Transcript Highlights:

• The recidivism rate in the criminal system is approximately double the rate in the juvenile court system
• As you've heard, 76% recidivism rate for arraignment in court, a 55% reconviction rate.
• court case.
• court case.
• Once a case reaches the 10-year mark, it is classified as a cold case.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing opened with procedural remarks and acknowledgments of Rosh Hashanah, followed by testimony on several criminal justice bills before the Joint Committee on the Judiciary. A major focus was S. 1061, the “Raise the Age” bill, which would gradually move 18- to 20-year-olds into the juvenile justice system. Supporters included youth and young adult advocates, former juvenile court Judge Jay Blitzman, ACLU and CPCS representatives, Roca, United Way, Citizens for Juvenile Justice, and Senator Brendan Crichton. They argued that young adults are still developmentally immature, that juvenile court services improve education and rehabilitation, and that adult-system involvement leads to higher recidivism and racial disparities. Committee members asked practical questions about how the bill would work, and witnesses explained that it would expand access to juvenile court diversion, probation, and DYS services for the covered age group. The chairs also noted a notice issue, clarifying that the hearing had been posted seven days in advance rather than the usual ten. The committee also heard testimony on a bill to revise accomplice and joint venture murder liability and sentencing. Representative Sam Montaño and Senator Liz Miranda supported the reform, arguing that current law can impose life sentences on people with limited or no knowledge of a killing and that the doctrine contributes to racial bias and disproportionate punishment. A law professor, a former defendant, and advocates from the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls described cases where people were punished far beyond their actual role and said the bill would better align charges and sentences with individual culpability. Related testimony also supported a proportionality-focused reform to reduce the harshness of joint venture sentencing. Several other public safety and criminal justice bills drew testimony. Senator Robin Kennedy supported a bill redefining strangulation in domestic violence law, saying the current “substantial pressure” standard is too vague and that strangulation is often lethal without visible injury. District Attorney Ryan and a retail business executive backed a bill on organized retail theft, saying it would give prosecutors more flexible charging options and better address coordinated theft rings. Representative Vieira and the family of Kiana Barros urged action on Kiana’s Law, which would improve restraining-order notification and enforcement after Barros’s daughter was killed after an order was not served. The hearing also included support for the HALO Act, which would create a 25-foot safety zone around first responders and penalize harassment or obstruction, and for a bill to enhance courthouse security by creating specific protections for judges and their families. No votes were taken during the hearing."} 0}]}

Transcript Highlights:

• And if they cannot get a quorum, then what happens is the tax rate... ...the tax rate just remains at
• , then basically the same tax rate, I mean the same exact rate, would be adopted for the following year
• If you wish to increase the tax rate above the no new revenue rate, when there is a lack of agreement
• So if that rate is maintained and doesn't change, if and to the extent that that rate, based on the values
• The overall rate is 36.3%.

Bills: HB240

Keywords: tax exemption, farm products, ad valorem taxation, tax code, producer ownership

Summary: The subcommittee heard a series of county and regional government bills, with most measures left pending after testimony. HB 2097 would let counties that opt in give sheriff’s deputies an alternative appeal route for certain discipline cases through an independent hearing examiner instead of the Civil Service Commission. The author and a CLEET witness said it would be faster, cheaper, and fairer; questions focused on why the bill was needed and whether sheriffs could already use such a process. No opposition testified, and the bill was left pending. HB 4642 drew extensive testimony after the author said it was prompted by a death involving an out-of-state jail contract. The bill would require counties contracting with out-of-state jail facilities to include Texas-like jail standards and oversight provisions. The author, a former detainee held in Louisiana, his wife, and a Texas Jail Project advocate described poor conditions, lack of accountability, and multiple deaths of Texans housed out of state. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards director said five counties are currently housing 1,251 Texas inmates out of state, mostly because of staffing shortages, and said the bill would give the commission more authority and oversight. The bill was left pending. The committee also heard HB 4350, which would allow peace officers to request redaction of personal information from online real property records. Supporters said officers face retaliation risks and should have protections similar to judges and other officials; a title industry witness cautioned that redaction should not compromise the integrity of land records. The bill was left pending. HB 3687 would require county fire marshals in counties over 100,000 to meet specified training and certification standards, and HB 4105 and HB 4205 would give Harris County preferences in construction contracting and require pay parity for comparable law enforcement ranks within the county, respectively; all drew support from county officials and were left pending. HB 5403 would repeal a special rule requiring Dallas and Tarrant county sheriffs to get commissioners court approval for commissary disbursements, and it was also left pending. Later, HB 4462 would let elected county officials in large counties choose outside counsel in civil cases involving them, rather than relying solely on the county attorney. Supporters argued this would reduce conflicts of interest and protect officials’ reputations; questions centered on who qualifies and whether it could conflict with county interests. Finally, HB 240 would restore a five-member quorum requirement for Harris County tax levies, effectively requiring all commissioners to be present before a new tax rate can be adopted; supporters framed it as a taxpayer protection, while the Conference of Urban Counties opposed it as giving one member a de facto veto and potentially disrupting the budget process. Both bills were left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• match rate which is just over 50%. match rate which is just over 50%.
• Minnesota's rate is 2.1%.
• Minnesota's rate is 2.1%.
• a payment error rate above 3%. a payment error rate above 3%.
• Minnesota's rate is 2.1%. Minnesota's rate is 2.1%.

Bills: HR1

Keywords: January 6 insurrection, pardon, law enforcement, violent crimes, public safety, justice system, political accountability, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:45:04.800> um um worst case we hope worst case um um worst case we hope worst case um
• <01:09:36.199> for the rate for the replacement rate for the rate for the replacement rate
• And this was not only the case here; it was the case in Maine.
• rate.
• per. but the rate the rates by 5 plus per. but the rate there<04:36:18.400> is<04:36:18.920>

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• President, so the idea is NYSERDA is creating criteria for future rate case implementation plans.
• The rate case implementation plans would trigger the actual PSC implementation of this.
• This bill would require them to bring it into their next rate case when they are asking for an increase
• Their utility company, when they go to the PSC with a rate case, will have to come up with a plan ready
• These are criminal cases, not administrative cases.

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate opened with routine formalities, approved the journal, welcomed a SkillsUSA student delegation, and then moved into budget and policy business. The chamber accepted a Rules Committee report and took up a supplemental budget extender, Senate Print 9963, which would extend state operations through April 22 and authorize $12.7 billion, including about $5.1 billion in new funding for Medicaid, payroll, and school aid. Senator O’Mara questioned the delay in the budget, the lack of public detail, and unresolved issues such as CLCPA changes, auto insurance, and SEQR reforms; the sponsor said negotiations were ongoing and that school aid would likely build on the executive budget. The extender passed 57-1, with Senator Weik voting no. The Senate then adopted Senate Resolution 1887, sponsored by Senator Brisport, memorializing the Governor to proclaim April 2026 as Arab American Heritage Month. Senators Brisport, Fahy, Salazar, and Gounardes spoke in support, emphasizing Arab Americans’ cultural, civic, and economic contributions in New York and condemning anti-Arab and anti-Muslim bias. The resolution was adopted by voice vote and opened for co-sponsorship. The chamber next considered several bills on the calendar, including a bill by Senator Cleare to prohibit state-chartered financial institutions from investing in private correctional facilities. Supporters framed it as a moral response to private prisons and rising federal use of detention facilities, while opponents argued it would overregulate state-chartered banks and affect private investment decisions. The bill passed 36-22. The Senate also passed a bill by Senator Krueger raising the nonprofit lobbying disclosure threshold from $5,000 to $10,000, after debate over transparency and whether the change would reduce oversight; it passed 35-23. Finally, the Senate passed Senator May’s bill on advanced transmission technologies and utility planning, after extensive debate over ratepayer costs, battery storage, and data center growth; supporters said it could lower energy costs through more efficient grid use, while opponents said it would raise rates and duplicate existing studies. The bill passed after being restored to the non-controversial calendar.

Transcript Highlights:

• Error rate that we're facing, according to DCF.
• That's why our error rate is so high. Your bill...
• Payment error rate.
• We're at this high error rate, and we're kind of blaming recipients for the error rate.
• We had prior years where that was not the case, and our error rates were lower.

Transcript Highlights:

• We say pension reform here, and in most cases, almost every case, the reform has been a reduction in
• And I don't know what New Mexico's bond rating is. I suspect it's not the highest in bond rating.
• One different contribution rates.
• rates.
• That is the early use case.

Transcript Highlights:

• We hope that's the case. Yeah.
• Overdose rates were significant.
• That 70% engagement rate is impressive.
• We have case manager ratios for this effort.
• We negotiated a flat rate. Initially, it was about $620 a month. We negotiated a flat rate.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Commission on Correctional Consolidation and Collaboration met to approve the May 5 minutes and hear a presentation from the Massachusetts Probation Service. The minutes were approved unanimously, with a request that a member’s closing remarks be added to the record. The commission also noted online participants and confirmed quorum before moving to the presentation. Probation leaders described the agency’s role as the state’s largest post-release supervision system and emphasized its focus on reentry, accountability, and reducing technical violations. They outlined the from-and-after sentencing structure, dual supervision with parole, and efforts to reduce revocations and non-criminal violations. Members asked about racial and ethnic disparity work, and probation said that effort is funded through the trial court and state budget, not federal grants. The presentation highlighted community engagement, simplified and translated probation conditions, workforce diversification, and training aimed at improving trust and access for court users. A major portion of the discussion focused on Community Justice Support Centers, evidence-based programming, and shared services such as housing, MassHealth enrollment, transportation, and behavioral health referrals. Probation said the centers are underutilized but have shown improved outcomes in non-randomized studies, with lower recidivism among participants compared with similar probationers. Members discussed mental health access, veterans identification, medication-assisted treatment, and the importance of state IDs and driver’s licenses for successful reentry. The commission also heard about housing supports, including transitional and sober housing, and a statewide behavioral health initiative for justice-involved individuals. The meeting ended with plans for the next session on July 11 and a motion to adjourn, which passed.

Transcript Highlights:

• which cases to prioritize.
• missing person cases.
• And then our Native men rates, which has been brought up before, we have a homicide rate of 14.8 per
• Is that still the case? Yes.
• Like the cold case unit investigators will reach out to where a lot of these cases are and will extend

Summary: The House State Government and Tribal Relations Committee held a field hearing on the Puyallup Reservation, where members first received an overview of sports betting in Washington. Tribal casino representatives and the Washington State Gambling Commission explained that sports betting became legal in 2020 under HB 2638 and is currently limited to tribal casinos through sportsbook, kiosk, and on-premise mobile wagering. Testimony covered how odds are set, compliance with federal anti-money-laundering rules, and the role of third-party vendors. Tribal representatives said sports betting supports tribal economic development and asked to expand betting to include Washington college teams, while warning that prediction markets and other unregulated products pose a threat. Committee members asked about geo-fencing, betting limits, in-state college betting restrictions, and regulatory oversight. No votes were taken. The committee then heard from Vicki Lowe of the American Indian Health Commission on tribal data sovereignty and health data. She described tribal sovereignty and the federal trust responsibility, and said tribes should have equitable access to their own health data and control over how it is used. She explained that during COVID, tribes often lacked direct access to state health data, which complicated case tracing and other public health work. Lowe said the Department of Health stopped collecting tribal affiliation in some contexts because of Public Records Act concerns, and she argued that this is inconsistent with tribal data-sharing principles adopted through the Governor’s Indian Health Advisory Council. Members asked for clarification about what counts as tribal data and how public records concerns affected data collection. No formal action was taken. Finally, Lucy Smartlut gave an update on the Washington State Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People Task Force. She reported on the task force’s structure, its extension through 2027, and progress on recommendations including a fully funded cold case investigation unit in the Attorney General’s office, an updated missing persons resource, and forensic genetic genealogy work on unidentified remains. She said the cold case unit has active investigations, has helped locate missing Indigenous people, and made its first homicide arrest. She also presented data showing Native people are disproportionately represented among homicide and missing persons cases, and noted survey findings that many law enforcement agencies rely on officer observation for race data and have limited consultation with tribes. Committee members asked about funding, interagency coordination, and whether the task force is shifting toward prevention. The presenter said sustainability, continued awareness, and stronger collaboration remain priorities, and no vote was taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Every case goes to the board, so the board hears every single case.
• Absent such a plan, the department generally determined whether to sell land on a case-by-case basis,
• Absent proactive planning for the disposition of state trust land, the department's case-by-case basis
• I noted you said that some of the market rates, or the rental rates, hadn't been increased since 2006
• This history and case law support this approach. This history and case law support this approach.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The Joint Natural Resources and House Natural Resources, Energy and Water Committees of Reference heard the Arizona Auditor General’s sunset review of the Arizona State Veterinary Medical Examining Board. 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 identified weaknesses in continuing-education verification and other sunset-factor areas, and the board agreed to implement all 21 recommendations. Board staff said complaint volume has risen sharply since the pandemic, that the board’s process is slower because every case goes through an investigative committee and then the full board, and that it has already corrected some conflict-of-interest issues and is adding tools to improve continuing-education audits. The committee then heard testimony from the board’s executive director and from the Arizona Veterinary Medical Association. The executive director emphasized the board’s public-protection mission, described the shortage of veterinarians and veterinary technicians, and said the board is working to improve efficiency through a new e-licensing system and staff training. Members asked about the shortage of large-animal veterinarians, complaint backlogs, and whether the board could do more to recruit rural practitioners; the board said it lacks direct recruiting authority but supports multiple licensure pathways and loan-assistance efforts. The veterinary association supported the board’s oversight and said it is also working on rural and large-animal workforce issues through partnerships and advocacy. The committee then voted to recommend continuing the board for eight years, until July 1, 2034. The committee next took up the Arizona State Land Department, beginning with the Auditor General’s presentation on the department’s sunset review and prior special audit. The audit found the department had not updated its required five-year disposition plan since 2011, had sold more than 48,000 acres without an active plan, had allowed agricultural rental rates to go unchanged since 2006 despite market increases, and had not consistently inspected mineral-related leases or properly managed reclamation bonds. The Auditor General said these issues created risks of lost revenue, reduced transparency, and public-safety hazards, and recommended 18 corrective actions in the main review plus 34 additional recommendations on other issues; the department agreed to most recommendations but declined to adopt a written policy for commissioner-initiated land sales. Commissioner Robin Sahid said the department is working through audit recommendations, has created a rules team, improved its customer portal, and is pursuing new policies on water use, transportation-basin leases, and disposition planning. Members questioned the department about agricultural leases, groundwater valuation, the Fondomonte leases and reimbursement for improvements, the canceled Coyotes land auction, backlog and processing times, and the use of consultants and administrative funds. The commissioner said the department had over 2,000 applications in queue when she arrived, that it has made progress reducing the backlog, and that it is conducting stakeholder outreach on water-efficiency standards and lease addenda. No final vote on the land department continuation was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:17:31.840> case salary at the time the rate case salary at the time the rate case commenced
• Rate case after rate case, we see the same thing.
• case<01:24:55.760> we<01:24:55.920> see<01:24:56.080> the Rate case after rate
• case we see the Rate case after rate case we see the same<01:24:57.520> house<01:24:57.760>
• c> is included in uh rate cases and um I is included in uh rate cases and um I think<01:37:10.000>

Bills: HF4059, HF76

Keywords: climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, financing, sustainability, environmental policy, renewable energy, Minnesota Climate Innovation Financing Authority, earned incentive release credit, release credits, supervised release, corrections, Minnesota Department of Corrections, sentence reduction, good time, prison time, incarceration, violent offenses, murder, criminal sexual conduct, sex offenses

Transcript Highlights:

• white offenders were charged at a rate white offenders were charged at a rate 1.7<00:15:37.800><
• rate.
• these disproportionate offender rates these disproportionate offender rates will<00:23:57.640>
• times sensitive missing person cases times sensitive missing person cases secondly<00:55:03.359>
• <01:32:46.159> I other kinds of things in some cases I other kinds of things in some cases

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then the next one is the alternative payment admin rate.
• are set under the single rate structure.
• were put into the base rate rather than in the cost-of-care-plus rate, which is paid outside of contract
• Terms of the age rate categories are as follows.
• elements by defining age rate categories and details around the enhanced inclusion rates.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Human Services held a hearing on the Governor’s May Revision, with no votes taken. The first major topic was child care and early education, where the Department of Social Services and Department of Finance outlined proposed changes to absorb federal Child Care and Development Fund and Proposition 64 revenue reductions, shift some funding between child care programs, end funding for prospective pay implementation now that the federal requirement has been rescinded, adjust the alternative payment administration structure, and fund child care infrastructure grants and a Low-Income Investment Fund contract closeout. The Legislative Analyst’s Office said the budget makes progress on the structural deficit but recommended maintaining the administration’s solution level, making reserve deposits, and avoiding new ongoing commitments; it also raised concerns about shifting reductions to the California Alternative Payment Program and about the proposed administrative-rate change. Committee members strongly criticized the proposed loss of child care slots and said they would oppose eliminating those slots, while also expressing support for child care as essential infrastructure. The committee then reviewed California State Preschool Program proposals. Finance and CDE described reductions to the preschool COLA from 2.41% to 2.01%, removal of prospective pay funding, and increases for the QRIS block grant, audit support, and rate reform implementation. Trailer bill language would codify age-based rate categories, inclusion-rate documentation, family fee collection rules, portability, and excused absences. CDE supported the QRIS increase and some attendance and family-fee changes, but warned that aligning three- and four-year-old rates could reduce support for three-year-olds and that the budget does not fully cover enrollment growth. Members also questioned whether the preschool and child care slot reductions should be reallocated rather than terminated, and the administration said the reductions were intended to reflect current utilization and avoid harm to currently enrolled families. The hearing then moved to CalFresh and nutrition programs. CDSS said the May Revision includes a one-time CalFood augmentation, funding to cover federal SNAP administrative cost-share pressures, and additional staffing and technical assistance to implement HR 1 changes, including the able-bodied adults without dependents time limit and new non-citizen eligibility rules. The department estimated HR 1 could cut CalFresh funding by $2.3 billion to $3.7 billion annually and affect about 500,000 people, with roughly 806,000 adults potentially subject to the time limit and about 34,000 non-citizens expected to lose eligibility once fully implemented. Members pressed for stronger harm mitigation, including a $98 million backfill to protect families from losing food benefits, and raised concerns about county workload and the “chilling effect” on immigrant participation. The final portion of the transcript began the IHSS presentation, noting a revised budget of $33.7 billion total funds and $12.8 billion General Fund, with proposed reductions tied to Medi-Cal asset-limit changes and other federal conformity items.

Transcript Highlights:

• your rate covers the operation.
• Talking about individual water rates? Yeah, like who has the highest rates?
• Lowest rates in the state. Okay. Lowest rates in the state. Okay.
• Those rates, some of them have water supply, but then also wastewater involved in that same rate.
• or cases.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• cases.
• courts opened because of the increased death rate during the pandemic, the number of probate cases naturally
• Because of the increased death rate during the pandemic, the number of probate cases naturally ticked
• case trends.
• of the case.

Summary: The committee first heard an update from the Florida Department of Corrections on the proposed Lake Correctional Institution mental health project in Clermont. Tim Fitzgerald explained the project’s history, including the 2016 Disability Rights Florida litigation, the 2018 consent decree, and the original plan for a 550-bed inpatient mental health facility. He said inflation and design changes pushed the project above the bond amount, leading the department to shift to a “continuum of care” alternative with 572 beds total: 92 inpatient beds and 480 residential treatment beds in three special housing units. Fitzgerald said the project is currently paused pending House concurrence, while the Senate has already agreed to the alternate plan, and noted the bond balance, prior expenditures, and the need to spend down the tax-exempt bond by August 2026. Members questioned how the new plan differs from the original facility, whether it satisfies the consent decree, and what caused the cost increases. Fitzgerald said the department believes it has already met the consent decree through systemwide improvements to housing, staffing, programming, and out-of-cell time, though he said he would confirm the court documentation. He also said the original scope grew from 275,000 to 350,000 square feet as treatment, nursing, security, and programming needs were refined, and that inflation, fees, permitting, and contingencies contributed to the higher cost. Several members asked for follow-up information on Senate approval, consent decree documentation, and the project’s impact on crisis-stabilization capacity. The committee then received a joint court-system presentation from State Courts Administrator Eric McClure and Clerks Corporation Executive Director Jason Welty on caseload trends, case tracking, and staffing. McClure described statewide filing trends, the use of weighted caseload studies to certify judicial need, and recent Supreme Court rule changes aimed at active civil case management, including differentiated case tracks, stricter deadlines, and proportional discovery. He said the latest workload study led the Supreme Court to certify a need for 23 circuit judges and 25 county judges. Welty reviewed clerk workload trends, the statewide case maintenance and CCIS systems, and declining clerk FTE despite rising case volumes, and said clerks are seeking additional funding for injunctions, Baker Act/Marchman Act/sexually violent predator work, and juror management. In questions, members pressed both presenters on data quality, case-weight calculations, filing fees, and whether current resources are enough to reduce delays. McClure clarified that the workload weights are based on judge time studies and that a capital murder case averaged 3,177 minutes, while other examples such as auto negligence and dissolution cases were much lower. Welty said the Legislature could help by increasing funding or potentially revisiting filing fees, and noted that many clerk services are unfunded or underfunded, especially indigent and protective filings. The chair and members also raised concerns about backlog, inconsistent case reporting across circuits, and enforcement of judicial time standards; McClure said there is no direct sanction in the rules, and compliance is largely managed through chief judges and the Supreme Court. The meeting ended with no votes taken and adjournment by motion.

Transcript Highlights:

• pay rate because of the change in the cap.
• structure, the tiered rate structure.
• rate under the tiered rate structure. be a tier one, two, three, and three plus.
• Now in the implementation of rate reform, providers who had rates historically that were higher than
• Developmental services has been very willing to engage on challenges with existing rates and rate models

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• care rate.
• property rate increases. facility property rate increases.
• rate study from a rates based on the um rate study from a couple<01:02:29.760> of<01:02:29.920
• And that case they have a case manager.
• their waiver case manager. their waiver case manager.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: Members met to review a budget bill agreement using a nonpartisan spreadsheet and summary materials. Chairs and members thanked fiscal, research, revisers, and agency staff for the collaborative process, noting the bill had been difficult and that the final product reflected compromise. The chair also said only minor technical changes were expected before final enactment, and the spreadsheet walkthrough was then turned over to fiscal staff. Fiscal staff explained that the agreement met the overall budget target and walked through major human services provisions. Key items included nursing facility payment changes, including a phased PDPM change, APS inflation, modified single-bed incentives, and a CPI-U capped payment cap; a nursing facility surcharge; workforce standards board rule costs; continuation of certain nursing facility property tax rates; regulation of for-profit acquisitions of nursing homes and assisted living facilities; repurposing assisted living special project funds; funding the SEIU self-directed worker agreement; CFSS reimbursement in acute care hospital settings; and multiple disability waiver rate and authorization changes, including CPI-U inflation caps, waiver authorization reforms, and a waiver reimagined advisory task force. The agreement also included family residential service rate increases, a temporary extension of customized living disproportionate share payments, tribal eligibility for targeted case management, positive supports training changes, out-of-home respite modifications, swimming lessons as an allowable service for certain children with disabilities, a provisional EID provider license, and program integrity services funded by licensing fee increases. Additional provisions covered MinnChoices studies and assumed savings, behavioral health fund changes, substance use disorder treatment billing and rate changes, supportive recovery housing, housing support supplemental rates for specific providers, disability determinations, enteral nutrition payment timing, temporary funding for Boundary Waters Care Center, several one-time human services grants, senior nutrition funding, and grant reductions and extensions. No formal vote was described in the transcript; the discussion focused on explaining the agreement and its fiscal effects.

Transcript Highlights:

• It requires states to publicly report rate comparisons, and it launches a Medicaid and CHIP quality rating
• And just to make a point, the nationwide error rate was 3.31%. The nationwide error rate was 3.31%.
• Massachusetts is one of them, that one could say are so desperate for physicians, are willing to, on a case-by-case
• And on a case-by-case basis, there may be some who fit that very well, but it's really hard to judge
• On a case-by-case basis, there may be some who fit that very well, but it's really hard to judge because

Summary: The committee first received an update on the effects of HR1 and related federal Medicaid and marketplace changes from Governor’s Office and Health Care Authority staff. Presenters said the most immediate coverage losses are expected in the individual market beginning in January, with premium increases and an estimated 80,000 people potentially unable to afford coverage. They warned that larger Medicaid impacts will follow over the next year and beyond, including tighter eligibility checks, work requirements, reduced retroactive coverage, limits on state-directed payments and provider taxes, new cost-sharing, and changes affecting certain non-citizen adults. They also said the state plans to seek a waiver or extension for work requirements and will continue to analyze impacts, including on rural providers and Planned Parenthood-related services. Members asked about the effect on nursing homes, rural hospitals, and how the state can help providers and enrollees navigate the new requirements; staff said timelines and a state-specific implementation chart are being developed. The committee then heard a report on the International Medical Graduate Work Group and Washington’s efforts to create pathways for internationally trained physicians. Testimony described the clinical experience license, the clinical evaluation assessment tool, grant funding for IMG support organizations, and a new hardship waiver process enacted this year. National presenters said many states have adopted similar pathways because of physician shortages, but Washington and Tennessee are among the few states that have actually issued licenses so far. They recommended clear guardrails, an employment offer before application, ECFMG certification, supervised practice, and data collection to avoid exploitation and protect patients. Members asked about state-to-state variation, retention of IMGs, and whether Washington should pursue dedicated residency or preceptorship options; presenters said the key next step is moving successful participants from supervised experience to a durable long-term license. The final topic was implementation of Washington’s Apple Health doula benefit and the statewide doula hub and referral system. Senator T’wina Nobles highlighted the state’s $3,500 per-birth Medicaid reimbursement rate for doulas and the importance of the hub for referrals, training, and billing. Health Care Authority staff said the benefit launched January 1, 2025, and covers prenatal intake, labor and delivery, postpartum visits, and telehealth-supported services. They reported 336 state-certified doulas, 134 enrolled in Apple Health, 287 unique clients served, and 641 claims paid so far. Testimony emphasized doulas’ role in improving birth outcomes, reducing unnecessary interventions, and addressing racial disparities in maternal health, while noting that implementation is still early and ongoing.

Transcript Highlights:

• These sections adjust substance use disorder treatment service rates based on the recent rate study and
• rate."
• We just want to make sure that the rate increases as opposed to taking 72% of the modeled rate.
• rates.
• rate.

Bills: HF2434

Keywords: healthcare, personal care assistance, worker retention, disability services, state funding

Transcript Highlights:

• The cases that we have right now, we have about 1,700 cases pending in the settlement fund.
• If that is the case, we may If that is the case, we may award more in the next fiscal year than if we
• The first case...
• That's one case.
• Those are different cases and Those are different cases and they're factually different.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Fiscal Committee opened by approving the May 15 minutes and then recognized Pam Ellis for her long service with the Legislative Budget Assistant’s office and upcoming retirement. The committee adopted the consent calendar with two items removed for separate consideration, then approved transfers for the Administrative Office of the Courts and the Department of Environmental Services after questions about court benefit costs and dam project funding. The Department of Health and Human Services also received approval for a general fund transfer item. A major portion of the meeting focused on the Youth Development Center settlement fund. New administrator Jared Boyle, joined by the Attorney General, described the fund’s remaining caseload, the payment matrix, and the need for additional funding to begin hearings in August. Members raised concerns about administrative costs, attorneys’ fees, payday loans, structured settlements, and the long-term fiscal impact on the state. Boyle requested $55 million, but the committee ultimately approved a reduced appropriation of $20 million, with members noting the possibility of returning for more funding later depending on revenues and the October revenue review. The Department of Corrections then received approval for a smaller shortfall transfer and a larger overtime-related transfer, with officials citing a 52% corrections officer vacancy rate, ongoing recruitment, academy classes, and efforts to use civilian staff in some non-security roles. A late item from the Veterans Home was also approved to cover overtime, holiday pay, and indirect cost shortfalls within its existing budget. The committee then heard an informational presentation on implementation of Senate Bill 134 and the new federal Medicaid work-requirement rule. DHHS said it plans to submit a state plan amendment, seek approval for hardship exceptions, start with one eligibility check cycle, and use existing federal grant funding to make system changes. Finally, the committee received a performance audit of the Doorway opioid treatment program, which found weak written procedures, incomplete data use, reimbursement delays, and problems with the Governor’s Commission on Addiction Treatment and Prevention. Members discussed follow-up reporting, and the next Fiscal Committee meeting was scheduled for August 21 at 11:00 a.m.