Transcript Highlights:

• What are your sentiments around dogs on vacant properties?
• Louis, in whatever municipality, what do you say for a dog that's been at a vacant property, regardless
• What are your sentiments around dogs on vacant properties and do you not believe that animal control
• What do you say for a dog that's been in a... what do you say for a dog that's been at a vacant property
• I do understand not wanting folks on your property.

Committee: House Special Committee on Urban Issues

Transcript Highlights:

• , and real property includes homes, barns, sheds, vacant property, farm property, railroads, commercial
• property, so all real property.
• </c> property and real property includes property and real property includes homes<00:01:55.360><c> your
• </c> homes your barns your sheds vacant homes your barns your sheds vacant property<00:01:57.719><c>
• Farm property uh railroads property Farm property uh railroads commercial<00:02:00.479><c> so</c><00

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and took up two House bills. House Bill 10, relating to the rights of real property owners, was presented as a response to squatting. The sponsors said it would create a streamlined process to remove unauthorized occupants from real property, define “squatter” in statute, and keep existing criminal mischief penalties aligned for damage to property. After a motion and second, the bill was approved and reported favorably with the expression that it should pass. The committee then heard House Bill 399, relating to interference with legislative proceedings. The sponsor and the Senate Sergeant at Arms said the bill is intended to protect the General Assembly’s ability to conduct business by penalizing obstructing or impeding legislators or legislative employees and disruptive conduct in legislative spaces, while still allowing protest. They emphasized that the measure would give the legislative branch protections similar to those already available to the executive and judicial branches, and that arrests would be made only at the call of leadership or a committee chair. Members voted to advance House Bill 399 after discussion. One senator explained that while he supported moving the bill forward, he was concerned the language could be broad enough to cover peaceful demonstrations, such as teachers rallying at the Capitol, and said he would need more time before deciding how to vote on the floor. The committee ultimately reported the bill favorably with the expression that it should pass, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• So one of the things I looked at, you know, looking at Pearl City, we don't have a lot of vacant space
• So one of the things I looked at, you know, looking at Pearl City, we don't have a lot of vacant space
• So one of the things I looked at, you know, looking at Pearl City, we don't have a lot of vacant space
• I'm hosting Red Cross and and the assert teams on my property, but it's all for Pearl City, too.
• I'm hosting Red Cross and and the assert teams on my property, but it's all for Pearl City, too.

Committee: Senate Public Safety and Military Affairs

Summary: The joint meeting of the Senate committees on Public Safety and Military Affairs and Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs heard testimony on several resolutions focused on community safety, emergency preparedness, and commemorative actions. STR 16 and SR 30 sought permission for the City and County of Honolulu to use restricted vacant land on the Pearl City Peninsula for youth ball programs; Pearl City Neighborhood Board chair Larry Vere testified in support, describing a shortage of youth sports space and the availability of the former Navy fuel farm area. STR 22 asked Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to work with other agencies on outreach to help kūpuna prepare for emergencies; testimony from AARP Hawaii, neighborhood boards, and others emphasized lessons from the Lahaina wildfires and the need for statewide, community-based preparedness efforts. Testifiers also urged that disabled seniors be included, and committee members discussed coordination with neighborhood boards, area agencies on aging, and nonprofits. STR 112 and SR 93 proposed lighting City Hall purple on August 7 for National Purple Heart Day, and STR 84 and SR 67 addressed disaster preparedness and drills in Maui after the wildfires. STR 184 and SR 146 would direct county police to enforce registration rules for out-of-state vehicles, and STR 229 and SR 205 would call for explosion-detection technology to respond to illegal fireworks and gunfire; Larry Vere supported the latter as a way to speed law enforcement response, while one senator said she would vote no on the vehicle-registration measure pending more information about possible effects on the Nation/Kingdom of Hawaii community. In decision-making, both committees adopted recommendations to pass STR 16, STR 22, STR 84/SR 67, and STR 184/SR 146, with STR 112/SR 93 and STR 229/SR 205 passed with technical, nonsubstantive amendments. The committee report for STR 22 was also noted to include disabled seniors and to engage neighborhood boards and community groups already working on preparedness. For STR 184/SR 146, one senator recorded a no vote because of concerns about impacts on Native Hawaiian sovereignty-related communities. The meeting concluded after all listed measures were acted on and the joint committee hearings were adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have to take a look at our property.
• First of all, you have to identify the property, and we're not sure if that's going to be state property
• or if it could be private property.
• The CIO at the time had left the position vacant.
• There were vacant positions that we were not allowed to fill.

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• or abandoned properties.
• properties.
• It does protect property values. Most of all, it keeps repair... property values.
• properties that fall into the gap between routine code enforcement and the far more... ...unsafe vacant
• property.

Committee: House House Government Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee heard a series of bills and resolutions, many of them on property, local government, and memorial topics. HB 2079, authorizing a memorial for journalist Don Bolles at Wesley Bolin Plaza, passed unanimously after sponsor testimony about the 50th anniversary of his assassination and the memorial’s no-cost nature. HB 2080, as amended, advanced 7-0 on deed and title fraud prevention measures, including photo ID requirements, notarization and deed-filing safeguards, an assessor alert program, and a felony penalty for knowingly submitting false or forged real-property claims. HB 464, which moves the petition process for municipal improvement districts earlier in the process, passed 5-2 after testimony from Camp Verde, the Yavapai Apache Nation, developers, and the League of Arizona Cities and Towns; opponents argued it could force property owners into infrastructure they do not want, while supporters said it improves transparency and financing certainty. HB 2048, a proposed constitutional referral to withhold pay from state elected officials if the budget is not enacted by April 30, passed 4-3, with supporters saying it would create accountability and opponents saying broader process reforms are needed first. The committee also heard HB 2324, which would allow municipalities with their own fire codes to petition for county-owned buildings inside city limits to be exempt from separate state fire code inspections when conditions are met. County and state fire officials supported the concept, saying it would resolve conflicting statutes and formalize intergovernmental agreements, and the bill passed 7-0. HB 4087, authorizing a memorial plaque for former legislator Barbara Leff, also passed unanimously, with the sponsor noting her service in both chambers and her work on veterans and health care issues. HB 2239, creating a child care grant program and infrastructure fund for underserved and low-income communities, drew extensive testimony from rural parents, child care advocates, and early childhood experts describing child care deserts, workforce losses, and safety concerns with unregulated care. Supporters said the bill would fund the facilities and infrastructure needed to expand regulated child care, especially in rural Arizona; the committee approved it 5-1 with one member present and one not voting. Members also discussed HB 2375, a historic-preservation-related middle housing bill, but the transcript cuts off before final action is shown; testimony reflected a sharp divide between preservation advocates supporting exemptions for historic districts and housing advocates warning the bill could worsen exclusion and housing shortages.

Transcript Highlights:

• Basically, it's a blighted piece of property on its way there.
• It has been vacant, I'm sure, for over 30 years since they vacated from it.
• Again, this is saying when an apartment complex, any particular commercial property, is becoming vacant
• Again, this is saying when a apartment complex, any particular commercial property is becoming vacant
• Thank you for your, I guess, passion for blighted property.

Bills: HB387 , HB673 , HB947 , HB975 , HB1102 , HB1228 , HB1229 , HCR66 , SB102 , SB165 , SB280 , SB291 , SB326 , SB521

Committees: House Commerce , House Commerce, Consumer Protection, and International Affairs

Keywords: engineering, land surveying, construction, state fire marshal, plan review, security cameras, abandoned property, blighted structures, property management, digital assets, abandonment, custodian, escheatment, blockchain, cryptocurrency, unclaimed property, state treasurer, Department of Public Service, statutory entities, public administration

Transcript Highlights:

• The impact on our community is we have vacant units. We have more vacant units.
• Properties have had to hire private security.
• The impact on our community is we have vacant, we have more vacant units.
• Properties have had to hire private security.
• And finally, metal property deception.

Committee: Senate Law & Justice

Summary: The committee met in Mill Creek and first heard an update on eviction proceedings from King County Superior Court Judge Michael Scott and then from the Office of Civil Legal Aid and Snohomish County Legal Services. Judge Scott said eviction filings are at historic highs statewide, with King County seeing a growing backlog after pandemic-era declines, though recent added judicial resources have reduced pending cases and brought average filing-to-disposition time down to about 60 days. He described county-by-county differences in how eviction calendars are handled and said courts are working with landlords, legal aid, and housing advocates to balance speed, due process, and access to counsel. Committee members asked about average timelines, tracking outcomes after eviction, and whether other counties offer useful models. Legal aid witnesses said Washington’s appointed counsel program has expanded access to representation statewide, except that King County still lacks enough resources for full representation in every case. They said the program has represented more than 30,000 tenants, often helps connect clients to social services, and has kept many people housed, but they warned of a funding shortfall that could eliminate about 17 attorneys and leave roughly 2,000 tenants without counsel. A Snohomish County provider said most of its cases now involve nonpayment of rent and emphasized the program’s role in preventing homelessness and helping clients secure benefits and housing stability. The second work session focused on theft and vandalism of critical infrastructure, especially copper and telecom cable theft. Committee staff outlined existing criminal and scrap-metal laws, including malicious mischief and theft statutes, plus licensing and recordkeeping rules for scrap metal businesses. Comcast, Mason PUD3, and the Recycled Materials Association testified that theft and damage to aerial cable and utility infrastructure have become a crisis, causing outages, public safety risks, and major costs. Witnesses described incidents affecting 911 service, schools, hospitals, home health monitoring, and electric reliability, and said thieves often cannot distinguish between copper, fiber, and other lines. Utility and recycling representatives urged stronger audits, tougher penalties for theft affecting critical infrastructure, better identification and payment rules, and more coordinated enforcement. Committee members asked about the motive for fiber damage, the role of out-of-state resale, and whether other states have useful approaches; witnesses said there is no easy fix and that best practices such as marking cable and improving interagency coordination could help. The final item was a briefing from the Criminal Justice Training Commission on standards for law enforcement certification and decertification. Executive Director Monica Alexander and Assistant Director Kimberly Bliss explained the difference between an agency commission and state certification, the training and background process for officers, and the grounds and procedures for mandatory and discretionary decertification. They said agencies conduct the background checks, CJTC reviews complaints and reports, and officers are entitled to administrative hearings and court review. Members asked about elected sheriffs, and CJTC clarified that sheriffs are not required to undergo the same pre-employment background check as other applicants, though many are already certified officers and remain subject to decertification rules; the commission said it has decertified a sheriff since 2021. No votes were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> property values are raising like crazy. property values are raising like crazy.
• </c> of this is vacant land. That's correct. of this is vacant land. That's correct.
• </c> Who's paying the property? Who's paying the property?
• So, right now there are about—Birmingham probably has about 15,000 tax-delinquent or vacant properties
• You cannot change any kind of assessment except for utility property and railroad property.

Bills: SB32 , HB404 , SB105 , SB32 , HB404 , SB105

Committee: House County and Municipal Government

Keywords: machinegun, enhanced sentencing, homicide, manslaughter, assault, public safety, HB404, Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering, cosmetology, barbering, makeup artist, makeup application, lash artist, brow artist, lash/brow permit, esthetician, salon licensing, studio licensing, mobile salon, mobile studio

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, there's fluctuations as to which positions are vacant.
• Again, there's fluctuations as to which positions are vacant.
• goes with those vacant positions every year as well.
• vacant or three years it can be vacant.
• vacant now in the law enforcement division.

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, there are fluctuations as to which positions are vacant.
• goes with those vacant positions every year as well.
• You may fill some, but then others become vacant and whatnot.
• vacant, or three years it can be vacant.
• vacant now in the law enforcement division.

Summary: The subcommittee met to discuss budget issues related to vacant positions across several natural resources and environmental departments, with no votes taken and all items held open for a future hearing. The Legislative Analyst’s Office and the Department of Finance explained the administration’s proposal to eliminate about 6,000 vacant positions statewide, including roughly 293 positions in the departments before the committee, as a way to capture salary savings and reduce flexible funding tied up in vacancies. The LAO recommended retaining special-funded positions, while noting that eliminating General Fund positions would reduce savings. Finance argued that vacancy levels have remained steady statewide, that departments need flexibility to manage operations and hard-to-fill jobs, and that some vacant positions can be reclassified to higher-priority work. Members raised concerns that many of the proposed eliminations would affect core public-safety, permitting, and environmental-protection functions. The Department of Fish and Wildlife said the cuts would affect permitting, environmental protection, and law enforcement, while State Parks said its proposed ranger reductions were chosen from historically vacant, hard-to-fill positions and would still leave many vacancies to fill through the academy. The Coastal Commission said its positions supported sea-level rise planning under SB 272. The Department of Pesticide Regulation and DTSC said the reductions would affect multiple program areas, though Finance said the special funds involved were not in structural deficit and the cuts could help avoid future fee increases. The State Water Resources Control Board said its proposed reductions were spread across programs, with public-health functions protected as much as possible. The committee then heard an overview from the State Water Resources Control Board on its responsibilities for water quality, water rights, drinking water, and funding for water infrastructure. Chair Joaquin Esquivel described ongoing work on the Bay-Delta Plan update, the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes voluntary agreements, and the need to actively administer water rights. Members also discussed the board’s response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Sackett decision, which narrowed federal Clean Water Act jurisdiction. The board requested $2.6 million and 12 permanent positions to address resulting permitting and enforcement gaps; the LAO said the request met its high bar for new proposals and was supported by the board’s data and reporting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 1602 creates the Homes for Veterans Property Management Incentive Pilot Program within the
• that landlords may apply to the FHFC to receive funds from the vacancy relief trust fund to hold a vacant
• Senate Bill 1602 creates the Homes for Veterans Property Management Incentive Pilot Program within the
• dwelling for veteran up to 45 days, and the risk management. vacant dwelling for veteran up to 45 days
• and the risk management mitigation, excuse me, risk mitigation trust fund to recover property loss at

Bills: S1512 , S1602 , S1604 , S1656

Committee: Senate Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security

Summary: The Committee on Military Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security met with a quorum and considered several memorials and bills. It first passed Senate Memorial 1714, urging Congress to support the “No Tax Dollars for Terrorist Acts” measure to prevent U.S. funds from benefiting the Taliban in Afghanistan. The committee then favorably reported SB 1512, which expands tax exemptions and procurement flexibility for Space Florida, and SB 1656, which designates the SS American Victory as Florida’s official state flagship in place of the Western Union. The committee also favorably reported SM 1186, which urges Congress to increase the Florida National Guard’s force structure, with supporters citing Florida’s large population and disaster response needs. Senator Sharif voiced support for the effort. Next, the committee took up SB 1602, creating a Homes for Veterans Property Management Incentive Pilot Program in selected counties to help landlords house veterans through vacancy relief and risk mitigation funds; two amendments were adopted, and the bill was reported favorably as committee substitute. SB 1604, which creates the associated trust funds within the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, also received one technical amendment and was reported favorably as committee substitute. Throughout the meeting, several measures drew supportive testimony or comments, including representatives from Space Florida and the Florida Chamber on SB 1512 and a supporter on SB 1602. Multiple members offered to co-sponsor or support veterans-related measures. No bills were opposed in debate, all amendments were adopted without objection, and each item was reported favorably before the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• If your property is not agricultural property and is classified as vacant, then the valuation relates
• The property owner is following the law and filing if they do have some sort of change in property use
• How come, as a commercial property owner, I lost my appeal because Assessor Cook values it as vacant
• We had property tax.
• come on the property.

Bills: HB2016 , HB2104 , HB2105 , HB2288 , HB2289

Committees: House Ways & Means , House House Ways & Means Committee of Reference

Keywords: tax penalties, filing, tax returns, administration, Arizona Revised Statutes, HB2288, foreign dividends, corporate income tax, Arizona tax, A.R.S. 43-1122, subtraction, gross income subtraction, multinational corporations, GILTI, global intangible low-taxed income, subpart F income, IRC 78 gross-up, foreign-source income, international tax conformity, corporate tax base

Transcript Highlights:

• If a position is vacant, that adjustment continues to happen.
• As long as the position is vacant, yeah. Okay, thank you.
• How many of them are vacant today?
• And so these 10 positions are currently vacant.
• And so these 10 positions are currently vacant.

Transcript Highlights:

• So if we're not going to use it for our property... ...to use that property at all.
• Do you have a value of that property? Does the state value that property?
• , and that we were wanting to utilize that property as an auto shop.
• So you have a total of 2,300, so you have about 500 vacant positions.
• Why have they been vacant for two years?

Committee: All JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE

Summary: The committee heard budget presentations and took executive recommendations on several Department of Human Services divisions, including Aging, Adult and Behavioral Health Services; Children and Family Services; County Operations; Developmental Disability Services; and Medical Services, with most divisions showing little or no significant change in total appropriations. Staff and agency witnesses repeatedly explained that many large appropriations are maintained for flexibility, federal matching requirements, or contingency needs, even when actual spending is much lower than the authorized amount. Members also raised concerns about staffing vacancies, long-vacant budgeted positions, and the use of excess appropriation authority across DHS. In Aging, Adult and Behavioral Health, members questioned federal funding levels for mental health and substance abuse grants, the status of senior centers and Meals on Wheels, the Medicaid tobacco settlement program, community alcohol safety grants, and the veterans mental health grant. Agency officials said federal block grants are largely committed, that senior center funding had been delayed by shutdown timing but was now back on track, that the tobacco settlement program had been moved internally within DHS, and that the veterans mental health appropriation remains unfunded. Senators also criticized the adequacy of support for seniors and asked for more detail on how transportation, meal services, and local contributions are funded. In Children and Family Services, members asked about rising appropriation levels, foster care and adoption subsidies, professional fees, the number of children in foster care, and the Children’s Trust Fund. DHS said increases reflect added flexibility for residential treatment, adoption subsidies, and prevention services, while the foster care population has remained fairly steady at about 3,400 children. The Children’s Trust Fund was described as supporting primary prevention programs such as Baby and Me and community schools, and members asked whether it could be administratively combined with other efforts. Questions also covered TANF subgrants, with DHS explaining that it had reduced outside subgrants after discovering over-obligation and was rebuilding reserves. In County Operations, members focused on the summer EBT program, SNAP employment and training, the farmer’s market program, and the state’s TANF reserve position. DHS said summer EBT is still being funded through temporary appropriations because it is a newer program, SNAP employment and training is largely federally funded and may expand under a pending policy change, and TANF reserves were drawn down after prior over-obligation but are now being stabilized. In Developmental Disability Services, members asked about vacancies, human development center staffing, facility construction funds, and the Booneville work program, and DHS said the program has reopened and staffing recruitment continues. In Medical Services, members asked about FMAP, the Our Kids B CHIP program, school-based Medicaid reimbursements, nursing home distress funds, and several large appropriation lines that far exceed actual spending; DHS said these are maintained for claims payment, nursing home receivership contingencies, and other flexibility needs. Each division reviewed was adopted by executive recommendation after questions concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• Any residential property that sits vacant or in short-term rental, meaning short-term rental qualifies
• that sits vacant or residential property that sits vacant or in<01:54:03.119><c> short-term</c><01:54
• . property. property.
• It could be short-term rentals, but it could also just be vacant properties.
• So, it may be just be vacant properties.

Committee: House Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• is the Historic Building Tax Relief Act, which will help incentivize developers to convert unused, vacant
• is the Historic Building Tax Relief Act, which will help incentivize developers to convert unused, vacant
• There are many historic properties listed here, but there are even more.
• Under current law, a property owner who is behind on their taxes is able to request an installment plan
• By the property owner.

Committee: House Revenue and Taxation

Summary: The Revenue and Taxation Committee met first without a quorum, then established one and heard several bills. AB 564 by Assemblymember Haney would freeze the cannabis excise tax at its current 15% rate rather than allowing it to rise to 25%; supporters argued the legal cannabis industry is under severe pressure from the illicit market and high taxes, while opponents said the measure would reduce funding for child care, youth programs, environmental restoration, and enforcement. AB 1265, also by Haney, would extend and expand the state historic tax credit to encourage rehabilitation of vacant historic buildings into housing and mixed-use projects; supporters emphasized housing production, preservation, and economic returns, and the bill was referred to suspense. AB 1377 by Assemblymember McKinnor would require studios seeking optional DEIA film tax credits to fully carry out their submitted diversity plans; it passed the committee 5-1 and was sent to Appropriations. AB 1416 by Assemblymember Ta would clarify disaster-related property tax deferrals for homeowners and passed 7-0 to the Assembly Floor. After the regular agenda, the committee took up suspense-file bills and made broad remarks about the fiscal impact of tax expenditures. The chair said the bills on suspense represented large projected revenue losses and argued the committee must weigh those costs against state priorities. On the suspense file, AB 564 was approved 6-0 with amendments including a five-year sunset and a Section 41 requirement. AB 27, AB 53, AB 97, AB 231, AB 232, AB 429, AB 613, AB 984, and AB 1485 all passed with varying unanimous or near-unanimous votes, while several bills including AB 386, AB 389, AB 490, AB 814, AB 834, AB 838, AB 895, AB 918, AB 976, AB 1057, AB 1219, AB 1282, AB 1354, AB 1431, AB 1435, AB 1481, and AB 6991 were held in committee. AB 547 passed 5-1 with amendments, and AB 613 passed 6-0 after amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• or abandoned properties.
• properties.
• Unsafe vacant properties that fall into the gap between routine code enforcement and the far more serious
• The properties did have occupants. He was a negligent property owner as far as maintenance.
• The properties did have occupants. He was a negligent property owner as far as maintenance.

Committees: House Government , House House Government Committee of Reference

Transcript Highlights:

• These properties come and...? These are properties that the state has.
• As Representative Veit mentioned, several of these are properties that are vacant.
• Typically, for most of these properties, we will put them up for sale if it's a vacant property.
• Typically for most of these properties, we will put them up for sale if it's a vacant property.
• So, with the exception of the MoDOT properties and Conservation properties, all other state properties

Committee: House Corrections and Public Institutions

Summary: The committee heard only Senate Substitute for Senate Bill 937, which would authorize the governor to convey a list of state-owned properties that are no longer needed. Representative Veit and Office of Administration witness Hanna Swan explained that many of the parcels are vacant, costly to maintain, or are former DESE school properties closing at the end of the year. They said the bill is intended to consolidate multiple conveyance authorizations into one measure, with some properties to be sold on the open market and others transferred for specific public purposes. Members asked about the location, ownership, and intended use of several parcels, including whether some were easements, how “indeterminate” acreage would be handled, and whether the Donovan School District would receive a property back in the substitute. Swan said the state generally seeks the best deal for Missouri while also considering community impact, and that maintenance savings on some vacated school properties could be roughly $100,000 to $130,000 annually. Questions also focused on whether local school districts or the state owned the properties, and on how community input would be considered before any sale. A second witness, Jefferson City city engineer David Bangy, testified in support of the parcel related to the High Street viaduct. He said the conveyance would help the city redesign and rebuild the bridge, improve pedestrian safety, add underpasses, and support a roundabout and better access to downtown and emergency services, though it could reduce parking by about 20 to 30 spaces. No witnesses spoke in opposition or for information only, and the committee adjourned after testimony without taking a recorded vote in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• It contains a $15 million savings by cutting 325 vacant positions.
• There are 245 FTE positions that have been vacant for over 365 days.
• For any of you, was the review of vacant FTEs of these agencies eye-opening?
• For instance, with these vacant FTEs, outside of 90 days or so, if an FTE remains vacant, do we need
• For instance, with these vacant FTEs, outside of 90 days or so, if an FTE remains vacant, do we need

Summary: The Health Care Budget Subcommittee met to review agency budgets, vacant positions, and possible efficiencies across several health and human services agencies. Members were asked to identify savings and potential areas for increased funding, and the discussion repeatedly focused on whether long-vacant FTEs, reversion of funds, and staffing shortages reflect true operational needs or broader budgeting and recruitment problems. The chair and members emphasized that the exercise was intended to help the committee make more informed budget decisions and to identify structural issues that may require legislative action. For the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, members highlighted a large waiting list, including individuals in crisis and children, and discussed whether vacant positions and unspent funds could be redirected to services. Several members raised concerns about delays in crisis applications, the use of paper applications, and whether the issue is staffing, process, or both. For the Department of Children and Families, the presenters discussed vacant positions, the use of staff augmentation in state hospitals, support for expanding behavioral qualified residential treatment program beds, and concerns raised by audits of the managing entities, which showed procurement and financial management problems. They recommended continued oversight, reporting requirements on Medicaid enrollees receiving mental health services through managing entities, and support for the governor’s proposed funding items. Other agencies reviewed included Elder Affairs, where members questioned the need for multiple divisions, CARES assessments, and supervisory overhead; the Department of Health, where vacancies, turnover, pay gaps, and units of rate were discussed as barriers to recruitment and retention; and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, where the presenters said vacancies were tied to new nursing homes and recommended shifting a major priority into general revenue rather than trust funds. Throughout the meeting, members generally agreed that the vacancy review was eye-opening and suggested deeper, possibly separate, reviews of agency staffing, pay parity, and fund reversion practices. No formal votes were taken during the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• So the bill only creates opportunity for co-location within a facility that is either half vacant or
• Vacant or has at least 500 student stations that is available.
• Six are vacant. Yes. Because enrollment is, the vacancy rate is over 50%. Yeah.
• I think it might be sort of a zero-sum situation where you're taking existing. fill vacant seats.
• So of the vacant properties that are currently not used, not paid for, not only would that $600 a student

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Pre-K-12 Education met with a quorum present and took up several education bills. SB 1150, which would remove an unrelated exam barrier for school social workers to help districts retain them, was briefly explained and reported favorably. The committee then heard SB 1514 on anaphylaxis in public schools, which would require emergency action plans and training for school personnel; amendments narrowed and clarified the bill, including applicability to K-8 schools and FDA-approved epinephrine devices. Orange County Public Schools waived in support, and CS/CS/SB 1514 was reported favorably. The committee spent the most time on SB 1708, which expands Schools of Hope and creates a co-location framework allowing high-performing charter operators to share space in underused public school facilities, with the sponsor explaining that agreements would address safety, supervision, grade levels, emergency protocols, and liability. Members raised concerns about who would be served, lottery access, accountability, and whether the bill would worsen inequities or strain public schools; many public speakers opposed the bill on similar grounds, arguing it would divert resources from already underfunded schools. The sponsor clarified that Schools of Hope recruitment is exempt from lottery, that the bill would not use classrooms already in use, and that districts would receive $600 per student plus associated funding for vacant space. Despite mixed debate, CS for SB 1708 was reported favorably. Finally, the committee considered CS/SB 822, which updates charter school governance by limiting sponsor-imposed deadlines, preventing enrollment caps below facility capacity, improving data sharing, and allowing high-performing charter schools to assume existing charters. A charter school advocate supported the bill as a fairness and efficiency measure, while senators pressed him on claims of district “harassment” and the basis for the bill’s deadline changes. After brief debate, CS/SB 822 was reported favorably. The meeting ended with members recording votes on prior tabs and adjournment.