Video & Transcript Research : 'spending limits'
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ND
North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Legacy and Budget Stabilization Fund Advisory Board Mar 31st, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- That's one of the reasons why you have limits on the size of the funds.
- But I will say that there is a limit to that, and that limit is if your pacing requires for a certain
- stay at the current limits.
- I mean, you can stay within the minority ownership limits if you want.
- Are we limited? But as an in-state, yeah, but that's as an investment in and of itself.
Summary:
The committee met to approve prior minutes and receive updates on the Legacy Fund transparency website and fund performance. Staff reported the website procurement was in contract negotiations, with a planned go-live around November 1, and that the site would provide downloadable, more transparent information on fund holdings, allocations, history, and legislative appropriations while protecting confidential data. The investment office then reviewed performance through January 2026, describing strong returns relative to benchmarks, noting real estate and fixed income as weaker areas, and explaining that the fund’s diversification and internal management had helped offset market volatility, including recent geopolitical impacts.
Members also discussed the in-state investment program, especially the Bank of North Dakota’s CD-match allocation. Several members questioned whether the program had been static for years and whether the uncommitted balance should remain parked there if it was not being used. The committee voted to pause further transfers into the program until the Bank provides a report and the committee can consider possible statutory changes; the motion also requested a cost-benefit analysis from RVK, and it passed by roll call vote.
In the afternoon, RVK presented its review of the investment policy statement as it relates to the in-state investment program. The consultant said it found no major policy impediments, and that implementers and stakeholders generally felt the program was proceeding as intended. RVK emphasized best practices such as third-party due diligence, competitive risk-adjusted returns, diversification, pacing, and exit strategies, while cautioning that required lower-return investments or spending commitments can create pressure on the fund’s long-term real value. The consultant also raised ancillary concerns about state-level concentration risk, the need to distinguish between public and commercial infrastructure, and the lack of a central repository for all state funding commitments to the same projects.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- The top two reasons Minnesotans gave for spending less was because they were spending too much of their
- for spending less was because<00:18:03.120>
they <00:18:03.360>were <00:18:03.520>spending - <00:18:44.720>
The program spends in this bill. The program spends in this bill. - Um, and so there are income limited.
- If we're going to spend that much money, we need a report. Thank you, Mr. President. Spending.
HI
Hawaii 2026 Regular Session
HOU-EDU, HOU Public Hearings 03-17-2026
Transcript Highlights:
- We have a 1-minute per testifier time limit.
- We have a 1-minute per testifier time limit.
- We've just different ways to spend it.
- approval from the legislature to spend approval from the legislature to spend to<00:37:40.160>
<00:43:30.400>the transfer the fee, let us spend it. the transfer the fee, let us spend it
Summary:
The joint House committees on Housing and Education heard HB 1713, HD1, which would repeal school impact fees and transfer remaining balances in the school impact fee and certain fair share accounts to the school facilities special fund. The Department of Education testified in opposition, while the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, the Attorney General’s office (with comments and suggested constitutional amendments), the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, the School Facilities Authority, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, NAP Hawaii, Avalon Development Company, Mark Development, Maui Chamber of Commerce, Housing Hawaii’s Future, Landis Research Foundation, BIA Hawaii, and others testified in support. The Tax Foundation of Hawaii offered comments. The DOE said the bill would weaken a key tool for matching school facilities to residential growth, while supporters said the current program leaves funds unused or restricted in ways that limit their effectiveness.
A lengthy discussion followed about the difference between the older school impact fee program and the separate fair share agreements tied to land use entitlements and change-of-zone approvals. DOE Deputy Superintendent Jesse Suki explained that fair share funds are tied to the district where they were collected, may be too small to build a full school on their own, and are held until needed for projects such as Core Ridge, Central and West Maui, and other planned schools. Committee members pressed DOE on why funds had remained unspent for years, how much money was in the accounts, and whether the department had reviewed audit findings about the program. Members also questioned whether homeowners ultimately bear these costs through developers passing them along.
The committee did not take a vote during the portion of the meeting provided. The discussion ended with members and DOE debating whether the current statute should remain in place, whether past entitlements should be affected, and whether the bill should be amended to better address remaining construction-related obligations and the use of collected funds.
ND
North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Legislative Procedure and Arrangements Apr 22nd, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- I mean, I have a limit of four bill drafts.
- Will the impact of term limits result in the need for interim limits? Was asked to address.
- A number of the states have had term limits for over 20 years.
- Do they support term limits on each elected office?
- But some people, I just like a reset in their term limits. Mr.
Summary:
The Legislative Procedure and Arrangements Committee met with a quorum, approved the prior minutes, and then took up a draft bill to make legislators’ and candidates’ residential addresses confidential in public records. Legislative Council and the Secretary of State explained the proposal was prompted by security concerns and would protect residential addresses while still allowing election officials to verify residency and keep candidate names and offices public. Members raised concerns about unintended consequences, transparency, and how the change would affect rural districts and residency enforcement. The Secretary of State suggested an amendment to end the confidentiality when a candidate’s term ends, and the committee agreed to hold the bill over for further discussion at the next meeting.
The committee also reviewed follow-up materials on legislator security and best practices, including advice on situational awareness, internet hygiene, varying routines, and reporting threats, along with NCSL materials comparing capitol security practices in other states. Members discussed a recent security incident and the need to keep alert contact information current, and staff said they would continue working with the Highway Patrol on legislative-specific notifications.
The bulk of the meeting was devoted to Garrity Consulting’s final report on mitigating the effects of legislative term limits. The consultants summarized survey, focus group, and stakeholder input showing concerns about loss of institutional knowledge, leadership turnover, onboarding demands, and workload pressures, while also noting public support for term limits and annual sessions. Recommendations included considering annual sessions or shifting biennial sessions to even-numbered years, restructuring organizational session and interim committee work, creating office hours and more structured orientation and mentorship, expanding ongoing training and staff support, improving public communication and virtual testimony rules, and addressing barriers to service such as employer support and travel costs. Members discussed the tension between making the legislature more effective and preserving a citizen-legislature model, and the report was received as a roadmap for future implementation rather than immediate action.
ND
North Dakota 2026 1st Special Session
Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee Jun 17th, 2026
Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- One of the findings you just mentioned was the limited size of the organization and the limited staff
- What we found was the promotion fund spending limit was exceeded, promotion fund grant conditions were
- During the audit period, the agency didn't have procedures or controls to track that 25% spending limit
- We do to a limited extent.
- That cash reserve is limited.
Summary:
The committee convened, approved the prior meeting minutes, and received a memo summarizing major audit items. The State Auditor’s office and outside auditors then presented a series of audits, many of which were clean with unmodified opinions and no findings, including the Bank of North Dakota, the Guaranteed Student Loan Program, the Office of the Governor, the State Treasurer, the Office of Management and Budget, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Environmental Quality, Lake Region State College, and the Office of the Governor. The North Dakota Stockmen’s Association audit was also clean overall, but it repeated findings about limited segregation of duties and auditor assistance in preparing financial statements, which the auditor said were expected to continue because of the organization’s small size. Committee members asked about out-of-state board addresses, and the association explained those members were North Dakota residents using South Dakota mailing addresses.
Several audits did include findings. The Council on the Arts audit identified two issues: payroll charged to federal awards without supporting time records, and $12,825 in Cultural Endowment Fund spending that was not allowable under state law, including staff training, retreats, and executive director candidate travel. The Department of Public Instruction audit found unsupported scholarship applications in the paraprofessional-to-teacher program, but additional testing confirmed the funds were credited properly and students completed required school district work, so no improper payments were identified. The University of North Dakota audit found a lack of documentation and transparency in School of Law admissions decisions; the auditor said the law school used a holistic process but did not keep notes or evaluation tools to show why applicants were admitted, waitlisted, or denied. UND leadership said the school is in good standing with the American Bar Association and agreed better documentation is needed, and the auditor said the issue was the missing documentation, not ABA accreditation itself.
The most extensive discussion centered on the North Dakota Racing Commission audit, which found four findings: overspending the promotion fund’s 25% operating cap, grant conditions not being met, improper breeder fund awards, and improper procurement. The auditor said promotion fund spending exceeded the cap by $327,447 and the fund balance dropped sharply over the audit period. Racing Commission director Bruce Johnson said the agency had become complacent, that grant requests were treated as routine, and that controls and documentation need to be tightened. He also explained that the breeder fund overpayments involved two horses whose ownership transfers were not properly documented before racing, and that the procurement issue stemmed from an advertising contract that proceeded without proper written procurement procedures after a misunderstanding with the State Procurement Office. The auditor said the Racing Commission will now be audited every two years because of the findings.
The committee also received updates on Dakota College at Bottineau’s bank reconciliations, which Minot State University said had been brought current after an 18-month backlog, with only one account still needing cleanup; members asked for a written report on the corrective actions. The North Dakota Fair Foundation was reported to have dissolved, with remaining funds transferred to another nonprofit account for continued support of the state fair. Finally, the Department of Public Instruction provided an update on school meal debt, revising the earlier estimate to about $1.1 million based on incomplete district survey responses, and said the Anti-Lunch Shaming law likely increased meal debt because schools must feed students regardless of account balance. Members discussed the need for a more accurate year-end debt figure and possible future reporting at a later committee meeting.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Health Committee Apr 29th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- The limits of our time.
- All testimony comments are limited to the bill at hand.
- All testimony comments are limited to the bill at hand.
- AB 1113 will establish a first-in-the-nation spend ratio requiring that FQHCs spend at least 90% of their
- The purported goal of the bill's 90% spending mandate is to ensure community health centers spend the
Summary:
The Assembly Health Committee heard a long agenda of health bills focused on access to preventive care, behavioral health, hospital services, and patient safety. Early items included AB 554, which would expand and protect access to HIV prevention drugs like PrEP, including injectable forms and coverage protections; supporters said it would shore up access amid federal threats, while insurers opposed it as a costly benefit mandate. AB 577 would limit insurer and PBM practices that steer medications away from physician offices and require more transparency and patient consent; doctors and patient advocates supported it, while health plans and insurers warned it could raise drug costs and disrupt specialty pharmacy networks. AB 546 would require coverage for portable HEPA purifiers for vulnerable enrollees during declared emergencies, especially wildfire smoke events, with support from air quality and public health groups and opposition from insurers concerned about benefit expansion and cost.
The committee also heard AB 224, which would codify California’s updated essential health benefits benchmark plan after a public review process, adding infertility treatment, hearing aids, and durable medical equipment if approved by CMS for the 2027 plan year. DMHC said the state had completed the review and needed legislation to meet federal timing, and the measure drew broad support. AB 1032 would require plans and insurers to reimburse up to 12 additional behavioral health visits for enrollees in wildfire-affected counties for a limited period after an emergency; supporters argued it would fill gaps in trauma care after disasters, while insurers said existing parity and continuity-of-care rules already address the issue and that the bill could create inequities. AB 849 would require trained chaperones for sensitive ultrasound exams and training on how to observe and intervene; it was backed by a survivor and patient advocates, with hospitals and health districts raising staffing concerns.
Later, AB 1196 would direct the Department of Public Health to update outdated rules requiring three surgeons for certain heart surgeries using cardiopulmonary bypass; supporters said the rule no longer reflects modern practice and strains staffing, while cardiology representatives had no formal opposition but wanted to review amendments. AB 1113 would codify a right to wear a mask for health reasons in public spaces, with support from disability and public health groups. AB 1386 sought to add perinatal care to the list of basic hospital services, prompting testimony about maternity ward closures, workforce shortages, and rural access; the author said the bill would be amended further and that the committee would need to revisit timelines and implementation details. The committee also heard AB 1429, which would address Kaiser’s repeated mental health parity violations and improve access to behavioral health care, though the transcript cuts off before any action on that bill is shown. Several bills were moved with motions and seconds, but many were held for quorum; AB 1196, AB 1113, and AB 1386 were among the measures advanced to a roll call or held on call, and the committee repeatedly noted that final votes would occur when quorum was available.
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Legislative Finance Aug 21st, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- They're not quite ready to spend it often on construction.
- Not spending our money, and I know that there are lots of reasons.
- So, the proposed limits on reauthorizations are a limit of only one time extension per appropriation,
- You know, we should be able to find a way to spend them in six years.
- The six-year limit, we did this once, where we hit a six-year limit and we had to pay a federal penalty
NM
New Mexico 2026 Regular Session
House - Appropriations and Finance Jan 26th, 2026 at 01:39 pm
House Appropriations & Finance
Transcript Highlights:
- And I'll spend a little bit of time on the expenditures here. 65% of it spent, and I'll spend a little
- We don't expect those seniors to be in a very limited income.
- So first on reauthorization limits, the bill would establish a limit of one-time extension per appropriation
- I can spend time on account. It's very interesting to me.
- But are those going to be like the limit?
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Federal Funding Stabilization Subcommittee Jul 2nd, 2025
Federal Funding Stabilization Subcommittee
Transcript Highlights:
- Just the committee, the biggest growth in federal spending is.
- This was looking at increasing spending for administration.
- We need to control spending on Medicare.'
- Should more spending be diverted over?
- date to spend that money.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 4 on Climate Crisis, Resources, Energy, and Transportation Apr 23rd, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- to spend some.
- We're going to spend some. We're going to spend some. We're going to spend some.
- We're going to spend We're saying we're going to spend the first of our money on the home hardening,
- We need to spend money to, in We need to spend some money to incentivize communities to say, “We’re going
- So maybe we spend on education. Maybe we spend on some kind of incentive programs for communities.
Summary:
The hearing focused on California wildfire resilience, with the first panel discussing statewide funding, policy, and strategic priorities, and the second panel shifting to home hardening and defensible space. The LAO outlined the state’s wildfire risk, the large increase in resilience spending in recent years, and the fact that most funding has been one-time rather than ongoing. Testimony emphasized that wildfire risk varies greatly by region, that the state must balance response spending with prevention, and that success should be measured more carefully than by acres treated alone. Witnesses also noted the importance of local, federal, utility, and Proposition 4 funding sources, as well as the need for long-term maintenance and strategic prioritization rather than scattered projects.
Cal Fire leadership and other witnesses stressed that California’s wildfire problem is not uniform: forested areas, chaparral, and wildland-urban interface communities require different strategies. In Northern California and forested watersheds, speakers emphasized fuels reduction, prescribed and cultural burning, strategic fuel breaks, watershed protection, and maintaining forest health. In Southern California, testimony focused on wind-driven fires, ember intrusion, ignition prevention along roads and power lines, and the limits of large-scale vegetation clearing. Several witnesses argued that the state should invest where it can leverage local and regional partnerships, support capacity-building programs like Regional Forest and Fire Capacity, and improve data systems to track treatment effectiveness and project outcomes.
Members repeatedly pressed witnesses on how to prioritize limited funds, asking what should be done more of, less of, and first. The chair argued that protecting homes and communities through hardening and defensible space should be a major priority, especially near structures, while also acknowledging the need for broader landscape work and watershed protection. There was discussion of incentives such as insurance discounts, property tax treatment, and community certification for hardened homes, along with the need for multiple payers rather than relying on the state alone. Cal Fire reported new and expanding data tools, including treatment trackers, defensible space inspection dashboards, and a fuels treatment effectiveness program that evaluates whether nearby treatments affected wildfire behavior. No votes were taken because the hearing was informational only.
HI
Hawaii 2026 Regular Session
JHA Public Hearing - Wed Mar 18, 2026 @ 2:00 PM HST
Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- Currently, candidates receive separate allocations and spending limits for the primary and the general
- limits for the allocations and spending limits for the primary<02:13:23.720>
and <02:13:23.840 - election and spending limit in either election and spending limit in either election would<02:13:
- Commission rather than Campaign Spending Commission rather than being<02:18:19.880>
limited <02 - to look at cross-the-board campaign spending and fundraising limits?
Summary:
The committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 3123, which would treat free tuition or school-conditioned enrollment at private educational institutions as a conditional gift rather than a contractual obligation unless otherwise agreed in writing. The Office of the Governor supported the bill, and Kamehameha Schools and the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools strongly backed it, saying it would protect donor intent, preserve school-ohana relationships, and help maintain tuition assistance and educational access for families. A committee member commented favorably on the unity among school organizations, and there were no objections raised before the committee moved on.
The committee then took up Senate Bill 2438, which creates a civil cause of action for interference with constitutional and statutory rights through threats, intimidation, or coercion, with private and government enforcement options and protections for constitutionally protected speech. Testifiers from the Community Alliance on Prisons and a know-your-rights educator supported the measure as a civil rights protection grounded in the Hawaii Constitution. No opposition testimony was presented during the hearing, and the measure appeared to receive general support from those who testified.
Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 3142, which establishes offenses for dangerous and habitual dangerous intoxication and allows civil protective custody and emergency examination in lieu of arrest in certain cases. The Attorney General, Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Department of Health, and Department of Human Services supported the bill as a treatment-oriented diversion tool for people who are dangerously intoxicated and at risk to themselves or the public. The Office of the Public Defender opposed the measure, warning it could expand police discretion, burden emergency rooms, and function as a loss of liberty without sufficient treatment resources, while committee members questioned whether the bill would simply cycle people through emergency rooms and back onto the street. No vote or final action was taken in the portion provided; the chair said decision-making would occur at the end of the agenda.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Health Care Financing Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm
Joint Committee on Health Care Financing
Transcript Highlights:
- We will be calling the name of the bill that we limit.
- increases to total spending.
- They spend all their time documenting.
- It limits the number of potential measures.
- primary care spend is already well above 12%, mainly because it's a much lower spend than the other
Summary:
The Joint Committee on Health Care Financing held a public hearing on a large docket focused on primary care, workforce development, and medical debt. Chairs Cindy Friedman and John Lawn outlined hearing procedures and noted that testimony would be taken on 17 matters. The committee first heard testimony on bills to establish a community health center nurse practitioner residency program and to strengthen mental health centers. Senator Keenan, Rep. Keefe, and health center leaders described the Worcester nurse practitioner residency as a successful pipeline and retention strategy, citing workforce shortages, training needs in community health centers, and the cost of the program. Rep. O’Day also supported the mental health centers bill, saying it would raise payment rates, improve reimbursement for behavioral health services, and help clinics retain staff and expand access.
The committee then took testimony on bills to address medical debt through hospital financial assistance reform. The Attorney General’s Office, Health Care for All, Health Law Advocates, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and individual patients supported the measure, arguing that hospital financial assistance policies are inconsistent, hard to find, and difficult to navigate. Witnesses said the bill would standardize eligibility criteria, create a uniform application, improve notice requirements, and expand access to discounted care up to 400% of the federal poverty level. Several personal stories described medical bills being sent to collections, confusion over insurance billing, and the burden of debt on low-income and chronically ill patients. Committee members asked about hospital concerns, the role of the health safety net, and whether the bill addressed root causes of medical debt; testimony emphasized that the proposal was meant to improve transparency and access rather than replace broader insurance reforms.
The hearing also focused heavily on “Primary Care for You” legislation, H. 1370 and S. 867, which would increase primary care investment and create a new payment model. Rep. Haggerty, physicians, a patient, community health center leaders, and the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers described a primary care crisis marked by low reimbursement, staffing shortages, long waits, burnout, and difficulty recruiting clinicians. Supporters said the bills would shift spending toward preventive, team-based care, improve access and equity, and reduce long-term costs. The Massachusetts Association of Health Plans said it was directionally supportive of increased primary care investment but warned that any new spending must stay within the cost growth benchmark and preserve existing contracting structures. The hearing ended with additional testimony on a community health center workforce and loan repayment grant bill from Rep. Stanley, and with further discussion from Dr. Alan Garo about the need for payment reform in primary care.
WY
Wyoming 2026 Regular Session
Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration, June 25, 2026 - AM
Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration
Transcript Highlights:
- But limiting time on the screen is a matter of good instructional practice, not a matter of limiting
- Are we spending money on something we don't need?
- Limiting access to different websites or things like that.
- Across the entire model, we have been limited to 2.6 FTE.
- They have some anxiety over some of the other limits on the funding model in the... ...limits on the
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm
Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- Spend as much money as you want, as long as it's full disclosure as to who's spending the money so that
- There are no rules and there are no limits.
- They claim that it could be limited to issues like a balanced budget or term limits.
- limiting.
- limiting.
Summary:
The hearing of the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs was opened by Chair Joe McGonagle and Vice Chair Senator Mike Rush, who noted that Chair John Velis was deployed with the Massachusetts National Guard. The chairs explained the hybrid format, three-minute testimony limit, live streaming, and filing deadlines, and said the committee would hear 11 House bills and eight Senate bills dealing with federal and overseas issues. Much of the hearing centered on competing resolutions about Article 5 constitutional conventions, along with related resolutions on D.C. statehood, child labor, Citizens United, and Cambodia.
Supporters of H. 4692 and S. 284, a joint resolution to rescind all prior Massachusetts Article 5 convention applications, argued that old resolutions from the 1930s and 1970s could be used to count Massachusetts toward the 34-state threshold for calling a federal constitutional convention. Testifiers from Common Cause, the League of Women Voters, the ACLU, Reproductive Equity Now, labor groups, and others warned that a convention would have no clear rules, could not be reliably limited to specific topics, and could put civil rights, reproductive rights, labor protections, and other constitutional protections at risk. Several speakers also cited a recent federal lawsuit and said the safest course was to remove outdated applications from the books.
A large opposing panel testified in support of H. 3888, a resolution calling for a Convention of States to propose amendments limiting federal power, imposing fiscal restraints, and establishing term limits. Supporters argued that Article 5 provides a lawful way to address federal overreach, debt, and congressional stagnation, and said the process would be limited by state applications and ratification by 38 states. Some committee members and witnesses raised concerns about a runaway convention, broad language in the resolution, and whether Congress could or should set rules for such a convention. Representative Gentile also testified in support of several related resolutions on overturning Citizens United, D.C. statehood, and the child labor amendment, while Representative Howard and Representative Tongue supported a Cambodia resolution condemning political oppression and urging free and fair elections. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing.
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
US House Floor Proceedings (Friday, September 19, 2025)
US Federal House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- audacious $1.4 trillion in new spending audacious $1.4 trillion in new spending or<00:46:46.160>
- CBO said there was no income limit.
- You asked for a limited amount of time. You got a limited amount of time.
- You asked for a limited amount of time. You got a limited amount of time.
- You asked for a limited amount of time. You got a limited amount of time.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Senator Middleton moves that testimony be limited to three minutes and public testimony to limit up to
- money on roads, and now you're spending money on tires.
- Units which are subject to an 8% limit.
- level, they spend well in excess of any other city.
- limit when we write the budget every two years.
Keywords:
property tax, ad valorem tax, voter-approval tax rate, no-new-revenue tax rate, tax rate calculation, Tax Code, local government finance, municipality, county, special taxing unit, sales and use tax, property tax cap, tax rollback, tax levy, maintenance and operations, debt rate, disaster relief rate, Texas Legislature, local taxing unit, school assessment
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Ways and Means Jun 21st, 2026 at 11:00 am
Joint Committee on Ways and Means
Transcript Highlights:
- Pharmacy spending is growing at 18% year over year.
- Pharmacy spending is growing at 18% year over year.
- That's 0.001 percent of total health care spending.
- Most recently, we reported that spending grew by 5.7 percent, which was 2 percent... ...that spending
- This has really been a lovely setting to spend the day.
Summary:
The Joint Committee on Ways and Means held a Health and Human Services budget hearing in Clinton, with opening remarks from Chairs Meg Kilcoyne and Robin Kennedy, local officials, and many House and Senate members introducing themselves. The hearing focused on Governor Healey’s FY27 EOHHS and MassHealth budgets, with repeated themes of rising health care costs, federal funding uncertainty, workforce shortages, and access to care in underserved regions. Members also raised concerns about primary care shortages, rural and regional disparities, behavioral health access, maternal health, food insecurity, and the impact of federal policy changes on Massachusetts programs.
EOHHS Secretary Kiame Mahaniah said the FY27 EOHHS budget totals $33.7 billion, reflecting mostly non-discretionary growth from health care costs, labor costs, caseload increases, and provider rate pressures. He highlighted targeted investments in foster care, family resource centers, maternal health, youth services, nutrition programs, immigrant legal services, and human service workforce rates, while warning that federal actions could strip roughly $3.5 billion annually from the state’s health care funding. In response to questions, he defended the administration’s cooperation with federal audits and program integrity efforts, discussed the primary care crisis, and said the state is trying to preserve core services while preparing for a more difficult FY28 budget cycle.
MassHealth Undersecretary Mike Levine then described two major FY27 challenges: double-digit cost growth and the expected effects of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act. He said MassHealth’s proposed $22.7 billion gross budget includes a 7.5% increase and relies on a moratorium on new expansions plus targeted reductions, including a $1,000 annual adult dental cap, ending GLP-1 coverage for weight loss only, reducing care management to peer-state levels, and work groups to slow growth in PCA, adult foster care, and adult day health spending. Members questioned the impact on Boston Health Care for the Homeless, preventive care, and regional access; Levine said the changes are meant to preserve sustainability, that children and certain disabled populations remain protected, and that the administration will continue working with providers, advocates, and the Legislature on implementation and longer-term reforms.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Therefore, do we want to spend it here or spend it in other states?
- Under the tax spending limit, $6.9 billion.
- As the tax spending limit has the lowest capacity, it is the current controlling limit. $1.2 billion.
- So as the tax spending limit has the lowest capacity, it is the current controlling limit.
- stop spending or trying to find some way to spend all week.
Bills:
SB 1
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 4 on Climate Crisis, Resources, Energy, and Transportation Apr 23rd, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- Given limited resources, what is the appropriate state role?
- Because if you spend all of your money on home hardening, then the lands we're going to spend the first
- Covered in those attics before I'm going to spend the next dollar on the other.
- So maybe we spend on education. Maybe we spend on some kind of incentive programs for communities.
- But would a little more spending there for how to...
TX
Texas 89th Regular
Delivery of Government Efficiency Mar 5th, 2025
Delivery of Government Efficiency
Transcript Highlights:
- Receive that money goes into a flexible spending account for them to spend on health care.
- limits and oversight mechanisms.
- What are you spending?
- Or what are we spending now?
- In college, you give them a $500 limit, and when they hit that limit, you get a notice.