Transcript Highlights:

• the recommendation. on certain services needed by individuals with intellectual or developmental disability
• Metcalfe relating to increasing the criminal penalty for the offense of indecent assault against a disabled
• Committee. from ad valerum taxation all a part of the market value if the resident homestead of certain disabled
• exemption from the ad valorem taxation bar to the market. value of residence homestead of a partially disabled
• veteran or their surviving spouse as such veteran based on the disability rating for of the veteran.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As a disability<00:37:57.480> advocate<00:37:57.920> for<00:37:58.040> the<00:37
• :58.120> state<00:37:58.359> of disability advocate for the state of disability advocate
• As a disability advocate, I cannot stand here and watch these people suffer.
• As a disability advocate, I cannot stand here and watch these people suffer.
• As a disability advocate, I cannot stand here and watch these people suffer.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• People with disabilities, this is a program that enables them, gives them some support, some scaffolding
• Everything I read about this program is, it is a great program that is helping people who have disabilities
• Of those, category one are the most disabled. That's 3,833.
• take every opportunity to make sure that we have a zero wait list opportunity so that people with disabilities

Keywords: 970, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so I was shocked because in the disability community, we do pick people up.
• Because, again, in the disability community, we assume that we will lift people if they fall down. >>
• :12:05.200> we<00:12:05.360> we<00:12:05.680> do<00:12:05.839> pick disability
• community, we we do pick disability community, we we do pick people<00:12:06.320> up.
• again in the in the disability again in the in the disability community,<00:12:25.120> we

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Now we're talking about the disability, disabled, developmentally disabled, four-plex.
• cases and complying with federal law in the provision of support and services to individuals with disabilities
• And then C was input from advocates, clients from the disability community, zone directors, service providers
• , and health care providers who serve disabled individuals, and collaboration with the cross-disability
• Legislative Council may contract with a consultant with expertise in the provision of developmental disability

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:

• I had questions about the Deaf and Disabled program and some of the other agenda items, so it's not on
• Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program. Thank you very much. All right.
• On the Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program and the trailer bill that we proposed.
• So when we look at the Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program trailer bill language, I actually
• So the percentage of the surcharge that is collected and allocated towards the DDSP, Deaf and Disabled

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• older spaces that don't have updated markings, even if they're clearly reserved for persons with disability
• I'm the executive director of the Texas Governor's Committee on people with disabilities, and I'm here
• Um, the Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities is a 12-member advisory committee with members
• On our committee, at least 7 of those members must be Texans with disabilities.
• We need to protect the disabled.

Bills: HB 767, HB 1242, HB 1373, HB 1404, HB 1708, HB 1936, HB 2041, HB 2198, HB 2270, HB 2315, HB 2415, HB 2427, HB 2455, HB 2457, HB 2522, HB 2523, HB 2686, HB 2763, HB 2775, HB 2944, HB 3034, HB 1683, HB 1695

Keywords: highway designation, memorial, Montgomery County, Paul P. Mendes, transportation, HB 1242, Texas Transportation Code, U.S. Highway 281, Brooks County, Ernesto Soliz Cantu, memorial highway, road naming, TxDOT, road signage, commemorative resolution, memorial markers, county road 304, Huppergate Road, Los Robles Trail, Farm-to-Market Road

Transcript Highlights:

• on a number of issues with the I-Connect system that is operated by the Agency for Persons with Disabilities
• I-Connect system that is operated by the Agency for Persons with Disabilities.
• But before we do that, I understand that that that for persons with disabilities here, but before we
• I do think recently the Agency for Persons with Disabilities has been working with providers over the
• Not to present today, but here for questions from the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, we have Ms

Summary: The subcommittee heard a lengthy presentation on the Agency for Persons with Disabilities’ I-Connect system, based on an ILAB assessment of the platform’s performance and requirements. ILAB said the system provides useful centralized records, reporting, compliance support, and audit trails, but users described it as cumbersome, outdated, and inefficient, with excessive manual entry, weak navigation, limited notifications, no mobile app, poor printing/export options, and performance issues. ILAB also said the original 2013-era requirements were too high-level and that only a portion of the requirements could be verified, with some features de-scoped or never implemented. Their recommendations included better integration with electronic health record systems, improved performance monitoring, electronic signatures, OCR, and more modern export and verification tools. Public testimony from providers and advocates echoed those concerns. A support coordination provider said the system is nicknamed “I Disconnect,” described problems with EVV/GPS sign-ins, lengthy support plans, lack of a phone app, and possible HIPAA concerns. Another advocate said the system should have preserved family access to records and criticized the need for providers to use workarounds and additional software. APD staff said the agency has spent about $19.7 million through FY 2023-24, has regular build updates under the current contract with WellSky, and uses an internal help desk and vendor ticketing process to triage bugs versus enhancement requests. They said some issues are handled case-by-case, critical tickets have SLAs, and the agency is working on interoperability and other requested improvements. Members questioned whether the system should be fixed or replaced, whether the original contract and SaaS arrangement were sufficient, and whether the state received value for the money spent. APD said the system went live in phases and that all functionality was in place by June 2024, while ILAB and members noted significant technical debt and unresolved gaps. The committee also discussed record retention, provider access to records after a consumer changes providers, and whether federal funding or compliance could be affected. The meeting ended with broader budget remarks emphasizing completion over expansion, stronger upfront planning for technology projects, and more accountability before funding new systems or major enhancements.

Transcript Highlights:

• Evan Fern with Disability Rights California, in opposition. Thank you.
• Good morning, Evan Fern with Disability Rights California in opposition.
• Grave disability cannot be determined in a vacuum.
• Grave disability cannot be determined in a vacuum.
• Disabilities and A to advocate for the rights of people with disabilities.

Summary: The committee met without a quorum and operated as a subcommittee while hearing several bills, with members repeatedly noting that votes would be taken later once a quorum was established. Early in the meeting, the committee heard SB 1446 on parole en banc review and SB 1278 on elderly parole eligibility for certain sex offenses. SB 1446’s author said the bill would give commissioners more discretion in en banc review, make votes public, and allow referral for sexually violent predator evaluation in certain cases; supporters included the California District Attorneys Association, while opponents from Uncommon Law, the Ella Baker Center, and public defender groups argued it would add confusion, create constitutional and litigation concerns, and duplicate existing safeguards. SB 1278 would exclude certain rape, child sexual abuse, and habitual/serial sex offense convictions from elderly parole eligibility; district attorneys and police chiefs supported it as a victim-safety measure, while civil rights and defense organizations opposed it as unnecessary, costly, and inconsistent with evidence on aging and recidivism. Both bills were discussed but not voted on due to the lack of quorum. The committee then heard SB 1354, which would bar out-of-state military or law enforcement personnel from entering California to perform such functions without the Governor’s permission. The author and supporters framed it as protecting state sovereignty and limiting unauthorized armed incursions; the committee accepted an amendment removing a criminal penalty and leaving enforcement to the Attorney General. No opposition testimony was offered, and members expressed support, but no vote was taken because quorum was still lacking. The committee also heard SB 926, a bill to fund implementation of Proposition 36. Supporters, including sheriffs, district attorneys, probation officials, and the League of California Cities, said local agencies need funding for treatment, supervision, and administration; opponents argued the proposal was fiscally reckless, lacked accountability, and overemphasized incarceration. Amendments removed a specific appropriation and shifted funding decisions to the budget process, but the bill was also held pending quorum. Later, the committee heard SB 874, which would require background checks for unlicensed providers of Medi-Cal behavioral health treatment services, create a stakeholder workgroup, and direct DHCS to issue guidance and report on program integrity. Support came from local health plans and behavior analysis providers, who said the bill would improve safety and consistency; there was no opposition testimony. The committee then heard SB 1210, which would extend CalGang oversight and due process protections to local gang databases as well as shared ones. Supporters described privacy abuses, racial disparities, and personal harm from inaccurate gang labels; law enforcement opposition argued the bill would impose CalGang standards on informal investigative files and would significantly change the gang definition. The author said the bill closes a loophole and preserves prior reforms, but no vote was taken. The committee also began hearing SB 1019 on creating a California Cargo Thief Task Force, with strong support from BNSF, trucking, shipping, port, and supply-chain representatives who described organized, multi-jurisdictional cargo theft and rail sabotage; no opposition was heard, and members indicated support, but action was deferred pending quorum. The meeting then moved to SB 1217 on a non-consensual intimate image clearinghouse, with the chair and author describing privacy-related amendments and the bill’s focus on helping survivors remove exploitative images; the transcript cuts off as that presentation began.

Transcript Highlights:

• and our families who with disabilities and our families who are<00:08:13.599> trying<00:08:13.840
• These were children with disabilities<00:08:46.800> on<00:08:47.040> their<00:08:47.279
• And I'm also a parent of a child with a disability.
• We know from COVID that for many students with disabilities, that just wasn't really an option.
• ,<01:15:18.080> that many students with disabilities, that many students with disabilities

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The indirect cost of paying through lost wages, disability days, and reduced productivity dwarfs the
• It's time to offer a cure for disability instead of just a temporary mask for the pain.
• lost wages, disability days, and reduced<00:41:24.000> productivity<00:41:24.800> dwarfs
• payouts, and increasing our disability payouts, and increasing our tax<00:42:12.319> base.
• <00:42:31.839> instead to offer a cure for disability instead to offer a cure for disability

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight Advisory Board met with a quorum, approved the November 12 minutes by voice vote, and then heard a presentation from former Governor Ernie Fletcher and Dave Johnson on Medicaid reimbursement for substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. Fletcher argued that addiction should be treated as a chronic disease requiring a longer continuum of care, not just short residential stays, and said recovery should combine clinical treatment with social supports such as housing, transportation, employment, peer coaching, and recovery housing. He cited data on overdose trends, low treatment rates, and high costs for people with SUD, and said current reimbursement models create poor incentives and do not adequately support long-term recovery or measure outcomes well. Fletcher proposed a “carve through” model administered at the MCO level with standardized metrics, data sharing, and an independent recovery coordinator that would assess patients, coordinate care, and connect them to clinical and social recovery services. He suggested using bundled payments, shared savings, and partial risk arrangements, with recovery housing reimbursed on a PMPM or weekly basis and funded in part through existing Medicaid spending and other sources such as opioid abatement funds. He also emphasized peer support, telemedicine, criminal justice coordination, workforce and education supports, and the use of technology, including text messaging and possibly AI, to maintain long-term follow-up and identify relapse risk. Members questioned how the model would work in practice, especially the education and staffing requirements for recovery coordinators, reimbursement levels, and how many patients each coordinator or peer would serve. Fletcher said peers could be certified and would need additional training in assessments such as ASAM and recovery residence standards, but he did not give a precise salary figure, saying the market and bundled rates would determine that. He also said follow-up should continue for years, noting relapse risk over the first 18 to 24 months and that meaningful employment and ongoing peer contact help sustain recovery. No formal vote or action was taken on the substance use presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• For these military families of children with disabilities, transitions between states can be especially
• language is to reiterate and leverage existing policies, including federal special education and disability
• Of course, there are unique opportunities as well, but raising a child with disabilities is hard enough
• Black, Native, Latino, disabled, foster, and unhoused youth are all disproportionately pushed out of
• and return to a medical model of disability, which is incredibly harmful to children when we think of

Summary: The Assembly Education Committee heard a full agenda of bills, first adopting a consent calendar of 11 measures without individual presentations. The committee then took up AB 1412, which would require California schools to implement or adopt a transferred special education student’s IEP within 30 days for out-of-state transfers and to coordinate more quickly on records. The author and military-family witnesses said the bill would reduce delays for highly mobile students, especially military children; a school administrators group opposed it. The bill received initial support from committee members and was moved on call. The committee also reconsidered AB 281, which would require notice to parents when outside consultants provide sex education instruction; the author accepted amendments removing a copy-right provision, but the bill remained on call after a split vote. The committee heard AB 1005, which would create a statewide drowning-prevention education and swim-lesson voucher framework for underserved communities. The author and supporters described drowning as a preventable public health and equity issue, while the bill was clarified as developing a plan rather than immediately launching a voucher program. It was voted out on a 3-0 roll with the measure placed on call. AB 908, as amended, would add compliance monitoring for existing requirements that schools use LGBTQ-inclusive instructional materials and curriculum under the FAIR Act. Supporters said the bill would improve implementation and student safety; opponents raised concerns about privacy, girls’ sports, and school burdens. The committee approved the bill 5-2 and sent it to Appropriations. The committee then heard AB 1401, which would affirm parents’ access to school records, including unofficial records unless exempt by law. The author argued that parents need clearer access to information held by schools and vendors, while school officials and teachers’ union representatives warned the bill was too vague and could sweep in personal notes, journals, and other sensitive material. The bill failed on a 2-3 vote and was placed on call. Finally, AB 727 would require student ID cards to include the Trevor Project hotline for LGBTQ youth; supporters framed it as a suicide-prevention measure, while opponents argued it conflicted with parental rights and religious beliefs. Committee discussion focused on whether 988 already provides similar access and whether the Trevor Project is an appropriate resource to print on IDs; the hearing continued with the bill still under consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• He is one of my constituents and also a veteran that's 100% disabled.
• Like Representative Clardy says, I am a 100% disabled American veteran. Um, I am married.
• Um and so therefore, he saw disabled.
• And this also will be are 100% disabled.
• Clarney says, I am 100% disabled Clarney says, I am 100% disabled American<00:19:14.520> veteran

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Next up we have Dentry Bartoldus from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities. Thank you.
• thank you this is going to disabilities thank you this is going to be<00:05:27.120> fast<00:05
• We also have, in support, Dentry Bartoldus from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities.
• <00:12:36.800> we Council on developmental disabilities we Council on developmental disabilities
• holidays we had attended a disability holidays we had attended a disability Council<00:13:06.360

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard several Human Services measures focused on Medicaid access, long-term care benefits, home health reimbursement, SNAP administration, trauma-informed child welfare, and child abuse reporting. HP 702 would increase funding for Medicaid in-home services if federal matching funds are secured, and testimony from disability advocates supported the measure as needed to help people with disabilities cover medical expenses. HB 1477, described as a correction to a prior session’s mistake, would clarify that the monthly needs allowance for certain long-term care residents does not replace state supplemental payments and would raise the ceiling by $25 to fix the prior issue and by an additional $20 as a new benefit; DHS supported it with amendments, and the committee indicated it would amend accordingly. HB 713 would fund a DHS rate study for home health services, with the Healthcare Association of Hawaii strongly supporting it and describing rising labor costs, losses on Medicaid patients, and access concerns if agencies cannot keep serving Medicaid clients. HB 1099 would appropriate emergency funds to DHS after a USDA penalty tied to SNAP response times, with supporters including Catholic Charities Hawaii, Hawaii Public Health Institute, and others arguing the money should be reinvested in staffing and systems to improve access and avoid further penalties. HB 1079 would direct the Office of Wellness and Resilience and DHS to create trauma-informed assessments and training for Child Welfare Services staff; testimony from state offices and advocacy groups supported it, citing the Mālama ʻOhana Working Group, staff burnout, and the need for a sustainable train-the-trainer model. Finally, HB 239 would narrow when failure to provide a child’s needs constitutes abuse or neglect, but DHS raised concerns that the current wording could broaden abuse findings and leave families in poverty without a clear safety net, while the Honolulu prosecutor’s office opposed it, warning it could weaken mandatory reporting and hinder investigations of child abuse. No formal votes were taken in the portion provided, though the chair said HB 1477 would be amended and several measures were left open for further questions and testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• Disability and Communication Access Board in support. Not present.
• Disability and Communication Access Board in support. Not present.
• I’m an attorney, a former member of the Disability and Communication Access Board, and I support this
• >> Disability and communication access >> Disability and communication access board<
• > and<00:34:07.120> Communication of the Disability and Communication of the Disability

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Transportation heard several measures and took action on each after testimony. SB 2697 SD1 would prohibit driving on roadway shoulders except in limited circumstances, authorize towing or impoundment of vehicles with expired registrations of three or more years, increase certain fines and penalties, and require annual reporting; the Department of Transportation supported it, and the committee later adopted amendments and recommended passage. SB 2399 SD2 would provide a general excise tax exemption for aircraft maintenance materials, parts, tools, and related facility construction; it drew support from industry groups and comments from the Department of Taxation and Tax Foundation of Hawaii, and was also passed with amendments. SB 2665 SD2 would require driver’s license renewal applicants with a recent traffic citation to complete a road-safety course and exam; DOT supported it, the Public Defender opposed it as not clearly linked to safer driving, and the committee amended the bill to raise the trigger from one citation to two citations within five years before recommending passage. The committee also heard SB 2851 SD1, which would allow deaf vehicle owners to register a deafness designation visible to law enforcement; the Disability and Communication Access Board supported it, Peter Fritz testified in support while urging amendments on verification and threshold issues, and the committee adopted amendments and passed the measure. SB 3102 SD2 would clarify DOT’s role in port pilotage standards and appeals; DOT, DCCA, pilots, maritime interests, labor, and harbor users supported it, and it was passed with amendments. SB 2521 SD1 would exempt emergency medical services personnel from CDL requirements, require emergency-vehicle training, and update the definition of authorized emergency vehicle; DOT, DOH, Honolulu emergency services, and UPW supported it, and it too was passed with amendments. Finally, SB 3157 would transfer unencumbered automated speed enforcement special fund balances above a set threshold to the general fund. DOT supported the concept, but members questioned whether excess funds would ever accumulate and whether the money should instead support safe routes to school; the committee increased the threshold from $12 million to $25 million, discussed but did not adopt a transfer to another special fund, and passed the bill with amendments. The chair noted the next hearing would be held the following Tuesday, likely at 8:30 or 9:00 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Disability and Survivor Pensions Changes.
• So, could you, I guess, a little bit about the disability? I'm looking for the bill here.
• In Section 4, the revision to the earnings cap for disability members.
• So, if they're on disability for Social Security and disability with us, that's the same cap across the
• So, if they had private employment, they were disabled and allowed to work.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, as you all know, disability happens. People literally get hit by buses.
• and this amendment basically removes the requirement that they pay it back or work if they become disabled
• Um, as you all know, disability<00:03:04.720> happens.
• People literally get disability happens.
• disabled um anywhere in that pathway. disabled um anywhere in that pathway.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Becca has several disabilities.
• And then uh how would he prove his disability? Are there disability exemptions in the bill?
• And then uh how would he prove his disability? Are there disability exemptions in the bill?
• And then uh how would he prove his disability? Are there disability exemptions in the bill?
• Are there disability his disability?

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the 174 total defendants who were exonerated and also diagnosed as mentally ill or intellectually disabled
• the 174 total defendants who were exonerated and also diagnosed as mentally ill or intellectually disabled
• the 174 total defendants who were exonerated and also diagnosed as mentally ill or intellectually disabled
• the 174 total defendants who were exonerated and also diagnosed as mentally ill or intellectually disabled
• how this young intellectually disabled how this young intellectually disabled youth<01:04:29.680

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:00 Roll Call: 00:00:09 State of the Judiciary: 00:02:33 The Corrections - KCTCS Reentry Program: 00:49:44 Update on 2022 RS SB 90: 01:27:49, 958, all

Summary: The Juvenile Justice Oversight Council met with a quorum, approved the October 8, 2025 minutes, and welcomed guests including Marshall County Attorney Jason Darnall. The main topic was juvenile interrogation, with a presentation from Kentucky Youth Advocates by Courtney Downs and Shannon Moody. They said their organization is supporting a 2026 Blueprint priority requiring children to consult with an attorney before waiving Miranda rights, and they emphasized research on adolescent brain development, susceptibility to peer pressure and impulsive decision-making, and the risk of false confessions. They cited National Registry of Exonerations data showing high rates of false confessions among exonerated youth, especially younger children, and described approaches in other states such as Maryland’s Child Interrogation Protection Act, Indiana’s statute allowing certain adults to waive rights in some circumstances, and laws in other states requiring recording of interrogations or limiting deceptive tactics. Members asked about trauma and adverse childhood experiences, whether the proposal would require attorney consultation in every juvenile interview, whether parents could instead be the ones consulted, and how such a rule would affect law enforcement investigations and juvenile accountability. Senator Carroll and others raised concerns about feasibility, delays, and whether juveniles might avoid accountability if attorneys are required before questioning. The presenters responded that they were focused on ensuring children understand their legal rights, that some states use age- or offense-based limits, and that parent consultation is another model used elsewhere, though they said a lawyer is best suited to explain legal rights and process. Members also discussed the role of the Department of Public Advocacy and whether legislative action or court decisions should address the issue. The council did not take final action on the policy, but requested additional materials, including the text of laws from Maryland, Indiana, and North Carolina, for further review.

Transcript Highlights:

• Graduation rates for students with disabilities by type of diploma and age, and attendance and adult
• by type of diploma and age disabilities by type of diploma and age and<00:16:53.519> attendance
• the number of students with disabilities the number of students with disabilities has<00:37:35.760
• ,<00:37:52.400> the having an educational disability, the having an educational disability
• in New Hampshire is that the disability in New Hampshire is that sort<01:29:57.920> of<01:29:

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The commission held an organizational meeting under SB 57 to study the cost of special education, with the meeting streamed publicly at the chair’s request. Members introduced themselves, and the chair explained that the bill creates two separate pieces, one dealing with SAU structure and the other with a commission on special education costing. He outlined his background in education and special education and said the commission’s work would focus on understanding and controlling special education costs. The commission reviewed its membership requirements and noted several vacancies or unfilled appointments, including the special education advocate, two governor-appointed parent advocates, and a Department of Health and Human Services representative. The members then elected Representative Rick Ladd as chair, Representative Dick Ames as vice chair, and Representative Megan Murray as clerk. Representative Ames briefly described his legal and policy background in disability and special education work in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The chair then walked through the commission’s study topics, including referral rates by IDEA category, reasons for increases in categories such as autism and other health impairment, post-COVID referral trends, pre-referral interventions, Medicaid and 504-related costs, out-of-district placements, dispute resolution, billing practices, privacy, reimbursement, legal services, graduation rates, attendance, and adult learning. Members discussed how special education costs are distributed, noting that the state spends about $977 million annually on special education, with only part covered by state aid and the remainder largely borne by local districts. Testimony also noted that out-of-district placement costs have risen sharply since rate-setting changes around 2018, and that some categories may reflect changes in identification practices, medical factors, or broader population shifts. The commission agreed to continue reviewing the data and formulas in future meetings.