Transcript Highlights:

• Mary's University Coroner's. stone of academic excellence, service and opportunity in San Antonio and
• fresh start.
• fresh start.
• Academic fresh start available move passage the question occurs in the final passage of Senate bill 365
• I started using my inhaler all the time, so it is something, I'm not sure.

Bills: SB5 , SJR3 , HB 11 , HJR72 , HB48 , HB27 , HB144 , HB37 , HB1481 , HB581 , HB1696 , HB2216 , HB 1035 , HB1633 , HB742 , HB754 , HB1689 , HB1690 , HB2669 , HB391 , HB517 , HB1775 , HB 1024 , HB1607 , HB252 , HB1716 , HB1562 , HB4116 , HB1866 , HB1741 , HB2103 , HB2637 , HB2884 , HB3707 , HB503 , HB 1089 , HB1757 , HB2986 , HB972 , SB365 , SB1786 , SB5 , SJR3 , HB14 , HB43 , HB36 , HB26 , HB149 , HB 121 , HB206 , HB136 , HB3114 , HB2733 , HB1732 , HB3700 , HB467 , HB 1130 , HB1846 , HB1442 , HB 1147 , HB2176 , HB2701 , HB805 , HB2890 , HB 1154 , HB1644 , HB2118 , HB1718 , HB2488 , HB2596 , HB2468 , HB484 , HB2578 , HB3204 , HB 1041 , HB307 , HB685 , HB538 , HB2525 , HB3125 , HB2027 , HB2894 , HB3077 , HB 106 , HB18 , HB 11 , HJR72 , HB48 , HB27 , HB144 , HB37 , HB1481 , HB581 , HB1696 , HB2216 , HB 1035 , HB1633 , HB742 , HB754 , HB1689 , HB1690 , HB2669 , HB391 , HB517 , HB1775 , HB 1024 , HB1607 , HB252 , HB1716 , HB1562 , HB4116 , HB1866 , HB1741 , HB2103 , HB2637 , HB2884 , HB3707 , HB503 , HB 1089 , HB1757 , HB2986 , HB972

Transcript Highlights:

• Over the past year we've expanded academic opportunities to meet Texas's growing workforce.
• In addition, we've strengthened partnerships with community colleges across Texas starting with ACC but
• The increase in funding has provided greater student access by expanding our academic offerings to address
• These funds are critical to supporting academic and program activities that advance student learning.
• And I'd like to give them a fresh start when we come back. So.

Committee: House Appropriations - S/C on Article III

Transcript Highlights:

• in 2025-26 and a half percent starting in 2026-27.
• So it all starts with the student stepping onto our campus.
• So it all starts with the student stepping onto our campus.
• I will start off by saying thank you for the question.
• start bringing in the pre-apprentices and apprentices.

Summary: The subcommittee first noted that item one on the Imagination Library update was being pulled pending review of newly received receipts, invoices, and backup documentation from the State Library and the Department of Finance. The chair said the committee would continue reviewing the materials and later determine whether additional oversight and accountability measures are needed regarding taxpayer funds and implementation of the program. The main discussion focused on the California Community Colleges budget request. Chancellor Christian described strong post-pandemic enrollment recovery and asked the Legislature to fund 3% enrollment growth, change the funding formula to use the highest of the three years rather than a three-year average, and remove the 10% growth cap to avoid unfunded FTES. She also urged support for the Governor’s proposals on COLA, deferral repayment, the Common Cloud Data Platform, credit for prior learning, and Calbright College, while adding requests for AI literacy funding, a Rebuild L.A. workforce effort, veterans services, and support for the Chancellor’s Office. Senators raised concerns about high district reserves, part-time faculty conditions, veterans’ credit pathways, and enrollment fraud; Christian said reserves are complex but should be addressed district by district, and that identity verification and AI tools are being used to prevent fraudulent enrollments. Finance and LAO staff then reviewed the student-centered funding formula and enrollment growth proposals. DOF said the Governor’s budget fully repays $408.4 million in deferrals, provides a 2.41% COLA, and includes funding to cover current-year apportionment costs; LAO recommended prioritizing those proposals but suggested beginning enrollment growth funding in 2026-27 rather than revising the current-year target. Chris Ferguson said most districts are growing, that 54 of 72 districts would benefit from a formula change favoring current-year enrollment, and that unfunded growth remains a concern. On facilities, staff explained that deferred maintenance needs are about $2.2 billion, with projects prioritized by life safety, modernization, and capacity needs. The final item was Calbright College. President Menon said Calbright serves more than 6,200 adult learners statewide, with strong completion and wage gains, and asked for the Governor’s proposed $38 million ongoing increase. She and staff emphasized Calbright’s flexible, competency-based model, its partnerships with employers and other colleges, and its role in serving working adults and caregivers. LAO questioned the proposed funding level and recommended moving Calbright onto the student-centered funding formula in the future to better tie funding to enrollment and outcomes, while Calbright argued its structure is different from traditional colleges and needs separate treatment. No votes were taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• in 2025-26 and a half percent starting in 2026-27.
• So it all starts with the student stepping onto our campus.
• So it all starts with the student stepping onto our campus.
• And we would ask that that start in 2025-26 and move forward.
• I will start by saying thank you for the question.

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education heard updates on several higher education budget items, beginning with a pulled follow-up item on the State Library’s administration of the Imagination Library. The chair said the committee had received new documentation from the State Library and the Department of Finance late the prior evening, and staff would review it before deciding whether additional oversight or accountability measures are needed. The committee then turned to the California Community Colleges budget request, with Chancellor Christian outlining strong post-pandemic enrollment recovery, asking for 3% enrollment growth funding, changes to the three-year average formula, removal of the 10% growth cap, and support for several one-time and ongoing initiatives including the Common Cloud Data Platform, credit for prior learning, AI literacy, Rebuild L.A., veterans services, Calbright College, and the Chancellor’s Office. Senators raised concerns about district reserves, part-time faculty conditions, veterans’ credit pathways, and fraud prevention in enrollment systems; the chancellor said the system is using DMV and other identity verification tools, AI screening, and audits, and that reported final enrollment numbers are clean. The committee then reviewed the student-centered funding formula. The Department of Finance described the governor’s proposal to fully repay $408.4 million in deferrals, provide a 2.41% COLA, and add one-time funding to cover current-year apportionment costs, while the Legislative Analyst’s Office recommended prioritizing the proposals within available Proposition 98 funding. Community college finance staff said most districts are growing, many would benefit from current-year funding rules, and that without the proposed apportionment funding districts could face a deficit factor and reduced course access. Members asked about infrastructure prioritization, deferred maintenance, safety, accessibility, and campus police; staff explained that life safety projects are prioritized first, followed by modernization and growth-related facilities, and that colleges are built to high safety standards under the Field Act. Enrollment growth was discussed separately, with Finance and LAO supporting the governor’s 1.5% growth proposal split across two fiscal years, while noting that growth is being driven in part by dual enrollment, regional demographic shifts, and unemployment. The Chancellor’s Office said 54 of 72 districts grew year over year and that funding more growth could help districts move off hold harmless status, though some districts face long-term demographic challenges. The committee also heard from Calbright College President Agita Menon, who described Calbright’s role serving adult learners statewide, its completion and wage gains, and the governor’s proposed $38 million ongoing funding. The LAO recommended transitioning Calbright to the student-centered funding formula beginning in 2027-28, arguing that the current proposal lacks a clear funding rationale and performance linkage; Calbright responded that its competency-based, non-credit model is structurally different and should be funded separately, while agreeing to continued accountability reporting. Finally, the committee received an update on the Community College Higher Education Student Housing Program. Finance said the governor proposes about $11 million ongoing General Fund for debt service on approved student housing projects, and that 11 projects are in the financing pipeline, with two completed, three under construction, four in working drawings, and two in preliminary plans. Finance also noted that some projects have withdrawn and that about $81 million in bond authority remains unallocated, which the Legislature may need to address going forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• in 2025-26, and a half percent starting in 2026-27.
• So it all starts with the student stepping onto our campus.
• And we would ask that that start in 2025-26 and move forward.
• I will start off by saying thank you for the question.
• You know, our learners start 52 times a year, not twice a semester.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, I'll start with the young man, Gavin Green, from Huntsville. Gavin, wave your hand. Okay.
• I first started debate when I was only 12 years old, and as an activity and as an experience it has been
• The third cohort built on the second one, and they started conversations with community leaders in both
• </c> the second one and they started the second one and they started conversations<00:43:15.040><c> with
• Um, I'll start over. >> I'm so sorry. Um, I'll start over.

Bills: HB527 , HB563 , HB580 , HB579 , SB190 , HB15 , HB390 , HB527 , HB563 , HB580 , HB579 , SB190 , HB15 , HB390

Committee: House Ways and Means Education

Keywords: liability, off-roading, parks, participant safety, risk management, SNAP, food assistance, public assistance, income standards, Department of Human Resources, eligibility, HB580, Alabama Healthy Schools Act, public schools, K-12, school nutrition, school meals, cafeteria, vending machines, fundraising sales

Transcript Highlights:

• to put our investments and live up to put our investments and live up to our commitments that we started
• They go back home and they do those same things, and this is a good program to help them get started.
• So we want to do a pilot project to say if you lived here, even though you might not have started your

Bills: HB86 , HB273 , HB379 , HB386 , HB387 , HB388 , HB389 , HB487 , HB600 , SB120 , HB176

Committee: Senate Finance and Taxation Education

Keywords: rural health, hospital funding, tax credits, qualified donations, Alabama Department of Revenue, HB273, Hunger-Free Campus Act, hunger free campus, food insecurity, college hunger, student hunger, campus pantry, food pantry, SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, basic needs, student food assistance, meal vouchers, meal credits, food vouchers

Transcript Highlights:

• When I first started in the federal system, we were all about enforcement of compliance, which means
• When I first started in the federal system, we were all about enforcement of compliance, which means
• When I first started in the federal system, we were all about enforcement of compliance, which means
• When I first started in the federal system, we were all about enforcement of compliance, which means
• </c><00:43:03.040><c> the</c> to Homeland Security and we started the to Homeland Security and we started

Committee: Senate Public Safety and Military Affairs

Summary: The committees met on February 19, 2025, to hear advice-and-consent nominations, beginning with GM 645/GM 650 for Mike Lambert as Director of the Department of Law Enforcement. Testimony was overwhelmingly in support from state officials, community leaders, nonprofit representatives, and others, who praised Lambert’s collaboration with communities, communication skills, and practical approach to public safety. Several speakers highlighted his work on homelessness, game rooms, community policing, and his ability to work across public health and law enforcement lines. Lambert told the committee he has 22 years of law enforcement experience, including patrol, community policing, training, narcotics/vice, and work on fentanyl, internet crimes against children, and ghost guns, and said his priorities would include building community trust, improving training and discipline, and addressing fireworks and firearms enforcement. Senators asked about fireworks, federal collaboration, ports and airport screening, recruitment, pay parity, and whether the department should expand into a more formal state police force; Lambert said he would need time to learn the new port/shipping environment and would support a state police class and expanded enforcement capacity. The committee did not take a final vote in the portion of the transcript provided. The committee then heard GM 567 for Jean Dello Jr. as chairperson of the Hawaii Paroling Authority. Supporters, including Hawaii Friends of Restorative Justice and Hawaii Paroling Authority staff, described him as honest, ethical, fair, and experienced in balancing public safety with rehabilitation and re-entry. Dello said he came out of retirement in 2021 to serve on the board, and that his background in federal probation and state corrections led him to favor evidence-based practices over simple compliance monitoring. He emphasized the need to weigh public safety with giving inmates a real opportunity to transition successfully back into the community. No final action or vote was announced in the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• And before we start with Ms.
• And we'll start with you, Ms. Holladay. Now, we're going to start with Mr. Mercer.
• I don't even know where to start, to be honest.
• And after that, I started using my mind.
• Oh, man, I was starting to worry.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I set the meeting 15 minutes early just so we could get started and Senators could go to other committee
• But we will start. Good morning, Senator. Alvarado.
• I want to start out with, this is a position of service, right?
• I mean, I didn't realize how big the system was until I started looking through everything.
• She has really been a breath of fresh air. ...of fresh air and supporting her vision has been just a

Committee: Senate Nominations

Transcript Highlights:

• If I can start. Okay. All right. So... I can start. Okay. All right.
• The state funding started for expanded learning...
• I'll start with a few questions and then I'll ask others to chime in.
• Maybe I'll start with where you ended. I like... ...the phrase.
• That's where it started. It did not start for educational reasons. So that's one piece of it.

Summary: The committee heard presentations on the Governor’s education budget proposals for the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), Learning Recovery Block Grant, and Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP), followed by testimony from State Board of Education President Linda Darling-Hammond. On LCFF, Finance outlined the proposed 2.43% COLA, repayment of prior deferrals, and a trailer bill penalty for LEAs that fail to adopt Local Control Accountability Plans on time. The LAO said its COLA estimate was slightly lower and raised concerns that the Governor’s proposed TK staffing ratio increase may be more costly than estimated. Members also discussed whether the current COLA formula should better reflect California-specific or district staffing costs, and whether TK should be more clearly separated from the K-3 grade span adjustment to avoid larger K-3 class sizes. The chair asked staff to work with the LAO on both the TK/K-3 issue and alternative COLA calculations. For the Learning Recovery Block Grant, Finance proposed restoring the first of three delayed payments, $378.6 million one-time Proposition 98 General Fund, while the LAO recommended adopting the proposal but extending the expenditure deadline by at least a year. The LAO reported that districts had spent $1.6 billion of the $6.8 billion received through 2023-24 and said most districts were only now shifting from federal COVID relief to block grant spending. Members questioned whether the large state and federal investments were improving outcomes, citing declining reading and math trends, while Finance and the State Board president pointed to some signs of improvement, especially in math, attendance, and gains for some student groups. Darling-Hammond emphasized that student needs have grown, that recovery spending has gone to devices, ventilation, staffing, tutoring, summer school, and community schools, and that targeted interventions appear to be helping some districts recover faster than others. On ELOP, Finance proposed adding $435 million to expand universal access by lowering the Tier 1 threshold from 75% to 55% unduplicated pupils, bringing ongoing funding to $4.4 billion. The LAO said the estimate was reasonable but recommended delaying implementation for a year, aligning ELOP with ASES to reduce overlap, moving toward funding based on participation rather than enrollment, and considering a fixed Tier 2 rate. Members and witnesses discussed staffing challenges, the use of funds for students with disabilities, and uncertainty in Tier 2 funding caused by unspent dollars and opt-outs. Darling-Hammond supported ELOP as part of California’s broader after-school and summer learning strategy, said most districts are now offering full-day TK and expanded learning, and urged the state to reduce fragmentation across categorical programs and build more unified systems for funding, reporting, and support.

Transcript Highlights:

• And teachers are both more engaged and more fresh while they're in the classroom.
• And the years that followed, school districts started removing days from their school calendar.
• days, whereas the standard forever had been 173 academic days, and the only reason we got away from
• We have started again, so if everybody can find their seats.
• I joke when I started this that you should love this bill. If that was your reason for you...

Committee: House A&B Education Subcommittee

Transcript Highlights:

• It is 2:04 p.m., and we are going to start our joint hearing with one item, taking up in tandem HCR 75
• And we are going to start our 2:04 p.m.
• And we are going to start our um<00:11:22.399><c> joint</c><00:11:22.800><c> hearing</c><00:11:23.279
• I'm Deborah Halbert, vice president for academic strategy for the UH system.
• Uh, question for Deputy Superintendent, please. want to start increasing the production want to start

Summary: The joint committees on Education and Higher Education first heard HCR 75 and HR 67, which ask the Department of Education and the University of Hawaiʻi to assess criteria for building an educational pipeline and curriculum for advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity. The Department of Education said it would stand on its written testimony, and UH supported the measure, noting existing community college and four-year programs related to the topic. Members asked how DOE promotes cybersecurity opportunities and whether it provides funding; DOE said schools usually connect with partners and its office works with them, but it does not have separate funding for such efforts. UH also explained that some advanced manufacturing concepts may overlap with 3D printing, material sciences, and entrepreneurship, and described P20 as a forum for aligning K-12 and higher education pathways. The committees then recessed the joint hearing and moved to the Education Committee agenda. The committee next heard HCR 46 and HR 39, which would make DOE recreational facilities available to the public during non-peak hours and non-school days. DOE said it already uses facilities agreements with insurance, liability waivers, indemnification, and certificates of insurance to protect schools. The Attorney General opposed the resolutions, warning that unrestricted public use without safeguards could create substantial liability and cost risks for the state. The measure’s introducer said the goal was to help underserved communities that lack access to public recreation spaces, and DOE said it would be open to joint-use arrangements with larger organizations but remained concerned about vandalism and liability. The committee also heard HCR 86 and HR 80 on creating an Aloha Civics working group, with DOE offering comments and Common Cause Hawaiʻi strongly supporting the idea. DOE described a civic learning and engagement task force that met with stakeholders, including UH and the PACE Commission, and produced recommendations such as building partnership inventories, integrating civic learning across grade levels, and aligning the work with DOE’s HA framework and learner outcomes. Common Cause said civic education can be implemented effectively and affordably, citing existing school projects such as ranked-choice voting and classroom constitutions. Later, the committee took up HCR 87 and HR 81, urging an annual Climate Week in public schools. DOE again stood on written comments, while the Climate Change and Health Working Group, Climate Future Forum, a student from Kaimuki High School, and other supporters argued that a dedicated week would ensure consistent climate education, build resilience, and connect climate issues to health, food security, and disaster preparedness. Supporters said existing climate-related opportunities are uneven across schools and that a formal Climate Week would create a more equitable approach. The committee then heard HCR 95 and HR 91 on informing students about changes to gun safety and storage laws; DOE asked for clarification on the measure’s intended outcome, and one individual testified in support. Finally, the committee heard HCR 104 and HR 100 on strengthening farm-to-school initiatives. DOE said it is already working to improve menus, emphasize local products, and meet with distributors to increase local procurement, while the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience offered food science, nutrition, and extension support. Climate Future Forum, the Hawaii Youth Food Council, and other supporters said farm-to-school efforts are important for student health, local farmers, and food sovereignty, noting that local food procurement in schools remains far below the state’s 30% by 2030 goal. DOE explained it is trying to provide distributors and farmers with more predictable demand and is meeting with distributors to set up next year’s supply chain.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:33:40.799><c> to</c> opportunity to identify and start to opportunity to identify and start to
• And what that means is the practice core academic skills for educators.
• ><c> skills</c><00:45:18.480><c> for</c> practice core academic skills for practice core academic skills
• That is the basic academic educators.
• </c> in the core the practice core academic in the core the practice core academic skills<00:45:45.119

Transcript Highlights:

• We also this year had Natalie Winters start.
• She did started something called CLASS.
• I would like to start there.
• So I will start there.
• So, Professor Thomas started in the summer.

Bills: SB1 , SB3

Committee: House House Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• I started helping LevelUp students.
• </c><00:45:15.599><c> As</c><00:45:15.839><c> an</c> for fresh, nutritious meals.
• As an for fresh, nutritious meals.
• Like when I first started committees.
• </c> academic success and mental well-being. academic success and mental well-being.

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Warner, if you would please start us off, give your full name for the record, and commence your testimony
• first</c><00:03:10.120><c> I</c><00:03:10.200><c> want</c><00:03:10.280><c> to</c><00:03:10.519><c> start
• </c> this bill forward first I want to start this bill forward first I want to start by<00:03:10.920>
• Let's start with Mr. Warner, since he's here in person. Mr.
• My name is Angie Baines, and I lead the transportation team at Fresh Energy.

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development

Transcript Highlights:

• I'll go ahead and start with that.
• In the data that I have, academics is separated from non-academics, but I don't have a breakdown of whether
• school and Early Start programs, which helps students in the summer before they start at our campuses
• learning in order to achieve the academic learning.
• learning in order to achieve the academic learning.

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education held its first 2026 hearing on higher education, focusing on UC and CSU system updates, student housing, enrollment, and core operations. In opening remarks, the chair noted recent state fiscal stress, the prior rejection of proposed UC/CSU cuts, and the Governor’s proposed 5% ongoing compact increases. UC President James B. Milliken and CSU Chancellor Mildred Garcia described the systems’ public value, research and workforce roles, and the impact of federal actions on grants, financial aid, and campus operations. Both also emphasized Title IX and civil rights efforts; CSU said it had implemented nearly all state auditor recommendations and was on track to finish the remaining one, while UC highlighted its systemwide civil rights and Title IX offices. Both leaders said federal investigations, grant cancellations, and litigation demands were consuming staff time and money, with UC reporting more than 200 grants lost or affected and CSU citing more than $161 million in lost grants and more than 1,600 grants affected overall. The committee then heard on student housing. Finance and LAO staff said the Governor’s budget made no major new housing proposal but continued support for the Higher Education Student Housing Grant Program. CSU reported 12 supported projects that will add about 5,047 beds, most below market rate, with four already open and seven more expected this year; it also said it has about 68,000 beds systemwide, a 92% occupancy rate, and ongoing emergency housing support. UC said the program has supported seven UC projects and two joint community college projects, adding more than 7,000 beds total, but nearly 10,000 UC students were on housing waitlists at the start of fall 2025. UC asked for additional state support, including possible bond funding and a statutory change to allow UC participation in public-private partnership housing projects. Members discussed rapid rehousing, student homelessness, faculty and staff housing, and community college housing partnerships, with both systems describing existing emergency beds and support services. On enrollment, LAO recommended maintaining UC’s 2026-27 resident undergraduate target, funding enrollment growth separately from base increases, pausing the nonresident reduction plan, and holding UC flat in 2027-28. For CSU, LAO recommended revising the 2026-27 target downward to reflect current projections, funding growth separately, and holding 2027-28 flat. CSU said it had rebounded from COVID declines, now exceeds its funded target by about 3,000 FTE, and is shifting about $89 million and 10,000 FTE spots from lower-demand campuses to higher-demand ones while developing turnaround plans for seven campuses with sustained enrollment declines, including Sonoma State. CSU also described direct admissions, transfer success pathways, and new degree programs aimed at workforce needs. UC said it had surpassed its compact enrollment goals, planned to add 2,721 California undergraduates in 2026-27, and was seeking $5.5 million for health professional programs. Members raised concerns about underprepared freshmen, K-12 alignment, nonresident caps at UC San Diego, deferred maintenance, ROTC access, and the need for stronger turnaround plans and teacher preparation pipelines. The final item on core operations addressed the Governor’s proposal to defer 3% base funding again, moving the one-time deferral to 2027-28 and allowing short-term zero-interest loans to cover it.

Transcript Highlights:

• So to see someone who maybe started drinking or started doing drugs before they were even 15 years old
• So to see someone who maybe started drinking or started doing drugs before they were even 15 years old
• Well, I started in LSU.
• Knowing is what starts the healing. And it should be. Knowing is what starts the healing.
• So that basically just started.

Committee: House Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• So to see someone who maybe started drinking or started doing drugs before they were even 15 years old
• Well, I started in LSU.
• Well, I started in LSU. I ended up at uh, and get a degree. Well, I started in L.SU.
• Knowing is what starts the healing. And it should be. Knowing is what starts the healing.
• So that basically just started.

Committee: House Appropriations

Summary: The committee heard public testimony on several budget requests tied to health and human services. Louisiana Children’s Advocacy Centers asked for continued support and a supplemental appropriation of $1.173 million for infrastructure and standardization, explaining that the money would expand use of the Guardify digital evidence system, improve chain of custody, and reduce reliance on DVDs. Baton Rouge and statewide CAC leaders said prior funding helped eliminate a therapy wait list and speed services for abused children. Members asked detailed questions about the digital system, MDT coordination, and how the request related to SB 237, which would strengthen multidisciplinary review of child abuse cases. The Alzheimer’s Association sought $824,000 to sustain the dementia care specialist program, saying it helps families navigate services, keep loved ones at home longer, and reduce Medicaid costs. AARP and the Live at Home Coalition also testified for 750 additional Community Choice waiver slots at a state cost of $3.3 million, arguing that home- and community-based care is cheaper than nursing homes and that the current wait list is more than 11,000 people. Legislators discussed the size of the need, the state’s long-term care spending mix, and whether more support should go to family caregivers and community-based options. Testimony also focused on disability support services, substance use treatment, and developmental disability provider rates. A parent and direct support worker described the Children’s Choice waiver’s 20-hour cap and low pay, saying it makes it hard to retain caregivers and meet the needs of medically fragile children. Odyssey House and O’Brien House asked for higher Medicaid reimbursement rates under ASAM 4, warned that removal of room-and-board payments and weak Medicaid eligibility pathways are reducing access, and called for more oversight of sober living homes; members questioned outcomes data, length of stay, and links to homelessness. Finally, the Arc of Louisiana said the LDH rate study confirmed underfunding and supported a $53.6 million increase in state general funds, with local ARC leaders describing the services they provide and the need for higher direct support professional wages.