Transcript Highlights:

• and for second and subsequent offenses from a 3-month suspension to a 1-year disqualification and a claim
• The minimum amount for a claim is increased from $100 to $200. 902 KAR 1840 amends to update procedures
• violation and sanctions to establish a 15-day deadline for follow-up if a vendor fails to repay a claim
• ><c> and</c><00:17:40.920><c> establish</c><00:17:41.360><c> an</c><00:17:41.520><c> 180-day</c> a claim
• and establish an 180-day a claim and establish an 180-day inventory<00:17:43.480><c> audit</c><00:17

Keywords: 0:06 - Roll Call 0:30 - Approval of Minutes 0:45 - OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL 2:08 - FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION CABINET - OFFICE OF THE CONTROLLER 2:55 - BOARD OF DENTISTRY 5:30 - BOARD OF OPHTHALMIC DISPENSERS 7:30 - BOARD OF NURSING 8:32 - BOARD OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES 9:30 - EDUCATION AND LABOR CABINET - DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, OFFICE OF DISTRICT SUPPORT SERVICES 15:35 - CABINET FOR HEALTH AND FAMILY SERVICES, DEPARTMENT FOR PUBLIC HEALTH 18:44 - CABINET FOR HEALTH AND FAMILY SERVICES, OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL, HEALTH SERVICES AND FACILITIES 23:39 - CABINET FOR HEALTH AND FAMILY SERVICES, DEPARTMENT FOR MEDICAID SERVICES 1:01:46 - CABINET FOR HEALTH AND FAMILY SERVICES, DEPARTMENT FOR PUBLIC HEALTH, OFFICE FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL HEALTH CARE NEEDS 1:03:46 - Next meeting/adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes and then took up a series of administrative regulations from several agencies. Early items included Attorney General consumer protection rules on removal sales, health spas, liquidation sales, and nonresident sellers of visual aid glasses; Finance and Administration Controller rules on clearinghouse validation and fraud prevention; and Board of Dentistry rules updating exam requirements, controlled substance prescribing, training for neuromodulators and dermal fillers, infection control, sedation/anesthesia continuing education, and required education on pediatric abusive head trauma and controlled substance ingestion prevention. The committee also approved staff amendments on these items, generally to conform to KRS Chapter 13A, and members asked a brief question about the dentistry controlled-substances changes, which was answered as an alignment with statute. The committee next approved regulations for the Board of Ophthalmic Dispensers, Board of Nursing, and Board of Emergency Medical Services. The ophthalmic dispensers package would revise meeting and recordkeeping language, raise renewal fees, set reinstatement and apprentice-license rules, add complaint and hearing procedures, and repeal a duplicative regulation. The nursing regulations would streamline approval of training programs and require notice and documentation of site visits and deficiencies. EMS rules would create five EMS medical director certifications, set expiration and renewal requirements, require publication of disciplinary sanctions, and exempt currently approved directors before October 1, 2026. Staff amendments were adopted without objection on each set. The Education and Labor Cabinet’s school transportation regulation drew extended discussion. The agency explained the changes were intended to implement Senate Bill 46 and update references affected by later legislation, including an oral amendment to delete a subsection reference tied to KRS 160.380. The committee adopted both the agency and oral amendments without objection after brief questions about the scope of the bill changes and van transportation for students. The committee then heard a lengthy package from the Department for Public Health on WIC and related nutrition program regulations, including updates to infant and child certification periods, documentation requirements, vendor criteria, sanctions, hearing procedures, and high-risk vendor standards. Staff amendments were adopted without objection. Finally, the committee considered the Inspector General’s regulation for freestanding birthing centers, which included both staff and agency amendments. The agency changes would require two neonatal resuscitation program-certified staff, set rules for medical director vacancies and appeals, revise facility and staffing terminology, adjust transfer-agreement requirements, and allow waivers when agreements cannot be secured. Mary Katherine DeLodder of the Kentucky Birth Coalition testified in support, saying the parties had worked through concerns and were ready to move forward. The committee then moved on to Medicaid’s 1915C child waiver regulations, where staff amendments were adopted, but Lucy Heskins of Kentucky Protection and Advocacy testified against the package because it did not include person-directed services, which she said are required by Kentucky law and important for families using the waiver.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is not a hypothetical claim.
• This is not a hypothetical claim.
• This is not a hypothetical claim.
• 00:18:54.800><c> not</c><00:18:55.160><c> a</c><00:18:55.240><c> hypothetical</c><00:18:56.040><c> claim
• </c> This is not a hypothetical claim. This is not a hypothetical claim.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The subcommittee considered an emergency regulation from the Kentucky Board of Optometric Examiners, 201 KAR 5021E, along with a staff amendment to conform the text to KRS Chapter 13A. The regulation was described as implementing an Attorney General opinion and a review of optometrists licensed during the 2020–2023 period when alternative testing and waivers were used during the COVID-19 era. The board explained that the rule requires affected licensees to complete specified examinations or an alternative certification before renewing in 2027, and that it now removes the OEBC Canadian exam as a future pathway while preserving recognition of OEBC results submitted during the period when that option was in effect. The staff amendment was approved without objection. Testimony was sharply divided. Board representatives and the Attorney General’s office said the regulation is needed to protect public health and to bring the licensure review into the formal administrative process. They said the NBEO Part 3 exam is the nationally recognized hands-on clinical licensure test, while the American Board of Optometry certification is a post-licensure credential for already licensed practitioners and is not a substitute for initial licensure testing. They also said no other state uses the ABOC certification for licensure, and that the board’s approach balances fairness, due process, and public protection. Opponents argued the regulation would allow individuals who were improperly licensed to continue practicing without meeting the same standards as other Kentucky optometrists. A representative from the Kentucky School for the Blind Charitable Foundation described cases of alleged inadequate care and urged the committee to require full national board passage before independent practice. Representatives from ARBO and NBEO said the emergency regulation is not justified as an emergency, does not adequately address public safety or fiscal impacts, and exceeds the board’s authority by creating a renewal path for licensees whose initial licensure was challenged. They emphasized that NBEO Part 3 is a practical, hands-on exam and that the ABOC certification is not designed or validated for initial licensure. The committee asked several questions about the differences between the exams, and no final vote on the regulation itself was described in the transcript beyond approval of the staff amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• The claim that self-treatment with kratom without medical supervision is anyone's best option for treating
• As an attorney, this clearly fails the 14th Amendment due process and equal protection claim.
• knowing exposure of children to adult-themed performances in public and family-facing spaces that is claimed
• You've stayed, you've claimed, and you've gone, okay, seen or have attended? Not on purpose.
• You're claiming that there's an art form. Would you agree or disagree with the following?

Committee: House House Judiciary Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee first heard HB 2415, which would regulate kratom by treating certain synthetically derived compounds as narcotic drugs, raising the minimum sale age to 21, and penalizing sales of products exceeding a 400 parts per million cap. The sponsor and supporters argued the bill targets dangerous synthetic or highly concentrated kratom while preserving natural leaf products; testimony included a woman describing kratom addiction and treatment, family members describing harm from 7-OH products, and law enforcement and Attorney General’s Office support. Opponents, including criminal justice advocates, warned the bill could sweep in users and create harsh felony penalties, while some speakers urged a full ban and others defended natural kratom as distinct from synthetic products. The committee adopted the Wynn amendment and then gave HB 2415, as amended, a do-pass recommendation by a 6-3 vote. The committee then considered HB 2870, which would prohibit more than one Level 2 or Level 3 registered sex offender from residing in the same home unless they are related by blood, marriage, or adoption. The sponsor said the bill was prompted by a neighborhood case involving multiple sex offenders in one residence and argued it was aimed at residential homes, not supervised group homes. Supporters described fear and disruption in their neighborhoods, while opponents argued the bill would reduce already limited housing, make supervision harder, and potentially force people onto the streets; some also raised due process and recidivism concerns. After discussion about possible amendments and the distinction between group homes and unsupervised residences, the committee approved HB 2870 with a do-pass recommendation by a 6-3 vote. Next, the committee heard HB 2413, which requires GPS or electronic monitoring for registered sex offenders who are homeless or lack a permanent address until they obtain one. Supporters said the bill would close a gap because transient registrants are only required to check in every 90 days, leaving law enforcement without regular location information; a policy analyst said monitoring could be implemented through existing systems, though costs and administration would vary. Opponents argued the bill raises due process and equal protection concerns, duplicates existing reporting requirements, and could impose costs on people trying to stabilize their lives. The committee passed HB 2413 on a 5-4 vote. Finally, the committee took up HB 2720, which increases the penalty for purchasing prostitution to a class 6 felony and directs a $200 assessment to the anti-human trafficking fund, with an amendment clarifying the affirmative defense for trafficking victims and restricting use of the assessment to trafficking services. Supporters, including the sponsor, prosecutors, Phoenix police, and a city council member, said the bill targets buyers who drive demand and exploitation. Opponents from criminal justice and anti-violence groups argued the bill could still ensnare trafficking victims and sex workers, especially because the affirmative defense may be hard to assert in practice. After adopting the amendment, the committee gave HB 2720, as amended, a do-pass recommendation by an 8-0-1 vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• The claim that self-treatment with kratom without medical supervision is anyone's best option for treating
• As an attorney, this clearly fails the 14th Amendment due process and equal protection claim.
• knowing exposure of children to adult-themed performances in public and family facing spaces that is claimed
• You've stayed, you've claimed, and you've gone, okay, seen or have attended? Not on purpose.
• You're claiming that there's an art form. Would you agree or disagree with the following?

Bills: HB2205 , HB2265 , HB2413 , HB2415 , HB2418 , HB2495 , HB2589 , HB2661 , HB2720 , HB2771 , HB2833 , HB2870

Committee: House Judiciary

Keywords: criminal damage, trespassing, critical facilities, felony, Arizona Revised Statutes, court fees, public defender, criminal justice, legal aid, indigent defense, appeals, administrative assessments, sex offender, electronic monitoring, registration, public safety, youth protection, Kratom, narcotic drugs, regulation

Transcript Highlights:

• Right now, it's the largest claim that the EEOC has. It's larger than harassment or discrimination.
• <00:37:44.160><c> that</c><00:37:44.320><c> the</c><00:37:44.480><c> EEOC</c> now it's the largest claim
• that the EEOC now it's the largest claim that the EEOC has.<00:37:45.760><c> It's</c><00:37:46.000><
• :13.520><c> even</c><00:38:13.839><c> if</c><00:38:14.640><c> the</c> It is prohibited even if the claim
• That's one I see when I see discrimination or harassment claims: they tend to be very overt.

Keywords: 926, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, so coupled with the 50% for claiming.
• Um, so coupled with the 50% for claiming.
• 00:36:24.960><c> for</c> Um, so coupled with the the 50% for Um, so coupled with the the 50% for claiming
• 36:26.800><c> of</c><00:36:26.880><c> those</c><00:36:27.040><c> if</c><00:36:27.280><c> you</c> claiming
• So, is it one of those if you claiming.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Government Contracts Committee first approved the minutes from its July 8 meeting and then moved through a large agenda of contracts and deferred items. The committee deferred a Kentucky Education Television contract because the vendor was still not registered with the Secretary of State, and also deferred a University of Louisville contract to the September meeting at the university’s request. Both motions passed by roll call. The committee then took up a contract with the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities for Seven Counties Services. Committee members questioned why the state continues funding the provider despite its ongoing bankruptcy tied to unpaid retirement contributions, how the funding split is determined, whether the state had explored other providers or direct state delivery, and whether all services in the contract are truly required by statute. Agency officials said Seven Counties is the statutorily designated community mental health center for the region, serves about 24,500 people, and provides core safety-net services that would be difficult to replace; they also said the bankruptcy dispute is still ongoing and the contested amount is about $20 million. The committee ultimately deferred the contract to the next meeting and requested additional information on the scope of services and potential offsets or recovery of unfunded liabilities. The final deferred item was a Department for Community Based Services contract with Youth Villages for the Intercept program. DCBS explained that the program is used because it is an approved evidence-based service under the Family First Prevention Services Act, that Youth Villages has Kentucky staff and offices even though it is headquartered in Tennessee, and that the contract is intended to support intensive in-home services, foster care stabilization, and family reunification. Members asked why the services could not be provided in-house, whether Medicaid should cover more of the cost, and whether the state requires the provider to bill Medicaid as a payer of last resort. DCBS said it would verify billing and funding details and provide them back to the committee. The committee then voted to defer the contract to the next meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Doctors who had never had a claim filed against them were having 1617, 18% increases in their malpractice
• balance of power in eviction proceedings, granting landlords an unfair advantage and making their claims
• In conclusion, HB 32 is not a not the solution it claims to be.
• You rent, you move into an apartment and they claim like 30% whatever, but that doesn't count the extra
• being evicted because she was growing flowers, uh, in her front area and her landlord questionably claimed

Bills: HB15 , HB171 , HB204

Committee: House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Keywords: flood risk, campground, safety regulations, civil penalty, guest safety, Harris County, flood control, governance, expansion, public health, local governance, environmental management

Transcript Highlights:

• recognize the danger of these laws; they are invitations for small, weak men to commit murder and claim
• recognize the danger of these laws; they are invitations for small, weak men to commit murder and claim
• <00:07:43.319><c> commit</c><00:07:43.639><c> murder</c><00:07:44.159><c> and</c><00:07:44.360><c> claim
• </c> to commit murder and claim to commit murder and claim defense<00:07:46.560><c> Trayvon</c><00:07
• laws, they create a dangerous environment where armed individuals can provoke confrontations and then claim

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> you're going to see an adjustment you're going to see an adjustment between<01:02:08.160><c> uh<
• Informal adjustment is an option that the courts do have.
• is an option that the courts adjustment is an option that the courts do<01:11:52.480><c> have.
• <01:11:54.560><c> filed</c><01:11:54.880><c> that</c> If a petition is filed, they can informally adjust
• Some were unsuccessful in that informal adjustment process.

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:00 Roll Call: 00:00:08 Agency Updates: 00:01:27 Truancy: 00:01:43, 958, all

Summary: The Juvenile Justice Oversight Council met on October 8, 2025, approved the minutes from the August 29 meeting, and then focused its agenda on truancy and chronic absenteeism. Chad Butler, director of pupil personnel for Meade County and president of the Kentucky Department of Pupil Personnel directors, said chronic absenteeism remains a major problem statewide, citing recent Kentucky rates around 28% to 30% and noting that schools are trying to identify best practices to get students back in class. He said causes appear to include post-COVID social-emotional distress and confusion about when students should stay home, and he described a local effort to use a Healthy Kids Clinic model to keep some students in school when possible. In response to questions, he said chronic absenteeism has only been tracked seriously in the last two to three years and that House Bill 611 appears to have increased the number of youth entering the court system for habitual truancy; AOC said it would provide county-by-county data and outcomes later in the meeting. The council then heard from John Tyson of Alabama, a former Mobile district attorney, who described the Helping Families Initiative as a school-community partnership designed to address truancy and related behavior issues without arrest. Tyson said Alabama defines chronic absence as missing 10% of the school year and emphasized that the program is preventive rather than punitive, using warning letters, family engagement, assessments, individualized intervention plans, and referrals to community services. He said the program has operated since 2003, now includes 20 district attorneys and 44 school systems, and served more than 95,000 students, 73,000 families, and 162,000 parents in the most recent year. Tyson reported that in Mobile County the program was associated with a 3.15% attendance improvement in 2023-24 and a 4% reduction in the issue in 2024-25, along with a 50% reduction in truancy and 58% reduction in chronic absenteeism, and he said the program produced a large return on investment. Tyson also stressed that student absenteeism wastes tax dollars and that better attendance improves educational outcomes and community safety. He described the program’s use of a case-management database, real-time data tracking, and more than 1,000 referral agencies, and said the model is intended to be replicated statewide. He closed with examples of students whose attendance and family circumstances required coordinated support rather than punishment, including a teen mother and a disruptive child, to illustrate his view that schools, courts, and social services should work together to address underlying needs and keep children in school.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a 1.5% fixed cost-of-living adjustment for all of our retirement plans for all of our retirees
• a 1 and a half% fixed cost<00:20:39.159><c> of</c><00:20:39.280><c> living</c><00:20:39.520><c> adjustment
• for</c><00:20:40.120><c> all</c><00:20:40.240><c> of</c><00:20:40.360><c> our</c> cost of living adjustment
• for all of our cost of living adjustment for all of our retirement<00:20:41.679><c> plans</c><00:20:
• so in the case of make minor adjustments so in the case of the<00:29:01.000><c> correctional</c><00:

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And again, that's updated cash flows to account for adjusted project timelines.
• And again, that's updated cash flows to account for adjusted project timelines.

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee met on May 26 and first took up Senate Bill 406, which authorizes the city of Slidell to seek voter approval for a local hotel and motel occupancy tax. The bill was described as a local measure giving the city council authority to place the tax on the ballot, with members noting that similar taxing authority exists in many other municipalities. Representative Wiley moved favorable passage, there was no objection, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee then received an update from the Division of Administration’s Office of Facility Planning and Control on capital outlay savings identified through cash-flow review and project “scrubbing.” Officials said they found about $50 million in savings from updated cash flows, over-appropriations, projects bid under budget, and reduced appropriations in bundled projects. They explained that bundling projects, including some LED-related projects, allows agencies to shift savings within a bundle and manage overruns or underruns more flexibly. Members praised the savings work but asked whether the process could be moved earlier so the House could benefit sooner, and whether similar reviews could be expanded to other administering agencies and non-state projects. One member raised concerns about whether some projects, including schools and certain NGO-related items, should qualify for capital outlay funding at all, and urged a review of the statutory definition and project approval criteria. Staff said they would look at the definition, review recommendations from prior discussions, and consider ways to tighten the process. The committee then adjourned without further action.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we adjusted that language. ...certified child abuse pediatrician would be a little bit burdensome.
• So we adjusted that language of who would be doing that assessment. Let's see.

Bills: SB237

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Keywords: child welfare, Department of Children and Family Services, mandatory reporting, abuse prevention, investigative teams, child ombudsman, forensic interviews, confidentiality, 965, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Subtracts from the federal adjusted gross income any income earned by election inspectors, poll clerks
• Subtracts from the federal adjusted gross income, any income earned by election inspectors, poll clerks

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee, chaired for the day by Senator John Liu, took up a long agenda of bills covering labor and benefits, corrections, health, taxation, government transparency, and public services. Early measures included increasing short-term disability benefits, adjusting a poverty-level-related earned income disregard, expanding correctional health staffing review, and authorizing the Inspector General to investigate sexual assault complaints in correctional facilities; each of these advanced to the floor. The committee also advanced bills on ovarian cancer screening access, retirement system membership changes, a trail stewardship program, live agency representative access, FOIL/open meetings fee awards, a Harriman campus development plan, court data reporting, educator conventions, park water testing, an energy storage tax abatement, a Native American Affairs office, adult changing tables in public facilities, Medicaid Inspector General audit standards, remote training certification for agency personnel, newborn Gaucher disease testing, electronic self-exclusion requests for gambling, and child daycare inspections and opioid antagonist requirements. Several bills drew discussion. The prescription drug transparency bill (Print 488A) prompted questions about possible overlap with federal Hatch-Waxman/FTC oversight and whether a New York notice requirement could slow generic-drug settlements; sponsors and staff said it was intended as a supplemental transparency measure for consumers. The court reporting bill (Print 1849A) raised concerns about mandates on local governments, but supporters said it mainly required OCA to compile data in one format. The Medicaid local-share phaseout bill (Print 5519) generated the most debate, with supporters arguing it would provide major property tax relief and should be addressed in the budget, while opponents emphasized the need to curb Medicaid fraud, waste, and abuse first. Two major fiscal oversight proposals were defeated. Print 8661, which would have required the Comptroller to hire an independent private auditing firm to review state-funded programs for fraud and abuse, was opposed despite support from some members who argued outside auditing was overdue; it failed by one vote. Print 5519 was also ultimately defeated after a recount confirmed it lacked the required majority of the full 22-member committee. Most other bills were approved and sent either to the floor or, in the case of the drug transparency bill, to the Rules Committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• instance, from 5,000 to 10,000, and it's been, you should know, over 20 years since they were last adjusted
• 5,000 to 10,000, and it's been, you should know there's been over 20 years since they were last adjusting

Committee: Senate Health

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The meeting covered a long list of health and social services bills, many of them recurring proposals that had passed the Senate before or been vetoed in prior years. Topics included primary care investment, penalties for adult care facility safety violations, emergency insulin access, limited nursing services in adult care facilities, a State Medical Indemnity Fund ombudsman, hospital ownership and private equity oversight, controlled substances for people with substance use disorder, rescue inhaler information in the immunization system, nursing home closure procedures, Medicaid coverage for complex care assistance, increased personal needs allowances, parental education for minors with disabling conditions, physician and dentist loan repayment/support, higher public health penalties, direct Medicaid billing for licensed creative arts therapists, adoption registry information release, fetal and infant mortality review boards, reusable food and beverage containers, DNR and hospice decision rules, a special needs assisted living demonstration program, temporary licensure for out-of-state health professionals at a triathlon event, and lead reporting and mitigation in school water. Sponsors described most bills as straightforward efforts to improve access, transparency, or care quality, while several members noted technical fixes or fiscal concerns on a few measures, including outdated program references and the need for funding to support expanded loan repayment eligibility. Some bills were framed as responses to prior vetoes or as renewed attempts to advance previously passed Senate measures. The chair also noted the committee still lacked a budget and expected additional meetings. For each bill, members generally moved and seconded the measures, and the committee voted favorably, usually with some members recorded as without recommendation. Most bills were advanced either to first reading, finance, or higher education, depending on referral. No bill was defeated in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• When we impose a strict weekly cap, we are not just adjusting a schedule.
• When we impose a strict weekly cap, we are not just adjusting a schedule.

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• . $22 million were reduced from fiscal year 2026 related to the support unit adjustments.
• So that's $22 million. $42 million were reduced from fiscal year 2027 related to support unit adjustments

Committee: Senate Education

Summary: The Senate Education Committee heard House Bill 515, which would require schools to have a procedure for notifying families when a serious bullying incident occurs, defined as one resulting in suspension. Representative Chris Matthias said the bill also removes an annual bullying-reporting requirement to reduce administrative burden, and he noted earlier versions included suicide-prevention and law-enforcement notification language that was removed after concerns. With no testimony in opposition, the committee voted to send HB 515 to the Senate floor with a due pass recommendation; Senator Blaylock was named as the floor carrier. The committee then heard Senate Bill 1244, a code-cleanup measure repealing eight obsolete statutes related to regional library systems that have not existed for decades. Senator Carrie Semmelroth explained the bill came from the post-HB 14 cleanup process and contained no policy changes. The committee had no questions or opposition testimony and voted to send SB 1244 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. Finally, the committee took up RS 3318 for print, a proposal from Senator Kevin Cook to reduce the school choice tax credit by 4% in fiscal year 2026 and 5% in fiscal year 2027 as part of broader budget holdbacks. Supporters framed it as a revenue measure and part of spreading reductions across education, while opponents argued the program is new, still in its application window, and should not be cut before implementation is fully underway. After discussion about K-12 budget reductions, the committee approved the RS on a 6-3 roll call vote and sent it to print. The meeting then adjourned, and members were reminded there would be no committee meeting the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• .$22 million were reduced from fiscal year 2026 related to the support unit adjustments.
• So that's $22 million. $42 million were reduced from fiscal year 2027 related to support unit adjustments

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• building these maintenance budgets this year, including the budget reductions and all the other adjustments
• made, it, they—this is and all the other adjustments made, they sort of broke our reporting structure

Summary: The joint Senate Finance and House Appropriations committees met to consider several FY 2026 and FY 2027 cash transfers and then begin work on maintenance budget language for FY 2027. Keith Bybee of Budget and Policy Analysis and Lori Wolf of the Division of Financial Management explained that the transfers were tied to balances in funds with obligations below available cash, and that some projects had been canceled or delayed for reasons including budget constraints, site issues, or other program changes. Senator Wintrow raised concerns that some of the projects, such as corrections, reentry, juvenile services, and the Carnegie Library, had been important when originally funded and should not be viewed as unimportant now. The committee approved a $33.745 million transfer from the Permanent Building Fund to the General Fund, a $15 million transfer from the Water Pollution Control Fund to the General Fund, and a $10 million transfer from the In-Demand Careers Fund to the General Fund for FY 2026. It also approved a separate FY 2027 transfer of $10 million from the In-Demand Careers Fund to the General Fund, with language specifying the transfer would occur after awards were obligated and reconciled, on or after December 31, 2026. Each motion passed on roll call with due-pass recommendations, with a small number of dissenting votes. After the cash transfer actions, the committee shifted to reviewing the draft clear language for FY 2027 maintenance budgets. Bybee explained that the packet contained standard language for the ten maintenance budgets and that the analysts would work with members in agency-by-agency workgroups because the reporting structure had been disrupted by budget adjustments. Members discussed how maintenance-bill language is selected and confirmed that the language reflects existing law or previously adopted budget provisions. The committee then adjourned until the next morning, with workgroups to continue reviewing the maintenance budget language.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, yes, there are things that need to be adjusted and tweaks that need to be made, but that's one of
• There are things that need to be adjusted and tweaks that need to be made, but that's one of the beautiful

Bills: HB2118 , HB1764 , HB1815 , HB2117 , HB2436 , HB2438 , HB2532 , HB2566 , HB2573 , HB1736 , HB2425 , HB1590 , HB1913 , HB1573 , HB1542 , HB1804 , HB1976 , HB1704 , HB1996 , HB1541 , HB1926 , HB1703 , HB1866 , HB1710

Keywords: business development, arts, cultural affairs, Hawaii, commissions, administrative transfer, funding appropriation, music education, public concerts, Hawaii State Library, cultural collaboration, music accessibility, State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, SFCA, Performing Arts Grants Program, arts grants, culture and the arts, history and the humanities, King Kamehameha Celebration Commission, Works of Art Special Fund

Transcript Highlights:

• And then during the next session, if adjustments need to be made to that second year of an award, that
• Award years, and then during the next session, if adjustments need to be made to that second year of

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Health Care Task Force reconvened to hear reports from its divisions. The Appropriations Division reviewed a draft bill appropriating $198 million in federal grant funds for the current year and another $198 million for the next grant year, authorizing DHS to transfer funds within its budget, allowing OMB to adjust federal fund authority for related grants, speeding procurement and bulk purchasing, requiring grant recipients to acknowledge the temporary nature of the funding, and mandating periodic reporting. After questions were answered to the division’s satisfaction, the committee voted to forward the appropriations bill draft to Legislative Management. The Policy Division then reviewed four bills. One would require the presidential physical fitness test to be included in high school physical education; another would require physicians to complete one hour of continuing education on nutrition and metabolic health each renewal cycle; a third would add physician assistants to the interstate licensure compact framework; and a fourth would authorize limited pharmacist prescriptive authority and therapeutic substitution. Members generally supported the first three measures and noted that the pharmacist bill had been amended in discussion but was left in its current form so stakeholders could comment before the special session. The division also discussed that all four policy bills were tied to the federal grant funding and that failure to pass them, or changing them in a way that reduced CMS scoring, could reduce or eliminate funding. Department officials confirmed that if any of the bills failed or were altered in a way that lowered the score, the state could lose money and could not make up the points elsewhere. Members raised concerns about the physical fitness bill, including possible exemptions for students with severe illnesses or physical limitations, and noted the need for DPI input. Leadership indicated the special session hearings would likely begin Wednesday morning. The committee then approved a motion for Legislative Council to prepare a committee report for Legislative Management and adjourned, noting the task force may need to remain available during the special session.