• SB2561 (Special action team for affordable rental housing): Establishes a temporary special action team to develop a rental housing strategy for the state lead by the director of the State Office of Planning.  Sets a goal of 22,500 affordable rental housing units ready for occupancy over the next decade (between 01/01/17 and 12/31/26).
• SB2566 (Rental Housing Revolving Fund): Provides capital for the development of affordable rental housing by transferring excess monies from the rental assistance revolving fund to the rental housing revolving fund.
• SB2833 (LIHTC): Increases funding for affordable rental housing development by making the State Low-Income Housing Tax Credit more valuable by shortening the tax credit period from ten to five years.
• SB3077 (TOD council): Officially establishes an action team, led by the Office of Planning, to coordinate and streamline development of state lands located along the transit route.   The State Office of Planning will take the lead in working with housing agencies to identify state lands near rail transit stations for mixed-use development including affordable housing. Provides a coordinated, intergovernmental approach towards transit-oriented development statewide.
• HB2293 (HHFDC Mixed Use): Enables HHFDC to develop mixed-use developments in partnership with state and county departments and agencies to create communities with housing, jobs, shops, and government services located in close proximity.
• HB2305 (DURF): Broadens the application of the DURF fund to allow the state to finance regional infrastructure projects in conjunction with the counties and private landowners or developers.  Authorizes the creation of Regional State Infrastructure Improvement Subaccounts within the Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund and the use of DURF to provide loans and grants to finance regional state infrastructure improvements in areas of planned growth.

1:30 PM – Foster Children bills (HB 2350 and SB 2878)

• HB 2350: Brings the state into compliance with federal law by expanding opportunities for children in foster care to participate in extracurricular social and cultural activities, provides qualified immunity from liability for resource caregivers, and requires foster children 14 years of age or older to be included in their case planning and informed of their rights and available options.
• SB 2878: Extends the age limit for former foster youth to apply for financial assistance for higher education costs from 22 to 26, clarifies that higher education stipend is for related higher education costs and not limited to room and board costs, and clarifies eligibility and program requirements for the Young Adult Voluntary Foster Care Program.

2:00 PM – Gender Identity Discrimination (HB 2084)

• Prohibits all insurers from discriminating with respect to participation and coverage on the basis of actual or perceived gender identities.

2:30 PM – Health care bills (HB 1943 and SB 2076)

• HB 1943: Provides an inflationary adjustment to the long-term care reimbursement methodology to reimburse long-term care facilities for services to Medicaid patients.
• SB 2076: Establishes a durable medical equipment supplier license program for suppliers of durable medical equipment; allows license fees to be deposited into the office of health care assurance special fund.

3:00 PM – ADRC/Fall Prevention (HB 1878)

• Appropriates funds for Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) and for fall prevention and early detection services for the elderly.  Requires the Executive Office on Aging to submit a report on its progress to develop a system of evaluation to determine the effectiveness of ADRCs and the implement the federal No Wrong Door/ADRC network grant.