Transcript Highlights:

• And where we're at as an agency is we have a budget of 2% for admin.
• And where we're at as an agency is we have a budget of 2% for admin.
• And where we're at as an agency is we have a budget of 2% for admin.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• :44:19.920> effective<01:44:20.400> and<01:44:20.719> reduce<01:44:21.119> admin
• response more effective and reduce admin response more effective and reduce admin burden<01:44:22.400

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, uh, depending on the ups and downs in the federal funding, how much state admin do we take out of
• Uh, generally, I don't have an exact answer for that, but the amount of admin cost that we...
• But the amount of admin cost that we would take on the state funds would be relative to the state funds

Bills: HF1082, HF1042, HF1295, HF1686, HF1998, HF1775, HF1163

Keywords: public safety, law enforcement, mental health, domestic violence, appropriations, criminal justice, Minnesota corrections, victim services, task force, personal safety, Independent Use of Force Investigations Unit, criminal sexual conduct, sexual assault, peace officers, law enforcement oversight, Minnesota National Guard, U.S. armed forces, military installation, armory, air base

Transcript Highlights:

• means in CCA or County means in CCA or County supervision<01:31:29.480> Cy's<01:31:30.239> admin
• <01:31:30.840> County supervision Cy's admin County supervision Cy's admin County administrated

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• > s<00:02:51.760> uh<00:02:51.840> for<00:02:52.000> the<00:02:52.159> admin
• Stephen s uh for the admin Stephen s uh for the admin administrative<00:02:53.480> Services

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If he accidentally spends more than he has, $35, in my opinion, is too high of a penalty.
• If he accidentally spends more than he has, $35, in my opinion, is too high of a penalty.
• If he accidentally spends more than he has, $35, in my opinion, is too high of a penalty.
• Under the Biden Harris admin, the mess.
• Under the Biden Harris admin, the Biden<03:11:40.640> Harris<03:11:41.040> administration

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So you had a similar reduction, the same dollar amounts under admin services.
• reduction the same dollar<00:47:23.280> amounts<00:47:23.599> under<00:47:23.839> admin
• dollar amounts under admin services. dollar amounts under admin services.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee of conference on HB 1 and HB 2 met to review revenue estimates and begin working through a side-by-side of the budget. New Hampshire Lottery Director Charlie McIntyre testified that lottery revenues are outperforming prior estimates, projecting a $27 million return to the state this year, up $7 million, and $200 million per year in the next biennium, up $6.5 million per year. He attributed the increase to stronger scratch ticket sales, no negative impact from Massachusetts sports betting, and overall better performance. Members questioned the assumptions behind the higher numbers, including the proposed $50 scratch tickets, the effect of inflation, and whether the projections were conservative enough. McIntyre said the $50 ticket could produce modest growth and that the estimates were intentionally cautious. The discussion also covered gaming revenue assumptions for historical horse racing and video lottery terminals, with McIntyre saying the state market is not yet saturated and that future conversions from HHR to VLTs should be net positive for the state. Members also discussed differences between House and Senate revenue numbers for gaming, including machine counts, daily revenue assumptions, and the tax split. The Senate version used higher machine counts and a 31.25% tax rate, with a quarter-point reserved for responsible gaming and the remainder split between charities and the state. The House had used a 30% rate with a different distribution. McIntyre and committee members also reviewed House Bill 2 items affecting Kino hours and local option games of chance, with McIntyre explaining that the bill would expand playing hours and shift towns to an opt-out model. No votes were taken during the lottery discussion, but the committee indicated it would continue refining the revenue model and circulate the spreadsheet used for the estimates. The committee then moved through the HB 1 detail change sheet, accepting several Senate positions and holding others for later. It agreed to a zero-cost realignment in the Department of Safety moving the international fuel tax agreement function from administration to motor vehicles, and it restored eight passenger motor vehicle inspection positions for later discussion in HB 2. The Department of Corrections reorganization was set aside for a later, more detailed discussion. The committee also accepted no-change positions for the Department of Employment Security and agreed to a technical footnote fix in the Judicial Council section. It discussed a new HB 2 item moving contract counsel for involuntary mental health admissions from the judicial branch to the Judicial Council, funded at $100,000 per year, and noted that the public defender funding issue would be revisited when the overall budget picture is clearer. The meeting ended with the committee continuing its review of the remaining pages of the detail change sheet.

Transcript Highlights:

• a state-owned building, is the department would transfer to the Division of Plant and Property at Admin
• c><02:14:42.719> and<02:14:42.880> property<02:14:43.280> at<02:14:43.520> admin
• division of plant and property at admin division of plant and property at admin services<02:14:44.400

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee met with Lottery Director Charlie McIntyre and Charitable Gaming Chief Compliance Officer Kulie Aoyo to review proposed changes in HB 2 and related amendments affecting video lottery terminals, historic horse racing, charitable gaming, and scratch tickets. McIntyre said the late-arriving amendment made revenue estimates difficult, especially because the bill would allow operators to decide when to convert from HHR to VLTs and would change the floor-space rules. He explained that the existing 70/30 floor-space split between machines and table games was negotiated to protect charity revenue, and warned that moving to a 90/10 split could reduce charity revenue, potentially by as much as $17 million, while also changing the character of the facilities. Committee members discussed whether to keep the 70/30 split, and McIntyre said he could provide updated estimates later that day, including net impacts after any offsetting gains or losses under current law. Members also asked about the governor’s proposed operator share versus the Sweeney amendment’s higher operator share. McIntyre said the governor’s 45% figure was based on his own estimate and on comparable rates in other states, and he supported it as a way to maximize revenue for the state and charities. He also described a change to high-stakes tournaments: after speaking with Rep. Sweeney, he said the amendment was clarified to apply only to those tournaments and would lower the house take from 10% to 5% to encourage participation in rare, high-buy-in events. The committee also discussed a separate proposal to raise the maximum scratch ticket price from $30 to $50; McIntyre said the change would take time to implement, would likely increase net state revenue by about $1 million in year two, and was consistent with pricing in neighboring states such as Massachusetts and Connecticut. Additional questions covered sports betting and a separate Kino-related estimate. McIntyre said March Madness is the busiest period for sports betting and that the state’s sports betting revenue has exceeded initial expectations. He also said he had estimated that removing a municipal-vote restriction for Kino could cost about $12 million total, with $2 million in the first year and $10 million thereafter. No formal votes were taken during the discussion; the chair indicated the committee would revisit the VLT amendment and other sections later, and McIntyre agreed to send updated revenue estimates to committee members.

Transcript Highlights:

• little bit more about, actually now I'm going to move into an update on the funds administered by the admin

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee received a compliance and status update on Industrial Commission programs and the Bank of North Dakota. Staff reviewed appropriations and spending for several Industrial Commission funds and grant programs, including lignite research, oil and gas research, clean sustainable energy, grid resiliency, salt cavern analysis, and the new NDSU research and technology park grant. Members discussed the timing of reimbursements, uncommitted balances, and the structure of the pipeline capacity and enhanced oil recovery funding. The Industrial Commission also reported on its administrative budget, grant management system project, and recent leadership transitions across several agencies. Karen Tyler of the Industrial Commission described active grant rounds and the status of major projects. She said the Clean Sustainable Energy Authority approved three projects in its sixth round, with remaining uncommitted cash and loan capacity still available, though no new funding was appropriated this session. She also said the Oil and Gas Research Council approved six enhanced oil recovery projects and expects additional funding after a federal Department of Energy award replaces one project’s state funding. For grid resiliency grants, she said some projects have been funded, some commitments were returned or reallocated, and some DOE funds remain pending. She also updated the committee on the salt cavern business case study, which replaced an earlier larger development proposal, and on the NDSU research park grant, where the nonmatching portion was paid and the matching portion has moved slowly because the match must be in cash. Ron Ness then gave an extended presentation on enhanced oil recovery and North Dakota oil and gas trends. He said production remains steady, but future growth depends on infrastructure, especially gas takeaway and projects like the Bakken East pipeline. He argued that enhanced oil recovery using CO2, natural gas, surfactants, and other methods could extend Bakken production for decades, but that the state needs more CO2 supply, better storage, and updated tax and regulatory incentives. Members asked about lateral lengths, CO2 availability, pipeline impacts, and the role of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and Ness emphasized that the projects are intended to share technical learning across operators and attract follow-on investment. The Bank of North Dakota then presented its compliance report and strategic update. President Don Morgan said the bank’s mission remains to support North Dakota agriculture, commerce, and industry while cooperating with the state’s financial sector. He reviewed the bank’s main business lines: participation lending with community institutions, student loans, disaster lending, mission-based programs, and a new fintech-focused effort. Morgan said deposits are flattening, so the bank is managing balance sheet growth carefully, while still reporting improved net income and strong efficiency. He also introduced Rough Rider Coin as a bank-to-bank payment rail, not a public cryptocurrency, intended to speed and modernize payments within North Dakota’s banking and credit union system. Committee members asked about student loan eligibility, disaster program use, and how credit lines and liquidity would be affected if deposits shrink.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's always a login for that, unless of course it's admin one two three, yeah, which we find all over

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There's always a login for that, unless, of course, it's admin one, two, three, yeah, which we find all

Summary: The committee first heard an update on Topok Elementary School District’s long-running noncompliance with Arizona’s Uniform System of Financial Records. The Auditor General’s office explained the USFR noncompliance process and reported that Topok had made substantial progress, correcting many deficiencies in areas such as open meeting law, procurement, payroll, attendance reporting, property control, and information technology. The district’s superintendent and staff described the corrective actions they had taken, the use of outside consultants, and their plan to maintain compliance through stronger leadership, training, and consistent procedures. Members praised the district’s progress and asked about the remaining deficiencies and the status of the 3% state-aid withholding, which the Auditor General said would be addressed by the State Board of Education. The committee then considered a request for a fourth school safety special audit, tied to concerns raised by Representative Martinez about Phoenix Union High School District and school violence response practices. The Auditor General said the proposed audit would be a new topic focused on policies and procedures for responding to credible threats of violence and allegations of staff misconduct affecting student safety, and could include Phoenix Union in the sample. Representative Martinez described a fatal 2024 shooting, weapons incidents, and concerns about district oversight. The committee approved the motion 10-0. Next, staff presented the fiscal years 2027-2028 school district performance audit schedule, describing 26 randomly selected school districts and career and technical education districts, plus 84 planned follow-ups. The Auditor General said the schedule is intended to shorten the average time between audits and that the school audits division is now fully staffed. Members asked about county coverage and the inclusion of ESA accountability, but the schedule was ultimately presented for review rather than approval. The committee also heard a detailed federal compliance audit presentation on the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) administered by DES. The Auditor General reported repeated findings involving missing provider documentation, questioned costs, and FFATA reporting errors, including a 2024 sample that led to questioning $2.88 million in costs. The office recommended stronger documentation, record retention, reporting procedures, and staff training; DES concurred and said it would correct the findings in 2026. Members discussed the limits of the single-audit scope, the possibility of a broader special audit, and the federal government’s recent actions on CCDF oversight in other states. Finally, the committee considered and discussed a special audit request for CCDF that would broaden review to provider oversight, licensing, site visits, and billing accuracy across multiple state agencies, with estimated costs of $547,000 to $625,000 and a projected report date of July 31, 2027.

Transcript Highlights:

• Today our hearing will focus on general state admin issues.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The committee heard a lengthy presentation on San Mateo County’s request to restore in-lieu vehicle license fee (VLF) funding, which county officials said would otherwise leave the county and its cities facing major budget losses. Supervisors and local officials argued the 2004 VLF swap was intended to hold local governments harmless, but the formula no longer works for San Mateo because of its mix of basic-aid school districts and high property values. They said the loss would force deep cuts to homelessness services, rental assistance, mental health programs, libraries, parks, public safety, wildfire mitigation, and nonprofit partners, with examples including shelter closures, reduced police and fire staffing, and layoffs. The Department of Finance responded that the payments are not statutorily mandated, are discretionary, and are not sustainable in the current fiscal situation, noting the state has still provided more than $300 million since 2012. Members from both parties expressed sympathy, questioned the formula, and said the issue may need a permanent legislative fix; public commenters from cities, labor, nonprofits, and public safety organizations overwhelmingly supported full restoration. The committee ultimately held the item open and later took vote-only action to move two unrelated items on the agenda. The committee also received an update from the Department of General Services on state property redevelopment projects, including the Hillcrest DMV site in San Diego, the Fell Street DMV site in San Francisco, and other state-owned properties. DGS explained that Hillcrest is not yet an active project, while the Fell Street DMV proposal shifted from an integrated housing-and-DMV concept to a plan to relocate DMV into leased space so the site can proceed as housing. Officials said the leased-space option is significantly cheaper than building a new DMV on-site and would allow the housing project to move forward, though questions remained about timing, costs, and whether the partnership model can work. Members pressed DGS on the broader challenge of converting state buildings to housing, and DGS said adaptive reuse depends heavily on building type, floorplate depth, light, and risk from unknown conditions behind walls. The committee also briefly discussed Fairview Developmental Center and the Southern California Veterans Cemetery feasibility study, with DGS saying both are progressing. In Government Operations items, the California Education Learning Lab asked for permanent restoration of its $4 million annual funding and a move from the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation to GovOps, arguing that the program supports intersegmental innovation in teaching and learning across UC, CSU, and community colleges, including AI-related work. The Legislative Analyst’s Office recommended rejecting the restoration and continuing the planned wind-down, citing the state’s projected deficit and suggesting the interagency council could pursue non-state-funded grant opportunities instead. The committee held that item open. The next item, on the California Education Interagency Council, was presented as a staffing request for four ongoing positions, with GovOps saying the council has already been set up administratively and an executive officer has been appointed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Today our hearing will focus on general state admin issues.

Summary: The hearing began with a vote-only agenda and then focused first on San Mateo County’s request to restore in-lieu vehicle license fee (VLF) funding. County officials, city leaders, labor representatives, nonprofits, and public safety advocates argued that the loss of roughly $157 million would force major cuts to homelessness services, housing assistance, mental health programs, libraries, parks, fire and police staffing, and other local services. They described the current formula as outdated and unfair, tied to school funding and basic-aid dynamics that no longer work for San Mateo County, and urged both an immediate budget restoration and a permanent legislative fix. The Department of Finance said the payments are discretionary, not statutorily required, and noted the administration does not view the expenditure as sustainable in the current fiscal climate. Committee members expressed sympathy, questioned the formula, and said they would keep the issue under consideration; the committee later voted to move the two vote-only items on the agenda. The committee then received an update from the Department of General Services on state property redevelopment, including the Hillcrest DMV site in San Diego, the Fell Street DMV site in San Francisco, and other state-owned properties. DGS explained that Hillcrest is not currently an active project, while the Fell Street project shifted from an integrated DMV-housing plan to a more feasible relocation of the DMV into leased commercial space, with a budget change proposal pending. Members pressed DGS on the slow pace of redevelopment, the potential for housing on state sites, and the costs and feasibility of adaptive reuse. DGS said many state buildings are aging and that adaptive reuse depends heavily on building design, floorplate depth, light, and risk from unknown conditions behind walls. The Government Operations portion then turned to the California Education Learning Lab, which supports intersegmental higher education innovation grants. The Lab asked for permanent restoration of $4 million in ongoing funding and a move of its home agency from the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation to GovOps, along with technical trailer bill changes. Supporters said the program has funded more than 120 projects reaching thousands of faculty and hundreds of thousands of students, including work on generative AI in higher education. The Legislative Analyst’s Office recommended rejecting the restoration and continuing the wind-down, citing the state’s projected deficit and suggesting the California Education Interagency Council could pursue non-state-funded grant opportunities instead. The committee held the item open. Finally, GovOps presented the new California Education Interagency Council staffing request, seeking four ongoing positions to support the council, with funding already included in last year’s budget. The department said the governor has appointed Debbie Cochran as executive officer and that the remaining positions are being recruited. Finance and LAO had no objections, and the committee began questions about how the council will be staffed and organized.

Transcript Highlights:

• make sure we're mitigating those changes, including the outreach component, which is part of that admin

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Accountability and Oversight held its fifth hearing of the year to examine the newly enacted federal H.R. 1 and its effects on California. Members and the chair described the law as a major threat to state health, food, education, and climate programs, and emphasized that California would not be able to fully backfill the federal cuts. Several members also highlighted the bill’s tax provisions, including temporary deductions for tips, overtime, seniors, and auto loan interest, while warning that the largest benefits flow to higher-income taxpayers and that major cuts to Medi-Cal, CalFresh, and clean-energy incentives are delayed or phased in over time. The Legislative Analyst’s Office and the Department of Finance presented detailed overviews of the bill’s likely impacts and implementation timelines. They identified the main affected areas as health care coverage and financing, food assistance, higher education, personal income taxes, and clean-energy/electric-vehicle credits. They explained that H.R. 1 limits provider taxes used to finance Medi-Cal, adds work and redetermination requirements, restricts CalFresh eligibility and increases state costs, changes student loan and Pell Grant rules, extends and modifies federal tax provisions, and phases out many clean-energy credits. Finance also noted major rescissions of Inflation Reduction Act funds, new border and immigration enforcement spending, and the possibility of PAYGO sequestration if Congress does not act to offset the deficit increase. During member questions, the committee focused on likely enrollment losses, administrative burdens, and fiscal exposure for the state and counties. Witnesses said many details still depend on federal guidance, but they estimated significant impacts on Medi-Cal, CalFresh, and graduate/professional student borrowing, and noted that California’s high CalFresh error rate could increase state costs. UC testified that the elimination of Graduate PLUS loans would affect thousands of professional students, especially in health, law, and other high-cost programs. Members asked for follow-up data on county, health, and tax impacts, and staff agreed to provide additional tables and estimates as implementation guidance becomes clearer. Public commenters from counties, early childhood advocates, health coalitions, disability rights groups, immigrant-rights organizations, and other stakeholders urged the Legislature to mitigate the law’s effects. They warned of higher county costs, reduced access to health care and food assistance, increased administrative burdens, and harm to children, immigrants, people with disabilities, and low-income families. Several urged new state revenue solutions and stronger protections for Medi-Cal, CalFresh, child care, and home- and community-based services. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational and ended with a commitment to continue monitoring federal guidance and to work on state responses in the budget process.

Transcript Highlights:

• And that was the number one reason why we had to tear down 36,000 square foot admin buildings.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I think it's very, very important to nuance between clinical and admin.

Summary: The joint informational hearing of the Assembly Health and Privacy Committees focused on generative AI in health care, with opening remarks emphasizing both its potential to improve care and its risks around privacy, bias, liability, workforce impacts, and unequal access. Chair Bauer-Kahan and Chair Bonta framed the discussion around how California can encourage beneficial innovation while protecting patients, especially given the sensitivity of health data and the possibility that AI could worsen existing disparities if not carefully governed. The first panel featured representatives from Cedars-Sinai, Kaiser Permanente, Penguin AI, and Google, who described current uses of AI such as ambient clinical scribes, nursing documentation tools, imaging triage, maternal-fetal risk prediction, and administrative automation. Speakers said these tools can reduce clinician burden, improve patient experience, speed treatment, and in some cases improve outcomes, including a reported mortality benefit from a Kaiser predictive model and faster thrombectomy times at Cedars-Sinai. Members raised concerns about accuracy with accents and multilingual visits, whether predictive tools could reinforce bias or lead to more interventions such as C-sections, and how to ensure a human remains in the loop for important decisions. The second panel, including representatives from the California Health Care Foundation, UC Berkeley, and Stanford, focused on policy and governance challenges. Testimony highlighted examples of AI supporting homelessness outreach and community health work, but also warned that biased algorithms can encode inequities, especially when trained on data that reflect under-treatment of Black, rural, or low-income patients. Witnesses urged clearer standards for trustworthy AI, stronger monitoring and governance structures, better data access for accountability, and attention to the safety net’s limited resources. Several speakers argued that states should require health systems to have AI governance processes, clarify liability between developers and deployers, and regulate downstream uses of AI while preserving access to data for lifesaving research and oversight.

Transcript Highlights:

• So additional admin and additional employees.

Summary: The Assembly Subcommittee on State Administration held a budget hearing focused heavily on housing, homelessness, and related administrative proposals. HCD reported that California housing production has increased, with 2023 completions up 13% from 2022 and entitlement and construction timelines improving, while members and advocates criticized the Governor’s January budget for zeroing out or sharply reducing several housing programs. Public testimony urged funding for affordable housing production, preservation, youth housing, CalHome, LIHTC, HAP, and related programs, and several speakers argued the state should not pull back after recent progress. A major policy item was trailer bill language to allow HCD to access “excess equity” in existing affordable housing projects and recycle those funds into new or preserved housing. HCD and the LAO said the proposal could unlock tens or hundreds of millions of dollars, but members wanted guardrails and clearer statutory direction to ensure the funds stay within the intended housing purposes. The committee also discussed encampment resolution funding; HCD said the proposal would shift expenditure deadlines to the date of award rather than appropriation, while the LAO raised concerns about limited outcome data and urged the Legislature to use upcoming reporting before deciding on future funding. The hearing also covered HCD trailer bills to consolidate default reserve funds into a centralized continuously appropriated account and to clarify reporting requirements for early rounds of the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention program. HCD requested funding to implement chaptered legislation, including a new tribal housing program and reporting-related bills, and also sought extensions for certain reappropriations, including Homekey and REAP 2 deadlines. Public commenters and regional agencies supported flexibility for REAP 2 timing and other housing-related adjustments. Finally, the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency presented the Governor’s reorganization proposal to split the current agency into a Housing and Homelessness Agency and a Consumer Protection Agency. The administration said the change would improve focus, efficiency, and coordination, but the LAO and several members questioned whether it would truly save money or improve accountability, especially given the need for new leadership, possible staffing changes, and the fact that the plan had not yet been formally submitted for review. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're not auditing their admin costs.
• We're not auditing their admin costs.
• We're not auditing their admin costs.
• We're not auditing their admin costs.
• We're not auditing their admin costs.

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The House convened, led the pledge of allegiance, and established a quorum before approving the corrected journal. The Majority Leader then moved a long list of bills—House Bills 1150 through 1179—to be made special orders for February 11, 2026 at 9:15 a.m., and the chamber agreed without objection. The committee then took up House Bill 1150, a supplemental appropriation for the Department of Agriculture. Representative Serna explained it included technical adjustments tied to other agencies, plus a pilot program to test a biocontrol strategy for the mountain pine beetle infestation in Colorado’s ponderosa pine forests. After brief opposition from a member who said he would vote no on spending measures generally, the bill passed. House Bill 1151, the supplemental appropriation for the Department of Corrections, generated extensive debate. Supporters said the bill was necessary to cover major costs such as medical case loads, outside medical and mental health contracts, local jail payments, prison case load, private prison utilization, and food services, while also addressing staffing and parole/community corrections coordination. Opponents argued the state keeps funding more beds instead of investing in services that reduce incarceration, criticized DOC management and delays, and said the legislature should demand better accountability and efficiency. Supporters countered that DOC does not control the parole board or community corrections, that the prison population is aging, and that the state must pay for required custody and care. The transcript ends amid continued debate over the corrections supplemental, with no final vote on House Bill 1151 shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• The 3,373 recreation therapist that moved from accounting unit 5833, and then we had an admin, a clinical
• that through county unit indirect cost proposals, and that's how we recapture a good portion of the admin
• /c><05:14:40.080> portion<05:14:40.400> of<05:14:40.558> the<05:14:40.718> admin
• <05:14:41.558> support<05:14:42.558> the a good portion of the admin support the a
• good portion of the admin support the commissioner's<05:14:43.760> office<05:14:44.760> um<

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee reviewed the Department of Corrections budget, with the chair initially noting that the overall numbers looked close to fiscal year 2024 spending, except for federal funds. Department officials explained that prior ARPA expenditures and delayed revenue recognition had distorted the comparison, and that the corrected general fund spend was about $169.7 million. Members then focused on whether the budget’s staffing assumptions were realistic, especially the shift from overtime to full-time lines and the use of vacant positions to offset overtime costs. The department said it is leaning on vacancy savings, but would return for additional appropriations if unforeseen staffing problems arise. A major portion of the discussion centered on recruitment, retention, and staffing levels. Officials reported a 42% vacancy rate in enforcement ranks, down from 51% in January 2023, with 28 new officers headed to the next academy and 33 new hires already tracked. They said overtime is more expensive than regular staffing because of benefits and that it takes about 11 months for a new hire to break even. Members also asked about the split between incarcerated and supervised populations; the department said it oversees about 1,970 inmates in facilities and just over 4,000 people in the community, with 77 positions supervising the community population and the inmate population remaining the most expensive area. The committee also discussed how sentencing and statutory changes affect incarceration levels, including misdemeanor/felony thresholds and theft thresholds, with the department agreeing that such changes can significantly affect prison and jail populations. Members asked about education and recidivism, and the department said base education is the most important foundation, followed by vocational training, while noting that many incarcerated men lack a high school diploma. The department also described a $1.3 million reduction in contracted forensic evaluation services, explaining that these evaluations are court-ordered competency assessments and are not statutorily required to be provided by DOC. Finally, members reviewed victim services funding and staffing, including VOCA-supported positions, and the department explained that a new victim witness specialist would help support survivors at parole hearings and safety planning.

Transcript Highlights:

• authority to enforce these protections, holding those who violate them accountable through civil penalties
• um it's not alleviating the problem of um it's not where<01:49:00.000> it's<01:49:00.239> admin
• <01:49:01.040> That's where it's admin administered.
• That's where it's admin administered. That's the<01:49:01.520> issue.

Keywords: 1189, house, all