Transcript Highlights:

• . $3 billion of that works through existing statutory mechanisms.
• We strongly believe that the best mechanism to provide tax relief is to ensure tax equity amongst all
• and I'm encouraged to see the legislature ready to deliver it through both HB 8 and perhaps other mechanisms
• comes to rent, but the bottom line is if you're reducing property tax. through this compression mechanism
• We don't actually file a single return, and we just don't have that kind of mechanism within property

Bills: HB8 , HB9 , HJR1 , HB22 , HB8 , HB9 , HJR1 , HB22

Committee: House Ways & Means

Keywords: HB 8, school finance, compressed tax rate, maximum compressed tax rate, MCR, PYMCR, property tax, school district taxes, Education Code, Tax Code, state aid, school funding formula, local school taxes, Texas school finance, tax rate compression, public education funding, ad valorem tax, tangible personal property, income-producing property, business personal property

Transcript Highlights:

• I recognize we haven't sort of figured out the mechanics of that yet, but I want to express my willingness
• to work with the Chair and this committee on mechanics that could do so.
• fulfill the challenge from Senator Grayson here to put in that effort this year to try to make these mechanics
• And if in the end the mechanics don't work, we won't—we're not going to just plow ahead blindly here.
• And if in the end the mechanics don't work, we won't, we're not going to just plow ahead blindly here

Committee: Senate Revenue and Taxation

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to refining the scope, however, because those protections, but those protections and enforcement mechanisms
• Because those protections, but those protections and enforcement mechanisms should remain, because growth
• because we are in Ag, you know, the main piece of this legislation deals with creating a funding mechanism
• And I believe that it is important that we recognize that we do have to create a mechanism to incentivize
• However, under current law, there's no targeted mechanism to support private investment on fairgrounds

Summary: The Committee on Agriculture met and heard a full agenda of bills, beginning with AB 1674, which would create a Food Desert Elimination Grant Program and require grocery-store capacity to be preserved or mitigated in certain housing developments. The author and local residents from Sunnyvale testified in support, describing the loss of neighborhood grocery stores and the impact on seniors and low-income families. Business and building groups opposed or opposed unless amended, arguing the bill could add costs and create housing barriers, especially in Section 3. The committee discussed rural and urban food-access differences, and the bill passed the committee 5-0 and was re-referred to Housing and Community Development, with members noting continued work on amendments. The committee then approved several consent items and heard AB 2264, which would allow district agricultural associations to use fairgrounds property for affordable housing by extending lease terms from 55 to 99 years. Supporters said it would unlock underused public land without displacing neighborhoods, and the bill passed to Housing and Community Development. AB 269, the “Fair Act,” would provide a targeted sales and use tax exemption to spur development projects on fairgrounds; it drew broad support from members and fair association testimony and passed to Revenue and Taxation. AB 2143, which would prohibit online marketplaces from accepting payment for noxious weeds shipped into California, received strong support from academic and agricultural witnesses and passed to Privacy and Consumer Protection. The committee also heard AB 1731, creating the California Healthy Food Procurement Fund and an approved-vendor program to connect schools with California farmers. School nutrition, farm, and food-policy advocates supported the bill as a way to reduce procurement barriers and expand local food in school meals; it passed to Appropriations. Finally, AB 1848 would raise seed-law fees to fund inspection and enforcement of California’s seed regulations; the California Seed Association supported the increase, and the bill passed to Appropriations. The meeting concluded with roll calls on absent members and adjournment at 2:53 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is there any kind of a mechanism where you can come back if there's money available the following year
• Roughly 60% would be permanent jobs, including mechanics, logistics, processing, and restoration.
• to take this position so the parties can come together and try to get creative about new funding mechanisms
• to take this position so the parties can come together and try to get creative about new funding mechanisms
• aren't. this position so the parties can come together and try to get creative about new funding mechanisms

Summary: The House Resources and Conservation Committee heard an update from Idaho Fish and Game Director Jim Fredericks on agency performance measures and current issues. He reported strong access numbers, website traffic, and personnel retention, but noted a slightly elevated violation rate and ongoing work on a website overhaul. Fredericks also described the new nonresident deer and elk tag draw, which he said was successful and drew more than 40,000 applications, and he reviewed wolf management, including reduced harvest due to a federal injunction on trapping in grizzly bear areas. He also outlined a planned elk depredation response in the Big Willow drainage, involving removal of about 100 resident elk through a mix of translocation and lethal control, with meat donated to food banks. Committee members asked about translocation sites, survival, public communication, access agreements, depredation funding, and endowment land access. The committee then heard an American Falls FFA Ag Issues presentation on the 2001 federal roadless rule and its 2025 rescission. Students presented arguments for and against the change in a mock court format, focusing on forest health, wildfire risk, tribal consultation, timber and mineral access, recreation, and ecosystem protection. Committee members praised the students’ preparation and presentation. In legislative business, the committee held RS 33185 at the sponsor’s request, introduced RS 33168 related to Clean Water Act standards and the Sackett wetlands case, and introduced RS 33194 to recognize county expertise in federal consultation. The committee also advanced House Bill 587, which would provide spending authority for the Idaho Department of Agriculture to carry out grazing improvement work tied to prior legislation, after testimony from the sponsor and a Western Landowners Alliance representative in support. Finally, the committee heard House Concurrent Resolution 26 supporting wildlife crossings where locally supported, with testimony from the Idaho Wildlife Federation and Idaho Sportsmen, Access and Opportunity in favor. The motion to send HCR 26 to the floor with a do-pass recommendation passed despite several dissenting votes, and the meeting adjourned after the bill was assigned for floor carry.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is there any kind of a mechanism where you can come back if there's money available the following year
• Roughly 60% would be permanent jobs, including mechanics, logistics, processing, and restoration.
• ... ...this position so the parties can come together and try to get creative about new funding mechanisms
• to take this position so the parties can come together and try to get creative about new funding mechanisms
• aren't. this position so the parties can come together and try to get creative about new funding mechanisms

Committee: House Resources and Conservation

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Could you go over what the mechanism is again? I didn't really quite understand it.
• That's the way that mechanism works. Any further questions? Yes, Representative Cooper.
• There is a mechanism for qualifying for assistance, for Thank you for that explanation.
• There is a mechanism for qualifying for assistance, for ...mechanism for qualifying for assistance for

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The meeting covered a long list of House bills, mostly on third-read consent calendars, spanning appropriations, elections, education, public safety, water, taxation, and criminal law. Early discussion focused on HB 2148, which would give the legislature authority to appropriate non-custodial federal funds, described by the sponsor as a transparency measure. Other measures discussed included HB 2091 on insurance-related assessment limits, HB 2122 on reciprocity for BTR-related professions, HB 2138 clarifying firefighter workers’ compensation coverage, and HB 2008 barring public school libraries from using public money to pay library professional associations. HB 2110, removed from consent, would allow school governing body members to pray at meetings, with members noting Supreme Court precedent supporting such prayer. Several bills addressed school safety and parental rights. HB 2142 would create a School Safety Center at the Arizona Department of Education and allow up to 10% of school safety program funds for administration, with supporters citing an audit and lack of oversight. HB 2249 would expand the Parents’ Bill of Rights to require notice if a school employee facilitates social transitioning of a minor and to provide broader access to educational records, with penalties discussed for violations. HB 2074 would add mandatory reporting for anyone in a medical facility who knows a partial-birth abortion is occurring, and HB 2144 would allow child support calculations to begin during pregnancy based on a confirmed pregnancy test and related DNA testing provisions. The committee also took up election-related measures. HB 2022 would make permanent changes tied to the federal Electoral Count Act, including moving Arizona’s primary earlier to preserve military and overseas voting access, while keeping petition dates valid and preserving existing deadlines for candidates. HCM 2001 urged federal designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization, and HCM 2002 supported a separate congressional effort involving CARE and related federal review and designation processes; members debated the distinction between direct designation and a request for federal investigation. HCR 2001 proposed a constitutional amendment to limit voting to U.S. citizens, require government ID to register, prohibit foreign contributions, and end early voting by the Friday before an election. Water, land use, and tax bills were also reviewed. Measures included HB 2024 on snowpack augmentation as a water supply development project, HB 2029 and HB 2030 tightening how Water Conservation Grant Fund money is used, HB 2053 appropriating $100,000 for updated stormwater recharge mapping, HB 2096 expanding revolving fund uses to address cesspools, HB 2097 capping groundwater withdrawal in irrigation non-expansion areas, and HB 2116 funding potential Colorado River litigation. On the tax side, HB 2016 would remove late-filing penalties when no tax is due, HB 2104 and HB 2105 would protect agricultural property owners from repeated reclassification and require notice of inspections, and HB 2289 would update truth-in-taxation examples to reflect higher home values. The committee also heard bills on criminal penalties and other matters, including HB 2043 on felony murder involving an unborn child, HB 2045 on discharging a weapon near a vehicle, HB 2131 and HB 2132 on weapons trafficking and fentanyl penalties, and HB 2062 authorizing a Buffalo Soldiers memorial in Wesley Bolin Plaza.

Transcript Highlights:

• But in the broader system, the support mechanisms that are there to help that agency are also part of
• But in the broader system, the support mechanisms that are there to help that the support mechanisms
• Just like that mechanic is when you take your car to the shop, they're going to find it just like that
• mechanic is when you take your car to the shop and you go for the oil change and they're going to look

Committee: House Government

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• understand and are informed about this potential liability and that there's actually a functional mechanism
• So that is set up as an enforcement mechanism in the event that a company is not maintaining the documentation
• What enforcement mechanism is there to make sure that a company maintains the data?
• And so the whole mechanism of this statute sets up to say...
• After, you know, and so the whole mechanism of this statute sets up to say that in the event there's

Committee: House Insurance

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to stop at this time, get some witnesses up here because I know some of you would like to ask the mechanics
• Covered, and it provides a stable funding mechanism for those lower layers of TWIA, so that they're going
• work on the Texas coast have been working together with the insurance industry to develop a funding mechanism
• The second is the funding mechanism that the insurance industry and we have been able to come up with
• appropriations, it can accept premium tax dollars from the insurance department, so there's a variety of mechanisms

Bills: HB778 , HB 1266 , HB1576 , HB2213 , HB2517 , HB2518 , HB2841 , HB3306 , HB3320 , HB3388 , HB3508 , HB3520 , HB3689

Committee: House Insurance

Keywords: credentialing, healthcare, physician assistants, advanced practice nurses, managed care, hurricane, windstorm, loss mitigation, grants, insurance discounts, property retrofitting, insurance, Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, board composition, coastal counties, property insurance, taxation, Texas FAIR Plan Association, premium taxes, maintenance taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• As this moves forward, we need to think through the best mechanism to be able to afford to do it.
• So let's think it through and make sure that we have a payment mechanism and not a project at the end
• So let's think it through and make sure that we have a payment mechanism and not a project at the end
• We need to have an ongoing funding mechanism and not put this on your back every year as a local project
• But if it's happening to all of us, and it happens every year, this would be a mechanism to go in and

Committee: Senate Health Policy

Summary: The Health Policy Committee heard and advanced several health-related bills. SB 1546 on background screening for athletic coaches was explained as another extension of the deadline for coaches to be added to the background screening clearinghouse; it passed favorably with support from athletic and youth sports organizations. SB 958 on type 1 diabetes early detection was amended to match the House version, requiring the Department of Health to provide school districts, school boards, and charter schools with informational materials for parents; it was reported favorably as a committee substitute. CS/SB 1070 on electrocardiograms for student athletes drew extensive discussion about sudden cardiac arrest prevention, implementation timelines, costs, funding through private and public sources, and whether insurance, KidCare, or Medicaid should cover screenings; after supportive testimony from school and athletic groups, it was reported favorably as a committee substitute. The committee also heard SB 1060, which would create a joint legislative oversight committee for Medicaid managed care to review encounter data, financials, audits, and rebate calculations with assistance from an actuary and the Auditor General. The sponsor and several senators framed it as a transparency and verification measure in response to large mid-year Medicaid funding increases and concerns about network adequacy and vertical integration; it passed favorably. CS/SB 944, which shortens the insurer overpayment recovery look-back period for claims involving psychologists from 30 months to 12 months, also passed favorably with support from the Florida Psychological Association. SB 1370, moving ambulatory surgical centers into their own statute rather than under hospital licensure provisions, was supported by surgery center representatives and reported favorably. The committee approved SB 768, as amended, to narrow the foreign-country-of-concern licensure attestation for health care entities to direct controlling interests and clarify the “reasonable efforts” standard; it passed after questions about how the standard would work in practice. SB 1544 on opticianry prompted significant debate over whether the bill would limit nonlicensed staff in ophthalmology and optometry settings; after a proposed amendment was withdrawn and multiple witnesses spoke both for and against, the bill was temporarily postponed. Finally, the committee adopted a strike-all amendment to SB 1808 requiring health care practitioners and facilities to refund patient overpayments within 30 days, with enforcement through AHCA fines or professional discipline, and then reported the bill favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• It had a host of issues, primarily because of its funding mechanism.
• The funding mechanism was based upon active member teacher payroll. which obviously has nothing to do
• And finally, on slide 10, I already talked a little bit about the funding mechanism for active care.
• You could look at that. the one mechanism or the one constraint that you face with that revenue. mechanism

Committee: House Pensions, Investments & Financial Services

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Right, um, just a couple little mechanical things that will work with OLS and the sponsor to bring the
• Right, um, just a couple little mechanical things that will work with OLS and the sponsor to bring the
• Right, um, just a couple little mechanical things that will work with OLS and the sponsor to bring the
• Right, um, just a couple little mechanical things that will work with OLS and the sponsor to bring the
• Right, um, just a couple little mechanical things that will work with OLS and the sponsor to bring the

Committee: Senate Executive Departments and Administration

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, this bill... ...allows for a mechanism for that debt to be paid off so that the detachment
• Now the court has a mechanism that they can weigh in and have a hearing and talk about, you know, is
• So, you know, we do want to see some mechanisms that if a party wants to pay off the federal debt, that
• where a person was unable, you know, the water district was unable to provide, and that created this mechanism

Committee: House Utilities

Summary: The Utilities Committee met with a quorum and first took up House Bill 2807, with a substitute ending in .03C. Representative Herbert explained that the substitute was intended to match the Senate version, add battery energy storage to the renewable standard, clarify that the nuclear provision applies to new, not existing, nuclear generation, and create nuclear energy credits to help track generation for the PSC. Members asked about how the credits would work, whether they could involve out-of-state generation, and how the bill would affect Missouri jobs and in-state generation. The committee adopted the substitute and then voted the House Committee Substitute for HB 2807 do pass by a roll call vote of 18 ayes and 1 no. The committee then heard House Bills 3351 and 3371, sponsored by Representatives Koslow and Taylor, which would expand a prior, narrower water-district detachment proposal statewide. The bill would create a “specific demand customer” category for large water users whose quantity or quality needs may exceed a district’s capabilities, require a water district to respond within 60 days, and allow the customer to seek service elsewhere and pursue detachment if the district cannot or will not serve them. It also would prevent districts from taking on new encumbering federal debt to block detachment and would require gifts offered specifically to pay off such debt to be accepted and applied to that purpose. Sponsors said the measure was meant to stop “debt hoarding” and remove barriers to economic development while still allowing courts to review reasonableness and protect both districts and customers. Members questioned the scope of the bill, including the use of “may exceed” in the definition, whether the restriction on new loans could create problems in emergency or repair situations, how reasonableness would be judged, and whether the proposal could affect existing ratepayers or apply to municipal systems. The sponsors said the intent was to address net-new customers and to leave ordinary financing available except for loans used to prevent detachment. In informational testimony, Missouri American Water described a separate but related problem involving USDA red tape delaying a partial sale of the city of DeKalb’s water system, saying the delay was preventing lower rates and needed capital investment for a small community. No votes were taken on HB 3351 or HB 3371 before the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• construction, public works contracts must specify that the hourly minimum wage for laborers, workers, or mechanics
• I'm here today representing the Mechanical Contractors Association of Western Washington.
• As many of you know, we represent 52 signatory mechanical contractors who employ about 6,000 union plumbers
• We represent 52 signatory mechanical contractors who employ about 6,000 union plumbers and pipefitters

Bills: HB2295

Committee: House Capital Budget

Keywords: Washington capital budget, supplemental capital budget, capital appropriations, state building construction account, taxable building construction account, climate commitment account, natural climate solutions, housing trust fund, affordable housing, supportive housing, homelessness, manufactured home communities, mobile home parks, school construction, school modernization, school seismic safety, healthy schools, school electrification, SCAP, behavioral health facilities

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, that Performance can provide a mechanism for that.
• And then the fourth piece really isn’t, it’s not a part of the mechanics of the model, but it was important
• This component provides a mechanism for the legislature to come in and say we want to invest in this
• Again, if we can provide incentives for institutions to do that, then this is the mechanism.

Committee: House Joint Committee on Education

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education met to hear an informational presentation from the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development on Missouri’s higher education funding model and related workforce trends. Commissioner Bennett Boggs described the department’s mission, its data and workforce partnerships, and the need to better align postsecondary education with Missouri’s labor market, noting projections that 65% of jobs in the 2030s will require education beyond high school. He emphasized that the current “base-plus” funding approach dates to 1992 and no longer reflects demographic, technological, or economic changes, and said the department wants every institution to remain healthy and serve its region. Deputy Commissioner Leroye Wade outlined a proposed cost-based, performance-informed funding framework with four main parts: fixed costs, variable program costs, performance measures, and a mechanism for targeted legislative investment. He said the model is intended to be data-driven, transparent, and more responsive to enrollment changes, program mix, completion outcomes, workforce needs, and collaboration among institutions. He also reviewed the history of the effort, including a 2022 legislative appropriation for a study, a 2023 report, and subsequent interim and bill activity. Committee members asked about educational attainment goals, the P20W longitudinal data system, persistence and completion rates, and how the model would account for mission differences and student outcomes. Representative John Black, sponsor of the bill discussed, said the legislation is meant to move Missouri toward a 21st-century higher education funding system by tying appropriations more closely to state goals and institutional performance rather than continuing automatic across-the-board increases. He said the department’s work and the bill are intended to prompt continued refinement of the model, and he warned that declining enrollments and tight state finances make reform urgent. No votes were taken; the committee heard the presentation, allowed brief public comment, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• important piece of legislation, but this bill goes even further in providing additional enforcement mechanisms
• important piece of legislation, but this bill goes even further in providing additional enforcement mechanisms
• important piece of legislation, but this bill goes even further in providing additional enforcement mechanisms
• Respiratory therapists manage life-sustaining therapy such as mechanical ventilation, oxygen therapy,

Summary: The committee met with a quorum present and heard a series of health care-related bills, with Chair Tuck emphasizing respectful debate and noting that all bills on the agenda would be voted on that day. The first measure, HB 743, would give the Attorney General authority to investigate and bring civil actions against health care practitioners who violate Florida’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors, and would make aiding or abetting such conduct a third-degree felony. Supporters said it closed loopholes and protected minors and parental rights, while opponents argued it was vague, overbroad, and could chill lawful care and professional judgment. The bill passed 13-4 and was reported favorably. The committee then unanimously approved PCS for HB 567, which narrows a continuing-education requirement for podiatrists so only those who prescribe controlled substances must take the related two-hour course. It also unanimously approved HB 439, allowing chiropractors, under specified training and certification requirements, to inject vitamins and nutrients while continuing to prohibit intravenous injections. The committee also passed HB 1235 to enter Florida into the respiratory care interstate compact, and HB 1237, a linked public-records/public-meetings exemption needed to implement that compact; both measures were supported as workforce and access-to-care bills and passed without opposition. Later, the committee approved PCS for HB 809, which addresses temporary physician certificates in areas of need and aims to prevent doctors from losing the ability to practice when area designations change. Members asked about licensure pathways and the effect of federal or board designation changes, and supporters framed the bill as protecting continuity of care in underserved communities. The committee also unanimously passed HB 1347 to align clinical laboratory personnel licensing with federal CLIA standards amid staffing shortages, and HB 1515, a public-records exemption tied to a uterine fibroid research database. Finally, the committee approved HB 169 updating acupuncture statutes, including terminology changes and limits on injection therapy, and HB 1021, Representative Young’s first bill, allowing qualified hospital pharmacists in Level I and II trauma centers to administer emergency medications at a physician’s direction during life-threatening situations. HB 1021 drew the most questions, mainly about scope, definitions, and who could authorize the pharmacist, but after a technical amendment it passed unanimously. All remaining bills were reported favorably, and the meeting adjourned after the final vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• And who will enforce this particular mechanism of law? Representative Scott: Thank you, Mr.
• And who will enforce this particular mechanism of law? Representative Scott: Thank you, Mr.
• And then if they have, you know, not done it on purpose, there's really no mechanism in this currently
• And then if they have, you know, not done it on purpose, there's really no mechanism in this currently

Committee: House State Affairs

Summary: The committee first considered RS 3312, a proposal from Representative Scott aimed at limiting the use of slogans, logos, or similar branding on state budget materials when those messages could be used for political promotion. Members raised drafting questions and concerns that the language was confusing and could unintentionally affect official documents and correspondence. On motion, the committee voted to return the RS to the sponsor for reworking. The committee then took up RS 3314, which would improve transparency in Idaho’s civil asset forfeiture system by requiring local reports to also be sent to the state controller for storage and publication. Scott said the bill would centralize data, not change forfeiture procedures, and suggested changing the reporting deadline from February to April to match existing local reporting timelines. Members asked about the types of property covered and the fiscal impact, and the committee approved the RS with the date change. Next, the committee considered RS 33141, another transparency measure that would add a penalty for state agencies that knowingly or recklessly fail to report executed MOUs, MOAs, contracts, and related agreements to the state controller. Scott described the bill as a response to agencies that were not complying with existing reporting law and said enforcement would likely come through legislative and appropriations action. Members raised concerns about ambiguity, possible liability, and whether the penalty should be tied more clearly to notice and cure provisions. The committee voted to return the RS to the sponsor for further work. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 504, which would address lottery syndicates by limiting bulk lottery ticket purchases and allowing the Lottery Commission to deny winnings tied to prohibited bulk-buy activity. Supporters said the bill was intended to stop organized groups, often from out of state, from buying large numbers of tickets and taking winnings out of Idaho. Questions focused on enforcement, the $5,000 purchase limit, and whether the rule would affect ordinary groups or in-state entities. After testimony, the committee voted to send HB 504 to the floor with a due pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• SO THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A NEW MECHANISM FOR SAFETY. IF IT NEEDS TO BE IN THE ROAD. >> Rep.
• BECOME LAW AND THAT MUNICIPALITY OR EVEN FDOT THEN HAS THE CHOICE TO BE ABLE TO PUT THIS TYPE OF MECHANISM
• Alvarez: THAT IS THE BEAUTY OF THIS MECHANISM AS I SAW IT IS THAT IT ILLUMINATES FROM THE GROUND UP.
• FIRST OF ALL I WANT TO EXPLAIN THERE IS MORE THAN ONE COMPANY THAT DOES THIS TYPE OF A MECHANISM AND

Transcript Highlights:

• also had a bill that is moving forward uh that would require coverage for um wheelchairs, like mechanical
• :09:12.240><c> like</c> coverage for um wheelchairs um like coverage for um wheelchairs um like mechanical
• 13.519><c> for</c><00:09:13.680><c> people</c><00:09:13.839><c> to</c><00:09:14.000><c> get</c> mechanical
• wheelchairs for people to get mechanical wheelchairs for people to get in<00:09:14.320><c> and</c><00

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:33:54.440><c> to</c> to but then we don't have mechanism to to but then we don't have mechanism
• But there was no mechanism for a school district to not have to reapply, and there was no mechanism for
• But there was no mechanism for a school district to not have to reapply, and there was no mechanism for
• But there was no mechanism for a school district to not have to reapply, and there was no mechanism for
• But there was no mechanism for a school district to not have to reapply, and there was no mechanism for

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Department of Education’s Bureau of Wellness and Nutrition presented an overview of the school meal and child nutrition programs it administers, including the National School Lunch Program, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), After School Snack Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, Summer Food Service Program, and Special Milk Program. Staff explained which programs are federally funded through USDA, which have state matching funds, and how reimbursement rates are set for different programs and fiscal years. They also walked the committee through a packet showing reimbursement tables, state and federal funding totals, and eligibility data. Members focused much of their questioning on how state and federal reimbursements work for lunch and breakfast, why lunch is shown as a state match while breakfast has meal-based breakdowns, and how the department allocates funds in the budget. The department explained that lunch uses a set state match tied to federal requirements, while breakfast reimbursement is based on meals served. They also reviewed FY 22-24 funding trends, noting higher federal spending during COVID-era waivers and lower amounts as those waivers ended. A committee member asked for the data in Excel and the department agreed to provide it. The discussion also covered summer meal programs and the distinction between the Summer Food Service Program and Summer EBT. Staff explained that SFSP provides meals at approved open or closed sites, while Summer EBT is a separate DHHS-run benefit program that provides funds to families; the two programs coordinate through data sharing but are not the same. Members also discussed CEP, with staff explaining that New Hampshire currently has three schools participating, that the qualifying threshold was reduced from 40% to 25% identified students, and that districts must cover the non-federal share with non-federal funds. No votes or formal actions were taken during the meeting.