Transcript Highlights:

• "I'm Barbara Stum, and I'm director at Community Transitional Services.
• And as my time as a sergeant at our supply branch, I did a weapon transition.
• And as my time as a sergeant at our supply branch, I did a weapon transition.
• And as my time as a sergeant at our supply branch, I did a weapon transition.
• And as my time as a sergeant at our supply branch, I did a weapon transition.

Keywords: Call to Order 00:17 Department of Corrections 01:35 Community Transitional Services 06:47 Administrative Office of the Courts 23:06 Department of Criminal Justice Training/ KSP 45:49 Adjournment 59:14, 958, all

Summary: The Public Safety and Judiciary Committee met without a quorum, so approval of the January 3, January 20, and February 3 minutes was postponed. The committee then heard an update from the Department of Corrections on halfway house and Recovery Kentucky funding and operations. Deputy Commissioner Hillary Daily said DOC contracts for up to 1,752 halfway house beds and 780 Recovery Kentucky beds, with 16 halfway houses and 13 Recovery Kentucky centers statewide. She reported 6,329 admissions in fiscal year 2025, average daily populations of 1,041 in halfway houses and 494 in Recovery Kentucky, and explained that Recovery Kentucky placements are more restrictive, generally excluding violent and sex offenders, while halfway houses serve probationers, parolees, and sex offenders who need treatment. She also described programming such as MRT, parenting, adult basic education, and trauma-focused services, and said some facilities offer supervised visitation. Daily said no new funding request was included in the current budget, though DOC has sought rate increases in prior cycles. Community Transitional Services director Barbara Stum also testified in support of halfway houses as re-entry and substance abuse treatment centers. She said CTS primarily serves men coming out of prison or returning to prison who need treatment, and that halfway houses provide security, accountability, treatment, employment support, and help with home placement. Stum said the state moved substance abuse treatment into the community in 2010 to avoid sending people back to prison for treatment, and argued halfway houses are the least expensive form of incarceration. She cited daily rates of $33.61 for CTS beds and DOC figures of $37.33 to $44.33 per day, compared with higher prison and jail costs, and said reimbursement has not kept pace with inflation since the last increase in 2019. She said staffing and supplies are the main pressure points, with counselor pay below market rates, and noted two counselor vacancies. A former resident, Michael Bird, testified that CTS helped him recover and re-enter the community successfully. The committee also received an update from the Administrative Office of the Courts on implementation of the video arraignment/video conferencing system. AOC officials Zach Ramsey and Charles Buyers said the system is now fully implemented in all courtrooms and is used for video arraignments and other Zoom-based court proceedings. Buyers described the pandemic-era transition from older, inconsistent equipment to improvised laptop/webcam setups, then to a more integrated vendor-supported system with touchscreen controls and a judicial support specialist position for training and operation. He said 324 courtrooms are already up to the current standard, with 128 remaining on an older bundle, and that there are no technical barriers to continued use. AOC said it is seeking $3.8 million in recurring annual funding to keep the systems upgraded and current, and plans to upgrade 46 systems in fiscal year 2026 across 15 counties.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:09:43.000> from<00:09:43.240> historical<00:09:43.720> horse the transition
• from historical horse the transition from historical horse racing<00:09:45.040> racing<00:09:
• ><00:09:48.160> as<00:09:48.600> slots<00:09:49.600> this<00:09:50.120> transition
• otherwise known as slots this transition otherwise known as slots this transition uh<00:09:51.240
• make some significant adjustments last term, so the questions I have... because the because the transition

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Finance Committee heard a briefing from the governor on her recommended fiscal years 2026-2027 budget. She described it as a “recalibration” that reduces general fund spending by about $150 million from the prior budget, avoids tax increases, and aims to protect vulnerable residents while supporting the economy. She said the proposal addresses a projected current-biennium deficit, cites lower-than-expected revenues and off-budget spending, and includes a hiring freeze and other spending reductions. The governor also said the budget is built on current revenue estimates developed with the Department of Revenue Administration and the state’s chief economist. Major policy areas discussed included education, public safety, health and human services, housing, and workforce development. The governor said the budget increases spending on public education and special education, expands Education Freedom Accounts to public school students, funds a cell-phone-free classroom grant program, continues the community college tuition freeze, and supports workforce training. She also highlighted investments in the Group II retirement system for first responders, Northern Border Alliance and drug interdiction efforts, child advocacy and victim services, mental health services, developmental disability services with no wait list, and a streamlined housing permitting process with a 60-day review target. Committee members raised questions about the fiscal assumptions, the impact of possible federal funding changes, the Education Freedom Account expansion, dam infrastructure funding, and workforce issues such as state employee pay and vacant positions. The governor said the budget continues funding for federal programs currently assumed, and that she would advocate for block grants and other federal flexibility. On dams, administration officials said the budget includes about $13 million in capital funding, with possible fee increases under consideration. On staffing, the governor said the budget funds the previously bargained 12% state employee increase, includes eight position reductions tied to program changes, and would allow those employees to be rehired if openings arise. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, states can also consider um options to facilitate um transitions to other coverage sources.
• to other coverage sources including premium assistance programs and transitional medical assistance
• um transitions to other coverage<00:15:34.560> sources.
• to other coverage sources transition to other coverage sources including<00:15:48.240> premium
• <00:15:50.399> medical<00:15:50.800> assistance and transitional medical assistance

Bills: HF3439, HF3763

Keywords: Medical Assistance, Medicaid, MNsure, MinnesotaCare, disability determination, expedited eligibility, state medical review team, compassionate allowance, rare disease, home and community-based services, long-term care, managed care, county-based purchasing, eligibility redetermination, periodic data matching, death master file, Social Security Administration, program integrity, income eligibility, asset test

Summary: The House Health Finance and Policy Committee met on March 4, 2026, approved the minutes from its February 25 and March 2 meetings, and then heard a presentation from Katherine Castanza of the National Conference of State Legislatures on Medicaid eligibility changes in the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act (HR1/OB3). The presentation focused on provisions affecting Medicaid expansion adults ages 19 to 64, including new work and community engagement requirements, changes to retroactive eligibility, quarterly death master file checks, address verification requirements, six-month redeterminations for expansion enrollees, and new limits on some lawful permanent residents and other immigrant groups. Castanza also discussed state implementation issues, including the need for new data-sharing systems, system modernization, outreach, and options for helping people transition to other coverage if they lose eligibility. She said the work and community engagement rules take effect January 1, 2027, with states given flexibility on look-back periods, consecutive versus nonconsecutive months, and optional hardship exemptions, and noted that CMS guidance is not expected until June 2026. She also described federal support for implementation, including $200 million in grants and a 90% federal match for eligibility system work, while warning that the fast timeline could lead to coverage losses, churn, and challenges for special populations such as caregivers, people with behavioral health conditions, incarcerated individuals, and rural residents. She further explained that an erroneous payment provision could expose states to federal recoupment later if eligibility errors increase. During member questions, Representative Beerman asked about the overall size of the Medicaid cuts and the cumulative national impact; Castanza said estimates vary by state and cited KFF analysis suggesting states could lose 4% to 19% of federal Medicaid revenue, with a newer RAND analysis recently released. Beerman also asked about the history and effectiveness of state work requirements, but that discussion was not completed in the excerpt. Representative Elkins noted the presentation was not initially posted on the committee website, and the chair said it had since been posted.

Transcript Highlights:

• Section 10's clean energy or clean transition tariff can help ensure that customers are protected from
• Section 10's clean energy or clean transition tariff can help ensure that customers are protected from
• Section 10's clean energy or clean transition tariff can help ensure that customers are protected from
• <00:17:35.120> to existing framework for transitioning to existing framework for transitioning
• We'll need to build additional generation to support this transition.

Bills: HF2928, HF2912, HF2297

Keywords: water appropriation, data centers, environmental review, energy conservation, permit application, carbon-free energy, geothermal energy, renewable energy, Macalester College, appropriation, sustainability, solar energy, pollinator programs, license plates, agrivoltaics, environmental sustainability, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I rely on a combination of walking, public transit, and biking. Currently, that's a pedal bike.
• It would be 15 minutes by bike, 30 minutes by public transit, and about an hour's walk.
• and about an hour's walk it by transit and about an hour's walk it by bike<00:32:12.840> also
• Mobility if that's Southwest Transit U Mobility if that's Southwest Transit U those<00:42:13.000>
• And as you were pointing out, we do need focus on essential needs, both school and transit.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Metro Transit Customer Relations says that they will have police presence, but it never happens.
• Metro Transit Customer Relations says that they will have police presence, but it never happens.
• I think, um, you know, this is just kind of a required statutory update in this transition.
• And I think that when we transition.
• is is complete, um, after the transition is is complete, um,<01:43:32.639> you<01:43:32.800><

Bills: HF1918, HF2305, HF897, HF2191, HF2617, HF2551, HF2137

Keywords: HF1918, Department of Children Youth and Families, DCYF, child welfare, foster care, out-of-home placement, permanency planning, relative search, noncustodial parent, kinship care, family preservation, African American Child and Family Well-Being, racial disproportionality, maltreatment reporting, educational neglect, truancy, school attendance, Great Start compensation, child care provider payments, TEACH early childhood program

Transcript Highlights:

• The early implementation period coincided with leadership transitions, board membership changes, and
• The early implementation period coincided with leadership transitions, board membership changes, and
• The early implementation period coincided with leadership transitions, board membership changes, and

Bills: HB25, SB38, SB101, HB199

Keywords: juvenile delinquency, firearm possession, criminal background checks, state law, gun control, youth offense, conviction, public safety, SB38, pet food, registered pet food, registration fee, fees, sunset repeal, repeal of repeal, revenue, state fee, business regulation, animal feed, pet food registration

Transcript Highlights:

• the state and the city collectively will be able to generate will be far higher if we make this transition
• But it allows for a transition ultimately of the space.
• Uh but it allows for a transition Uh but it allows for a transition ultimately<00:42:58.000>
• <00:43:12.480> it<00:43:12.720> makes you're undergoing a transition it makes you're
• undergoing a transition it makes sense<00:43:13.040> to<00:43:13.280> undergo<00:43:13.599

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• final spending item is the one-time spending for the Children, Youth, and Family Department for the transit
• children youth and family department<00:04:05.519> for<00:04:05.760> the<00:04:05.920> transit
• <00:04:06.480> assistance department for the transit assistance department for the transit
• These relate to transition and column.
• These relate to transition and inaugural<00:26:26.919> expenses.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• think about, we have some cohort effects that we're going to have to think about because kids in transition
• We invested in community schools, we invested in transitional K, we invested in and well I'm saying we
• Unfortunately the Department of Finance you know keeps saying we're working toward universal transitional
• A student that does not transit out of English language courses by eighth grade becomes a ninth grader
• So we've gotta do a better job of transitioning kids out of EL services prior to them going to high school

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of us to think about the transitioning of us to think about the transitioning there<01:02:11.440
• <01:16:33.440> to I am concerned that if we transition to I am concerned that if we transition
• going to be able to do the transition, so let's do nothing.
• going to be able to do the transition, so let's do nothing.
• <01:19:45.199> from out because of the of a transition from out because of the of a transition

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I was deeply closeted until I was 24 because I had the courage to transition, and there wasn't long I
• and there wasn't long I could transition and there wasn't long I could hide<01:02:30.480> it<
• would have to be in the transitioning would have to be in the transitioning process<02:47:22.640
• assigned female at Birth who transition assigned female at Birth who transition to to to male<02
• <02:52:25.200> to they've transitioned to they've transitioned to male<02:52:27.520> so

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And the opt-out transit providers had some technical issues with how the funds were restricted.
• Uh through transit, with a fund this.
• It doesn't say uh transit way project.
• to be able to receive light rail transit to be able to receive light rail transit at<00:37:51.359
• transportation, not take the full zeroing out of general fund appropriation to Metro Transit.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, there was a belief at the beginning that there was a transition forced in law from historic horse
• So, there was a belief at the beginning that there was a transition forced in law from historic horse
• So in the first year of the budget, they would transition statewide.
• c> wouldn't transition from historical wouldn't transition from historical horse<02:08:06.400> racing
• We we'll probably transition statewide.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting was a House budget briefing focused on the overall state budget and the first of three divisions. The presenter reviewed the size and structure of the budget, noting that the state had eliminated the interest and dividends tax and still balanced the budget. He explained the major spending categories in the general fund and total budget, emphasizing that health and human services and education remain the largest areas, while transportation is largely self-funded. He also walked through the revenue picture, including business taxes, insurance taxes, court fees, communications taxes, and Medicaid recoveries, and said the remaining interest and dividends tax revenue reflected late payments from prior assessments. Members asked about the size of the tax cut from eliminating the interest and dividends tax, federal funding stability, and why Medicaid was being reduced if federal support was expected to remain steady. The response was that the lost revenue would have been about $200 million absent repeal, and that the budget gap was addressed through many small cuts across departments. On federal funds, the presenter said most aid is tied to multi-year grants and that core programs such as Medicare and Medicaid were expected to remain relatively stable, though some federal reductions could occur. He also said some agency reductions came from eliminating long-vacant, funded positions and from expected lapses. The discussion then moved into Division One, which covers smaller and miscellaneous agencies. The division made cuts to the governor’s office, eliminated a temporary position at the Governor’s Commission on Disability, reduced Department of Information Technology spending through a back-of-budget cut, and found savings in Administrative Services. It also delayed maintenance at the Sununu Youth Services Center, stopped advertising for paid family medical leave, changed retiree health insurance funding, and consolidated several personnel-related boards into one. The division eliminated the Commission on Aging and the Office of the Child Advocate, made a temporary special education advocate position permanent, reduced the Secretary of State’s budget, kept municipal rooms-and-meals distributions flat, and made changes to the retirement system, including $55 million to improve Group 2 retirement benefits and a new retirement structure for future state hires. The judicial branch was also asked to find savings and received two additional judges because of expected caseload increases from other eliminations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Linda Marsh, representing the Sacramento Advocates for Rail and Transit, here in support.
• Austin Schlocker, a SMART board member, Sacramento Advocates for Rail and Transit.
• Austin Schlocker, a smart board member, Sacramento Advocates for Rail and Transit.
• Our members are on the front lines of California's clean energy transition.
• But for the clean energy transition to work, the process has to work in the real world.

Summary: The committee heard several housing-related bills, beginning with SB 1003, which would create pro-housing enhanced infrastructure financing districts to help local governments fund infrastructure needed for housing developments. The author and supporters argued that infrastructure costs often prevent projects from penciling out, while the chair expressed support and said the bill would be taken up later when quorum was available. SB 1014 followed, proposing new disclosure requirements for local jurisdictions to provide good-faith estimates of on-site and off-site improvements within 30 days of application, with supporters saying it would reduce late surprises and opposition from several cities citing implementation concerns with the 30-day timelines. The committee then took up SB 802, a Sacramento-region bill requiring a joint powers authority to coordinate housing and homelessness services. Senator Ashby and former Mayor Darrell Steinberg argued that Sacramento’s fragmented system has failed for years and that a JPA would improve accountability, coordination, and use of state funds. The bill drew broad support from local officials, service providers, business groups, and advocates, while some county and city representatives registered opposition or neutral concerns about state-mandated local governance. Several committee members said they were persuaded by the need for regional coordination, though some raised concerns about local control; the chair noted the bill would be moved when quorum allowed. The committee also heard SB 1092 and SB 1093, both focused on mobile home park residents after disasters or park sales. SB 1092 would give residents a right of first opportunity to match a sale offer for a park, with supporters saying it protects vulnerable seniors and preserves affordable housing, while park owners and their representatives argued it would devalue property and raise constitutional and financing concerns. SB 1093 would require more transparent communication, access to property, and consideration of rebuilding or closure after a disaster; supporters cited the long uncertainty faced by Palisades residents, while opponents warned about liability, safety, and burdensome review requirements. Members split along similar lines, with some emphasizing property rights and market impacts and others stressing the need to protect residents and preserve scarce affordable housing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Transit room taxes from web-based platforms, with the support of the Kentucky Tourism Industry Association
• 09.600> centralization<00:23:10.240> of<00:23:10.480> local<00:23:10.880> transit
• <00:23:11.440> room the centralization of local transit room the centralization of local transit
• centralation of centralization<00:23:15.840> of<00:23:16.080> local<00:23:16.400> transit
• <00:23:16.880> room centralization of local transit room centralization of local transit room

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:13 Roll Call 00:00:24 Approval of Minutes from September Meeting 00:02:10 Presentation of Special Purpose Governmental Entities Report 00:03:19 Presentation of Kentucky League of Cities Legislative Platform for the Upcoming 2026 Session of the General Assembly 00:15:37 Discussion of Centralized Collection of Net Profits and Occupational License Taxes 00:37:05 Adjournment 00:55:53, 958, all

Summary: The committee received reports on special purpose governmental entities from the Department for Local Government and the Fire Commission. DLG staff described SPGEs as limited-jurisdiction political subdivisions and reviewed the department’s registry, reporting portal, compliance monitoring, and planned system upgrades such as a two-way message center, automated noncompliance notices, and tracking for new entities and board expirations. They reported that, as of October 10, 2025, 69% of SPGEs were active and discussed compliance data by cycle, fiscal year, and district type. The Fire Commission reported that fire department mergers have reduced the number of departments by 16 since last year, largely because of volunteer staffing shortages, while financial disclosure compliance had risen to 94%. The commission also noted 509 compliance reviews, 19 in-house inquiries, seven referrals to outside agencies, and one recent federal prison sentence in a theft case. Members asked whether DLG advises SPGEs on tax rates; staff said it only performs calculations and the entities set their own rates. Questions to the Fire Commission focused on whether department reductions meant station closures; officials explained that most changes were mergers that keep physical buildings in place while combining personnel and finances to meet minimum staffing requirements. They said the trend is spread across the state but is especially pronounced in rural areas. The Kentucky League of Cities then presented its 2026 legislative agenda. Its priorities included modernizing city revenue options, increasing equity in road funding, fixing tax increment financing issues, addressing transient room tax collection from web-based platforms, strengthening emergency response coordination, clarifying massage parlor regulation preemption, correcting unintended consequences of House Bill 606, improving newspaper publication rules, and modernizing procurement statutes. KLC also said it supports allowing all cities to collect restaurant tax revenue, wants cities to receive a larger share of road funds and EV-related revenues, and seeks state collection and remittance of any future local sales tax to comply with the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement. Members asked about best-value bidding, road-fund equity, Airbnb tax litigation, EV prevalence, and disaster funding applications; KLC said cities currently must accept the lowest bid, the road split should better reflect city street costs, the Airbnb tax case remains pending, EV data by locality has not been studied, and allowing cities to apply directly for disaster funds would reduce reliance on county officials. No votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the September meeting minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, something else I want to point out to you: last time we were here, the ombudsman's office transitioned
• So there were some funds appropriated for that transition process, and uh, and we're going to be asking
• So there were some funds appropriated for that transition process, and uh, and we're going to be asking
• <00:25:56.720> So office transitioned to my office. So office transitioned to my office.
• process and uh and we're that transition process and uh and we're going<00:26:02.240> to<00:26

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:00:30 Personnel Cabinet 00:03:25 Department of Veterans Affairs 00:12:40 Auditor of Public Accounts 00:22:39 State Treasurer 00:42:24, 958, all

Summary: The committee first heard from Personnel Cabinet officials on House Bill 6, which required the Kentucky Employees Health Plan to offer a qualified high-deductible health plan by the 2026 plan year. Officials said the plan was already added for 2025, described it as the lowest-premium option with higher deductibles, and explained that federal rules prevent first-dollar coverage except for limited preventive services. They said 264 members had selected the plan out of about 142,000, and noted it also allows health savings accounts. Members asked about the plan’s benefits, what “catastrophic” meant, the deductible amounts, and whether employees were aware of the option; the cabinet said it would continue to highlight the plan in communications and that the deductible is above $8,000 for individuals and above $16,000 for families. The committee then received an update from the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs on the Bowling Green veterans center. Officials said the current target is to move into the building on October 28, with first admissions about two months later, pending final fixes and certification steps for Medicare, Medicaid, and the VA. They explained that about $7 million in FY25 appropriations lapsed because of construction delays, staffing ramp-up was postponed to avoid unnecessary spending, and the unspent funds should be considered in the next budget request. Members praised the project and asked about annual operating costs; officials said the current operating budget is about $15 million, though they do not expect to spend all of it this year. The commissioner also announced the fifth annual state commanders conference in Lexington, focused on veterans issues and featuring state, federal, and advocacy leaders. State Auditor Allison Ball then outlined her office’s budget priorities. She said the office is primarily a billing agency that charges audited entities for its work, and warned that some agencies are now signaling they may refuse to pay for audits related to kinship care and the medical cannabis application process. She said the office plans to continue requesting outlier credits for unusually burdensome county audit fees, funding for the ombudsman office’s transition and expanded in-office operations, and revenue replacement for local government audits and possibly state audits and special examinations. Ball also said the office conducts about 500 audits, reviews, and examinations a year and wants to restore performance audits with seed funding, as well as add investigators to the ombudsman office to focus more on child abuse and neglect cases. Members discussed the value of performance audits, the possibility of raising certain board thresholds to account for inflation, and the need for additional capacity to handle more audits.

Transcript Highlights:

• attracted to women and they transition attracted to women and they transition because<02:19:02.719
• <02:57:46.800> and he, uh, was undergoing transition and he, uh, was undergoing transition
• :07:31.760> after who would be transitioning after who would be transitioning after puberty,<04
• But I think maybe what transition.
• or I was going I was going to transition or I was going to<04:30:34.239> die.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Judiciary Committee opened a hearing on Senate Bill 141, which would create a narrow exception to New Hampshire’s three-year deadline for motions for a new trial when a petitioner has newly discovered evidence, new forensic testing, or new scientific understanding. The prime sponsor’s representative and advocates from the Innocence Project and New England Innocence Project argued the bill is needed to help wrongfully convicted people access the courts, noting that exonerations often take many years and that outdated forensic science has contributed to wrongful convictions. The chair also said he had drafted a proposed amendment for committee review, but it had not yet been formally submitted. Witnesses supporting the bill emphasized that the measure would not guarantee relief, only allow a petition to be filed and reviewed under existing standards. They discussed examples such as arson science, explaining that some convictions were based on forensic methods later shown to be unreliable. Committee members asked about the scope of habeas corpus, whether the bill would create a new cause of action, and whether additional screening or pleading requirements should be added. The supporters said they would be open to requiring a petitioner to plead innocence, but opposed adding more burdensome preliminary procedures or counsel requirements at the filing stage. Thomas Farardi, from the Attorney General’s Office, testified in opposition or with caution, saying the bill was a “solution looking for a problem” because existing habeas corpus and coram nobis procedures already provide avenues for relief, and prosecutors can act when credible new evidence arises. He argued the current draft could invite additional litigation and create a new cause of action, and said he favored more screening before cases proceed. The discussion also touched on whether the statute applies in criminal cases, the current three-year limitation in RSA 526:4, and questions about posthumous petitions and petitions by deported individuals. No vote or executive action was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Second reading of bills: SB 1109, transition program eligibility; dangerous offenses.
• SB 1177, public monies gender transition prohibition. SB 1178.
• SB 1177, public monies gender transition prohibition.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Government Association: HB 2608, transitioning housing.
• firearms sales transfers; 2421 assault weapons magazines; 2431 appropriation solid 8; 2440 prisoners transition
• program; 2440 prisoners transition program; 24.

Keywords: 1182, all