Transcript Highlights:

• Under current law, technical assistance would sunset or would only be available until 2031-32.
• Through the state transformational assistance center, our eight regional technical assistance centers
• So technical assistance first, but then penalizing by not being eligible for the funds second.
• And so by providing some targeted assistance, we are able to really change those trajectories.
• And so by providing some targeted assistance, we are able to really change those trajectories.

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education heard the Governor’s proposals on universal school meals, the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP), and community schools, with the Kitchen Infrastructure and Training Grants Program also discussed. For universal meals, the Department of Education supported continued investment, citing high student meal need, reported gains in meal participation and service efficiency from prior kitchen grants, and concerns that federal changes and underreporting could affect funding. The Department of Finance outlined $1.8 billion Proposition 98 General Fund for universal meals and an additional $100 million for a fourth round of kitchen grants, while the LAO recommended rejecting the new kitchen grant round because prior rounds are still being spent and the allowable uses are broad. Members raised questions about federal matching requirements, Summer EBT, and whether immigration-related federal policy changes could reduce meal counts and state/federal reimbursements. For ELOP, the Department of Finance described $4.7 billion ongoing Proposition 98 General Fund plus $62.4 million to set a minimum Tier 2 rate of $1,800 per pupil. The LAO recommended modifying the proposal to fully fix Tier 2 at the current $1,579 rate and tie future changes to program requirements, while CDE supported the Governor’s approach and said the added stability would help districts plan. Committee discussion focused on whether ELOP should remain a standalone before- and after-school program or be folded into LCFF, with some members and witnesses arguing for more local flexibility and clearer outcome measures, while others emphasized the value of guaranteed expanded learning access, especially for elementary students and working families. CDE noted new CalPADS reporting will provide more data beginning with the 2025-26 school year. For community schools, the Governor proposed $1 billion ongoing Proposition 98 General Fund to expand the model to thousands more schools and sustain existing ones, along with stronger technical assistance and future accreditation/self-certification. The LAO recommended continuing the current one-time grant approach instead of creating a new ongoing categorical program, citing concerns about scalability, administrative burden, and the need for earlier planning and clearer accreditation timelines if ongoing funding is adopted. CDE strongly supported the ongoing investment, saying community schools have improved attendance, suspensions, and achievement, and that technical assistance and county office support are essential for expansion. Members and public commenters largely supported community schools, with some urging stronger accountability, more support for county offices and MTSS, and debate over whether non-classroom-based charter schools should be excluded from eligibility. No formal votes were taken in the portion provided; the committee heard testimony and moved through the agenda items and public comment.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:02:36.280><c> our</c><00:02:36.519><c> veterans</c><00:02:37.040><c> with</c> to better assist
• our veterans with to better assist our veterans with connecting<00:02:37.680><c> to</c><00:02:37.959
• <00:03:02.680><c> and</c> assistance and assistance and services<00:03:04.480><c> so</c><00:03:04.840
• Technical assistance coordinators also need to be traveling to other counties to provide assistance to
• </c> technical assistance technical assistance coordinators<00:20:53.960><c> women</c><00:20:54.280><

Committee: House Veterans and Military Affairs Division

Transcript Highlights:

• This hearing is an opportunity to examine the state's food assistance programs, the structural barriers
• From administrative hurdles and food assistance programs like CalFresh to the impact of climate change
• also want to assess how recent federal policy changes, including the proposed cuts to nutrition assistance
• That kind of incentives are going to provide emergency assistance.
• And there's a lot of families out here that need this extra assistance.

Summary: The joint oversight hearing focused on food insecurity in California and how state and federal nutrition programs, agricultural production, and food distribution systems intersect. Assemblymembers emphasized that many Californians, including farmworkers, seniors, children, and communities of color, remain food insecure despite California’s agricultural abundance. Panelists and members discussed CalFresh, WIC, school meals, Sun Bucks, food banks, and the impact of federal policy changes, including possible nutrition cuts, tariffs, and immigration enforcement, on access to food and the agricultural workforce. Secretary Karen Ross described CDFA programs aimed at improving access to fresh food and supporting local agriculture, including the senior farmers’ market program, California Nutrition Incentive Program, Healthy Refrigeration Grant Program, Community Food Hubs, Farm to School, urban agriculture, and a proposed tribal food sovereignty program. She said these efforts help connect local producers to consumers, expand healthy food access, and build infrastructure such as refrigeration, mobile markets, and aggregation hubs. Department of Social Services Deputy Director Alexis Fernandez Garcia outlined CalFresh, CFAP, Sun Bucks, CACFP, emergency food programs, and tribal nutrition assistance, noting that CalFresh and related programs significantly reduce poverty and food insecurity, but participation gaps remain for non-English speakers, some Asian American communities, and undocumented households. PPIC researcher Tess Thorman presented data showing that 13% of California households experienced food insecurity in 2023, with higher rates among households with children and Latino, Black, and other households. She said nutrition programs reduce poverty and food hardship, but federal rules, income thresholds, immigration restrictions, and high living costs limit their reach. Members asked about simplifying applications, improving call center access, increasing outreach in multiple languages, and adjusting benefits for inflation. Officials said the state has used available federal options to streamline enrollment, improve customer service, and target outreach, but many core rules and benefit levels are set federally. The second panel shifted to food production and market access. A farmer, a UC food systems leader, and a produce distributor described efforts to connect small and medium farms with food banks, schools, universities, and Medi-Cal food-as-medicine programs. They highlighted programs such as Farms Together, the USDA Southwest Regional Food Business Center, Farm to School, food hubs, and climate-smart infrastructure grants as ways to create stable markets for local growers while improving food access. Speakers also raised concerns about land tenure, consolidation, regulatory burdens, labor constraints, and the loss of federal funding, and members discussed whether state investments and Prop. 4 funds could help sustain and expand these efforts.

Transcript Highlights:

• The topic is assisted outpatient treatment.
• With that, I'm asking the assistant to call the roll. Thank you, Madam Chair. Taking roll.
• It's the national experts that are assisting us in the stakeholder meetings.
• We were able to secure a national provider to assist us at a statewide level for technical assistance
• Who needed assistance beyond what they were able to give them at home.

Committee: House House Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• And Katie's going to come up and help with the technical assistance on this.
• For example, rehabilitation or purchase assistance.
• assistance.
• rental assistance aided in 4,487 rental units.
• homeownership assistance, and disaster assistance under rental assistance.

Committee: Senate Community Affairs

Summary: The Committee on Community Affairs held its first meeting and heard presentations focused on affordable housing implementation under the Live Local Act. Florida Housing Finance Corporation described its role in administering rental and homeownership programs, including SAIL, SHIP, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, disaster recovery efforts, supportive housing, and the Live Local funding and tax incentives. Officials said the first year’s $150 million Live Local rental allocation was fully committed to 23 developments producing 3,171 units with mixed-income set-asides, and they outlined how projects were selected through competitive solicitations tied to statutory priorities such as mixed-use development, publicly owned land, foster youth, rural areas of opportunity, redevelopment, and housing near military installations. They also discussed the tax credit contribution program, the missing-middle property tax exemption, sales tax rebates, and the year-one ad valorem exemption for qualifying affordable projects. Members asked detailed questions about the data and program design, including the use of area median income figures, per-unit subsidy levels, county targeting, tenant relocation during redevelopment, and whether the programs were helping lower-income households. Florida Housing said it uses competitive scoring and data from the Schimberg Center and that redevelopment projects are supposed to include tenant relocation plans. The homeownership portion of the presentation covered the Hometown Heroes program, which provides down payment and closing cost assistance to first-time homebuyers, with exceptions for active-duty military and veterans. Staff said the program has assisted more than 21,000 families and leveraged over $6.5 billion in first mortgages, and members asked about repayment rates, credit scores, and whether participants were staying in homes long enough to show the program was serving intended buyers. The committee then heard from OPAGA on two required Live Local evaluations: affordable housing strategies in other states and affordable housing policies in Florida. OPAGA reported that Florida has a high share of cost-burdened households, with 1.5 million households cost burdened and 1.4 million severely cost burdened, and that Florida’s counties and municipalities reported more than $1.4 billion in affordable housing expenditures in fiscal year 2023-24. The report identified 13 innovative out-of-state programs, with three considered high-potential for Florida implementation, and summarized Florida local government practices such as SHIP-funded homeownership and rental assistance, expedited permitting, mixed-income zoning, rehabilitation programs, and interlocal cooperation. No votes were taken, and the meeting adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm with Policy Group here for the Arizona chapter of the Assisted Living Federation of America.
• So anybody could live in an assisted living home with the individual who needs the assistance or is living
• There's a provision that says if allowed by an assisted living center or an assisted living home.
• There's a provision that says if allowed by an assisted living center or an assisted living home.
• There's a provision that says if allowed by an assisted living center or an assisted living home.

Bills: SB1023 , SB1145 , SB1242 , SB1247

Committees: House Health & Human Services , House House Health & Human Services Committee of Reference

Keywords: optometrists, eye exams, eyeglass prescriptions, healthcare, vision care, behavior analysis, licensing, psychologist examiners, state regulations, committee authority, mental health, court-ordered treatment, outpatient treatment, audiovisual technology, secure facilities, evaluations, guardian powers, patient rights, assisted living, occupants

Transcript Highlights:

• Does it say I have an obligation to avoid colliding with an electric-assisted bike?
• I just want to let you know what the definition of an electric-assisted bike is.
• There are three classes of Know what the definition of an electric-assisted bike is.
• Class number one is an electric-assisted bike that gives you some assistance while you pedal, but it
• A class two electric-assisted bike is a bike.

Transcript Highlights:

• AS ALWAYS, THE REACH OFFICE STANDS READY TO ASSIST THE LEGISLATURE WITH ANY WORKFORCE DATA REQUEST IT
• OUR DOORS ARE OPEN TO ALL FLORIDIANS WHO NEED ASSISTANCE FINDING JOBS AND DEVELOPING A CAREER PATH FOR
• THEIR ROLE IN THIS IS TO PROVIDE FUNDING AND SET COMPLIANCE AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR
• WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL WALKS INTO A CAREER CENTER IDENTIFIED AS NEEDING ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE RELATED TO
• THE NEXT YEAR WE WORKED WITH THE LOCAL BOARDS PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND

Transcript Highlights:

• SO WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ASSIST AND THESE NUMBERS ARE THROUGH DECEMBER 31.
• CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE ASSISTANCE GETTERS IS THAT? DOES THAT ENTAIL?
• AND THE REMAINING AMOUNT ON RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
• UNITS AND RENTAL ASSISTANCE AIDED IN 4487 RENTAL UNITS.
• HOMEOWNERSHIP ASSISTANCE AND DISASTER ASSISTANCE UNDER RENTAL ASSISTANCE.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm an assistant project scientist in the lab of Dr.
• Assistant, please call the absent members. Assistant, please call the absent members.
• Assistant, please call the absent members.
• Assistant, please call the absent members.
• Assistant, please call the absent members. Assistant, please call the absent members.

Committee: Senate Health

Transcript Highlights:

• We had about 150 different requests for assistance.
• So I'd like to talk about where we are right now with respect to federal assistance and the state assistance
• For state individual assistance, Governor Ferguson provided $2.5 million to fund state individual assistance
• I am the Assistant Director for Disaster Resilience.
• I am the Assistant Director for Disaster Resilience.

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on House Bill 2579, which would create a Public Media Broadcaster Program and a Digital Equity Program funded by a 20-cent-per-line monthly tax on wireless, prepaid wireless, VoIP, and landline service. Staff explained that 80% of the revenue would support public media grants, 20% would support digital equity grants, and a small share could be used for administration. The prime sponsor, Rep. Chris Stearns, and many public media, community media, and digital equity supporters testified that public radio and television provide emergency alerts, local news, education, training, and community connection, especially in rural and underserved areas, and that federal funding cuts have made state support more urgent. Several witnesses described how public media helped with emergency communications, youth training, Indigenous programming, and access to local information. Opposition came from CTIA and Washington Citizens Against Unfair Taxes. CTIA argued the tax would add to already high wireless taxes in Washington and would be regressive because low-income residents rely heavily on wireless service. Washington Citizens Against Unfair Taxes objected to the bill as another tax increase and said it would worsen affordability. One supporter said an amendment would be offered to address a misunderstanding in the fiscal note. No vote was taken on the bill during the hearing. The committee then received a cybersecurity and critical infrastructure briefing from state emergency management and cybersecurity officials. They described Washington’s layered cybersecurity model, the role of state agencies, the Fusion Center, WOTEC, the National Guard, and the Emergency Management Division, and the growing threat from ransomware, supply-chain attacks, and AI-enabled attacks. Members asked about volunteer cyber response capacity, the most vulnerable sectors, and whether the legislature should fund more real-time threat monitoring and intelligence sharing. Officials said the state is working to establish a volunteer cyber incident response team and that the main gap is real-time monitoring across participating local and private networks. The committee also heard updates on the December 2025 flooding response and wildfire resilience. Emergency management officials reported widespread flooding, landslides, power outages, evacuations, rescues, and infrastructure damage, but said mitigation investments helped prevent worse outcomes. They identified gaps in statewide alerting, search and rescue coordination, and local emergency management capacity, and said a statewide alert system like Oregon’s would require ongoing funding. In the wildfire update, DNR and partner agencies described increasing wildfire risk, the use of aircraft, AI-enabled detection cameras, and common operating pictures, and ongoing work on hazard and risk mapping, community wildfire preparedness, and home hardening. Members asked about predictive technology, sediment removal, and other mitigation tools, and officials said they are working with universities and federal partners to improve prevention and response.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then again, technical assistance.
• Everything we do comes back to those two words: technical assistance.
• I wanted to touch a little bit on technical assistance again.
• The technical assistance we provide comes a lot from our staff.
• That's the number one request for technical assistance: to help local agencies find funding.

Committee: Senate Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Energy Efficiency and Assistance Energy Efficiency and Assistance programs<00:10:04.320><c> for<
• </c><00:33:07.080><c> cycle</c> and not get into this assistance cycle and not get into this assistance
• So does the PUC have any kind of authority over housing assistance or energy assistance?
• assist or energy assistance over housing assist or energy assistance commissioner<00:39:53.800><c> Partridge
• </c> to keep energy assistance to keep energy assistance affordable<00:43:20.319><c> commissioner</c>

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a public assistance program trainer at Dakota County. Thank you.
• So I'm going to put my cursor by this GA, or General Assistance, line.
• So I'm going to put my cursor by this GA, or General Assistance, line.
• I can say the word duplicate entry, quicker assistance and more trust.
• With general assistance, anytime somebody is approved for SNAP with general assistance, we have to use

Committee: House Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• As a reminder, the Public Works Assistance Account provides direct funding with limited red tape.
• As a reminder, the Public Works Assistant Account provides direct funding with limited red tape.
• Our financing plan relies on low-interest loans from the Public Works Assistance Account.
• I urge you today to protect the Public Works Assistance Account. Thank you. Thank you.
• Cities rely on the Public Works Assistance account to meet those needs.

Bills: HB2295

Committee: House Capital Budget

Keywords: Washington capital budget, supplemental capital budget, capital appropriations, state building construction account, taxable building construction account, climate commitment account, natural climate solutions, housing trust fund, affordable housing, supportive housing, homelessness, manufactured home communities, mobile home parks, school construction, school modernization, school seismic safety, healthy schools, school electrification, SCAP, behavioral health facilities

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> a negative rent balance or assistance a negative rent balance or assistance with<00:08:05.639><c
• </c><00:15:38.199><c> to</c> to provide um this assistance to to provide um this assistance to everyone
• </c><01:09:06.040><c> fund</c> Community down payment assistance fund Community down payment assistance
• assistance assistance fund<01:10:47.679><c> um</c><01:10:48.080><c> she</c><01:10:48.280><c> was</c>
• I think, you know, folks have lots of different ways of approaching down payment assistance.

Committee: House Housing Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• . assistance. assistance.
• </c><00:03:47.840><c> and</c> cuts to federal food assistance and cuts to federal food assistance and
• </c><00:17:40.000><c> have</c> program and emergency assistance have program and emergency assistance
• </c> assistance programs on a regular basis. assistance programs on a regular basis.
• </c> those programs that provide assistance those programs that provide assistance for<00:35:35.280><

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• What are we currently doing right now to assist counties?
• The department is happy to provide any further technical assistance.
• Over 20 states still pass through nothing to those currently assisted families.
• Our average collections for currently assisted cases were $11.5 million last year.
• Our average collections for currently assisted cases were $11.5 million last year.

Transcript Highlights:

• So why not let those assistance programs be for a patient?
• One of the first is patient assistance programs that deal with co-pay assistance.
• And so we're going to have patient assistance programs.
• One of the first is patient assistance programs that deal with co-pay assistance.
• And so we're going to have patient assistance programs.

Committee: House Health and Mental Health

Transcript Highlights:

• Most recently, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Washington State Department of Social
• We will never get out of this conversation, whether it's aid and assist, civil commitment, PSRB.
• In the state hospital on a rapid aid and assist admission because he ended up in jail yet again.
• And also that's the population I see in the aid and assist population.
• What we call assisted outpatient treatment in our statute is not like the assisted outpatient treatment

Summary: The joint Senate and House Behavioral Health committee met for informational presentations on the Oregon State Hospital and civil commitment, followed by a planned tour of the hospital. Oregon Health Authority and Oregon State Hospital leaders reported that Sean Murphy will become the next permanent superintendent on July 13, with Sarah Castle to follow as permanent chief nursing officer on July 20. They described recent leadership turnover, a major organizational restructure, and efforts to build a culture of safety, transparency, and accountability. Officials said the hospital regained Joint Commission accreditation and CMS compliance, and they highlighted daily safety huddles, incident review processes, stronger escalation procedures, and improved management of seclusion and restraint. Committee members pressed hospital leaders on past prolonged seclusion practices, falls, staffing, and the need for better public reporting; OHA said it is building a public dashboard of key safety and workforce metrics. The committee then heard a civil commitment overview from the Oregon Judicial Department. The presenter explained that civil commitment is a separate legal process from criminal cases, usually beginning with a hospital hold, investigation, court review, appointed counsel, and a hearing within five days. She summarized changes made in House Bill 2005, including revised standards for danger to self, danger to others, and basic-needs commitments, plus a second 14-day diversion option. She cautioned that the new law has only been in effect since January and that it is too early to draw firm conclusions from the data, though there has been a recent uptick in commitments and a decrease in diversions. Testimony from NAMI Oregon and a forensic psychiatrist emphasized that Oregon still relies too heavily on jails and state hospitals because community services, housing, and outpatient supports are insufficient. They argued that the state needs more less-restrictive alternatives, including better use of assisted outpatient treatment or outpatient civil commitment, and more supported housing so people do not cycle between homelessness, incarceration, and hospitalization. A family member described a relative remaining psychotic in jail for more than 120 days before ending up back at the state hospital, urging faster intervention and better collaboration among courts, counties, hospitals, and state agencies. Committee members and witnesses also discussed workforce shortages, the expansion of secure residential treatment beds, and the need for broader system reforms beyond the hospital itself.