Transcript Highlights:

• So, we really began the process, shorthanded.
• But I'm in the process right now.
• And again, I go back to the recruiting process we've talked about.
• And then we talk about the timing of that with the RFP process.
• We'll let you know what we come up with on the budget.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And it is definitely something we will continue to work on as we go through this budget process.
• However, that said, the congressional budget process has also raised the specter of significant program
• However, that said, the congressional budget process has also raised the specter of significant programs
• From you now it's unfortunate that by the time we're done with our budget process the Congress will not
• And so we look forward to continuing to have this discussion throughout this budget process.

Summary: The joint Assembly Budget Subcommittee hearing focused first on long-term services and supports for older adults, especially the “forgotten/overlooked middle” who earn too much for Medi-Cal but cannot afford private long-term care. Administration witnesses from DHCS, the Department of Aging, and Social Services described Medicare’s limited long-term care coverage, Medi-Cal’s role, the elimination of the Medi-Cal asset test, and ongoing state studies and listening sessions on financing options. Testimony from advocates and researchers emphasized rising homelessness among older adults, the need for better navigation and coordination across health, aging, housing, and social service systems, and short-term policy steps such as share-of-cost reform, housing stability supports, and protecting home- and community-based services. Members highlighted the need for a coordinated, no-wrong-door approach and asked for the most impactful budget investments to address affordability and homelessness risk. The second major topic was the Community-Based Adult Services (CBAS) program. CDA reported that CBAS helps participants remain in the community, that 304 centers operate statewide serving about 42,000 people, and that demand is stable but access gaps remain in some regions. DHCS explained that a 2024 rate increase authorized by SB 159 became inoperative after Proposition 35, and that a separate 10% rate change on the fee schedule was the result of a DHCS system error; the department said it would not require recoupment, though managed care plans may act under their contracts. CBAS providers and advocates warned that reimbursement rates have not kept pace with costs, that several centers have closed, and that clawbacks could trigger more closures. They requested $74.8 million ongoing General Fund to close part of the rate gap and preserve the program, while members expressed concern about closures and the cost savings of keeping people out of more expensive institutional care. The hearing then moved to In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) and statewide collective bargaining. CDSS reviewed provider recruitment and retention efforts, including electronic timesheets, direct deposit, and the now-completed IHSS Career Pathways program, which trained more than 59,000 providers. CDSS also summarized its AB 102 workgroup report on statewide versus regional bargaining, saying the final report would be sent to the Legislature soon and that statewide bargaining appeared more viable than regional bargaining, though it would require clear statutory scope and major fiscal changes. The department estimated that each $1 per hour statewide wage increase would cost at least $1.3 billion to $1.5 billion annually. Labor advocates argued that IHSS wages, benefits, and training are too inconsistent across counties and called for statewide bargaining, consumer participation, and ongoing state funding. County representatives supported stronger wages but cautioned that counties need protection from new costs and administrative burdens, and consumer advocates warned that moving bargaining to the state could weaken local consumer control and the program’s consumer-driven structure.

Transcript Highlights:

• to those budget decisions. to those budget decisions.
• the budget reserve. the budget reserve.
• state budget to do that? state budget to do that?
• be a look back process. be a look back process.
• state's budget? state's budget?

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm David Pettit with the Legislative Budget Board.
• During the LAI process, we did request and were granted a few tweaks to our base budget and we want to
• So we just wanted to kind of true up in our budget how much money we were spending on that process.
• And what's your total budget? Our total?
• At the same time, they processed over 100. thousand renewals, and also process licenses for non-physicians

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• process? process?
• only get to vote on the whole budget. only get to vote on the whole budget.
• Christina. budget. It just it just the existing budget.
• What's the process?
• What's the process? that work? What's the process?

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, under Tab 1 is our Criminal and Civil Justice proposed budget.
• , case processing, and due process resources.
• In addition, the court's budget also includes $13 million to fund 29 new judges.
• Because it seems like that is a big process...
• And the last question of why do we need an alternative process?

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice met to review its proposed fiscal year 2025-2026 budget, totaling about $7.6 billion. The chair highlighted funding for the Department of Corrections, including health services, food inflation, and prison population growth; the Department of Juvenile Justice for residential beds and higher food/medical costs; FDLE for a law enforcement apprenticeship program and officer wellness services; justice administration for court-appointed attorney rates and VOCA shortfalls; major IT projects; and court operations, including funding for 29 new judges. Members asked about where the new judgeships would go and whether staffing would accompany them, and staff said the judge positions would be listed later in a conforming bill and that associated court staff were included, but not additional state attorney or public defender staffing. Several members also asked whether the budget addressed pay and staffing shortages in state attorneys’ and public defenders’ offices, and staff said those decisions had not yet been finalized. The committee then heard public testimony from several speakers who urged more funding for prison safety, medical care, and oversight. Speakers described personal experiences involving deaths or serious harm in correctional facilities and jails, alleging inadequate medical treatment, excessive force, isolation, and failures to investigate. One speaker said her son died after being beaten and denied timely medical care in a correctional facility; another said her son was not receiving adequate health care at Charlotte Correctional; and another described her brother’s death in the Marion County Jail after repeated tasing and pepper spraying. The committee adopted a motion allowing staff to make technical adjustments and then approved the committee’s budget proposal as a recommendation to the full Senate Appropriations Committee. The committee also took up CS for CS SB 48 on alternative judicial procedures and foreclosure sales. Senator Garcia offered an amendment to standardize judicial sales, increase transparency, limit preferences in bidding, preserve public notice requirements, restrict plaintiff credit bids to the amount of the judgment unless a deposit is posted, and prevent deviations from statutory timelines and procedures from being hidden in court orders. Garcia said the bill was intended to close loopholes and protect homeowners, especially condominium owners, from unfair foreclosure practices. A representative for Auction.com said similar laws have been used in other states and offered to provide data. After debate, the amendment was adopted, and the bill passed the committee favorably on a roll call vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• This fund is not just a budget item.
• due process is met.
• changes included in the revised budget changes included in the revised budget put<00:43:13.200><
• <00:49:58.960> It's to pass out our budget bill. It's to pass out our budget bill.
• Uh I'm finalize a budget proposal.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So it’s in the budget. It is in that budget line.
• So it’s in the budget. It is in that budget line.
• So it’s in the budget. It is in that budget line.
• And then the budget, we roll the amount into the budget.
• budgeted Revenue transfers for budgeted budgeted Revenue transfers and<03:25:32.960> it's<03:

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Finance Committee’s Division 3 held a public work session on the Behavioral Health budget on February 27, 2025. The chair opened by explaining the schedule, materials, and deadlines for the budget process, and noted there would be no motions or votes in the division that day. Division of Behavioral Health Director Ktia Fox and DHHS CFO Nathan White then walked the committee through the division’s mission, structure, and budget materials, describing the division’s four bureaus: Mental Health Services, Children’s Behavioral Health, Drug and Alcohol Services, and Homeless Services, along with the policy unit. They emphasized the division’s role in oversight, technical assistance, quality assurance, contracting, and the continuum of care from prevention and early intervention through crisis and residential services. Much of the discussion focused on major programs and funding lines, including the 988 Lifeline contract with Headrest, a technical assistance contract with UNH, Medicaid pass-through payments to New Hampshire Hospital and Glencliff, crisis response services, cold-weather homeless responses, housing supports, and the children’s system of care. Members asked about the UNH contract, the 988 program, crisis stabilization centers, and the peer certification program; Fox explained that the peer certification is a training-and-credentialing pathway for people with lived experience to enter community-based behavioral health work, not a volunteer program. The committee also discussed the “Choose Love” program, which Fox said was created after the Sandy Hook tragedy to build resilience and strength-based emotional regulation in schools and communities. On the children’s side, Fox described the system of care account as the place where many contracted services are budgeted, including community mental health centers, care management entities, rapid response services, and residential programs. Members asked about temporary staffing, and Fox said roughly $500,000 in temporary staff costs shown in the current year would not be spent next year because the money came from a nonlapsing appropriation in HB 1573 for oversight of children’s residential services. She also said provider rate increases were a prioritized need but were not funded in the governor’s current budget, and that the Children’s Behavioral Health Resource Center was not funded, resulting in about a $1 million reduction. The session ended while the division was still moving through the children’s behavioral health slides, including questions about the Fast Forward high-fidelity wraparound program and medication management.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a budget bill.
• It's a budget bill. We given bill. It's a budget bill.
• doesn't affect that process whatsoever. doesn't affect that process whatsoever.
• cut back on our budget in that regard. cut back on our budget in that regard.
• to improve processes. to improve processes.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the process that led us to today.
• . uh budget and so uh this is not budget. uh budget and so uh this is not part<01:45:47.119> of
• It's a poor process. It was a very poor process.
• <02:12:58.560> But process. It was a very poor process. But process.
• It was a very poor process.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• My name is Jeb Bell with the Legislative Budget Board, and I'll be laying out the summary of budget recommendations
• And so we appreciate that being in the baseline budget.
• OK, so it is a laborious, long, laborious process to get to that point. It is a process.
• What was your FTE count again and your budget? It's around 1200. 1200. And what's your budget?
• It significantly distorts our budget request.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've got, and the budget, so we don't lose it.
• We're coming with a more robust budget and process, so I think there's more opportunity.
• we've got much larger budgets we've got much larger budgets we've<00:09:00.560> got<00:09
• <00:09:18.959> and coming with a M more robust budget and coming with a M more robust budget
• <00:09:58.640> any budget any budget any um<00:10:01.839> the<00:10:02.360> opportunities

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 289, authored by Representative Quam, and adopted a technical A1 amendment before moving the bill forward. Quam explained that the bill is intended to create a mechanism for frontline state employees, faculty, and management to identify waste, inefficiency, and possible savings in agency budgets, with a portion of any savings going back to the state budget and the remainder placed in a special fund for mission-related spending decided by a joint committee. He said the idea grew out of earlier faculty union discussions and that the bill had previously passed with bipartisan support, though it was underused when first enacted. Members generally praised the goal of empowering employees and improving efficiency, but several raised concerns about the bill’s practical operation and low historical use. Representative Jones asked why uptake had been limited and whether current conditions would improve participation; Quam responded that larger budgets and more employee engagement could make the program more useful now. Representative Freiberg and Representative Bonner both supported the concept but questioned whether employees would understand budget constraints and whether the structure might discourage managers from saving money intentionally. Quam argued that employee input would improve decisions, morale, and credibility, and could help justify needed investments. Representative Koznick asked how the bill interacted with the Odyssey Fund, and staff clarified that the two are separate accounts and do not directly affect each other. Representative Koznick also objected to comments he viewed as attacking the administration, and the chair reminded members not to impute motives. Representative Kosnik/Quam indicated openness to future improvements, but Representative Bonner said she was not ready to support the bill in its current form because of concerns about the approval process through MMB and the Legislative Audit Commission. Despite those reservations, the committee ultimately voted to send House File 289, as amended, to the General Register.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Committee will come to order.
• to move up the process for acquiring our conservation easements. to move up the process for acquiring
• We're in the process of moving that through the survey and acquisitions process.
• And it's going to be an ongoing process, right?
• We never had the budget to be able to do something like this.

Summary: The Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Committee met with a quorum and heard two Department of Agriculture presentations. First, the Director of Rural and Family Lands described the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, which buys development rights through perpetual conservation easements on private agricultural land to preserve farming, wildlife habitat, water resources, and open space while keeping land taxable and avoiding state maintenance costs. He said the program has expanded rapidly since 2023 through streamlined applications, templates, and an online portal, increasing acreage protected from about 66,000 acres through 2022 to more than 210,000 acres, with a higher share in the Florida wildlife corridor. He also said review times were reduced by more than 85 days and that projects under $5 million can move faster under statutory authority. The department is seeking $200 million in nonrecurring funding on top of $100 million recurring, citing 203 existing projects and 224 new applications totaling nearly $2 billion in estimated need. Members asked about the scientific ranking process, South Florida participation, project prioritization, maintenance responsibilities, and whether landowners can exit the program; staff said land remains privately owned, easements are in perpetuity, and partnerships and cost-sharing are prioritized. The committee then heard from the Florida Forest Service director, who outlined the agency’s dual mission of wildfire response and land management. He said the service responds to roughly 2,200 to 2,500 wildfires annually, manages 38 state forests and one ranch totaling more than 1.1 million acres, and receives about 15 million visitors each year. He highlighted the impact of Senate Bill 1638 gaming compact funds, which provided $32 million for land management, recreation, equipment, roads, invasive species control, habitat restoration, prescribed burning, reforestation, and staffing support. He said Florida leads the nation in prescribed fire, with 277,818 acres burned on state forests last year and 2.47 million acres burned statewide, and noted ongoing restoration work such as Picayune Strand. He also described challenges including aging equipment, deferred maintenance, contractor availability, and timber market instability caused by hurricanes and mill closures, and suggested longer-term funding and a higher capital asset allowance. Members discussed timber markets, public communication and marketing, recreation fees, and coordination with other agencies and FDOT. The meeting ended with the chair noting that next week’s meeting would report out agency conversations and budget recommendations, and the committee rose.

Transcript Highlights:

• , and then budgets are set again.
• uses every biennium whenever they set their budget, or y'all set your budget.
• But if you take governmental contracts outside of not only... ...the budget process, but then a review
• process, bad things tend to happen, and we just think the budgetary process should prevail.
• Reed mentioned, it's a normal budget process. You get money allocated, you spend that money.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• On page 18, just looking at the agency budget, the efficiency budget: the majority of DR's budget, approximately
• Okay, that was a change that was made in the last budget, in the 2024-25 budget.
• this budget we had to make some budget this budget we had to make some budget Corrections<02:26:
• budget requests not in the budget budget requests not in the budget requests<02:57:51.760> but
• budgets before that.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority officials, led by Executive Director Rob Dapice, briefed legislators on the agency’s structure and funding. They explained that the authority is created by state law but is not a state agency, its debt is not state debt, and it is governed by a board appointed by the governor and approved by the Executive Council. The discussion focused on the Affordable Housing Fund and the lead paint hazard remediation fund, including how state appropriations and federal resources are combined to finance affordable rental housing and lead abatement work. Dapice said the Affordable Housing Fund is used as gap financing for multifamily affordable housing projects, typically alongside federal tax credits and tax-exempt bonds, and that state dollars leverage roughly 2:1 to 10:1 in additional federal and private investment, averaging about 4:1. He said the fund has received historic appropriations in recent budgets, including $30 million over the last two biennial budgets and an annual $5 million set-aside from the real estate transfer tax. He also said the fund is usually structured as 0% interest, deferred loans rather than grants, with repayments returning to the fund if projects generate cash flow. Members asked about rents, oversight, staffing, revenues, and whether the programs had added positions. Dapice said affordability restrictions generally last 30 to 99 years, rents are tied to income limits and capped so tenants pay no more than 30% of income, and compliance staff inspect properties regularly to verify income eligibility and rent limits. He said the organization has about 130 to 135 employees, down from about 145, with no new positions added because of the appropriations. He estimated total revenues at roughly $300 million, with administrative budget around $22 million, much of it pass-through grant money. On lead paint remediation, he said the state first appropriated $6 million in 2019, plus $1 million in ARPA funds, and that the program has cleared more than 500 units. He said the federal grant program is not annual or predictable, with a recent award of about $7.75 million, and that the maximum federal grant per unit is $177,000, typically paired with up to $100,000 in state loan support. He also noted that the program can address homes before a child is poisoned if lead hazards are identified, but that cases involving an already exposed child are a higher priority. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• So that's about a third of their budget.
• This is a process.
• And sometimes they get processed or no process.
• It may not come out of your budget, but it's coming out of somebody's budget in the state, usually the
• mental health budget.

Summary: The committee met to hear an overview of the Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice budget area and then received performance-measure presentations from the Department of Corrections, the Commission on Offender Review, and the Department of Juvenile Justice. Staff reviewed the roughly $7.4 billion criminal justice and judiciary budget, noting major funding areas such as corrections, law enforcement, victim services, courts, and due process, along with recent investments in prison health care, security equipment, fentanyl enforcement, court staffing, and juvenile justice salaries and education programs. Secretary Dixon of the Department of Corrections described staffing and population pressures, including growth in inmate population, overtime-driven deficits, and the opening of additional housing units. He emphasized the department’s use of performance measures and highlighted reforms such as incentivized prisons, administrative management units, reentry planning, faith-based programs, and expanded education and vocational training. Members asked about teacher hiring, public defender pay parity, fentanyl funding, staffing capacity, and the role of the National Guard; Dixon said teacher vacancies had improved, public defenders had received comparable pay increases, fentanyl funding would be addressed further by FDLE, and the Guard had helped stabilize staffing. The Commission on Offender Review reported on parole, conditional release, addiction recovery supervision, and revocations, saying its recidivism/success rates had improved over a three-year measurement period. Senator Rouson pressed the commission on clemency and pardons, saying that work was omitted from the presentation and asking for backlog and case data; the commission said it did not have those figures on hand and would follow up. The committee also discussed a conditional medical release pilot study, and members questioned the report’s conclusion that no suitable elderly inmate population could be identified, asking what criteria were used and whether stakeholders were consulted. Secretary Hall of the Department of Juvenile Justice outlined the agency’s prevention-to-residential continuum and its emphasis on education, data-driven decision-making, and evidence-based programming. He said salary increases had reduced vacancies, juvenile arrests and residential commitments had fallen sharply over time, and tools such as civil citations, risk assessments, and quality-improvement reviews were being used to guide placements and services. Hall also described the department’s use of dashboards, monthly data check-ins, and the dispositional matrix to improve outcomes and reduce recidivism.

Transcript Highlights:

• CASE PROCESSING, AND DUE PROCESS RESOURCES.
• IN ADDITION THE COURT BUDGET INCLUDES 13 MILLION TO FUND 29 NEW JUDGES.
• WE NEED A BUDGET THAT IS ABLE TO IMPROVE SAFETY IN THE PRISONS.
• WE NEED A BUDGET THAT IS ABLE TO IMPROVE SAFETY IN THE PRISONS.
• PAMELA WHITLEY ALSO SPEAKING FOR THE BUDGET INCREASE.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Senate budget totals $115 billion.
• Their budget silos.
• The budget prioritizes case processing with an additional $2.3 million, includes $2.7 million for case
• Is there anticipation that there is room for that to change as the budget process moves forward?
• Senator Burgess, move on to the PECO budget. In the pre-K budget and PICO. Okay. Thank you, Mr.

Keywords: 998, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• side of this budget.
• I'm fine doing this in the OMB budget. I'm fine doing this in the OMB budget.
• in balance so that you're not having one budget 30% and one budget 10%.
• 30% and one budget 10%.
• No, but I mean half of our budget. Oh, more than half of the budget is federal funds.

Bills: SB2399

Keywords: mental health, psychiatric treatment, reimbursement, medical assistance, legislative report, 908, all

Summary: The Senate Appropriations HR Division met to work through amendments and budget items in House Bill 2012/HB 1004, focusing first on long-term care, disability services, and behavioral health. Members discussed competing approaches to a four-plex for medically complex individuals, a value-based care payment withhold for nursing facilities, accreditation requirements for providers, a study of developmental disability services, and funding for Family Voices and Ann Carlson-related services. Several amendments were accepted or set aside after discussion, including a study amendment for disability services and a Family Voices grant amendment that was adjusted to remove “one-time” language so it could continue as an ongoing grant. The committee also agreed to keep or defer some items for conference committee, including the youth crisis stabilization pilot and other long-term care proposals. A major discussion centered on the state hospital project. Members debated whether the $330 million project should remain in the DHS budget or be moved to the OMB budget for construction management. After discussion of costs, alternates, and the role of a steering committee and BND loan language, the committee agreed to remove the state hospital funding and related loan language from the DHS budget while leaving the steering committee language in place. The committee also considered a proposed Altru grant for additional beds and settled on a smaller planning-focused approach, with a $1 million grant and a line of credit concept to be refined later. The committee then turned to behavioral health items, including QRTP funding, nursing home behavioral health training, and a youth crisis stabilization pilot. Members generally supported keeping the QRTP funding level, but were divided on the nursing home behavioral health training and the crisis stabilization pilot, with some preferring to leave those issues for conference committee. The division also reviewed the HHS block grant and underfunding structure, with Donna Ackland explaining salary, vacancy, and flexibility calculations; the committee discussed adjusting the underfund and revenue assumptions but did not finalize every number before moving on. Finally, the committee took up House Bill 1577 on wastewater treatment grants. Senator Davison moved to hoghouse the bill into a study-focused version using the proposed amendment language, and the motion passed. The committee then moved HB 1577 as amended with a do pass recommendation; the roll call passed with Senators Cleary, Davison, Dever, and Mathern voting yes, and Senator Magrum not recorded as voting. The meeting adjourned with plans to return later in the day to continue budget work.

Transcript Highlights:

• SO THAT IS BASICALLY THREE QUARTERS OF THEIR BUDGET.
• ABOUT HALF THE BUDGET IS VICTIM SERVICES.
• WITH THAT MADAM CHAIR THAT IS THE OVERVIEW OF THE DCJ BUDGET.
• THAT DATE CAN BE MODIFIED THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE PROCESS.
• BUT IT'S COMING OUT OF SOMEBODY'S BUDGET IN THE STATE.

Keywords: 999, senate, all