Transcript Highlights:

• on the youth and young adult...
• young people.
• So housing talks about housing, and young people talk about young people.
• Those federal benefits do belong to the children, youth, or young adults.
• When we first introduced this legislation, it applied very broadly to all children, youth, and young

Bills: SB5911, SB5940, SB5942, SB5957

Keywords: children, youth, financial stability, care services, department of children and families, housing assistance, foster care, pilot program, social services, accountability, family services, state department, child welfare, homeless youth, youth homelessness, runaway youth, young adult homelessness, housing instability, family reunification, family stability

Summary: The Senate Human Services Committee held a work session focused on housing and supports for youth and young adults exiting public systems of care, followed by public hearings on several related bills. DCYF Assistant Secretary Vicki Ibarra described existing services for youth ages roughly 13 to 23, including family reconciliation services and the youth and young adult housing response team, which coordinates existing housing resources for young people exiting foster care, juvenile justice, and behavioral health systems. Office of Homeless Youth Director Casey Hannawer Sutton outlined statewide youth homelessness efforts, including a reported 40% reduction in youth homelessness since 2016, expansion of services to 37 counties, functional zero work in anchor communities, and a no-cost agency request bill for technical fixes and eligibility updates. Treehouse and the Mockingbird Society also described their work supporting foster youth, education, transition planning, peer support, and housing stability, and both groups raised concerns about funding cuts, eligibility gaps, and the need for better coordination across systems. The State Board of Health then presented a health impact review of the housing assistance proposal, concluding that rental assistance and related supports for young adults in extended foster care would likely improve housing stability, health outcomes, and equity for some youth, especially those who are Black, Indigenous, LGBTQIA2S+, disabled, pregnant or parenting, or involved in the criminal legal system. The committee then heard Senate Bill 5911, which would stop DCYF from using Social Security benefits of youth in extended foster care to reimburse the state for care costs, while requiring DCYF to help eligible youth access and manage those benefits. Senator Alvarado said the bill is a narrower version of earlier proposals and is intended to preserve federal benefits for young adults ages 18 to 21 in extended foster care. Testimony from Partners for Our Children, TeamChild, the Mockingbird Society, and a former foster youth supported the bill, arguing that the current practice is unjust, undermines housing and education stability, and leaves youth without resources they are entitled to receive. Committee members asked about federal guidance, age eligibility, and whether financial literacy supports should accompany the change. The committee also heard Senate Bill 5940, a pilot program to provide housing vouchers and related assistance to up to 50 young people in extended foster care who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Chair Wilson said the bill is meant to address the gap between foster care support and access to federal housing vouchers, and to test a smaller-scale model with reporting due in 2029. Witnesses from the Mockingbird Society, current and former foster youth, and Communities in Schools supported the bill, describing housing instability, trauma, and the need for a stable place to live while pursuing treatment, school, or work. Finally, the committee took up Senate Bill 5942, which renames the DCYF Oversight Board as the DCYF Accountability Board, moves it administratively to OFM, and narrows its statutory duties by removing certain contract review powers and shifting from annual to biennial reporting with priority performance measures. Testimony from Partners for Our Children supported the clarification of the board’s role.

Transcript Highlights:

• , and young adults in the foster care system.
• There are multiple federal benefits that different youth and children and young adults in foster care
• support for young people without permanent housing.
• It would continue to be able to serve young people.
• We have had clients who are young parents in EFC trying to raise their children while the state takes

Bills: SB5957, SB5977

Keywords: homeless youth, youth homelessness, runaway youth, young adult homelessness, housing instability, family reunification, family stability, youth services, homelessness prevention, protective services, Department of Commerce, Department of Children, Youth, and Families, DCYF, advisory committee, lived experience, data sharing, outcome measures, interagency coordination, service providers, at-risk youth

Transcript Highlights:

• ><00:01:26.160><c> Families</c> missed the Children and Families missed the Children and Families Committee
• c> the</c> address learning for children under the address learning for children under the age<00:02:
• 12, but also for young children in early learning environments.
• </c> children to the same center. children to the same center.
• Home for Children, watching the system Home for Children, watching the system chew<00:43:38.720><c> children

Bills: HF3665, HF3002, HF4217, HF4125, HF4174

Keywords: foster care, early childhood education, child care programs, placement plan, social services, extended foster care, kinship care, relative custody, permanent legal and physical custody, Northstar kinship assistance, independent living plan, transition services, youth aging out of care, medical assistance, Medicaid, child welfare, children youth and families, out-of-home placement, case plan, relative placement

Transcript Highlights:

• I do want to share that I'm holding Senate Bill 5942, which is around the Department of Children, Youth
• Senate Bill 5911, strengthening the financial stability of persons in the care of the Department of Children
• them ABLE accounts, but I think this will help protect the funds that we're trying to get to those young

Bills: SB5873, SB5895, SB5911, SB5940, SB5942, SB5945, SB5957, SB5966

Keywords: incarcerated individuals, escorted leaves, criminal justice, rehabilitation, state law, healthcare, incarcerated, extraordinary medical placement, criminal justice reform, medical care, children, youth, financial stability, care services, department of children and families, housing assistance, foster care, pilot program, social services, accountability

Summary: The Senate Human Services Committee met in executive session to review several bills, with staff briefing members on measures related to incarcerated individuals, DCYF foster youth programs, extraordinary medical placements, persistent offender resentencing, the Office of Homeless Youth Advisory Committee, and medically tailored meals. Chair Wilson announced that Senate Bill 5942 on the DCYF Oversight Board would be held until the following week for additional stakeholder input. The committee also noted fiscal impacts on several bills, including costs for foster youth housing, Social Security benefit protections, and resentencing-related local government expenses. The committee took up Senate Bill 5873 on escorted leaves of absence for incarcerated individuals and adopted only Amendment A1, a technical fix to the definition of immediate family. A series of Christian amendments to restrict eligibility, require electronic monitoring, limit duration and location, impose liability, require more staffing, add funding contingencies, narrow family definitions, and mandate restraints were all rejected. The committee then adopted the proposed substitute and advanced the bill to Rules. For Senate Bill 5895 on extraordinary medical placements, the committee rejected amendments that would have barred placements after recent serious infractions, required physician specialty qualifications, limited eligibility for those not in rehabilitative programming, added reporting and Washington-only placement requirements, and required sentencing court review. The proposed substitute was adopted and the bill was referred to Ways and Means. On Senate Bill 5911, the committee adopted Amendment C1 to place youth Social Security funds into protected accounts such as ABLE accounts, then advanced the bill as amended to Ways and Means. The committee also advanced Senate Bill 5940 on an extended foster care housing pilot after discussion of eligibility and program limits, and Senate Bill 5945 on persistent offender resentencing after rejecting amendments related to retroactivity, victim notice, ISRB review, programming participation, and exclusions for serious offenses; the bill was sent onward subject to signatures. Senate Bill 5957 on adding positions to the Office of Homeless Youth Advisory Committee and Senate Bill 5966 on medically tailored meals were also discussed, with the latter receiving proposed amendments on provider type, administrative limits, and a funding contingency, though the transcript ends before final action on those measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• , you know, where are children at?
• And as far as children not being present, if you go to a visit and children are present, what would be
• So they can only be licensed maybe for five children. The provider is sick. The children are sick.
• So the laughter and voices of children exploring, playing in nature, may indicate that the children are
• She notes who the children are that are attending, and... ...children that she notes are attending, and

Bills: SB5952, SB5961, SB5969, SB5841, SB5943

Keywords: physical education, school districts, student requirements, education policy, high school, early literacy, childhood literacy, book distribution, Imagination Library, Dolly Parton Imagination Library, preschool, pre-K, reading readiness, school readiness, birth to age five, young children, nonprofit contract, OSPI, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, DCYF

Summary: The committee began with a work session on Washington’s child care oversight and subsidy system, with senators and DCYF officials describing Working Connections Child Care, Early Achievers, licensing, attendance tracking, annual unannounced inspections, and audit processes. DCYF said more than 63,000 families were determined eligible in 2025, about 37,000 were on the caseload, and licensed providers total about 6,600. Officials emphasized that payments go directly to providers after eligibility and authorization are confirmed, and that random and focused audits, along with referrals to the Office of Fraud and Accountability, are used to address overpayments and suspected fraud. Child Care Aware and a Vancouver provider also testified about quality coaching, tiered reimbursement, and the practical realities of inspections and family care settings. The committee then heard Senate Bill 5952, which would standardize the process for waiving high school physical education requirements. Student testifiers supported the bill as a fairness measure that would create a uniform waiver process across districts and help students fit in AP, career, or other coursework within limited six-period schedules. Opponents, including PE teachers and school health advocates, argued that athletics are not equivalent to physical education and warned that a statewide waiver template could weaken PE instruction and student health. The State Board of Education supported the bill as a way to reduce inequity in local waiver practices, while school principals opposed it and said the issue is better addressed through broader graduation-requirement work. Next, the committee took testimony on Senate Bill 5961, which would move the Imagination Library of Washington from DCYF to OSPI. The sponsor and supporters said the change would better align the program with early literacy and the birth-to-grade-three continuum, while preserving a program that currently serves about 120,000 children in all 39 counties. OSPI, the program director, and local partners testified in support, saying the transfer would improve accountability and fit the program’s education mission. The committee then began hearing Senate Bill 5969, which would allow a student’s IEP transition plan to satisfy the high school and beyond plan requirement if the IEP team determines that is appropriate; the sponsor said the bill is intended to reduce barriers for students with disabilities and free up time and resources, but the testimony was only beginning when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for your time and your commitment to Minnesota's children.
• Many children were in this quarantine Many children were in this quarantine multiple<00:28:45.360><c>
• We all saw young children being detained.
• </c> families and children across the state. families and children across the state.
• in the state of their children in the state of Minnesota.

Bills: HF2136, HF4195, HF4548, HF4432, HF4174, HF3024, HF4389, HF3773

Keywords: youth intervention, grants, community support, early intervention services, nonprofit, Minnesota human services, forecast adjustment, budget forecast, appropriations, Medical Assistance, MinnesotaCare, Health Care Access Fund, general fund, behavioral health, housing support, General Assistance, Minnesota Supplemental Aid, MFIP, DWP, child care assistance

Transcript Highlights:

• And as adults, it's our responsibility to support these children in our communities.
• And right now, our children need all the support they can get.
• I've worked with children of all ages.
• According to the National Institutes of Health, formal swim lessons reduced drowning risk for young children
• Many of these programs introduce young people to new career paths.

Bills: SB5992, SB5918, SB5951, SB6042, SB5952, SB5961, SB5969

Keywords: youth development, funding, positive programs, youth services, community programs, school funding, education, supplies, operating costs, K-12 education, albuterol, access, public schools, private schools, healthcare, school safety, emergency preparedness, mapping, local education policies, curriculum requirements

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 5992, which would create a non-appropriated Youth Development Fund account at OSPI to support grants for positive youth development programs serving ages 5 to 24. Staff explained the fund could receive gifts, grants, endowments, federal funds, legislative appropriations, and other receipts, and that grants could go to nonprofits, tribal entities, and parks and recreation organizations, with school districts and ESDs eligible in limited circumstances. Senator Krishnadasan and several members described the bill as a way to expand access to mentoring, after-school, summer, arts, sports, STEM, and other wraparound supports, especially for youth facing mental health, poverty, homelessness, or other barriers. Testimony was overwhelmingly supportive, including from students, youth-serving nonprofits, tribes, and state agencies, though one tribal witness asked for consultation, reserved tribal access, and data sovereignty protections. No vote on SB 5992 occurred in the portion provided; the committee moved on to other bills and later returned to testimony on it. In executive session, the committee acted on three bills. For Senate Bill 5952, which would have created a standardized process and form for excusing high school students from PE, the committee adopted Senator Wellman’s substitute, which instead requires districts to honor a prior excusal if a student transfers, and then gave the substitute a due pass recommendation to the Rules Committee. For Senate Bill 5961, which transfers the Imagination Library of Washington program from DCYF to OSPI, the committee adopted Senator Wilson’s substitute adding a directive for OSPI, subject to appropriations, to contract with a nonprofit experienced in early literacy through pediatric office visits, and then sent it to Ways and Means with a due pass recommendation. For Senate Bill 5969, concerning IEP transition plans and high school and beyond plans, the committee adopted Senator Cortez’s substitute removing student election language and instead directing OSPI to minimize duplication in the statewide IEP system, then sent the bill to Ways and Means with a due pass recommendation. The committee also heard Senate Bill 5918, which would increase materials, supplies, and operating costs (MSOC) funding by $100 per student or $100,000 per district, whichever is greater, starting in the 2026-27 school year. Staff said the bill had no limiting language requiring the money to be spent only on MSOC, and the fiscal estimate projected significant state costs. Supporters from school districts, administrators, PTA, rural education groups, and labor organizations said districts are using local levies to cover basic operating costs such as utilities, insurance, curriculum, and supplies, leaving less for enrichment and forcing cuts to programs. One remote witness opposed the bill on tax and affordability grounds. The sponsor emphasized that MSOC is part of the state’s paramount duty and that districts are using enrichment dollars simply to keep schools open. The transcript then moved on to Senate Bill 5951 on stock albuterol in schools and Senate Bill 6042 on school mapping for first responders, with testimony beginning on both bills but no final action shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• This program needs to continue and is supported by young farmers.
• How do we... get young people involved?
• It continues to be a challenge for our young farmers.
• And and actually a young farmer also a beginning farmer, right?
• Specifically regarding our young beginning farmers.

Keywords: farm bill, rural economy, crop insurance, access to credit, young farmers, USDA funding freeze, agricultural policy, risk management

Summary: The meeting of the agricultural committee focused on significant concerns regarding the current state of America's rural economy, highlighting the need for a strong five-year farm bill to address the challenges faced by farmers, particularly young and beginning farmers. Key testimony was given by multiple stakeholders including agricultural leaders and young farmers, emphasizing issues related to crop insurance, access to credit, and the adverse impact of recent USDA funding freezes. Various members discussed the necessity of risk management tools that farmers rely on to secure financing, which is crucial for sustaining agricultural operations and supporting rural communities. The importance of timely legislative action was underscored, as many farmers reported struggles in the current economic climate, raising urgency for reforms within the Farm Bill framework.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:20:40.840><c> Scholars</c> today, um the Vitruba Young Scholars today, um the Vitruba Young Scholars
• </c> language to clarify that the Young language to clarify that the Young Scholars<00:20:55.840><c>
• Um, I grew up in Demossville and a young family, the Staley's, they have six children, and my very first
• </c> maybe need their children home at night. maybe need their children home at night.
• </c><00:31:18.280><c> people</c> that region and for these young people that region and for these young

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Votruba Young Scholars Academy 00:01:55 Taxation of Financial Deposit Institutions 00:36:50, 958, all

Bills: HB 43, HB 3364, HB 3469, HB 3479

Keywords: agriculture, finance, young farmers, financial assistance, pest control, nuisance birds, local governance, regulation, outdoor activities, public safety, Rio Grande, vegetation management, border security, environmental regulation, Carrizo cane

Transcript Highlights:

• , but if there are two young children under the age of six, add $14,000.
• </c><01:35:25.520><c> children</c><01:35:25.920><c> under</c> um if there are two young children under
• </c> and for the Education and Care of young and for the Education and Care of young children<01:37:03.199
• ><c> for</c> very young children but Financial for very young children but Financial for child<01:38:
• Families with young children are typically early in their earning cycle.

Bills: HF1, HF1384

Keywords: Office of Inspector General, inspector general, legislative audit, fraud prevention, waste and abuse, public funds, grant oversight, state grants, grant management, whistleblower protection, retaliation, subpoena power, data practices, government transparency, accountability, law enforcement referrals, sanctions, debarment, payment withholding, public assistance fraud

Transcript Highlights:

• Describing the challenge of both the number of disconnected young adults, young people between the ages
• The first bullet, the 12% of the state young adults disconnected from work and school in 2023.
• By putting young Kentuckians [music] to work.
• And for those young adults, the wage levels are higher.
• And for those young and welding and CNA.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Call to Order and Roll Call 00:00:58 Putting Young Kentuckians to Work: First Year Update 00:04:06 Kentucky Talent Attraction Initiative 00:21:59 Kentucky Manufacturing Extension Partnership 00:57:15, 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the October minutes, and heard first a progress report on the state-funded “Putting Young Kentuckians to Work” initiative. Workforce leaders from Cumberland Workforce Development Board and Kentucky Works said the HB 1 funding has allowed them to contract with all 10 workforce boards and build new pipelines with high schools, area technology centers, school districts, and community and technical colleges. They reported an end-of-year goal of 3,600 job placements, with 218 placements reported as of October 2025 and enrollment numbers continuing to rise. Testimony emphasized that the program is aimed at disconnected youth and high school seniors, that federal WIOA funds are too limited to support this work alone, and that the flexible state funding has enabled short-term training and placements in fields such as welding, CDL, and CNA. Members asked about barriers to implementation, wage levels, and services for students with disabilities; presenters said the main challenge was building school relationships and that wage growth should improve as students gain more skills and credentials. The committee then received an update on the Kentucky Talent Attraction Initiative. Representatives from Greater Louisville Inc. and Commerce Lexington explained that the General Assembly previously provided $250,000 for a consultant to develop a statewide talent attraction and retention strategy, and that more than 13 organizations across the state support the effort. Development Counsellors International described its research process, including statewide stakeholder engagement, and said the goal is to create a Kentucky talent value proposition that combines job opportunities with quality-of-place messaging. They reported that Kentucky faces a shrinking labor force and a projected national worker shortfall, while internal research found 47% of working-age respondents could consider leaving the state within two years because they are not confident in career opportunities. At the same time, they said 96% of surveyed higher education students would stay if offered a full-time job, and 72% of employers expect to expand staffing in the next two years. The presenters said they are moving from research into messaging and an action plan, and that the strategy should be customized and measurable rather than one-size-fits-all.

Transcript Highlights:

• who are some of the graduate students and the likelihood that they may have child care needs with children
• proving a negative, which is that if we don't have this support available, how many people with children
• If there's in the tens of thousands of graduate students, what percentage may or may not have children
• And so having this bill, ensuring that DCYF is not taking those monies from the young people.
• I hope to hear back from the Department of Children and Families on all of these issues.

Bills: HB1873, HB2600, SB5957

Keywords: child care, Working Connections Child Care, WCCC, graduate students, professional students, higher education, full-time student, affordable child care, subsidized child care, child care subsidy, Department of Children, Youth, and Families, DCYF, income eligibility, state median income, copayment, copay waiver, family support, workforce participation, working families, special needs child care

Transcript Highlights:

• In 2022, around 5,000 children were confirmed victims of abuse, and tragically 21 children lost their
• In 2022, around 5,000 children were confirmed victims of abuse, and tragically 21 children lost their
• In 2022, around 5,000 children were confirmed victims of abuse, and tragically 21 children lost their
• In 2022, around 5,000 children were confirmed victims of abuse, and tragically 21 children lost their
• </c><00:15:59.040><c> not</c> reporters with their own children not reporters with their own children

Bills: HF1346, HF1169, HF1276

Keywords: mandatory reporting, training requirements, child maltreatment, abuse detection, local welfare agency, child protection, child welfare, paperwork reduction, social services information system, SSIS, Department of Children, Youth, and Families, foster care, children in placement, county social services, Tribal governments, private child placing agencies, case management, administrative burden, information technology, human services

Transcript Highlights:

• In 2022, around 5,000 children were confirmed victims of abuse, and tragically 21 children lost their
• </c> director of of safe passage for children director of of safe passage for children of<00:10:30.760
• </c><00:10:56.240><c> were</c> 2022 around 5,000 children were 2022 around 5,000 children were confirmed
• </c> their own work calendars when children their own work calendars when children on<00:25:53.919><c
• This means children are waiting.

Bills: HF1346, HF1169, HF1276

Keywords: mandatory reporting, training requirements, child maltreatment, abuse detection, local welfare agency, child protection, child welfare, paperwork reduction, social services information system, SSIS, Department of Children, Youth, and Families, foster care, children in placement, county social services, Tribal governments, private child placing agencies, case management, administrative burden, information technology, human services

Transcript Highlights:

• children to appointments, and supervising visits for children that are in out-of-home care.
• treatment for those children, coordinating treatment for those children.
• treatment for those children.
• </c><00:32:49.480><c> children</c><00:32:49.760><c> and</c> supporting our um children children and supporting
• our um children children and youth<00:32:50.279><c> and</c><00:32:50.679><c> and</c><00:32:50.840><c

Keywords: Meeting Concurrently w/ (H) Families & Children, 958, all

Summary: The committee met to hear the 2025 Social Services Block Grant preliminary plan from the Department for Community Based Services. Commissioner Lisa Dennis and Executive Adviser Mary Carpenter described DCBS’s mission and explained that the federal block grant, about $21 million annually, supports Adult Protective Services, Child Protective Services, Home Safety Services, Juvenile Services, Residential Treatment Services, and staff training. They said most of the funding goes to staff and training, and that the department uses surveys, focus groups, program monitoring, funding availability, and historical data to set annual goals. They also noted that Kentucky uses the grant to fund direct services and that eligibility is generally limited to Kentucky residents or runaway juveniles based on need and available resources. Much of the discussion focused on child welfare data and the distinction between poverty and neglect. DCBS officials said Adult Protective Services investigates abuse, neglect, and exploitation of vulnerable adults, and that self-neglect cases have trended down in recent years, which they attributed in part to access to federal resources. For Child Protective Services, they reviewed intake and investigation numbers, noting that many calls screen out before meeting statutory criteria, while about 48,000 cases were assessed or investigated and about 8,000 were substantiated. Members raised concerns about how poverty can be mistaken for neglect, especially in rural areas, and DCBS said it has been working with the legislature, staff, and community partners to better define the difference and connect families to community supports when cases do not meet abuse or neglect criteria. Members also asked about the risk to federal funding and the impact on juvenile services. DCBS said it had not received notice that the $21 million block grant would be cut, but it is monitoring federal developments closely and would need to return to the General Assembly for a budget request if funding were lost. The department said about 30% of the federal share goes to juvenile services. Questions also covered the transition in staff training from Eastern Kentucky University to a broader statewide model, and the agency said it is expanding training opportunities and modernizing delivery. Officials discussed the MST pilot for youth, saying it is a successful evidence-based practice operating in three regions—Jefferson, Northern Bluegrass, and Central Kentucky—with positive outcomes and possible expansion. No votes were taken; the meeting was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:05:19.120><c> people</c> attention to the cohort of young people attention to the cohort of young
• </c> young people aging into the workforce. young people aging into the workforce.
• When young people feel they are more engaged, excuse me, when young people feel unsafe or disconnected
• </c> opportunity, we must give every young opportunity, we must give every young person<01:22:56.639>
• </c><01:25:55.520><c> young</c><01:25:55.760><c> people</c> Wilmary all over the state. young people

Bills: HF3004, HF3663

Keywords: workforce development, youth employment, internships, mentoring, job opportunities, digital platform, online portal, career pathways, youth workforce, employment and economic development, DEED, general fund appropriation, nonprofit grant, social media outreach, digital outreach, workforce opportunities, teen jobs, young adults, career exploration, Minnesota youth

Bills: HF2433

Keywords: education funding, children with disabilities, transition aid, special education, school district consolidation

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:41:14.640><c> and</c> children and children and family<00:41:16.760><c> thank</c><00:41:16.960><c
• care for them with other children.
• </c><00:58:44.760><c> our</c> care for them with other children our care for them with other children
• <01:04:47.799><c> is</c><01:04:47.960><c> 1</c><01:04:48.160><c> to</c> Children is 1 to Children is
• She said that if providers who have children get to include two of their own children, then everyone

Bills: HF656, HF655, HF633

Keywords: child care, childcare, day care, daycare, licensing, variance, licensed capacity, capacity limit, staff qualifications, staffing, child care center, family child care, provider flexibility, Minnesota career lattice, Department of Children Youth and Families, DCYF, licensing rules, enrollment, indoor space, professional development

Bills: HF2433

Keywords: education funding, children with disabilities, transition aid, special education, school district consolidation, 1183, house