Video & Transcript Research : 'diversion programs'

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TX

Texas 89th Regular

89th Legislative Session Mar 5th, 2025

Texas House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Named after the Frio River, Frio County is defined by its rolling plains, diverse vegetation, and rich
  • The American Planning Program and as a winner from National Night Out.
  • Impact Pasadena is a community leadership program within the Pasadena. Chamber of Commerce.
  • Their presence enriches the cultural diversity and strength of our great state.
  • HB 804 by Gervin Hawkins relating to the Creating Abbreviated Educator Preparation Program.
Keywords: 1184, house, all
NM

New Mexico 2026 Regular Session

House - Judiciary Jan 21st, 2026 at 02:08 pm

House Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:
  • It's a wonderful program.
  • And I shouldn't use the word diversity in this case because really it's not about diversity.
  • So, you must choose either the master's program or the JD program.
  • program.
  • So whether that be evening programs, whether that be longer-term programs that account for that.
Bills: SB1, SB3
US
Transcript Highlights:
  • The Trump administration has also launched a broad attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion policies
  • The Kivunin Gap Year Program and Seeds of Peace.
  • By threatening to withhold federal funds from universities that do not scrap their DEI programs, this
  • True support for Jewish students like me means listening to our diverse experiences and needs and not
  • The DEI program coordinator at Rutgers said to Jewish students F-U, F-U colonizer, F-U Zionist.
Summary: The committee meeting focused on addressing the rising tide of anti-Semitism across the nation. Among the discussions, members expressed concerns about the disturbing acts of hate witnessed on college campuses, with instances of harassment and intimidation targeting Jewish students being highlighted. High-profile incidents, including vandalism and the display of extremist symbols, prompted urgent calls for investigations and measures to protect civil rights. The importance of moral clarity in confronting such hate crimes was emphasized as well, outlining the responsibilities of leaders to ensure safety and uphold justice.
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

03/16/2026 - House Floor Session

Arizona House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • As a leading woman in the Irish transport sector, Speaker Murphy was appointed a diversity ambassador
  • As a leading woman in the Irish transport sector, Speaker Murphy was appointed a diversity ambassador
  • Murphy was appointed, a diversity ambassador for women in transport in 2018 by the then EU Transport
  • AFSCME, Arizona represents roughly 5,000 hardworking Arizonans who serve in critical roles in diverse
  • And whereas the members of AFSCME serve in critical roles across diverse sectors. ...and whereas the
Keywords: 1182, all
Summary: The House convened, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the prior journal, and recognized the Doctor of the Day, Dr. Jasleen Chatwal. Members then made numerous introductions of guests and visiting groups, including Irish dignitaries and a proclamation recognizing St. Patrick’s Day, AFSCME and CWA members, the Arizona Farm Bureau, the Arizona chapter of the American College of Surgeons for Stop the Bleed training, and advocates for rare skeletal conditions. The chamber also announced committee substitutions and received Senate messages and committee reports. On business from the desk, the House voted to request the Senate return HB 4027 and HB 2444 for reconsideration. The House then moved through first and second readings of a large number of Senate bills and resolutions, placing them on the calendar. In Committee of the Whole, HB 2750 and HB 2999 were each amended and recommended do pass; both were reported back and ordered engrossed for further action. On third reading, the House rejected reconsideration of HB 2197, which dealt with water access and camping near water sources, after debate over criminal penalties and conservation concerns. The House then passed HB 2429 on vacation rentals and short-term rentals, HB 2950 creating special districts and tourism improvement areas, and HB 4001 concerning nicotine products and youth access, each after floor debate and recorded votes. The chamber also adopted a proclamation honoring AFSCME Arizona, made committee and caucus announcements, and adjourned until Tuesday, March 17, 2026.
HI
Transcript Highlights:
  • We used to come in every year and then every two years, and under that program, which is a federal program
  • We do have the provider tax program.
  • <00:14:09.920> that program which is a federal program that program which is a federal program
  • Um I think provider tax program.
  • how the program is designed nationally. how the program is designed nationally.
Summary: The joint hearing covered House Bill 251, which would require hospitals to report costs associated with Medicare and uninsured patients, and House Bill 1875, which would expand protections for gender-affirming health care services. On HB 251, the Department of Health said it supported the intent but described the bill as complicated and potentially impractical as drafted because the department lacks the expertise to produce the required analyses without outside help. Hawaii Health Systems Corporation echoed those concerns, while the Queen’s Health System said it was willing to work with the department to provide the information. In committee discussion, officials explained that hospital support in Hawaii includes public hospital appropriations and the provider tax program, which uses hospital and nursing home contributions to draw federal matching funds; a department witness estimated the net benefit at about $150 million for hospitals and $20 million for nursing facilities, though exact figures would be provided later. On HB 1875, the Insurance Division testified with concerns that the bill’s language on prohibited actions by malpractice insurers was broad and vague, and that a rate-increase prohibition could conflict with actuarially based insurance pricing. The division also noted it was not the primary enforcement agency for the statute. In contrast, many testifiers strongly supported the bill, including the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, the Hawaii State LGBTQ+ Commission, the Hawaii Public Health Institute, PFLAG Oahu, the ACLU of Hawaii, the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii, the Hawaii County Democratic Party, and others. Supporters argued that gender-affirming care is medically necessary, evidence-based, and protected by privacy and bodily autonomy principles, and that the bill would protect patients and providers from outside political interference. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the portion of the hearing provided.
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Education Committee May 14th, 2025

Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • And I'll end by talking about the process with our Diversity Caucus. colleagues, our sister colleagues
  • You're denying our diversity, our vulnerability, and our pain.
  • We're proud that this bill was shaped by the leaders of the diversity caucuses.
  • We have a diverse group of 500 local parents and community members in strong support of AB 715.
  • I'm here on behalf of over 100 diverse members of Marin Jewish Parents and Allies Union.
Keywords: 988, house, all
HI

Hawaii 2025 Regular Session

LBT Public Hearing 04-04-2025

Labor and Technology

Transcript Highlights:
  • that we do operationalize the program that we do operationalize the program um,<00:03:03.200>
  • , not only for these state-run auto IRAs, but also in 401(k) programs and all retirement savings programs
  • > programs.
  • And as the expenses of operating the program are much less and, again, a more efficient program than
  • As the expenses of operating the program are much less and, again, a more efficient program than as the
Keywords: 912, senate, all
Summary: The Labor and Technology Committee met on April 4, 2025, to consider four governor’s messages involving nominations to the Hawaii Retirement Savings Board and the Hawaii Workforce Development Council. Barbara Creek, nominated to the Retirement Savings Board for a term ending June 30, 2029, testified that she had already served two years on the board, had prior experience with deferred compensation plans, and wanted to help operationalize the program quickly and efficiently. In response to a question about Senate Bill 855, she explained that an opt-out auto-enrollment model is the gold standard for retirement savings programs, would increase participation and contributions, and would help Hawaii avoid being an outlier and improve the chances of joining a multi-state compact for a cost-effective program. Amber Aana, nominated to the Workforce Development Council for a term ending June 30, 2029, emphasized her maritime-industry background and commitment to diversity, inclusion, and training opportunities for women and underrepresented groups. Scott Collins, nominated to the same council for a term ending June 30, 2028, said he had served on the board since 2022 and could contribute public-sector and union experience to help address government workforce challenges. Pane Mayonga II, also nominated to the Workforce Development Council for a term ending June 30, 2029, was absent due to union travel, but the committee heard extensive testimony in support from labor, industry, and community representatives. Support testimony was recorded for all four nominees, including from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, United Public Workers, Hawaii State AFL-CIO, Hawaii Nurses Association, Hawaii Ports Maritime Council, and other organizations and individuals. For Pane Mayonga II, the committee noted support from a broad coalition including labor unions, maritime and construction groups, and community advocates. No opposition testimony was presented, and members did not raise substantive questions on the Workforce Development Council nominees. After a brief recess, the committee reconvened for decision-making and voted to recommend advice and consent on all four governor’s messages: GM 727 for Barbara Creek, GM 744 for Amber Aana, GM 717 for Scott Collins, and GM 728 for Pane Mayonga II. Each recommendation was adopted unanimously, and the committee congratulated the nominees before adjourning with no further business.
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm

Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development

Transcript Highlights:
  • And I've seen a similar program in Turkey.
  • Through grant funding and our original programming, we support artists and humanists and enliven our
  • Murals, installations, and performances express our values about wildlife, diversity, climate change,
  • I moved from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a city that has a percent-for-art program and a huge mural program
  • The programs that I run through the nonprofit, the Color Collaborative, The programs that I run through
Keywords: 995, all
Summary: The Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development held a hearing on October 21, opening with a moment of silence for former committee chair Senator Edward Kennedy. Chairs Senator Paul Mark and Representative Sean Garballey then heard testimony on several bills related to tourism funding, arts infrastructure, public art, Native heritage, and a choreographer laureate. A major focus was legislation to require earlier distribution of regional tourism council grants from the Tourism Trust Fund, with testimony from regional tourism leaders from North of Boston, Metro West, Cape Cod, and Senator Joan Lovely. Witnesses said delayed grant allocations make it difficult to plan fall, winter, and shoulder-season marketing, and they argued that an October 1 or September 1 deadline would help preserve tourism’s economic impact without increasing appropriations. They cited tourism’s role in jobs, tax revenue, and regional economic development, especially for smaller and less prominent tourism regions. The committee also heard strong support for the Creative Space Act and the PLACE Act, which would help municipalities preserve affordable creative workspace and create a public art funding mechanism tied to state construction projects. Testimony from MassCreative, MAPC, arts organizations, muralists, and local arts leaders emphasized loss of workspace, displacement of artists, and the economic and community benefits of public art. Additional testimony supported bills to protect Native American heritage by preventing the sale of funerary and sacred objects in public or nonprofit collections, and a bill to establish a first-in-the-nation choreographer laureate of the Commonwealth. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the committee adjourned after public testimony concluded.
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

06/12/2026 - Senate Floor Session

Arizona Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • And we were able to learn about diversity.
  • program, including fingerprinting. ...changes to the school safety program, including fingerprinting
  • administration of the program.
  • administration of the program.
  • It does not specify just a single program.
Keywords: 1182, all
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Floor Session May 29th, 2025

California House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • The prestigious CIF Scholar Award program has been awarded since 1982 and recognizes student-athletes
  • All of us bring such diverse lived experiences into this work.
  • You know, I introduced this bill because I come from a very diverse area.
  • Currently, the IHSS program employs over 700,000 workers and serves over 800,000 recipients.
  • The Strong Workforce Program was established in 2016 to strengthen the CTE programs in California community
Summary: The Assembly convened after a quorum call, prayer, and Pledge of Allegiance, then moved through a long daily file with numerous guest introductions and recognitions, including tributes to outgoing University of California President Michael Drake, student and community advocates, and visitors connected to foster care, military appreciation, and college savings. The chamber also took up several procedural items, including concurrence in Senate amendments to ACR 75 on California Farm Week, which passed 59-0. Members then adopted AJR 7 on protecting federal special education funding and services for students with disabilities, with broad bipartisan support and a 65-0 vote after 63 co-authors were added. The Assembly also adopted ACR 82 recognizing Foster Care Month and ACR 85 recognizing 529 College Savings Day by voice vote after adding co-authors, and ACR 89 recognizing Military Appreciation Month, also adopted by voice vote after co-authors were added. These resolutions featured testimony and remarks emphasizing support for vulnerable children, foster youth, military families, and access to higher education. On policy bills, the Assembly passed AB 929 on groundwater and managed wetlands (41-14), AB 1026 on utility connection timelines for housing projects (52-0), AB 1332 on direct shipment of medicinal cannabis under specified conditions (55-0), AB 1356 on follow-up reporting in DHCS death investigations at treatment facilities (54-0), and AB 671 on streamlining restaurant openings through self-certification of certain plans (62-0). The chamber also approved AB 715 on anti-Semitism and school climate after extensive debate and cross-caucus support, 64-0, and AB 33 on autonomous vehicle deliveries requiring a human safety operator, 52-6. Later, AB 5 on election ballot-counting timelines passed 66-0, AB 27 and AB 28 addressing the Chiquita Canyon landfill disaster passed 61-0 and 44-6 respectively, and the Assembly began consideration of AB 43 to extend state authority over wild and scenic rivers.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Ways and Means Committee 3/11/25

Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:
  • This new community grant program was intended to expand the number and diversity of recipients who benefit
  • DNR uh this new community grant program DNR uh this new community grant program was<00:03:34.000
  • , an extremely popular program, and 5% for the original community grant program.
  • program being established.
  • So I think that's really concerning. program and this program is meant to go program and this program
Keywords: 1183, house
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Committee on Capital Investment - 01/28/25

Capital Investment

Transcript Highlights:
  • The third and final program is regional parks and trails bonding program.
  • The third and final program is regional parks and trails bonding program.
  • The third and final program is regional parks and trails bonding program.
  • <00:49:26.200> this<00:49:26.359> program mitigation grant program this program mitigation
  • program.
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Legacy Finance Committee 3/12/25

Legacy Finance

Transcript Highlights:
  • Our program officers—we have four program officers—keep in touch.
  • But I wanted to give you some data from the operating support program, the one program that we've had
  • But I wanted to give you some data from the operating support program, the one program that we've had
  • , because the space is very diverse and the work that is done is very diverse.
  • programming.
Keywords: 1183, house
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Committee on Education Policy - 03/12/25

Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • This bill recognizes the diverse school districts and different needs of a uniform school start date
  • > speak the diverse Primary Home languages speak the diverse Primary Home languages of<00:52:25.160><
  • MSA enrolls a far more diverse student population than our home district.
  • districts MSA enrolls a far more diverse districts MSA enrolls a far more diverse student<01:08:
  • Diverse backgrounds, some who speak multiple languages at home.
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
HI

Hawaii 2025 Regular Session

JHA Public Hearing - Tue Mar 25, 2025 @ 2:00 PM HST

Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • Is it part of that emergency diversion program? Outpatient treatment.
  • Is it part of that emergency diversion program?
  • Is it part of that emergency diversion program?
  • Is it part of that emergency diversion program?
  • Is it part of that emergency diversion program?
Keywords: 910, house, all
Summary: The House Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs heard Senate Bill 1322, SD2, HD1, a comprehensive measure revising Hawaii’s mental health code. The bill would clarify emergency transportation, examination, and hospitalization procedures for people who may be mentally ill or suffering from substance abuse and deemed imminently dangerous, expand notice requirements, allow certain information-sharing for assisted community treatment petitions, and add liability protections for emergency responders and providers. The Department of the Attorney General supported the bill as a collaborative update to the law, while the Department of Health asked for a copy of provider-generated emergency transport documentation within five days for data and planning purposes. Testimony was sharply divided. Queen’s Health System, Hawaiʻi Pacific Health, HHSC, and the Institute for Human Services supported the measure or parts of it but requested amendments, including clarifying whether a second psychiatric exam is required, restoring a 72-hour rather than 48-hour stabilization window, and adjusting where patients are taken when an MEO cannot be reached. The ACLU of Hawaiʻi strongly opposed the bill, arguing it weakens due process and civil liberties, especially around involuntary commitment, assisted community treatment, emergency transport by police, and reduced procedural safeguards; it urged the committee to hold the bill and consider an interim working group. Louie E.K. of the Hawaiʻi Disability Rights Center also opposed the bill, focusing on immunity from negligence, the use of police for transport, and the reduction of a three-provider review to one in state-hospital treatment orders. Other testimony included support from an individual who said the bill could improve mental health care delivery amid provider shortages, and a comment from Hawaiʻi Health and Harm Reduction Center warning that the substance use portion of the bill lacks evidence of effectiveness and could be misused. In response to committee questions, the Attorney General’s office said the measure was developed with input from multiple stakeholders, including state agencies, hospitals, the ACLU, HHSC, and IHS, and that it aims to make assisted community treatment more accessible and effective by streamlining the legal process and improving consequences for noncompliance. No vote or final action was taken during the portion of the meeting provided.
MA
Transcript Highlights:
  • Graduate programs for mental health licensure.
  • And the ROI of that program also shows significant... Productivity.
  • And we've actually seen really great success in that program as well.
  • The Supplier Diversity Office recently launched their own EAC.
  • This state as a model employer program.
Keywords: 995, all
Summary: The Disability Employment Subcommittee met with roll call, approved prior meeting minutes, and shared an inspirational quote from Jane Goodall about the importance of every individual. Members then introduced themselves and their roles, including state disability advocates, providers, and commission members, before hearing a presentation from Katia Alpanis and Dina Klumkina of the State Exchange on Employment and Disability (SEED). SEED described its role as a technical assistance and policy resource for states, focused on sharing best practices and examples from other states to expand employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The presentation outlined SEED’s seven policy areas: career readiness and work-based learning, behavioral health and work, stay-at-work/return-to-work supports, employer recruitment and retention tools, entrepreneurship and disability-owned business development, interagency coordination, and state government as a model employer. Examples from other states included scholarship and transition supports in Kentucky and Virginia, stay-at-work programs in Alaska and Washington, accommodation funds in Minnesota, procurement and small business initiatives in New Jersey and Virginia, and model employer efforts in Colorado, New York, and Tennessee. Members also asked about digital accessibility and PEAT; SEED said PEAT has been refunded and that SEED can help with policy-level questions and peer examples, but not implementation of accessibility requirements. Discussion then shifted to possible Massachusetts projects. Members raised concerns about upcoming Medicaid work or civic engagement requirements and how people with disabilities might fall through the cracks, and they asked whether SEED could help Massachusetts use existing documentation, such as IEPs, to reduce barriers. The group identified two main areas for follow-up: a Massachusetts “state as a model employer” roadmap and a youth/young adult employment and volunteer pipeline, potentially linked to transition services and apprenticeship opportunities. SEED agreed to provide Massachusetts-specific analysis and two briefs, one on career readiness policies and one on state-as-model-employer strategies, and the subcommittee planned an offline follow-up meeting to narrow priorities and develop a scope of work.
WA
Transcript Highlights:
  • Examples include DNR's derelict vessel removal program and DFW's Aquatic Invasive Species Program.
  • program.
  • intent of the program.
  • intent of the program.
  • compare to similar programs?
Summary: The meeting began with JLARC’s biennial executive committee elections. After confirming a quorum, members unanimously elected Representative Pollet as chair, Senator Wagoner as vice chair, Representative Orcutt as secretary, and Senator Solomon as assistant secretary for the 2025-27 biennium. The committee also approved the May 14 meeting minutes unanimously. Chair Pollet then outlined a commitment to more member input on audit scope and coordination with the State Auditor’s Office. Staff presented a preliminary report on Washington State recreation boating programs. They reported that six agencies administer boating-related activities, that the state collected about $108 million in boating-related revenue in 2021-23, and that $86 million was spent, mostly on infrastructure and water access, environmental protection, boater safety, and marine law enforcement. Staff said Washington’s boating laws and programs are broadly similar to other states and noted that the final report is expected in September. JLARC then reviewed several tax preferences. For natural gas used as a transportation fuel, staff said the preferences reduce fuel costs but did not meet emissions-reduction targets because fewer vessels and vehicles converted to natural gas than expected; staff recommended continuing some exemptions and modifying reporting requirements. For travel agents and tour operators, staff said the preference continues to provide tax relief, but large beneficiaries’ savings are rising while small beneficiaries’ use is declining, leading to recommendations to continue the small-business rate and add or revise performance metrics. Staff also reviewed a nonprofit low-income housing property tax exemption, concluding it helps developers build homes as intended but that the performance metric should better reflect housing outcomes; they recommended the legislature decide whether to continue or modify it. Other reviews covered multipurpose senior citizen centers, disabled veteran adapted housing, trade convention attendance, agricultural fertilizer and seed wholesaling, hazardous substance tax treatment for pesticides, and silicon smelter energy preferences, with recommendations ranging from continuation to expiration depending on whether the stated objectives were met. The committee then adopted the final cannabis market study for distribution. Staff reported that Washington businesses produced two to three times more cannabis than retailers sold in 2023, and that inaccurate and incomplete reporting limits the Liquor and Cannabis Board’s ability to regulate the market. The board said it concurs with the recommendations, including developing a plan for a new data system and considering broader social equity options. Finally, staff presented the proposed final report on Department of Health oversight of hospital data reporting, inspections, and complaints. Staff said DOH was late on most acute-care hospital inspections, had not fully verified third-party inspection standards, and did not adequately review adverse event correction plans or assess language access barriers in its complaint system. DOH said it concurs with all six recommendations and has already made some transparency improvements, including a public dashboard for adverse event reporting.
NM

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

IC - New Mexico Finance Authority Oversight Sep 10th, 2025

New Mexico Finance Authority Oversight Committee

Transcript Highlights:
  • And this is one of those programs that was a sleeper program when it was created 20-something years ago
  • That legislation, one, it funded $10 million into the program, so it made the program more viable.
  • : the Behavioral Health Care Program and the Primary Care Facilities Program.
  • programs.
  • program managers.
MA
Transcript Highlights:
  • The third pillar is diversity, equity, inclusion, so trying to increase cultural and demographic...
  • So thinking a lot about some of the state's investments so far in student loan repayment programs and
  • academic employer partnership programs... ...student loan repayment programs and academic employer partnership
  • programs, fellowships, apprenticeship programs, and then rates and payment model reform, thinking about
  • These stats, I think, for residential programs that are specifically operated through...
Keywords: 995, all
Summary: The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities subcommittee on workforce supports met with Chair Andrew Lerault presiding. Members completed roll call, approved the August 2025 minutes, and then heard a presentation from Amy Doyle, director of the Behavioral Health Workforce Center at the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission. Doyle described the center’s launch in September 2024 and its legislative mandate to study behavioral health payment rates, workforce needs, and licensure/certification barriers, with an emphasis on recruitment, retention, capacity building, diversity/equity, and sustainability. She also shared data on unmet behavioral health needs, ED boarding, workforce shortages, aging and turnover in nursing and direct care, and the need to improve data collection on non-licensed workers and populations such as people with developmental disabilities and autism. Committee members asked questions about what provider types were included in the workforce data and whether DDS-related residential and direct support roles were captured. Doyle said the center is still working to define and measure the full behavioral health workforce, including non-licensed roles, and welcomed follow-up on missing data sources. Members suggested additional sources such as CHIA and the Association of Developmental Disability Providers’ workforce survey. Doyle noted that the center is working with CHIA and that new licensure renewal surveys for behavioral health and allied mental health professionals will begin in 2025, which should improve future workforce data. The discussion also touched on the Health Policy Commission’s broader workforce findings, including nurse attrition, burnout, low wages, and the importance of career ladders and advanced training. Doyle said the center’s first policy recommendations will come from its rate study, expected in the next one to two months, and will likely focus on capacity building and sustainability. After the presentation, members thanked Doyle and discussed subcommittee leadership. Chair Lerault announced he was stepping down, and Chris White volunteered to serve as co-chair; the committee agreed to move forward with that arrangement and to revisit FY26 goals once new leadership is in place. The meeting then adjourned by motion and second.
NY

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

New York State Senate Session - 04/20/2026

New York Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • widening the skills gap that could result in the loss of trillions of dollars by 2030, supporting programs
  • [Applause] STUDENTS IN HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE, POST-SECONDARY PROGRAMS ACROSS THIS COUNTRY.
  • WIDENING THE SKILLS GAP THAT COULD RESULT IN THE LOSS OF TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS BY 2030, SUPPORTING PROGRAMS
  • and diverse nationalities coming together and sharing in this common experience together.
  • and diverse nationalities coming together and sharing in this common experience together.
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.