Transcript Highlights:

• Now, we have also done many great things like sent out direct economic stimulus modeled after Donald
• This bill ensures that the millions of Californians who depend on reliable electricity for their health
• , safety,... ...that the millions of Californians who depend on reliable electricity for their health
• Muriel didn't model silence and politeness like women of her generation were often told to do so.
• She modeled strength and she modeled intelligence in a sharp, witty sense of humor, whether she meant

Summary: The Assembly convened, established a quorum, offered prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and then moved through a long floor file with many Senate bills. Early procedural actions included unanimous-consent motions, a successful roll-call to rescind prior action on SB 351, and a 54-vote suspension of Joint Rule 61(a)(3) to allow floor amendments on SBs 80, 351, and 415. The chamber also made several referrals, moved one item to the inactive file, and welcomed new Assembly Member Natasha Johnson and other guests. The bulk of the meeting consisted of concurrence and third-reading votes on a wide range of measures, many of them passing with little or no opposition. Topics included tribal gaming grants (AB 221), State Bar fee and bar exam changes (SB 253), AI guardrails in community colleges (SB 241), consumer arbitration clauses (SB 82), due process for law enforcement in Racial Justice Act cases (SB 734), dental payment fee disclosures (SB 386), HOA balcony inspection reports (SB 410), farmland protection and EIFD rules (SB 5 and SB 516), emergency shelter zoning (SB 340), HIV confidentiality (SB 504), election signature-cure reforms (SB 3), contractor workers’ compensation compliance (SB 291), fire training funding (SB 345), wage theft enforcement (SB 355 and SB 261), food allergen disclosures (SB 68), ride-share insurance coverage (SB 371), housing and disaster recovery measures (SB 233, SB 625, SB 21), midwifery education (SB 520), mobile home insurance access (SB 525), epinephrine in schools (SB 568), health facility emergency licensing (SB 582), hair relaxer enforcement (SB 236), wastewater surveillance (SB 317), and several tax, transportation, and public health bills. A number of bills drew brief policy debate or opposition. SB 388, creating a California Latino Commission, prompted criticism from some members who argued the money should go directly to community needs rather than a new commission; it still passed. SB 50 on digital safety for victims of abuse, SB 20 on silicosis prevention, SB 306 on prior authorization reform, SB 373 on oversight of out-of-state special education placements, and SB 437 on reparations descendant-status verification were among the more substantive and discussed measures. Most bills passed by wide margins, often unanimously, and several urgency or tax-levy measures required 54 votes and were approved. The session ended with continued passage of remaining file items and multiple items retained or passed temporarily for later action.

Transcript Highlights:

• What does this model do?
• We have a model, a base-level model. We do. And you've run the model. We have.
• The BLM models are more of a planning model, I would say, as opposed to a forecasting model.
• They had a model.
• and area models.

Keywords: 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It basically disrupts the entire model and closes the place down.
• After a year of planning, DMH launched two weeks ago its updated case management model.
• Right now, we're doing the modeling on how For new individuals, right now we're doing the modeling on
• We have... ...reliable data on our Commonwealth's health care system.
• These systems can reliably detect well over 100 types of harm in near real time.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Ways and Means held a Health and Human Services budget hearing in Clinton, with opening remarks from Chairs Meg Kilcoyne and Robin Kennedy, local officials, and many House and Senate members introducing themselves. The hearing focused on Governor Healey’s FY27 EOHHS and MassHealth budgets, with repeated themes of rising health care costs, federal funding uncertainty, workforce shortages, and access to care in underserved regions. Members also raised concerns about primary care shortages, rural and regional disparities, behavioral health access, maternal health, food insecurity, and the impact of federal policy changes on Massachusetts programs. EOHHS Secretary Kiame Mahaniah said the FY27 EOHHS budget totals $33.7 billion, reflecting mostly non-discretionary growth from health care costs, labor costs, caseload increases, and provider rate pressures. He highlighted targeted investments in foster care, family resource centers, maternal health, youth services, nutrition programs, immigrant legal services, and human service workforce rates, while warning that federal actions could strip roughly $3.5 billion annually from the state’s health care funding. In response to questions, he defended the administration’s cooperation with federal audits and program integrity efforts, discussed the primary care crisis, and said the state is trying to preserve core services while preparing for a more difficult FY28 budget cycle. MassHealth Undersecretary Mike Levine then described two major FY27 challenges: double-digit cost growth and the expected effects of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act. He said MassHealth’s proposed $22.7 billion gross budget includes a 7.5% increase and relies on a moratorium on new expansions plus targeted reductions, including a $1,000 annual adult dental cap, ending GLP-1 coverage for weight loss only, reducing care management to peer-state levels, and work groups to slow growth in PCA, adult foster care, and adult day health spending. Members questioned the impact on Boston Health Care for the Homeless, preventive care, and regional access; Levine said the changes are meant to preserve sustainability, that children and certain disabled populations remain protected, and that the administration will continue working with providers, advocates, and the Legislature on implementation and longer-term reforms.

Transcript Highlights:

• So it's an ongoing struggle for libraries right now. um new models uh but they still I'm um new models
• <01:30:36.040> we Antiquated old Revenue model I mean we Antiquated old Revenue model I mean we
• yeah but we have more detailed models yeah but we have more detailed models but<01:48:03.040>
• the planning money we've built a model the planning money we've built a model that<01:54:03.520>
• <03:11:03.640> M attend build out Middle School model M attend build out Middle School model

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The programs include PCA Choice, the Community First Services and Support, or CFSS, budget model, the
• , it provides the same rate increase to the traditional PCA and CFSS agency model.
• I changed jobs and find reliable staff.
• This contract does reliable caregivers.
• payment model for Medicare nursing payment model for Medicare nursing facility<02:39:37.000> stays

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <03:09:59.760> We reliable. So uh we oppose the bill. We reliable.
• Okay, that's one model.
• that's one model. that's one model.
• Another<04:05:32.960> model<04:05:33.840> is Another model is Another model is um<04:05
• > u<04:10:56.800> of first model the all-inclusive model u of first model the all-inclusive

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• systems that will serve reliable systems that will serve families<00:27:12.000> for<00:27:12.320
• exposure, and deliver reliable exposure, and deliver reliable infrastructure<03:57:58.640> more
• In 2018, Congress classified model aircraft as recreational UAS.
• In 2018, Congress classified model aircraft as recreational UAS.
• The Recreational Drone Empowerment Act allows model aircraft clubs to request permission from the FAA

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And again, the ACLU has a model bill if you would like it. Next slide.
• Here, the ACLU has a model bill under development, and we should be able to share it by early fall at
• It would be happy to provide model language for the needed changes. Thank you.
• And once again, the ACLU has a model bill to meet you.
• Next, the Energy Cost Fairness and Reliability Act.

Keywords: 907, all

Summary: The committee held a series of informational briefings on information management and technology issues. It first heard from ACLU representatives on data privacy, who argued that Oregon should strengthen protections against private data brokers, government purchases of personal data, reverse warrants, automatic license plate readers, and local police surveillance. They urged data minimization, limits on data sales and retention, and broader transparency and accountability measures. Members asked about practical uses of license plate readers, state sales of data, and how Oregon’s approach compares with other states; the presenters said similar proposals have been adopted elsewhere, including data minimization in Maryland and a state version of the Fourth Amendment Is Not for Sale Act in Montana. The committee then received a detailed update from the Department of Administrative Services and Enterprise Information Services on licensing system modernization for 14 boards and commissions with the most immediate need. DAS said it is seeking a shared procurement approach through an RFP that would create either one scalable system or two tiers of systems, depending on agency needs and security requirements, with contracts expected by September. Committee members emphasized the need for a more unified, user-friendly statewide login and service experience for businesses and residents, and raised concerns about small agencies “figuring it out on their own” without sufficient cybersecurity or technical expertise. EIS said it is overseeing the investment review, security and architecture review, and future implementation planning, and noted that multiple agency requests may still come back to the legislature in the next session. The committee also discussed a revised cybersecurity incident notification concept. Staff explained that the earlier bill had raised stakeholder concerns, so the co-chairs directed further interim work with the Oregon Cybersecurity Advisory Council and other local government and K-12 stakeholders. The goal is a narrower, voluntary “911-style” notification process that would let public bodies alert peers and potentially receive assistance after cyber incidents; a temporary voluntary process is being tested now, with a work group developing language for possible 2027 consideration. Finally, the committee heard updates from the new state chief data officer on data governance, data sharing, geospatial work, and the state transparency website, followed by a briefing on data centers from NCSL and the Technology Association of Oregon. The data officer described efforts to expand data inventories, data governance plans, data literacy, and interagency sharing, along with statewide aerial imagery, geospatial standards, and the open data portal. The data center discussion focused on national and state trends, including rapid growth in data centers, rising electricity and water demand, and legislative responses such as new rate classes, reporting requirements, and cost-allocation rules to protect ratepayers. No votes were taken; the meeting was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• , the characteristics of the fire first before we can model.
• We're modeling. We're looking at wildfire spread.
• So we're running off forecast models.
• , through virtual modeling, and such around wildfire.
• I guess it's probably a both, but what's the better model?

Transcript Highlights:

• 04:23.759> therefore<00:04:24.280> the<00:04:24.440> medical<00:04:24.800> model
• project is therefore the medical model project is therefore the medical model we<00:04:25.479>
• program is here in Minnesota, but ultimately in the future this pilot program will be the working model
• approach P primarily in medical model approach P primarily in institutional<00:10:55.440> and
• Workforce data policy without reliable Workforce data policy makers<00:13:07.000> cannot<00:13

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , over 400 risks that were identified and calculated in this way, and that is a component of the modeling
• That creates that 70th percentile concept because they're running many model runs to develop that figure
• We have seen reliability benefits, and that is really a key driver for transit ridership.
• It's making sure that folks feel like they have a reliable trip to take.
• So really, what I haven't read there, when does it become impossible to have a safe and reliable pavement

Keywords: 907, all

Summary: The committee first received an informational update on the Interstate Bridge Replacement Project from Carly Francis and Travis Brower. They described the project’s purpose as improving seismic resilience, safety, freight movement, transit, and bicycle/pedestrian access across the Columbia River, and said the updated cost estimate is $13.2 billion to $14.4 billion for the full corridor. They explained the increase from the 2022 estimate as driven by construction inflation, a more conservative inflation curve, schedule delays, more detailed engineering, and risk modeling. They also outlined the funding plan, including $2.1 billion in federal funds, $1 billion each from Oregon and Washington, and $1.5 billion in projected toll revenue, and said they are working to obligate federal funds by the end of September. The panel described a first funded phase that would include the bridge, highway connections, tolling infrastructure, bridge removal, and transit design, with light rail to Vancouver still intended but dependent on additional funding. Members questioned the risk of losing federal transit funds, whether bridge design decisions were being made with legislative input, and whether the space reserved for light rail could be used for buses if transit funding does not materialize. The committee then heard testimony on maintaining Oregon’s existing roads and bridges from representatives of Knife River, the Asphalt Pavement Association of Oregon, and CRH. Witnesses said pavement and bridge preservation is severely underfunded, with ODOT needing about $400 million per year for pavement preservation but receiving roughly $100 million annually. They showed examples of deteriorating highways such as U.S. 97 and I-84 and argued that delaying maintenance leads to much higher reconstruction costs, more safety risks, and higher user costs. Knife River described layoffs and reduced work in Oregon because of limited preservation funding, while witnesses also said rising wages, equipment costs, fuel, and permitting delays are increasing project costs. Committee members asked about the role of prevailing wage, diesel equipment, hauling distances, and whether preservation work could be prioritized more effectively. Finally, economist Joe Cortright presented on recent ODOT megaproject cost overruns. He said Oregon has experienced persistent overruns driven by overly optimistic revenue forecasts, heavy reliance on debt, consultant costs, inflation above forecast, and projects that have become much larger in scope than originally presented. He cited major increases in the Interstate Bridge, Rose Quarter, and Abernathy Bridge projects and argued that some designs are far wider and more expensive than necessary. Cortright said better accountability, clearer priorities, and more disciplined project sizing are needed, and committee members pressed him on why agencies proceed with larger designs even when consultants recommend narrower, less expensive alternatives.

Transcript Highlights:

• fiscal priorities makes a strong case for the program's reauthorization and affirms its value as a model
• The lack of stable funding is a major concern as local governments need reliable support to implement
• These are long-term investments that the state is making, and the reliability of those funds is very
• Number one, establishing kind of a framework and a model that balances sustainability, affordability,
• to say that the way we're spending money is wrong or bad. but the analytics really are not very reliable

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We need to be Harry's model to carry on.
• Let's crack open the door to more reliable power again.
• a reliable power source. a reliable power source.
• Let's start on the reliable power again.
• 911 reliability. 911 reliability.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• businesses, and all of our critical infrastructure across the rail belt and interior Alaska have reliable
• In closing, I want to reiterate that the development of this bill has really been a model of bipartisan
• And the benefit, if you could summarize it into one thing, is reliable energy.
• But before we have affordable energy, we need reliable energy, because it was just a couple years ago
• The benefit to Alaskans, the blessing, is reliable energy, and that we can take this one step of faith

Keywords: 905, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We are in favor of finding reliable and dedicated transportation funding for the needs of townships and
• We are in favor of finding reliable and dedicated transportation funding for the needs of townships and
• We are in favor of finding reliable and dedicated transportation funding for the needs of townships and
• and basic amenities of speed reliability and basic amenities of brt<00:54:35.680> each<00:54:
• <00:55:05.799> for Minnesota is becoming a model for Minnesota is becoming a model for cost-effective

Bills: HF5

Keywords: tax modification, transportation funding, electric vehicle tax, Social Security subtraction, retail delivery fee, motor vehicle registration, state budget, transportation policy, 1183, house

Summary: The Transportation Committee resumed consideration of House File 5, which would reduce transportation-related revenues while also providing tax relief, including a subtraction for Social Security income, elimination of the delivery fee, and a cap on automatic gas tax indexing. The committee adopted the A1 author’s amendment, which added the phrase “using existing resources,” and then proceeded to public testimony. Representative Joy described the bill as making Minnesota more affordable, while several members and testifiers raised concerns about the impact on transportation funding and road maintenance. MnDOT Commissioner Nancy Doppenberg testified that reductions in planned transportation investments would worsen pavement, bridge, and roadway conditions, reduce construction projects and jobs, and add to an already large funding gap. Committee discussion focused on the estimated revenue losses from the bill, including about $45 million in fiscal year 2026 and $55 million annually from repealing the delivery fee, plus additional losses from capping gas tax indexing, for a combined transportation revenue reduction of about $131 million in the 2026-27 biennium. Members also asked about bridge aesthetics, paint, transit impacts, and whether other mandates and cost increases should be considered alongside revenue reductions. Supporters of the delivery fee repeal, including the Minnesota Grocers Association and Minnesota Retailers Association, argued the fee is costly to administer, confusing to consumers, and disproportionately burdens small businesses and lower-income or disabled consumers who rely on delivery. The Minnesota Association of Townships and the Minnesota Transportation Alliance emphasized that rural and local governments face major road and bridge funding needs and warned that reducing revenue would shift costs to property taxpayers or leave projects unfunded. No final vote on the bill was taken in the portion of the meeting provided; the committee continued with testimony and member questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• So each business model is very different, and most of them are set up this way from the beginning.
• So for 2027 rates, OHA is moving to release the rate model on August 12th to provide 21 2027 rates.
• OHA is moving to release the rate model on August 12th to provide 21 days for CCO review.
• And this thing is like one of the most fundamental pieces of our model.
• And this thing is like one of the most fundamental pieces of our model.

Keywords: 907, all

Summary: The committee held an informational hearing focused first on Oregon Medicaid coordinated care organization (CCO) finances and rate setting. Oregon Health Authority staff explained how 2025 CCO financial results will inform 2027 capitation rates, including reserve requirements, subcapitation arrangements, and major cost drivers such as behavioral health, pharmacy, rural hospital costs, and dental directed payments. They said the Legislature’s added 2025 funding materially improved CCO margins and that, without it, the program would have been negative overall. Members asked about retained earnings, subcapitation, behavioral health utilization, ABA therapy, and whether outcomes are being evaluated; OHA said rate setting is actuarial and that CCOs, OHA, and other partners all play roles in monitoring efficacy and access. OHA also reviewed House Bill 4039 changes intended to increase transparency and give CCOs earlier access to rate information and reconciliation exhibits. CCO representatives then testified that the system is under significant financial pressure and that behavioral health state-directed payments, benefit changes, and federal uncertainty from H.R. 1 are reducing flexibility. CareOregon said it has lost more than $500 million over the last couple of years and is now making provider terminations and other network changes to align spending with available funding, while emphasizing that CCOs must make hard decisions about which services and providers can be sustained. Eastern Oregon CCO said rural and frontier factors, cost-based hospitals, air ambulance needs, and statewide efficiency adjustments are not fully reflected in rates, and that dental funding is especially strained. Trillium similarly warned that state-directed payments and benefit expansion pressures are constraining the global budget model and that H.R. 1 could worsen acuity and volatility. Members pressed the witnesses on who is responsible for evaluating treatment effectiveness, especially for ABA and psychotherapy, and on how utilization limits and reimbursement changes are being used to control costs. The committee then shifted to an overview of the Affordable Care Act and Oregon’s commercial insurance market. Department of Consumer and Business Services staff explained actuarial value, metal tiers, premium tax credits, medical loss ratio rules, and the main drivers of premium rates: cost trend, utilization trend, and administrative costs. They said mandates have likely added only a limited amount to premiums over the past decade, though the exact effect is difficult to isolate, and they gave examples of how high-cost, low-volume services versus broad, high-utilization services can affect rates differently. Staff also noted that Providence Health Plan and PacificSource Health Plans are withdrawing from the individual market, though consumers should still have at least three insurer options in every county and may have four in many counties. The division said it is in the middle of reviewing proposed 2027 rates and will continue its public rate review process, including hearings and written comment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Admin also requests to remove the requirement to maintain a model exterior lighting ordinance.
• <00:05:13.240> exterior requirement to maintain a model exterior requirement to maintain a
• model exterior lighting<00:05:14.080> ordinance.
• Reliable information is becoming an endangered resource as local news organizations struggle.
• :45.440> an Reliable information is becoming an Reliable information is becoming an endangered

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The end result was a model that is... ...a model that is very fast.
• And that's really the end product of the AI model.
• Generative models, by the way, may be present.
• Gary, the model that you did with regard to protecting the flood elevations, was that a Traditional model
• We tried about 15 different well-known models. So, essentially off-the-shelf models.

Summary: The Natural Resources and Disaster Subcommittee met to discuss the use of artificial intelligence in emergency management and related public-safety applications. The panel included the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the University of Florida, and Florida International University. FDEM described current uses of AI for invoice anomaly detection, automated situation report drafting, and data synthesis in WebEOC, emphasizing that AI is used to speed analysis and improve efficiency but not to replace human decision-making. The agency also said counties retain access through backup communications such as Starlink and generators, and that WebEOC provides shared visibility, archived documentation, and a common operating picture across all 67 counties. University of Florida representatives highlighted Beacon, an AI-enabled public safety audio service developed with FDEM and public media partners to distribute official alerts across multiple platforms, including mobile devices and digital streams. UF IFAS described a geospatial AI “Gaia bot” that turns satellite data into natural-language answers and maps for crop damage assessment and flood-risk mapping, with a focus on making complex Earth-observation data more accessible to growers and policymakers. FIU presented AI models that predict water levels and flood mitigation settings much faster than traditional simulation tools, with comparable or better accuracy, and said the work includes explainability features and broader research on compound flooding. Members asked extensive questions about storm surge, hallucinations, whether generative AI or large language models were being used, data vetting, and hardware needs. The witnesses repeatedly stressed that their systems are not autonomous, that human review remains central, and that the models used are primarily data-driven predictive tools rather than chatbot-style generative AI. The meeting ended with thanks to the panelists and an announcement that the committee’s policy chief was leaving for another position. Representative Mooney then moved that the committee rise, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• These tools are not reliable and do not accurately predict a young person's risk of reoffending.
• So when the legislature chose to go to the JR-25 model, there was some thought.
• set to be completed by June of Facility workload staffing model set to be completed by June of 2027.
• That is definitely taken into account and has been for our workload staffing models as well.
• We did look at economic modeling, and that suggests that businesses that received loans support jobs

Summary: The committee met on July 15, 2026, but initially lacked a quorum, so it could not adopt prior minutes. Chair Jerry Pollett welcomed new member Senator Victoria Hunt and new JLARC staff, and noted national recognition for recent JLARC reports. The meeting then moved into a series of preliminary audit presentations and an agency strategic management update, with committee members asking questions after each item. JLARC presented a preliminary audit of DCYF’s Juvenile Rehabilitation programs. Staff concluded that crowding, staffing shortages, weak risk assessments, and inconsistent programming combine to create unsafe conditions. The report found that most youth are housed in two large secure facilities operating near or above capacity, incidents rise as population rises, 47% of frontline staff leave within a year, current assessment tools are not valid for the population, and program access depends more on facility than individual need. JLARC made one recommendation to the legislature to address crowding and seven to DCYF, including improving retention, training, incident response procedures, validated assessments, program alignment, and data quality. DCYF Secretary Ross Hunter said the agency agreed overcrowding is a serious problem, described ongoing efforts to improve staffing and safety, and said a detailed response would be provided later. Committee members raised concerns about education access, retaliation against staff or youth who participated in the audit, and whether JR-25 has helped or worsened conditions. JLARC then presented a preliminary audit of Labor and Industries’ enforcement of farm worker labor laws. The audit found that L&I generally meets inspection timelines for health and safety complaints, but not for wage and hour or retaliation complaints, where delays are driven largely by time before assignment to an investigator. Staff said complaint volume exceeds capacity, though the agency has added staff, created screening processes, and reorganized workloads, and 2026 legislation now allows prioritization of complaints and broader investigations. JLARC recommended that L&I report back in December 2026 and December 2027 on backlog reduction and implementation of the new law. An L&I representative said the agency is hiring additional staff and will provide a formal response later. The committee also received a JLARC overview and Department of Health strategic management plan update on hospital data reporting, inspections, complaints, and adverse event reporting. DOH reported measurable progress on inspection compliance, new staffing and licensing systems, translated complaint forms, and plans for future work on language access, adverse event reporting, and financial data dashboards. After lunch, JLARC began its 2026 tax preference performance reviews. The first review covered the Main Street tax credit, which JLARC said has helped increase the number of Main Street communities and businesses, with positive growth near designated districts; JLARC recommended continuing the preference and improving business-count data. The second review covered the equitable access to credit program, which JLARC said appears to support underserved communities by funding loans through CDFIs; JLARC recommended continuing the preference beyond its 2027 expiration. The committee began questions on the program mechanics and the role of the Community Reinvestment Act, and the presentation was still underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Are they under a bar advocate model, where they're an independent contractor?
• And because of that same issue that you're presenting is why we're using the model of West Springfield
• This program is also a model of local and state partnership.
• Over the past year, the department has diversified service models to offer more flexible and fiscally
• , or any other model of change management?

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing was a FY27 budget session on Health and Human Services held in Mattapan, hosted by the Joint Committee on Ways and Means. Opening remarks from Senator Lydia Edwards, Representative Brandy Fluker-Reed, Representative Russell Holmes, and Boston Public Library President David Leonard emphasized the significance of holding the first Ways and Means hearing in Mattapan, the importance of community access, and the role of libraries as human services institutions. Committee members and attendees introduced themselves before agency testimony began. MassAbility testified first, describing its mission to support people with disabilities through employment, independent living, and disability determination services. The agency highlighted federal funding uncertainty, a modest FY27 budget reduction, and a proposed reworking of its home care program, which it said is outdated and should better target those most in need. Members questioned the home care cut, staffing reductions, and federal coordination. MassAbility also shared a participant story about recovery and community support to illustrate the impact of its services. The Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing then presented its FY27 request, focusing on interpreter and captioning access, workforce development, emergency communication, aging-related hearing loss, and transition services for deaf and hard-of-hearing youth. Members asked about interpreter shortages, after-hours emergency coverage, ASL education, and community training; the commission said it is expanding mentorship and referral systems but still faces staffing and vendor challenges. The Massachusetts Commission for the Blind followed with a $30.8 million request, describing services for nearly 9,000 consumers, peer support groups, vocational rehabilitation, and Turning 22 services, while noting federal funding uncertainty and a 7% budget cut. Members raised concerns about maintaining services with fewer resources, and the commissioner said the agency had trimmed overhead and could manage the proposal. The Office for Refugees and Immigrants closed the segment, outlining expanded legal, housing, workforce, citizenship, and financial literacy supports for immigrants and refugees, including Know Your Rights trainings, legal defense initiatives, and the Massachusetts Access to Counsel Initiative. Members discussed the effects of federal policy changes, the loss of refugee resettlement funding, and the need for state support to fill gaps. No votes were taken in the portion provided; the hearing consisted of agency presentations and committee questioning.