Transcript Highlights:

• They have a grant from the U.S.
• a community wildlife protection plan.
• There's a matching requirement, and then there's a grant agreement in the same way we would do a grant
• So it's not a grant directly to the community.
• These are federal grants.

Committee: All JBC-PEER REVIEW

Summary: The PEER Review Subcommittee met to consider a large agenda of appropriation, transfer, contract, and other review items. Members approved temporary appropriation requests in Sections B through F, including funding for prosecuting attorneys, education-related adjustments, school operating needs, labor licensing divisions, ARPA fund returns from Workforce Services, IIJA grants for state police CDL implementation and a forestry-related county grant, reserve fund transfers for teacher scholarships, school facilities, and economic development, and a Commerce reallocation tied to organizational realignment. Cash fund requests in Section G and budget classification transfers in Section H were also reviewed, along with pay plan requests in Section I, overtime requests in Section J, and multiple methods of finance in Section K. The committee also reviewed discretionary grants in Section L, including agriculture promotion board grants and DHS aging/adult behavioral health grants, plus RFQs, construction contracts, intergovernmental contracts, and out-of-state contracts in Sections M1 through M5. Several items drew questions from members. Workforce Services explained that $225,000 in TANF-related funds would be returned to the federal government because the two-year hold period for uncashed or moved checks had expired. Commerce officials described the $25 million site infrastructure grant program, saying it supports site development, due diligence, and infrastructure build-out at eligible sites of 30 acres or more, including rural communities, with grant agreements and matching requirements providing accountability. DHS and Education officials answered questions about the Care Solace mental health referral contract, saying it is a statewide concierge/referral service that helps schools connect students to Arkansas providers and follow up so students do not fall through the cracks; members asked for more information on provider selection, school-day scheduling, and Arkansas vendor participation. The committee held one item over: the DHS discretionary grant item for the RSVP retired senior volunteer program in L2, after concerns were raised about whether state general revenue was being used effectively and how much administrative overhead the providers retain. Members also questioned several contracts, including a DHS sole-source contract with EMSLink for document management software and a DHS bridge contract with Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care for Medicaid inspections of care reviews; in both cases, agency staff explained the need to avoid service disruption and said follow-up information would be provided. A Department of Corrections reentry center contract was discussed for its recidivism results, and ARDOT retirement-system investment contracts were briefly explained. The meeting ended after a lengthy discussion of the Medicaid Trust Fund balance, with DFA and DHS officials saying the state is expected to finish the fiscal year without exhausting the fund, that a restricted reserve of $100 million is available as a backstop, and that the larger question is what minimum balance should be maintained going forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• So as proud as I am of my community, I'm sure this is also your community as well.
• And this community contributes across our workforce, small businesses, and local communities.
• And this community contributes across our workforce, small businesses, and local communities.
• </c> contracts and grants. contracts and grants.
• , sustainable grants, legal grants, all of the good things around grants because, as we all know and

Bills: HF4364 , HF4821 , HF4543 , HF3945

Committee: House State Government Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• So there is a structure in place in many of our small communities that have these community foundations
• Some of those communities have larger balances than a community like Wapiton.
• small communities, but there's this little gap for communities such as Valley City, even Wapiton, that
• So if we, you want 2,500, you basically, one community would not be included. 3,000... ...one community
• would not be included. 3,000 you would include that community. 3,100, you would include two more communities

Committee: House Appropriations

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 2025, the Department of Veterans Affairs appropriation. Representative O’Brien explained the House changes, including funding for a restored Veterans Benefits Specialist FTE, salary equity adjustments for the commissioner and veterans service officers, one-time funding for veteran homelessness services, carryover authority for the Fargo Fisher House, and a highly rural transportation grants program. Members also discussed the commissioner’s prior salary increase and the use of transportation grant funds for administrative costs, as well as the status of the Fisher House project. The committee adopted amendment 25.092.0203 and then gave SB 2025 a do pass recommendation as amended, with Representative O’Brien as carrier. The committee then considered Senate Bill 2307, the library bill. Members debated a proposed amendment that would have removed the fiscal note, but several members objected on policy and process grounds, citing constitutional concerns, potential costs to counties and state’s attorneys, and the fact that the bill had not been heard as a full policy hearing. The amendment failed 4-19. The committee then voted do not pass on SB 2307 as introduced, and Representative Murphy was named carrier. The committee also briefly discussed House Bill 2188 on the Clean Sustainable Energy Authority. Representative Bosch described the program’s grant and low-interest loan authority and the Senate’s reduced funding levels. The committee amended the bill to restore the Senate funding amounts in Section 3, then passed the bill as amended, with Representative Kempenich carrying it. Finally, the committee considered two rural development bills and chose Senate Bill 2097, the rural endowment fund bill, for do not pass while advancing House Bill 2390, which uses regional councils to distribute rural development grants. The committee amended HB 2390 to lower the population threshold from 4,500 to 3,000, kept the 50% set-aside for communities under 1,500, and then passed the bill as amended, with Representative Mitskog as carrier.

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay. grant, I'd appreciate that. Yes, I'd grant, I'd appreciate that.
• Our just recently a community has.
• . community. community.
• </c> community than we can make it to cover. community than we can make it to cover.
• </c> what's happening in your community. what's happening in your community.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> and the community in which they live. and the community in which they live.
• The whole grant application is there. The funding grant notice is there.
• When I say the two grants, these are the two grants that I'm talking about.
• </c><01:13:27.320><c> We</c> Services Block Grant. We Services Block Grant.
• For the next grant, which is the substance use block grant, again, it also must be used for community-based

Committee: Joint Health Services

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> community support services. community support services.
• The HASSMI grant is flexible.
• The HASSMI grant is flexible.
• Um, so how many people are affected by the grant? How many grant recipients are there then?
• </c><01:30:35.520><c> if</c> communities or in other communities if communities or in other communities

Bills: HF2115 , HF2276 , HF1644 , HF99 , HF2068 , HF2707 , HF2704 , HF2406 , HF1674 , HF1579

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• especially once the grant is underway with a lot of the reporting requirements communities, especially
• We've rebuilt our communities.
• in communication outreach, such as basic websites, basic communication tools.
• Chris. in the community right now.
• across community.

Transcript Highlights:

• of practice to talk through what our plan is with this grant.
• this bill is helping our community.
• We need access to the Washington College Grant for those students.
• underrepresented communities in our state.
• The Washington College Grant is an entitlement to all students.

Summary: The committee began with a work session on dual credit, hearing first from the Council of Presidents and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, then from the Education Research and Data Center. The dual credit overview described Washington’s six dual credit programs, high participation rates, transferability, and recent efforts to improve transparency, pathways, and equity. Testimony emphasized both benefits and challenges, including access, funding, advising, and the need for clearer statewide coordination. ERDC outlined its annual report, dashboard, research briefs, and future work on school-level factors and possible causal effects of dual credit participation. No votes were taken during the work session. The committee then held public hearings on several bills. SB 6227 would direct WSAC to work with public higher education institutions to create formal data collection protocols for parenting students and convene a work group to recommend how to identify and support them. Senator Wilson and multiple student and advocacy witnesses supported the bill, citing the lack of consistent statewide data and the barriers parenting students face; WSAC testified that its research found significant food, housing, and child care insecurity among these students. SB 6235 would prohibit public colleges with athletics programs from entering certain private equity or sovereign wealth fund agreements involving athletics revenues or control. Senator Holy said the bill was intended to prevent loss of institutional control, while UW and WSU testified in opposition, warning it could limit flexibility and create competitive disadvantages. The committee also heard SB 6217, which would expand Washington College Grant eligibility to students in eligible non-degree credential programs beginning in 2027-28. Supporters from the community and technical college system, a community college president, and workforce representatives said the bill would help students access short-term training for family-wage jobs and address workforce shortages, especially in construction trades. Finally, SB 6209 would restore Washington College Grant and College Bound Scholarship eligibility for certain private four-year and career/vocational schools if they meet a gainful-employment standard. DigiPen, Evergreen Beauty College, Seattle Film Institute, and related students and administrators testified in support, arguing the bill would preserve access for low-income and nontraditional students in career-focused programs; some witnesses on the bill’s earlier panel also urged that certificate and two-year programs be included. The hearings were managed with shortened testimony times because of the large number of sign-ins, and no final committee action or votes were recorded in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Substance Use Disorder Grant Program awards grants to agencies and not-for-profits to increase access
• The funding for these grants is from the Veterans Health and Community Reinvestment Fund. If I may.
• for Substance Use Disorder Grant.
• grants.
• So the entities that receive the grants this year, it's a granting, so they're actually given the funds

Committee: House Budget

Summary: The committee heard the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services present its FY 2027 budget request, with Director Sarah Wilson and budget staff describing the department’s mission, major divisions, and the impact of federal funding shifts, especially the FMAP change that will shift costs to general revenue. Wilson emphasized prevention, public health infrastructure, workforce capacity, and data modernization, while several members praised the department’s responsiveness and cost-cutting efforts. The discussion repeatedly focused on lapses, excess authority, and the department’s stated practice of spending federal and other funds before general revenue where possible. Members asked detailed questions about local public health agency support, nutrition programs, rural health and primary care, newborn screening, the state public health lab, and the department’s use of flexibility and reallocations. There was extended discussion of substance use disorder funding: the department explained that some funding is being reduced in its own budget because transfer authority is being added for the Department of Mental Health and the Department of Corrections, while some other SUD-related lines are actual reductions. Members also questioned tobacco prevention and cessation cuts, maternal and infant health programs, fetal infant mortality review, and minority health initiatives, with staff explaining program purposes and noting that some reductions were tied to excess authority or to moving programs to other departments. The committee also reviewed specific operational items such as the Health Initiatives Fund transfer, debt offset escrow for loan repayment defaults, donated funds authority, emergency preparedness, environmental health, health informatics, HIV/STI/hepatitis services, local public health incentives, and the COVID/ARPA authority reductions. Several members requested follow-up information on vacancies, lapse trends, grant spending plans, and program details. No final vote or formal action was taken in the portion provided; the chair recessed briefly and the hearing continued with additional budget testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• Excuse me, I'm going to hit community gardens, zero-hour and community-based walking programs.
• That's a significant number of grants. Safety net services, also a significant number of grants.
• That'll be a tremendous grant.
• There'll be grants for equipment, and there'll be grants for training, and we're even looking at what
• up the cadence of communication.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the March 18 minutes, and then received a series of updates on health-related projects and Department of Health and Human Services budget matters. Representatives from CHI St. Alexius in Bismarck and Williston, and Altru in Grand Forks, reported progress on behavioral health expansion projects, including demolition and construction milestones, updated timelines, funding status, staffing plans, and barriers such as an unbudgeted air handler replacement in Williston. Members asked about original completion dates, use of telehealth, recruitment of psychiatrists and other staff, and whether the new beds might reduce the need for patients to travel to Jamestown State Hospital. The projects were described as on track overall, with completion expected in 2027 for the larger builds and earlier openings for some phases in Williston. The committee then heard from HHS leadership on technical line-item transfers and the Salaries and Wages Block Grant. Donna Ockland explained that recent transfers were administrative corrections to place spending in the proper budget lines and did not involve new spending, and she reviewed FTE counts and vacancies across the department. Questions focused on behavioral health staffing changes and the use of consultants in the Rural Health Transformation Program. Pat Rainer outlined the rural health program’s first-year grants and priorities, including workforce retention, rural rotations and housing, community wellness initiatives, behavioral health promotion, safety net services, hospital equipment, suicide prevention training, technology, and EMS support. He said North Dakota’s plan was drawing positive national attention, but the department still needed to obligate roughly $199 million by September and was working with CMS on timing and compliance. The committee also received an update on certified community behavioral health clinics from Elena Zeller. She said North Dakota had been accepted as a demonstration state, with certification efforts underway in Williston, North Central, Fargo, and Dickinson. Members asked about care coordination, service growth, staffing, and whether certification would expand to all clinics; the department said it was still collecting baseline data and evaluating impacts before making future recommendations. Finally, Rebecca Askins reviewed SNAP payment error rates, explaining that the 2025 rate was finalized at 9.89 percent and that the department is working on training, system changes, and quality assurance steps to get below 6 percent. Members pressed on the causes of monthly variability, the performance of the SPACES system, and accountability for ongoing errors, and the department said it expects improvement over the next 6 to 12 months.

Transcript Highlights:

• Next, starting on line 307, you’ll have our community ID and heritage grants.
• There’s $12 million set aside for community ID and heritage grants.
• He said that is where the money is moving from: the humanities commission community ID grants.
• He said that is where the money is moving from: the humanities commission community ID grants.
• </c> commission uh community ID grants. commission uh community ID grants.

Committee: Senate Environment, Climate, and Legacy

Transcript Highlights:

• is our main portal for community grant programs that supplements the Chapter 90 resources.
• And with this higher grant limit, communities can now fully implement or fully fund a project from beginning
• It also provides $4 million to enhance the Community Transit Grant Program by providing additional support
• grants, and community transit grants.
• We actually have grants open through a new ECO One Stop, which is a common grants portal, so that communities

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Summary: The Joint Committee on Ways and Means held a hearing at UMass Amherst on Governor Healey’s fiscal year 2027 budget, focusing on energy/environment-related transportation issues and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The chairs and members opened with thanks to UMass, university leadership, court officers, and legislative staff, and Chancellor Javier Reyes highlighted UMass Amherst’s research, workforce, sustainability, and transportation contributions, including energy research, transit operations, and partnerships with MassDOT. The hearing then moved to MassDOT and MBTA testimony on the administration’s transportation funding package, including House 2, the FY26 Fair Share supplemental, and a proposed four-year Chapter 90 authorization. MassDOT officials described the budget as part of a broader multi-year transportation investment strategy, citing funding for operations, snow and ice removal, regional transit authorities, the MBTA, the Merit Rating Board, sustainable aviation fuel credits, micro-transit and last-mile grants, unpaved road improvements, bridge and pavement work, and housing-related transportation infrastructure. They emphasized workforce expansion, capital delivery capacity, safety improvements, and local aid, including the new lane-mile-based Chapter 90 formula intended to benefit rural communities. Officials also discussed major projects and programs such as Grant Central, culvert and unpaved road grants, work zone speed cameras, congestion hotspot fixes, the Sagamore and Bourne Bridge projects, and MBTA operating support and safety upgrades. Testimony from the MBTA and rail/transit staff focused on improved ridership, service frequency, accessibility, and safety, including progress on the Green Line Train Protection System, reduced delays, expanded bus and commuter rail service, and the South Coast rail extension. Regional transit authorities reported increased ridership and described new fare-free, connectivity, and community transit grants. Aeronautics testimony covered airport capital work, drone and data programs, sustainable aviation fuel efforts, and workforce development in aviation maintenance. Committee members then asked questions, especially about Western Massachusetts priorities, Chapter 90 funding, bridge repairs, snow and ice costs, Cape Cod bridges, Buzzard’s Bay rail, and Compass Rail/West-East Rail. Officials said several federal rail grants were moving forward, that Sagamore Bridge procurement would begin soon, and that the administration remained committed to pursuing federal funding and multi-year transportation investments.

Transcript Highlights:

• And that's going to be Audit 2026-120, Board of State and Community Corrections, Proposition 47 grant
• Well, the BSC requires that at least 50% of grant funding be distributed to community-based organizations
• that at least 50% of grant funding be distributed to community-based organizations, there appears to
• Board of State and Community Corrections, Proposition 47 grant administration.
• Board of State and Community Corrections, Proposition 47 grant administration by Senator Valadares.

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit Committee met to hear new audit requests and receive a status update from the State Auditor. The auditor reported 10 JALAC audits in progress, noted that all 2025-approved audits are underway, said the first 2026 audit is focused on DMV license revocations, and described several statutory and high-risk audits already in progress. The committee also approved a consent calendar of four audit requests: UC library resources, law enforcement information sharing, EDD unemployment insurance claims, and Housing and Community Development housing development monitoring. The committee then considered Assembly Member DeMaio’s audit request on SANDAG road project management. DeMaio argued the audit was needed to examine whether transportation funds, including voter-approved and restricted revenues, were used for allowable purposes and whether past management failures warranted outside review. SANDAG’s CEO and CFO said the agency already undergoes extensive oversight and audits, that funds are tracked by multiple “colors of money,” and that internal controls have improved. Several members questioned whether the issues were already addressed in public records or existing audits, and the request failed on a roll call vote. Next, Senator Valadares presented an audit of the Board of State and Community Corrections’ Proposition 47 grant administration, arguing that more transparency is needed on outcomes, recidivism data, and oversight of grantees. The BSCC said it already has oversight mechanisms, that the State Controller conducts biennial audits, and that program data shows positive outcomes. The committee approved the audit unanimously. Senator Cortese then presented an audit of CalHR’s dental benefits procurement and Delta Dental contract, citing long-standing benefit caps, provider network concerns, and retiree out-of-pocket costs. CalHR said its network remains strong, that it recently completed an RFP adding MetLife as a second carrier starting in 2027, and that contracts include performance guarantees. Members from both parties expressed concern about access and competition, and the audit was approved unanimously. The committee then completed add-on votes on the consent calendar and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• ensures that community schools do not simply receive grant dollars.
• All LEAs, regardless of whether they receive community schools grant funding, can access the professional
• school community.
• At Lincoln, our site governance team made the decision to apply for the community schools grant during
• So the more that it's a part of your district vision, you're able to leverage community school grant,

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:09:33.760><c> funding</c><00:09:34.360><c> is</c> grant funding the state grant funding is grant
• It doesn't matter what community you're from.
• It doesn't matter what community you're from.
• It doesn't matter what community you're from.
• It doesn't matter what community you're from.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> the community they may qualify for grant the community they may qualify for grant funding<00:38:
• There's a lot of communities that don't qualify for grants.
• There's a lot of communities that don't qualify for grants.
• , the HOME Investment Partnership, and the Community Development Block Grant.
• , the HOME Investment Partnership, and the Community Development Block Grant.

Committee: Senate Capital Investment

Transcript Highlights:

• of practice to talk through what our plan is with this grant.
• this bill is helping our community.
• underrepresented communities in our state.
• underrepresented communities in our state.
• The Washington College Grant is an entitlement to all students.

Bills: SB6209 , SB6217 , SB6227 , SB6235

Committee: Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development

Keywords: financial aid, higher education, private institutions, student awards, affordability, Washington college grant, postsecondary education, nondegree programs, educational access, data collection, parenting students, education, support services, academic performance, college athletics, private equity, sovereign wealth funds, student athletes, financial agreements

Transcript Highlights:

• They have a grant from the U.S.
• There's a matching requirement, and then there's a grant agreement in the same way we would do a grant
• So it's not a grant directly to the community.
• These are federal grants.
• Could you just, I see that this is a federal, they're federal grants, but I'm confused by the grants

Committee: All JBC-PEER REVIEW

Summary: The PEER Review Subcommittee met to consider a large agenda of budget, appropriation, transfer, and contract items. Members approved temporary appropriation requests for several agencies, including the Auditor of State, Department of Education, and Labor and Licensing; ARPA return requests from Workforce Services; Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act requests for State Police and Agriculture; restricted reserve transfers for teacher scholarships, school facilities, and economic stimulus; a Commerce reallocation of positions and spending authority; cash fund, budget classification, overtime, and pay plan requests; and 17 methods of finance items for universities and other agencies. Most items were approved without objection after brief explanations from staff and agencies. Several items drew questions and were held or discussed further. A Department of Human Services discretionary grant package for the RSVP program was held over after Senator Irvin raised concerns about whether the grants were an effective use of state general revenue and asked for more information on administration costs and program operations. In the contracts section, Representative Richardson questioned a DHS sole-source contract with EMS Link for document management software and a DHS contract with Presidio; the EMS Link item was held for additional answers, while the Presidio item was clarified as not sole-source and was allowed to proceed. Members also asked for more information on a Department of Education mental health referral contract with Care Solace, which officials said is a statewide concierge/referral service connecting students to Arkansas providers and telehealth options. The committee also reviewed monthly reports, including the Medicaid Trust Fund. DHS and DFA officials said the fund was currently sufficient to finish the fiscal year, though it was being drawn down and would likely require a $100 million transfer from restricted reserves in FY27, with another $100 million set aside in the governor’s budget as a backstop. Members discussed the need to define a minimum reserve level and to better account for ongoing Medicaid costs in the budget. The meeting ended with no further business and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• The HASAMI grant is flexible.
• Community Engagement Co-Chair.
• So how many people are affected by the grant? How many grant recipients are there?
• grant capacity.
• We also do a lot of tours in your community and in other communities.

Bills: HF2115 , HF2276 , HF1644 , HF99 , HF2068 , HF2707 , HF2704 , HF2406 , HF1674 , HF1579

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• In our discussions with business and community leaders, they emphasized that grants are preferable, but
• In our discussions with business and community leaders, they emphasized that grants are preferable, but
• So, I consider your community my community.
• Like for an community my community.
• Roll call granted. Roll call requested. Roll call granted.

Committee: Senate Jobs and Economic Development