Transcript Highlights:

• Stable child care supports consistent employment for parents and reduces family stress.
• Stable child care supports consistent employment for parents, reduces family stress, and provides safe
• Stable, nurturing child care programs reduce the likelihood of later crisis and lower long-term public
• That reduces... ...more than $3 in benefit for every dollar invested.
• That reduces pressure on ERs, courts, schools, and future state budgets.

Summary: The committee met to hear presentations on possible uses of temporary Millennium Fund dollars for youth- and family-focused prevention programs. Members first approved the prior meeting minutes, then heard from the Idaho Children’s Trust Fund, which requested $682,000 for mid-sized grants to community organizations for child abuse prevention, parenting support, family resource centers, and school-based programs. The presenter emphasized the link between adverse childhood experiences and later substance use, and described the fund’s statewide grant-making process and current projects. Committee members asked about grant selection, funding sources, and how families are identified for services. The committee also heard from Children’s Bridge, which requested $3.5 million over four years to build a shared-services infrastructure for child care providers. The proposal focused on helping providers stabilize their businesses through software, coaching, shared purchasing, bookkeeping, and access to benefits such as health insurance and retirement plans. The presenter argued that child care is part of Idaho’s prevention infrastructure and said the model would transition toward earned income and employer support over time. Members asked about similar programs, infrastructure, and how the model would be sustained after 2029. Idaho Safety Assessment Centers requested $1 million to support 12 youth assessment centers that divert youth from court, ERs, and school discipline into screening, counseling, and family support. The presenter cited individual success stories and said the centers served more than 12,000 youth in a year, with an estimated return of more than $3 in benefits for every dollar invested. The committee also heard from the Idaho Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers, which requested $3 million in one-time bridge funding for 10 centers that conduct forensic interviews and coordinate child abuse investigations; members asked about coordination with state agencies and sustainability. Ross Edmunds of the Department of Health and Welfare requested $150,000 for a 10th recovery community center in Kamiah, explaining that the department already oversees nine centers through quarterly payments and reporting requirements. Finally, Representative Jordan Redman proposed a $5 million statewide drug-use awareness campaign using research, surveys, and targeted media buys; he said the campaign would be evaluated through impressions, reach, and frequency. No decisions were made, and the chair said the committee would return later to continue reviewing the requests, noting the fund is one-time money and that the governor’s recommendations and a $25 million request reduce the amount available.

Transcript Highlights:

• In short, limiting hydrocarbons does not reduce emissions from hazardous air pollutants.
• In short, limiting hydrocarbons does not reduce emissions from hazardous air pollutants.
• </c><03:15:39.800><c> regulational</c> unnecessary and duplicative regulational unnecessary and duplicative
• When we reduce an agency established to work for them, we fail them.
• When we reduce an agency established to work for them, we fail them.

Bills: HR189 , HJR42 , HJR61 , HR191

Keywords: censure, Congress, interruption, decorum, Representative Al Green, energy conservation, appliance standards, Department of Energy, consumer products, commercial equipment, regulation disapproval, HJR61, H.J.Res. 61, Public Law 119-14, Congressional Review Act, CRA, EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, air pollution, hazardous air pollutants

Transcript Highlights:

• At UC Davis, the College of Letters and Sciences now has a plan over the next three years to reduce the
• How do we avoid duplication, replication, and more chaos at the school level?
• How do we avoid duplication, replication, and more chaos at the school level?
• Today, the team at Social Services is continuously improving the tool and further reducing theft and
• The new solution will streamline billing operations, enhance data quality, reduce technical complexity

Summary: The subcommittee first heard a presentation on ongoing funding for the California Education Learning Lab. The Learning Lab described its intersegmental grant-making work with UC, CSU, and community college faculty, including projects on AI, math alignment, and open educational resources. The administration proposed moving the program’s administrative home from the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation to GovOps and restoring $4 million annually. The Department of Finance supported the proposal as a way to improve coordination, while the LAO recommended rejecting it, arguing the program is difficult to scale, overlaps with existing campus and segment-wide professional development, and could be wound down to save General Fund dollars. Senators split on the issue: some emphasized the program’s role in fostering innovation and cross-segment collaboration, while others questioned its measurable outcomes and whether it addresses problems rooted in K-12 preparation. The item was held open without a vote. The committee then considered funding for the new Office of Civil Rights within GovOps, created to implement AB 715 and SB 48. The proposal sought $3.5 million in 2026-27 and $2.8 million ongoing to staff the office, provide training and technical assistance to local educational agencies, and help track discrimination complaints through the Department of Education’s uniform complaint process. Finance said the office was being stood up administratively, but many positions were still unfilled; the LAO had no concerns and said the proposal simply implements recent legislation. Senators raised concerns about the office’s placement in GovOps, the lack of guidance while the office is not yet operational, the potential duplication with CDE processes, and whether staffing levels and coordinator roles match the volume and type of complaints. The department said it would adjust resources as workload becomes clearer and that first-year goals would include hiring staff, developing materials, and beginning outreach. The item was held open. After public comment and votes on several vote-only items, the committee heard from the Office of Data and Innovation on a request for five positions and $1.25 million in reimbursement authority. ODI said it uses data science, design, and engineering to improve state services, citing work on EBT theft detection and forecasting community water system outages. Finance had no comment, and the LAO supported the reimbursement model. Senators generally praised ODI’s small but high-impact role and asked about privacy safeguards for vendor AI tools; ODI said it uses state guardrails, enterprise contracts, and coordination with CDT to protect data. The item was held open. The Department of Technology then presented on the Middle-Mile Broadband Initiative, reporting progress on the 8,100-mile network, including 423 miles already complete and more than 70% permitted. CDT said it had selected Skyline Technology Solutions as operator and expected about 5,300 miles completed by December 2026, with some miles possibly slipping into 2027. The LAO noted most of the $3.8 billion appropriated has been encumbered, but raised concerns about the new three-party operating structure and long-term sustainability. Senators asked about accountability, the need for a two-year extension of liquidation authority, and whether revenues will cover operating costs. CDT said the extension is a precaution to allow for final reallocations if needed, that CDT retains ultimate responsibility, and that it expects the network to be self-sustaining over time through service revenues and lease arrangements. The department committed to continued reporting through annual reports, advisory committees, and briefings.

Transcript Highlights:

• Help me understand how this either doesn’t duplicate, it adds, you know, creates additive space, or fills
• Help me understand how this either doesn’t duplicate, it adds, you know, creates additive space, or fills
• Our ability to exercise our treaty rights and cultural lifeways has been drastically reduced, in part
• Aggressive revenue-motivated logging across public and private lands has reduced forests' ability to
• "For many of us, our harvest, especially for Chinook, has been reduced by 85% to 90% of what it was in

Summary: The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee heard public testimony on House Bill 2598, which would create a Salmon Advisory Commission made up of tribal leaders, state agencies, legislators, and local governments to develop recommendations on salmon and steelhead recovery. Prime sponsor Rep. Lekanoff described the bill as a way to bring executive, legislative, and tribal leaders together on salmon recovery and treaty obligations. Staff noted a fiscal note of roughly $35,000 in out years. Supporters emphasized salmon’s cultural and treaty importance and the need for coordinated leadership, while the lone public testifier, Todd Myers of Washington Policy Center, opposed the bill as another statewide layer of bureaucracy and argued that recovery efforts should focus more on local, watershed-level action. The committee noted 10 signed in pro, 886 con, and one other, but no vote was taken on the bill in the hearing. The committee then heard House Bill 2620, which would repeal the recently adopted Forest Practices Board rule expanding riparian buffers on non-fish-bearing streams and impose new standards for future riparian buffer rulemaking, including an economic viability standard for the timber industry and additional consensus and alternative-analysis requirements. Rep. Dent said the bill was intended to restore communication and collaboration in the forest practices process. Testimony was sharply divided. Tribal representatives and environmental advocates said the rule was the product of a long, science-based adaptive management process under the Forest and Fish framework and was needed to protect water quality, salmon habitat, and treaty rights; they argued the bill would undermine that process and conflict with Clean Water Act compliance. Forest industry and small forest landowner witnesses supported the bill, saying the process had lost trust, ignored alternatives, and imposed significant economic harm on rural communities and family tree farms. DNR and Ecology testified in opposition, saying the rule was based on science and that the bill would weaken water-quality protections and jeopardize HCP compliance. The committee recorded 592 signed in pro, 489 con, and one other, with no vote taken during the hearing. After the public hearings, the committee moved into executive session on five bills. Staff briefly described House Bill 2104, which would make permanent the Aviation Assurance Funding Program for wildfire response; House Bill 2348, a DNR request bill on land and material sales advertising; House Bill 2544, which would require an adjudication process for the Upper Columbia River with a proposed substitute; House Bill 2554, which would repeal Initiative 456 concerning state declarations on tribal natural resource management; and House Joint Memorial 4009, urging federal action on wildland firefighting consolidation. The committee then recessed briefly for caucus and began executive action, starting with a motion to report House Bill 2104 out of committee with a do pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• ..to identify where the pain points occur in a learner's journey and have them work on changes to reduce
• The proposed changes reduce confusion in the field, do not create additional reporting burdens on LEAs
• It would duplicate existing CDE... ...school inclusion targets.
• It would duplicate existing CDE-funded infrastructure that's already purpose-built for that work.
• bullying, as well as reduced litigation in our schools.

Summary: The committee heard an update on the administration’s Career Education Master Plan and the new California Education Interagency Council. Administration and agency staff described efforts to better connect K-12, higher education, workforce, and data systems, including the California Cradle to Career Data System, e-Transcript California, and a proposed career passport. They emphasized regional coordination with workforce boards and community colleges, and said the new council’s immediate tasks are to hold its first meeting by the end of June, enter into a data-sharing MOU, and complete a strategic plan by the end of November. Members asked about the council’s authority, reporting requirements, and how it would relate to the broader Master Plan for Higher Education; staff said the council will make recommendations but does not have implementation authority. The committee then took up the Governor’s proposed $100 million one-time expansion of dual enrollment grants and related changes to instructional minute requirements. Finance and the Department of Education said the proposal would support middle college, early college, and CCAP programs, add technical assistance, prioritize high-need LEAs, and reduce the minimum instructional day for certain dual enrollment students from 240 to 180 minutes to ease scheduling barriers. The Chancellor’s Office strongly supported the investment, citing access, acceleration, and equity benefits, while the LAO recommended rejecting the funding, arguing the state already provides ongoing support and that the proposal does not address major barriers. Members raised questions about adult learners, A-G alignment, reporting on outcomes and expenditures, rural access, transportation, staffing, and whether the funding would create lasting program capacity. The item was left open after discussion. The committee also considered trailer bill language to align the definition of long-term English learners across data systems. Finance and CDE said the change would simplify identification by defining LTELs as students who have not attained English proficiency within seven years and RTELs as students not proficient within six years, matching the dashboard and research-based timelines. CDE said the current mismatch between dashboard and assessment definitions creates confusion and delays, while some members and advocates worried the change could reduce earlier intervention or should be handled through policy committees rather than the budget process. The committee voted to reject the proposal and refer it to policy, though the administration said it still supports the budget language. Finally, the committee heard a proposal to extend the Supporting Inclusive Practices project by one year, through June 30, 2027. CDE said the project is promising but raised concerns about the contract structure and fiscal management, while Marysville Joint Unified School District testified that SIP had helped expand inclusive preschool and district-wide practices and reduce reliance on more restrictive placements. Members questioned why funds had not been fully encumbered and whether the remaining money should be redirected to areas with greater implementation need. The item was discussed but no final action was described in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• We also ...by Prop 12 also reduces the potential risk of future litigation.
• Repaying the fund would reduce the risk of future litigation.
• The declining number of state program participants also... ...reduce the risk of future litigation.
• So you can imagine it's very hard to reduce costs for a program like that.
• The final procurement item is to reduce required certifications.

Transcript Highlights:

• First, this is not a duplicative tax benefit.
• It reduces cancer risk. It improves cancer survivorship.
• It'll help by reducing peak demand, saving all Californians energy costs, and reducing power outages
• AB 1550 would help reduce that complexity and confusion for taxpayers.
• AB 1550 would help reduce that complexity and confusion for taxpayers.

Committee: House Revenue and Taxation

Transcript Highlights:

• REMAIN ENROLLED IN OUR ACADEMY WOULD COMMUTE FOR DAILY PRACTICES ALONE AND THIS WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE
• THIS GOOD BILL SENATE BILL 362 HELPS RENTERS BY ALLOWING THEM TO REUSE TENANT SCREENING REPORTS, REDUCE
• SUBMIT A SINGLE SCREENING SUPPORT TO MULTIPLE LANDLORDS WITHIN A 30 DAY PERIOD WITHOUT BEING CHARGED DUPLICATE
• POLICIES AND ENSURES THAT RENTERS, ESPECIALLY LOW INCOME FAMILIES ARE NOT BURDENED BY UNNECESSARY AND DUPLICATE

Transcript Highlights:

• At minimum, it reduces disease.
• By reducing naloxone access, we'll lose those opportunities.
• Now, there were duplicates, and I shouldn't have said different, because there actually were duplicates
• Now, there were duplicates, and I shouldn't have said different, because there actually were duplicates
• We actually did reduce the Missouri budget by about a billion dollars or so.

Committee: House Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Task Force

Transcript Highlights:

• . to identify where the pain points occur in a learner's journey and have them work on changes to reduce
• The proposed changes reduce confusion in the field, do not create additional reporting burdens on LEAs
• It would duplicate existing CDE... School inclusion targets.
• It would duplicate existing CDE-funded infrastructure that's already purpose-built for that work.
• bullying, as well as reduced litigation in our schools.

Transcript Highlights:

• In effect, this bill will help to reduce administrative burden.
• In effect, this bill will help to reduce administrative burden.
• Professional and applied doctorates that do not duplicate what's in the UC system.
• We should try to reduce barriers to students using libraries.
• So this, to me, is a... ...clear way to reduce barriers, reduce the barriers to access for libraries,

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• I know the analysis spoke about some duplicative inspections.
• The analysis spoke about some duplicative inspections, if you could share a little bit more on your,
• Chronic weight management can be related to reduced labor participation in terms of earnings, increased
• This would allow CalPERS, the largest state employer, and 29% of California adults to receive reduced
• They improve insulin sensitivity, reduce blood glucose, support healthy weight loss, and cut the risk

Committee: Senate Health

Transcript Highlights:

• of programs I'm not so much worried about the in-state stuff as I When I say duplication of programs
• And by having more dual credit, it reduces the indirect cost. You take that away?
• And by having more dual credit, it reduces the indirect cost. You take that away?
• So we duplicated the language that are in the other aid programs as a starting point for this discussion
• The Scholars Program in 2017, when there was the allocation, those funds were reduced, and we've been

Summary: The committee reconvened at North Dakota State College of Science for a presentation from President Dr. Flanagan and college leaders about NDSCS’s mission, enrollment growth, workforce training, and facilities needs. Flanagan highlighted student success in national competitions, strong placement and retention, growing enrollment, and new or expanding programs in aviation maintenance, fire science, dental hygiene, community health worker training, surgical technology, HVAC/plumbing, and precision agriculture. He also emphasized the college’s partnerships with industry, including John Deere, Fargo Jet Center, Sanford, and Comdel Innovation, and said NDSCS plans to seek approval next session for a revenue bond to build a new dorm and to remodel the library into academic and allied health space. Allied health dean Deb Smith testified that her division is at capacity and needs a simulation center, more lab and classroom space, and expanded dental and OTA facilities to meet demand and accreditation needs. Committee members questioned Flanagan and staff about workforce shortages, especially faculty pay, and whether the college can staff additional growth. Flanagan said the biggest challenge is recruiting instructors because industry pays more, but noted some health care and adjunct hiring is possible because of schedule flexibility and benefits. He also discussed shifting resources away from lower-demand programs like power sports toward higher-demand areas such as automotive and aviation maintenance. Members also asked about the college’s identity as a technical institution, with Flanagan arguing North Dakota would benefit from a more defined tech-school system. The committee then received a University System presentation from Jamie Wilkie on the cost of delivering dual credit. Wilkie explained the methodology used to allocate direct and overhead costs across subsidized and unsubsidized dual credit, noting that dual credit and early entry account for about 5.9% of total credit hours and 2.7% of formula funding. The analysis showed subsidized dual credit tuition revenue of about $5.5 million and unsubsidized revenue of about $2.9 million, with some institutions showing margins and others losses depending on the model. Members discussed whether K-12 funding should also be reflected, how payments to high schools and teachers are structured, and whether tuition-free dual credit would require replacing both tuition revenue and the current dual credit scholarship. No votes were taken; the committee simply received the presentations and discussed the findings.

Transcript Highlights:

• We did reduce some projects that were duplicated or that had unallocated authority.
• Do you know how much currently is in that fund, and if we reduce it by $3 million, are we going to be
• And this $3 million is non-duplicative.
• And this $3 million is non-duplicative. Modat will not, they don't have it anywhere.
• This $3 million is non-duplicative.

Transcript Highlights:

• 05.920><c> could</c> They leveraged AI and some Microsoft Power Apps workflow capabilities to greatly reduce
• gains, really productivity gains, for the operation of state services. capabilities uh to greatly reduce
• the capabilities uh to greatly reduce the amount<00:09:22.560><c> of</c><00:09:22.720><c> staff</c><
• </c><00:25:40.640><c> effort</c><00:25:40.880><c> that</c> are engaging in duplicative effort that are
• engaging in duplicative effort that you're<00:25:41.360><c> doing?

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> okay too bad you couldn't have reduced okay too bad you couldn't have reduced that<03:31:45.080>
• </c><03:51:54.439><c> the</c> reconfigured years ago reducing the reconfigured years ago reducing the
• </c><04:40:31.080><c> weight</c> leveraging technology to reduce weight leveraging technology to reduce
• </c> services to allow requests for duplicate services to allow requests for duplicate driver's<04:40
• </c> oriented which in in turn will reduce oriented which in in turn will reduce the<05:41:01.400><c>

Summary: The Department of Administrative Services presented its capital budget process and priorities, explaining that it maintains and operates 96 state buildings and uses annual facility walkthroughs, condition assessments, and rough cost estimates to rank projects for the governor’s capital budget. Officials described how requests are triaged, how the governor’s office and Public Works refine estimates, and how the resulting capital budget book serves as legislative intent for approved projects. They also noted that this year the governor’s office asked for estimates on all selected projects, which increased workload but reduced detail. The department highlighted several requested projects, including $1.5 million for the ERP system sustainability fund, which officials said is critical because the state is upgrading its core financial, HR, and budget system to the cloud. Other priorities included courthouse HVAC and boiler work, brick repointing at the State House annex/main building, window replacement at the Spalding building, and elevator replacement on the hospital campus. Officials also said the governor’s proposed capital budget included fewer DAS projects than in past years and asked the committee to consider funding closer to historic levels. The committee then reviewed lapse and reallocation items. DAS said most older projects are still in design, bid, or construction because projects now take four to six years rather than two to three, in part due to ARPA-related workload and post-COVID construction backlogs. Members discussed lapsing $81,000 from the completed Spalding roof project and redirecting small remaining balances from several 2019 projects toward the Hillsboro County South cell block project through the Capital Project Overview Committee. Officials also confirmed ARPA-funded projects are expected to be completed before the December 2026 deadline and explained that the ERP system is the main state IT exception outside DOIT’s usual centralized control, though it still requires DOIT consultation and approval.

Transcript Highlights:

• California's Uniform Commercial Code, bringing us in line with the vast majority of other states and reducing
• Uniform Commercial Code, bringing us in line with the vast majority of other states and reducing unnecessary
• to a missing middle initial, states are forced to file a separate financing statement, creating duplicative
• This small fix will eliminate redundant filings and unnecessary fees, reduce administrative burdens for

Committee: House Banking and Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• And so are you looking at that to make sure that we're not doing a duplicative or an end?
• And so what you're seeing there is, as you progress down, what our options are if we can't reduce as
• If we can't reduce as far as snow plowing, right? Mother Nature is going to dictate that.
• Douglas County is looking at possibly reducing the staff in each maintenance shed, which doesn’t seem
• Okinaw County is reducing and eliminating some level service on dirt roads, and I recognize dirt roads

Committees: Joint Transportation , Joint Joint Transportation Committee

Summary: The committee first heard an update on the Joint Transportation Committee study of transportation impacts if the Lower Snake River dams were removed. WSDOT and its consultant described the study as focused on transportation mitigation, not on whether dam removal should occur. They outlined geologic risk work on drawdown and erosion, identified vulnerable embankments and nearby roads, rail, and utilities, and explained a total logistics cost model used to compare base conditions and several future scenarios. Those scenarios included no-dam conditions with new unit-train terminals, short-line rail options, a combined “many solutions” scenario, and a future scenario still to be defined. Members asked about irrigation, impacts in Idaho and Oregon, port capacity, emissions, competition, EV trucks, and whether the model could test reduced grain volumes; staff said the model can estimate transportation changes and costs, but not broader farm-economics impacts. WSU’s independent review said the model had improved but still had limitations in spatial detail, routing accuracy, and testing, and that stakeholder engagement remained important though delayed by model development. No votes were taken. The committee then received an update on the alternative sidewalk funding study. Consultants said the study is in its early information-gathering phase, with a statewide survey of cities and counties, interviews, national research, and legal review of possible funding mechanisms. They described current sidewalk funding as fragmented, with grants, transportation benefit districts, levies, and some utility-tax allocations used in Washington, but no dedicated statewide source. They said the study is especially examining a possible sidewalk utility fee, while parcel taxes appear unlikely under Washington’s property-tax rules. Members asked whether any new mechanism would duplicate existing taxes, how a sidewalk fee would be collected, and whether development requirements for sidewalks count as dedicated funding; the consultants said the study is aimed at expanding local options rather than mandating adoption. Deliverables include a preliminary draft by mid-December, a “Sidewalks 101” document by year-end, and a final report by mid-June next year. The committee also heard a brief update on the ocean-going vessels at berth emissions study. Staff explained that the report is nearing completion and will be presented at the next JTC meeting. They highlighted federal Clean Air Act constraints, noting that Washington’s options are shaped by California’s waiver-based standards and that deviations from California’s vessel-at-berth rules could invite litigation. Staff said stakeholder outreach is underway and asked for any missing participants to be identified before the final report is issued. Finally, the committee began hearing from county representatives on local transportation challenges. The county engineers’ association emphasized ongoing collaboration with state agencies and local partners on issues such as fish passage barriers and infrastructure needs, but the presentation was cut off as the meeting moved on to the next item.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we're trying to avoid that expense and duplication of learning for our teachers.
• So we're trying to avoid that expense and duplication of learning for our teachers.
• So we're trying to avoid that expense and duplication of learning for our teachers.
• </c> state, this mostly would just reduce state, this mostly would just reduce kind<01:28:44.560><c>
• </c><01:39:08.880><c> those</c> same direction, but to reduce those same direction, but to reduce those

Bills: HF3635 , HF3638

Committee: House Education Policy

Keywords: teacher mobility, interstate compact, licensure, military spouses, education, teacher regulation, teacher qualifications, state sovereignty, educator licensing, paraprofessional credentials, mental health, professional development, data sharing

Transcript Highlights:

• It is now an integral part of our plan to reduce emissions.
• Reducing demand means we don't have to spend as much on expensive grid infrastructure again.
• energy use and customer bills, and reduces peak electric demand.
• Like Commissioner Mahoney said, 160 million megawatt hours that was reduced in 10 years.
• So if you want to solve, to reduce high energy burdens, you have to be in the community.

Committee: Senate Senate Committee on Climate Change and Global Warming

Summary: The committee held a hearing on the value of Mass Save, with opening remarks emphasizing that despite past criticisms the program has delivered major energy, cost, climate, and equity benefits. The chair cited large avoided system costs, strong benefit-cost ratios, and recent legislative changes that set emissions goals, restricted fossil-fuel equipment incentives, and increased focus on low- and moderate-income households. Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Elizabeth Mahoney testified that Mass Save has weatherized hundreds of thousands of homes, reduced bills, avoided emissions, and that the current plan includes budget controls after the DPU ordered $500 million removed from the approved budget. She said the governor’s proposal to have only electric utilities administer the program was intended to reduce administrative costs and align with current implementation trends. Members questioned Mahoney about what counts as marketing and administration, and she said the category includes traditional advertising as well as community-based outreach, customer resource centers, and other customer engagement work, much of it in low- and moderate-income communities. She said administrative and marketing costs are under 5% of the budget, while more than 80% goes to incentives and direct program delivery. Several witnesses then focused on workforce and contractor impacts. Dave Betcher of Abode Energy Management and Rick Taglienti of Rogers Insulation said Mass Save sustains small businesses, creates careers, and supports thousands of jobs; both warned that budget cuts would reduce hiring, training, and work in homes and businesses. They also described a broad ecosystem of suppliers, trainers, and service providers that depends on stable program funding. Other witnesses addressed cost-effectiveness, affordability, and emissions. Anna Johnson of ACEEE said Massachusetts remains a national leader, with Mass Save returning about $2.80 per dollar invested, reducing peak demand, and lowering bills for participants, especially through weatherization and heat pumps. Kyle Murray of Acadia Center said the program is statutorily required to be cost-effective and has avoided billions in supply and infrastructure costs for all ratepayers, including nonparticipants, by lowering overall demand and peak prices. Amy Boyd-Rabin of the Environmental League of Massachusetts argued that efficiency is the cheapest way to meet climate targets and that cutting the budget would force more expensive power generation. The hearing also featured testimony on equity and housing: Mary Wampo described historic under-service to renter-heavy and lower-income communities and said recent reforms, including designated equity communities and performance incentives tied to equity, are helping correct that imbalance; Brian Biot and James Collins of LEAN/ABCD described low-income delivery systems and wraparound services; Barney Heath and John Nannari said Mass Save incentives are essential to affordable housing, passive house construction, and keeping projects on time and on budget. The final witnesses highlighted Connected Solutions and electrification: Sunrun’s Bronte Payne said the virtual power plant program saved more than it cost and helps avoid peaker plants and grid upgrades, and Highland Electric Fleets’ Ben Sondaga said electric school buses can provide similar grid benefits while lowering transportation costs for districts.