I know, when school districts form their budgets, they base it on
• I know this is an issue that our chair of the Budget Subcommittee has focused on.
• I know this is an issue that our chair of the Budget Subcommittee has focused on.
• I think the conversation needs to be, you know, and there is something in the budget to provide some
• I still see you as my budget chair always. Thank you for bringing this very important bill forward.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• My third reason is nominal improvements to Idaho's budget.
• We know that we have to balance our budget. And so what does that look like?
• And so that would be $21 million from that budget.
• I think... ...that would be $21 million from that budget.
• Medicaid expansion is absolutely going to blow out the budget in this state.

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It also, this bill also addresses the appropriate reductions of a city budget.
• Then combine this with our limited ability to grow our budget authority.
• Star Fire District currently has lost $2.65 million of budget authority.
• If you need to, in my case, and several around the state of Idaho, we don't have the budget authority
• Representative Birch, if House Bill 389 would have never went into effect, my budget authority would

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It was included in the governor's budget as an agency request bill.
• It was included in the governor's budget as an agency request bill. That Susan mentioned.
• It was included in the governor's budget as an agency request bill.
• Is an ineffective use of resources while the governor's budget proposes a 17% reduction to the Working
• Staff wages already account for more than 80% of our budget, and operating costs continue to rise.

Bills: HB1347, HB2091, HB2264

Keywords: education, funding, student loans, affordability, higher education, public employers, employee information, bargaining representatives, labor relations, union representation, unemployment insurance, benefits, employment, layoffs, workforce reduction, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We do have some budget proposals under consideration. And would love to have more inspectors.
• And then we do have a budget request to get more officers to address some of the illicit market issues
• Incidentally, since we're talking about our systems, we also... ...have a budget request to consolidate
• So we do have budget requests in to try and address the resource challenge.
• Even efforts to include budget and order... Driven by overproduction and export.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It got it up to the total budget we thought of $10 million.
• And as construction has been—past year and a half, two years—every job has just come in over budget a
• little bit over budget, and then this one came in at... ...over budget, a little bit over budget, and
• Yeah, this is way over budget.
• We had two test wells in our budget, so we had expended our test well budget on testing those two shallower

Summary: The Water Sector Commission met with a quorum and first approved the minutes from the prior meeting. Chairmen reminded members that no funding had yet been appropriated for future Water Sector awards, so any discussion of upcoming projects remained speculative until the legislature acts. The committee then moved through a series of deadline extension requests for phase two state-funded projects, including Delcambre, Faraday, Meyer Branch Water Corporation, and Waterworks District No. 1 of Pointe Coupee Parish. Each extension was approved after brief discussion, including testimony explaining local match timing, consolidation agreements, and project delays. The committee next considered several phase one ARPA-funded requests. St. Tammany Parish Project 845 received approval for a scope change to relocate an unmarked fiber optic line discovered during construction. Tallulah’s mayor gave an extended update on the city’s water rehabilitation project, explaining that the original project had been bid twice, that the state had already completed some emergency work, and that the city wanted to isolate the purchase of four permanent media filters and related electrical work from the original rehab plan. Members questioned whether the request was a scope change or a partial implementation of the original project, but ultimately approved it. The committee also approved additional funding for the City of Kaplan’s sewer project and for Ponchatoula’s sewer project, with Ponchatoula explaining that the increase covered emergency levee repair, miscellaneous equipment and safety items, and a force main reroute around unmarked fiber and other obstacles. St. Martin Parish Water Project 1001 was approved for additional funding after engineers explained that the final well site and related work cost more than originally estimated, though the project remained within the original consolidation plan. West Allen Water Works also received approval for additional funding after its new groundwater well encountered unexpected geologic problems; the contractor and engineers agreed to reduce their fees to preserve the project’s match structure, and members asked that the in-kind match be clearly documented for JLCB. By contrast, Tensaw Water Distribution Association’s large request for additional funding to complete a consolidation with Newelton drew significant concern over cost growth and timing. After discussion of the project’s scope, the need to serve Newelton, and the possibility of future reapplication or further value engineering, the committee voted to defer the Tensaw item to the next meeting for more review. At the end of the meeting, staff reported that 42.11% of ARPA funds remained and reviewed a list of high-risk projects, noting that the committee was trying to ensure ARPA dollars are drawn first and reconciled properly before deadlines. Members discussed the need to ground-truth self-reported project status and potentially adjust procedures to better track construction progress and final draws. The meeting concluded with no subfund or termination items and adjourned after a motion by Senator Bass.