Transcript Highlights:

• Because if they did, I'd probably be recognizing the same group of athletes for those things.
• So, great group. of kids. I want to give a plug to our seniors.
• It's a great group, and a great baseball players and great athletes, great human beings.
• With your permission, could Coach West address the group?
• I'm very proud of this group. You've seen them before.

Bills: HB4248, HB4429, HB2588, HB3472, HB4317, HB3462, HB2035, HB3501, HB3127, HB3143, HB3144, HB3260, HB4321, HB3011, HB3522, HB3530, HB3940, HB3078, HB3043, HB3005, HB3007, HB3403, HB1907, HB3175, HB3986, HB3466, HB3411, HB4246, SJR49, HB3281, HB4319, HJR1086, HJR1024, HJR1087

Keywords: HB4248, hemp beverage, hemp drinks, THC beverage, cannabis beverage, intoxicating hemp, age restriction, under 21, minor possession, youth access, public health and safety, Title 63, Oklahoma Statutes, retail sales, alcohol-style regulation, controlled substances, beverage regulation, proxy advisory services, shareholder rights, financial transparency

Transcript Highlights:

• of the members of the group.
• of the members of the group.
• committee the best group to work with. committee the best group to work with. uh<00:51:08.800>
• <01:21:20.080> based age group to another age group based age group to another age group based
• same topic that we put a work group same topic that we put a work group together<01:38:47.360>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• uh on the optional eligibility groups uh on the optional eligibility groups are<00:13:53.720>
• call out significant eligibility group call out significant eligibility group yeah<00:15:31.360>
• And there's two really groups of Granite Advantage individuals: there's the regular group, and then there
• <01:16:54.440> of rubric to describe the the group of rubric to describe the the group of
• That's one group to me. They're called students in the school.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Finance Division III held an informational hearing on Medicaid, Medicare, Choices for Independence, and related financing, while postponing nursing facility financing and the county cap discussion to a later date. DHHS officials Ann Landry, Jonathan Ballard, and Medicaid Director Henry Litman provided an overview of Medicaid’s role, noting it is a federal-state partnership with state-specific eligibility and benefits, and emphasizing that Medicaid is a major funding and programmatic support for other DHHS initiatives. They also distinguished Medicaid from Medicare and explained that Medicaid funding is not the same as grant funding, though some providers may also receive federal grants through other channels. The presentation focused on New Hampshire’s relatively small Medicaid program and why it differs from national averages. Officials said about 184,000 residents are covered, roughly one in seven Granite Staters compared with one in five nationally, and attributed the difference largely to the state’s higher per-capita income and older population. They highlighted that about 65% of Medicaid-enrolled adults in New Hampshire are working, that only 22% of births are covered by Medicaid versus 42% nationally, and that the state’s uninsured rate is lower than the national rate. Members asked about covered services, income limits, federal matching rates, and the names of optional eligibility groups; staff explained that New Hampshire offers the optional groups discussed, with matching rates varying by category, including 90% for Granite Advantage and certain other groups, and 65% for children above the required level. A substantial portion of the hearing covered eligibility rules and recent policy changes. Officials reviewed the history of Medicaid, including HCBS waivers, the CFI program, Katie Beckett, the Olmstead decision, the ACA, and the end of continuous enrollment after the public health emergency. They also discussed the 2023 legislative expansion of postpartum coverage from 60 days to 12 months and child eligibility changes. In response to questions, DHHS said it is tracking utilization and costs for the postpartum expansion and reported that many maternal deaths occur after the prior 60-day coverage period, often involving substance use disorder or suicide; they said the longer coverage is intended to improve access to treatment and prevention. The committee also walked through household-income examples, clarified that Medicaid eligibility is based on household income and categorical rules, and confirmed that Granite Advantage ends at 138% of the federal poverty level unless another categorical basis applies. No votes were taken, and the hearing remained informational.

Transcript Highlights:

• Corbyn, who we're going to hear from about the statutory direction for this group?
• There's all work groups for all of the per caps, and those work groups have agency, OFM, the legislature
• And then Medicaid has a large, you know, per-cap work group.
• Performing per capita analysis, as Robin described, technical work group, technical work group members
• But I don't know that there's a, you know, pass/fail assignment for this group.

Summary: The committee held its first meeting, with co-chairs and members introducing themselves and staff outlining the committee’s statutory mandate under the 2025-27 supplemental operating budget. Staff explained that the Joint Legislative-Executive Committee on Budget Transparency and Fiscal Sustainability will receive technical assistance from a nonpartisan organization, with work split into two phases: first on revenue growth, spending assumptions, and cost drivers in the four-year outlook, and later on staffing, overhead, performance management, and public reporting. Members broadly said they hoped the committee would build a shared factual understanding of the state’s fiscal situation, structural deficits, and budget processes, and identify a sustainable path forward for the operating budget. Staff then gave a detailed presentation on operating budget basics. They reviewed the size and composition of the operating budget, noting that most spending is concentrated in grants/client services and salaries/benefits, with K-12, DSHS, HCA, DCYF, DOC, and higher education making up most NGFO spending. They explained the distinction between constitutional, federal, statutory, and discretionary spending, using examples such as K-12, Medicaid, collective bargaining agreements, court-driven obligations like McCleary and Trueblood, and one-time appropriations. They also walked through how the state uses incremental budgeting, carry-forward and maintenance-level calculations, caseload and per-capita forecasting, and the four-year balanced budget outlook, including reserve calculations and the budget stabilization account. Members asked extensive questions about what is and is not included in the outlook, especially future collective bargaining agreements, health care and compensation growth, tort and other liabilities, and whether the state could better distinguish mandatory from discretionary spending. Staff explained that current CBAs and other already-enacted obligations are included, but future CBAs are not; some liabilities are reflected as expenditures when appropriated, while broader long-term liabilities are not fully captured in the outlook because they depend on future policy choices. Staff also noted that the legislature and ERFC can adopt assumptions such as reversions and growth factors, and that an outlook accuracy report is produced every five years to compare projected and actual maintenance-level spending. The committee agreed to follow up on some of the more complex liability and assumption questions. After a short break, Josh Goodman of the Pew Charitable Trusts began a presentation on Pew’s role and approach to state fiscal sustainability. He described Pew as a nonpartisan organization with long-standing state fiscal research, emphasizing its 50-state comparative data, interviews with state officials and experts, and focus on long-term sustainability, reserve policies, and recession preparedness. The presentation was ongoing when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Both the survey respondents and the focus group findings show that... ...barriers.
• from those underrepresented groups.
• from those underrepresented groups.
• Well, we heard how the Department of Aging has a group that they're consulting of stakeholders.
• I think that some consideration might be given to some actual formal stakeholder groups.

Summary: The Select Committee on Older LGBTQ Californians held an inaugural hearing focused on the health care and support landscape for older LGBTQ Californians, including people aging with HIV and transgender, gender non-conforming, and intersex seniors. Opening remarks emphasized the long history of discrimination faced by older LGBTQ adults, the growth of the aging LGBTQ population, and the need to translate existing state commitments into concrete services. Senators highlighted concerns about nursing home vulnerability, the aging of people living with HIV, and the impact of federal actions and Medicaid cuts on California’s safety net. The first panel featured Justice in Aging, CalHHS, the Department of Aging, and the Aging and HIV Institute. Testimony described widespread inequities, including discrimination, social isolation, economic insecurity, and gaps in culturally competent care. State officials outlined the Master Plan for Aging, the first statewide survey of LGBTQIA older adults, gender-affirming care protections in Medi-Cal, and efforts to improve coordination across departments. Advocates argued the state has been too slow to respond to federal threats and that services are often hard to find or fragmented. Committee members pressed the departments on how survey findings are being turned into action, how rural and underserved communities are being reached, and whether more formal stakeholder coordination or “no wrong door” access systems are needed. The second panel focused on seniors living with HIV. A long-term survivor gave emotional testimony about the “survivorship penalty,” loss of benefits, housing insecurity, and the need for legal and navigation support, housing assistance, and protection from outdated disability standards. The Department of Aging reported on implementation of SB 258, which added HIV status to the definition of greatest social need for area agencies on aging; it said 20 of 33 area plans now identify HIV as a target population and many include specific strategies, such as LGBTQIA mental health connections programs. The Office of AIDS described Project Cornerstone, Ryan White, ADAP, HOPWA, the Medi-Cal waiver, and PrEP-AP, noting these programs serve thousands of older clients and rely on whole-person case management. Case management testimony underscored persistent needs for medication subsidies, transportation, food, and housing. Committee members questioned how ADAP rebate funds might be used, how SB 258 is enforced across local agencies, and how to reduce administrative barriers and auto-connect eligible people to benefits. The final panel began with the Department of Social Services outlining protections for TGI seniors in licensed care facilities, including SB 219’s nondiscrimination requirements and related provider notices and resident rights materials. The hearing remained focused on identifying service gaps, improving coordination across aging, health, and social service systems, and ensuring state programs better reflect the lived experience of older LGBTQ Californians.

Transcript Highlights:

• If this working group is any indication, that is unlikely to happen, would you agree?
• If this working group is any indication, that is unlikely to happen, would you agree?
• I think we accomplished some really good things with this working group.
• Um, the question came up, look at the membership on this working group.
• anything today in this working group. anything today in this working group.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so I really uh the SGU group.
• <00:10:37.600> and<00:10:37.839> then group and then group and then the<00:10:39.600>
• So the first form the working group.
• on recognizing the other groups as well. on recognizing the other groups as well.
• force to determine not only this group force to determine not only this group the<00:34:40.000> m<

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• This would allow industry groups and employee organizations, like a union, to better offer trainings
• Without a registry, groups and employee organizations have no access to information about workers who
• For the past couple of years that I've been working in a group home, it is so difficult to pass it.
• Key Program provides services across Massachusetts, both community-based and group homes.
• I grew up in foster care, and I wasn't in group homes, but I went through multiple foster placements

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee hearing covered a wide range of child welfare, family support, and human services bills. Testimony strongly supported a guaranteed cash stipend for young adults aging out of foster care (S.161), with the Attorney General’s Office, youth advocates, and foster care providers describing high rates of homelessness and poverty after exit from care. Providers also urged action on a resolve to study the foster care liability insurance crisis (H.197/S.1280), saying premiums and coverage losses are forcing program cutbacks and could reduce foster care capacity statewide. Another major topic was a direct care worker medication administration program registry (H.237/S.162), which supporters said would help recruit and train workers, especially bilingual staff, to address workforce shortages in human services. Several bills focused on child protection and child welfare system practices. Supporters of H.267/S.145 called for advance notice to children’s attorneys when placements or other major events change, arguing that timely communication is essential to prevent unnecessary disruption and improve advocacy. Testimony also backed legislation to formally recognize and strengthen children’s advocacy centers and the Massachusetts Children’s Alliance (H.233/S.112), with prosecutors and CAC leaders describing the trauma-informed model as a longstanding, effective response to child abuse and trafficking. A bill to establish a Massachusetts children’s cabinet (S.115) drew support from advocates who said cross-agency coordination is needed to align policy and funding for children’s well-being. The committee also heard testimony on bills addressing safety, equity, and family support. Senator Lovely and survivors supported S.152, which would create a civil cause of action for sexual abuse by adults in positions of authority or trust, with witnesses describing grooming and power imbalances in schools and youth-serving settings. H.274, a bill of rights for people experiencing homelessness, was supported by advocates who said it would add anti-discrimination protections and voting and privacy rights amid rising criminalization of homelessness. H.272/S.171 to protect maternal health received support from Rep. Montaño, MLRI, and a physician, who said the bills would make cash assistance available earlier in pregnancy and remove the medical-verification barrier. H.4216 on equitable hair care for children in state custody was supported by social workers and advocates who said hair care is tied to identity, dignity, and mental health. H.255 on empowering early educators drew testimony about barriers faced by renters and condo owners trying to open home-based child care programs. H.217, concerning resources and support for pregnant and parenting families, drew testimony from anti-abortion pregnancy resource center advocates. No votes were taken during the hearing, and several bills had no one signed up to testify or were deferred when witnesses were unavailable.

Transcript Highlights:

• I rise today to proudly introduce a terrific group of students from my district, who came to Albany as
• them their faith, both Muslim and Christian, and worked to better our neighborhoods today through groups
• Lewis Voting Rights Act provides for assistance for language minority groups currently.
• President, it adds two groups to the language minority and protected class, language minority groups,
• President, in both cases whether it is a language minority group, or a...

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened, approved the prior journal, and adopted a resolution calendar with several exceptions before taking up a series of ceremonial resolutions and bills. Members welcomed student visitors from the YWCA of White Plains’ Voices Unfiltered Policy Program, then adopted resolutions honoring Senegalese independence and the Senegalese community, MWBE Advocacy Day, John Coltrane’s 100th birthday, the Sing Sing Prison Museum, I Love My Park Day, Animal Advocacy Day, Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder Awareness Month, and Denim Day. Speakers emphasized cultural recognition, public service, environmental stewardship, animal welfare, rare disease awareness, and support for survivors of sexual violence; each resolution was adopted. The chamber then moved through the regular calendar, passing a number of bills on broad roll-call votes. Among the measures approved were bills amending the Penal Law, Executive Law, Public Housing Law, Retirement and Social Security Law, Social Services Law, Environmental Conservation Law, General Municipal Law, Railroad Law, Election Law, Labor Law, and Public Service Law. Several bills passed unanimously or nearly so, while a few drew notable opposition, including a public health measure that passed 39-19 and the labor-related bill on ghost job postings that passed 39-19 after extended debate. The most detailed floor debate centered on the Labor Law bill addressing “ghost jobs,” requiring employers with 100 or more employees to disclose whether postings are for current vacancies, expected future openings, or general resume collection, with Department of Labor enforcement and civil penalties. Supporters argued it would protect job seekers from deceptive postings; opponents said it was unnecessary, burdensome, and could invite litigation or penalties disproportionate to the problem. The Senate also debated and passed a bill expanding election-language assistance under the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act to Haitian Creole and Middle Eastern and North African communities, with supporters citing growing language-access needs and opponents raising concerns about scope and local costs. The Senate then adjourned until the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• Section three is the one that funds the work group.
• What we have instead is we've got the Melissa Mark Hartman Memorial State Park Working Group.
• ,<00:20:18.880> the<00:20:19.000> Melissa is we've got the work group, the Melissa
• is we've got the work group, the Melissa uh<00:20:19.800> Mark<00:20:20.120> Hartman<00
• And what it does is it it Working Group.

Bills: HF3643, HF3426, HF4222, HF4224

Keywords: Melissa Hortman, Mark Hortman, memorial park, state park, working group, Minnesota Historical Society, Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board, Saint Paul, Department of Natural Resources, Department of Administration, Legislative Coordinating Commission, general fund appropriation, park planning, interpretive services, public engagement, state memorial, land use, natural resources, commemorative legislation, environment

Transcript Highlights:

• These bills were negotiated in working groups mostly instead of conference committees.
• These bills were negotiated in working groups mostly instead of conference committees.
• These bills were negotiated in working groups mostly instead of conference committees.
• <00:15:46.560> mostly negotiated in working groups mostly negotiated in working groups mostly
• dooror working groups? I sure hope not. dooror working groups? I sure hope not.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Morning, Chair Franson and members of the working group.
• For the record, my name is group.
• It's a pleasure to work working group.
• This is a really good team and we worked really well together as a working group.
• Uh but previous to the working group.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• One of the things that we have, a group that we've gotten together, our Audit and Reporting Group, ARG
• , um, for drafting protocols. ...for the working group, um, for drafting protocols.
• <00:48:46.200> is you're working on this working group is you're working on this working group
• What the working group would look at is where it is reported to.
• Senator Balden, what are we actually looking to accomplish with the working group?

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• groups that we had with citizens. groups that we had with citizens.
• working group. working group. Um Mr.
• working group? Uh thank you, Mr. working group? Uh thank you, Mr.
• Anybody in this committee like to lead a working group? on such a group. Yes. on such a group. Yes.
• out of the working group. out of the working group.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have 47 work groups.
• We have 47 work groups.
• We have 47 work groups.
• We have 47 work groups.
• The other groups, according to our project managers, are on track.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Will the House group report be agreed to?
• Will the House group report be agreed to?
• Will the House group report be agreed to? House Bill 2146, re-reported as committed.
• Will the House group report be agreed to? House Bill 2412, re-reported as committed.
• Will the House group report be agreed to? The House agrees to the report.

Summary: The House began with ceremonial recognitions, including guests of Representatives Benham and Warren and a farewell acknowledgment for longtime floor staffer Michelle Martin, who is leaving House service for a role in the Senate. The chamber then took up caucus and committee announcements, recessed several times, and later returned to consider a series of committee reports and bills. House and Senate bills were reported from Rules, Appropriations, and Judiciary, including referrals of several measures to committees. The House adopted House Resolution 515 unanimously, urging Congress to review Major Richard D. Winner’s actions for possible Medal of Honor recognition. It also adopted House Resolution 208, directing a performance audit of services, wait times, and processes in the Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services; supporters said it would help improve services for Pennsylvanians with vision impairment, while the vote was 201-1. The chamber then passed several bills with amendments, including measures on foster care youth benefits, AI companion safeguards, prison industry enhancement program administration, memorial bridge designations, firefighter and EMS donation options through PennDOT renewals, horse-racing background checks, and fertility preservation coverage. Several bills reached final passage. House Bill 1239, limiting homeowners associations from restricting rooftop solar installations, passed 109-93. House Bill 2146, amending the Sunshine Act to tighten the 24-hour agenda notice rule while preserving limited exceptions, passed 193-9 after debate over transparency and local-government flexibility. House Bill 2558, banning non-compete agreements for broadcast workers, passed narrowly 103-99 amid objections from Republicans and concerns about impacts on local broadcasters and contract rights. Senate Bills 971 and 972 also passed finally, dealing with township audit deadlines and municipal memorials for first responders. The House also approved House Bill 2412, funding state-related universities for fiscal year 2026-27, by 155-47 after debate over Penn State’s campus closures, accountability, and per-student funding differences; House Bill 2413, appropriating funds to the University of Pennsylvania, passed 195-7. The chamber then moved several bills back to Appropriations, signed Senate Bills 971 and 972, and adjourned until the next scheduled session.

Transcript Highlights:

• of employees that are also many groups of employees that are also short<00:14:15.079> staffed
• of employees they consider opening group of employees they consider opening it<00:14:30.680> up
• c><00:14:30.800> for<00:14:30.920> all<00:14:31.079> groups<00:14:31.320> of<
• /c><00:14:31.440> employees<00:14:32.040> thank it up for all groups of employees thank
• Support was noted from Three Financial Group LLC, Hawaii Community Lending, and 12 individuals.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• These groups face and it's physical and psychological challenges every day.
• And we group those and a similar categories. So we ended up with 10 groups care.
• Meaning I had more kids going to group care.
• So you may have 100 kids in group care that are costing you $600 a day.
• The final thing, the model, the model does contain what did rate for groups of care.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• He thanked the group for clarifying.
• He thanked the group.
• He thanked the group.
• I want to test my sense of the group.
• Need a sense of the group on this somehow?

Summary: The meeting focused on finalizing recommendations from the Delaware Nuclear Energy Task Force, with most of the discussion centered on how the state should organize itself to evaluate and potentially pursue nuclear power. Public commenters strongly supported nuclear energy, emphasizing energy reliability, economic competitiveness, data center demand, and the need for Delaware to act quickly. Several speakers argued that Delaware is falling behind neighboring states and should not delay if it wants to attract developers and preserve access to federal tax incentives. Members then worked through revisions to the recommendations, especially the section on state actions moving forward. There was broad agreement that Delaware needs a clearly empowered leadership structure, but disagreement over the best form: a cabinet-level energy agency, an expanded existing agency such as DENREC, a dedicated coordinator, an expanded Sustainable Energy Utility, or a separate quasi-independent authority. Some members favored a nimble, one-off entity with bonding and financing authority; others cautioned against creating a new body outside state government and stressed the need for coordination with existing agencies, public oversight, and cost discipline. The group also discussed adding responsibilities such as site identification, public engagement, coordination with PJM and federal agencies, and financing tools, while removing or folding in items that seemed duplicative or too broad. The committee also revised earlier modules to broaden the focus from small modular reactors to nuclear power more generally, while keeping the task force’s original SMR work in view. Members agreed to keep recommendations on state and local regulatory readiness, financial mechanisms, permitting coordination, and public engagement, and to add a recommendation for Delaware to participate as an observer in the Advanced Nuclear First Mover Initiative through NASEO and NARUC. The committee approved the revised Module Four recommendations by vote, with one abstention from Tom Noyes. Minutes from the prior meeting were also approved with minor corrections.

Transcript Highlights:

• So this establishes a working group task force, so you would have collaboration with the counties, per
• So this establishes a working group task force, so you would have collaboration with the counties, per
• But this one here is for consumption. ...this establishes a working group task force, so you would have
• <00:09:16.880> could that you know this working group could that you know this working group
• SC 51 and SR 33 request the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development to convene a working group

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Water and Land met on March 21, 2025, and considered several resolutions related to water resources, coastal management, and energy planning. On SCR 42/SR 27, which urged DLNR’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife to prioritize restoration and protection of additional wetlands and anchialine ponds, DLNR supported the measure and suggested a technical correction changing a reference from the Division of Agriculture to the Division of Aquatic Resources. Testimony from Hā‘ena Reef and Ocean Coalition, Maui Ocean Center, and individuals was in support. The committee recommended passage with technical and non-substantive amendments. The committee also heard SCR 54/SR 36, which would create a desalination planning task force to study whether large-scale desalination for potable water is feasible. DLNR and CWRM said the proposal was a large undertaking and raised capacity concerns, noting the Board of Water Supply was already moving forward with its own desalination planning. BWS testified in support, saying its project was still in planning and design, with construction not expected until late 2027 or 2028, and that the project would produce about 1.7 million gallons per day to supplement Ewa’s water supply. Members discussed whether the task force might duplicate existing work and noted the measure focused on consumption rather than other desalination uses. The committee ultimately recommended passage with technical and non-substantive amendments. For SCR 59/SR 43, which asked DLNR, the Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation, and the Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve Commission to work together on maintaining the Kihei ramp, DLNR reported ongoing collaboration and listed prior improvements including paving, washdown work, dredging, and a retaining wall. The committee recommended passage with technical and non-substantive amendments. On SCR 106/SR 87, which requested a study of which energy sector could be most quickly and cost-effectively decarbonized through public investment in combustion-free alternatives, OPSD said the State Energy Office had already completed a decarbonization study under Act 238 (2022) and a follow-up alternative fuels analysis, and suggested the resolution duplicated existing work. Energy Justice Network testified in support, arguing the proposal would build on prior studies by focusing on non-combustion options such as wind, solar, and storage. Despite support from several organizations and individuals, the committee deferred the measure indefinitely. The committee also passed SR 18 as is, passed SC 51/SR 33 as is, deferred SC 47, and passed SC 76/SR 59 with amendments.