Transcript Highlights:

• Bill No. 732 by Representative Owen provides for a temporary waiver of fees for final delinquent debt based
• We charge the rate on behalf of the municipality based on certain transactions, and then those fees go
• I think now my second question is, I think I understood you all to say that they can determine, based
• I think we're making too much progress now to change the process in the middle of the game.
• In the middle of the game, I think, is fairly risky for us when we're bragging on the amount of improvements

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met on March 23 with a quorum and received an update from OMV leadership. Director Brian Adams and Commissioner Keith Neal said the agency has improved morale, staffing, and efficiencies, is operating in the black, and expects to begin testing the driver’s license portion of its modernization project in September. They also said the agency is working on customer service and technology upgrades. The committee then considered several OMV-related bills. HB 781, creating a fleet vehicle registration program, was amended to delay implementation until the OMV system is ready and was reported with amendments. HB 712, which waives OMV fees for driver’s licenses and state IDs for eligible homeless persons, drew extensive testimony for and against; supporters said it would remove a barrier to employment, housing, and identification, while opponents raised concerns about eligibility, fraud, and policy scope. The committee adopted amendments clarifying the waiver and verification requirements, and the bill passed on a roll call vote. HB 372, requiring OMV education on roundabouts, was discussed but voluntarily deferred in favor of a House concurrent resolution approach. HB 746, dealing with oversized trucking permits, was amended to preserve existing permits while imposing a one-year moratorium on new local permit requirements and was reported with amendments. HB 732, allowing temporary waiver of certain OMV-related debts for people in special circumstances such as hospice, was amended and reported favorably. HB 722, providing automatic reinstatement of driver’s licenses after payment of fees and fines except for DUI-related suspensions, was amended and reported with amendments. HB 593, raising the maximum service fee for certain OMV field offices, was amended to exclude Shreveport and reported 9-5. HB 613, adding a citizenship indicator to Louisiana driver’s licenses and IDs, was heavily debated over its purpose and implications but was reported 8-5. Finally, HB 582, reducing reinstatement fees for insurance lapses, was reported favorably, and HB 762, which would block referral of certain OMV debts to the Office of Debt Recovery, was taken up with testimony emphasizing the burden of added collection fees.

Transcript Highlights:

• So the we had actually already passed a bill previously to extend the hours based upon a local vote.
• And I thought about that, and there is a difference based on the testimony we heard.
• quantitative, impartial, and risk-based as measured by an objective standard.
• Yeah. >> So that we can just X out all the people who think it'll be fun and games to try it out.
• it'll be fun and games to try it<01:53:25.760><c> out.

Summary: The committee first took up a liquor-related amendment correcting an earlier drafting error that had accidentally removed enhanced penalties for death-related over-service from the statute. Members explained that the language had already been enacted briefly before being deleted by mistake, and the amendment simply restored the prior penalty provisions. The committee voted unanimously in favor. A second liquor amendment followed, concerning VFW and similar veterans’ clubs. The revised language would allow a veteran or member to sign in a limited number of under-21 guests, with testimony emphasizing that this was meant for small events and would mirror existing restaurant rules requiring a parent, legal guardian, or adult spouse. There was extended debate about whether private clubs were sufficiently public, whether towns could tighten liquor rules locally, and whether enforcement would be effective. Liquor enforcement testified that municipalities must approve licenses, only four minors could be signed in at once under a member’s signature, age-restriction signage remains required, and clubs often report violations themselves to protect their licenses. The amendment was ultimately approved unanimously, and the subcommittee then moved into executive session. In executive session, HB 186, relating to cannabis legalization, regulation, and appropriations, was recommended ought to pass on a 10-7 vote, with a minority report noted. HB 241, relating to treatment alternatives to opioids, was then supported with amendment 2990 and recommended ought to pass as amended; the bill was described as expanding access to non-opioid, non-surgical, and non-medication pain treatments, while the amendment clarified Insurance Department procedures and educational materials. That bill was placed on the consent calendar unanimously. HB 297, concerning access by self-funded employer health plans to claims data, was also recommended ought to pass with amendment 2987 and then ought to pass as amended unanimously; supporters said it would let employers opt in to deidentified claims data, improve transparency, and preserve privacy. It too was placed on the consent calendar unanimously. The committee then considered HB 312, dealing with student-athlete name, image, and likeness compensation, and voted to send it to interim study. Members said the issue remained too uncertain because of ongoing federal and NCAA developments, and that interim study would keep the committee’s options open without killing the bill. The motion was supported as a way to continue monitoring the issue for future action.

Transcript Highlights:

• Establish a grant program with the Department of Human Services to support community-based organizations
• Others could eventually qualify for that, based on the rules.
• think we're giving an opportunity to go into a club situation, the mentorship, the tutoring, the soft skill

Bills: HB3622 , HB3621 , HB3151 , HB3882 , HB3661 , HB4273 , HB3644 , HB3706 , HB3708 , HB2021 , HB3986 , HB3972

Committee: House Appropriations and Budget

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several bills, beginning with HB 3622 and HB 3621, both related to census and state data functions. HB 3622, as amended, removed direct appropriation language and would let Department of Commerce staff carry out census-related duties such as updating local census addresses and upgrading technology. HB 3621 would recreate the State Data Center at the Legislative Service Bureau to coordinate census-related programs across agencies such as Commerce, Tax, and others; both bills received unanimous or near-unanimous support and were reported out due pass. A lengthy portion of the meeting focused on HB 3151, which would redefine instructional days so that only time students are actually in the classroom counts toward the instructional minimum, excluding professional development and parent-teacher conference time. The author argued the bill would close Oklahoma’s instructional-time gap and improve outcomes, while members raised concerns about funding, teacher pay, contract negotiations, and how districts would absorb the change. After debate, the bill passed 19-7. The committee also advanced HB 3706, which sets minimum elementary math instruction standards and expands math screening requirements, and HB 3708, which would allow private schools to use scholarship-granting organization funds for capital improvements to increase instructional capacity; both drew questions about funding, scheduling, and the scope of the programs but were reported out due pass. Other measures approved included HB 3661, extending a sunset on a timber equipment tax provision; HB 3882, creating a revolving fund for ODOT’s lake access and industrial access grants; HB 4273, extending a tax credit to certain aerospace engineers at an ARM 1 higher education institution; HB 3644, tied to medical training and best practices after a fatal misdiagnosis; HB 2021, creating a DHS grant program for out-of-school programming, with discussion centered on whether it would effectively favor Boys and Girls Clubs and exclude other providers; HB 3986, extending a sunset; and HB 3972, cleanup language related to the Comanche County prison purchase. Most bills passed with strong support, and the meeting adjourned after the final votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• And you have to build trust with your constituents, including your base.
• 00:14:29.199><c> uh,</c><00:14:29.360><c> including</c><00:14:29.760><c> your</c><00:14:30.000><c> base
• </c> constituents, uh, including your base. constituents, uh, including your base.
• Tonight we're going to the homecoming football game at Centennial, and it's going to be Senator Kunesh
• You're talking a big game. >> Rock, paper, scissors. >> I'll take that one.

Transcript Highlights:

• Paul there are obviously some issues, you know, if there's a concert going on downtown or a football game
• downtown<00:04:55.759><c> or</c><00:04:55.919><c> a</c><00:04:56.080><c> football</c><00:04:56.320><c> game
• /c><00:04:56.560><c> at</c><00:04:56.720><c> at</c><00:04:56.880><c> US</c> downtown or a football game
• at at US downtown or a football game at at US Bank<00:04:57.440><c> Stadium.

Transcript Highlights:

• agree that we don't want drivers going 70 miles down the road and watching video or playing video games
• And this includes the video streaming, the gaming, the Nobody opposed.
• this includes the video<00:05:25.120><c> streaming,</c><00:05:25.680><c> the</c><00:05:25.919><c> gaming
• ,</c><00:05:26.400><c> the</c> Video streaming, the gaming, the shopping, everything else that everybody

Transcript Highlights:

• ownership, $2 million into the greater Minnesota infrastructure grants, $2 million into community-based
• ownership, $2 million into the greater Minnesota infrastructure grants, $2 million into community-based
• </c><00:40:29.359><c> first-time</c> million into community-based first-time million into community-based
• /c><00:59:05.040><c> I'm</c><00:59:05.280><c> learning</c><00:59:05.520><c> it</c> I'm new at this game
• and I'm learning it I'm new at this game and I'm learning it and<00:59:06.160><c> I'm</c><00:59:06.480

Transcript Highlights:

• c> immediate</c><00:53:45.359><c> action,</c> This committee to take immediate action, fund school-based
• </c><01:24:18.639><c> on</c><01:24:18.960><c> real</c><01:24:19.360><c> or</c> denial of education based
• on real or denial of education based on real or perceived<01:24:20.400><c> status</c><01:24:20.800><
• <01:24:44.880><c> on</c><01:24:45.040><c> the</c><01:24:45.280><c> requirements</c> school grounds based
• , to learn history develop math skills, to learn history and<01:46:21.920><c> create</c><01:46:22.320

Committee: Senate Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• school board chairman at that time, and we explained it right over the PA at a homecoming football game
• </c> homecoming football game homecoming football game and<00:32:58.600><c> really</c><00:32:58.919><
• You know, we watch a football game from Kansas City, and you can hear in the background people still
• You know, we watch a football game from Kansas City, and you can hear in the background people still
• </c> an a terrible experience at that game an a terrible experience at that game because<01:03:20.160

Committee: Senate Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Game. Amendment has not been adopted.
• Game. Game. Game.
• </c> competency-based CTE kids as well. competency-based CTE kids as well.
• </c> taking a competency-based taking a competency-based CTE<03:01:11.960><c> program</c><03:01:12.560
• </c> looking at only distributing this based looking at only distributing this based on on on the<03:

Transcript Highlights:

• Funds were also case-based learning.
• </c><00:20:20.240><c> on</c> subsequent funding period and based on subsequent funding period and based
• </c> center, building rural obstetric skills center, building rural obstetric skills through<00:24:25.520
• And we were cognizant that in some cases we'd have to measure based on process, as outcome-based data
• </c> leaves another 30 or so urban-based leaves another 30 or so urban-based community<01:09:44.400><

Summary: The Select Subcommittee first took up adoption of three previously prepared nonpartisan committee summary reports dated October 15, November 13, and November 21. Senator Rasmusson objected to the lack of advance notice about the day’s testifiers and criticized the practice of having nonpartisan staff summarize what he described as a partisan agenda. The chair responded that the committee’s purpose is to gather information, not hear bills, and that the summaries were intended as neutral resources for the Senate. Senator Coopek moved adoption, the motion was opposed by Rasmusson and another member, and the motion passed. The committee then turned to the day’s hearing on federal impacts on Minnesota, with the chair focusing on federal funding threats and the effect of congressional budget actions on health care, especially in greater Minnesota. The first presentation came from the Minnesota Department of Health on the state’s rural health transformation work. Assistant Commissioner Carol Broom introduced the team and described the rural hospital transformation program as a major opportunity to invest in rural health, while acknowledging longstanding challenges such as demographics, transportation barriers, and the financing of care. Nitha Moibi outlined the state’s rural health chart book and data showing an aging population, workforce shortages, and many health professional shortage areas, and described proposed strategies including workforce pipelines, bridge payments for low-volume birth hospitals, telehealth access points, mental health urgent care, and chronic disease prevention. Acting Assistant Commissioner Anna Ashby of the Minnesota Management and Budget office explained the state’s application to CMS for the Rural Health Transformation Program, which was created in federal law and awarded Minnesota just over $193 million for federal fiscal year 2026. She said the application was shaped by public comments, stakeholder meetings, and legislative outreach, and included initiatives on preventive care, workforce, care access, behavioral health, and provider financial stability. She also reviewed implementation constraints, including a January 30 revised budget deadline, limits on administrative spending, restrictions on using funds to offset Medicaid losses, and the need to show measurable progress to remain eligible for future funding. The presentation noted that most year-one funding would go to rural hospitals, with additional support for federally qualified health centers, community mental health centers, tribal partners, and technical assistance.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're now looking at the base increase rates because, again, the one thing that we're not trying to do
• It's a baseball game, it's a football game.
• In August of 2025, this month, a survey showed that she assumed, based on her gender expression, that
• acknowledges... ...is that there are some extremely violent and heinous crimes that require a force-based
• Peer-review committees for incident-based dispute resolution.

Bills: SB2 , SB3 , SB5 , SB9 , SB10 , SB14 , SB16 , SB18 , SB34 , SB6 , SB7 , SB8 , SB11 , SB12 , SB13 , SB15 , SB 2 , SB 3 , SB 5 , SB 9 , SB 10 , SB 14 , SB 16 , SB 18 , SB 34 , SB 6 , SB 7 , SB 8 , SB 11 , SB 12 , SB 13 , SB 15 , SB 17 , SB 4 , SB1 , SB2 , SB3 , SB5 , SB9 , SB10 , SB14 , SB16 , SB18 , SB34 , SB6 , SB7 , SB8 , SB11 , SB12 , SB13 , SB15 , SB17 , SB4

Transcript Highlights:

• I have a financial education game company, so it has nothing to do with the environment.
• The implementation would be based upon the respective regulatory agencies, whether it's the PUC or the
• You said they didn't, based on the bill that was passed.
• It appears, based on the invited testimony, that it is EMP focused. Am I wrong about that?
• War games, tabletop exercises, or simulations.

Bills: SB75 , SB715 , SB776 , SB1299 , SB1405 , SB1968 , SB2021 , SB2077 , SB2148 , SB2321 , SB2330 , SB2411

Committee: Senate Business & Commerce

Transcript Highlights:

• The program is an individualized, evidence-based program.
• So based on, also in the state of Arizona, we also do our direct practice work where our social workers
• We also start to see development of leadership skills.
• So based on the information that you provided...” “Thank you.
• report, where is it sent, the outcome measurements based on the fact that this has been part of DCS’

Committee: Joint Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on the Department of Child Safety

Summary: The Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on the Department of Child Safety met to review child welfare reforms developed after prior oversight hearings on the deaths of Emily Pike, Zariah Dodd, and Rebecca Baptiste. Committee members and the chair described a series of stakeholder meetings with tribes, DCS, law enforcement, county attorneys, schools, and other advocates that produced several bills aimed at improving communication, reporting, investigations, and court decision-making. The chair said SB 1125, creating a tribal-DCS memorandum of understanding, had already been signed, and highlighted HB 1126 on school records access, HB 1127 on mandatory reporting by people with direct knowledge, HB 1174 on hotline case history and review of prior reports, HB 1175 on photo documentation of children in care, HB 1496 on allowing attorneys to share more safety information with judges, and HB 1631 requiring advanced forensic interviews within 72 hours in sexual abuse cases, with some exceptions. DCS Director Catherine Patak presented agency data showing nearly 160,000 hotline calls in 2025, about 43,000 investigations, and a relatively steady out-of-home care population that ended the year at 7,077 children. She said about 3,000 children were reunified, 1,300 adopted, and 800 entered guardianship, while 1,100 young adults received transition services. She also reported 534 new foster homes licensed, a 50% reimbursement increase for older youth caregivers, a 40% decrease in youth missing from care since September 2024, and a 30% reduction in fatalities of children in care since 2024. Patak discussed the annual fatality review process, noting that 52 of 123 alleged fatality or near-fatality reports had prior DCS involvement, and described agency responses such as health plans for children with complex medical needs, a diabetes training app, expanded LifeSet services, fentanyl and safe-sleep prevention campaigns, staffing realignment, retention efforts, and improved coordination with law enforcement and tribes. Members asked about group home notification rules, the distinction between “missing” and “runaway,” behavioral health needs driving children back into care, training under Jacob’s Law, and whether best practices exist for placing sexually abused youth with appropriate staff. Patak said DCS is updating rules to remove “runaway” and “AWOL” in favor of “missing,” and that the agency is considering whether the statute’s immediate-or-24-hour reporting language should be clarified. She also said DCS does not currently have a specific staffing requirement tied to a child’s sex in group homes, but would look into practices in other states. The committee then heard from Malcolm Hightower of Casey Family Programs, who said Arizona is generally in the middle of the pack nationally: slightly higher than average in foster care entries and congregate care use, but near the national average on screening, substantiation, recurrence, re-entry, and maltreatment fatalities. He praised Arizona’s kin placement rate, said congregate care remains a challenge, and noted that neglect definitions and poverty-related removals remain an area of policy discussion. Finally, K.C. Melsick of Collaborative Safety described the organization’s safety-science approach to systemic critical incident reviews, arguing that child welfare systems should move away from blame and toward learning from near-misses and system failures. Members discussed applying similar methods across state agencies, and the committee adjourned after members and witnesses emphasized continued collaboration and further reforms in the interim and next session.

Transcript Highlights:

• The program is an individualized, evidence-based program.
• So based on, also in the state of Arizona, we also do our direct practice work where our social workers
• We also start to see development of leadership skills.
• So based on the information that you provided, Thank you.
• The outcome measurements, based on the fact that this has been part of DCS's in-house strategies.

Committee: Joint Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on the Department of Child Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• already requires employers to train workers on sexual harassment, on abusive conduct, and harassment based
• We are a community-based civil rights organization, and we are in support of the bill. Thank you.
• I represent CAUSE, Californians United for Sex-Based Evidence in Policy and Law, and Women Are Real,
• I represent Cause, Californians United for sex-based evidence in policy and law, and women are real.
• Both nonpartisan organizations with a Meg Madden, representing CAUSE, Californians United for Sex-Based

Committee: House Labor and Employment

Transcript Highlights:

• We fund community-based organizations.
• positive childhood experiences, and that's what the funding would be used for: to promote community-based
• That's called the Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention Grant.
• A personalized plan connected him to skill-building courses and enrolled both him and his mother in a
• And so using a very broad base on an awareness campaign is where we came with this proposal.

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

Transcript Highlights:

• My name is Steve Wilhelm, and I represent the Seattle-based Northwest Dharma Association, the nation's
• For each political subdivision, it is responsible for land-based search and rescue activities.
• Our teams consist of dedicated men and women who are both highly skilled and technically proficient.
• These helicopter units can reach areas much more quickly than ground-based units to deliver emergency
• Each agency must consider and base data collection on the appropriate demographic data set necessary

Bills: SB6084 , SB6044 , SB5950 , SB6046 , SB5763 , SB5784

Committee: Senate State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections

Keywords: elections, double voting, voting twice, multiple voting, same-day election, primary election, general election, special election, cross-state voting, ballot fraud, election fraud, voter misconduct, RCW 29A.84.660, State v. Padilla, civil infraction, class C felony, Secretary of State, Washington elections, election law, voter eligibility

Transcript Highlights:

• think as looking for data, and I think both Director Baznett and I believe in a data-driven, evidence-based
• For example, in the skilled nursing space with aging and developmentally disabled, how do you encourage
• the California Reducing Disparities and Freedom Fund, we have awarded grants to over 17 community-based
• So sometimes it's on the ground and often it's through agreements with community-based organizations
• Such partnerships are especially important during a challenging political climate when evidence-based

Committee: Senate Rules

Summary: The Senate Committee on Rules established quorum and approved several routine items on the agenda, including governor’s appointments not required to appear: Courtney Welsh to the California Housing Partnership Corporation Board, Janessa Goldbeck to the California Veterans Board, and Tom Huntington to the State Parks and Recreation Commission, each by 3-0 vote. The committee also approved reference of bills to committees, the 2026 committee chair/member assignments, the 2026 session schedule, the 2026 holiday schedule, and floor acknowledgments, all by unanimous votes. The committee noted that some 2026 committee changes would take effect February 1, 2026, and that new committees would depend on adoption of a Senate resolution. The committee then heard from Dr. Hernando Garson, nominated as chief medical officer of the Emergency Medical Services Authority. He described his background in emergency medicine, disaster response, and EMS leadership, and members questioned him about EMSA’s strategic plan, data integration, statewide standards versus local flexibility, ambulance patient offload time regulations, stakeholder engagement, and emergency response coordination. Dr. Garson emphasized data-driven decision-making, technical assistance to local agencies, collaboration with hospitals and EMS stakeholders, and the need for safer alternatives to routine ambulance transport such as community paramedicine, telehealth, and nurse triage. He also discussed disaster preparedness for vulnerable and rural communities and the use of regional and state assets, including ambulance strike teams, during fires and floods. The committee approved his appointment 4-0. The final item was Stephanie Weldon’s nomination as Deputy Director of the Office of Health Equity at the Department of Public Health. Weldon, who identified as Yurok-Tolowa and Karuk, spoke about her tribal, county, nonprofit, and state experience, her role as the first Native American woman in the position, and her commitment to health equity, rural communities, and culturally responsive public health work. Senators asked about how the office sets priorities, measures outcomes, addresses behavioral health, tribal consultation, youth mental health, and how it responds to political pressure around DEI language; Weldon said the office focuses on community-driven, data-informed work and transparency. Public commenters strongly supported her confirmation, citing her leadership on the California Reducing Disparities Project and related equity efforts. The committee approved her appointment 4-0, sending it to the full Senate for confirmation.

Transcript Highlights:

• think as looking for data, and I think both Director Besnett and I believe in a data-driven, evidence-based
• For example, in the skilled nursing space with aging and developmentally disabled, how do you encourage
• So sometimes it's on the ground and often it's through agreements with community-based organizations
• Such partnerships are especially important during a challenging political climate when evidence-based
• Such partnerships are especially important during a challenging political climate when evidence-based

Summary: The Senate Committee on Rules convened, established quorum, and first approved several governor’s appointments not required to appear: Courtney Welsh to the California Housing Partnership Corporation Board, Janessa Goldbeck to the California Veterans Board, and Tom Huntington to the State Parks and Recreation Commission, each by 3-0 vote. The committee also approved reference of bills to committees, the 2026 committee chair/member assignments, the 2026 session schedule, the 2026 holiday schedule, and floor acknowledgments, all by unanimous votes. The committee then heard and advanced two appointments requiring testimony. Dr. Hernando Garzon, nominated as chief medical officer for the Emergency Medical Services Authority, discussed his background in emergency medicine, disaster response, EMS data modernization, local flexibility within statewide standards, ambulance offload time regulations, stakeholder engagement, and alternatives to emergency transport such as community paramedicine and telehealth. Members pressed him on strategic planning, rural and climate-related disaster response, ambulance rate reporting, and how EMSA can better protect vulnerable people during evacuations; his appointment was approved 4-0 and sent to the Senate floor. Stephanie Weldon, nominated as Deputy Director of the Office of Health Equity at the Department of Public Health, described her tribal background, prior public service, and focus on health equity, behavioral health, tribal consultation, data, and community-led programs. Senators asked about measuring outcomes, serving rural communities, balancing equity work amid federal DEI opposition, youth mental health, and preventing fraud or waste through transparency. Public commenters, including tribal, health, and community advocates, strongly supported her nomination. Her appointment was also approved 4-0 and forwarded to the full Senate.