Transcript Highlights:

• The next item, Minnesota benefits and the transit assistant program, that was also a House-only provision
• The next<00:05:16.880><c> item,</c><00:05:17.280><c> Minnesota</c><00:05:17.680><c> benefits</c><00:05
• benefits and the transit<00:05:18.880><c> assistant</c><00:05:19.360><c> program.
• Everything we do benefits older adults and family caregivers.
• They do not have that disabilities. They do not have that lived<00:21:37.280><c> experience.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:04:15.279><c> to</c> to get students with disabilities to to get students with disabilities to
• uh students with needs of disabilities uh students with disabilities<01:12:47.280><c> across</c><01:
• </c> require every student with a disability require every student with a disability to<01:13:04.040>
• </c><01:15:41.320><c> across</c> our students with disabilities across our students with disabilities
• </c><01:34:51.880><c> and</c> equitably in educational benefits and equitably in educational benefits

Committee: House Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• The advocate for crisis prevention training to be in House Bill 2. collaborated with disability rights
• Towards securing adequate funding for students with disabilities across the state.
• Disabilities, I appreciate your time and I'm happy to answer any questions Okay.
• So we can kill a lot of things with just ending this disability. Thank you so much.
• We must remove the disability penalty. for the basic allotment and close the funding gap.

Bills: HB2 , HB2

Committee: House Public Education

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> will not even be receiving benefits will not even be receiving benefits because<00:13:52.880><c>
• While on probation, the employee is not provided in the line-of-duty death and disability benefits in
• benefits in the event of a disability or death due to a traumatic work event.
• They get their benefits.
• They get their benefits.

Summary: The Public Pension Oversight Board met on February 13 and approved the minutes after establishing a quorum. The committee then took up three pension-related bills, beginning with Rep. Callaway’s proposal to allow certain retired police officers with 15 to 19 years of service to be rehired by local law enforcement agencies. Callaway and Brandon Lincoln of the FOP said the bill is intended to help recruitment and retention, especially for departments facing staffing shortages, and emphasized that it would be optional and would not allow double-dipping. Committee members raised concerns that lowering the service threshold from 20 to 15 years could create an unfunded liability and weaken the pension system, and several members said they did not yet fully understand how the pension and insurance provisions would work. The sponsor said she was open to working on the bill, and the chair noted the committee would continue to examine it with help from KPA staff. The second bill, presented by Rep. Lewis with Brandon Lincoln and Jeff Taylor, addressed probationary employees in CS agencies, including firefighters and police officers. The bill would let certain former probationary employees purchase service credit for time spent in probation, and would extend line-of-duty death and disability protections to employees who are injured or killed during probationary service. Testimony said the measure is optional for employers, could be used as a recruitment tool, and would allow employees within six months of the probationary period to buy back the time themselves if they choose. Members generally supported the concept, noted a negligible fiscal note, and discussed whether current employees could buy back older probationary periods; the sponsor said the bill did not appear to allow that, though he was open to further discussion. Throughout both bills, members focused on whether the proposals would create new pension costs or liabilities and how they would interact with existing retirement tiers and contribution rules. Several members asked for clarification on whether rehired workers would contribute to the pension system, whether employers would pay normal cost or any contribution at all, and whether the bills would affect future retirement benefits. The sponsors and witnesses repeatedly said the measures were limited, optional, and intended to address staffing and fairness issues without changing the core retirement system, but the committee did not take final action on the bills during the discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• I know when dental, the dental benefit was eliminated back in the...
• I know when dental, the dental benefit was eliminated back in the...
• And it's a standard benefit. It's at about $60 a visit, and we'll follow up with a benefit design.
• Please protect Medi-Cal dental benefits for UISP.
• Eliminating dental benefits will...

Transcript Highlights:

• I know when dental, the dental benefit was eliminated back in the...
• Covered California is, of course, our state's health benefit exchange.
• And it's a standard benefit design.
• It's at about $60 a visit, and we'll follow up with a benefit design.
• She urged protection of Medi-Cal dental benefits for UIS populations.

Summary: The subcommittee heard an overview of the Department of Health Care Services’ proposed budget, including a $229.1 billion total-funds budget and projected Medi-Cal enrollment decline as redeterminations continue. Members focused heavily on the fiscal and programmatic effects of prior budget solutions and federal changes, especially the elimination of General Fund-supported Prop. 56 dental supplemental payments beginning July 1, 2026, the hospice utilization-management change, and the impact of reduced caseloads alongside rising health care costs. DHCS said it is still completing required access and rate-reduction analyses for the dental cuts and has been engaging stakeholders, but could not yet quantify the real-world effect on utilization or provider participation. The committee also reviewed the November 2025 Medi-Cal local assistance estimate, which shows higher General Fund spending despite lower enrollment, driven by managed care rate growth, Medicare cost growth, state-only claiming, and federal policy changes. The hearing then turned to provider taxes and federal H.R. 1 constraints, with extensive discussion of the MCO tax, the hospital quality assurance fee, and other health care-related taxes. DHCS explained that H.R. 1 phases down allowable tax levels and tightens “generally redistributive” rules, making the current MCO tax structure and the proposed higher hospital fee levels difficult or impossible to renew as originally designed. Staff and the LAO described the tradeoff between preserving Medi-Cal funding and avoiding higher costs on private providers and consumers. Members asked about options for preserving revenue, including possible amendments to Prop. 35 or returning to voters, and were told the department is still evaluating approaches while federal guidance remains in flux. The committee also reviewed hospital payment increases already implemented through state-directed payments, with DHCS noting that H.R. 1 will force those payments down to Medicare levels over time. Several budget change proposals were discussed and left open, including requests tied to the managed care final rule, managed care operations, hospital value strategy, long-term care payment transparency, and interoperability requirements. The committee also heard about a one-year trailer bill extension for skilled nursing facility financing, including continuation of the SNF workforce standards program, the SNF quality assurance fee, and annual rate growth, while the department develops a longer-term financing redesign for 2027-28. Members expressed skepticism about repeated rate reform efforts and questioned whether a one-year extension of the eliminated workforce quality incentive program should be restored during the transition. Finally, Covered California presented its budget and enrollment update, reporting that the expiration of the federal enhanced premium tax credit is expected to reduce affordability significantly, with average premiums roughly doubling for many enrollees and as many as 400,000 Californians potentially losing marketplace coverage over time. The exchange said California’s $190 million subsidy program is helping lower-income enrollees, but not enough to offset the federal loss, and it is also implementing a new gender-affirming care benefit and awaiting federal action on benchmark plan changes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Disability is a reality for one in five Americans.
• Disability is a reality for one in five Americans.
• It's a reminder of the challenges and resilience of individuals with disabilities.
• Margaret Hooper with the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council, waving in support.
• As a teacher for students with disabilities for many years, this is vital.

Summary: The Pre-K Through 12 Budget Subcommittee met with a quorum and considered four bills. CS/HB 1403, by Rep. Yeager, would allow child care facilities to participate in the school guardian program and clarify school perimeter and door security requirements. An amendment clarifying that private security companies would pay for training was adopted, and the bill was reported favorably 11-0. CS/HB 447, the Evan B. Hartzell Act by Rep. Salzman, would provide guidance for schools that choose to teach disability history and awareness during the first two weeks of October, including age-appropriate instruction by grade band. The bill received supportive testimony from advocates and was reported favorably 11-0. CS/HB 257, by Reps. Chambliss and Tramont, would expand on a prior pilot program to allow video cameras in certain self-contained classrooms serving nonverbal students and others with significant disabilities, as a safeguard against abuse and to improve accountability. The bill drew strong support from parents and disability advocates describing abuse concerns, and it was reported favorably 13-0. CS/HB 1255, by Vice Chair Trabulsy, was a broad education bill addressing teacher shortages, scholarship program screening, health and math instruction, corporal punishment policy, and restrictions on spending public funds on organizations tied to discrimination or political/social activism. A major focus of debate was the bill’s human embryologic development instruction and related video language, with supporters calling it science-based and opponents warning it could be medically inaccurate or ideological. After the sponsor said she would amend some language, including removing ABCTE-related text and clarifying the video language, the bill was reported favorably 12-1. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• if they have received monthly long-term disability program benefits from 24 months within a five-year
• period to a total of 24 months. ...received monthly long-term disability program benefits from 24 months
• In other words, someone who's been on benefits— is this disability SNAP?
• And these people have been on these benefits for how many years so far?
• Now it's just saying if you've been disabled for 24 months at all, so it is a slight increase in benefits

Summary: The meeting covered a long series of bills, mostly in health, education, commerce, federalism, and government. In health, members discussed radiology technology updates (HB 2050), a tribal Medicaid waiver/drawdown measure with no state cost (HB 2177), an emergency medicine study committee (HB 2183), fetal death certificate and remains-transfer requirements (HB 2184), a physician assistant licensure compact (HB 2190), dementia care telemonitoring funding (HB 2202), SNAP error-rate reduction and fraud/eligibility oversight bills (HB 2206, HB 2442, HB 2797), child welfare protections like credit freezes and recorded interviews (HB 2321, HB 2322), and podiatric licensure compacts (HB 2438). Several of these were described as consent-calendar items, while HB 2206 and the SNAP-related measures drew discussion about fraud reduction, administrative burden, and work requirements. In commerce and finance, the committee heard bills on mobile food vendors and local permits (HB 2118), earned wage access services with fee caps and disclosure rules (HB 2309), CPA licensure changes (HB 2476), cash acceptance for retail purchases under $100 (HB 2555), drone delivery and unmanned aircraft guardrails (HB 2875), timeshare salesperson licensing (HB 2877), and a prohibition on state-mandated social credit scoring in lending decisions (HB 2903). The tax and retirement-related items included 529 plan conformity and Roth IRA transfer rules (HB 2477), annual tax conformity to the Internal Revenue Code (HB 2785), ASRS technical and disability-related changes (HB 2089, HB 2090, HB 2092), and a bill on employee health insurance definitions (HB 2089). The Arizona Commerce Authority bill (HB 2754) would add legislative members to the board and shift more control over trade offices and Arizona Competes Fund spending to the legislature. The education section focused heavily on school governance and finance. Bills included patriotic youth group presentations in schools (HB 2312), school board term limits (HB 2318), mandatory training for governing board members (HB 2379), independent municipal advisors for bond elections (HB 2320), restrictions on districts buying operating charter/private school sites to game enrollment formulas (HB 2376), conflict-of-interest limits for school facilities board architects and engineers (HB 2378), public meeting and travel transparency rules for districts (HB 2380), limits on long-term school property leases and reporting requirements (HB 2384), tighter bidding rules for school construction job orders using Building Renewal Grant funds (HB 2482), and a voluntary computer science proficiency seal (HB 2764). Sponsors repeatedly framed these as transparency, accountability, and anti-abuse measures, while some opposition centered on local flexibility, housing use, and existing training providers. In federalism and government, the committee heard bills to give counties more time to mail sample ballots (HB 2006), require courts to identify veterans at first appearance for possible veterans court referral (HB 2226), study veterans’ awareness of benefits (HB 2406), broaden military leave protections (HB 2663), require SAVE verification for voter registration and certain state services (HB 2806), require U.S.-sourced voting machine components by 2029 (HB 2901), affirm the Electoral College (HB 2902), and establish due process protections for justice of the peace courts against outside administrative action (HB 2976). Government committee items included a later deadline for library trustees’ annual reports (HB 2129), a two-year limit on certain adult protective services reports to the Attorney General (HB 2228), and an exemption for public and semi-public cold plunges from ADEQ spa rules (HB 2439). Several bills were reported as consent-calendar items, and a number of sponsors noted committee votes, fiscal neutrality, or favorable testimony in support of the measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• . benefits. benefits.
• ,</c> individuals who receive this benefit, individuals who receive this benefit, they<00:30:17.440><
• They're not losing their benefits. They're not disabled people.
• They're not losing their benefits. They're not disabled people.
• </c> to go in a way that benefits everyone. to go in a way that benefits everyone.

Transcript Highlights:

• Disability Rights Texas represents the interests of people with disabilities, including students with
• disabilities in our public schools.
• And so there was discussion on the benefits that the state would receive.
• It's the cost of cancer to Texas, but then also the benefits, the economic benefits. that come back to
• That's really where you're reaping those cavity-preventing benefits.

Bills: SB623 , SB1266 , SB1310 , SB1373 , SB1580 , SB1952 , SB2032 , SB2269 , SB2544 , SB2653 , SB2796

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• , and he knows they were interested in putting the property into trust to benefit their disabled child
• , and he knows they were interested in putting the property into trust to benefit their disabled child
• , and he knows they were interested in putting the property into trust to benefit their disabled child
• , and he knows they were interested in putting the property into trust to benefit their disabled child
• in</c><05:22:06.840><c> the</c> benefit their disabled child in the benefit their disabled child in

Committee: House Housing

Transcript Highlights:

• There's lots better ways to raise funds for veterans and the disabled.
• Wouldn't that be true that those numbers are going down then, as far as the money for these disabled
• Wouldn't that be true that those numbers are going down then, as far as the money for these disabled
• Again, putting the funding of our disabled community, things like that, on the backs of this type of
• education, veterans, and people with disabilities.

Summary: The House opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and approval of the prior day’s journal by a 134-0 roll call vote. Members then moved through a series of personal privileges and introductions of guests, including Turning Point USA chapters, CASA volunteers and staff, JAG students, university students, nursing students, interns, and other visitors recognized from across the state. On third reading, House Bill 1766, dealing with personal property tax treatment and new construction, was debated as a taxpayer relief measure. Supporters said it would treat personal property more like real estate under Hancock-style limits, while opponents warned it could reduce revenue for taxing districts. The bill passed 94-50. The House then took up House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2989, a major gaming bill aimed at cracking down on illegal “gray market” machines while creating a regulated local-option video lottery terminal system. Debate focused on enforcement, local control, consumer protection, revenue for education, veterans, and disability programs, and whether the bill effectively legalized gambling in a new form. A motion to send it to Fiscal Review failed 69-44, and the bill ultimately passed 83-66 with one present. The chamber next considered House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2014, the supplemental appropriations bill. The sponsor said it provides a little over $3 billion in additional authority for the rest of FY2026, including tax refunds, disaster response, St. Louis tornado relief, Medicaid-related spending, and Missouri Department of Transportation operations. Members discussed the size of supplemental spending, the use of federal and general revenue funds, and the first-time use of general revenue for the adult expansion Medicaid population. The House adopted an amendment reducing some unused Medicaid authority, then adopted the bill as amended and perfected it for printing. The session ended with announcements, including a notice that the Super Committee on Tourism would meet immediately in Hearing Room 6.

Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> and</c> benefit or transportation benefit and benefit or transportation benefit and advocating<00
• Uh the disabled people, there's so epilepsy, there all these people that could benefit from these vehicles
• </c> disability community. disability community.
• Again, this with disabilities.
• </c> on Disabilities. on Disabilities.

Committee: Senate Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• people with indivisible disabilities or people with a mental health disability or communication challenges
• people with indivisible disabilities or people with a mental health disability or communication challenges
• And that's why we're so disabilities.
• </c> communities all benefit. communities all benefit.
• disabilities are disproportionately disabilities are disproportionately impacted<01:53:53.080><c> by<

Committee: Senate Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• again uh tip of the hat and disabilities again uh tip of the hat and thank<00:10:05.120><c> you</c><
• It's everything from adult basic ed to preschool to adults with disabilities, early childhood screening
• </c><00:40:46.400><c> the</c> work environment which benefits the work environment which benefits the
• needing wraparound care um disabilities needing wraparound care um this<00:49:57.000><c> legislation
• </c> and especially those with disabilities and especially those with disabilities you<01:01:57.520><

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Connecticut is partially supplementing benefits. Vermont is...
• Using state funds to cover two weeks of SNAP benefits.
• I recognize the goal of the legislature in finding benefits for veterans.
• percent disabled, you were exempted from a hundred percent of your property taxes.
• This includes seniors on value freeze and other disabled individuals who are not veteran disabled.

Committee: House Federal Funding Stabilization Subcommittee

Transcript Highlights:

• , defined benefit.
• Survivor benefit.
• The Public Safety Officers' Benefit Program provides death and disability benefits for law enforcement
• The Public Safety Officers Benefit Program provides death and disability benefits for law enforcement
• There are a couple exceptions to that, including both spousal benefits and disability benefits.

Committee: Joint Select Committee on Pension Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• from the two aforementioned purposes, I support victim compensation accounts while benefiting from the
• Now we have the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
• Because if I was living there, I would rather live at a school than a disability center.
• I'm also the parent of a young woman with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Originally, these developmental disabilities were not only residential...

Summary: The Senate Human Services Committee heard several House bills. Substitute House Bill 2539 would raise the indigent inmate account threshold from $25 to $100, allowing incarcerated people to retain more money for commissary items like hygiene products, postage, and medications before deductions for legal financial obligations, child support, and other debts. Representative Street said the bill is meant to better cover essentials without stopping debt repayment. Testifiers from Civil Survival, incarcerated people, and family advocates supported the bill, describing current commissary prices, low prison wages, and the burden on families. The committee also heard that the Department of Corrections expects some indeterminate implementation costs and IT expenses. No vote was taken. House Bill 2510 would require the Department of Corrections to supervise anyone sentenced to community custody for stalking, regardless of risk classification. Representative Burnett said the bill is intended to protect victims and give them peace of mind. Staff explained that the bill is narrower than a related measure heard earlier because it applies only to people sentenced to community custody, typically at the superior court level. Victim advocates and survivors testified in strong support, describing stalking cases that escalated to severe threats and violence and arguing that mandatory supervision could prevent future harm. The hearing was closed without action. The committee also heard Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2319 and Substitute House Bill 2350, both concerning residential habilitation centers. HB 2319 would rename Fircrest School and Rainier School to remove the word “school” and better reflect their current role as residential habilitation centers; supporters said the old terminology is outdated and confusing, while the sponsor said the bill is a clarification only and does not change services or funding. HB 2350 would require DSHS to notify residents, guardians, and other designated people when an RHC falls out of compliance with federal CMS requirements, and to post plain-language notices at the facility. Supporters from Disability Rights Washington, The Arc, and self-advocates said the bill would improve transparency and accountability. The committee closed public hearing on both bills, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Developmental Disability Administration.
• and things that are more tailored to adults with developmental disabilities.
• Things that are more tailored to adults with developmental disabilities.
• They might be important for a child caring for a disabled parent.
• But at this point in her life and her development, For a disabled parent.

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on HB 2337, which would repeal the planned 2027 requirement that certain family-member long-term care providers complete annual continuing education. Rep. Barnard said the bill was intended to reduce burdens on relatives caring for one loved one and to avoid forcing them into courses that are often not relevant to the person they support. Supportive testimony from family providers and disability advocates emphasized that family caregivers already receive individualized training from doctors and therapists, that the available course library is often geared toward aging-related care rather than developmental disabilities, and that mandatory CE could create compliance barriers and risk losing caregivers. Opponents, including SEIU 775 representatives and family caregivers who support the current system, argued that continuing education improves care quality, helps caregivers stay prepared as needs change, and should remain mandatory; they also said the state had already responded to prior concerns by expanding the course catalog and allowing repeat courses for credit. No action was taken on HB 2337. The committee then heard HB 2311, a technical bill making administrative changes to the Workforce Education Investment and Accountability and Oversight Board. The bill would extend co-chair terms, allow more than four meetings per year, shift consultation on workforce investment effectiveness to the Student Achievement Council, and eliminate the requirement for a public data dashboard. The bill sponsor and supporters from WASAC, Microsoft, and the United Faculty of Washington State said the changes would improve board operations and oversight, while also raising broader concerns that WEA funds have been used to supplant general fund support for higher education. Testimony noted the dashboard had not been funded and that WASAC already tracks related metrics through other tools. No vote was taken on HB 2311 during the hearing. The committee then moved to executive action on HB 2132, which limits disclosure and retention of personally identifying information in WASFA records. An amendment by Rep. Levitt was adopted to allow the Student Achievement Council to share applicant information with entities beyond higher education institutions under binding data-sharing agreements. The committee then adopted the amended substitute bill and voted it out of committee. The final roll call was 9-8 in favor, and Substitute HB 2132 was reported out with a do pass recommendation. The committee also announced that executive action on HB 288 and HB 2148 would be delayed and that no action would be taken on those bills that day.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's a Social Security definition, and/or they have a disability parking permit.
• The issue was how do we disability. The issue was how do we define<00:03:49.280><c> that?
• </c> definition and or they have a disability definition and or they have a disability parking<00:03:
• I think that's people with disabilities.
• </c> tribal lands um to carry the benefit tribal lands um to carry the benefit uh<00:42:59.520><c> to

Committee: Senate Taxes