Video & Transcript Research : 'fund usage'

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MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm

Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy

Transcript Highlights:
  • The residents of the Commonwealth get to see the majority of the APS funding going to subsidize fossil
  • The majority of the APS funding goes to subsidize fossil fuel-powered combined heat and power systems
  • Yet today, Massachusetts ratepayers in environmental justice communities fund clean energy programs through
  • Requiring energy projects with public funding to utilize state-certified apprenticeship centers will
  • Requiring energy projects with public funding to utilize state-certified apprenticeship centers will
Keywords: 995, all
Summary: The Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy held a hearing on grid transmission and distribution, green financing, environmental justice, renewable portfolio standards, and clean energy workforce policy. Testimony on H. 352/S. 2268 focused on eliminating or scaling back the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard, with Green Energy Consumers Alliance arguing it costs ratepayers about $30 million annually and largely subsidizes fossil-fuel combined heat and power, biodiesel blending, and woody biomass. Committee members raised concerns that a full repeal could affect heat pumps and solar thermal projects that currently receive APS credits, and the witness acknowledged those technologies are the strongest part of the program but said Mass Save would be a better home for them. Renew Northeast supported H. 3497 on renewable portfolio standard review and clean energy procurements, but urged an indexed renewable energy credit model like New York’s rather than an attribute-only arrangement, arguing it would reduce financing risk and consumer costs. Vote Solar and Senator Liz Miranda testified in support of H. 3540/S. 2303 on clean energy equity, saying environmental justice communities and renters receive too few benefits from clean energy spending and need stronger tracking, tenant protections, and measurable benefit allocation. Miranda described long-standing environmental harms in Roxbury and called for data and accountability to ensure benefits reach environmental justice communities. A major portion of the hearing was devoted to H. 3475/S. 2276 on just transition and clean energy workforce standards. Labor representatives from the pile drivers, building trades, electrical contractors, SEIU, United Steelworkers, the AFL-CIO, and Climate Jobs Massachusetts Action backed the bill, emphasizing prevailing wage, project labor agreements, apprenticeship requirements, workforce transition plans, and protections for gas workers and other fossil-fuel employees as the state shifts to clean energy. They argued the bill would create family-sustaining jobs, support training, and prevent workers from being left behind during the transition. The hearing concluded after all sign-ups were heard, and the committee voted to close the hearing.
ND
Transcript Highlights:
  • From a funding standpoint, just a friendly reminder that the agreement is around $16 million funded by
  • I do have a general fund and other fund breakout at the bottom.
  • Funding opportunities posted a little over $81 million.
  • Funding opportunities in process, almost $22 million. And then we've obligated funds, $8.4 million.
  • We had some positions funded through last... Is that brand new?
Keywords: 908, all
Summary: The committee was called to order, the roll was taken, and the March 18 minutes were approved. Members then received several project and program updates, beginning with CHI St. Alexius’s behavioral health buildouts in Bismarck, Williston, and Grand Forks. St. Alexius reported that the Bismarck project remains on track for June 2027 completion, with demolition underway and final design work nearing completion. Williston reported construction is progressing, staffing recruitment is underway for psychiatrists and other staff, and an air handler replacement is creating a roughly $750,000 unbudgeted barrier that will slightly delay the timeline. Grand Forks reported its expansion is about 30% complete, with no major barriers beyond weather, and leaders said the project should be substantially complete in the first quarter of 2027. The Department of Health and Human Services then presented a series of budget and program updates. Donna Ockland explained several recent line-item transfers as technical corrections that net to zero and do not require new spending, then reviewed salaries, wages, and FTE counts, noting the department remains within its authorized staffing levels. Pat Rainer followed with an update on the Rural Health Transformation Program, saying 12 opportunities have been posted, 422 applications received, and $8.4 million obligated so far, with a goal of obligating the full $199 million by September. He described grants for workforce retention, rural rotations and housing, community gardens, school wellness, behavioral health promotion, safety net services, equipment, technology, EMS, and other initiatives, emphasizing that the program is intended to be transformational and tied to metrics. Members asked extensive questions about how rural eligibility is defined, how grants will support both rural facilities and hub hospitals, and how future years of funding will build on current awards. The committee also heard an update on certified community behavioral health clinics from Elena Zeller, who said North Dakota has been accepted as a demonstration state, implementation is underway in Williston, North Central/Minot, Fargo, and Dickinson, and care coordination and service counts are increasing. Rebecca Askins then reviewed SNAP payment error rates, saying the 2025 rate was finalized at 9.89%, with the state aiming to get below 6% through policy updates, training, data tools, and a quality assurance team. Members pressed her on the causes of the error rate, the role of the SPACES software system, and the need for accountability and improvements. Finally, Dirk Wilkie reported the state laboratory project reached substantial completion on June 12 and is on budget at about $69.95 million, though a service elevator had to be redesigned because it was too small for equipment.
ND
Transcript Highlights:
  • From a funding standpoint, just a friendly reminder that the agreement is around $16 million funded by
  • I do have a general fund and other fund breakout at the bottom.
  • Funding opportunities posted a little over $81 million.
  • Funding opportunities in process, almost $22 million. And then we've obligated funds: $8.4 million.
  • We had some positions funded through last... Is that brand new?
Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the March 18 minutes, and then received a series of updates on major health-related projects and programs. CHI St. Alexius representatives reported progress on behavioral health buildouts in Bismarck, Williston, and Grand Forks, including demolition and construction milestones, staffing plans, and timelines. The Bismarck project remains on track for completion in June 2027 with about $346,500 spent to date. Williston reported construction underway, a $750,000 unbudgeted air handler replacement, active recruitment for psychiatrists and other staff, and a projected substantial completion in early 2027. Grand Forks reported about 30% completion, weather-tight status expected in August, and continued staffing ramp-up as the facility expands from its current 24-bed operation. The Department of Health and Human Services then reviewed a set of technical line-item transfers, emphasizing that they were administrative corrections with no net change in funding. The department also walked through the Salaries and Wages Block Grant and FTE counts, noting overall staffing remained within appropriated limits and that behavioral health staffing had increased. Members asked about vacancies, consultant use, and the mix of in-state versus out-of-state expertise for the Rural Health Transformation Program. HHS said it had posted 12 funding opportunities, received 422 applications, obligated $8.4 million so far, hired 26 people, and was preparing additional grant rounds and a CMS budget submission. The department said the program is structured around workforce, prevention/healthy living, care closer to home, and technology/data, with ongoing stakeholder engagement and community forums. The committee also heard on the certified community behavioral health clinic implementation plan, SNAP payment error rates, and the state laboratory project. HHS said CCBHC certification is being implemented in four regions—Williston, Minot/North Central, Fargo/Southeast, and Dickinson/Badlands—with care coordination expanding and baseline data still being collected. On SNAP, the department reported a 2025 payment error rate of 9.89%, acknowledged cost impacts under HR1, and said it is using training, system changes, and pre-authorization quality checks to reduce errors toward a 6% target over the next 6 to 12 months. Finally, Public Health reported the state laboratory reached substantial completion on June 12, with total costs at $69.95 million of the $70 million budget, though a service elevator issue will require a new lift to be added using contingency funds.
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Transportation Dec 4th, 2025

Transcript Highlights:
  • So we don't have the funding to actually do that work.
  • , or direct the federal funding where it goes and where we need to put some of that federal funding for
  • And we do the funding on those first. And any remaining funding, we then move towards...
  • Funding on those first, and any remaining funding, we then move towards our pavements.
  • And so that's where that funding amount led up to.
Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee devoted its meeting to a presentation from Troy Suing of the Department of Transportation on state highway preservation needs. Suing said DOT is a leader in asset planning, but that current funding is not enough to keep up with the condition of highways, bridges, and other assets. He distinguished operations and maintenance from preservation, and described the preservation program’s main parts: pavements, bridges, and other highway facilities such as slopes, rest areas, signal systems, retaining walls, and culverts. Suing reported that about 40% of state roads are already overdue for preservation and that, with current funding, as much as 85% could need preservation within 10 years. He said there are more than 7,900 lane miles currently due, and that delaying work past the “lowest life cycle zone” increases risk and can cost three to five times more later. For bridges, he said the state has about 3,400 bridges, an average age of 52 years, and roughly 10% are over 80 years old; the share of bridges in poor condition is about 9.9%, near the federal threshold that could trigger more federal oversight. He also highlighted culvert failures, including one on SR-510, and the closed Carbon River Bridge on SR-165 as examples of how deferred preservation can lead to closures and community disruption. Committee members questioned the comparison to national asset management leadership, liability risk as roads deteriorate, the cost and regulatory burden of bridge projects, and whether DOT is relying more on its own crews for bridge work because of cost and urgency. Suing said the department is underfunded to fully implement its asset plans and is forced to focus on risk, emergent needs, and the most critical bridge work first. He said DOT’s 2026 supplemental budget identified preservation as one of five unfunded critical priorities and estimated a 10-year preservation need of $8 billion to address the backlog and become proactive again. Members discussed whether targeted funding in the next biennium could help move the state back toward the “green zone,” and the chair closed by emphasizing the real-world impacts of bridge and road failures and the need for legislative action.
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Formal House Session 25 Jun 21st, 2026 at 11:00 am

Massachusetts House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • A portion of the surplus goes into the reserve account for use in future rainy day funds.
  • The surplus goes into the reserve account for use in future rainy day funds.
  • With transportation, a vast majority of these funds, With transportation, a vast majority of these funds
  • But in the meantime, these funds will allow us to start tackling this backlog.
  • to a newly created municipal fund.
Keywords: 995, all
Summary: The House opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and received a resignation letter from Rep. Fana Howard of Lowell, effective March 17, 2026, as she transitioned to the Senate. The chamber then took up several procedural orders, including multiple unanimous or voice-vote suspensions of rules and concurrence with Senate petitions, such as referrals on housing and student transportation matters, and a suspension of Joint Rule 12 for a petition involving children served by DCF. The main substantive item was House No. 5264, a fiscal year 2026 supplemental appropriations bill totaling about $1.8 billion. Members discussed its use of Fair Share surtax surplus funds for transportation and education, including major support for the MBTA, special education circuit breaker costs, early education and child care, snow and ice costs, regional transit authorities, and other deficiencies such as GIC and sheriff costs. Members also explained the bill’s tax conformity provisions responding to recent federal tax changes, with debate over whether to delay conformity to limit state revenue exposure. The House adopted a consolidated amendment to the bill and then passed it to be engrossed by roll call vote, 150-3. The House also adopted a resolution commending the Admetek Foundation on Prostate Cancer Awareness Day. Several local bills were advanced, including a sick leave bank for a Department of Corrections employee, a bill waiving the minimum age requirement for a Boston police officer, a Nantucket charter bill, a Stoneham public safety bill, and a Malden special police officers bill, the last of which was amended before being engrossed. The chamber also considered Amendment 43 to redistribute $100 million of Fair Share revenue more evenly to municipalities for roads and education; supporters argued the current distribution favored statewide priorities over local aid, while opponents said the formula would not adequately address rural road needs. That amendment was rejected 128-25. The House then recessed several times, observed moments of silence for local public servants, welcomed visiting youth sports teams, and finally ordered adjournment to meet the next day at 11 a.m. in informal session.
TX

Texas 89th 2nd C.S.

Pensions, Investments & Financial Services Mar 31st, 2025

Pensions, Investments & Financial Services

Transcript Highlights:
  • That preserves the actu actuarial stability of the fund.
  • , or better known as the fund.
  • , which I refer to as the fund.
  • The fund is very much like a pension fund and is governed by a nine-member board of trustees funded by
  • Considering the normal usage of a gift card.
AZ
Transcript Highlights:
  • The balance in that fund acted at the time and continues to act... ...in that fund acted at the time
  • I brought up the State Land Trust Fund as an example.
  • It funded 113 positions and 128 schools.
  • for funding was 2020.
  • It funded 386 positions in 424 schools.
Keywords: 1182, all
Summary: The Senate Education Committee of Reference met for sunset reviews and first heard a presentation on the Credit Enhancement Eligibility Board from the Governor’s Office. The presenter explained that the board, created in 2016, has no dedicated staff or administrative budget and is supported by existing budget and policy staff and the Treasurer’s Office. The board’s purpose is to lower borrowing costs for qualifying schools by using a guarantee fund to enhance credit ratings, and it has largely been used by charter schools. Because the board has reached its statutory leverage cap and has not met since 2022, it is currently in a monitoring role, but it must remain in place to honor guarantees if any approved financing defaults. The committee asked about financing maturities, demand from schools, and whether a shorter continuation period would make sense. No public testimony was offered, and the committee voted to recommend continuing the board for 10 years, until July 1, 2036. The committee then reviewed the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). WICHE’s president described the interstate compact, its regional role in higher education access, workforce development, and data services, and its major student programs: the Western Undergraduate Exchange, the Western Regional Graduate Program, and the Professional Student Exchange Program. She highlighted tuition savings for Arizona students and the state, the return of many PSEP graduates to practice in Arizona, and additional cost savings through cooperative purchasing and technology contracts. The committee asked no substantive questions, and it voted to recommend continuing WICHE for 10 years, until July 1, 2036. The final major item was the Arizona Department of Education School Safety Program performance audit, followed by testimony from the department. The Auditor General reported that the program has grown substantially, especially after expansion to counselors and social workers and increased appropriations, but that ADE did not consistently ensure schools complied with program requirements. In a sample of 16 schools, most had issues such as missing or incomplete operational plans, inadequate safety team activity, incomplete required training, missing activity logs, or reimbursement requests lacking expenditure reports. The audit said these problems reduced the program’s effectiveness and increased the risk of improper spending, and it recommended stronger monitoring, written procedures, and better documentation review. ADE accepted the findings and said it is implementing the recommendations through more direct staff oversight, training requirements tied to funding, encrypted submission of emergency plans, site visits, and representative desk reviews. The discussion then shifted to whether emergency plans should address federal law enforcement actions; the director said the plans are designed for campus safety threats generally and do not specifically contemplate ICE enforcement. The committee took no vote on the audit presentation and adjourned after discussion.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • It's funded solely by the homeowners within the community.
  • Is that funds can be used for a particular purpose.
  • You know, GI programs can be time limited or ongoing funding.
  • So funding these developments properly up front will help prevent that.
  • Or less various sources of funding to meet the project needs.
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

02/25/2026 - Senate Floor Session

Arizona Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • HB 2090, ASRS long-term disability; HB 2091, financial surveillance fund ensure examinations; HB 2092
  • So we're really going to harm this whole influx of funds into our state.
  • I actually thought they took up 1% of global energy usage.
  • Arizona would have access to new funding because it would create a new mechanism to fund K-12 education
  • Participating increases K-12 funding at minimal cost because it's funded by private donations, not state
Keywords: 1182, all
Summary: The Senate convened, recorded attendance, dispensed with reading the journal, and recognized several guest groups, including landscape architects and FFA representatives who delivered plants to senators. The chamber then moved through multiple Committee of the Whole calendars, considering a large number of bills and resolutions, with most measures receiving do-pass recommendations, often after committee or floor amendments. Topics included public monies and cryptocurrency/stablecoin use by the state (SB 1042, SB 1043, SB 1044, SB 1045, SCR 1003, SCR 1033), attorney discipline and family court matters (SB 1039, SB 1139, SB 1147, SB 1148, SB 1328), public records, scholarship organizations, HOA flag rules, deed conveyances, environmental restrictions on solar radiation management, federal land acquisition consent, small modular reactors, water quality testing, and state revenue-related constitutional changes (SCR 1028). One notable procedural dispute occurred when an Epstein amendment to SB 1043 was ruled not germane; the chair’s ruling was upheld on a 14-10 division vote, and the bill later advanced without that amendment. The Senate also retained SB 1419 on the calendar. On later calendars, the Senate advanced health and human services measures focused on Arizona’s Access program and DCS, including SB 1052, SB 1115, SB 1149, SB 1193, SB 1233, SB 1345, SB 1346, and SB 1631. Testimony on SB 1115 centered on whether Access employees should be barred from remote work, with supporters arguing in-person work was needed and critics warning of staffing and service disruptions without a new facility or appropriation. SB 1233 drew discussion about a short cure period for administrative deficiencies; supporters said the bill addressed retaliatory enforcement practices, while opponents said the timeframe was too short. SB 1345 and SB 1346 also drew Access-related debate, including a floor amendment removing Access from SB 1345 and an objection that the bill could conflict with federal Medicaid law. The committee reports for these bills were adopted, and the measures were sent forward with do-pass recommendations. The Senate also advanced regulatory and utility-related bills on another calendar, including SB 1137, SB 1144, and SB 1205. SB 1137 dealt with underground facilities excavation notification and passed with a Kavanaugh floor amendment described as stakeholder-driven technical detail. SB 1144 addressed veterinary technician certification and education alternatives and passed with committee amendment. SB 1205, concerning motor vehicle booting fees regulation, was amended to require an appeals process for private parking lots using booting services after a senator described a personal experience of paying a boot fee and receiving no response to an appeal. The calendar was still in progress at the end of the transcript, with SB 1286 just beginning to be read.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Commerce Committee Meeting - 2026-03-26

Commerce Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • With the funding mechanism adopted in 2025, this creates long-term market stability while preserving
  • With the funding mechanism adopted in 2025, this creates long-term market stability while preserving
  • By leveraging federal funding to offset high-cost claims, it has reduced premiums, limited volatility
  • . funding may continue to be discussed funding may continue to be discussed this<00:19:08.520> session
  • <00:46:35.760> of that is reflected in teen usage of that is reflected in teen usage of social
NH
Transcript Highlights:
  • He said it really empowers the district to make the decisions and supply the funding or seek funding
  • <00:15:35.480> a may even raise money just to fund a may even raise money just to fund a watershed
  • um Supply the funding or seek funding um Supply the funding or seek funding um from<00:17:45.919>
  • And just one-third from actual water-usage charges.
  • available um could receive Grant funds available um could receive Grant funds um<00:27:18.880>
Keywords: 928, house, all
Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 332, a bill to add protection and remediation of surface waters as a new authorized purpose for New Hampshire village districts. Prime sponsor Rep. Rosemary Rung said the bill is intended to give local voters in lake communities a voluntary tool to address cyanobacteria blooms and other water-quality problems through village districts, including the ability to raise revenue, adopt ordinances, and pursue treatments or watershed management measures. She emphasized that the proposal is meant to complement, not replace, state law and that any district action would still need to comply with existing permitting and environmental requirements. Supporters, including Andrea Laro of New Hampshire Lakes and Elizabeth Harper of the Lake Sunapee Protective Association, said the bill would help municipalities collaborate on lake protection when state resources are limited. They argued that local districts could bring subject-matter expertise, access grants and technical assistance, and respond more quickly to problems such as septic impacts, runoff, culvert repairs, and in-lake treatments. They also suggested clarifying the bill’s wording around “protection and remediation” to better define the scope of authorized activities. Opponents, including Steve Wolf and Chris Norwood of the New Hampshire Association of Realtors, argued that village districts can already be overly broad and sometimes expand beyond their original purposes. Wolf said existing town and state agencies already handle shoreline protection and warned that village districts can impose ongoing taxes and create governance problems. Norwood urged a study bill instead, citing concerns about the scope of village districts and examples where some districts have taken on planning and zoning powers beyond their original mission. No vote or final action on HB 332 was taken in the excerpt.
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Technology and Telecommunications 2ND REVISED Apr 16th, 2026 at 08:45 am

Technology and Telecommunications

Transcript Highlights:
  • That's why we put 'available subject to the availability of funds.'
  • They're tied together, or annually, subject to the availability of funds.
  • Also creates a fund to go and get federal grants. With that, I move to pass. Yi, for questions.
  • Pandemic relief funding or whatever it might morph into at some point. So, yes, you're correct.
  • But I did hold an interim study on screen usage for our youngest, and we're in elementary school.
TX

Texas 89th 2nd C.S.

Pensions, Investments & Financial Services May 19th, 2025

Pensions, Investments & Financial Services

Transcript Highlights:
  • So maybe, um, either they overestimated the cost of the bonds or they invested the funds and then the
  • funds earned had some type of return.
  • and a Ver in November 2024, just announced in February that it would quote unquote repurpose bond funds
  • But I know school districts have, uh, sought to broaden the scope and the usage of bonds over time.
  • If you're going to repurpose funds that you put it back out for a vote because the bill is written just
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Floor Session - 03/25/26

Minnesota Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • There are a number of other issues regarding customs and usage that we have as well, too.
  • 18.840> and uh other issues uh regarding customs and uh other issues uh regarding customs and usage
  • usage that we have as well, too. usage that we have as well, too.
  • It was a big change many years ago to usage and customs and usage when women were not required to have
  • So, you know, you talked about that, Senator Marty, regarding customs and usage.
Keywords: 918, senate, all
Summary: The Senate convened under call, established a quorum, and received routine executive communications and House messages, including the House’s passage of Senate File 3623 on school bus stopping requirements and transmittal of House Files 3241, 3731, 3741, and 3802. The chamber also adopted committee reports and gave second readings to several Senate files and House File 3379, while referring Senate File 4854 to the Capital Investments Committee and Senate Resolution 68 to Rules and Administration. The main floor action involved a series of motions to re-refer bills to different committees. The Senate adopted motions to move Senate File 1671 from Judiciary and Public Safety to Housing and Homelessness Prevention, Senate File 2373 from Finance to Labor, Senate File 4452 from Capital Investment to Human Services, Senate File 4580 from Human Services to State and Local Government, Senate File 4589 from Judiciary and Public Safety to Higher Education, Senate File 4630 from Education Policy to Education Finance, and Senate File 4662 from Capital Investment to State and Local Government. The chamber also adopted a motion to give House File 3378 a second reading and place it on general orders after a roll call vote of 46-21. The Senate then took up Senate Resolution 69, which would amend the temporary rules to allow certain accommodations for members who are new parents. Senators Murphy and Coleman spoke in support, arguing the rules should better reflect modern family life and make the chamber more welcoming to parents, especially mothers. Senator Nelson offered the A4 amendment to allow caucus leaders to permit a member’s child under age one on the floor, with the member responsible for supervision and the child exempt from Rule 17.6. Opponents, including Senator Boldon, argued the age limit was too restrictive and that parents should have more flexibility. After roll call, the Nelson A4 amendment failed 32-35, and the resolution remained pending with additional amendments possible.
NM

New Mexico 2026 Regular Session

Senate - Tax, Business and Transportation Feb 17th, 2026 at 05:06 pm

Senate Tax, Business & Transportation

Transcript Highlights:
  • We're not here to ask for additional funds for training—that is where the funds go to—but this bill is
  • They don't have to go to the union, but then they have to pay into the fund specifically 60 cents for
  • It's now I have to pay into a fund whether I want to or not. And that's what I'm confused about.
  • Their projects are funded 90% primarily by tax-paying dollars, and they don't want to contribute back
  • You're talking about the road fund—the people that do the road construction.
Keywords: 996, all
OK
Transcript Highlights:
  • So this is Just a revolving fund for the Corporation Commission of appropriated dollars that we've already
  • I sent out an email this morning, but the amendment just changes the name of the revolving fund.
  • The Senate wanted to change the name to a workforce talent Recruitment fund, that's the amendment.
  • Members, the House House Bill 2268, the amendment to this, provides $2.5 million in additional funding
OK
Transcript Highlights:
  • And you all like to fund successful programs.
  • Think at different states fund these things in different ways.
  • We're appropriating some funds to different.
  • And when we talk about prioritizing funding, I want to know why we don't prioritize funding around healthcare
  • But there's also responsibility through funding government and funding core functions of government to
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Senate Session Apr 2nd, 2025

Texas Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Fund.
  • This fund is a non-dedicated fund account in the GR General Revenue Fund.
  • The General Revenue Fund and not the Ship Channel Improvement Revolving Fund as intended.
  • fund management.
  • It does add the flood funding infrastructure fund over under the umbrella water fund.
Summary: In this meeting, significant discussions revolved around the passage and modification of various Senate Bills, including SB1388, which pertains to family support services under the Health and Human Services Commission. Senator Kolkhorst advocated for the bill, emphasizing its focus on pro-life, family-centered care. The committee passed the bill after thorough examination, showcasing a collaborative effort among the members to ensure its alignment with successful past initiatives. In another session, Senator Hughes presented SB942, aimed at retroactive child support linked to prenatal care, which sparked a constructive dialogue reflecting bipartisan support for maternal and child welfare.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • That's an endowment fund that they have. It's an endowed fund.
  • That's an endowment fund that they have. It's an endowed fund.
  • Is that the total funding for that? And is it funded every year or is it just funded on occasion?
  • the total funding for that? And is it funded every year or is it just funded on occasion?
  • and the LECOs Fund are fully funded.
Bills: SB1, SB 1
NH
Transcript Highlights:
  • this fund. this fund.
  • > fund the general fund the general fund >> fund.<00:23:35.360> Yeah.
  • fund.
  • fund infusion of 8 million into this fund.
  • inactive funds. inactive funds.
Keywords: 928, house, all
Summary: The meeting began with approval of partial minutes, with members noting that DHS/HHS material was not yet included and that the minutes would be finalized later. The committee then heard from the General Court about several dedicated funds. Testimony explained the Joint Legislative Historical Fund, which receives a $25,000 annual general fund appropriation and transfers from visitor center sales above a $50,000 threshold, and is used for portrait maintenance, chamber work, Hall of Flags upkeep, and other historical preservation needs. Members also discussed the preservation of the Civil War flags in the Hall of Flags, with the General Court stating the flags are monitored through annual high-definition photos and that no immediate stabilization project is planned. A question about Union cemeteries was raised but the witness said he had no knowledge of federal funding for them. The committee also reviewed the visitor center revolving fund and noted that the accounting presentation is confusing because transfers are netted out so the fund ends each year at $50,000. Members suggested the narrative should clearly identify the transfer amounts and actual revenue, and staff agreed to note that in future reporting. The General Court then described its special legislative account as a stability reserve for capital and emergency needs, citing past uses such as the plaza ADA renovation, the legislative parking garage, and moving operations to One Granite Place. Members asked about interest earnings and were told the account is held in the treasury and any interest goes to the general fund unless statute directs otherwise; no additional funding was recommended at this time. The Department of Administrative Services then presented the law enforcement memorial fund, explaining it is a long-standing leftover construction fund with a small balance that has not been needed because the New Hampshire Law Enforcement Memorial Officers Association privately funds memorial upkeep and plaques. Members discussed whether the state should transfer the remaining money to the nonprofit, but no decision was made; the department said it would research whether such a transfer is legally possible. The department also reviewed the former land conservation endowment fund, now moving to Fish and Game under House Bill 2, and explained that it primarily covers administrative costs, management fees, and investment losses for a long-term conservation program. Members asked about the fund’s large balance and the increase in expenses, and were told the fund is intended to last indefinitely and that future reporting will shift to Fish and Game.