Transcript Highlights:

• If we're going to have a different assessment for them, or we're just giving a straight 10% reduction
• simply to redistribute in that one- to four-family home tax class, which would push the cost of that reduction
• Of that reduction to those that have homes that are not their primary residents?

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The New York State Senate Committee on Housing, Construction, and Community Development met on May 18, 2026, with a quorum present and several members participating by vote sheet. Chair Brian Kavanagh opened the meeting by noting it was likely the committee’s last meeting of the session and thanked members and staff for their work. Senators also offered brief remarks of appreciation for the chair and the committee’s collaborative process. The committee advanced four bills. S.2523A (Ramos) would establish a jobs and housing pilot program to create construction jobs and address the housing crisis; it was reported to Finance, with Senator Walsack voting no and Senator Martins voting AWR. S.8612 (Kavanagh) would make clarifying changes to the good cause eviction law; the chair said it had been extensively negotiated with tenant and landlord stakeholders and had broad support, and it was reported with Senators Martins and Walsack voting AWR. S.8918A (Kavanagh) would create the Build Up New York pilot program and a mass timber for affordable housing program, along with related tax credits; it was reported to the floor unanimously. The committee also considered S.9287 (Hensh), which would create a real property tax exemption for certain full-time residents in certain counties. Members discussed whether the bill would create a new property class or instead shift tax burdens within the one- to four-family home class, and raised concerns about impacts on second homes and local school budgets. Supporters argued it resembled a homestead exemption and could help local residents. The bill was reported to Finance, with Senator Martins voting ADBR. The meeting then adjourned after the final agenda item.

Transcript Highlights:

• For thousands of California families, they will lead directly to real and tangible reductions in their
• We saw our first overall outright reductions in unsheltered homelessness in over a decade.
• It's still going to account for the goals of GHG reductions.
• It's still going to account for the goals of GHG reductions.
• It is the third most cost-effective greenhouse gas reduction program funded through GGRF and accounts

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• in the various agencies, and they're small reductions, but it's P-HIP related. there's<00:40:20.560>
• some reductions some reductions um<00:40:29.360> in<00:40:29.600> the<00:40:29.840
• The, you know, 153—that’s not a reduction in EL.
• The you know, 153 that's not a reduction<00:47:51.920> in<00:47:52.160> EL.
• That's just you know, reduction in EL.

Bills: HB517, HB98, HB235, HB236, HB237, HB238, HB239, HB240, HB241, HB242, HB565, HB517, HB98, HB235, HB236, HB237, HB238, HB239, HB240, HB241, HB242, HB565, SB380

Keywords: underground damage prevention, one-call notification system, utility locating, excavation safety, dig safe, call before you dig, 811, utility lines, underground utilities, pipeline safety, gas pipeline, electric utility, telecommunications, water utility, wastewater, cable television, locate request, premark, tolerance zone, positive response

Transcript Highlights:

• credit enhancement on the rate reduction credit enhancement on the rate reduction bonds<00:59:01.040
• charges in respect to the rate reduction charges in respect to the rate reduction bonds<00:59:12.640
• enhancement on the rate reduction bonds. enhancement on the rate reduction bonds.
• Um, the credit enhancement on the rate reduction bonds.
• ,<05:26:26.718> and rate stability, rate reduction, and rate stability, rate reduction, and

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• in the area that you were the reduction in the area that you were T-boned?
• I'm also on an NCHRP panel for developing speed reduction factors.
• reduction factors. reduction factors.
• And I don't think you can just fix that by a speed limit reduction. So that's my thoughts on that.
• <03:17:22.920> So uh a speed limit uh reduction. So uh a speed limit uh reduction.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• in truancy and a 58% reduction in chronic absenteeism.
• in truency and a 58% reduction in truency and a 58% reduction<00:18:53.919> in<00:18:54.320><
• reduction in chronic absenteeism. reduction in chronic absenteeism.
• in truancy. >> It talks about a 50% reduction in truancy and 58% reduction in chronic absenteeism.
• he feels is what led to that reduction. he feels is what led to that reduction.

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:00 Roll Call: 00:00:08 Agency Updates: 00:01:27 Truancy: 00:01:43, 958, all

Summary: The Juvenile Justice Oversight Council met on October 8, 2025, approved the minutes from the August 29 meeting, and then focused its agenda on truancy and chronic absenteeism. Chad Butler, director of pupil personnel for Meade County and president of the Kentucky Department of Pupil Personnel directors, said chronic absenteeism remains a major problem statewide, citing recent Kentucky rates around 28% to 30% and noting that schools are trying to identify best practices to get students back in class. He said causes appear to include post-COVID social-emotional distress and confusion about when students should stay home, and he described a local effort to use a Healthy Kids Clinic model to keep some students in school when possible. In response to questions, he said chronic absenteeism has only been tracked seriously in the last two to three years and that House Bill 611 appears to have increased the number of youth entering the court system for habitual truancy; AOC said it would provide county-by-county data and outcomes later in the meeting. The council then heard from John Tyson of Alabama, a former Mobile district attorney, who described the Helping Families Initiative as a school-community partnership designed to address truancy and related behavior issues without arrest. Tyson said Alabama defines chronic absence as missing 10% of the school year and emphasized that the program is preventive rather than punitive, using warning letters, family engagement, assessments, individualized intervention plans, and referrals to community services. He said the program has operated since 2003, now includes 20 district attorneys and 44 school systems, and served more than 95,000 students, 73,000 families, and 162,000 parents in the most recent year. Tyson reported that in Mobile County the program was associated with a 3.15% attendance improvement in 2023-24 and a 4% reduction in the issue in 2024-25, along with a 50% reduction in truancy and 58% reduction in chronic absenteeism, and he said the program produced a large return on investment. Tyson also stressed that student absenteeism wastes tax dollars and that better attendance improves educational outcomes and community safety. He described the program’s use of a case-management database, real-time data tracking, and more than 1,000 referral agencies, and said the model is intended to be replicated statewide. He closed with examples of students whose attendance and family circumstances required coordinated support rather than punishment, including a teen mother and a disruptive child, to illustrate his view that schools, courts, and social services should work together to address underlying needs and keep children in school.

Transcript Highlights:

• However, this doesn't account for nearly $15 million reduction.
• <00:35:01.119> I'm<00:35:01.280> sorry,<00:35:01.520> that million reduction
• I'm sorry, that million reduction.
• , should be yeah, $15 million reduction, should be yeah, $15 million reduction, which<00:35:04.400
• I will just gloss over this reductions.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We even had to add an extra decimal to show that there's only a reduction of 0.02 percent.
• The reason why there's a reduction, including homesteads, is because the state's paying for it.
• And even on the homestead side, that is the debt side of that, the state pays for that reduction.
• The reason why there's a reduction, including homesteads, is because the state's paying for it.
• According to the Texas Access to Justice Foundation, this decrease is due to a reduction...

Bills: SB 1

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee convened for its first hearing of the 89th regular session, confirmed a quorum, adopted committee rules by a 15-0 vote, and began review of Senate Bill 1, the state budget for fiscal years 2026-27. Chair Huffman outlined the committee’s organization, introduced staff, and described the budget as conservative and focused on one-time investments. She highlighted major SB 1 priorities including property tax relief, full funding for public education formulas, teacher pay, school safety, border security, Medicaid growth, dementia research, energy and water infrastructure, transportation, wildfire suppression, and other capital and public safety needs. Comptroller Glenn Hager presented the biennial revenue estimate, saying the state has $194.6 billion available for general-purpose spending in 2026-27, with a projected $23.8 billion ending balance from the current biennium. He cautioned that revenue growth is returning to more normal levels and that lawmakers should avoid committing short-term surpluses to ongoing expenses. He also explained that the Economic Stabilization Fund is projected to hit its constitutional cap, meaning an estimated $5.6 billion in severance tax and related revenue would remain in general revenue in the upcoming biennium rather than flow into the fund. Senators discussed whether to raise or rename the fund and the implications of keeping more severance-tax revenue in general revenue. The Legislative Budget Board then gave an overview of SB 1 and the budget’s major funding changes. LBB staff explained that the bill is essentially flat at $332.9 billion in all funds, but includes large method-of-finance shifts and major property tax relief. They detailed how prior property tax relief enacted in the 88th Legislature grew from an estimated $18 billion to $22.7 billion because of higher property values and hold-harmless provisions, and said SB 1 continues that relief with a total of $51 billion in ongoing and new property tax support. Members asked extensive questions about the automatic growth in school tax compression, the constitutional homestead exemption, COVID-era federal funding, Medicaid assumptions, and the sunset of the non-homestead circuit breaker. No additional votes or final budget actions were taken beyond adoption of the committee rules.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for all you do in waste reduction. Chair Barrett, Chair Cusack, good to be here.
• We ban nips, and we saw a dramatic reduction in litter there, but not everyone can do that, and bans
• standard. ...from the alternative energy portfolio standard and the greenhouse gas emission reduction
• full life cycle analysis shows that if you switch from oil heat to modern wood heat, you get a 50% reduction
• Scarsdale or any of us sort of in the waste reduction space, the bottle bill is one of many steps, right

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing focused mainly on two subjects: expansion of the Massachusetts bottle bill and bills to remove woody biomass from state clean-energy and greenhouse-gas programs. On the bottle bill, supporters from municipal, environmental, public health, and local government groups argued that the 5-cent deposit is outdated, redemption rates have fallen, and expanding coverage to more beverage containers—especially water, sports drinks, and small alcohol bottles—would reduce litter, cut plastic waste and microplastics, and save cities and towns money. Several speakers also backed raising handling fees for retailers and redemption centers, and some supported restoring a Clean Environment Fund so unclaimed deposits would support recycling-related purposes. Opponents, including the Massachusetts Beverage Association and the National Waste and Recycling Association, argued that curbside recycling and transfer-station systems are more convenient, that the targeted containers are valuable to local recycling programs, and that the proposal would shift costs onto consumers and municipalities. Committee members questioned witnesses about redemption rates, handling fees, the 2014 ballot question, and whether the bill had changed from prior sessions. The biomass portion drew strong support from Springfield officials, state legislators, environmental advocates, and public health groups. They said woody biomass should not count as clean energy because burning wood produces particulate pollution and carbon emissions, and they warned that current law contains a loophole that could help finance the proposed Palmer Renewable Energy biomass plant in Springfield. Witnesses emphasized Springfield’s air-quality and asthma burdens, the public health impacts of PM2.5, and the need to close the loophole before a January 1, 2026 deadline. One forest-industry witness supported a separate bill promoting modern wood heat with pollution controls, arguing it is cleaner than older wood systems and has minimal ratepayer cost, while noting that those credits would be affected if the governor’s broader energy affordability bill repeals the alternative energy portfolio standard. No votes were taken during the hearing. The chairs managed testimony by alternating between the bottle bill and biomass topics, asking speakers to keep remarks brief and to note when they agreed with prior testimony. Several legislators also testified in support of the bills, and committee members asked follow-up questions on deposit levels, retailer handling fees, recycling economics, and the public-health rationale for the biomass restrictions.

Transcript Highlights:

• of these in the portfolio that are at risk, where if there was a buy-down of debt, if there was a reduction
• to debt, so where those loans are held through third-party There was a reduction to debt, so where those
• This is happening in the context of what you all are very aware is a reduction in the amount of resource
• into this biennium to try to stretch dollars further, but the program did experience about a 66.4% reduction
• And as OHCS very well laid out, we're looking at a 66% reduction of this level of assistance over the

Keywords: 907, all

Summary: The committee met for a series of information sessions focused on housing stabilization, rental assistance, senior housing, and heat resilience. In the first panel, OHCS and NOAA described the state’s affordable housing preservation work, including the $35 million in 2025 stabilization funding used to reduce debt and keep distressed affordable rental projects operating, plus manufactured home park preservation efforts. OHCS said the portfolio remains under strain, with about a third of projects at debt coverage ratios of 1.0 or less and rising insurance and operating costs. NOAA urged faster closings on the stabilization awards, more funding in 2027, and broader rent assistance and process reforms. Committee members asked about the gap between current appropriations and need, and OHCS explained that the new Article 11-Q bond preservation program is structured differently and requires full refinancing rather than simple cash infusions. The committee then heard a detailed discussion of the state’s eviction prevention and rental assistance program, ORDAP. OHCS said the program is administered through community action agencies, prioritizes households at imminent risk of eviction, and is now funded at a much lower level than in the prior biennium, reducing expected service to about 8,200 households this biennium. The Oregon Law Center, a county community action agency, and Multifamily Northwest all agreed the program prevents homelessness and is effective, but they differed on whether assistance should be tied so closely to eviction court. Legal aid and community action witnesses said the current system is underfunded and that eviction filings are the clearest indicator of need, while Multifamily Northwest argued the process can push people into court unnecessarily and should be moved earlier when possible. Legislators raised questions about whether a pre-eviction model could be developed and about the costs of court involvement; one member shared a personal story about how rental assistance helped keep their family housed. Next, the governor’s office, OHCS, and OHA presented on the new senior housing initiative and healthy homes work. The governor’s housing director said Oregon is making progress on homelessness and housing production, with reductions in homelessness outside Multnomah County and an estimated 50,000 future units added to the pipeline through recent state actions. OHCS outlined the senior housing programs launched in May: a debt-financing program using elderly and disabled bond authority, an older adult housing development program funded through the senior property tax deferral revolving account, and a rehousing program for older adults that will use bridge funding and services to move at least 400 unsheltered older Oregonians into housing. OHA also described its Healthy Homes Grant Program, including $24.6 million already awarded, a new $5 million grant round for seniors and people with disabilities, and examples of home repairs and weatherization that help people remain safely housed. The final information session focused on home cooling and heat resilience. OHA presented data showing rising extreme heat days, more heat-related emergency visits, and likely undercounted heat deaths, especially among older adults, people with disabilities, low-income communities, and people without access to healthy homes. ODOE reviewed implementation of Senate Bill 1536, including a cooling needs study that found 58% of surveyed households in the studied housing types needed permanent cooling, with estimated statewide costs of $582 million to $1 billion. ODOE said its rental home heat pump and community heat pump programs have supported 4,638 installations so far, with a temporary reopening planned using remaining funds. The session ended with a remote presentation from a Community Action Partnership of Oregon representative, continuing the discussion of how community action agencies help deliver energy and anti-poverty services.

Transcript Highlights:

• It establishes the California Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council within the California Health and
• It establishes the California Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council within the California Health and
• It establishes the California Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council within the California Health and
• The bill recognizes that a serious child poverty reduction effort and strategy must center children from
• The promise of the California Child Poverty Reduction Council is one that we can't ignore.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• less of the total general fund in our state, uh we were responsible for more than a third of the reduction
• <00:14:09.200> in<00:14:09.280> general<00:14:09.560> fund of the reduction
• in general fund of the reduction in general fund spending<00:14:10.400> in<00:14:10.560> our
• <00:30:59.000> measures<00:30:59.400> should<00:30:59.560> be reduction measures
• should be reduction measures should be incorporated<00:31:00.280> into<00:31:00.440> bridge

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, at an interest rate of 3%, a $260,000 home shows a significant reduction in the payment that they
• So, 0.63% is the result of a reduction.
• Because that takes a huge amount of the work—managing those crime reduction grants, monitoring them,
• The Commission's federal revenue request aligned with the projected revenue reduction.
• The requested funding for the other financing uses category aligned with reductions and transfers in

Transcript Highlights:

• And then it also, in so doing, makes it harder for us to push our broader risk reduction agenda that
• Reasonable asks from a risk reduction perspective, but then despite complying with those requirements
• exposure, if they're really displeased with the way that the community is handling its collective risk reduction
• get together because we're getting dropped in the communities that start to come together on risk reduction

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So definitely, you know, I've talked to my team about paperwork reduction, process reduction in the BDD
• , and we are always available... ...reduction, process reduction in the BDD.

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Banking Committee met for its first meeting of the session, with Chair James Sanders Jr. and Ranking Member George Borrello opening the hearing and noting a collaborative approach to committee work. The committee first considered and advanced several bills: S.114, which would prohibit state-chartered banks from investing in or financing private prisons; S.2040, which would require money transmitters to provide a consumer warning; S.5473, which would require disclosures in advertisements involving virtual tokens; and S.8406, Sanders’ bill to amend the community bank deposit program. Each bill was moved and approved by committee, with S.8406 passing unanimously. The committee then heard from Caitlin Azar, Acting Superintendent of the Department of Financial Services (DFS), who outlined her background and DFS priorities. She emphasized affordability, consumer protection, stability, and innovation, and discussed DFS-led initiatives in the governor’s budget, including Banking Development Districts, non-bank mortgage CRA regulations, CDFI investment guidance, and consumer restitution. She also said DFS plans to issue buy-now-pay-later regulations in February, expand student lending protections and borrower education, and continue work on insurance affordability, including auto and homeowners insurance reforms, anti-fraud efforts, and discounts tied to telematics, dash cameras, and safe-driving courses. Members questioned Azar about the balance between regulation and access, especially in crypto, buy-now-pay-later, and insurance markets. She said DFS aims to preserve competition while preventing discriminatory or excessive practices, and described existing oversight of virtual currency, including coordination with federal regulators. Another member asked about AI in auto insurance underwriting and pricing; Azar said DFS requires transparency, bias review, governance controls, and consumer recourse, and that credit scores cannot be used to deny or increase rates. The chair also raised concerns about foreclosure in Southeast Queens, improving BDD paperwork and data collection, and increasing the number of state-chartered credit unions. Azar said DFS is working on process improvements, community input, and maintaining open communication with the committee, but no additional votes or formal actions were taken during the DFS hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• and other health, um, disability services, other things that we're already looking at possible reductions
• > possible that we're already looking at possible that we're already looking at possible reductions
• 20.320> backs<00:05:20.960> of<00:05:21.280> those<00:05:21.440> that reductions
• on the backs of those that reductions on the backs of those that are<00:05:21.919> here<00:05

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 7031, a bill to be entitled an act relating to sales tax rate reductions.
• Senators, this is the House's sales tax reduction conforming bill. Thank you for that explanation.
• House Bill 7031, a bill to be entitled an act relating to sales tax rate reductions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Bill 1457 FN inexpedient to legislate. 1457 would have allowed for natural organic reduction of human
• Um, this bill would legalize natural organic reduction.
• It's a natural organic reduction.
• Um, this bill would legalize natural organic reduction.
• It's a natural organic reduction.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• for implementation, there are no requirements for local governments to factor in the emissions reductions
• measures identified by state agencies, local air districts, reductions measures identified by state
• plans that would be approved by CARB or local community emission reduction plans that don't have any
• I all support the clean air effort and the reduction of emissions from the big projects.
• If it's been successful, why the need for further reduction in some of the really important resources

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ARPA money being an example reduction in ARPA money.
• This is a reduction about $8.4 million from last year, but that is due to a reduction in federal
• So that's the reduction in the governor's mansion support. So, uh, that is an explanation.
• The Senate action is $204,527,441, and that's a reduction of $109,928,577.
• The reduction is mainly due to the transfer of funds to the new tourism committee and the deletion of

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 216, 18 February, 2026; 11:00 AM, 925, all

Summary: The committee began with process instructions about using committee substitutes, identifying bills with reverse repealers, and taking up noncontroversial items in blocks. It then approved Senate Bill 3051, the DFA budget, which included LBR-level funding with a reverse repealer and agency-by-agency allocations for the status of women, DFA, tort claims, state property insurance, BEAM, and Mississippi Home Corporation. Senate Bill 3052, the governor’s support budget, was also approved as a final-action bill without a reverse repealer, with members noting the reduction from the prior year was tied to lower federal funding. The committee then handled the IHL budget bills. Senate Bill 3053, the general support bill, included a 3% across-the-board raise for IHL professors and $20 million for repair and renovation at universities, plus $5 million for UMMC; it passed as a committee substitute with a reverse repealer. Senate Bill 3054, the original IHL-related bill, passed without a committee substitute. Bills 3055 through 3059 were taken up in block and approved, providing 3% increases for A units at Alcorn State and Mississippi State. Senate Bill 3060, student financial aid, added about $7.7 million for scholarship costs, including MESG, MTAG, and Winters-Reed loan repayment, and passed as a committee substitute. The committee also approved the larger IHL budget bill with a reverse repealer and discussed, but did not fund, a UMMC cancer center request at that stage. Subcommittee 3 presented education-related bills. Senate Bill 3062 was approved at LBR with a reverse repealer and included a large transfer from the education enhancement fund. Senate Bill 3063 added $15 million for repair and renovation and $8.11 million for faculty pay raises, and passed as a committee substitute with a reverse repealer. On Senate Bill 3064, the Employment Security Commission budget, members discussed whether the committee substitute included a reverse repealer and noted they might revisit that on the floor if needed; the bill was advanced. Subcommittee 4 then took up Senate Bills 3065, 3066, 3068, and 3069 in block and approved them: Ethics Commission funding increased for salary realignment and a database; Judicial Performance Commission language was tightened to freeze the director’s salary and ensure youth court oversight funds were used solely for that purpose; Tax Appeals Board funding was increased to restore cuts and vacancy funding; and Workers’ Compensation Commission funding rose to cover commissioner salary increases and related language changes. Later, the committee approved Senate Bill 3067 for the Department of Public Safety, which included a reverse repealer, LBR-level funding, additional money for furniture for the new headquarters, and reappropriation language. Senate Bill 3071, the GCRF bill, was approved with a reverse repealer and reappropriation language for prior-year projects. Senate Bill 3072, the Department of Mental Health budget, was approved with a reverse repealer and included $12 million for the Canopy project, prior-year invoice funding, and language tied to mental health-related legislation. Finally, Senate Bills 3073 through 3075 were taken up in block for licensing boards, with increases for the Chiropractic Examiners, Dental Examiners, and Pharmacy boards, including funding for licensing system updates, vacancy funding, and expansion of the pharmacy recovery program.