Transcript Highlights:

• As noted in the analysis, CHBRP has had just one budgetary increase in 20-plus years.

Summary: The Assembly Health Committee met on June 17 and began with procedural announcements, quorum, and a consent calendar. The consent items included SB 246, SB 278, SB 317, and SB 386, which were moved together and approved by roll call. The committee then took up its only presentation item, SB 439 by Senator Weber, which would extend the sunset of the California Health Benefit Review Program (CHBRP) by six years and increase its annual budget by $1 million. Support testimony came from Jen Chase on behalf of the University of California and Garin Corbett, CHBRP’s director. They described CHBRP as providing objective, evidence-based analysis of health benefit mandate bills, noted its workload and public resources, and argued that the program needs the extension and funding increase to keep pace with inflation and the growing complexity of health policy. No opposition testimony was offered. Committee members expressed support for CHBRP’s role in informing health policy and fiscal analysis. SB 439 was then moved due pass to Appropriations and approved on a unanimous roll call vote. The hearing concluded after additional add-on votes confirmed the measures were out of committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• As noted in the analysis, CHBRP has had just one budgetary increase in 20-plus years.

Committee: House Health

Summary: The Assembly Health Committee met on June 17 and first adopted a consent calendar containing SB 246, SB 278, SB 317, and SB 386. The committee then heard SB 439 by Senator Weber Pearson, which would extend the sunset of the California Health Benefit Review Program (CHBRP) by six years and increase its annual budget by $1 million. The author and witnesses from the University of California and CHBRP testified in support, emphasizing CHBRP’s role in providing objective, evidence-based analysis of health benefit mandate bills and noting that its workload and costs have increased over time while funding has lagged inflation. No opposition testimony was presented on SB 439. Committee members expressed support for CHBRP’s work and the value of its fiscal and policy analysis. The bill was moved on a due pass basis to the Appropriations Committee and passed the Health Committee with unanimous or near-unanimous support from members present. The hearing then concluded after additional roll-call confirmations on the consent items and SB 439.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, um, yeah, we have some serious budgetary issues. We have some serious spending issues.
• </c><00:42:09.839><c> We</c><00:42:10.000><c> have</c> some serious budgetary issues.
• We have some serious budgetary issues.
• ,</c><01:02:43.200><c> we</c> for true criminal justice reform, we for true criminal justice reform,
• It makes no sense in the budgetary times we are in now.

Transcript Highlights:

• Challenge after challenge, we provide more funding, additional reforms, and more tools, but we can't
• Chair: Challenge after challenge, we provide more funding, provide additional reforms, more tools.
• Speaker: ...sticking with one reform effort for more than two or three years is frankly necessary to
• But right now, state funding covers less than 20% of what it takes to reform our state.
• This cannot go unnoticed in our discussions and budgetary decisions moving forward.

Bills: SB 1

Committee: Senate Finance

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

Transcript Highlights:

• host this very important hearing on Health and Human Services to hear directly about the needs, the budgetary
• Representative Smola continued that if there are ways to make meaningful reform, everyone here is open
• What are the reforms that we need to do? What are programs that we need to shy away from?
• That was the same landmark health care reform that created the Health Policy Commission and CHIA.
• That was the same landmark health care reform that created the Health Policy Commission and CHIA.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Summary: The Joint Committee on Ways and Means held a Health and Human Services budget hearing in Clinton, with opening remarks from Chairs Meg Kilcoyne and Robin Kennedy, local officials, and many House and Senate members introducing themselves. The hearing focused on Governor Healey’s FY27 EOHHS and MassHealth budgets, with repeated themes of rising health care costs, federal funding uncertainty, workforce shortages, and access to care in underserved regions. Members also raised concerns about primary care shortages, rural and regional disparities, behavioral health access, maternal health, food insecurity, and the impact of federal policy changes on Massachusetts programs. EOHHS Secretary Kiame Mahaniah said the FY27 EOHHS budget totals $33.7 billion, reflecting mostly non-discretionary growth from health care costs, labor costs, caseload increases, and provider rate pressures. He highlighted targeted investments in foster care, family resource centers, maternal health, youth services, nutrition programs, immigrant legal services, and human service workforce rates, while warning that federal actions could strip roughly $3.5 billion annually from the state’s health care funding. In response to questions, he defended the administration’s cooperation with federal audits and program integrity efforts, discussed the primary care crisis, and said the state is trying to preserve core services while preparing for a more difficult FY28 budget cycle. MassHealth Undersecretary Mike Levine then described two major FY27 challenges: double-digit cost growth and the expected effects of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act. He said MassHealth’s proposed $22.7 billion gross budget includes a 7.5% increase and relies on a moratorium on new expansions plus targeted reductions, including a $1,000 annual adult dental cap, ending GLP-1 coverage for weight loss only, reducing care management to peer-state levels, and work groups to slow growth in PCA, adult foster care, and adult day health spending. Members questioned the impact on Boston Health Care for the Homeless, preventive care, and regional access; Levine said the changes are meant to preserve sustainability, that children and certain disabled populations remain protected, and that the administration will continue working with providers, advocates, and the Legislature on implementation and longer-term reforms.

Transcript Highlights:

• Feel like we're kind of the last little Mohican in the budgetary process this session and now this quadrennium
• of the last little Mohican, uh,<00:10:01.040><c> in</c><00:10:01.240><c> the</c><00:10:01.320><c> budgetary
• </c><00:10:01.840><c> process</c><00:10:02.840><c> this</c> uh, in the budgetary process this uh, in
• the budgetary process this session<00:10:03.680><c> and</c><00:10:03.840><c> now</c><00:10:04.000><c>

Bills: HB517 , HB98 , HB235 , HB236 , HB237 , HB238 , HB239 , HB240 , HB241 , HB242 , HB565 , HB517 , HB98 , HB235 , HB236 , HB237 , HB238 , HB239 , HB240 , HB241 , HB242 , HB565 , SB380

Committee: Senate Finance and Taxation Education

Keywords: underground damage prevention, one-call notification system, utility locating, excavation safety, dig safe, call before you dig, utility lines, underground utilities, pipeline safety, gas pipeline, electric utility, telecommunications, water utility, wastewater, cable television, locate request, premark, tolerance zone, positive response, contract locator

Transcript Highlights:

• very challenging, and not that they won't implement them, but they're extremely challenging on the budgetary
• they're extremely challenging<00:25:29.840><c> on</c><00:25:30.000><c> the</c><00:25:30.159><c> budgetary
• </c><00:25:30.559><c> and</c><00:25:30.799><c> finding</c> challenging on the budgetary and finding challenging
• on the budgetary and finding the<00:25:31.120><c> resources</c><00:25:31.520><c> and</c><00:25:31.679

Transcript Highlights:

• some of the unfortunate incidences over the summertime, but uh that will be dealt with through the budgetary
• 00:43:00.240><c> with</c><00:43:00.400><c> through</c><00:43:00.640><c> the</c><00:43:00.800><c> budgetary
• </c><00:43:01.359><c> process</c> dealt with through the budgetary process dealt with through the budgetary

Transcript Highlights:

• And in light of the tight budgetary times, I think the governor's proposal here is very responsible and
• /c><00:03:41.239><c> the</c><00:03:41.560><c> tight</c><00:03:42.480><c> uh</c><00:03:42.640><c> budgetary
• </c><00:03:43.439><c> times</c><00:03:43.879><c> I</c> light of the tight uh budgetary times I light
• of the tight uh budgetary times I think<00:03:45.000><c> uh</c><00:03:45.120><c> the</c><00:03:45.239

Committee: Senate Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• we're trying to compare ourselves to, it would be Massachusetts, where it was created to basically reform
• c> the</c><00:26:51.480><c> process</c><00:26:51.960><c> of</c><00:26:52.320><c> of</c> basically reform
• the process of of basically reform the process of of funding<00:26:53.279><c> and</c><00:26:53.880><
• You have an agency solely focused on building that kind of reform of the CIP process.
• Budgetary request is for after-school supports, you know, athletics.

Summary: The Committee on Education held an informational/budget briefing with presentations from the State Library System, the School Facilities Authority, and the Department of Education. The chair opened the meeting by outlining the order of presentations and noting that members would hold questions until after all three agencies had testified. The discussion focused on each agency’s priorities for the upcoming biennium and their budget requests. State Librarian Stacy Aldridge described library usage and services, emphasizing strong demand for physical and digital materials, internet and Wi-Fi access, programs, Kanopy streaming, and PressReader. She highlighted digital literacy classes, RFID self-check and smart shelving improvements, and the role of libraries as community hubs. The library’s budget request included an additional $1.2 million for security guards, $48.484 million for FY 26-27 to support popup libraries during temporary closures and other needs, $500,000 for repair and maintenance, $2 million for Kap planning and design, and $25 million each year for lump-sum capital funding. Mallerie Fujitani said the lump-sum funding is needed to keep roughly 50 projects moving and to avoid delays in construction. School Facilities Authority Executive Director Ricky Fujitani explained the agency’s startup history and its programs for preschools, Central Maui schools, and workforce housing. He said the authority is using standardized, prefabricated, programmatic approaches to speed delivery and improve maintainability, citing prior preschool renovations as a successful model. He reported that of $389 million appropriated, $106 million was released, with $81 million for preschools, $20 million for Central Maui schools, and $5 million for workforce housing; he also noted the workforce housing program was reduced after Maui fire-related reallocations. He said the pilot workforce housing site at Mililani High School has been awarded and pointed to University of Hawaiʻi student housing projects as a model. Superintendent Hayashi then began the Department of Education presentation, introducing DOE leadership and outlining the department’s mission to support academic achievement, character development, and student well-being. He noted the department serves more than 152,000 students in 258 public schools and employs over 42,000 people, with nearly 54% of students facing significant challenges. He framed the budget request around the department’s strategic plan to prepare graduates for college, careers, or military service. The transcript ends during the DOE presentation, before any committee votes or formal actions are taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• And she also has AB 1705 to try to reform the existing audit functions of the CPUC in the independent
• Californians and telecommunications policy, and my colleagues on the committee agreed, since my ACA 9 to reform
• the CPUC passed unanimously. ...since my ACA 9 to reform the CPUC passed unanimously last week.
• It just depends on the budgetary amounts.

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll call this subcommittee of the Tax Reform and Relief Committee to order.
• As you know, pursuant to House Bill 1176, the Tax Reform and Relief Advisory Committee was formed and
• and approval by the Chairman of Legislative Management, a portion of the committee's property tax reform
• Just to provide the actual study directive to the committee, the portion of the property tax reform and
• implement the recommendations, and then an ultimate report back to the full committee, the full Tax Reform

Summary: The subcommittee of the Tax Reform and Relief Advisory Committee met to begin its study of whether the content of the real estate tax statement should be revised to improve transparency. Legislative Council staff reviewed the study directive from HB 1176 and the statutory requirements for tax statements, including required line items such as true and full value, mill levy, legislative tax relief, primary residence credit, legacy fund share, discounts for early payment, and special assessments. The Tax Department then explained how the current uniform statewide statement is prescribed and approved, and noted that changes are typically driven by statute and implemented collaboratively with counties and vendors. County officials from NDACO, including auditors from McKenzie and Richland counties, described the full annual property tax timeline from budgeting through mailing final statements. They explained how counties gather budgets, calculate levies, verify taxable values, handle centrally assessed property, and prepare required notices and statements. They also said public attendance at budget hearings is generally very low, though the notices and statements generate some calls, mostly about whether attendance is required or why taxes are changing. Several members questioned the usefulness of the legislative tax relief line and the complexity of the 5% discount calculation, and county officials said the current process can be confusing and depends on manual data entry and coordination among counties, vendors, and taxing districts. The committee also discussed assessment frequency, valuation equalization, the 3% cap, and whether more frequent reassessment would reduce large jumps in taxable value. County officials said they try to use rotating reassessments and sales-ratio reviews to keep values within statutory tolerance, but staffing, training, and local market changes make the work difficult. NDACO staff estimated, based on a small county survey, that tax statement preparation and mailing costs average about 74 cents per statement, with outsourcing generally cheaper than in-house printing, and said HB 1176 added some mailing and administrative costs even if the tax statement itself did not change dramatically. Software vendors from CPT and Tyler then began presentations showing how their systems handle budgeting, valuation notices, tax statement generation, primary residence credit processing, and levy worksheets, emphasizing that many of the required calculations and reports are still manually entered or verified by county staff.

Transcript Highlights:

• What do you think of the budgetary implications of that? I didn't do much better on the.

Bills: SB1360 , SB1204 , SB1989 , SB1189 , SB1481

Committee: House A&B Education Subcommittee

Keywords: mathematics, student assessment, dyscalculia, intervention services, educational funding, professional development, state department of education, school employees, teachers, support personnel, support employees, public schools, school districts, bereavement leave, paid leave, grief leave, family leave, miscarriage, pregnancy loss, maternity leave

Transcript Highlights:

• My next question then would be, how does your bill envision, because this would be a major budgetary
• My next question then would be, how does your bill envision, because this would be a major budgetary

Summary: The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee met on February 4, with public hearing and executive action on several bills. The main public hearing was on House Bill 2668, as proposed substitute, which would direct the Department of Fish and Wildlife to identify and pursue relocation of the Bob Oak Game Farm and to plan remediation of the current site. Testimony from the bill sponsor, Centralia city officials, Lewis County public health staff, a tribal member, and residents strongly supported relocation, citing nitrate contamination in a sole-source aquifer, risks to drinking water for Centralia and nearby households, and the need for long-term public health protection. The committee also heard that interim mitigation measures such as point-of-use filters and water/sewer extensions were underway, but witnesses said relocation was the only durable solution. The bill was added to the day’s executive session as an unusual late addition, then later passed out of committee on a voice vote with a due pass recommendation. During executive session, the committee also acted on House Bill 2598, creating a Salmon Advisory Commission; House Bill 2619, creating a legislative task force to reduce regulatory stress in agriculture; House Bill 2199, dealing with derelict vessels and disposal timelines; House Bill 2463, which revises agricultural donation and farm-to-food pantry programs; and House Bill 1735, which prohibits force-feeding birds and related foie gras sales. Amendments were considered on several bills, including a DNR amendment to the vessel bill and a narrowing amendment to the force-feeding bill, which failed. The committee approved House Bill 2598 by a 6-5 vote, and House Bill 2619, House Bill 2199, House Bill 2463, House Bill 1735, and House Bill 2668 all received due pass recommendations, with some on voice votes and others by recorded roll call. The chair noted that moving House Bill 2668 in executive session the same day as public hearing was highly unusual and done because of the bill’s urgency and bipartisan support.

Transcript Highlights:

• it on so that we can get it implemented and signed by the governor to assist them in making their budgetary
• 42.640><c> their</c> governor to assist them in making their governor to assist them in making their budgetary

Committee: Senate Executive Departments and Administration

Transcript Highlights:

• the legislature and for the governor to decide how to slash their way through this jungle, this budgetary
• And again, we ask you to please... ...this budgetary jungle to get through to the end of spring.

Committee: Joint Pension Funding Council

Summary: The Pension Funding Council met on October 8 with introductions from council members and staff, then received a detailed presentation from the Office of the State Actuary on long-term economic assumptions and the state pension systems’ financial condition. OSA reported that the combined pension systems are currently 100% funded on a smoothed basis, with open plans above 95% funded, and that legacy Plan 1 systems remain on a path toward full funding under current policy. The actuaries recommended updating assumptions to 3% inflation, 3.5% general salary growth, and a 7.25% investment return, while keeping Plan 1 membership growth at 1%. They also explained asset smoothing, the role of recent strong investment returns, and the expected budget impacts of the recommended changes. Representatives from the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council and the State Investment Board offered supporting perspectives, generally describing the assumptions as reasonable and consistent with their own outlooks. The council also heard an overview of the Long-Term Services and Supports Trust Program (WACares) from DSHS and OSA. Program staff described the program’s social insurance structure, premium collection, benefit eligibility, and upcoming implementation milestones. OSA reported that the program’s first actuarial valuation showed a positive actuarial balance under the base scenario and recommended no change to the current 0.58% premium rate during the program’s early learning phase, noting that future changes would depend on experience and the program’s risk-management framework. OSA also said the recommendation would remain the same regardless of the outcome of the pending ballot measure affecting investment options. During public comment, a representative of the Washington State School Retirees Association urged continued work on Plan 1 funding and related legislation, while the Association of Washington Cities cautioned against increasing pension assumptions in a way that could raise future employer costs and reduce flexibility for current local government services. In action, the council adopted a motion to maintain the current long-term economic assumptions by a 4-2 vote, adopted the recommendation to keep the WACares premium rate at 0.58% by a 6-0 vote, and then elected Katie Chapman as council chair by unanimous vote. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• For your review, members, there are department metrics and additional budgetary information.
• For your review, members, there are department metrics and additional budgetary information starting
• We respect the budgetary process and the difficult and demanding work that this committee is doing and

Committee: House Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• We advocate for policies that support the state's long-term budgetary strength and stability.
• We advocate for policies that support the state's long-term budgetary strength and stability.
• We advocate for policies that support the state's long-term budgetary strength and stability.

Transcript Highlights:

• to<03:50:18.319><c> ask</c><03:50:18.560><c> for</c><03:50:18.720><c> more</c><03:50:19.040><c> budgetary
• </c><03:50:20.560><c> Um</c><03:50:21.680><c> and</c> to ask for more budgetary money.
• Um and to ask for more budgetary money.
• c><03:50:35.840><c> on</c><03:50:36.000><c> it</c><03:50:36.160><c> because</c><03:50:36.479><c> budgetary
• </c><03:50:37.120><c> wise</c> push back on it because budgetary wise push back on it because budgetary

Summary: The committee first took up an insurance-related chronic pain bill and an amendment modeled on language from Massachusetts and Maine. The sponsor explained the amendment was developed after stakeholder meetings because the original bill would have created an unaffordable insurance mandate in New Hampshire. The amendment was intended to improve access to non-opioid therapies by limiting prior authorization and step-therapy barriers so they are not more restrictive than for other treatments, including opioid therapies. After questions, the committee took a straw vote and advanced the amendment. The next item was a department-sponsored bill involving the state’s all-payer claims database. Insurance Department officials explained that the bill would encourage self-funded employer plans to opt in voluntarily by giving them aggregated, deidentified claims information in return. They said self-funded plans cannot be required to report data because of federal law, but the bill would provide an incentive while protecting employee privacy. Members asked detailed questions about who would see the data, whether individual employees could be identified, and how privacy would be enforced; the department said access would be aggregated and deidentified, and employer privacy issues would be governed by ERISA and the U.S. Department of Labor. The committee also discussed a glucose-monitoring bill. Members debated whether the bill was aimed at type 1 diabetes coverage or broader access to continuous glucose monitors, and whether it would amount to an unnecessary insurance mandate that could raise premiums. Department testimony estimated the equipment cost and said the annual impact per member would be modest, but also noted that non-insulin therapies have not consistently shown clinically significant A1C reductions. The chair and some members emphasized that the bill should be considered on its own terms as a CGM coverage issue, not as a general diabetes mandate. The committee discussed the bill’s cost implications and asked the department for any prior cost analysis.

Transcript Highlights:

• know, um, I understand the work that goes into um, I understand the work that goes into budget, the budgetary
• process. budget, the budgetary process. budget, the budgetary process.
• was talking to him about the but I was talking to him about the but I was talking to him about the budgetary
• delve into year that you all as you all delve into year that you all as you all delve into this budgetary
• process that um that we this budgetary process that um that we this budgetary process that um that we

Bills: HB 29 , HB 125 , HB 145 , HB 171 , HB 255 , HB 50 , HB 796 , HB 363 , HB 116 , HB 491 , HB 589 , HB 1495 , HB 368 , HB 1285 , HB 1905 , HB 1360 , HB 2002 , HB 917 , HB 2723 , HB 2067 , HB 1238 , HB 2337 , HB 745 , HB 1188 , HB 1606 , HB 2003 , HB 2147 , HB 2391 , HB 2355 , HB 2546 , HB 2495 , HB 2818 , HB 2249 , HB 1749 , HB 3109 , HB 3228 , HB 3240 , HB 1507 , HB 658 , HB 1748 , HB 1851 , HB 1922 , HB 2001 , HB 2798 , HB 107 , HCR 29 , SB 5 , SB 262 , HB 11 , HJR 72 , HB 106 , HB 18 , HB 48 , HB 27 , HB 37 , HB 1481 , HB 581 , HB 1696 , HB 2216 , HB 1035 , HB 1633 , HB 742 , HB 754 , HB 1689 , HB 1690 , HB 2669 , HB 391 , HB 517 , HB 1024 , HB 1607 , HB 252 , HB 1716 , HB 1562 , HB 4116 , HB 1866 , HB 1741 , HB 2103 , HB 2637 , HB 2884 , HB 503 , HB 1089 , HB 2986 , HB 972 , HB 502 , HB 29 , HB 125 , HB 145 , HB 171 , HB 255 , HB 50 , HB 796 , HB 363 , HB 116 , HB 491 , HB 589 , HB 1495 , HB 368 , HB 1285 , HB 1905 , HB 1360 , HB 2002 , HB 917 , HB 2723 , HB 2067 , HB 1238 , HB 2337 , HB 745 , HB 1188 , HB 1606 , HB 2003 , HB 2147 , HB 2391 , HB 2355 , HB 2546 , HB 2495 , HB 2818 , HB 2249 , HB 1749 , HB 3109 , HB 3228 , HB 3240 , HB 1507 , HB 658 , HB 1748 , HB 1851 , HB 1922 , HB 2001 , HB 2798 , HB 107 , HCR 29