Transcript Highlights:

• Budget overview and budget change proposals for the Emergency Medical Services Authority.
• As noted in the agenda, the Governor's Budget includes three budget change proposals for EMSA.
• I will now touch on the budget.
• The preliminary 2026 budget plan projects that there will be a decrease in the approved budget.
• projected budget presented in the Governor's January budget.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• care silo of the budget.
• But what the governor's budget is also requesting is $100,000 in general revenue to contract with an
• We're first requesting, through the governor's budget, equipment and capital improvements.
• or would not request or use this as an option to request some additional funds.
• In the 2027 budget, this would be in next year's budget to do core. Mr. Chair, for me.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services heard presentations on the governor’s proposed FY 26-27 budget for the health and human services silo, which totals $48.5 billion within a $117.4 billion state budget. Agency leaders outlined major spending priorities, including AHCA’s behavioral health redesign, APD waiver enrollment and facility needs, DCF’s integrity and self-sufficiency systems, opioid response, community-based care and mental health bed expansion, DOEA’s Alzheimer’s, home care, and community care programs, DOH’s cancer research, public health, EMS blood-transfusion initiative, and lab feasibility study, and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ facility, cybersecurity, and medication-management investments. Members generally praised several proposals, especially increased reimbursement for private duty nursing, behavioral health funding, Alzheimer’s support, and the EMS blood program. Senator Sharief raised concerns about the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), warning that changes could leave many Floridians without coverage for HIV medications and asking whether manufacturers could provide rebates directly to patients. Surgeon General Ladapo said the issue was driven largely by funding and federal changes, not a legal barrier, and said the department had explored alternatives but could not fill the gap with current resources. Senator Rouson asked about the Office of Minority Health and Health Equity, and DCF said its budget includes about $7 million for the substance abuse and mental health data dashboard required by prior legislation. Public testimony focused heavily on ADAP. Former program leaders and advocates said the proposed changes would reduce enrollment and remove key drugs and insurance-premium support, calling the situation a crisis and criticizing the department for lack of transparency and stakeholder engagement. They urged a pause and collaborative review of the program’s finances. The committee also discussed KidsCare implementation, with AHCA saying federal conditions and litigation have delayed the expansion. The meeting ended after the chair noted the budget would still need to be adjusted for updated Medicaid caseload estimates, and the committee adjourned without taking any formal votes or other action on the budget items.

Transcript Highlights:

• We requested $584,000. We requested $584,000 to fund two pilots.
• Did the exec request that in their budget? Sorry, Mr. Chair. Can you repeat that question?
• And then I know you don't know the PRC budget or budget request.
• But it says in their budget request for their capital, PRC is requesting $5 million to PRC is requesting
• The recurring budget request, LFC recommended zero funds. Can I get to slide three?

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> agency budget request 20 JAC adopted agency budget request 20 JAC adopted footnote<01:25:06.239>
• </c><01:42:12.400><c> Your</c><01:42:12.719><c> request.</c> budget amendment request.
• Your request. budget amendment request. Your request.
• </c><02:10:18.079><c> bill</c> request and applied to the budget bill request and applied to the budget
• That's from 20 2023 budget request.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Every single division and went over all of their budget request.
• I'll make a couple of quick comments about our agency's scope of activities, the budget request, and
• I'll make a couple of quick comments about our agency's scope of activities, the budget request, and
• DIR's budget requests, and I want to thank the committee very much for including many of our requests
• So with cybersecurity being, you know, some of your requests in your budget, do you find it challenging

Bills: SB 1

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards

Summary: The committee began with Article I budget items for the Secretary of State. LBB staff outlined recommendations that would reduce the agency’s appropriation by about $40.3 million, including changes to HAVA funding, removal of one-time business system replacement money, and a rider directing the agency to use Fund 5095 first. Secretary Jane Nelson and staff then defended several exceptional items, especially additional staffing for elections and business filings, a new website, digitization of records, cybersecurity tools, and renovation of the James Earl Rudder Building. Members focused heavily on election administration, cross-checking voter rolls, Harris County complaints, call-center response times, and whether online voter registration should be expanded. No votes were taken; the discussion was informational and budget-focused. The committee then heard the Office of the Governor and trustee programs. LBB presented a recommended $2.4 million decrease for the governor’s office proper and a much larger decrease in trustee programs driven by one-time funding and unexpended balances, while still preserving major border security funding and victim assistance funding. Governor’s staff emphasized Texas’ economic growth, the importance of border security, and efforts to seek federal reimbursement for the roughly $11 billion Texas has spent on border operations. Members discussed whether shifting National Guard deployment to federal control could reduce state costs, and they also reviewed the music incubator program, the Governor’s University Research Initiative, and the semiconductor innovation consortium. Staff highlighted a $5 million late-added request for grants to protect nonprofits from violence and terrorism. Again, the exchange was largely explanatory, with no formal action. Finally, the committee took up the Texas Facilities Commission and lease payments for revenue bonds. LBB recommended major reductions overall, including removal of border wall construction funding and capital complex bond funding, but added money for higher utility costs, renovation of the Rudder Building, and additional facilities staff. George Purcell also noted stable maintenance-and-renewal funding and new riders related to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission building, tenant communications, and space utilization. For lease payments, LBB recommended a smaller appropriation tied to revenue-bond costs allocated across agencies. The discussion was informational, with members asking about the Rudder Building renovation, border wall progress, and capital complex construction timelines; no votes were recorded.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our next request is for a reappropriation of $1 million originally appropriated in the 2022 Budget Act
• The Treasury's office request a increase in budget authority from $1.7 million to $8 million to cover
• Does that mean you approve all of our budget requests?
• I also want to request the committee support for a budget request which would establish an ongoing $8
• I want to request the committee support for a budget request which would establish an ongoing $8 million

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is for budget requests. There are budget requests, yes.
• c> not</c> um so this budget request is looking not um so this budget request is looking not only<00:
• This was a previous budget request.
• This was a previous budget request.
• <c> happy</c><01:17:10.760><c> New</c> budget requests good afternoon happy New budget requests good

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, the first front part of that page is our budget request.
• And I'm going to focus on the front part with our FY27 budget request.
• Our special fund operating budget request is just over $282 million.
• ><c> requests</c><00:20:46.159><c> when</c> these additional budget requests when these additional budget
• And we are asking in our budget request for...

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 216, 28 January, 2026; 8:15 AM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Armstrong's budget.
• Chair, Senator Mathern, the governor's budget partially funded our agency request in this area.
• Yep, so when we budget, we use the projected FMAPs to budget, so that was originally budgeted at 50%.
• So as long as we're talking about long-term care, their only budget request, I think, was a targeted
• Certainly, I think the governor's budget doesn't anticipate or request a targeted rate increase for these

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Senate Appropriations HR Division met with all members present to review the medical services portion of the HHS budget. Sarah Aker, Executive Director of Medical Services, walked the committee through several budget items, including HCBS cost-to-continue adjustments, the DD bed assessment, expansion of value-based purchasing, targeted rate increases for home health and QSP services, and the cross-disability waiver. Members generally supported the targeted increases for home health and QSP, and Aker explained that the cross-disability waiver funding would support startup work, service design, and infrastructure ahead of a planned July 1, 2028 implementation. The committee spent significant time on rate-setting and provider payment issues. Members discussed ambulance rate rebasing, with several senators expressing concern that the proposed increase was too high relative to peer states; the committee ultimately moved toward reducing that item to $1 million rather than zero so it could be revisited in conference committee. They also discussed a House-added critical access hospital networking grant and similarly leaned toward reducing it to $1 million. Aker explained the department’s value-based purchasing plans, including use of a vendor selected through RFP, and clarified how the department’s existing Medicaid managed care and hospital value-based programs work. A major portion of the meeting focused on long-term care and basic care payments, including a House-added extension of the $5 per day basic care add-on and a proposed shift in nursing facility incentive grants toward a withhold-based model. Senator Mathern indicated he would bring an amendment to delay or modify the withhold change, and Aker said the department would prefer language that directly addresses whether a withhold may be implemented. Members also discussed 1915(i) services, FMAP changes, the Medicaid legacy system modernization carryover, and a House-added legislative intent section on medical assistance. The committee adjourned for the morning with plans to return later to continue Human Services budget work and revisit unresolved items in conference committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• It could be a typo, but it could also be that when we put together our budget request, we have to do
• It could be a typo, but it could also be that when we put together our budget request, we have to do
• </c> So our ask today is not about the budget request or the LBR.
• :23:22.800><c> before</c><01:23:23.120><c> you,</c><01:23:24.239><c> um,</c> with this budget request
• </c><01:25:01.920><c> request</c> out of the legislative budget request out of the legislative budget

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 409, 22 January, 2026; 1:30 P.M., 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So we are here today to present our proposed budget structure change, or the proposed budget format change
• We're requesting simply a title change for our budget program 20, from Field Services to Veteran Services
• The information, budget decisions, kind of accountability to our budget—that's information that people
• budgets go into effect.
• I work on the operating budget, and so the operating budget is quite immense for people, for lay people

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the June 18, 2025 minutes, and heard four proposed budget format changes. Washington State Parks requested a structural change to separate and better track its Stewardship Services Division, including cultural and natural resources, environmental planning, and Climate Commitment Act investments. DCYF proposed moving direct service functions now housed in program support into the child welfare program so operational costs and direct services would be reported separately; members asked how this would help avoid across-the-board reductions affecting direct services, and the agency said the change would improve transparency and prevent that problem. The Department of Transportation sought to create a new Ferries Program Support sub-program to consolidate four related projects and two existing sub-programs into one administrative/project support structure, while the Department of Veterans Affairs requested only a title change for Program 20 from Field Services to Veteran Services and Counseling and Wellness. The committee voted unanimously to approve all four changes. Kevin Feltis then gave an interim work plan and staffing update for LEAP. He said the office is continuing work on the rewritten capital budget application (BuildSUM), updating the transportation bond model, completing carry-forward levels for the 2027-29 biennium, publishing 2026 legislative budget notes, updating 2025 salary data, and participating in a LegiTech AI pilot for system development within the legislative network. He also noted LEAP’s role in supporting the new Joint Legislative Executive Committee on Budget Transparency and Fiscal Sustainability. Staffing remained steady at 11 FTEs, with no retirements or staffing changes in the past year, though one vacancy may be filled later and two retirements are anticipated over the next four to five years. The committee also discussed updates to the fiscal.wa.gov website. Planned work includes streamlining how budget data is updated when budgets are released, converting more than 100 reports from Microsoft Reporting Services to Power BI because support is ending, and evaluating whether the site’s search tool should be improved or replaced. Senators and representatives raised concerns about the number of clicks needed to reach capital and transportation project maps and about making public-facing budget information easier to find and understand. Staff said the website redesign was based on prior user testing and that they would look at ways to make maps and other top-level information more accessible. Finally, the committee elected new officers under its alternating-chair rule. Representative Gregerson was nominated and elected chair, and Senator King was nominated and elected vice chair. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Treasury's office request a increase in budget authority from $1.7 million to $8 million to cover
• Does that mean you approve all of our budget requests?
• I also want to request committee support for a budget request which would establish an ongoing $8 million
• I also want to request committee support for a budget request which would establish an ongoing $8 million
• Want to to request the community support for a budget request which would establish an ongoing 8 million

Summary: The committee opened with the State Controller’s Office May Revision requests, including funding for Fiscal book-of-record stabilization, a Broadcom IDMS licensing adjustment, the California State Payroll System, ACFR reporting automation, and $3 million for unclaimed property outreach. Testimony emphasized progress on Fiscal becoming the state’s accounting book of record in July, faster ACFR publication, and the move to electronic unclaimed property claims. Members asked about the size of the unclaimed property fund and how quickly money is transferred to the General Fund; the Controller’s office said about $15 billion is held, with most excess transferred regularly, and the LAO noted the fund is the General Fund’s fourth-largest revenue source. No concerns were raised by Finance or the LAO, and the item was closed after no public comment. The committee then heard the administration’s proposal to tax prewritten digital software and software-as-a-service, with Finance saying it would modernize sales tax treatment and raise an estimated $450 million General Fund and $560 million local revenue in 2026-27. The LAO supported modernizing the tax but suggested broader digital goods coverage and a business-use exemption; industry and taxpayer groups opposed the proposal, warning of higher costs for consumers and businesses. Members also heard CDTFA’s administrative request tied to the proposal, plus a separate CDTFA budget reduction reflecting lower operational needs; that reduction was presented as a savings item and drew positive reactions. Next, the committee considered federal conformity for “Trump accounts,” which would align California tax treatment with federal rules for tax-deferred children’s accounts and avoid tracking burdens for families. The LAO recommended approval, and the item drew no opposition. The committee also heard a proposal to cut the first-year $800 annual business tax to $400 for LLCs, LPs, and LLPs; Finance argued it would lower startup costs and encourage new business formation, while the LAO said the benefit was not well targeted and could subsidize entities that would form anyway. Members discussed the policy tradeoff, and public commenters split between support for small business relief and concern about revenue loss. The final major revenue item was a permanent business tax credit limitation, capping credits at the greater of $5 million per corporation or 50% of pre-credit liability, while excluding the low-income housing tax credit and personal income tax credits. Finance said it would raise significant revenue from large profitable corporations, and the LAO said it was a reasonable option but noted it would mainly affect the R&D credit and could have future implications for programs like California Competes. Public testimony was sharply divided, with business groups opposing the cap and anti-poverty advocates supporting it as a way to recapture revenue. The committee also heard FTB’s CalFile realignment request, which would return most of the direct-file-related resources to the General Fund while retaining a smaller staff to improve CalFile, and the California Arts Council’s request to reauthorize the Keep Arts in Schools voluntary contribution fund, which members and advocates supported despite relatively modest annual donations. The hearing continued with GoBiz proposals on civic media funding, CA RISE reappropriation, and a semiconductor facility reversion, with the LAO supporting the latter two and members raising questions about the civic media program’s scope, outreach, and inclusion of broadcast and ethnic media.

Transcript Highlights:

• Their budget silos.
• in the budget this year.
• Seeing their budget request, I heard in your highlights, when you presented your silo, you talked about
• Could you kind of maybe speak generally about how your budget compares to the requests that Secretary
• the bill in the budget.

Keywords: 998, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So we budget that we assume that salary increase here rather than after you all passed the budget.
• I might actually lean on the state budget director's expertise on budget-making and how the Department
• The budget starts here.
• Are we expecting the Senate to pick up some of this additional requests in the budget?
• Are we expecting the Senate to pick up some of this additional requests in the budget?

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We do keep budget increases to a minimum, and our budget request for fiscal year 2027 is only slightly
• :38.720><c> um</c><01:02:38.960><c> as</c> our current budget request um as our current budget request
• will discuss more details of our budget request.
• We're not requesting new positions in the fiscal year 2027 budget request.
• </c> approximately 70% of our budget request. approximately 70% of our budget request.

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 216, 22 January, 2026; 8:00 AM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• OPD's supplemental budget request is narrow and largely reflects court orders and right-to-counsel obligations
• Our budget request ensures that OPD and our contracted providers can operate within the new court-ordered
• that we requested, and we do hope that you agree on the value of that and include it in your House budget
• Missing in the budget is a $30 million emergency funding request we made to scale food purchases and
• Missing in the budget is a $30 million emergency funding request we made to scale food purchases and

Summary: The House Appropriations Committee opened with committee guidelines for the 2026 session, including limits on testimony, amendment deadlines, confidentiality expectations, and professionalism rules. Chair Ormsby also reviewed housekeeping for the public hearing, noting the meeting was recorded and live streamed, and that testimony would be limited to one minute because of the large number of sign-ups. The committee then began its work session on Governor Ferguson’s proposed 2026 supplemental operating budget, presented by OFM Director Katie Chapman, who outlined the state’s fiscal pressures: higher caseloads in major programs, a revenue forecast decline of about $390 million, federal policy changes tied to H.R. 1, inflation, and a relatively small ending fund balance. She said the governor’s budget solves about a $2.3 billion shortfall through nearly $800 million in spending reductions, revenue shifts, fund transfers, use of about $1 billion from the Budget Stabilization Account, and some tax preference changes, while also making targeted investments in areas such as child welfare, behavioral health, wildfire response, housing, and IT modernization. Chapman also explained that the proposal does not fully balance over the four-year outlook under the state’s statutory assumptions, but said the governor relied on the budget-balance law’s exception tied to BSA use and low employment growth. A question from Rep. Connors about credit ratings was answered with the view that the impact is difficult to predict and that Washington’s strong pension funding and balanced-budget framework remain positives. The public hearing drew testimony from state officials and many advocates, most of whom opposed specific cuts or fund shifts in the governor’s proposal. Secretary of State Steve Hobbs objected to proposed sweeps from the corporations and charities fund and the library archives account, citing prior cuts, layoffs, cyberattack-related costs, and the need to upgrade aging systems. Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove urged restoration of wildfire prevention funding, saying the proposed amount was still $30 million short of the commitment in House Bill 1168 and that underfunding would increase suppression costs and risk to communities. Many education witnesses opposed reductions to Working Connections Child Care, transition to kindergarten, local effort assistance, Running Start, and higher education across-the-board cuts, arguing they would harm access, equity, and workforce development. Higher education leaders from community colleges, the University of Washington, Western Washington University, and Evergreen State College described staffing cuts, program reductions, and pressure on student services, while K-12 groups and OSPI said the budget would deepen existing funding gaps. A large portion of testimony focused on human services, health, housing, and civil legal aid. Child welfare and youth-serving organizations supported some targeted investments but opposed cuts to child care, child welfare network administration, and youth programs; advocates for foster youth, homeless youth, and mentoring programs asked for continued or increased funding. Health care and long-term care providers warned that proposed Medicaid and rate changes would reduce access for seniors, people with disabilities, and safety-net patients, while Planned Parenthood and abortion access advocates urged full restoration of the Abortion Access Project and related reimbursements. Housing and legal aid witnesses backed the governor’s proposed right-to-counsel funding but asked for more support, and homelessness advocates sought contingency funding for federal housing programs. Crime victim and domestic violence service providers repeatedly said the proposed $12 million was far short of the roughly $21.38 million needed to avoid service cuts and closures. Other testimony addressed the Climate Commitment Account shift for the Working Families Tax Credit, with environmental advocates opposing the diversion of CCA dollars and workforce advocates supporting the governor’s economic security and employment programs. No votes or formal committee action were taken during the hearing portion described in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• When I sent budget instructions to agencies for their agency decision package budget request back in
• Missing from the governor's budget, however, is $30 million in emergency funding we requested to scale
• We know this at the Arc because budget writers often struggle to fund our request and stabilize care
• WDFW's request to close the hatchery is not in the governor's budget.
• Of our two requests to the governor's budget, an operating request for our collections database was funded

Summary: The Senate Ways and Means Committee heard an overview from OFM Director Katie Chapman See on Governor Ferguson’s 2026 supplemental budget proposal. She said the budget was built in response to higher caseloads and inflation, a roughly $390 million revenue forecast drop, new federal costs tied to H.R. 1, and a relatively small ending fund balance. The proposal would increase near general fund spending by about $1.1 billion and solve an estimated $2.3 billion two-year gap through about $800 million in reductions, revenue shifts and tax preference changes, use of other funds, and about $1 billion from the budget stabilization account. She also noted the budget is balanced over two years but not fully over four years under the state’s outlook rules. Chapman See highlighted reductions in Working Connections Child Care, including a soft cap on enrollment and holding subsidy rates at the 75th percentile, delays to long-term care and developmental disability-related changes, and across-the-board reductions to higher education and administrative spending. She also described investments in wildfire suppression and preparedness, affordability programs like utility rebates and home energy assistance, housing-related planning and permitting support, One Washington IT replacement, behavioral health workforce programs, and continued support for some K-12 initiatives such as ninth grade success and homeless student stability. In response to questions, she said some proposed cuts were based on the governor’s subjective judgment about what was critically necessary, that current child care enrollees would not be cut off immediately, and that the budget would maintain services for about 500 highest-acuity Medicaid clients who lost eligibility under federal changes. Public testimony was largely critical of the proposed cuts in K-12, early learning, and higher education. School officials, educators, nurses, and advocacy groups opposed reductions to Transition to Kindergarten, Local Effort Assistance, Running Start, MSOC, school leadership and support grants, and higher education funding, arguing the cuts would worsen existing funding gaps and harm student outcomes. Several witnesses supported restoring or maintaining funding for ninth grade success, Treehouse’s foster youth graduation program, homeless student stability, and Science on Wheels. In early learning, child care providers and advocates opposed the Working Connections cap and subsidy-rate reduction, warning it would reduce access and destabilize providers. In higher education, campus leaders and labor representatives opposed across-the-board cuts and fund shifts, while some institutions and advocates supported targeted investments such as behavioral health workforce programs and DigiPen aid restoration. In human services, Planned Parenthood advocates praised restored abortion access funding and Medicaid reimbursements. The committee took no votes or final action in the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• So this is a broad request.
• budget hearing prior to...
• In the Budget Act of 2023, rather than giving us the complement of positions that we had requested as
• That's why we urge support for this budget request, ensuring that **CARB** has the resources that they
• for the **ZEV** budget package.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For fiscal year agency budget request.
• Is there money in the budget, and is this an enhancement request, or is this money not in the budget
• Is there money in the budget, and is this an enhancement request, or is this money not in the budget
• </c><03:48:20.560><c> of</c> budget request simply an adjustment of budget request simply an adjustment
• </c><03:48:30.160><c> Unfund</c> recommended budget request. Unfund recommended budget request.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That request also includes a request to make three broadband project positions permanent.
• Operations and activities, our budget requests, and then answer your questions.
• Our L.A. request The board of directors respectfully requests that you consider that item and that the
• And I'll make this request on behalf of our entire board. legislative appropriation request, the PRB
• And you will see that in the budget structure and in the request. Again, this is.

Keywords: 1184, house, all