Video & Transcript : 'Arizona Long Term Care System' :
Page 413 of 500
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
December 10, 2025 - 01:00 PM
Transcript Highlights:
- They had new modern use cases in terms of how you can use the system.
- Recognizing those challenges that we face are long-term.
- We feel toward building long-term staffing, stability under normal circumstances.
- And I mean, I think anybody who's dealing with long-term vacancies could answer this question.
- And so what I would say is that yes, those long term vacancies help us do our jobs much more quickly
MO
Transcript Highlights:
- This encourages collaboration of the health care systems, and modern health care works best with multiple
- This encourages collaboration of the health care systems, and modern health care works best with multiple
- So if we have a thousand members and we go to a health care system and say, hey, those thousand members
- contract with any health care provider willing to abide by the terms and conditions for participation
- I know the concerns on coverage and care is something that I know she cares very much about.
Committee:
House Insurance
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice Feb 25th, 2026
Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice
Transcript Highlights:
- As young citizens, that concerns us because we will live with the long-term effects of you guys' votes
- That's because we will live with the long-term effects of you guys' votes.
- I've known this for a long time.
- I've known this for a long time.
- I've known this for a long time.
Keywords:
security detail, protective detail, candidate protection, election security, statewide office, governor, lieutenant governor, cabinet officer, nominee, officer-elect, FDLE, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, primary election, general election, canvassing commission, political party, minor party, campaign safety, election protection, public safety
LA
Louisiana 2026 Regular Session
Senate and Governmental Affairs May 12th, 2026
Senate & Governmental Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- So you have been here a very long time today.
- And you kind of gave some numbers in terms of years, in terms of the last time we actually was able to
- Institutional racism is how inequities operate within systems like education, health care, housing, criminal
- At PJI, we see this system clearly because we fight it every single system.
- criminal legal system.
Committee:
Senate Senate & Governmental Affairs
Keywords:
redistricting, congressional districts, Louisiana, 2020 census, elections, precincts, voting, election, political representation, 2026 precincts, demographics, Louisiana congressional map, U.S. House, election districts, precinct shapefiles, Voting Districts, VTD, 2020 Census, 2026 Precinct Shapefiles, apportionment
FL
Transcript Highlights:
- Thank you for your loving care of our House.
- You don't care about the Constitution. You care about keeping a certain group of people in power.
- commences before the permit of the septic system is issued, then the property owner, system commences
- And so it's really important to emphasize the importance of this policy, but the long-term investments
- And so it's really important to emphasize the importance of this policy, but the long-term investments
Summary:
The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, quorum calls, and introductory remarks, including recognition of former Representative Ardian Zika and law enforcement officer of the day Representative Chuck Brannan. Members also unveiled a portrait of Speaker Daniel Perez, with extended remarks praising his leadership and the institution of the House. The Speaker then explained the process for taking up returning messages from the Senate, noting that the House would consider Senate amendments to bills already passed by both chambers.
The House first concurred in Senate amendments and passed CS/CS/HB 1503 on computer science education and certification, which adds computer science and artificial intelligence content to high school instruction and creates a teacher certification program, with implementation delayed to give the Department of Education time to develop curriculum. The chamber then considered CS/CS/HB 1085 on local government cybersecurity, adopting a House amendment to allow local governments to buy into the cyber grant program whether or not they receive a grant, add a five-year sunset, and keep the program under the Florida Digital Service rather than a university. The House concurred in the Senate amendment and passed the bill 104-1. Members also refused to concur in Senate amendments to CS/HB 351 on concurrent legislative jurisdiction over military installations and HB 6011 on reporting gifts or honoraria, sending both bills back to the Senate.
The most extensive debate centered on CS/CS/HB 1471, which would create a process for designating domestic terrorist organizations and related restrictions. Supporters said the Senate amendment clarified the definition of “promote,” refined notice and timeline requirements, and aligned the bill with federal-style procedures; opponents argued it lacked due process, could chill speech, and gave the governor and cabinet unprecedented power without adequate evidentiary standards or judicial review. Members also debated a related public records bill, CS/CS/HB 1473, which would exempt certain records tied to the designation process; critics said the exemption would further reduce transparency and due process. Despite objections, the House adopted the amendments and passed HB 1471 by 80-25, while the public records measure was taken up as a technical companion to align with the newly amended bill.
KY
Kentucky 2026 Regular Session
House Standing Committee on Postsecondary Education (2-3-26)
Postsecondary Education
Transcript Highlights:
- It would help, um, kind of alleviate some of the shortages in terms of health care.
- of a health care credential.
- Kentucky Healthc Care Workforce Kentucky Healthc Care Workforce Investment<00:02:38.480><c> Fund</c><
- </c><00:03:56.959><c> Um</c> shortages in terms of health care.
- Um shortages in terms of health care.
Committee:
House Postsecondary Education
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- Hawaii Health Systems Corporation. Edward True, not president, University of Hawaii system.
- </c> Hina MAA in support Hawaii Primary Care Hina MAA in support Hawaii Primary Care Association<00:24
- of quality of care.
- of quality of care.
- of quality of care.
Committee:
House Health
Summary:
The House Health Committee held its first hearing of 2025, with Chair Greg Takayama and Vice Chair Representative Leoy opening the meeting and outlining housekeeping rules, including a two-minute limit for testifiers and Zoom etiquette. The committee first heard HB 303 on health care preceptors. The Department of Health, Department of Taxation, University of Hawaiʻi, Hawaii State Center for Nursing, and several health care organizations supported the bill, saying the existing preceptor tax credit program has been successful and that expanding eligibility to additional professions and students would help address workforce shortages. In response to questions, the Department of Health said the annual tax credit cap is $1.5 million, about 650 to 670 credits are currently used each year, and the bill applies only to unpaid preceptors. The committee then moved on to HB 441, which would raise cigarette taxes. The Attorney General, Department of Health, University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center, Hawaii Public Health Institute, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, and others supported the measure as a way to reduce smoking, especially among youth, and to support tobacco control and cancer-related programs. Opponents, including the Taxpayers Protection Alliance and the Cigar Association of Hawaii, argued the tax is regressive and unreliable as a revenue source. The Department of Health noted the last cigarette tax increase was in 2011, and one witness urged a larger increase than proposed. No vote was taken on either bill in the portion of the hearing provided.
The committee also heard HB 557 on telehealth. The Department of Health supported the bill so long as it did not displace executive budget priorities, and the Hawaii State Health Planning and Development Agency and Hawaii Primary Care Association supported it. HPCA said the bill would conform state insurance law to recent Medicare changes expanding audio-only telehealth coverage beyond mental health services, and it emphasized access for rural residents, kupuna, and people with disabilities. HMSA opposed the bill as written, saying it strayed from the intent of Act 107 and that audio-only telehealth should remain limited because of quality-of-care concerns, though it supported continued access and asked for a different amendment approach. A telehealth provider also testified that payment disparities limit provider expansion and that audio-only access remains important for patients with serious illness. The hearing ended in the excerpt before any committee action or vote on HB 557.
HI
Hawaii 2026 Regular Session
WAM, WAM-EDT, WAM-WLA, WAM, WAM Public Hearings 03-05-2026
Transcript Highlights:
- Now, let's look at what the needs are and maintain that for the long term.
- And in five, eight years, depending on what happens, I think it's going to be a long term.
- Now, let's look at what the needs are and maintain that for the long term.
- And in five, eight years, depending on what happens, I think it's going to be a long term.
- These include common-sense measures such as reducing long-term vacancies, cutting redundant or duplicative
Summary:
The committees took up several measures, with most action focused on SB 3125 relating to income tax changes. The chair explained a proposed SD1 that would preserve standard deduction increases and keep tax relief for working- and middle-class households while removing future bracket adjustments for higher-income filers. The Department of Taxation estimated roughly a $122 million gain from the bracket changes, about a $600 million loss from extending certain credits, and about $145 million in claimed credits under the repeal provisions, for a rough net gain of about $250 million. Testimony was mixed: the Governor’s office and DOTAX supported the intent with technical corrections; the Hawaii State Energy Office and several advocates supported the revenue approach; while Grassroots Institute and others opposed rolling back promised tax relief. Renewable energy and solar representatives opposed repeal of credits affecting their industries, and nonprofit witnesses urged preserving state capacity to fund housing, education, food security, and other services. The chair recommended adoption of the proposed SD1 with additional amendments, and the recommendation was adopted with reservations noted by some members.
The committees also acted on SB 3169 relating to coastal resilience, SB 2001 relating to the Banyan Drive Community Development District, and SB 3334 concerning deputy superintendent positions. SB 3169 was amended to incorporate Oceanit’s recommendation regarding native burrow sites, make technical changes, and delay the effective and repeal dates; the recommendation passed. SB 2001 was recommended to pass with HCDA amendments, a July 1, 2050 effective date, and additional technical changes, with the committee report to note continued desire for community engagement from descendants; one member expressed concern that lineal descendants should have a more direct role, and the measure was adopted with reservations. SB 3334 was reconsidered to add a blank general fund appropriation to establish two FTEs in the superintendent’s office for deputy superintendent positions; members raised reservations about the role of the Board of Education in evaluations, but the recommendation was adopted.
Several other bills were moved with little or no discussion. SB 2338, SB 2431, SB 2438, SB 2593, and SB 2671 were each recommended to pass unamended and were adopted. SB 2662 was recommended to pass with technical amendments based on SPO testimony, with the committee report reflecting concerns raised by the Attorney General and ERS; it was adopted. SB 2563 was deferred indefinitely after testimony from the Statewide Office of Homelessness and Housing Solutions said similar existing programs could address the bill’s concerns and the measure was not needed at this time. SB 3296 was deferred because a House bill on the same subject was already moving over.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- in our foster care system, $35.2 million to establish a residential treatment facility to treat the
- legislation that are punitive, that create these guardrails, that aren't actually helping kids, the long-term
- The long-term implications of this bill, I promise you, will come back to haunt us in the sessions that
- term.
- And then when we went to the teachers, the teachers didn't care. The teachers didn't care.
Summary:
The House met in a late-session floor session that began with prayer, pledges, quorum, and a series of excused absences and Senate messages reporting action on numerous bills, conference committee appointments, and conference reports. Members also adopted a memorial resolution honoring Mark James Hanna, a Capitol lobbyist and advocate for nurses, and a congratulatory resolution for Rishi Tarumalasetti, an eighth-grade civics bee winner from Katy. The chamber also received and recorded a parliamentary colloquy about an unusual Senate request on SB 293, with the Chair stating the House could not recede from only part of its amendments and could not suspend the rules because the bill had not been returned from the Senate.
The bulk of the session was devoted to taking up conference committee reports and related procedural resolutions, especially the state budget. The House adopted a resolution allowing the SB 1 conferees to go outside the normal bounds, then adopted the SB 1 conference report on a 107-21 vote. Debate on the budget centered on public education funding, tax relief, health care, corrections pay, and judicial compensation, with supporters calling it a responsible compromise and opponents arguing it was overly expansive and insufficient on property tax relief. The House also adopted a technical correction resolution tying judicial pay increases in SB 1 to the House version of SB 293, and members discussed at length the relationship between judicial salaries and legislative pensions.
The chamber then adopted a long series of conference reports on measures covering topics such as school library review and book challenges (SB 13), SNAP restrictions on sweetened drinks and candy (SB 379), hospital price transparency (SB 331), nursing home accountability (SB 457), school district personnel compensation conflicts (HB 3372), property notice rules (HB 2011), research and development tax credits (SB 2018), and several other bills affecting elections, permits, education, and criminal justice. Most reports passed by wide margins, though some drew significant opposition, especially SB 13 and SB 379. The House also granted several Senate requests for conference committees and introduced additional resolutions to suspend conferee limits on various bills as the session moved toward adjournment.
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security Feb 11th, 2025
Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security
Transcript Highlights:
- Take care. Can we do, like, a roast of her? We could.
- Any videos more long? No, I don't see this. This is the thing. I fully, Mr.
- And the intent is to build out the spaceport system just as it sounds, as a network, as a system that
- That's about a 30% increase year over year in terms of numbers of projects.
- engineering, material science, robotics, and environmental science, all... ...which are necessary for long-term
Summary:
The committee met to hear presentations on Florida’s space economy and related infrastructure. SpaceX Vice President Kiko Donchev described the company’s Florida operations, launch cadence, reusable rocket program, Starlink service, and plans for future Starship activity at the Cape. Senators asked about Florida employment, expansion plans, satellite lifetimes, disaster-relief uses of Starlink, and recreational connectivity; members also praised SpaceX’s hurricane response and broader public benefits. Donchev said SpaceX’s Florida workforce has grown to about 1,600 and that the company hopes to add Starship pads and continue expanding in the state.
The committee then recognized Commander Dennis Baker for his military service and veteran advocacy, including his leadership of the Florida Veterans Foundation, grant work, the Walk of Honor, and the Gadsden Flag license plate program. Members highlighted that revenue from the plate helps fund veterans’ dental care and noted upcoming dental services for veterans in Volusia County. Baker received a flag flown over the Capitol and a framed gubernatorial proclamation.
Newview CEO Clint Grumman presented the company’s commercial satellite LiDAR mapping system, describing its Lake Nona headquarters, Florida ownership, planned jobs, and applications for infrastructure planning, environmental monitoring, and disaster response. He said the company’s satellite data could improve accuracy and lower costs, and noted partnerships including a Department of Defense contract and a European Space Agency moon-mapping effort. Space Florida then outlined its role as the state’s aerospace finance and business development authority, emphasizing its pipeline of projects, spaceport improvement program, workforce academy, and efforts to address infrastructure constraints and seek tax-exempt bond authority for spaceports. NASA’s Kelvin Manning closed with an update on Kennedy Space Center, highlighting Artemis progress, rising launch demand, commercial partnerships, economic impact, and the Florida University Space Research Consortium. No bills were voted on, and the meeting adjourned after comments from members.
AR
Arkansas 2026 Regular Session
LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING-MEDICAID SUBCOMMITTEE Feb 12th, 2026
LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING-MEDICAID SUBCOMMITTEE
Transcript Highlights:
- So for our delivery system, Medicaid delivery system can be done in several different ways.
- Long-term care also has a medical determination, for example.
- Then you have your long-term supports and services, which cover two waivers for independence and living
- We now can also prosecute neglect in long-term care facilities.
- We can prosecute abuse in long-term care facilities.
Summary:
The Medicaid Subcommittee of the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee met to adopt the November 2018 minutes and receive a primer on the subcommittee’s role and Medicaid oversight in Arkansas. Legislative audit staff reviewed the subcommittee’s history and explained that Medicaid is audited annually through the statewide single audit because it is a high-risk federal program. Staff summarized recent audit findings, including weaknesses in eligibility and data-matching controls, improper use of Medicaid funds for partially non-Medicaid work, issues with incarcerated juveniles’ coverage, the absence of a Medicaid recovery audit contractor program exception request, reporting problems involving MFCU recoveries, and provider eligibility documentation concerns. Staff also noted a DHS departmental audit finding involving employees who improperly received benefits, which was referred for further action.
The Department of Human Services gave an overview of Medicaid’s structure, eligibility, delivery systems, and budget. DHS described Arkansas Medicaid as covering about 850,000 people through fee-for-service, managed care, and premium assistance for the expansion population, and outlined major spending categories such as institutional care, long-term services, pharmacy, capitated payments, and supplemental payments. DHS also explained the difference between state plan amendments and waivers, and said it has a beneficiary-fraud unit that refers cases to local prosecutors.
The Office of Medicaid Inspector General described its role in detecting and preventing fraud, waste, and abuse, distinguishing between suspensions for credible allegations of fraud and recovery actions for mistakes or overpayments. OMIG said it works with DHS and law enforcement, issues quarterly and annual reports, and has increased recoveries in recent years. The Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit explained that it prosecutes provider fraud criminally and civilly, can also handle long-term care neglect, abuse, and exploitation cases, and works with local prosecutors as special deputies. Committee members asked about court venue, provider suspensions, beneficiary fraud, education of providers, and the status of Medicaid expansion work requirements; DHS said it is preparing to implement community engagement requirements under HR 1 and will begin with a soft launch before full enforcement. No formal votes were taken beyond adoption of the minutes, and the meeting adjourned after questions were answered.
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Feb 24th, 2026 at 08:00 am
Early Learning & K-12 Education
Transcript Highlights:
- , a system. to Wilson sort of mentioned, create a system, a standards, so that when our students need
- The term writing's not defined in the bill. The term writing is not defined in the bill.
- I'm just a systems thinker.
- Mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral problems can cause several long-term effects for students
- It aligns with Washington Thriving and advances a more connected system of care for children where they
Committee:
Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- Care Act in terms on with the Affordable Care Act in terms of<00:10:14.480><c> immigrant</c><00:10:15.040
- And really, long term, we all know that the whole thing we have even right now is a patchwork.
- We see that particularly with our long-term care facilities.
- </c><02:15:12.560><c> Uh</c> with our long-term care facilities.
- Uh with our long-term care facilities.
Summary:
The joint informational briefing by the Health and Human Services and Commerce and Consumer Protection committees focused on projected impacts to Hawaii consumers from federal changes affecting Med-QUEST and the ACA marketplace, including the loss of ACA premium tax credits, OBVA/HR1-related Medicaid changes, immigrant eligibility restrictions, and new Medicaid work/community engagement requirements. Committee members noted the meeting was being streamed live and emphasized the need to explain potential coverage losses affecting a significant share of the state population.
Med-QUEST administrators reported current enrollment at 390,766, about 27% of Hawaii’s population, and broke that down into major groups including roughly 128,000 ACA expansion adults and about 52,000 parent/caretaker relatives. They said the expansion adult population would be most affected by the new federal requirements, which will shorten renewal periods from 12 months to 6 months and impose community engagement rules beginning in late 2026 and 2027. They described the work requirement as 80 hours per month of work, community service, work program participation, or half-time education, with an income-based pathway tied to $580 per month at the federal minimum wage; they also noted a long list of exemptions, but said many details are still awaiting federal guidance and rulemaking.
The administrators said federal changes to immigrant eligibility would eliminate Medicaid coverage for certain noncitizen categories, with an estimated 1,200 to 2,400 people affected, though about 200 may remain covered through a state-funded program for otherwise eligible individuals. They also said marketplace subsidies would no longer be available for some immigrants under 100% of the federal poverty level starting January 1, 2026, with further restrictions expected in 2027. For Hawaii overall, they estimated the new Medicaid work and renewal rules could push an additional 19,000 to 38,000 people into uninsured status, with another estimated 6,000 at risk from the six-month renewal process alone. Members asked about how exemptions would be determined, especially for medically frail and seriously mentally ill individuals, and administrators said they were still awaiting detailed federal rules and were working on data-matching and verification processes to reduce coverage losses.
LA
Transcript Highlights:
- So in terms of... I think it's due by June. Right.
- I mean, because of that system, I can plug into the truck, or anybody who has that type of system in
- I say long term, I think it's going to be good also for the parish or the municipality because you're
- And how was that 20-year term determined?
- The expected increase in self-generated revenue will support long-term operational stability without
Committee:
Senate Revenue & Fiscal Affairs
Keywords:
property tax, blighted properties, urban rehabilitation, tax exemption, local government, financial incentives, blighted property, derelict property, property tax exemption, local redevelopment plans, rehabilitation standards, ad valorem tax, community development, senior citizens, homestead exemption, Louisiana Constitution, motor vehicles, local fees, transaction fees, funding
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
December 4, 2025 - 11:00 AM
Transcript Highlights:
- THOSE LONG TERM VACANCIES ONLY DELAY EVEN THOUGH THERE'S 98 SOME OF WHICH HAVE BEEN OPEN OR VACANT FOR
- NOW WHAT I'M DOING IS I'M DOING A FARM SYSTEM.
- THE LONG-TERM VACANCIES OF 180 DAYS REPRESENT ONLY 1% OF OUR VACANCIES.
- TO TAKE CARE OF MY STAFF.
- I DO APPRECIATE THE SPECIFICITY OF THE LONG-TERM VACANCIES, THAT WAS VERY HELPFUL.
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
Criminal Justice Mar 4th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- AND THE SYSTEM TODAY ISN'T JUST EXPENSIVE, THE DESIRED OUTCOME OF LONG-TERM RECOVERY AND STABILITY IS
- HE ENDED UP IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
- IMPLEMENTED BROKEN SYSTEM IN THE COUNTRY.
- LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE COURT SYSTEM AND MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM NEED TO WORK LIKE A TEAM. >> Chair Martin:
- DO A NATIONAL AGENCY CHECK OR EXTENDED NATIONAL AGENCIES CHECK FOR MILITARY AND THIS IS MAINTAINED LONG-TERM
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm
Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources
Transcript Highlights:
- small bite can exceed safety thresholds determined by the EPA and can lead to serious illness and long-term
- And so we all know research has shown us that these rodenticides do not work long term.
- Traditional poisons may provide short-term relief, but as long as reproduction continues, infestations
- We know that anticoagulant poisons do not control rodents in the long term, and we know that in jurisdictions
- legislation, you and your colleagues will protect public health, safeguard our wildlife, and reduce long-term
Summary:
The Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources held a hybrid hearing on a large slate of bills focused on pesticides, pollinators, rodenticides, mosquito control, invasive species, and local authority over pesticide regulation. Chair Becca Rausch set strict two-minute testimony limits due to the very large number of speakers. Early testimony from Senator Moore and Representative Hawkins strongly supported a bill to restrict second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides, citing harms to wildlife, pets, and public health, and noting that California has already adopted a similar model. Testimony also supported a Lowell home rule petition to allow the city to prohibit or restrict these rodenticides, with local officials describing documented raptor poisonings and municipal efforts to phase out use on city property.
A major portion of the hearing focused on pollinator protection and neonicotinoid-treated seeds. Witnesses from environmental groups, conservation organizations, academics, and beekeepers argued that neonics harm bees and other beneficial insects, contaminate soil and water, and provide little or no economic benefit in most corn and soybean fields. Several speakers pointed to New York, Vermont, and Quebec as models for restricting treated seeds, and one panel cited research showing only a small percentage of fields benefit economically from the treatments. Support was also voiced for a bill establishing an ecologically based mosquito management program, with advocates criticizing aerial and truck spraying and urging non-chemical, locally tailored approaches.
Other testimony supported bills to reform the pesticide board and pesticide regulation process, to give vulnerable municipalities more local control over pesticide use, to protect schoolchildren from pesticides on school grounds, and to respond to invasive species through a centralized state office, coordinator, strategic plan, and trust fund. Many speakers, including representatives from Mass Audubon, MSPCA, the Xerces Society, the Sierra Club, watershed groups, and local wildlife rehabilitators, described impacts on hawks, owls, pets, fish, and broader ecosystems. No votes were taken during the hearing, and committee members generally asked few questions, with the hearing remaining in testimony mode throughout.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- year alone, our rate reviews saved Texas consumers almost $150 million across Medicare supplement, long-term
- A long time ago, and it flipped 100% to a file-and-use system that is currently in place.
- And that is not a thing that is reliable in the long term in Texas.
- We think that the rates that are being filed now are commensurate with the long-term trends in covering
- Can we continue to live in Texas long term if this goes on unabated?
Committee:
Senate Business & Commerce
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
FL House Floor Session - 2026-02-25 (10:00AM Session)
Florida House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- By Health Care Facilities and Systems Subcommittee and Representative Franklin: CS House Bill 1013, a
- By Health Care Facilities and Systems Subcommittee and Representative Franklin: CS House Bill 1013, a
- Children in the foster care system deserve a chance. They deserve a chance. They deserve a chance.
- Children in the foster care system deserve a chance to become productive citizens of tomorrow.
- By Health Care Facilities and Systems Subcommittee, Representative Tramont, and Representative Tendrish
LA
Transcript Highlights:
- Long Center in Carville.
- They always budget more than they need due to the long-term projects that they have.
- I just wanted to get an idea of whether these contracts were long-term, but you've explained that they're
- very short-term.
- But, I mean, we do a lot of system modernization.
Committee:
House Appropriations
Summary:
The committee began a series of House Appropriations budget hearings focused on the fiscal year 2026-2027 executive budget, the preamble, and the executive department. Staff presented revenue and spending trends showing projected declines in revenues alongside increasing expenditures, with members emphasizing the need for a standstill budget and additional efficiencies. The House Fiscal Division also reviewed the FY25 surplus and FY26 excess, the constitutional uses of surplus funds, and the overall FY27 budget structure, including the distinction between discretionary and non-discretionary spending. The commissioner of administration described the administration’s use of one-time money, efficiency reviews, and budget reductions, while members asked about revenue forecasts, the motor vehicle sales tax dedication, corporate tax changes, and the impact of federal policy changes on state costs, especially SNAP and Medicaid administration.
The committee then moved through several executive department agencies. The Division of Administration presentation covered its budget, vacancies, debt service, and reductions tied to statewide adjustments and efficiency measures. GOSEP’s functions were described as transferred into the Department of Military Affairs under Act 262 of 2025, and military officials outlined the new combined structure, emergency response duties, overseas deployments, youth programs, and concerns about future federal funding. The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority reviewed its largely dedicated funding and explained that large apparent balances reflect long-term project planning and multi-year capital work. The Office of the State Inspector General presented a budget increase for consulting services tied to the governor’s DOGE-style efficiency initiative, and the inspector general said the effort had identified nearly $1 billion in savings across the executive branch, largely through eligibility reviews in Medicaid and SNAP and implementation of prior audit recommendations.
Members raised questions throughout about how budget figures were calculated, why some totals appeared to rise while state general fund support fell, and how federal changes would affect state agencies. There were also questions about the transition of GOSEP into Military Affairs, the status of school safety centers, and whether the new structure would change local emergency responsibilities. No formal votes or amendments were taken during the portion provided; the meeting consisted of presentations, explanations, and member questions.