Transcript Highlights:

• RISE at Low Income Investment Fund.
• When we apply for rental property, they ask for your income, and I did not have any income.
• What they're saying is like when we apply for rental property, they've been asking your income, my income
• So I didn't have an income.
• The median household income is $95,000.

Summary: The hearing focused first on how wildfires and other disasters affect child care providers, families, and early education infrastructure. State officials from the Department of Social Services and Department of Education described disaster response and preparedness efforts, including shelter coordination, licensing outreach, emergency waivers, distribution of supplies, and the statewide child care disaster plan. Testimony from providers and advocates emphasized major gaps in recovery funding, insurance coverage, rebuilding support, mental health services, and coordination with local rebuild plans. Several witnesses urged more dedicated disaster-recovery funding for child care facilities and suggested statutory changes, including allowing greater flexibility for rebuilding costs and requiring early childhood programs to be included in local disaster planning. The second panel addressed immigration enforcement and its impact on child care. Advocates from the Children's Partnership, Every Child California, and CHIRLA said enforcement activity is causing families to keep children home, disrupting continuity of care, reducing enrollment, and creating fear and trauma for children and providers. They argued that immigrant and mixed-status families need clearer protections, privacy safeguards, legal support, trauma-informed guidance, and safe-haven policies for child care settings. Speakers also stressed that the child care workforce is heavily immigrant and that recent state laws such as AB 49 and AB 495 will require funding, training, and technical assistance to implement effectively. Public commenters, including child care providers, described personal experiences with fire damage, displacement, permit delays, lost income, and the emotional toll of serving families during crises. Others described how immigration enforcement has made parents afraid to attend events, drop off children, or remain connected to providers. Committee members repeatedly noted that child care is often overlooked in emergencies and asked state officials how child care systems are being integrated into disaster planning and how local and state agencies can better coordinate. No formal votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• levels?
• </c> the people kind of at the lowest income the people kind of at the lowest income levels<00:36:19.480
• Our entry-level starting wage at Digikey is above the income limits to qualify for most income-restricted
• Our entry-level starting wage at Digikey is above the income limits to qualify for most income-restricted
• Our entry-level starting wage at Digikey is above the income limits to qualify for most income-restricted

Committee: House Housing Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• And these stats were before Santa Clara County's area median income...
• Three, define lower- and moderate-income households consistent with existing law.
• This would allow the additional density increase for developments that serve low-income and moderate-income
• This would allow the additional density increase for developments that serve low-income and moderate-income
• and moderate-income units for students.

Summary: The committee heard several housing-related bills. AB 2002 would clarify and extend the REAP 1.0 regional housing planning grant program, with the author and regional planning groups arguing it provides needed technical assistance for housing elements and RHNA compliance; the California Building Industry Association opposed unless amended over concerns about local constraints. The committee discussed accepted amendments on regulations, suballocation to subregions, and spending deadlines, and then passed the bill on a do pass as amended motion to Senate Appropriations. AB 1684 would prohibit HOAs from restricting homeowners’ ability to install or replace cooling systems, with supporters citing heat safety and opponents focusing on building integrity, electrical capacity, permits, and common-area placement; the committee adopted amendments on licensed electrical contractors, disclosure, and permit requirements, and passed the bill to Senate Judiciary. AB 1710 would extend SB 330-style vesting protections to state and regional agencies so housing projects are not subject to later regulatory changes, with supporters emphasizing predictability and opponents warning it could conflict with later state, regional, and federal requirements, especially for water and environmental rules; the bill was passed as amended to Senate Local Government. The committee also heard AB 2263, which would authorize the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority to provide employee housing on its land with a preference for VTA workers while keeping units open to the public and compliant with fair housing law. VTA said the bill would help employees facing long commutes and high housing costs, and the committee discussed financing through transit-oriented development partnerships and existing land holdings; the bill was passed as amended to Senate Appropriations. AB 2270 would require the state tax credit committee to account for rural realities when scoring farmworker housing projects for low-income housing tax credits; supporters said current amenity-based scoring disadvantages rural farmworker developments, and the bill was passed as amended to Senate Appropriations. Later, AB 2118 would refine AB 2011 by limiting local objective standards that can block mixed-use and affordable housing projects, with supporters saying cities still use loopholes to delay projects; the committee discussed possible state mandate reimbursement issues and passed the bill to Local Government. Finally, AB 2050 would require HOA reserve funding based on reserve studies, add notice and safeguards for reserve transfers, and phase in funding over six years; supporters argued it would prevent large special assessments and protect homeowners, while opponents said enforcement remains weak and the bill could still burden owners. The committee did not take a final recorded vote on AB 2050 in the portion provided, but members discussed the need for stronger enforcement and the balance between reserve funding and affordability.

Transcript Highlights:

• level of Medicare.
• New enrollment among our middle-income Californians earning above 400% of the federal poverty level,
• Currently, these funds are providing premium assistance for our lowest-income enrollees with income up
• Lower-income families are paying a smaller percentage of their income toward the premium, which is progressive
• Every delay in a level of care determination represents an elder Medi-Cal recipient with high-level needs

Transcript Highlights:

• It is not an income tax.
• ,</c><01:41:29.600><c> we</c><01:41:29.840><c> are</c> income, when we recognize income, we are income
• </c> income to own land. income to own land.
• that's being leveled on the income derived from that.
• that's being leveled on that the<02:29:38.080><c> the</c><02:29:38.720><c> income</c><02:29:39.120><

Committee: Senate Energy and Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• And then even though the family's income was at one level, when in reality you look at the number of
• income and so forth.
• And then so even though, you know, the family's income was at one level, when in reality you look at
• individual income.
• That means CalWORKs families are living on fixed incomes that fall below 50% of the federal poverty level

Transcript Highlights:

• Our income inequality in Louisiana is the fourth highest.
• Our income inequality in Louisiana is the fourth highest.
• , sometimes you've got to have the next level up.
• Limiting income forces people to create their own income, which is what I meant when I said...
• Limiting income forces people to create their own income, which is what I meant when I said many parents

Committee: Senate Local & Municipal Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• roadblocks at the state level.
• Faculty are fighting to retain academic freedom, to have that level of free speech.
• days, but also at the college level... ...you know, we have a student trustee.
• I think that's the next level of the work.
• That are reshaping how education works at every level.

Summary: The Assembly Higher Education Committee held an oversight hearing on how federal actions are affecting California higher education, with opening remarks from the chair and members emphasizing the importance of state-federal shared governance and the need to protect access, affordability, and campus diversity. The first panel included leaders from the CSU, University of the Pacific, California Community Colleges, and UC, who described broad impacts from federal grant terminations, changes to student aid, loan limits, visa and immigration policy, and proposed reductions to research support. Testimony focused on the elimination of Grad PLUS loans, caps on Parent PLUS and Pell-related changes, the loss or suspension of hundreds of grants, and the resulting harm to student support services, research, workforce pipelines, food assistance, and health care training. UC and CSU representatives warned of major losses in research funding, indirect cost reimbursement, and student opportunities, while community college leaders highlighted uncertainty around federal grants and the need to maintain services for low-income, first-generation, undocumented, and other vulnerable students. Committee members asked how the state could respond, including through intersegmental partnerships, dual enrollment, transfer pathways, and support for basic needs and nutrition programs. Witnesses said California could help by sustaining financial aid, protecting minority-serving institution programs, and investing in research, housing, and workforce development. Several speakers stressed that federal changes were creating instability for students and campuses, and that the effects would likely be long-lasting, especially in health care, teaching, STEM, and social work pipelines. A second panel then focused on equitable access. The California Student Aid Commission described state efforts such as the $3.9 billion investment in aid programs, the Cal Grant system, the Dream Act, and possible reforms to better serve adult learners, foster youth, undocumented students, and students with dependents. The Los Angeles Community College District reported that federal cuts and policy shifts are discouraging students from applying for aid, threatening TRIO and MSI/HSI-funded services, and reducing support for basic needs, counseling, and workforce programs. The Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities and the CSU Academic Senate echoed concerns about FAFSA confusion, international student restrictions, grant losses, and the erosion of equity-focused programs. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken during the hearing; the committee primarily received testimony and discussed possible state responses.

Transcript Highlights:

• a clear county-level obligation and a defined response timeline.
• It was based on assumptions about the sufficiency of income from hours worked, which can be incorrect
• It was based on assumptions about the sufficiency of income from hours worked, which can be incorrect
• Disaggregated by race and income.
• levels, and language groups?

Committee: House Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• So we allow them to choose different bedroom sizes and AMI levels.
• So in rural areas, in particular, households with incomes below 50% of area median income can purchase
• level.
• So that they can go up to serving that middle-income level. So what does, next slide, please?
• Requires 250% of an area median income.

Committee: Senate Housing

Summary: The committee heard presentations on several housing finance and permitting tools. Chattanooga described its payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) affordable housing program, which ties property tax abatements to the number and affordability level of units provided, using a calculator based on market rents and HUD affordability levels. Senators asked about the 15-year term, auditing, and whether the program was attracting private market-rate developers; the presenter said the first mixed-income project would include 278 units with 42 affordable units and that annual compliance monitoring is conducted. Shoreline then described its MFTE and inclusionary housing approach, emphasizing that longer 20-year exemptions helped make projects pencil out and that most recent development has clustered around light rail station areas; city staff said they will study whether the program should be adjusted further and noted the importance of the new state inclusionary housing law. The Department of Commerce and MRSC discussed tax increment financing, proportional impact fees, and the CHIP program. Commerce explained that TIF can fund public improvements such as roads, utilities, parks, broadband, and some affordable housing or child care facilities, but jurisdictions should only use it when development is likely to occur and the public benefit justifies the investment. On impact fees, Commerce said fees should be proportional to the actual infrastructure demand of a project and based on capital facility plans; it also noted that fee reductions for affordable housing must be backfilled through CHIP. Senators asked for more information on CHIP funding levels, project selection, and how much of it supports affordable housing. Commerce also presented the first annual permit-timelines report under the 2023 permitting reforms, saying 2024 data showed timelines still exceeding statutory goals and that future reports will examine factors such as paper versus electronic processing and local reform efforts. Auburn and Bellevue highlighted local permitting innovations. Auburn said it has moved to fully electronic review, uses MyBuildingPermit.com, has internal performance standards, and offers a stock-plan program that can cut later review to about a week; staff said most stamped plans still require at least two review cycles and that the city is watching how middle-housing code changes affect development. Bellevue described a pilot with GovStream AI to use artificial intelligence for pre-application assistance, document triage, and plan-review support, with the goal of reducing back-and-forth and improving application quality. Finally, Seattle presented a pilot for accessory dwelling unit co-development in which a mission-driven partner would finance, build, and manage backyard ADUs for homeowners, with the owner eventually buying out the partner; senators raised questions about rent-setting, management fees, liability, and what happens if a homeowner sells early. The committee also heard from community land trust representatives, who explained how ground leases and resale restrictions keep homes permanently affordable and allow public subsidies to serve multiple generations.

Transcript Highlights:

• To low-income families to help purchase diapers.
• Our most popular level of coverage is silver plans.
• Under this scenario, our enrollees with income under 400% of the federal poverty level.
• We'll receive less premium support, and our enrollees with income over 400% of the federal poverty level
• These are low-income Californians with income slightly above $100,000.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill requires that housing projects include units of all income levels by saying it must include
• levels.
• Specifically, it clarifies that housing projects must be for extremely low-income households with incomes
• However, full-time workers at all income levels lose hundreds of dollars in wages each year to this tax
• At the federal level, the U.S.

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on a series of housing, education, workforce, and court-related bills. On Substitute Senate Bill 5884, staff described changes to a sales and use tax deferral for redeveloping vacant or underused land into affordable housing, including broader eligible property definitions and lower affordability thresholds in designated areas. Testimony was mixed: builders opposed language they feared could encourage project labor agreements, while Spokane and Kent representatives supported the bill but asked for flexibility on affordability mix requirements. On Senate Bill 6256, which expands a property tax exemption for nonprofit low-income rental housing to include certain co-located community uses during construction and extends the pre-construction exemption period, testimony was strongly supportive from housing nonprofits and local housing partners, with questions focused on clawback provisions. The committee also heard Substitute Senate Bill 6027, which expands allowable uses of local housing and supportive housing sales tax revenue, adjusts a REET exemption timeline, broadens emergency housing definitions, and changes use of the Affordable Housing for All account. County, housing, and nonprofit witnesses said the bill would help preserve housing and services amid federal funding uncertainty, though Snohomish County asked for an amendment to allow rental assistance. Substitute Senate Bill 6018 would revise the Housing Finance Commission’s authority, including direct lending and bond counsel terms; commission staff said it would modernize outdated restrictions and improve financing flexibility. Substitute Senate Bill 6028 would create a revolving loan fund for mixed-income homeownership projects; supporters said it would help smaller infill projects pencil, while staff noted the loans would be subordinate and carry some risk. Later, the committee heard Senate Bill 6275 on the community reinvestment program, which would require periodic plan updates, reporting, and a WSIPP study, while also expressing legislative intent to continue at least $100 million annually in the account. Advocates, workforce groups, legal aid providers, and small business owners testified that the program supports communities harmed by past disinvestment and should be made permanent and more accountable. Substitute Senate Bill 5961 would move the Imagination Library program from DCYF to OSPI; early literacy advocates and local partners supported the transfer as better aligned with school readiness. Substitute Senate Bill 5969 would integrate IEP transition plans with high school and beyond plans, and a prior critic said amendments addressed her concerns. Second Substitute Senate Bill 5292 would shift PFML premium rate-setting to the annual actuarial report and raise the reserve target; labor and industry witnesses supported the change, while a policy group opposed the program’s costs. The committee also heard Senate Bill 5868 to add one superior court judge each in Skagit and Yakima counties. Judges and county officials testified that caseloads, population growth, and backlogs justify the additions, and county leaders said they had already budgeted for their share. Finally, Substitute Senate Bill 5827 would allow service members to use pre-discharge certification to claim veterans’ civil service preference; the sponsor said it would solve a timing problem for transitioning service members. No votes or final committee actions were taken in the transcript, as the meeting consisted of bill briefings and public testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• Not affordable in terms of no more than 30% of your... ...income for lower-income people.
• This is help for low-income, hence the L in LIHTC, the low income for seniors and veterans.
• This is help for low-income, hence the L in LIHTC, the low-income for seniors and veterans.
• My last point is that we always focus on the income levels for our residents.
• These income levels in a small town are $20,000 to $40,000 a year. ...$20,000 to $40,000 a year household

Committee: House House Rural Economic Development Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee began with short video presentations highlighting historic sites in Prescott, including the Arizona Pioneer Home and the Charlotte Hall Museum/First Territorial Governor’s Mansion, with members discussing the value of showcasing district landmarks and rural history. The committee then took up HB 2804, a bill to create a state rural development and housing tax credit tied to the federal low-income housing tax credit for projects in counties under 800,000 population. Supporters, including the Flagstaff mayor and several affordable-housing developers, said the bill would help finance rural and workforce housing, especially for seniors, veterans, and low-income residents, while opponents from the Arizona Free Enterprise Club argued the program is inefficient, hard to police, and benefits intermediaries more than residents. Members debated the policy at length, but the bill was ultimately passed on a 7-0 vote with a due pass recommendation. The committee then considered HB 2388, which would appropriate unspecified funds to the Arizona Commerce Authority to study the economic benefits of small modular reactors and data centers for the state and local governments. The sponsor described it as a study bill to gather information on a topic already drawing significant attention, and a representative from the Libre Initiative supported it as a way to assess workforce and economic opportunities. Members discussed possible amendments, including adding data on utility-rate impacts and other costs, and the sponsor said she was open to that conversation. The bill passed on a 6-1 vote, with one member opposed and others expressing support contingent on possible amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• New York resident income.
• I grew up in Section 8, low-income housing.
• The mixed-income program, which I had ...where he said similar to the mixed-income program.
• The mixed income program in 2025 created over 23rd. one-stop shop.
• Many of us are living on a fixed, modest income. We are not wealthy.

Transcript Highlights:

• Currently, that means they have a household income at or below 36% of the state median income.
• Currently, that means they have a household income at or below 36% of the state median income.
• level is at or below 50% of the state median income and the child meets at least one specified risk
• level.
• I've been committed to advocacy on this issue at both the federal level and at the state level.

Bills: HB2099 , HB2317 , HB2318 , HB2350

Committee: House Early Learning & Human Services

Keywords: military families, early childhood education, access, assistance program, education equity, HB2317, early learning, child care licensing, day care, preschool, Head Start, DCYF, Department of Children, Youth, and Families, Washington State, RCW 43.216, child care center, family home provider, family child care, outdoor nature-based child care, school-age child care

Transcript Highlights:

• So just to level set and remind people...
• changes with income.
• About half of the drivers in this sample had relatively low incomes, so half the drivers had incomes
• What it’s showing, though, is income over one year. So it’s annual income. Okay, repeat that.
• The graph is showing annual income. The graph is showing annual income, so four quarters of income.

Bills: SJM8016 , SB6230 , SB5234 , SB6081 , SB6265 , SB6170 , SB6131 , SB6155 , SB6176 , SB6238 , SB6253 , SB6311 , SB6032 , SB6262

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: bridge repair, infrastructure, emergency funding, transportation, public safety, cash transactions, pennies, currency, economic efficiency, financial regulation, snowmobile, snowmobile registration, vehicle registration fees, registration fee, Department of Licensing, DOL, recreational vehicles, winter recreation, vintage snowmobile, parks and recreation

Transcript Highlights:

• Actually, not really. people that are lower income.
• We were way below the poverty level.
• I'm talking very low income. get my degree, I'd join the military.
• And I see that the average income for those who are.
• At this level of research. This level of research could be instrumental. Do we really do?

Bills: HB3032 , HB3434 , HB3574 , HB5339 , HB5646

Committee: House Higher Education

Keywords: nursing education, clinical sites, health facilities, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, legislative study, healthcare training, tuition, financial assistance, higher education, public institutions, student support, nonresident students, Texas Education Code, resident tuition, scholarships, regenerative agriculture, grants, sustainable farming, soil health, bioremediation

Transcript Highlights:

• There's a huge gap between high-income districts and low-income districts in FAFSA completion rates,
• Research has also found that the gap between High-income districts and low-income districts narrows after
• levels.
• levels.
• level.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Higher Education

Summary: The Joint Committee on Higher Education held its first hearing and heard testimony on a wide range of bills, including hunger-free campuses, FAFSA completion, early college/college-in-high-school programs, banning legacy preferences, AP credit consistency, and tuition equity for the Stockbridge School of Agriculture. Committee leaders opened by outlining the hearing process and noting the three-minute testimony limit. Legislators and advocates generally framed the bills as equity and access measures aimed at improving college affordability, student success, and workforce development. Representative Vargas testified for H. 1466 and H. 1467, arguing that hunger-free campus should be codified because many public college and community college students face food insecurity, and that FAFSA completion should be improved through individualized outreach and an opt-out or completion requirement. Senator Lovely, the Greater Boston Food Bank, and other advocates supported the hunger-free campus bill, citing data that 44% of public university and community college students experienced food insecurity in 2023 and that food insecurity harms graduation rates. Femi Stoltz and Shanti Lopez Toro backed the FAFSA bill, saying many students miss out on Pell grants and need direct support; they pointed to state examples such as Louisiana and to recent state action requiring FAFSA awareness. Committee members asked about the federal FAFSA rollout, regional equity in food access, and the need for long-term funding and data collection. A large panel supported H. 1455 on college and high school/early college, including former Chair Roy, the Massachusetts Alliance for Early College, a student graduate, MBAE, and Tripp Jones. They described early college as a proven model that helps low-income and first-generation students, improves degree attainment, and supports workforce needs; witnesses said the goal is to scale from about 9,000 students and 55 partnerships toward 22,000 to 25,000 students by 2030, with possible future growth beyond that. Members raised questions about funding, public-private partnerships, parental involvement, faculty development, and whether the bill should include data review and more standardized policies across institutions. Representative Garcia also testified for H. 1432 on AP credit, saying students should receive consistent credit for AP scores of 3, 4, or 5. Senator Edwards and James Murphy testified for the legacy preference ban, arguing it is unfair and rooted in exclusionary history; they said some states have already banned legacy preferences in public and private institutions. Finally, UMass Dean Michael Fox, alumnus Dan Mayer, and student Jake Rasmussen supported S. 920 to include Stockbridge associate degree programs in MassEducate, saying tuition equity would help enrollment and support Massachusetts agriculture and green-industry jobs.

Transcript Highlights:

• allows many working families to remain off the income tax rolls.
• We do have my favorite, the Earned Income Tax Credit.
• Would you please state your name, organization, and your support level?
• Would please state your name, organization, and your support level?
• Entity tax, which allows individuals with business income to pay that income through their business corporation

Committee: Senate Revenue and Taxation

Summary: The committee heard several tax and revenue-related bills. SB 1277, by Senator Grove, proposed a California Cost of Living Tax Credit modeled on the 2022 middle-class tax refund to provide direct relief to low- and middle-income Californians facing high housing, fuel, and utility costs. Supporters argued it would help families struggling with affordability, while opponents, including the California Tax Reform Association and CTA members, said California’s tax system already provides relief and that the bill would reduce General Fund revenue and harm schools. After extended debate, the bill was put on call and later failed on a 1-4 vote, though reconsideration was granted. SB 1287, by Senator Retado, would create a performance-based tax credit for short-line rail investments; supporters said it would improve freight efficiency, safety, emissions, and rural access, while opponents preferred direct grants. The bill was placed on call and later passed 5-0 to Transportation. SB 1407, by Senator Archuleta, would exempt military retirement pay and survivor benefits from state taxes; the author, State Treasurer Fiona Ma, and veterans’ groups said it would help retain veterans and their economic contributions in California, while CTA and CTRA opposed on General Fund grounds. The bill passed 5-0 to Military and Veterans Affairs. SB 1349, by Senator Gonzalez, would direct the LAO to review major tax expenditures for effectiveness and impacts on schools and the budget; CTA and CTRA supported it as a way to increase accountability, and it passed 4-1 to Governmental Organization. SB 1120, by Senator McNerney, would extend the California Competes Tax Credit through 2035 and make credits refundable for certain strategic industries; business and industry witnesses said this would help startups and manufacturers monetize credits and attract investment, and it passed 5-0 to Appropriations. SB 1275, also by Senator McNerney, proposed converting the state sales tax on vehicle purchases into a deductible vehicle license fee to reduce Californians’ federal tax burden; the LAO provided technical testimony, and the bill passed 4-0 to Transportation. The committee also heard SB 1078, by Senator Laird, to let Santa Cruz County voters consider a temporary local tax increase for health and safety-net services, but it was put on call. Later, the committee returned to SB 1314, by Senator Min, addressing youth tobacco and illicit smoke shop sales, but the transcript cuts off before final action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• The low-income housing tax credit projects can serve up to 30% AMI, which is the extremely low-income
• We are projecting that household income growth is going to be in the extremely low and the very low income
• Household income growth is going to be in the extremely low and the very low income categories primarily
• Well, I just want one, because you're looking at the income level is just one piece of this conversation
• Activity levels. Senator Thompson. Mr.

Summary: The committee met as the Regulatory Division of the budget section and received updates on several Industrial Commission-related agencies and programs. Legislative Council first reviewed base budget materials, then the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency reported on its current appropriation and staffing, noting that its new FTEs were being filled gradually and that it remained largely funded through special and federal funds. Agency leaders described homeownership lending, loan servicing, and housing incentive fund activity, including below-market mortgage rates, down payment assistance, and a growing servicing portfolio that has increased workload but not yet required additional FTEs. Housing Finance also detailed use of the Housing Incentive Fund and homeless grant dollars. Officials said the multifamily HIF round drew more than $73 million in requests and awarded $25 million, while the single-family program supported rural development and community land trusts. Homeless grant funding was split between emergency shelter, prevention, and rapid rehousing, with performance-based scoring used to renew or reallocate awards. Members discussed housing affordability, aging households, rental assistance, and the need to coordinate housing and site-preparation messaging with Commerce. The agency asked that HIF, single-family, and homeless funding be maintained or increased in the next session. The Department of Mineral Resources then presented its budget and operations update. Staff said the agency was on track financially, had filled most of its new reclamation FTEs, and was not expecting major litigation costs beyond normal late-biennium invoices. The director reviewed agency initiatives including Project North Star IT modernization, organizational restructuring, succession planning, rulemaking, and implementation of the development incentive well tax program and critical minerals rules. He also discussed oil and gas activity, explaining that longer laterals, especially three- and four-mile wells and the first five-mile spacing case, are helping keep production relatively flat even as rig counts ease. Members asked about gas capture, hedging, break-even prices, and the effects of Iran and Venezuela on oil markets. The committee also heard about enhanced oil recovery grants and the Pipeline Authority. The EOR program’s $25 million appropriation was fully allocated to six projects, with total awards reaching about $45.1 million when other fund balances were included, subject to a possible 5% reduction if federal DOE money does not materialize. Officials said the projects are public, reimbursement-based, and will produce results over the next several years. Finally, the Pipeline Authority outlined natural gas transmission projects, including the imminent Bakken Express line and the proposed Bakken East project, which WBI was selected to advance after an Industrial Commission RFI process. The project is moving through open season, survey permission, and regulatory work, with in-service dates projected for 2029 and 2030.