Transcript Highlights:

• This bill requires additional investment in primary care.
• Today, primary care accounts for only 5.8% of total medical spending in the state employee health plan
• SVO estimates that better primary care management will generate an additional $153.2 million in savings
• We request your help in supporting the fiscal investment needed in primary care reform.
• We thank you for your support of primary care and dental care. Thank you.

Bills: SB219, SB9

Keywords: military pension, military retirement pay, veterans, retiree tax relief, income tax exemption, pension exclusion, Delaware income tax, retirement income, state tax subtraction, armed forces retirement, National Guard, Space Force, Coast Guard, NOAA, Public Health Service, taxable income, Title 30, Section 1106, wetlands protection, nontidal wetlands

Summary: The House Appropriations Committee met to hear several bills, with members repeatedly reminded to focus on fiscal impacts rather than policy merits. The committee first considered SB 9 on freshwater wetlands, which would combine tidal and non-tidal wetlands programs into one permitting framework; supporters said the bill resulted from a two-year consensus process and that the governor’s office and DENREC would absorb a significant share of the cost. Public testimony was largely supportive, emphasizing flood control and ecosystem services, though one speaker opposed the spending. The committee voted to release SB 9. The committee then heard SB 278 on child care assistance, which would preauthorize summer camp for eligible school-age children and create a separate lower co-payment for half-day care. The sponsor and the YMCA of Delaware said the change would better align family co-pays with provider reimbursement and make before- and after-school care more affordable for working families. The committee also released SB 278, SB 168 on alcohol delivery for package stores, SB 120 on health insurance coverage for certain testing and treatment, and HB 4, a pilot program for artificial intelligence and extended reality in schools; HB 4 was described as having a near-$3 million fiscal note and a one-year implementation delay because it was not funded in the budget. Later, the committee approved SB 219, which gradually increases the military pension income tax exclusion from $12,500 to $25,000 over three years and includes related joint-filing and residency changes. Supporters argued it would help attract and retain military retirees and bring federal dollars into the state. The committee also released SB 1, a major primary care reform bill that would increase primary care spending and implement hospital payment reforms, with projected long-term savings to the state employee health plan, and SB 325, which expands background checks and wrap-back monitoring for fire service personnel and adds an investigator position for the Fire Prevention Commission. In each case, public commenters and committee members generally supported the bills, and all were released from committee by recorded vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, but I said the primary residence, it has to be your primary residence for at least the previous 12
• Um, but I said the primary trust.
• has to be your primary residence, it has to be your primary residence<00:08:29.759><c> for</c><00:08
• So it open it would open the couple.
• So it open it would open the door<01:33:43.440><c> to</c><01:33:43.760><c> allow</c><01:33:44.080><c>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So I'm open to answer any questions.
• When I first opened my business, we did not accept credit cards.
• That opens a door to costly litigation and market instability.
• And now I'm trying to open a school.
• And many of my mentors who— And now I'm trying to open a school.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee opened a hearing of the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure and reviewed a broad agenda including credit card fees, event ticketing, music therapy licensure, senior psychologist licensure, CPA pathways, school mental health licensure, and a bill regulating alternative healing therapies. The chairs explained hearing logistics, including three-minute testimony limits and submission of written testimony, and noted that more than 70 people had signed up to testify. Legislators and advocates were heard out of order throughout the day. A major portion of the hearing focused on credit card surcharge and interchange legislation. Restaurant owners, the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, NFIB, and other small-business witnesses supported bills allowing merchants to add convenience fees and, in one proposal, preventing card companies from charging fees on tax and tip portions of transactions. They argued that swipe fees are a major and growing cost, especially for restaurants, and that Massachusetts is one of only two states that bars surcharges. Opponents from the Cooperative Credit Union Association, the Electronic Payment Coalition, and the Electronic Transactions Association warned that the proposals would create compliance burdens, fragment the payment system, raise legal preemption issues, and disrupt a system they described as efficient and secure. The committee also heard competing testimony on ticket transferability and ticket resale. Supporters, including the National Consumers League and Sports Fans Coalition, said bills on ticket transferability would protect consumers who cannot attend events and would increase competition and savings in the secondary market. Opponents, including United Musicians and Allied Workers and theater owners, argued that mandatory transferability would weaken artists’ and venues’ ability to prevent scalping and predatory resale, and that some ticket sellers should be exempt from the broader ticketing regulations. Separate testimony supported music therapy licensure, senior psychologist licensure, and new CPA education pathways, with witnesses saying these measures would expand access to care and strengthen the workforce while maintaining professional standards. The hearing also drew extensive opposition to S.261 on alternative healing therapies, with practitioners and clients arguing it would overregulate spiritual and holistic practices and was not an effective response to human trafficking concerns.

Transcript Highlights:

• days of an absentee location in the state primary.
• </c> voting two weeks before the primary voting two weeks before the primary absentee<00:21:37.400><c
• </c><00:21:45.200><c> in</c> clarifies that for the state primary in clarifies that for the state primary
• :22:09.760><c> state</c><00:22:10.080><c> primary.
• And I will just in the state primary.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll open up then to public comment.
• All right, with that, I'll say thank you and open up for public comment.
• Seeing no other questions, we'll open to public comment on this item. Thank you.
• Seeing no other questions, we'll open to public comment on this item.
• The process must be open and transparent.

Summary: The hearing opened with remarks from the chair and members about recent federal cuts to public health, mental health, family planning, and Title X funding, with strong concern about the impact on California programs and providers. The committee then turned to the Department of State Hospitals, which presented its 2025-26 budget proposal of $3.4 billion, including new positions, capital improvements, and funding tied to increased patient costs and incompetent-to-stand-trial services. DSH reported major progress in reducing the IST waitlist and wait times, said it had met the court’s 28-day treatment benchmark for those without extenuating circumstances, and described workforce recruitment and retention efforts such as residency programs, fellowships, outreach, and hiring streamlining. Members asked about future IST referral trends, SB 1323’s effect on diversion and community treatment, and workforce lessons in high-cost regions; public comment urged reconsideration of county IST growth cap methodology in light of new criminal justice initiatives. The committee next received an informational overview of Proposition 1 and its changes to behavioral health funding and governance. The Legislative Analyst’s Office explained that Prop. 1 restructured county MHSA funding buckets, expanded the Commission for Behavioral Health, shifted prevention and early intervention responsibilities, and authorized a $6.4 billion bond, including $4.4 billion for behavioral health facilities through BHCIP. DHCS said it had released guidance for county integrated plans and was receiving extensive public comment. Members focused on BHCIP application requirements, especially letters of support and tribal projects, and raised concerns about whether DHCS’s implementation matched statutory intent. DHCS said it had authority to set application requirements and that tribal entities were treated differently because of sovereignty and funding structure. DHCS then updated the committee on BHCIP, the Behavioral Health Bridge Housing Program, and related bond implementation. The department said BHCIP had awarded about $1.7 billion across five rounds, with more than 130 projects and 223 distinct facilities funded, and that it was preparing to award the new bond funds after receiving nearly $8 billion in applications. The LAO’s assessment found that more than half of awards served at least 80% Medi-Cal enrollees, but also raised concerns that the regional allocation model could reinforce inequities, that the program had not sufficiently addressed the highest-need regions such as the southern San Joaquin Valley, and that smaller counties and less launch-ready applicants faced barriers. For bridge housing, DHCS said more than $1.1 billion had been awarded, serving over 5,000 people and supporting more than 2,000 operational beds, but the Governor’s budget proposes to eliminate Round 4 funding as the administration weighs other statewide investments and Proposition 1 implementation workload. Public commenters and members urged more accountability, better regional equity, stronger labor and community involvement, and caution about funding for for-profit psychiatric facilities. Finally, the committee heard on the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative. CalHHS and DHCS described CYBHI as a broad prevention- and equity-focused effort with more than 1,300 organizations funded, over $2.1 billion awarded, and multiple work streams spanning schools, community programs, workforce, and digital supports. DHCS highlighted school-based services, the fee schedule rollout, and digital platforms BrightLife Kids and Soluna, which it said are reaching users statewide and providing low-barrier access to coaching and support. Members and public commenters raised concerns about delays in school fee schedule implementation, the large share of funding going to digital tools, the need for more in-person services, and whether the initiative is sufficiently tracking outcomes and equity impacts. No formal votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• committed to preparing students for seamless transfer to four-year institutions while serving as a primary
• school. primary engine for workforce development in our region.
• There is an urgency to keep the child care facility open.
• As mentioned, if we do not receive funding, we will likely not be able to remain open.
• The county would be open to an appropriation less than the $8 million requested.

Bills: HF2418, HF1666, HF232, HF344, HF402, HF431, HF468, HF547, HF583, HF1476, HF1711, HF2787, HF2788, HF3207

Keywords: capital investment, political subdivisions, state assistance, funding, project grants, child care, Slayton, state bonds, economic development, extended time revenue, school funding, state aid, career and technical education, CTE, STEM, secondary credit, after-school programs, summer school, learning year program, extended day

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> up front before I enter into my opening up front before I enter into my opening remarks<00:34:27.359
• </c> a contributo factor but not the primary a contributo factor but not the primary reason<00:48:18.400
• </c> then you're open to other actions. Okay. then you're open to other actions. Okay.
• </c> just in general u whether that opens just in general u whether that opens this<04:13:25.199><c>
• </c> open-ended generative communication. open-ended generative communication.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Judiciary Committee opened a hearing on Senate Bill 146, which would remove the requirement that a medical examiner physically view a body before issuing a cremation certificate. The prime sponsor, Sen. Suprentice, and Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Jenny Duval explained that the bill would not change the death certificate process or the existing waiting period before cremation; it would only eliminate the in-person viewing step. They said the current review of death certificates already catches the vast majority of cases that should be reported to the medical examiner, and that the physical view changes outcomes in less than 1% of cremation cases. The witnesses emphasized that the bill is intended to improve efficiency and reduce delays for families and funeral homes, while freeing deputy medical examiners to focus on homicides, suicides, accidents, and unexpected natural deaths. Dr. Duval cited an example where review of a death certificate, not the body, uncovered a long-ago strangulation-related homicide, arguing that the key safeguard is review of records and cause of death, not the physical view. She also said the change would save travel time and some costs for the department. Committee members asked about how death certificates list primary and contributing causes of death, whether the low percentage of findings means the current process has a deterrent effect, why cremation is treated differently from burial, and whether identification concerns are adequately addressed. The sponsors responded that identification is handled earlier by hospitals, families, and funeral directors, and that any questionable identification would already fall under medical examiner jurisdiction. They also said the bill would not alter the two-day cremation delay or other existing safeguards. No vote or final action was taken in the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our primary concern remains the enforcement mechanism.
• We're open to ideas.
• It is out, but we will leave it open for absent members. Thank you, Senator.
• It's out, but we'll leave it open for absent members. Thank you, Mr. Pelham.
• We will leave it open for absent members. That bill has six.

Summary: The committee began as a subcommittee due to the lack of a quorum and heard several privacy- and technology-related measures. The first item was H.R. 117, a resolution urging Congress to reform Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. The author and supporters argued the law is outdated and shields platforms from accountability for harms such as harassment, exploitation, scams, and other online abuse. Witnesses, including a survivor parent and a gender justice advocate, described harms to children, women, and LGBTQ people and urged a two-year sunset to force federal reform. Some members supported the resolution as a call for federal action, while one member said he could not support it because the resolution was too general and lacked specificity about the reforms being sought. No vote was taken because the committee lacked a quorum. The committee then heard SB 898, which would require manufacturers of connected consumer products to disclose how long they will support the software and to notify consumers when products approach end of life. The author said consumers deserve transparency about security updates and continued functionality, and supporters from Consumer Reports and PIRG emphasized cybersecurity risks, consumer confusion, and electronic waste from unsupported devices. Opponents, including business and industry groups, raised concerns about enforcement through the unfair competition law, notice burdens, labeling issues, and compliance challenges, especially for products with long support windows or third-party dependencies. One member expressed support, noting the cybersecurity risks of end-of-life devices, but again no vote was taken because there was no quorum. The committee also heard SB 435, which would narrow the CCPA definition of publicly available information to limit how businesses classify data as public. The author and supporters said the bill would close a loophole that allows data brokers and others to monetize personal information without meaningful consent and could help prevent surveillance and misuse of data, including by government agencies. Opponents argued the bill would upset the balance between privacy and the free flow of information, create compliance uncertainty, and retroactively reclassify information that businesses reasonably believed was public. Some members said they supported the goal of stronger privacy protections, while others said the bill was too broad. The committee again could not vote due to the lack of a quorum. Later, the committee heard SB 923, which would expand Californians’ right to delete personal information to cover data obtained from third parties and require online businesses to offer a web form or similar method for deletion requests. Supporters, including the California Privacy Protection Agency and consumer advocates, said the bill would make deletion rights meaningful and better address data broker practices. Opponents sought an opt-out-of-processing alternative and raised operational and legal concerns, but supporters said deletion is not the same as retention or processing limits. Members largely spoke in favor of the bill’s privacy goals, but no action was taken. The committee also heard SB 947, the “No Robo Bosses Act,” which would require human review for certain automated employment decisions and limit predictive analysis in workplace discipline and termination. Labor groups supported the bill as a safeguard against biased or erroneous AI-driven decisions, while business, public employer, and local government groups opposed it as overbroad and burdensome. Members voiced support for human oversight in employment decisions, but the item was not voted on because the committee still lacked a quorum. Finally, the committee began hearing SB 1114, the SOGI Data Privacy Act, which would restrict disclosure of sexual orientation, gender identity, and intersex data to federal agencies absent a court order or legal requirement; the author and witness framed it as a response to federal efforts to obtain sensitive LGBTQ-related data.

Transcript Highlights:

• With that, I'd like to hand it over to my colleagues to make some opening comments.
• Seeing no other opening, yes, Senator Gomez Reyes. Thank you so much.
• As the chair mentioned in her opening comments, the staff... ...the cap and invest program.
• It is not the primary goal for the program. It is not the primary goal for the program.
• your primary goal, but your actions have a direct impact on GGRF funding.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We will allow primary witnesses here in the room today to speak for two minutes, each with two primary
• Open on for call. Okay. Thank you, Ms. Colosa. Have a good day.
• We wanted to make sure all were open up to participate in this.
• With that, we will leave it open. Okay, with that, thank you.
• Okay, we'll still leave it open, we'll leave it on call. Thank you, Senator Carrillo.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Patients would be encouraged to pick a primary care clinic, one that they actually use, and that primary
• </c><00:06:37.120><c> care</c> Minnesota would pay primary care Minnesota would pay primary care providers
• </c> would be encouraged to pick a primary would be encouraged to pick a primary care<00:06:42.240><c
• </c> medical providers primarily at primary medical providers primarily at primary care<00:06:54.720>
• primary care provider.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I believe it's a fairly common practice to provide some level of exemption for a primary property.
• change our driver's license to reflect the address of our primary location.
• identification to reflect our primary address in question.
• forms of ID that are not reflective of their primary address.
• It is used as the primary... ...instead is a dwelling that is only occupied by the claimant.

Summary: The House Revenue and Taxation Committee approved minutes from March 6, 11, 12, and 13, 2026 after correcting a procedural issue with the earlier March 6 approval. The committee then heard House Bill 861, which would allow universities to apply for grants from the state’s 2% hotel bed-tax marketing fund currently used for tourism promotion and chambers of commerce. Representative Monks said the bill would only expand eligibility to apply, not guarantee funding, and argued it could help universities offset promotion costs. An Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association representative testified in opposition, warning that diverting those dedicated tourism dollars could harm outdoor recreation marketing and rural jobs. After debate, the committee rejected the motion to send HB 861 to the floor on a do-pass recommendation. The committee next considered House Bill 885, a homestead exemption bill that would clarify residency and documentation requirements, including allowing a prior or current Idaho income tax return as proof of address, requiring six months’ residency in Idaho for continued eligibility except for military or religious mission service, and tying the homestead exemption to candidate residency provisions already in code. Sponsor Representative Raybould said the bill was intended to ensure only Idaho residents receive the benefit and to prevent double-dipping on similar exemptions in other states. Ron Nate of the Idaho Freedom Foundation opposed the bill, arguing it could create retroactive candidacy problems, impose unequal exceptions, and be difficult to administer across other states. Despite concerns and requests to delay the effective date, the committee passed HB 885 to the floor with a due-pass recommendation, with several members recording no votes. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 1345, which would let the Idaho State Tax Commission communicate with taxpayers by email or other secure electronic means if taxpayers opt in, instead of relying only on U.S. mail or certified mail. Chairman Cannon said the change would improve efficiency and save an estimated $300,000, and noted the Tax Commission had helped shape the bill and was comfortable with the July 1, 2026 implementation date. With no testimony in opposition, the committee unanimously sent SB 1345 to the floor with a due-pass recommendation and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill expands access to primary This bill expands access to primary health<03:45:23.120><c> care<
• </c><03:45:29.600><c> care</c> its contract with bystate primary care its contract with bystate primary
• </c><03:46:08.000><c> care</c> will increase access to primary care will increase access to primary care
• </c> instead of being tied to the primary instead of being tied to the primary date,<04:51:42.798><c>
• </c> we're talking about a June primary. we're talking about a June primary.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In all cases, they would have the primary oversight.
• In all cases, they would have the primary oversight.
• In all cases, they would have the primary oversight.
• </c> you want to say who has primary you want to say who has primary oversight<01:18:30.040><c> over<
• </c> cases they would have the primary cases they would have the primary oversight<01:18:36.560><c> you're

Bills: HF1, HF1384

Keywords: Office of Inspector General, inspector general, legislative audit, fraud prevention, waste and abuse, public funds, grant oversight, state grants, grant management, whistleblower protection, retaliation, subpoena power, data practices, government transparency, accountability, law enforcement referrals, sanctions, debarment, payment withholding, public assistance fraud

Transcript Highlights:

• For this hearing, we will be limiting substantive testimony to two primary witnesses on each side of
• As a reminder, primary witnesses in support must be those accompanied by the author or who have registered
• The primary witnesses in support must be those accompanied by the author or who have registered a support
• And the primary witness in opposition must have their opposition registered with the committee.
• We need to open the roll for add-ons. Thank you. Item number two, AB 1582.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Public Employment and Retirement heard several labor and retirement bills. AB 1582 by Assembly Member Ortega would make it an unfair labor practice for a higher education employer to disregard or delay arbitration decisions involving contracting out, with make-whole relief including attorney fees and costs. Supporters from AFSCME and other labor groups said UC has repeatedly ignored arbitration outcomes on outsourcing disputes, while UC opposed the bill as an overbroad change that could create systemwide operational and financial risk. The committee passed the bill on a do-pass basis to Appropriations. AB 1818 by Assembly Member Ortega would repeal an outdated HEERA provision that CSU has used to reopen bargaining when it claims state funding is insufficient. Teamsters and other labor supporters argued CSU has used the provision to avoid honoring negotiated raises, while CSU said the bill would limit its ability to manage compensation responsibly when state funding is uncertain. The committee also passed AB 1818 to Appropriations. AB 1564 by Assembly Member Arreguín would make communications between an employee and union representative confidential in public employment matters. Labor supporters said the measure would protect trust in the representational relationship and codify existing PERB case law, while school, local government, county, city, and business groups warned it could hinder workplace investigations, including those involving student safety and harassment. The bill passed 7-0 to Appropriations. AB 1844 by Assembly Member Pacheco, placed on the consent calendar, would update Judges’ Retirement System 2 to allow non-spouse beneficiaries for survivor benefits and to extend access to survivor options for vested judges; it was approved unanimously, 7-0. After all items were taken up, the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• For this hearing, we will be limiting subsidence testimony to two primary witnesses on each side of the
• As a reminder, primary witnesses in support must be those accompanied by the author or who has registered
• The primary witnesses in support must be those accompanied by the author or who have registered a support
• And the primary witness in opposition must have their opposition registered with the committee.
• We need to open the roll for add-ons. Thank you. Item number two, AB 1582.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• please state aye aye any opposed that motion carries in just a moment we're going to have some opening
• Okay, so I’m going to allow our vice chair to make some opening remarks, and I’ll follow him.
• That has been our primary goal. It continues to be our primary goal, and to the Primary goal.
• It continues to be our primary goal.
• And so I want to now open it up to members of the commission to see if there are any other opening comments

Keywords: Cannabis Retail Market, Joint Commission to Oversee the Transition of the Commonwealth into a, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It would establish a presidential preference primary for the 2028 election.
• According to Ballotpedia, a presidential preference primary is a primary election in which the voter
• SB 114 will replace our in-person presidential primaries with mail-in ballots.
• The cost to conduct the in-person presidential primaries was carried by the parties.
• preference primary is a primary<00:02:20.640><c> election</c><00:02:21.120><c> in</c><00:02:21.280><

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on SB 114, which would create a presidential preference primary for the 2028 election. The Office of Elections said the bill would cost about $4.1 million. Supporters, including the Hawaii Democratic Party and the League of Women Voters, favored moving the process to a state-run primary, while several opponents, including the Hawaiian Islands Republican Women and multiple individual testifiers, argued it would be too expensive, would shift control away from the parties, and would replace volunteer-run caucuses with a mail-in system. Committee members questioned the chief election officer about election timing, certification, and how a primary might be scheduled with other elections. Testimony was recorded as 11 in support, 41 opposed, and 3 comments, and no vote was taken in the excerpt. The committee then took up SB 725, which would require judges to make findings about a defendant’s ability to afford bail. Judiciary and Attorney General witnesses asked that the bill be deferred or amended, saying the Judicial Council is already reviewing pretrial bail reform and that the bill’s language could create practical problems for police, sheriffs, and courts. Supporters, including the Correctional System Oversight Commission, the public defender, the Community Alliance on Prisons, the ACLU of Hawaii, and disability rights advocates, said cash bail disproportionately harms low-income defendants, increases pretrial detention costs, and should require clearer findings and records. Opponents included the Hawaii County prosecuting attorney. Members questioned how bail is initially set, what records exist, and whether the bill would change current practice; Judiciary witnesses said initial bail decisions are often made by police or judges and later reviewed on the record, while supporters argued the bill would strengthen front-end due process. The ACLU said it supported the bill with amendments, including clearer standards for ability to pay and written findings. The committee also began hearing SB 733, a proposed constitutional amendment to establish a continuous legislative session. Early testimony was strongly supportive, with advocates arguing that the current 60-day session limits public participation, makes it hard for working people to testify, and prevents lawmakers from collaborating effectively. Supporters said a year-round model could improve transparency, reduce duplicate bills, and better accommodate neighbor island legislators. The excerpt ends during the opening testimony on SB 733, before any committee action or vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• We will leave the roll open for absent members.
• We’ll leave the roll open for absent members.
• We will leave the roll open for absent members.
• We’ll leave the roll open for absent members.
• Do we have any primary witnesses in opposition?

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Human Services heard testimony on a series of bills affecting disability services, child welfare, foster youth, domestic violence survivors, guaranteed income pilots, crisis response, and child care providers. AB 1575 would update the Lanterman Act to use person-first language and broaden respite services to allow safe community access; supporters said it would improve dignity and consistency in services, and there was no opposition. AB 2470 would create a statewide one-stop reentry program for survivors of intimate partner violence to replace documents, repair credit, and access housing supports, while also giving CalWORKs emergency housing funds more flexibility; the Little Hoover Commission backed the bill based on its prior recommendations. AB 2510 would clarify and expand CalWORKs family reunification aid so parents can keep receiving support during reunification even if not all children are removed, and supporters said it would reduce barriers and better align with reunification goals. AB 2585 would expand guaranteed income pilot funding to rural and underserved counties, with testimony emphasizing the need for geographic diversity and data from places like the Central Valley. AB 1932, the Crisis Act 2.0, would continue and strengthen community-based mental health crisis response programs; testimony from family members and advocates strongly favored non-law-enforcement responses, and the bill drew broad support. AB 1925 would direct a feasibility study on a statewide permanent disability certification process to reduce repeated verification burdens; the committee approved it 4-0 and sent it to Appropriations. AB 2189 would fund a statewide special education parent action network to train and connect parents for systemic advocacy; after some opposition over the use of state funds for advocacy, it passed as amended and was referred to Education. AB 2684 would allow out-of-state nonminor dependents to do monthly social worker visits virtually, with in-person visits still required quarterly; it passed to Judiciary. AB 1967 would improve pathways for older youth experiencing homelessness or failed adoptions to enter or reenter foster care, and it passed to Appropriations. AB 2126 would create a targeted background-check exemption for certain former foster youth hired as peer partners, and it passed as amended to Public Safety. AB 2379 would require DSS to notify family child care providers of Fourth Amendment rights and provide multilingual know-your-rights training regarding immigration enforcement; it passed to Judiciary after some members questioned whether DSS was the right agency to administer the training.

Transcript Highlights:

• So their primary role is to administer the DDD program, the PPCG paid parent program.
• It’s genius because by opening this up—by opening this up to the public for jury trials, to opening it
• It's genius because by opening this up, by opening this up to point, services, it's genius because by
• opening this up, by opening this up to public for jury trials, to opening it up to DCS to be able to
• A dependency case was open before the very first hearing in dependency court.

Summary: The Committee on Government met for a presentation-only hearing focused on the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) and related child welfare system issues; no bills were heard or voted on. Chair Blackman opened by stressing that the hearing was for fact-finding and data, not personal attacks, and Director Catherine Patak then presented DCS data on hotline volume, investigations, reunifications, adoptions, guardianships, extended foster care, and placement patterns. She said DCS investigated more than 43,000 cases in 2025, kept the out-of-home population relatively steady, and emphasized that Arizona places a high share of children with kin. She also highlighted a mismatch between the age of children entering care and the availability of foster homes willing to take older youth, and said behavioral health capacity, not DCS alone, is a major constraint. Patak discussed kinship supports, foster care reimbursement increases, the Family First Prevention Services Act, missing youth, congregate care reduction, and the department’s procurement process for group home beds. Members asked about kinship caregiver support, behavioral health access, reunification services, parental-rights terminations, Auditor General findings on notices and documentation, licensing and reimbursement rates, and why some relatives are not approved as placements. Patak said DCS is working on policy guidance, supervisor training, and improved supports, but that provider capacity and other system partners limit what DCS can do. Representative Gillette then gave a lengthy presentation focused on system design, procurement, funding flows, and congregate care. He argued that DCS, DES, and Access are structurally intertwined, that DCS’s procurement carve-out and capitated funding model create incentives tied to bed space and volume, and that fragmented oversight diffuses accountability. He cited budget figures, contract amendments, and audit concerns to argue that the system is overreliant on congregate care and that decision-making, medical referrals, and placement processes are too vague or too centralized in ways that can harm children and families. Gillette said his findings were based on contracts, interviews, and public records, and he indicated some material would be referred to special counsel. He also raised concerns about placement decisions, due process, and demographic disparities in congregate care outcomes. The chair cut off further questioning of Gillette for time and announced the committee would move on to the next presenter, Vice Chair Fink, with attorneys and other speakers to follow.