Transcript Highlights:

• of the elected members, House Bill 126 has been introduced and is assigned to committee number 10, Labor
• and is assigned to committee<01:57:01.920><c> number</c><01:57:02.239><c> 10</c><01:57:03.119><c> labor
• </c> committee number 10 labor committee number 10 labor thank<01:57:05.760><c> you</c><01:57:06.000>
• of the elected members, House Bill 80 has been introduced and is assigned to committee number 10, Labor
• unions, trade or business labor unions, trade or business organizations,<03:49:41.600><c> homeowner<

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So again, on that one, as we stop using pesticides, you know, more labor-intensive work is needed to
• </c> collective bargaining for their labor. collective bargaining for their labor.
• So because of that, more labor intensive, and I mean if we could hire more bodies then yeah definitely
• So because of that more labor &gt;&gt; Correct.
• So because of that more labor intensive<02:15:16.719><c> and</c><02:15:17.040><c> I</c><02:15:17.199>

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• lack of workforce and quality incentive program funding, which really would boost quality in our skilled
• The third piece of trailer bill that we have is related to composite distinct part SNFs, skilled nursing
• The alternative practice hygienists would not be able to serve in-bound or homebound patients and skilled
• alternative practice hygienists would not be able to serve in-bound patients or homebound patients and skilled

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health held a May Revision hearing covering several health-related budget proposals and broader concerns about the state’s budget structure. The Chair opened by praising some May Revision changes, such as added health IT funding, county administration support tied to Medi-Cal changes, a delay in Medi-Cal cuts for some lawfully present immigrants, and additional support for Covered California subsidies, while criticizing proposed increases in Medi-Cal premiums, changes to senior eligibility, the lack of a Medi-Cal dental solution, and other reductions affecting counties, mobile crisis units, workforce incentives, and physician shortages. The Legislative Analyst’s Office said the state’s budget condition remains weak despite progress on the structural deficit, and the Department of Finance said the May Revision uses a mix of reductions, reforms, revenue proposals, and fund shifts to cut out-year deficits. The committee first heard Department of State Hospitals proposals, including adjustments to county bed billing authority, contract exemption language for online clinical/pharmacy subscriptions, reversion of unspent funds, a revised Metro Central Utility Plant replacement project, electronic health record implementation, and workforce development funded partly through Behavioral Health Services Act resources. DSH also described savings and realignments in incompetent-to-stand-trial and conditional release programs, including extending the independent placement panel program and shifting funds to support additional bed capacity and a mental health rehab center. Members asked about the use of BHSA funds for workforce programs, and the department said the proposal would replace General Fund support with BHSA reimbursements. The Emergency Medical Services Authority proposed funding for statewide behavioral health crisis response guidance and for enterprise system development, and the Department of Managed Health Care proposed modernization of its complaint system and claims-settlement data system to improve oversight and comply with AB 3275. The largest discussion centered on the administration’s BHSA spending plan under Proposition 1, including state-directed prevention, workforce, and other uses, plus General Fund offsets for existing programs. The LAO questioned whether some proposed offsets fit Proposition 1’s non-supplant and eligible-use requirements, while the administration argued the uses were consistent with the measure and that the state-directed share can be adjusted annually. The Commission for Behavioral Health’s proposals drew the most public and member concern. The administration proposed cutting the commission’s Innovation Partnership Fund from $20 million to $10 million and reducing the Community Advocacy Program by $6.7 million, while redirecting BHSA dollars to other state purposes and direct services. Commissioners, advocates, and several members argued the cuts would weaken community voice, reduce support for underserved populations, and disrupt grants already in process; they also objected to using BHSA funds to backfill General Fund commitments. Public commenters, including youth, disability, behavioral health, LGBTQ, tribal, veteran, immigrant, and community-based organization representatives, overwhelmingly opposed the cuts and urged preservation of prevention, advocacy, mobile crisis, and innovation funding. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• lack of workforce and quality incentive program funding, which really would boost quality in our skilled
• The third piece of trailer bill that we have is related to composite distinct part SNFs, skilled nursing
• alternative practice hygienists would not be able to serve the inbound or homebound patients and skilled
• The alternative practice hygienists would not be able to serve the homebound patients or skilled nursing

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• looking to add, there's no requirement in here, though, that optometrists has to go and learn those skills
• people testify that they did not learn on laser, and they also went to a 32-hour class to gain that skill
• It's also skill.
• students about requirements for obtaining driver's permits, emphasize knowledge, attitudes, habits, and skills

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• looking to add—there's no requirement in here, though, that an optometrist has to go and learn those skills
• people testify that they did not learn on laser, and they also went to a 32-hour class to gain that skill
• It's also skill.
• students about requirements for obtaining driver's permits, emphasize knowledge, attitudes, habits, and skills

Summary: The committee first met in executive session and adopted a House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2300 by a unanimous roll call vote of 18-0. The substitute combined a number of previously approved professional registration items, including emergency suspension authority, chiropractic and massage therapy provisions, accountant regulations, the athletic trainer compact, social worker regulations, a speech-language pathologist fix, telehealth, nonprofit pharmacies, and the physician assistant compact. Members noted that work was still ongoing on bell bondsman language before the committee moved into public hearing. The main public hearing was on House Bill 2897, which would expand optometrists’ authority to perform certain laser and in-office procedures. Representative Farnan and optometry supporters argued the bill is about patient access, especially in rural areas, and said it would allow three laser procedures—YAG capsulotomy, laser trabeculoplasty, and laser iridotomy—plus clarify other already-performed office procedures, while still excluding major surgeries such as cataract surgery, LASIK, and corneal transplants. Supporters said optometrists already receive relevant training, that a 32-hour certification course would serve as a safeguard, and that patients often face long waits or long travel times for care. Opponents, including ophthalmologists, argued the bill would blur the line between optometry and surgery, create safety risks, and rely on insufficient training and ambiguous language. They cited complications from laser procedures, questioned emergency care claims, and said optometrists should not be regulated as surgeons unless placed under the State Board of Healing Arts. No vote was taken on HB 2897, and the chair recessed the hearing for later continuation. The Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education then took up House Bill 3239 and adopted Amendment 0.01H, which capped the program at $4 million to keep it from becoming an open-ended cost. The committee then adopted the House Committee Substitute and voted the bill do pass by 11-7. The committee also combined House Bills 2913 and 3228 into one substitute and voted that combined measure do pass by 19-0. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 2195, which would create the Missouri Integrated Safe Driving Program and encourage school districts to incorporate driver-safety content into existing courses without adding a fiscal note or mandating a standalone driver’s ed class. Sponsor Representative Reedy and supporters from AAA Missouri and the Missouri Driver Education Coalition said the bill would address teen crash rates, improve access to driver education, and help schools use existing curriculum time more flexibly. The hearing remained in discussion with testimony continuing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our team's goal is to help homeowners develop essential financial management and home maintenance skills
• home</c> financial management and home financial management and home maintenance<00:15:38.959><c> skills
• as</c><00:15:39.920><c> well</c><00:15:40.079><c> as</c><00:15:40.320><c> foster</c> maintenance skills
• as well as foster maintenance skills as well as foster community<00:15:41.279><c> building</c><00:15

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So it's about time we recognize the skill level and take care of Arizonans in a proper way.
• So it's about time we recognize the skill level and take care of Arizonans in a proper way.
• It recognizes students who have real verified computer science skills, the kind that Arizona employers
• It recognizes students who have real verified computer science skills, the kind that Arizona employers

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I've already talked with Chairman West about Senate Bill 4 to give principals stronger leadership skills
• Bill 4 to give principles stronger Bill 4 to give principles stronger leadership<00:35:58.000><c> skills
• because</c><00:35:59.280><c> we</c><00:35:59.520><c> know</c><00:35:59.680><c> that</c> leadership skills
• because we know that leadership skills because we know that they<00:36:00.320><c> are</c><00:36:00.560

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call: 0:00:08 26RS SB 3: 0:02:50 26RS SB 1: 0:21:12, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• with the right guardrails, we can provide Hawaii's youth a world where AI literacy is a fundamental skill
• > a</c> a world where AI literacy is a a world where AI literacy is a fundamental<00:41:29.280><c> skill
• ,</c><00:41:30.640><c> we'll</c><00:41:30.800><c> continue</c><00:41:31.480><c> to</c> fundamental skill
• So, we'll continue to fundamental skill.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There was $20 million in training grants under the Bluegrass State Skills Corporation.
• There was $20 million in training grants under the Bluegrass State Skills Corporation.
• There was $20 million in training grants under the Bluegrass State Skills Corporation.
• There was $20 million in training grants under the Bluegrass State Skills Corporation.

Keywords: Meeting start 00:00:00 Discussion of Nickels and School Facility Funding 00:02:13 Economic Development Projects in Elizabethtown and Hopkinsville 00:29:33 Correspondence and Reports Received 01:09:25, 958, all

Summary: The committee received an informational presentation from the Kentucky Department of Education and the School Facilities Construction Commission on school facilities funding. Staff explained the main funding sources used for school construction and renovation, including the mandatory “nickel” property tax levy, growth and equalized growth nickels, the equalized facility funding nickel, the Fort Knox/BRAC-related nickel for Hardin County, and the recallable nickel that districts can adopt locally. They also described the state equalization formula, noting that local construction costs have risen and that state support is formula-driven rather than a dollar-for-dollar match. The SFCC outlined how unmet facility need is calculated through district facility plans, which are developed locally with community, staff, and board input and then reviewed by KDE staff for consistency and reasonableness. The commission said it will update the statewide unmet need report this fall, adopt it in December, and provide the figure to the committee in January 2026. It reported that the statewide unmet facility need was about $7 billion in 2023, with about $951 million in local revenue available, and said its offers of assistance are paid as debt service over eight years. The commission also said the most recent legislative offer of assistance was its smallest since SFCC’s creation in 1985, and requested an additional $60 million for the next biennium. Members asked about how districts use nickel tax levies, who determines facility need, whether the process includes physical inspections, and how bonding capacity affects offers of assistance. Staff said nickel levies are generally adopted with regular tax rates, that facility need is locally developed but reviewed by KDE, and that KDE project managers and district-hired architects review plans on paper rather than through in-person inspections. They also explained that bonding capacity can affect a district’s ability to use or receive assistance. Questions were also raised about federal funds tied to earlier KIX grants and about districts with zero remaining offers of assistance; staff said most grant-funded projects are underway or complete, and that a zero balance means a district has spent its available assistance. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• seniors lifetime housing and a full continuum of care from independent living to assisted living to skilled
• 03:50:20.160><c> assisted</c><03:50:20.640><c> living</c><03:50:20.960><c> to</c><03:50:21.199><c> skilled
• </c> living to assisted living to skilled living to assisted living to skilled nursing<03:50:22.239><

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up SB 297 and a new amendment, 2462, which combined the original Senate bill with the Carson amendment and added a proposed alternative regulatory system, RSA 420R. The chair and members discussed that the amendment was intended to give the Senate what it had asked for while also creating a dual system for public entity risk pools. Members asked whether the new structure would affect ownership or governance of health trusts, and the chair explained that 420R would be a separate regulatory statute while existing 420J-style arrangements could remain in place. The committee also noted that a paragraph had been accidentally deleted from the amendment and that another amendment would be prepared to correct it, with the subcommittee recessed while that was done. Public testimony focused on School Care, represented by Executive Director Lisa Ducette, who opposed the shift to Department of Insurance oversight under 420R. She argued that public entity risk pools are not insurance companies, that they are accountable to member entities and taxpayers, and that the proposed dual regulation would add unnecessary costs through examinations, higher reserves, and additional accounting requirements. She said the change could threaten tax-exempt status and create an uneven playing field, and she urged the committee to support SB 297 with the Carson amendment instead of moving to 420R. Committee members questioned whether the amendment would actually affect pools that stayed under the Secretary of State model, and one member cited support from the New Hampshire Municipal Association for the dual system. The discussion then shifted to amendment 245 on ambulance reimbursement and contracting timelines. Members reviewed a provision giving insurers 45 days and ambulance providers 60 days in the contracting process, and one member suggested making both periods 60 days. The chair and others said the current language was intentional and part of a broader compromise aimed at ending balance billing and forcing insurers to establish reimbursement rates. Members noted that the measure was unusual and that its effects would be reviewed over the next two years, with one member saying the bill would likely be difficult to roll back later. No final vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• My grandfather, uncles, and brothers were or are very skilled craftsmen.
• brothers were or grandfather uncles and brothers were or are<00:08:36.839><c> very</c><00:08:37.000><c> skilled
• Craftsmen</c><00:08:38.440><c> I</c><00:08:38.560><c> was</c><00:08:38.680><c> taught</c> are very skilled
• Craftsmen I was taught are very skilled Craftsmen I was taught to<00:08:38.959><c> build</c><00:08:39.200

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So it does help because students have particular needs, and you're talking about critical thinking skills
• you're talking about<00:52:43.839><c> critical</c><00:52:44.240><c> thinking</c><00:52:44.559><c> skills
• </c><00:52:44.920><c> and</c> about critical thinking skills and about critical thinking skills and reading

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint committees heard Senate Bill 659, which would exempt the Department of Education from the electronic procurement system for purchases of fresh local agricultural products and local value-added processed agricultural or food products up to $100,000, and require geographic preference guidelines for locally sourced products. The Department of Education, Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Farm Bureau, and State Procurement Office all testified in support or support of the intent. DOE said the bill would give it short-term flexibility to buy local items not currently on the vendor list, such as poi and limu, while procurement staff said they would provide written comments and a corrected version of their testimony. Committee members questioned why the bill was needed, why the threshold would rise from the current $24,999 small-purchase limit to $100,000, and whether the department should instead amend its vendor list or RFP process. Members raised concerns about efficiency, administrative burden, whether the bill was a temporary fix for procurement planning gaps, and whether purchases would remain compliant with federal USDA rules if federal school-lunch funds were used. DOE responded that the measure would help it expand local purchasing, support farmers, and allow purchases of products not currently available through existing distributors, and said it was working with partners on food-safety certification and federal compliance. The committees then voted to pass SB 659 with amendments. The Joint Committee on Education approved it 3-2, and the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Environment later approved the amended measure 4-0. The chair noted an amendment and a deferred effective date, and the motion was adopted.

Transcript Highlights:

• Madam Chair, member Sarah Flock's California Federation of Labor Unions in support.
• Sarah Flachs, California Federation of Labor Unions, in support.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It was only after CHIRLA, labor partners, and several advocacy organizations intervened that the hospital
• Yvonne Fernandez on behalf of the California Labor Federation in support.

Summary: The Assembly Health Committee heard several bills on June 9. SB 1023 by Senator Laird would require insurers that cover injectable HIV PrEP under the medical benefit to also cover it through the pharmacy benefit, with supporters saying the change would reduce reimbursement delays and expand access, while health plans opposed it as an unnecessary mandate that interferes with benefit design. SB 964 by Senator Smallwood-Quivas would limit prior authorization for certain dose or frequency adjustments to covered medications, especially for chronic complex conditions; medical supporters said it would prevent harmful delays in care, while insurers argued it weakens safety and utilization controls. SB 1323 by Senator Rubio, as amended, would strengthen protections for people in immigration custody receiving medical care by requiring hospitals and facilities to inform staff how to respond to requests and allowing patients to notify family members of their location; it passed with one no vote. SB 1099 by Senator Reyes would clarify local governments’ authority to provide state and local public benefits to all residents under federal PRWORA rules, with supporters saying it would reduce legal uncertainty for safety-net services; it passed, though one member later changed a vote to no on the add-on roll call. The committee also took up SB 895 by Senator Wiener, a proposed $12 billion science research bond for the November ballot that would create a California scientific research funding institute. Supporters from UC, UAW, hospitals, and advocacy groups said the measure would help offset federal cuts, protect research jobs, and sustain California’s leadership in biomedical and other research; there was no opposition, and the bill passed on a party-line style vote with two no votes. SB 944, also by Senator Wiener, would stabilize Medi-Cal coverage for acupuncture, which supporters described as a cost-effective, non-pharmacological treatment for pain and other conditions that has repeatedly been threatened in the budget process; it passed unanimously. The committee also approved consent items SB 918 and SB 1202, and later cleared the remaining measures on call after roll votes and add-on votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• And when you have labor costs that go up, but you're only going to collect 74 cents on the dollar to
• pay those labor costs, that's another cost pressure.

Summary: The committee heard AB 108, a budget bill junior that would amend the 2025 Budget Act to create a one-time $25 million General Fund grant program at HCAI for hospitals in immediate and significant financial distress, along with a technical change related to property tax deferments for eligible low-income seniors. Finance explained that eligible hospitals would need to show less than 10 days cash on hand, best efforts to exhaust other financing options, a payer mix of more than 50% government payers and uninsured patients, and nonprofit status, with expedited contracting and rulemaking exemptions so funds could be distributed quickly. Members repeatedly questioned whether $25 million was enough, how many hospitals would qualify, and whether the 10-day threshold was too narrow, while also raising broader concerns about hospital reimbursement rates, seismic compliance costs, federal policy changes, and the need for more up-to-date data and a longer-term solution. Several members and the LAO noted that the bill was intended as a short-term bridge to keep a very small number of hospitals open until July 1, while the larger distressed-hospital discussion would continue in the May Revision and next year’s budget. Some members argued the state should consider grants rather than loans more broadly, and others emphasized that hospitals serving Medi-Cal and uninsured patients, including safety-net facilities like MLK Community Hospital and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, face structural pressures. Public comment was uniformly supportive of the bill, with the California Hospital Association, district hospital representatives, counties, and CHLA all backing the proposal and urging additional funding for distressed hospitals in the coming budget. The committee approved AB 108 on a roll call vote of 18-0 and held the roll open briefly to secure remaining votes before formally reporting the bill out.

Transcript Highlights:

• And when you have labor costs that go up, but you're only going to collect 74 cents on the dollar to
• pay those labor costs, that's another cost pressure.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• allow for funding for important things like payroll costs, SUNY pensions, WIC payment, Department of Labor
• ALLOW FOR FUNDING FOR IMPORTANT THINGS LIKE PAYROLL COSTS, SUNY PENSIONS, WIC PAYMENT, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened with ceremonial opening proceedings, approved the prior journal, and then moved through a series of calendar actions, including discharging and substituting identical companion bills from committee and restoring several bills to the Third Reading Calendar after reconsideration. The chamber also took up a supplemental budget calendar and a controversial supplemental budget extender, with Senator O’Mara questioning the delay in final budget negotiations, the size of the extender, table targets, and unresolved policy issues such as auto insurance reforms, SEQRA, New York for All, and CLCPA changes. Senator Serrano responded that negotiations were ongoing and that the extender was a clean measure to keep state government functioning. The budget extender bills were then passed, with Senator Weik voting in the negative on one of them. The Senate also adopted a resolution memorializing May 4, 2026, as 10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum Day, and hosted Major General Scott Naumann and other Fort Drum leaders and soldiers for remarks on the division’s deployments, readiness, economic impact, and requests for continued state support on items such as microreactors, health care, DMV services, dining facilities, airports, and mineral-related development. The Fort Drum resolution drew extensive bipartisan praise from Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, Minority Leader Ortt, Senator Scarcella-Spanton, Senator Ashby, Senator Walczyk, and others, who emphasized the division’s military history, its role as a major employer and economic driver in Northern New York, and the sacrifices of service members and their families. Several senators highlighted individual soldiers in attendance and their service records, while the resolution was opened for co-sponsorship and adopted. The Senate also recognized a visiting child author, Thomas Ortiz, who was introduced for publishing a book encouraging kindness and friendship. After the ceremonial segment, the Senate returned to regular business and passed a series of bills on the calendar, including measures affecting environmental conservation, executive law, public service, education, public authorities, real property tax, criminal procedure, election law, and civil rights. Some bills drew negative votes from a bloc of senators, particularly on the environmental, criminal procedure, election, and civil rights measures, but all listed bills were ultimately passed. The Senate then adjourned until the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• On the next page, we cite the continuing challenge of looking at our low labor force participation rate
• unemployment rate below the national average and below many regional states, but we still have a weakness in Labor