Transcript Highlights:

• , which has occurred in every cycle since 2006; site visits; the teacher surveys; and the principal surveys
• So we already did the educator surveys for this adequacy study.
• whenever we send out all those educator surveys, we can certainly do that.
• You decide what reports we present, what topics are covered, everything, what surveys, if we do surveys
• , who we survey.

Summary: The meeting began with approval of the prior minutes and then shifted to an update from Department of Education Secretary Jacob Oliva and Deputy Commissioner Stacey Smith on early childhood education, especially the state-funded Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) program. They said Arkansas had received a federal Preschool Development Grant and described ABC as a large state program with about 23,800 funded slots and roughly $114 million in annual appropriations. Department officials said they are reviewing slot allocations because about 1,000 seats are funded but unfilled, while more than 2,000 families are on waiting lists, and they plan to reduce or reallocate slots from providers that have not filled them over several years. They also said they are examining whether income thresholds, curriculum expectations, daily rates, and summer programming should be updated, and members raised concerns about access, local control, transportation, and whether the program should better align with K-12 choice and school readiness goals. The committee agreed to form an early childhood subcommittee and asked the Bureau of Legislative Research to help gather historical data and other information for future discussion. The committee then received a legal presentation from BLR attorney Taylor Lloyd on the constitutional and statutory framework for education adequacy in Arkansas. She reviewed the Dupree and Lake View cases, explaining that the state must maintain a general, suitable, and efficient system of free public schools, and that adequacy and equity are distinct but related concepts. She emphasized that the General Assembly is responsible for defining adequacy, studying whether the system meets that standard, and reacting to the evidence, while the courts ultimately decide constitutional compliance. Lloyd also explained the current adequacy definition, the role of the matrix as a funding tool rather than a spending mandate, and the distinction between unrestricted foundation funding and restricted categorical funding. BLR’s Elizabeth Bynum followed with a historical overview of how Arkansas responded to the court cases and developed the current adequacy process. She traced major legislative actions from the 1980s through the Lake View litigation, including the creation of funding formulas, categorical aid, isolated funding, declining enrollment funding, and the 2003-2004 adequacy study that led to the Continuing Adequacy Evaluation Act and the matrix used to set foundation funding. She also described later changes to the adequacy statute, the financial reporting requirements for districts, and the ongoing use of surveys, stakeholder testimony, and consultant studies in the biennial adequacy process. Members asked questions about whether private or homeschool programs could use public funds for expenses like utilities, whether stakeholders should include those groups, the difference between average daily membership and attendance, and whether school board members are surveyed; staff said those issues would need further research or were outside the scope of the presenters’ role.

Transcript Highlights:

• It doesn’t provide for some of our services.
• The California Health Interview Survey, known as CHIS, is an annual health survey administered by UCLA's
• The California Health Interview Survey is a unique California asset: respondents in every county, surveyed
• No existing survey matches that reach.
• To the Senate Human Services Committee.

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• So we're not doing the Department of Human Services one?
• The first survey in 1987 shows the lines running straight up the mountain, but the survey of 1941 changes
• How are they getting these lands purchased if we can't even get a surveyor to survey what we need surveyed
• Forest Service was able to acquire.
• The Forest Service now manages that land.

Committee: House House Rural Development, Land Grants And Cultural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Our expenditure survey uses information from the sources and uses survey, and we also use the survey
• Our expenditure survey uses information from the sources and uses survey, and we also use the survey
• to determine eligibility for a variety of the sources and usage survey, and we also use the survey to
• They bill us for the Cadillac of services and they actually deliver the Hugo of services.
• These are preventive services.

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee met to hear interim charges on higher education transparency and on preventing fraud, waste, and abuse in state government. The chair emphasized accountability for taxpayer dollars and asked witnesses to address financial reporting, audit practices, and whether more frequent or comprehensive audits would improve oversight. Legislative Budget Board staff described how public university systems and most community colleges respond to requests about internal audit practices, noting that university systems generally follow a similar annual audit timeline and that community colleges use a more varied mix of internal and external audit arrangements. Members focused on gaps in reporting, especially Texas Southern University’s missing submissions for several years and Collin County Community College’s nonresponse to the LBB survey. The State Auditor’s Office then outlined its higher education audit work, including mandatory statewide single audits, DEI compliance audits, HUB and State Use Program audits, benefits proportional audits, and discretionary audits based on risk. The auditor said the office has released 43 higher-ed audit reports since fiscal year 2021 and has two audits in progress, and explained that internal audit reports from institutions help guide future audit selection. Senators pressed the office on the lack of enforcement authority, the value of internal auditors at each institution, and whether community colleges should have more standardized reporting and audit requirements. The auditor and general counsel said the SAO can refer suspected fraud to law enforcement but cannot itself enforce findings, while several senators suggested stronger clawback authority and more robust internal audit structures. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board explained that it collects annual financial reports, sources-and-uses data, and community college finance reports, and uses them for funding formulas and other reporting. It also trains governing board members and said it has limited regulatory authority, though community colleges must certify compliance annually and can lose eligibility for state funds if they do not. Members questioned the reliability of self-attested data, the adequacy of board training, and whether a single reporting structure would be more efficient. During public testimony, a ScholarShot representative argued for clearer, student-facing financial transparency so students can see total cost of attendance and the gap they must cover before enrolling.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> participant to services participant to services uh and<00:13:48.880><c> you</c><00:13:49.040><c>
• ,</c> access healthcare and services, access healthcare and services, widespread<00:15:40.000><c> housing
• It’s a free service.
• :19.519><c> individuals</c><00:32:20.080><c> with</c> service. it it links individuals with service.
• </c> be connected to mental health services be connected to mental health services as<00:45:06.240><c

Summary: The House Committee on Public Safety held an informational briefing on the second anniversary of the Maui wildfires, with Chair Dela Alani framing the discussion around emergency preparedness, recovery, and lessons for future disasters. The main presentation came from researchers involved in the Maui Wildfire Exposure Study, who described the project as a grassroots academic-community partnership that has enrolled more than 2,000 adults and children for health screenings, social assessments, and biomonitoring. They said the study has documented elevated mental and physical health conditions, housing instability, unemployment, barriers to care, and exposure to heavy metals and other toxicants, while also noting some modest improvement in adult mental health and self-rated health compared with the prior year. The presenters emphasized that wildfire impacts remain severe two years later. They reported that about half of adult participants had worsening health since the fires, roughly 40% had direct or frequent fire exposure, and many adults showed chronic disease burdens such as hypertension, diabetes, and respiratory impairment. They also said about half of adult survivors reported depressive symptoms, about a quarter had moderate to severe anxiety, more than 4% had considered suicide in the prior month, and nearly one in four had PTSD. A clinician from the Lahaina Certified Community Behavioral Health Center described the clinic’s no-turn-away model, with case management, therapy, psychiatric evaluation, and medication management for anyone who needs it, and urged lawmakers to fund and expand that approach. The researchers also highlighted environmental findings, saying urine testing of more than 1,200 adults found heavy metal signatures that differed between burn-zone residents and those on the perimeter, with higher levels associated with displacement and ash re-exposure. They said about 20% of participants had higher-than-expected heavy metal levels 6 to 12 months after the fires, and cited a negative association between nickel levels and lung function. They argued for long-term monitoring, better cleanup methods, and a centralized health surveillance system tied to community outreach. No vote or formal committee action was taken during the briefing; the chair said the presentation materials and related reports would be posted for public access, and members were invited to ask questions after the presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> 45th to 49th depending on the survey 45th to 49th depending on the survey that<00:04:04.159><c>
• Uh we can't do do those surveys anymore. Uh we can't do reimbursement<00:21:35.120><c> surveys.
• and other for ABA services um and other intervention<00:31:28.480><c> services</c><00:31:28.880><c> it
• </c> services to your to your point, Senator. services to your to your point, Senator.
• </c> cabinet for health and family services. cabinet for health and family services.

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board meeting began with a roll call and approval of the October 7 meeting minutes. The chair then reordered the agenda to hear the item on Medicaid reimbursement rates and network adequacy first because of scheduling issues. Dr. Steve Robertson of the Kentucky Dental Association was sworn in and testified at length about Kentucky’s dental Medicaid program, arguing that reimbursement rates are unsustainably low, have been largely flat for decades, and are often below the cost of providing care. He said Kentucky ranks near the bottom nationally in oral health, dental Medicaid rates are often 60% or less of commercial rates, and the program’s share of the Medicaid budget has effectively remained around 2% despite growth in enrollment and services. Dr. Robertson said the low rates are contributing to provider losses, rural access gaps, longer wait times, dental deserts, and greater use of emergency rooms for preventable dental problems. He cited examples of office costs exceeding reimbursement for basic procedures, noted that many dentists are small private businesses, and said the state is struggling to recruit and retain dentists because of low payment levels and high student debt. He also pointed to disparities with neighboring states and said recent increases in some oral surgery and cleaning codes were not enough to address the broader problem. His recommendations included completing the rebasing study, increasing dental reimbursement in the upcoming budget, tying future reviews to inflation and cost data, aligning benchmarks, and prioritizing preventive and restorative care to improve workforce stability and access. Board members asked about the size of the needed increase, the effect of private insurance on dental practice finances, and what a new dentist might expect to earn. Dr. Robertson said the association is working on an appropriations request and that private insurance pressures are part of the problem as well, since many plans are HMOs or PPOs with limited provider control over rates. He also said the association can no longer conduct reimbursement surveys because of FTC restrictions, but would try to obtain current ADA data. In response to questions about the future of the program, he warned that without significant changes it could become unsustainable and cited Ohio and Missouri as examples where higher reimbursement improved provider participation and access. The board then heard from Mr. Bowman of Baldwin Consulting, who discussed outpatient behavioral health providers, including ABA therapy and mental health/substance use disorder services. He said these providers face similar issues of rising costs, flat reimbursement, and access problems. He reviewed Kentucky’s network adequacy standards, including travel-time standards, 30-day appointment limits, and newer federal requirements that will require services within 10 business days by 2029. He said wait times for outpatient behavioral health, especially children’s services and ABA, have grown substantially, sometimes to more than a year, and emphasized that the Medicaid department must enforce these standards.

Transcript Highlights:

• WE ALSO SURVEYED LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO GATHER INFORMATION ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING POLICIES IMPLEMENTED AND
• THEIR EFFECTIVENESS. 44 COUNTIES AND 170 MUNICIPALITIES RESPONDED TO OUR SURVEY.
• MOST SURVEY RESPONDENTS REPORTED ENCOURAGING MIXED INCOME PROJECTS UTILIZING EXPEDITED PERMITTING AND
• SURVEY RESPONDENTS AND OPPAGA IDENTIFY BEST PRACTICES IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR THOSE POLICIES IDENTIFIED
• MOST SURVEY RESPONDENTS REPORTED INTERLOCAL COOPERATION WAS EFFECTIVE.

Transcript Highlights:

• Forest Service. The area is a mixture of private land and land managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
• Forest Service through their Section 106 consultation process.
• Lahara Mesa is a combination of private and Forest Service land.
• The sampling and analysis plan is the operator's plan to conduct wildlife surveys, soil surveys, air
• They give us the plan to do those archaeological surveys.

Committee: House Radioactive & Hazardous Materials Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Um and the service that service bartenders provide is critical to... part in uh in a lot of your uh part
• </c> And in our particular case, uh, service And in our particular case, uh, service bartenders<00:04
• the contribution that these service bartenders have on service and so with regard to Kentucky state
• the contribution that these service bartenders have on service and so with regard to Kentucky state
• </c> engineering societies, and the surveying engineering societies, and the surveying society,<00:13

Committee: Senate Licensing & Occupations

Transcript Highlights:

• And whereas the community has a proud tradition of service, with many of its sons answering the call
• There is a Health and Human Services amendment. Mr.
• There is the Health and Human Services Amendment. Mr.
• There is a Health and Human Services Committee amendment. Mr.
• There is a Gowan floor amendment to the Health and Human Services Committee amendment. Thank you.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is an annual survey of state agencies about their privacy practices.
• OPDP, JLARC surveyed state employees who had interacted with the office.
• We found that surveyed agency staff reported satisfaction with OPDP.
• Yes, we had open-ended survey responses as well.
• The last thing I'll touch on is the results of our nationwide survey.

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee met on September 17, 2025, in hybrid format. After roll call, the committee initially lacked a quorum and deferred approval of the July 15 minutes until Representative Berg arrived; the minutes were then adopted. Members also discussed the proposed 2026 JLARC meeting schedule, including possible changes to address crowded July meetings and the annual tax exemption review workload. Staff presented the annual lodging tax expenditures report, noting that 213 municipalities received distributions in 2024, with 91% reporting compliance, $114 million awarded for more than 1,700 activities, and no independent verification of the self-reported data. Several members questioned the value and usefulness of the report, and the executive committee indicated it may recommend removing the statutory reporting requirement. The committee then heard the preliminary performance audit of the Office of Privacy and Data Protection, which found the office meets its statutory responsibilities and has high user satisfaction, but recommended updating the statute to better match the office’s current capacity and focus and improving performance measures to reflect long-term privacy outcomes rather than outputs. Members asked about FERPA and other federal privacy laws, and OPDP staff said they provide general privacy training and consultation but not law-specific training unless requested. The committee adopted the final report on Washington State recreational boating programs without recommendation, after staff reported that boating revenues support both general government and boating activities and that no participating agencies submitted formal comments. Members asked about boater safety education and possible overlap among the six agencies involved; Parks staff said education has reached more than 500,000 boaters and that fatalities and incidents have declined. The committee also reviewed planned study questions for a JLARC review of Labor and Industries’ enforcement of farm worker laws, with members raising scope questions about the term “farm worker” versus “agricultural worker,” and for DNR’s Eastern Washington sustainable harvest calculation, which JLARC will review as DNR completes its recalculation. Finally, staff outlined the 2026 tax preference performance reviews covering seven preferences, and members asked about racial equity, environmental impacts, disclosure of beneficiary savings, and how the reviews will measure effectiveness; the meeting adjourned before noon.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> completed a project where we uh surveyed completed a project where we uh surveyed agencies<00:29
• There's extensive research, including the Household Pulse Survey and the Minnesota Student Survey, that
• survey and the<01:13:53.440><c> Minnesota</c><01:13:53.880><c> student</c><01:13:54.199><c> survey</c
• Health Services Health Services 44.9%<01:15:46.280><c> of</c><01:15:46.440><c> survey</c><01:15:46.880
• Services, meaning emergency services like police and ambulances, had very low rates of response when

Bills: HF1867 , HF1240

Committee: House State Government Finance and Policy

Keywords: lottery, retailer contracts, Minnesota Statutes, contract qualifications, public integrity, criminal background, legislative auditor, public funds, state government, compliance, transparency

Transcript Highlights:

• We started with Children and Family Services. We did county operations.
• through fee-for-service.
• We're surveying our members.
• We're surveying our members.
• How many of the service providers have closed in the last year?

Committee: All ALC-HOSPITAL, MEDICAID, & DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES STUDY SUBCOMMITTEE

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> metro area teachers related service metro area teachers related service teachers<00:32:09.840><c
• It's the Minsspire survey.
• It's the Minsspire survey.
• It's the Minsspire survey.
• </c> service to our state. service to our state.

Bills: HF3435 , HF3409

Committee: Senate Education Policy

Keywords: school access, school site, school district, charter school, federal agents, DHS, Department of Homeland Security, ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, CBP, Customs and Border Protection, USCIS, immigration enforcement, judicial warrant, student privacy, school safety, sanctuary schools, warrant requirement, federal warrant, school grounds

Transcript Highlights:

• Operating costs, like fuel and utilities and legal services.
• Legal services—those costs continue to grow.
• Services I have served DHS for um the Services I have served DHS for um the past<00:58:46.520><c> eight
• </c><01:10:24.719><c> by</c> ensuring access to needed Services by ensuring access to needed Services
• Uh, the first is to extend access to audio-only telehealth services.

Committee: House Health Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:06:53.880><c> also</c> know any child receiving Services also know any child receiving Services
• </c><00:06:55.960><c> 3</c> any child that had received Services 3 any child that had received Services
• </c> administering uh Mental Health Services administering uh Mental Health Services in<00:25:33.880>
• </c> every medical and Mental Health Service every medical and Mental Health Service or<00:26:23.399>
• </c><00:28:07.679><c> or</c> child completing a such a survey or child completing a such a survey or

Committee: Senate Children and Family Law

Transcript Highlights:

• And they found in their self-reporting surveys that everything that these surveys were producing as results
• We also surveyed the people that live in those homes.
• We've got several surveys that we've been pulling from, the CDC surveys.
• asking people to complete these surveys, and we're going to keep the health surveys open as long as
• We got approximately a 25% response rate to our survey.

Summary: The joint Senate and Assembly Environmental Quality/Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials informational hearing focused on the Tijuana River Valley sewage crisis, with members from both parties emphasizing that the problem is long-running, cross-border, and severe enough to require federal, state, local, and binational action. Opening remarks described the crisis as an environmental and public health emergency affecting beaches, air and water quality, marine life, tourism, and residents’ quality of life in South Bay communities. Assembly Member Boerner and Senator Jones both stressed the need for continued funding and cooperation, while Senator Padilla said the issue is underappreciated because of where it occurs but has major public health, economic, and educational consequences. Congressman Mike Levin’s office reported more than $650 million in federal funding secured for infrastructure and cleanup, along with federal legislation and requests for CDC and EPA involvement. Supervisor Paloma Aguirre gave a detailed overview of county efforts and the scope of the crisis, citing decades of sewage flows from Tijuana, nearly four years of beach closures, and the county’s expanded water-quality monitoring. She said the county is pursuing warning signs, an air purifier distribution program, an epidemiological study, soil testing, an economic impact study, and a feasibility analysis to remove the “hot spot” near Saturn Boulevard, which she described as a key local source of airborne pollution. She also pointed to binational funding for treatment plant upgrades and said the county is seeking state support, including from Proposition 4 cross-border river funds, to expand relief and mitigation efforts. Scripps researchers Dr. Sarah Giddings and Dr. Kimberly Prather presented scientific findings on water and air transport. Giddings described a high-resolution forecast model that predicts wastewater movement and beach closure risk up to five days ahead, using real-time observations and showing about 72% accuracy against county measurements. Prather said the main exposure route is through air, not just water, and reported that turbulence at the river hot spot aerosolizes pollutants, with hydrogen sulfide and other gases spiking at night and dropping when river flow is diverted. She said the team has identified thousands of gases and linked measurements closely to odor complaints, while also noting that air purifiers can reduce indoor exposure but are not a permanent solution. Dr. Paula Stigler Granados added that community health surveys and CDC assessments show widespread symptoms, sleep disruption, anxiety, and daily life impacts, especially during nighttime odor events. She said her team has found more than 900 contaminants in river water and 106 chemicals uniquely associated with the Saturn Boulevard hot spot, with passive air sampling showing similar chemical fingerprints in nearby homes. The panel discussion ended with questions about standards and accountability, and witnesses and legislators agreed that the crisis requires updated air-quality standards, more health research, and continued coordination to reduce exposure and address the source of pollution.

Transcript Highlights:

• However, support divisions within the department, such as human services, legal, and fiscal services,
• Services.
• We've also surveyed families. And working with a contractor to do a survey.
• social services as well.
• services with the USCIS office and removal services with immigration courts.

Summary: The committee heard a lengthy budget hearing focused on child care, child welfare, and immigration-related services, with most of the discussion centered on child care funding, slot utilization, and rate reform. Department of Social Services officials said the Governor’s budget would provide $6.8 billion for child care programs in 2026-27, including $11.5 million in Prop. 64 funds for mini-grants to licensed facilities affected by 2025 disasters. They also described federal CCDF and Prop. 64 revenue reductions that would reduce general child care funding by about 4,176 slots, while emphasizing that the cuts should not affect currently enrolled children. The LAO supported aligning spending with lower revenues and asked for more detail on the disaster grant program. Members questioned why so many awarded slots remain uncontracted or unfilled, and DSS said delays are largely due to providers building new infrastructure, licensing, staffing, and enrollment work. One senator criticized the repeated explanation, argued unspent funds revert to the General Fund instead of being redirected to child care, and urged shifting more funding from contract slots to vouchers and increasing flexibility for infrastructure and expansion costs. DSS said it is exploring more flexibility, better readiness screening, and quicker redistribution of relinquished slots. The committee also discussed the Emergency Child Care Bridge program, with DSS saying it can redistribute funds among counties to avoid disenrolling children. A second panel addressed the state’s broader commitment to expand child care and move toward a single rate structure. DSS reported that since 2021-22 nearly 125,000 new slots have been awarded across CCTR, CAPP, CMAP, and the Emergency Child Care Bridge program, bringing monthly service levels to more than 366,700 children. The department and CDE described progress on rate reform, including completion of the alternative methodology and joint recommendations from the labor-management committee on a single-rate framework. County and provider testimony emphasized persistent unmet need, especially for infant and toddler care, and argued that current reimbursement disparities between CDSS-funded programs and state preschool create inequities and discourage expansion. Stanislaus County Office of Education said rate differences can materially affect local program revenue and staffing, while Parent Voices California described the child care system as difficult to navigate and inequitable, especially for Black families and survivors of domestic violence. The California Budget and Policy Center argued that only a small share of eligible children are served, that Universal TK has concentrated investment in school-based settings, and that providers are still paid far below the cost of care. Members pressed the administration for deadlines on automation and implementation of the single-rate structure, and DSS said some work can proceed before collective bargaining concludes, though policy decisions are still needed. The committee also reviewed several trailer bill proposals. For the COLA, DSS proposed applying the 2026-27 increase through cost-of-care-plus payments, but acknowledged it had inadvertently excluded CalWORKs Child Care and the Emergency Child Care Bridge from the initial calculation; the LAO recommended making the COLA increase uniform across child care and state preschool programs. On the alternative methodology survey, DSS proposed replacing the market rate survey with the federally approved alternative methodology and aligning the timing with the federal CCDF state plan cycle. On licensed family child care homes, DSS proposed limiting temporary absences to 20% of monthly care hours and allowing more flexibility for medical appointments, jury duty, training, and union activities. On excessive unexplained absences, DSS proposed a statutory definition to align state policy with federal rules allowing disenrollment after 30 days of unexplained absences. The committee also discussed a proposal to require contractors to collect family fees directly so the full voucher value reaches providers, with DSS saying it is working with Riverside County on implementation and CDE asking that the same policy apply to state preschool. Finally, the committee reviewed an Early Childhood Policy Council reappropriation and reporting proposal, with DSS explaining that prior funds were underused because participation costs are hard to estimate and that additional staffing and contractor support would be needed for the expanded annual report requirements.

Transcript Highlights:

• In 2025, the cycle is modified to every two years, with the next survey due June 2026.
• The provider response rate has fluctuated between surveys.
• The response rate was 42% in 2018, 40% in 2021, and 24% in the 2024 survey.
• The market rate survey must achieve a 65% response rate for each child care subsidy rate region.
• The market rate survey must achieve a 65% response rate for each child care subsidy rate region.

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee held its last scheduled public hearing of the year on March 9, 2026, taking testimony on House Bill 2487, Substitute House Bill 2689, and Engrossed House Bill 2681. For HB 2487, staff and the Department of Revenue explained that the bill would narrow a B&O tax exemption for insurance-related businesses after a 2024 Supreme Court decision, make several related changes including annuity and assigned risk plan exemptions, adjust the advanced computing surcharge threshold for certain affiliated groups, and allow a penalties-and-interest waiver with a repayment plan. DOR supported the bill as clarifying the original intent and preventing double taxation, while insurers and health plan groups opposed it, arguing it would create higher costs, retroactive tax liability, and uncertainty; consumer and policy groups testified in support, saying it closes a loophole and restores the intended tax structure. Committee members questioned the retroactivity, the number of affected businesses, and the fiscal estimates, and the chair reminded members that amendment requests were due by noon for the next day’s executive session. For Substitute HB 2689, staff described changes to the Working Connections Child Care program that would keep income eligibility at 60% of state median income, reduce future rate-setting from the 85th to the 75th percentile, block enhanced rates for certain cross-region providers, cancel the planned move to enrollment-based prospective payments, revise attendance-based reimbursement to a full month for absences of 10 days or fewer and half-month for longer absences, and require a 65% market survey response rate for validity. The fiscal note projected substantial savings, offset by implementation and staffing costs. SEIU 925 and Head Start representatives supported the simpler House approach to attendance billing but raised concerns about the new survey threshold and the risk of increased audits and provider burden; they also noted an amendment under discussion to address the 2026 survey issue. Committee questions focused on how a full month is defined under the attendance rules. For HB 2681, staff said the bill would raise annual issuance and renewal fees for cannabis producer, processor, and retail licenses by $400, generating about $866,000 per year for the dedicated cannabis account with minimal administrative cost. No one signed up to testify, and the chair closed the hearing without a vote on any of the bills. The chair also thanked committee staff for their work and reiterated that amendments for the heard bills were due by noon that day.

Transcript Highlights:

• eligible for services for 24 months.
• And so we've got to be more service-centered.
• And this survey includes data from over 1,500 LEAs, And this survey includes data from over 1,500 LEAs
• I'm the CEO at Family and Child Empowerment Services.
• Jackie Barroso, Department of Social Services.

Summary: The joint hearing focused on California’s child care, preschool, and transitional kindergarten oversight, with chairs emphasizing the state’s Master Plan for Early Learning and Care and the need to break down silos between programs. CDSS and CDE reported progress toward the plan’s goals, including universal access to TK for all four-year-olds next school year, expanded access for low-income three-year-olds, and more children with disabilities being served in state preschool. They also noted ongoing work on quality rating/review reform, funding structure changes, and the need to address rates, workforce shortages, and federal uncertainty around Head Start. Testimony from advocacy groups and providers largely supported expanding access while simplifying the system. Children Now, Every Child California, and the California Budget and Policy Center argued that California still has uneven access, especially for infants, toddlers, and three-year-olds, and urged investments in mixed delivery, inclusion, full-day options, and a cost-of-care rate methodology. Every Child California recommended consolidating part-day and full-day contracts, streamlining eligibility priorities, making the two-year-old option permanent, and funding staffing incentives. Parent testimony highlighted how child care gaps and county-to-county transfer delays can disrupt work, safety, and children’s stability, and providers described low reimbursement rates, the need for health and retirement benefits, and support for delinking subsidy rates from private pay. The second panel addressed universal transitional kindergarten. The Learning Policy Institute reported rapid TK expansion, with most districts now offering TK, but said access still depends on facilities, staffing, and whether programs are available at all school sites. The Department of Finance said the governor’s budget would fully implement TK by adding funding for all eligible four-year-olds and lowering the adult-to-child ratio from 12:1 to 10:1. The Legislative Analyst’s Office said the administration’s enrollment and cost assumptions were optimistic and estimated lower TK enrollment growth and lower costs for the ratio change. CDE supported the expansion and urged continued funding for UPK coordinators, teacher development, and mixed-delivery planning grants. Members questioned facilities shortages, staffing competition, and how to ensure TK expansion does not displace CSPP or Head Start classrooms. No formal votes or actions were taken in the hearing.