Transcript Highlights:

• long overdue recognition, making California Native American Day, observed on the fourth Friday of September
• While this is Observed on the fourth Friday of September as an official paid state holiday.
• state of California to all California Indian tribes to be able to celebrate the Fourth Friday of September
• September as a paid holiday, something that is long overdue.
• 11, 2001, as a result of the war on terrorism.

Committee: House Public Employment and Retirement

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Public Employment and Retirement heard several bills dealing with pensions, holidays, public employee accountability, and first responder retirement. AB 912 was taken up on the consent calendar and passed. AB 569, as amended, would allow local public employers and unions to negotiate contributions to supplemental defined benefit pension plans; the author and Teamsters said it would clarify existing PEPRA grandfathering rules, while labor supported it, and the bill passed to Appropriations. AB 989 would make California Native American Day a paid state holiday, with strong support from Native organizations and tribes and no opposition; the committee members spoke in favor and the bill passed. AB 268 would recognize Diwali as an official state holiday, also with broad support and no opposition, and it passed. AJR 3 urged protection of Social Security, Medicare, and Medi-Cal from federal cuts; retirees, caregivers, and health advocates testified in support, and the resolution passed. AB 1067 would require public employers to complete misconduct investigations even if an employee retires during the process; the author said it closes an accountability loophole, while opposition raised due process and family-retirement concerns, and the bill passed as amended. AB 1510 was presented as a cleanup bill making technical changes to state employee pay and benefits and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority labor law; it passed with support from AFSCME. The committee then heard AB 1233, which would create a statewide database of classified school employee positions and certain egregious misconduct records to help school employers screen applicants. School administrators and county school officials supported the bill as a student-safety tool, while classified employee groups raised concerns about fairness, due process, and the scope of misconduct covered; the author said the bill already focuses on serious sex and drug offenses involving children and was open to narrowing language. The bill passed to the Committee on Education. Finally, AB 1383, a major first responder retirement bill, drew extensive testimony. The author and firefighters argued that lowering the normal retirement age for public safety employees from 57 to 55 and restoring some bargaining flexibility would help recruitment, retention, and health, citing cancer and other job-related risks. Cities, counties, and local government associations opposed it, warning it would roll back PEPRA reforms, increase pension costs, and strain local budgets. Despite the opposition, committee members spoke strongly in favor of first responders and the bill passed to Appropriations. The committee then adjourned after all items were voted out.

Transcript Highlights:

• facilities Authority<00:11:41.519><c> we</c><00:11:41.680><c> support</c><00:11:42.079><c> this</c><
• 00:11:42.279><c> bill</c><00:11:42.880><c> the</c><00:11:43.040><c> key</c> Authority we support this
• </c><00:11:44.399><c> policy</c><00:11:44.920><c> with</c><00:11:45.079><c> implementation</c> is to
• c><00:11:46.279><c> what</c><00:11:46.399><c> the</c><00:11:46.519><c> bill</c><00:11:46.680><c> seeks
• for your testimony<00:11:50.200><c> next</c><00:11:50.440><c> we</c><00:11:50.600><c> have</c><00:11:

Summary: The Committee on Education met on January 30 and heard testimony on several bills, beginning with an announcement asking testifiers and members to keep remarks brief because of weather. The vice chair also explained that HB 440, relating to immigration issues in schools and state hospitals, was removed from the agenda because the proposal would not create meaningful legal protections and immigration policy is governed by federal law. The committee then moved through a series of education-related measures, with testimony largely from the Department of Education, the School Facilities Authority, the Attorney General’s office, unions, advocacy groups, and individual testifiers. On HB 330, concerning school impact fees, the School Facilities Authority supported the bill as aligning policy with implementation, while the Tax Foundation of Hawaii said the fee accounts have accumulated large balances, including more than $20 million in impact fee funds and nearly $9 million from predecessor fair-share contributions, and urged that collected money be used rather than left idle. DOE said it would follow up on the balance and why it was not being used. On HB 1188, dealing with workforce housing, DOE and the Charter School Commission offered comments or support, the Attorney General suggested clarifying the phrase “within commuting distance” by using a mileage standard and adding repayment language, and HSTA, HGEA, and others supported the bill, with HSTA saying teachers need housing to be able to live and work in Hawaii. On HB 624 and HB 625, both related to school psychologists, DOE said it would participate in a work group on the pathway bill and supported the incentive program bill; school psychologists and related groups supported the measures, while one testifier said DOE should not lead the work group alone because school psychologists may work in many education settings beyond DOE schools. The committee also heard HB 1314 on youth mental health in schools. DOE described its student support process, universal screening tools, and behavioral health services, saying schools already identify and respond to concerns and that staff are trained to report issues, while the Attorney General warned the bill could expose schools to liability and recommended a broad liability waiver. Testimony was mixed, with several supporters and one opponent. On HB 616, concerning school safety and harassment protections for educational workers, the Attorney General sought clarifying amendments on harassment definitions, temporary restraining order costs, and paid leave, while HSTA, HGEA, and individual teachers strongly supported the bill, describing harassment incidents and arguing for a standardized statewide response. DOE said it already has reporting pathways, visitor codes of conduct, trespass notices, and an ethics hotline, but acknowledged implementation varies by school and that staff can escalate concerns if needed. The committee also began hearing HB 88 on a three-year pilot program for athletic travel, but the transcript cuts off before that bill’s testimony is completed or any votes are taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• How many children had one dental sealant on their molar when they turned the age of 11, and how many
• had all four molars sealed at the age of 11?
• Let's look at September, where we will be not meeting in our... Let's look at September.
• We will not be meeting in August, but when we reconvene in September, we would love to have you on our

Summary: The MAPOC Women and Children’s Health Subcommittee heard a presentation from Kate Parker Riley, executive director of the Connecticut Dental Health Partnership, on the Husky Dental Program and efforts to improve oral health during pregnancy. She reviewed the structure of Connecticut’s Medicaid dental benefit, the ASO model, provider network, utilization trends, and member barriers to care. She noted that children’s dental measures remain above the national median, but adult utilization is lower and the dental provider network has been shrinking, with longer wait times in rural areas. A major focus was the state’s goal to raise the rate of oral evaluation during pregnancy from about 17.5% to 25% by 2030. Riley described planned outreach to OB/GYN practices using a draft “snapshot” report showing each practice’s pregnancy oral-health rate compared with the state average, along with education materials based on ACOG and AAP guidance. Committee members and guests discussed barriers such as lack of provider training, workflow burden, access to dentists who will see pregnant patients, and the need for stronger referral bridges. Suggestions included adding simple oral-health screening questions in OB settings, using human support to make appointments, and exploring co-located dental hygienists or other embedded models. Riley also highlighted partnerships with DSS, DCF, Head Start, WIC, Read to Grow, YMCA programs, refugee resettlement agencies, and school-based and hospital partners, as well as data-sharing and navigation efforts. She said pregnant members newly identified through HUSKY will now receive outreach and navigation support. DSS dental director Carolyn MacArthur introduced herself and said she supports the initiative, noting the literature linking untreated maternal dental disease to poor child oral-health outcomes. No votes were taken; the meeting ended with thanks and a preview of upcoming July presentations on integrated behavioral health and home visitation programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our next check-in with the CSU and UC systems and the community colleges will be this coming September
• Our next check-in with the CSU and UC systems in the community colleges will be this coming September
• Last September, the Office of the President published a new dashboard where the public can easily view
• On this analysis by September '26, which I realize it's still not September 2026, so you may be working
• on this, what is the status of recommendation number 11?

Summary: The committee held an oversight hearing on a state audit examining California’s community college transfer process and whether streamlining it could improve access to bachelor’s degrees. Opening remarks from legislators emphasized that California’s transfer system is central to equity and workforce development, but that only about one in five transfer-intending community college students complete a transfer within four years. Members highlighted disparities by race, region, campus, and major, and pointed to confusion created by differing requirements across the UC, CSU, and community college systems, including limits and inconsistencies in the Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT), TAG, and major-specific prerequisites. State Auditor’s staff said the audit found that while UC and CSU systemwide enroll more transfer students than the Master Plan target, individual campuses and high-demand STEM programs often do not. The audit identified barriers including unclear and varying course requirements, limited counseling and education plans, insufficient counselor staffing at some campuses, and weak equity plans. It also found that many students never even apply because they do not accumulate enough units or cannot navigate the process. The auditor described examples where transfer students with strong preparation were denied at selective campuses and noted that articulation alignment across systems remains limited. Representatives from UC, CSU, and the Community Colleges responded that transfer remains a top priority and described ongoing reforms. UC cited a new public dashboard, data-sharing agreements, new transfer pathways, and an ADT pilot at UCLA, while saying campus-level capacity and program differences limit how much can be standardized from the system office. CSU said it admits more than 90% of eligible transfer applicants, is expanding transfer planning tools and direct outreach, and is implementing SB 640’s Transfer Success Pathway Program. Community Colleges said transfer reform must focus on clearer credit mobility, more consistent articulation, and broader ADT adoption. Members pressed the systems on inconsistent major requirements, the need for better coordination, and whether campuses are fully prioritizing transfer students; no votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Have you read Article 11 lately about education in Arizona, what's expected?
• Last report I looked at, it was around, I think, $11 million, but they are the highest.
• But I think when you're talking about the forms being created in August, September, October, we fully
• On September 3, 2004, Phoenix police officer Zane Coolidge was shot by a suspect he was attempting to
• Three days later, Zane succumbed to his injuries and died on September 6.

Bills: SB1042 , SB1043 , SB1044 , SB1135 , SB1136 , SB1142 , SB1180 , SB1221 , SB1252 , SB1254 , SCR1003

Committees: Senate Finance , Senate Senate Finance Committee of Reference

Keywords: public funds, virtual currency, bitcoin, investment, Arizona Strategic Digital Asset Reserve Act, state treasurer, retirement system, state payments, cryptocurrency, Arizona law, payment methods, government transactions, property tax, tax exemption, Arizona Revised Statutes, digital currency, workers' compensation, death benefits, burial costs, spousal compensation

Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> know</c><00:11:16.760><c> one</c><00:11:16.959><c> that</c><00:11:17.160><c> refuses</c><00:11:17.680
• ><c> and</c><00:11:19.440><c> Bully</c><00:11:19.880><c> children</c><00:11:20.399><c> who</c><00:11:
• peers<00:11:25.720><c> this</c><00:11:26.000><c> de11</c><00:11:26.920><c> reflects</c><00:11:27.440
• > vote</c><00:11:55.920><c> Yes</c><00:11:56.639><c> on</c><00:11:56.880><c> this</c><00:11:57.160><c
• ><c> this</c><01:11:44.560><c> is</c><01:11:44.679><c> a</c><01:11:44.920><c> common</c><01:11:45.320

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:11:01.560><c> It</c><00:11:01.720><c> had</c><00:11:01.839><c> been</c><00:11:02.000><c> a</c
• There<00:11:04.400><c> was</c><00:11:04.640><c> a</c><00:11:04.680><c> provision</c><00:11:05.240><c>
• </c><00:11:12.480><c> to</c><00:11:12.600><c> work</c><00:11:12.839><c> 1</c><00:11:13.040><c> month<
• ><c> if</c><00:11:14.320><c> the</c><00:11:14.520><c> member</c><00:11:14.920><c> forfeits</c><00:11:
• Uh<00:11:24.200><c> sometimes</c><00:11:24.960><c> there</c><00:11:25.080><c> are</c><00:11:25.240><c

Summary: The House convened with 98 members present, declared a quorum, approved the prior journal, and received Senate concurrence requests on Senate Bills 263, 281, and 324. The chamber then moved through second readings and committee reports on a range of measures, including education, agriculture, banking and insurance, judiciary, licensing, and task force resolutions. Among the reported bills were measures on KEES scholarships for non-certified schools, a residential safe room rebate program, dual credit scholarships, impeding a first responder, motor vehicles, tallow-based cosmetic products, animal health emergencies, mortgage loan income limits, deferred deposit fees, child protection, Attorney General operations, corrections operations, school leadership, school transportation, advanced mathematics coursework, and task forces on charitable gaming and early childhood education governance. The House passed House Bill 642, a Teachers' Retirement System housekeeping bill, after adopting House Committee Substitute 1. The sponsor said the bill updates survivor benefit documentation, raises the daily earnings limit for retired members returning to work from $170 to $200, removes an unused early-return provision, reinstates a pension waiver program, clarifies benefit tier calculations using an earlier participation date in another state system, and allows a parent member to manage payments for a disabled child without a court order. Members asked about substitute teaching limits, retirement penalties, budget impact, and a removed provision involving index funds; the sponsor said he would follow up on the day limits and stated he did not believe the bill would add to unfunded liability. The bill passed 96-0. The House also passed House Bill 780 on recording commissioner’s deeds, after adopting a floor amendment that removed fines and penalties. The bill allows a city to petition circuit court if a deed is not recorded within 30 business days, and the court may compel filing and award costs and attorney’s fees. Members discussed whether the bill effectively created a lawsuit-based enforcement mechanism rather than a fine, and supporters said it would help local governments identify responsible property owners and address code enforcement and public safety issues. The bill passed 96-0. House Bill 541, concerning peace officers, also passed after a committee substitute; the sponsor said it cleans up Kentucky Law Enforcement Council procedures, strengthens certification standards, clarifies revocation language, and reflects input from law enforcement groups. It passed 95-0. House Bill 195, the Kentucky Urban Youth Agriculture Initiative, passed after a committee substitute and floor amendment. The substitute added Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension alongside UK Cooperative Extension, and the floor amendment changed the pilot’s implementation date to January 1, 2027 and adjusted the program’s term timing. Supporters said the bill would expand urban agriculture education, connect youth to food systems and career pathways, and help students in urban counties learn practical agricultural skills; it passed 97-0. The House then took up House Bill 794 on financial exploitation, which expands protections to all adults age 65 and older, adds felony penalties for knowingly, wantonly, or recklessly exploiting those adults, allows the attorney general to seek extradition from another state, and requires investment advisers to complete three hours of continuing education on financial exploitation. Members cited real-world scam experiences and urged stronger penalties, but the bill passed 96-0.

Transcript Highlights:

• This was actually a separate Section 11 item 5.
• Going to the bottom of the table, this is also a reference to item 3, Section 11 for 2024.
• That was substantially complete in September.
• Chairman, is on page 11, the TPF project funding, the 5% entity—Mr.
• Laws of 2025, general fund appropriation, Section 11, cost of $10 million.

Summary: The committee heard a District 5 New Mexico Department of Transportation presentation from Rhonda Lopez, who reviewed the district’s FY26 budget, staffing vacancies, and the status of special appropriations from 2020 through 2025. She described numerous completed and ongoing projects across the district, including roadway overlays, bridge work, intersection improvements, ADA upgrades, and maintenance projects, and also summarized STIP, TPF, LGRF, and equipment needs. Members asked about a guardrail issue near U.S. 64 in Hogback, the 5% local match for TPF projects, and the status of the New Mexico 371/U.S. 36 intersection funding agreement with the Navajo Nation; DOT said the match is secured or waived where applicable and that the Navajo agreement is nearly finalized. The committee then heard House Bill 270, which would amend the Public Works Apprentice Training Act to require contributions to apprenticeship and training programs for certain public works contracts, including highway-related work, while creating an exception where no approved apprenticeship program exists for a trade classification. The sponsor said the bill was intended to strengthen workforce development and support apprenticeship training. Contractors and asphalt industry representatives opposed the bill, arguing it would raise road project costs and duplicate existing training contributions. A motion to table failed on a tie, and a later motion to pass also failed on a tie, leaving the bill in committee. Next, the committee heard House Bill 322, which would create a transportation trust fund and transportation program fund, dedicate additional revenue sources including a portion of electricity GRT and motor vehicle excise tax, and begin annual distributions for federal matching funds in 2029. The sponsor and supporters said the bill would help address a multi-billion-dollar road funding gap, improve maintenance, and provide a stable source for matching federal dollars. Some members raised concerns about the electricity tax component, its effect on utility bills, and overlap with recently enacted transportation financing measures; others supported the concept but questioned timing and funding priorities. A motion on the bill resulted in a tie and failed, leaving the bill in committee. The meeting concluded with a District 4 NMDOT legislative presentation. The district outlined its geography, budget, staffing vacancy rate, completed special appropriations, active construction and maintenance projects, wildfire-related recovery work, local government funding allocations, and equipment replacement needs. Members asked about school district uses of local funding and the impact of aging equipment and weather on maintenance costs. The presentation ended without any formal action on District 4 items, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• audit and sunset review of the Arizona State Veterinary Medical Examining Board, which was issued in September
• available for public inspection and a special file available for public inspection the report contains 11
• As seen on the slide, 11 of these commissioner-initiated auctions also only had one bidder.
• There's a difference of 11. Thank you. Mr.
• So with that, I vote aye. 11-1 is 7-0, not voting.

Summary: The committee first heard an Auditor General presentation on the Arizona State Veterinary Medical Examining Board’s sunset review. The audit found the board generally met some licensing requirements, but it did not timely investigate and resolve 49 of 159 complaints in fiscal year 2024, and it did not fully comply with conflict-of-interest disclosure and filing requirements. The Auditor General also noted the board lacked a formal process to verify continuing education compliance. The board’s executive director said the agency had already corrected some conflict-of-interest issues, was working to improve complaint handling, and would implement all 21 recommendations. A veterinarian representing the Arizona Veterinary Medical Association supported the board and said the profession is also working to address the shortage of large-animal veterinarians. The committee then voted to recommend continuation of the board for eight years, until July 1, 2034. The committee next received the Auditor General’s sunset review of the Arizona State Land Department. The audit identified three major problem areas: the department had not updated its required five-year disposition plan for state trust land since 2011, it had not adjusted agricultural rental rates to reflect market conditions for many years, and it had not consistently inspected mineral-related leases and permits before releasing reclamation bonds. The Auditor General said these issues risked lower returns for trust beneficiaries, lost revenue, and public safety hazards, and made 18 recommendations in the performance audit plus 34 additional recommendations in the sunset review. The department agreed to implement or partially implement nearly all recommendations and said it had begun a mass appraisal process. State Land Commissioner Robin Zahid then testified that the department was making operational improvements, including rulemaking updates, stakeholder outreach on water-use policy, a new customer-service status bar, and process changes for land sales and mining applications. She defended the decision not to renew the Fondomonte leases in a transportation basin, citing the high value of groundwater and the trust’s fiduciary duty. Members questioned her about agricultural lease water charges, the status of a water policy framework and addendum, the lack of a formal expedited review process, the Fondomonte reimbursement payments for improvements, and the department’s handling of a high-profile land auction tied to the Coyotes arena proposal. Several members also asked for follow-up information on pending residential housing applications, acreage, administrative fees, and third-party contractors.

Transcript Highlights:

• Those start on page 11 in your revenue stabilization.
• We're going to come in at 11.
• We're going to come in at 11.
• We'll come in at 11 tomorrow, and that's the plan.
• The Senate will stand in adjournment subject to the clearing of the desk until 11.

Transcript Highlights:

• award timeline, the notice of funding opportunity with the application instructions was released in September
• And so we posted at the beginning of September an open survey for any Idahoan to submit feedback to the
• on this: October 30th is the date that we need to obligate the funds, so apologies, that is not September
• Slide 11.
• Today, it is the largest employer in all but 11 states. So we have not been getting efficiency.

Summary: The Rural Health Transformation Committee met to receive an overview from Department of Health and Welfare Director Juliet Sharon on Idaho’s Rural Health Transformation Program, created under the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Sharon explained the $50 billion federal program, Idaho’s application timeline, the state’s ranking and award amount, and the five broad initiative areas in the approved plan: technology and access, innovative care models, workforce development, chronic disease and behavioral health, and rural infrastructure/partnerships. She emphasized that the funding is tightly overseen by CMS, with required reporting, compliance checks, sustainability plans, and the risk of losing funds if Idaho does not obligate money or meet milestones on time. She also outlined the state’s plan to hire a 12-person temporary team and to use a mix of RFPs and competitive subgrants, with monthly reporting to the committee and a shared information space to track solicitations, rubrics, and awards. Committee members questioned several parts of the plan, especially scope-of-practice issues tied to the application, the use of telehealth funding, workforce retention, and the survey process used to shape the application. Representative Tanner asked whether the state could continue pursuing scope changes for dental hygienists and physician assistants and whether legislative action could affect funding outcomes; Sharon said the state would continue to evaluate those policies, but that compliance, timely spending, and performance would be the main factors affecting funding. Representative Healy raised concerns about the survey’s heavy use of “other” responses and about telehealth spending, arguing some telehealth uses may not be practical for specialty care. Representative Manwaring requested a shared drive for real-time data and asked for raw survey results and dollar-based funding caps. Sharon agreed to provide follow-up information, including survey data and additional details on funding limits. Chris Jones of Catalyst Policy Group then presented broader policy observations and examples from other states. He praised Idaho’s application, urged the committee to keep the focus on patient-centered rural access, and highlighted ideas such as community health workers, remote patient monitoring, rural training pipelines, value-based care networks, and telehealth models that reduce staffing needs and improve sustainability. He also cautioned against relying on social determinants of health funding, noted the importance of rural training and partnerships, and praised Idaho’s 3.5% tribal set-aside. The committee ended by agreeing to set up a shared information hub with LSO, to expect follow-up materials and possible solicitation drafts soon, and to tentatively plan its next meeting around CMS’s Idaho visit on May 28.

Transcript Highlights:

• Members of the Clean Fleet Enterprise, effective September 29, 2025, for terms expiring September 28,
• Members of the Clean Fleet Enterprise, for a term expiring September 28, 2028: Olga Miharis of Commerce
• President, I move the Senate recess until 11:30 a.m. today.
• President, I move the Senate<01:04:32.400><c> recess</c><01:04:33.119><c> until</c><01:04:34.319><c> 11
• The Senate will recess until 11:30 a.m. today.

Transcript Highlights:

• It also has 11 military installations. 8th Air Force and 8th Air Force.
• It also has 11 military installations. And so it's my honor.
• All right, committee, you'll see us pivot now for our next meeting, September 1st.
• All right, committee, you'll see us pivot now for our next meeting, September 1st.
• Chairman, I just want to, in my mind, you said September 1st. September 1st.

Summary: The committee met at Minot State to continue its study of artificial intelligence, with a focus on child safety, sexual exploitation, chatbot risks, and education policy. Members first approved the minutes and then received a Legislative Council overview of AI-related harms to children, including AI-generated child sexual abuse material, deepfakes, extortion, and chatbot companion risks. The memo reviewed North Dakota and federal law, recent state enactments, First Amendment limits, and examples from other states, including Connecticut’s AI companion safeguards and federal efforts such as the Take It Down Act. Members discussed whether North Dakota’s existing 2025 laws on minors and harmful material are strong enough in light of recent court decisions, and Legislative Council indicated it would provide additional comparison material before the next meeting. Superintendent Levi Bachmeier then presented on AI in education, arguing that schools need guardrails but should not ban AI outright. He said AI should be treated as a tool that can support instruction, teacher efficiency, and digital literacy, while warning against passive use, academic integrity problems, and overreliance on machines. He suggested embedding AI and digital literacy across subjects rather than creating a standalone class, and said schools should provide basic instruction when students receive one-to-one devices. Members asked about parent concerns, local control, higher education partnerships, and how to balance access with safety; Bachmeier emphasized a “threading the needle” approach and said the department would likely seek more guidance on digital literacy and cybersecurity. Special Agent Hellseth of BCI followed with testimony on AI and child exploitation. He said AI is already being used in North Dakota to create explicit images from innocent photos, impersonate children and adults, and facilitate grooming, harassment, and extortion. He described several cases involving AI-generated sexual images and said victims often suffer lasting trauma even when the images are fake. Hellseth explained that investigators use AI tools themselves to process large volumes of data and identify synthetic images, but that the workload is growing and victim services need expansion. He urged stronger accountability for companies, more resources for law enforcement and victim support, and continued training and public education. Members asked about cyber tip volume, staffing, false accusations, and corporate reporting obligations; Hellseth said every tip is reviewed, the unit is small but expanding, and current federal reporting laws are not proactive enough. Representative Porter suggested combining the Legislative Council memo and Bachmeier’s recommendations into a comprehensive bill draft for the next meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Lastly, on page 17, we will have 11 different scorecards to start this process, and we've already begun
• Here in Santa Fe, Dharma Enterprises is developing 11 rental townhome units.
• On slide 11, there are some snapshots of the renderings of the projects that are described on page 10
• And since the September...
• We reviewed a lot of the comments that we had during that September 10th meeting and tried to address

Committee: House New Mexico Finance Authority Oversight Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• :00.880><c> Craft</c><01:11:01.520><c> and</c><01:11:01.679><c> I</c><01:11:01.920><c> do</c><01:11:02.080
• 11:05.280><c> be</c><01:11:05.520><c> considering.
• Uh we<01:11:07.199><c> passed</c><01:11:07.520><c> in</c><01:11:07.920><c> 2024</c><01:11:08.719><c>
• the</c><01:11:09.040><c> bill</c><01:11:09.280><c> to</c><01:11:09.520><c> do</c><01:11:09.679><c> a<
• Those programs<01:11:15.760><c> and</c><01:11:16.000><c> those</c><01:11:16.239><c> pilots</c><01:11:

Bills: HF3429 , HF3418 , HF3431 , HF1597

Committee: House Transportation Finance and Policy

Keywords: intelligent speed assistance, transportation, speeding offenses, public safety, license restrictions, speed control, pedestrian safety, traffic safety, roadway improvements, nonmotorized transportation, crosswalks, sidewalks, bike lanes, complete streets, Vision Zero, Toward Zero Deaths, MnDOT, Department of Transportation, Department of Public Safety, local road authority

Transcript Highlights:

• In September of 2025, we surveyed our countywide offices across the state.
• Again, this is September; we're now December, so it may have changed, and three offices answered other
• Again, this is September, we're now December, so it may have changed, and three offices answered other
• who have paralegals, who have become lawyers through, I'm going to get it wrong, not like the Rule 11
• The funding for that is so on the margins now that we just surveyed our members in September, and 15

Committee: Senate Law & Justice

Summary: The committee heard a series of updates on behavioral health, criminal justice, and public defense issues. Tisha Kirshbaum of the Health Care Authority reported that assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) has expanded from two counties to eight, with a ninth coming soon, and described AOT as a court-ordered, least-restrictive outpatient treatment model that depends on coordination among courts, counties, and treatment providers. She also reviewed Joel’s Law, which allows family members, guardians, conservators, or tribes to petition for involuntary detention when they disagree with a crisis responder’s decision, and judges from Snohomish and Chelan counties said petitions have increased significantly, though follow-through beyond initial detention is limited and the process remains fragmented. Committee members raised concerns about inconsistent standards, bed shortages, and the difficulty of aligning courts, law enforcement, and treatment systems. The Attorney General’s office then updated the committee on the hate crimes and bias incidents hotline created by SB 5427. Minna El-Gamel said the hotline began a pilot in King, Clark, and Spokane counties in July 2025, with a statewide launch planned for 2027, and that an advisory committee helped design referral processes, intake questions, outreach materials, and the hotline’s branding. In the first five months, the hotline received 301 reports, with about 42% requesting follow-up and only about a quarter of those seeking law enforcement referral; most callers instead wanted services such as counseling, housing, or other support. She said common challenges include public confusion about hate crimes versus bias incidents, limited law enforcement bias-response capacity, and gaps in pro bono legal services. Roger Rogoff of the Office of Independent Investigations reported that the agency has grown to 66 employees, including 31 investigators, and has completed six fatal police use-of-force investigations while maintaining family, community, and tribal liaisons. He said the office is now handling only fatality cases, has opened one region of the state, and plans to announce another regional opening and a statewide roadmap, but will need additional investigators to expand further, especially east of the Cascades. He also said the office has reviewed 29 requests to reinvestigate prior cases, but those reviews are time-intensive and require new evidence. The final major topic was public defense caseload standards and the related Blake resentencing work. OPD’s Grace O’Connor said resentencings under State v. Blake are nearly complete, but thousands of vacates remain, and funding reductions in the next biennium would force OPD to scale back direct representation. Tara Nevitt of the Washington State Bar Association and Jason Schwartz of the Snohomish County Office of Public Defense said the new caseload standards reflect modern practice but will require more attorneys, support staff, and technology, while Cindy Aaron Zelsbury of the Washington Defender Association reported that most counties cite lack of funding as the main barrier and that attorney attrition remains high. County and city representatives argued the standards amount to an unfunded mandate that could force dismissals or releases when counsel is unavailable, and they urged substantial state funding to avoid what they described as a public safety crisis.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:11:20.880><c> I</c><00:11:21.120><c> know</c><00:11:21.360><c> it</c><00:11:21.600><c> it's</
• I know it it's not<00:11:22.079><c> as</c><00:11:22.320><c> simple</c><00:11:22.720><c> on</c><00:11:
• > oh,</c><00:11:25.279><c> can't</c><00:11:25.440><c> you</c><00:11:25.600><c> just</c><00:11:25.760>
• we</c><00:11:42.720><c> have</c><00:11:42.800><c> to</c><00:11:42.959><c> make</c><00:11:43.120><c>
• Um,<00:11:48.240><c> and</c><00:11:48.480><c> that</c><00:11:48.720><c> is</c><00:11:48.959><c> to</c

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Health and Family Services met for an overview of the Department for Medicaid Services budget. Commissioner Lisa Lee and CFO Steve Beal described Kentucky Medicaid enrollment at about 1.4 million members, including more than 600,000 children, and said the agency’s 2025 total budget was $20.6 billion. They reviewed enrollment trends before, during, and after the COVID-19 public health emergency, noting that redeterminations begun in 2023 reduced enrollment from its peak but that total membership remains above pre-COVID levels. They also explained the difference between the fee-for-service population, which includes long-term care and waiver members, and managed care members, and gave examples of the kinds of services and diagnoses seen in each group. A major focus was the governor’s recommended Medicaid budget and the department’s forecast process. Lee said the budget is split into benefits and administration, with benefits covering fee-for-service services, managed care capitation, transportation, and Medicare premiums, while administration covers contracts, personnel, operating costs, and IT-related advanced planning documents. She said the department uses a consensus forecasting group and actuary input, and that its forecasts have been within 1% of actual spending in recent years. The department also said the governor’s budget includes new waiver slots to address waiting lists, a 2% staff COLA, and a 10% phase-down on state-directed payments beginning in January 2028. Much of the discussion centered on House Resolution 1 and the funding needed to implement its Medicaid-related provisions, including community engagement requirements, six-month redeterminations, and future cost sharing. Lee said the department requested about $35 million in total funds for fiscal 2027, including about $8.2 million in general funds for system changes to the integrated eligibility system, claims processing, notices, and monitoring; and about $11 million in fiscal 2028 for ongoing maintenance, with about $1.6 million in general funds. She said the department expects to seek federal APD matching funds for the IT work. In response to questions, she explained that community engagement would apply to Medicaid expansion members, with qualifying activities including work, school, volunteering, or equivalent income, and that certain groups such as pregnant women, children, caretaker relatives, and some people with chronic disease or substance use disorder would be excluded. She said the department identified roughly 70,000 expansion members who could be subject to the requirement. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um,<01:11:51.520><c> so</c><01:11:51.920><c> there's</c><01:11:52.239><c> a</c><01:11:52.480><c> difference
• Um, so there's a difference here between what<01:11:53.679><c> we</c><01:11:53.840><c> can</c><01:11:
• 54.080><c> prohibit</c><01:11:55.040><c> of</c><01:11:55.360><c> other</c><01:11:55.760><c> uh</c><01
• funded<01:11:56.560><c> facilities</c><01:11:56.960><c> and</c><01:11:57.199><c> what</c><01:11:57.360
• we could prohibit<01:11:58.000><c> of</c><01:11:58.400><c> private</c><01:11:58.719><c> actors.

Summary: The Committee on Public Safety held an informational briefing on findings from the deportation data project and possible policy responses to increased federal immigration enforcement in Hawaii. In opening remarks, the chair said the committee was concerned about changing federal executive orders, policies, and enforcement actions, and framed the issue as one involving due process and public safety. The chair and presenters described reports of ICE activity on multiple islands, including raids, courthouse presence, and fear in immigrant communities, and said the committee was considering whether state policies should be advanced more quickly. Mandy Fernandez of the ACLU of Hawaii presented updated deportation data and argued that increased immigration enforcement is creating fear, reducing crime reporting, and potentially making state and local agencies extensions of the federal immigration agenda if they accept federal funding with conditions. She said the deportation data project, housed at UC Berkeley Law with UCLA’s Center for Immigration Law and Policy, uses FOIA requests and its latest data runs through late July 2025. She reported 153 ICE arrests in Hawaii from January through July 2025, up from 41 in the same period in 2024; 96 removals, up from 15; a federal detention center average daily population of 91 in June 2025 versus 31 in June 2024; and 111 ICE detainers issued in Hawaii from September 2023 through July 2025, with 49 issued in 2025. She also cited an immigration court backlog of 1,144 pending cases as of August 2025 and noted that about one in five Hawaii residents were born outside the United States. Haley Chang of the Office of the Public Defender said her office is seeing a marked increase in ICE presence around courthouses and more ICE contacts with clients, including reports of people being detained after court appearances or while on supervision. She emphasized that the office is not an immigration law office and that much of its information is anecdotal, but said the pattern appears new compared with prior years. In response to committee questions, she explained that ICE detainers are requests, not judicial warrants, and said local law enforcement is generally not required to honor them unless accompanied by a judicial warrant or other legal authority. She also said the public defender’s office had not yet seen new criminal charges arise solely from an ICE detention or failure to appear tied to immigration enforcement, though cases could be affected if defendants are removed from the criminal process.

Transcript Highlights:

• For the record, I'm Senator Tammy Nichols from District 11, Middleton, Star, North Nampa, and I'm presenting
• partisan affiliation, if they so choose, on the November ballot when they register this August or September
• If they so choose on the November ballot when they register this August or September when they file.

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• c> or</c><00:11:29.440><c> also</c><00:11:29.680><c> all</c><00:11:29.959><c> veterans</c><00:11:30.920
• interestingly<00:11:32.279><c> enough</c><00:11:32.600><c> and</c><00:11:33.079><c> fact</c><00:11:33.360
• ><c> service</c><00:11:38.680><c> so</c><00:11:39.680><c> thank</c><00:11:39.839><c> you</c><00:11:39.959
• :40.880><c> us</c><00:11:41.880><c> thank</c><00:11:42.079><c> for</c><00:11:42.240><c> the</c><00:11
• ><c> uh</c><00:11:48.399><c> as</c><00:11:48.480><c> I</c><00:11:48.600><c> said</c><00:11:48.800><c>

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development - Subcommittee on Veterans