Transcript Highlights:

• , and that caseload and how it moves and how it changes dictates probably the largest single spending
• So I'm hoping that my good friend can give us some insight into what's been forecasted for the caseload
• and what does this budget reflect with regard to caseload?
• , and we had record-high caseloads.
• Since then, and since that restriction has been lifted, we have reduced the caseload dramatically.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, adopted two commendatory resolutions honoring the Plimpton Historical Society’s Deborah Sampson Day recognition and Megan’s Light’s Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month observance, and suspended Joint Rule 12 to refer several House petitions to committee. The chamber also briefly recognized Diane Talk of the South Shore Regional Emergency Communication Center on her retirement after 30 years of dispatch service. Later, the Senate passed two local bills to enactment: House No. 4006, authorizing Dartmouth to grant an additional all-alcoholic beverages license, and House No. 473, relating to the charter of Westwood. The main business was the Senate Ways and Means presentation of the fiscal year 2027 budget, totaling about $63.3 billion. The chair described the budget as balanced, with no new taxes or tax cuts, based on a consensus revenue estimate of $986 million in growth over FY26 (2.4%), and including about $15.8 billion in federal financial participation and roughly $2.7 billion from the Fair Share surtax. The budget emphasized record local aid, including $1.376 billion in unrestricted general government aid, $7.66 billion for Chapter 70 education aid, increased minimum school aid, higher regional school transportation reimbursement, rural aid, and the revival of the Foundation Budget Review Commission. It also highlighted major investments in MassEducate free community college, food security, housing, and support for vulnerable residents. Members then engaged in extended colloquy on the budget’s major cost drivers and policy choices. Questions focused on debt service, pension and OPEB liabilities, MassHealth caseload and rising per-enrollee costs, child care funding, and program integrity in DTA and other benefit programs. The chair said debt service would be about $2.67 billion, pension payments would be $5.1 billion, OPEB would receive a $150 million payment, and MassHealth enrollment was projected at about 2 million with costs driven by acuity and medical inflation. He also said the budget includes no collective bargaining agreements and no state tax changes. Senators supporting the budget praised its investments in education, local aid, homelessness prevention, public health, libraries, and housing, while minority leaders and others stressed the need for fiscal discipline, transparency, and further work on affordability and municipal support. The Senate also received a House message on House No. 5316, which the House had nonconcurred in, and a conference committee was appointed on the disagreement.

Transcript Highlights:

• offender is going to be required to attend sex offender treatment and also be on a sex offender caseload
• And the first graph I attempted to create there is, uh, shows that for the longest time our caseload
• remained pretty steady as you'll see in 2023 that Uh, caseload more than doubled.
• Um, the last two slides show some caseload information.
• ending caseload of 533 clients.

Transcript Highlights:

• Additionally, the board relies on investigators to manage their assigned caseloads but had not implemented
• Madam Chair, Doctor, what is the investigator caseload now and what would it be if it got additional
• The average caseload with all the other boards of nursing that we've done comparison is usually about
• And our investigators maintain an average caseload of 124 cases each.
• We have high volumes, high caseloads. There really is no downtime once you work with the board.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The committee conducted sunset reviews for the Arizona State Board of Pharmacy, the State Board of Nursing, the Arizona Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners, and the Arizona Regulatory Board of Physician Assistants. The Auditor General’s reports praised each board for timely licensing in some areas but identified recurring problems with complaint investigations, public safety oversight, fee analysis, records/documentation, and internal controls. For Pharmacy, the main concerns were weak enforcement of controlled substances prescription monitoring program (CSPMP) requirements and slow complaint resolution; the board said it had implemented some recommendations, was pursuing a new database vendor, and supported legislation to strengthen CSPMP enforcement. For Nursing, the audit found a large and growing backlog of complaints and repeated delays in resolving cases; the executive director said the board was under-resourced and requested 28 additional investigative positions, while nursing stakeholders supported process reforms and cited a bill to improve timelines and fairness. For Occupational Therapy, the audit focused on missing or poorly documented fingerprint clearance card checks, delayed action on a serious criminal-charge disclosure, and other compliance issues; the board said it had accepted and was implementing all recommendations, including new procedures and rulemaking. For Physician Assistants, the audit found weak oversight by the executive director, extensive delays in complaint handling, and an incentive-pay system that did not align with key performance goals; the board said it had already made structural changes, was improving tracking and IT systems, and planned to continue implementing recommendations. After discussion and testimony from board officials, public members, and nursing stakeholders, the committee voted to continue the Arizona State Board of Pharmacy for six years until July 1, 2032, the State Board of Nursing for four years until July 1, 2031, the Arizona Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners for four years until July 1, 2030, and the Arizona Regulatory Board of Physician Assistants for a continued term with statutory changes (the transcript includes the board review and related discussion, but the final motion text for the physician assistants board is not fully captured in the excerpt). The votes on the first three continuations were approved by roll call, with members generally supporting continuation while expressing concern about complaint backlogs and the need for reforms.

Transcript Highlights:

• So fair and equal distribution of the caseload, but we just redistributed our regions.
• , we've been able to redistrict these regions into different and fairly equal districts from the caseloads
• What that means is the average caseload for parole officers right now is 34, maybe 50, in line with national
• No, that's good because that makes sense because if the average caseload is 35, that takes about, say
• So I'm talking on 35 to 50 is the average caseload.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Commission on Criminal Justice Reform 3.0 heard a presentation from the Massachusetts Parole Board focused on consolidation, cooperation, and evidence-based supervision across the correctional system. Parole Board Chair Angela Gomez-June described the board’s mission, its coordination with the Department of Correction, houses of correction, courts, probation, law enforcement, victim services, and UMass partners, and outlined 2024 activity including 2,810 institutional release hearings, 18,238 victim notifications, 53 pardon petitions, 70 commutation petitions, 41 early termination applications, and supervision of 2,993 parolees. She emphasized the board’s shift toward individualized, data-driven decision-making, including revised GPS use, graduated sanctions, and more service-oriented community supervision. Members and sheriffs pressed for clearer breakdowns of the board’s data, including the difference between releases, hearings, and active supervision; average length of supervision; the share of lifers in the caseload; and how many people are placed in housing, employment, and treatment. The board said its active supervised population fluctuates around 1,600 to 1,800, with more than 400 lifers, and that about 30 to 36 percent of its population is housed through programs such as MASH, community justice resource centers, and sheriff-run residential programs like Rocky Hill and HOPE. Members also discussed parole refusals, noting that some individuals decline parole to avoid supervision or to serve time inside instead, and asked for a more detailed breakdown of those cases. The board and commission also discussed collaboration with DOC and UMass on risk assessment, reentry planning, and community pathways, including a tablet video explaining the parole process and pharmacist support for medication-related drug test issues. The board reported that after the SJC’s Matus decision, 210 individuals were identified as affected, 144 were immediately eligible for hearings, 100 hearings had been completed, and 10 more were scheduled; it also said clemency and commutation work had been slowed by staffing and Matus-related demands. The meeting ended with a request for follow-up data on outcomes, supervision lengths, housing and employment placements, and other consolidated statistics, and the commission announced its next public hearing for March 9 at 10 a.m. before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• weeks ago, and I'm glad to be back today and, at your request, to talk with you about three topics: caseload
• So for about 25 years, we've been using a weighted caseload methodology in both the trial courts and
• How does your caseload analysis deal with that kind of different reporting? And you're recognized.
• circuit, in one county, there's an incumbent who calls himself a semi-retired judge and has a lower caseload
• And has a lower caseload than his predecessor.

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

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, and so moving on past the supplementals, what this shows you is the caseloads...
• So you see that the executive is higher than us in the executive caseload estimates in 26, 27, and 28
• The executive has substantially greater access caseloads across all four years.
• The executive has substantially greater access caseloads across all four years.
• One is funding formula caseloads. We've just talked about that.

Bills: SB1024, SB1032, SB1059, SB1062, SB1064, SB1097, SCM1001, SCR1004

Keywords: roadable aircraft, registration, vehicle title, license plates, aviation safety, corrections oversight, funding, state budget, criminal justice, reform, appropriation, Department of Transportation, right turn lane, traffic improvement, infrastructure funding, transportation funding, authorization, road improvements, intersection safety, transportation

Summary: The committee began with a JLBC presentation comparing the baseline budget to the governor’s proposal. JLBC said the baseline shows a positive cash balance in each year, with about $577–$578 million available above statutory formulas, but that major items such as tax conformity, state employee health subsidies, school repairs, SNAP administrative changes, and possible SNAP error-rate costs are not fully funded. JLBC also reviewed executive revenue and spending proposals, including border-security funding, sports betting tax changes, data-center tax changes, short-term rental and water surcharges, and several one-time items that JLBC said appear to be ongoing in practice. Members questioned SNAP error rates, Medicaid/Access enrollment and costs, possible fraud involving Access-to-Marketplace shifting, prison receivership risk, and the need for more oversight of waste and fraud. The committee then heard and passed SB 1032, which appropriates $1.5 million to fund the Independent Correctional Oversight Office created last year. The sponsor and several advocates said the office is needed to provide independent oversight, improve transparency, help whistleblowers, and reduce the risk of federal receivership over the prison system. Testimony from advocacy groups and former incarcerated individuals strongly supported the bill, and the committee approved it 10-0. Next, the committee considered several transportation appropriations. SB 1064 would provide $3 million to Flagstaff for improvements along U.S. Route 66; the mayor and local planning officials described safety problems, congestion, and housing growth along the corridor, while some members objected to using general fund dollars for roads instead of HURF and to bypassing the normal transportation board process. The bill passed 7-3. SB 1059 would appropriate $9.2 million for a right-turn lane at SR 87 and SR 260 in Payson, and SB 1062 would appropriate $1 million for a left-turn lane at US 60 and Superstition Mountain Drive in Gold Canyon; both were supported by local witnesses citing congestion and safety concerns and both received do-pass recommendations, 7-3 and 6-4 respectively. The committee also began hearing SCR 1004, a voter-referral measure to prohibit photo enforcement systems, with the sponsor and public commenters arguing that photo radar is unconstitutional, abusive, and tied to ticket revenue, but the transcript cuts off before any committee action on that measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• month of two additional programs being named by the FBI. adding more than 100 more cases to our caseload
• We received over 20,000 complaints last year our investigators currently have a caseload of 180 cases
• You know, they need training and orientation, so they may be initially carrying a very small caseload
• We have this caseload of individuals in Texas who hold a license that we are trying... and to ensure
• So the problem that you have now is that you've inherited all the caseloads of of the complaints that

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• caseloads, and strongly recommended<00:30:41.160> that<00:30:41.360> we<00:30:41.760><
• And here on this slide, you can see what that spending looked like, as well as the growth of caseloads
• Like we already stated, we projected based on historical data that our KTAP caseloads would increase
• We thought that we were hopeful that our TANF caseloads would level out and, as well as the spending
• , and our out-of-home care caseloads, and our out-of-home care costs. costs. costs.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from its September 24 meeting after a motion and second. It then heard a presentation from New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Secretary Elizabeth Gragensky on that state’s early childhood system and planned universal child care rollout. She described how New Mexico consolidated multiple prenatal-to-age-five programs into a cabinet-level department, expanded pre-K to a longer day, and uses a cost model to set reimbursement rates intended to cover true provider costs, including wages, benefits, occupancy, food, and reserves. She also said the state created an Early Childhood Trust Fund and secured a constitutional amendment to dedicate 0.60% of the land grant permanent fund to early care and education, with the department’s budget growing from about $400 million in 2021 to just under $1 billion this year. Gragensky said families can begin applying for universal child care on November 1, with participation voluntary for both families and providers. She reported that New Mexico is aiming to expand capacity by adding 1,000 registered home providers, 120 group homes, and about 55 more centers, supported in part by a $13 million low-interest loan fund and a request for an additional $20 million. She said the state has seen growth in early childhood professionals, including a 64% increase over the last three to four years, and pointed to reported outcomes such as a 21% increase in literacy and a 75% kindergarten readiness rate, while noting that some measures are new and baseline comparisons are still being developed. Members asked about the funding sources, provider profitability, workforce development, and measurable outcomes. Gragensky said the program is designed to support provider sustainability through rates tied to true cost and includes allowances for sick leave, vacation, benefits, and reserves. She also said maternal labor force participation is 10% higher than the national rate and attributed that in part to child care access. The committee then moved to a separate presentation by Department for Community Based Services Commissioner Lisa Dennis and Division of Family Support Director Roger McCann on anticipated cuts to TANF and SNAP, beginning with an overview of TANF as a federal block grant with a fixed annual Kentucky allocation of about $180.7 million.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are proud to say that we've reduced our pending caseloads to pre-pandemic levels.
• We have no control over that caseload or that workload on the district defense side.
• It's important, as I mentioned, Madam Chair, that we don't control the caseload.
• As I mentioned, our workloads and our caseloads are challenges, right, and we don't control those.
• As I mentioned, our caseload standard is from 1991.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee met to approve the January 16 minutes and then heard a budget presentation from State Court Administrator Jeff Shorba on behalf of the Minnesota judicial branch. Shorba described the courts’ structure, mission, and workload, noting 322 judges, about 2,800 staff, roughly 1 million district court filings annually, and a current budget of about $479 million. He emphasized the branch’s constitutional obligation to provide fair and timely access to justice and said the courts are funded almost entirely through legislative appropriations. He also highlighted recent accomplishments made possible by prior legislative funding, including eliminating the pandemic felony and gross misdemeanor backlog, expanding remote and hybrid hearings, improving courtroom technology, sustaining treatment courts, and increasing pay for interpreters and psychological examiners. Shorba outlined the judicial branch’s 2026–27 budget request, which he said totals a 12% increase over the starting biennial base. Major requests included $77.3 million in 2026–27 and $104 million in 2028–29 for a 6% judicial salary increase and related compensation costs; $5.1 million in 2026–27 and $1.76 million in 2028–29 for digital accessibility compliance with new federal ADA rules; $4 million in 2026–27 and $800,000 in 2028–29 to modernize justice partner access to court records; $7.2 million in 2026–27 to raise pay for contract psychological examiners; and $18 million in 2026–27 to increase juror pay from $20 to $100 per day and align mileage rates with federal rates. He also discussed ongoing funding needs for interpreter services, jury costs, cybersecurity, and other statutorily required court services, saying temporary funding provided in the prior session will expire and that permanent support is needed. Members asked questions about treatment courts, employee bargaining, and mental health competency issues. Representative Eric requested more detail on funding for newly launched and existing treatment courts, and Shorba said many treatment courts begin with federal grants before transitioning to state support after about three years. He confirmed the judicial branch negotiates its own employee contracts rather than the executive branch doing so, and said the branch has three unions plus many unrepresented employees. On mental health and competency, Shorba said the branch is focused on obtaining timely psychological evaluations and is not responsible for treatment services themselves, but acknowledged a shortage of examiners and treatment beds and said a related competency board would be testifying the following week. No votes or formal actions were taken beyond adoption of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Although the department reported that it does not have caseload challenges department-wide, it reported
• discussed today, would it be fair to say that the policies in place were not being followed and the caseload
• And then you can see where that gets to when you have large caseloads and a lot of work on your plate
• protect the child first document second and then you can see where that gets to when you have large caseloads
• and a lot of work on your plate and continual turnover of staff have large caseloads and a lot of work

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The House Committee on Government was called to order with member and staff introductions, followed by a reminder of committee rules and amendment deadlines. Chair Blackman also gave an opening statement framing the committee’s work as legislative oversight focused on child safety, transparency, and systemic issues at the Department of Child Safety (DCS), noting the committee may hold additional hearings and use subpoenas if needed. The committee then heard a presentation from the Arizona Auditor General on a special audit of DCS investigations of non-criminal child abuse and neglect reports. The audit found that while DCS generally met initial contact timeframes, 123 of 125 sampled cases had at least one policy violation. Problems included failures to provide or document required notices to alleged perpetrators, incomplete or missing documentation of key investigative steps and safety plans, and investigations that exceeded statutory or policy timeframes. The Auditor General said DCS agreed with the findings and all 15 recommendations, and members asked questions about sample size, staffing, and whether the issues reflected broader systemic problems. After the audit, the committee considered House Bill 262, which authorizes a Buffalo Soldiers memorial in Wesley Boland Plaza. Supporters testified about the historical significance of the Buffalo Soldiers and the importance of recognizing their contributions in Arizona. The bill passed unanimously, 7-0, with members explaining their votes in support. The committee also heard House Bill 2018, which would prohibit DCS from entering into agreements with health care institutions that allow payment in exchange for reports of child abuse or neglect. The sponsor and supporters argued the bill would prevent financial incentives from influencing reporting and protect the integrity of mandatory reporting. Some members and public commenters raised concerns about DCS contracts, hospital reporting practices, and the need for documentation or a paper trail. After a recess and further discussion, HB 2018 was returned with a do pass recommendation by a 4-3 vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• And also be on a sex offender caseload. These are what we call special conditions of parole.
• As you'll see in the 2023, that. caseload more than doubled and as I mentioned contraband is a serious
• that are from 121 counties. 100 of those clients are still in TDC. when released, 546 are on our caseload
• So our caseload does grow each year and it has grown by 200% from fiscal year 2014 to 2024.
• Ending caseload of 533 clients and the chart on slide 17 just shows that growth.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and timely resolution of all the cases through effective case management; and second, to utilize caseload
• with their surge was that they redistributed cases and revised the blind filing system to achieve caseload
• The average caseload grew from 11,500 cases per judge to 14,000 to 15,000 cases per division.
• The average caseload grew from 11,500 cases per judge to 14,000 to 15,000 cases per division.
• And now they've reduced their average caseload per county division to 6,300 to 8,300 cases, which is

Summary: The Judiciary Committee met with a quorum present and heard several Office of the State Courts Administrator presentations. Judge Mark Mahan discussed the impact of 2023’s HB 837 litigation reforms on court operations, explaining that the law’s changes to comparative negligence, filing deadlines, collateral source evidence, premises liability, bad faith claims, attorney’s fees, and offer-of-judgment rules triggered a major March 2023 civil filing surge. He described how filings tripled statewide, with especially large increases in auto negligence and premises liability cases, and outlined how circuits responded through active case management, added resources, and workflow changes. Members asked whether the bill’s immediate effective date contributed to the surge and whether clearance rates would normalize over time; Judge Mahan said the court system viewed its response as a success and expected rates to settle as the backlog is worked through. The committee then received a presentation on problem-solving courts from Jennifer Grandal and Judge Nina Richardson. Grandal reviewed Florida’s drug courts, mental health courts, veterans courts, dependency and early childhood courts, noting statewide best-practice standards, annual reporting requirements, funding sources, and data collection systems. Judge Richardson gave a local perspective on treatment courts, emphasizing that they address underlying mental health and substance use issues, rely on judicial supervision and sanctions as well as incentives, and help participants achieve recovery and avoid reoffending. She said the programs are accountable, transparent, and effective, and thanked the Legislature for continued support. Finally, Judge Rachel Nordby and Eric McClure outlined the judicial branch’s legislative agenda. Nordby summarized the Supreme Court workgroup’s recommendations to expand Florida’s vexatious litigant law, including broader coverage, fewer qualifying adverse cases, a longer lookback period, and a public records exemption for stricken defamatory or sham material. McClure then highlighted additional agenda items: modernizing the duty-judge statute, expanding senior management retirement eligibility, authorizing additional judgeships based on workload studies, removing the statutory cap on court-ordered nonbinding arbitration compensation, protecting appellate clerks’ personal information, allowing alternative authentication for certain judicial notarizations, and creating a hearsay exception for guardian ad litem reports and testimony. No votes were taken, and the committee adjourned after member introductions and staff introductions.

Transcript Highlights:

• The caseloads way above what is recommended.
• So we did give them money to kind of try to circumvent these issues and deal with the high caseload there
• I think we could—I could justify more, but I just know they need the help, and the caseloads are among
• your attorneys, there's attrition, or they have a better job offer somewhere else, the rest of that caseload

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• judicial districts in the state, but the allocation of resources is really not tracking with the caseload
• But we have certain of those judicial districts that have very low caseloads by comparison to others.
• Chair, in caseloads in districts. There is a larger discrepancy in magistrate courts.
• There's a lot, I understand, but it's a way in which we can track the caseloads by district and make
• They need additional resources based on their caseload. Thank you. We've gone a little bit long.

Transcript Highlights:

• So when we measure ourselves against where we should be, that was based upon the caseloads a few years
• When the number of felonies goes up and you have this handout, you know, everybody's caseloads in the
• But I just want to mention quickly that the standard caseload is at that rate.
• We do have a lot of specialized caseloads.
• Standard supervision is a less intensive caseload where they see their clients less often. 286 is that

Transcript Highlights:

• Back when those changes— When those changes were implemented, TANF caseloads were much higher.
• Um, we, even though the caseloads will go down, our workload is going to increase.
• You're staffing, the caseloads, they're going up.
• It's not a caseload. It's a task load. I get it. Thank you, Mr.
• Technology alone isn't going to solve the problem of caseloads. Thank you, Secretary.

Transcript Highlights:

• You just can't honestly withstand that caseload over time.
• A few other questions on follow up on this, you'd said caseload at your heaviest offices is up to 250
• And then other offices probably hired or right around that 80% felonies, or do you know their caseloads
• So, I let me think We consider well, Canadian counties certainly, that's another high caseload case by
• be able to cover that with current, knowing that that might lower on the back end of what those caseloads

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our investigators currently have a caseload of 180 cases per investigator.
• If we were able to hire an additional team of investigators, that would drop that caseload to at least
• morale uh affecting when you feel like you're not making a dent and you're overwhelmed with such a caseload
• Because of that, we, we have this caseload of individuals in Texas who hold a license that we are trying
• I don't have alarms going off, but right now my staff attorneys are carrying a caseload of 120, at least

Transcript Highlights:

• And that is looking at just a description in TANF, you know, lower than anticipated caseloads.
• Anticipated caseloads. We know that we have people that are out there that can use the support.
• seeing this and that not getting programs up and running and then not having lower than anticipated caseloads
• when we think that probably those caseloads should be growing.

Keywords: 962, all

Summary: The Finance Advisory Committee approved the minutes from its May 14, 2026 meeting and then considered four fiscal transfers. FAC 2026-9 for the Office of the State Controller transferred $4.345 million among fringe benefit accounts in the General Fund and Special Transportation Fund. Members questioned several employee benefit accounts, including active and retiree health care, Social Security, higher education alternative retirement, and OPEB; agency staff explained the transfers were based on updated year-end projections, with some accounts showing surpluses and others needing additional funds. The item was approved, with two no votes noted. FAC 2026-10 for the Military Department transferred $150,000 from the Honor Guards account to personal services and Governor’s Guard accounts to cover operational needs, and it was approved without opposition. FAC 2026-11 for the Department of Social Services transferred $3.3 million among accounts. Most of the discussion focused on a surplus in the substance use disorder waiver/reinvestment account, lower-than-expected TANF/TFA caseloads, federal family planning backfill requirements, and staffing challenges in eligibility operations. DSS said some funds remained unused because a residential care vendor did not enter into a contract, some reserves were intended for future multi-year investments, and eligibility staff require 12 to 18 months of training; the item was approved. FAC 2026-12 for the Department of Children and Families transferred $3.05 million among accounts for year-end operational needs. Members asked about closures of day treatment and community-based prevention programs, and DCF said children were transitioned to other providers without service interruption, with closures driven by provider decisions and financial viability. DCF also explained that some prior funding had been used as gap funding and that ongoing support had been built into the budget. The committee approved the transfer and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The first is just the increase in caseload.
• The Public Defender, as you are aware, does not control its caseload. So...
• In the last nine years, our felony caseload, which are the more serious charges, has increased...
• So, in light of that, the commissioners are very concerned about the caseload that these attorneys are
• Thank you. $10 million of that is to fund personnel to meet caseload standards within Kevin S.

Bills: SB48, SB64, SB100

Keywords: State Fairgrounds District, fairgrounds bonds, public financing, bond authorization, gross receipts tax, gaming tax, tax-backed bonds, infrastructure funding, Albuquerque fairgrounds, State Fair Tid, economic development, municipal bonds, revenue pledge, capital projects, New Mexico finance, special education, office of special education, deputy secretary, public education department, IEP