Transcript Highlights:

• We should have got that in this summer when we got the bill drafted.
• Um, but and that may be the reason this bill was drafted, but you know we want to be able to ensure witnesses
• > we this bill was drafted but you know we this bill was drafted but you know we want<00:51:08.559
• Discussion on the back on the bill. Discussion on the bill. bill. bill.
• Um, staff drafted this for me and assured me that it would fit under the title of this bill.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Second reading of introduction of bills.
• <00:09:13.200> to 3.33 designates the following bills to 3.33 designates the following bills
• Representative Kisha asks whether Representative Duran will explain the bill.
• Yes, support the bill. Is there any discussion? If not, all those in favor say aye.
• Representative Hansen says House File 1612 is his bill.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• My experience underscores the grave risk posed by Bill SJR 5.
• Committee members, we're gonna proceed to vote on the bill.
• First bill up as committee substitute for Senate Bill 9.
• Well, now the chair will now call up Senate Bill 1047.
• So Senator Huffman will move to Senate Bill calls up Senate Bill 40.

Bills: SB 9, SB 1047, SB 1048, SJR 17, SJR 49, SB 40, SJR 1, SJR 5

Keywords: bail reform, defendants, pretrial detention, public safety, criminal justice, charitable bail organizations, criminal procedure, public safety report, victim notification, family violence, bail bonds, public funds, political subdivision, injunction, taxpayer rights, violent crimes, sexual offenses, community safety, constitutional amendment, trafficking

Transcript Highlights:

• "Okay, members voting on House Bill 756, House Draft 1.
• "Okay, members voting on House Bill 756, House Draft 1, with amendments.
• of you probably are aware of that bill—so the way in which language is used in the drafting of the statute
• of you probably are aware of that bill—so the way in which language is used in the drafting of the statute
• support this, and we support the intent of the bill as well as the way in which it's drafted and the

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The joint Commerce and Consumer Protection and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs committees heard HB 756 HD1, a measure on flavored tobacco products. Supporters included the Attorney General, Department of Health, Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, youth advocates, public health groups, and Kaiser Permanente. They argued flavored tobacco and menthol are used to attract and addict young people, cited rising youth and young adult vaping rates, and pointed to public health harms and evidence from other states that flavor restrictions reduced e-cigarette sales. The Attorney General requested oral amendments to correct a statutory reference, repeal a county preemption provision so counties could enact stricter flavor bans, and restore appropriations, positions, and the original effective date. Opponents, including retail and wholesale businesses, argued the bill would hurt small businesses and state tax revenue, push sales to the black market, and remove a harm-reduction option for adult smokers; they urged stronger enforcement instead of a ban. After testimony, the committees took up amendments and recommendations. The chair proposed correcting the statutory citation to HRS 26-38, adopting a Department of Health amendment on disposal of electronic smoking devices and e-liquids as hazardous waste, and noting the appropriations, FTE, and effective date in the committee report. Members then voted to pass HB 756 HD1 with amendments in both committees, with the Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs committee recording one member as supporting with reservations. The transcript then moved to HB 806, relating to fireworks, which would appropriate funds for the Department of Law Enforcement to conduct sting operations on Oʻahu to enforce fireworks laws. The Department of Law Enforcement and Honolulu Police Department supported the bill, saying undercover enforcement is costly and additional funding is needed. A community testifier also supported stronger enforcement, citing illegal aerial fireworks, noise, and impacts on pets and kupuna. No final vote on HB 806 was shown in the excerpt. The Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs committee also heard HB 438, which would create a Due Process in Immigration Proceedings Program to provide legal representation in immigration court for income-qualified individuals. Support came from civil rights, legal aid, ACLU, and law school clinic representatives, who said counsel is needed to ensure due process and fair access to justice, especially because immigration proceedings can lead to deportation and family separation. Opposition testifiers argued taxpayer-funded counsel for people in immigration proceedings is inappropriate, unlawful, or unfair to citizens and legal residents. One law school representative suggested a technical amendment to broaden language about training and education. The excerpt ends before a final vote on HB 438 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Sherman of Connecticut, and Benjamin Franklin of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, presented the final draft
• Sherman of Connecticut, and Benjamin Franklin of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, presented the final draft
• the ancient Hebrews, Greeks, and Romans, the English common law, the Magna Carta, and the English Bill

Summary: The House convened at noon with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then postponed approval of the prior day’s journal. The main business was remarks by Representative Borowitz on House Resolution 579, marking America’s 250th anniversary and celebrating the nation’s founding principles. Her remarks emphasized the Declaration of Independence, natural rights, religious faith in American history, and a long list of historical examples she said reflected divine providence and the role of religion in public life. No debate or vote on the resolution itself is shown in the transcript. After the remarks, the chair reminded members of the five-minute rule for speeches under House Rule 17. Representative Dockery then moved that the House adjourn until Monday, June 29, 2026, at 12 noon unless recalled sooner by the Speaker. The motion to adjourn was put to a voice vote and adopted, and the House adjourned accordingly.

Transcript Highlights:

• While we were doing this work, there was a major TOD bill making its way through the legislature.
• You all had a lot of bills this session that actually addressed the statutory change piece.
• Will the draft final report be presented to them?
• And we really worked hard with them to make the drafts something that they could support.
• This came out of a bill to look at, as you know.

Summary: The meeting began with introductions from members of the Joint Transportation Committee and a presentation from the Association of Washington Cities and the public works directors of Richland, Kennewick, Pasco, and West Richland. The cities described the Quad Cities region as one of the fastest-growing in the state and outlined shared transportation priorities that align with the committee’s focus on safety, multimodal access, climate resilience, and economic development. They emphasized Vision Zero efforts, complete streets, ADA accessibility, regional trail and bike/pedestrian planning, and coordinated long-range transportation and land-use planning to manage growth. The city officials also discussed major funding and delivery challenges, including rising construction costs, project phasing, pavement preservation, right-of-way acquisition, and delays caused by state and federal permitting and review processes. They highlighted regional cooperation through the Benton-Franklin Council of Governments, Good Roads, and local funding tools such as impact fees, transportation benefit districts, REET, tax increment financing, and state and federal grants. Specific projects discussed included Richland’s SR 240/Aaron Drive complete streets project and downtown connectivity work, Kennewick’s Columbia Center Boulevard improvements and rail study, Pasco’s Court/Road 68, Sylvester Street corridor, I-182 bridge/interchange work, and a new north-south bridge study, and West Richland’s SR 224 Red Mountain corridor project, which officials said was awarded under budget and is scheduled to begin construction. Committee members asked questions about sidewalk connections to schools, state-agency right-of-way timelines, apprenticeship utilization, contractor selection, and whether complete streets requirements add burdens to pavement preservation projects. The city officials said new development is generally meeting sidewalk standards, but older infill areas remain a gap; that state right-of-way transactions can take much longer than expected; that apprenticeship requirements are common but harder for smaller contractors and local labor markets; and that low-bid contracting leaves little room to screen for performance history. They also said complete streets requirements are usually manageable on major projects but can be difficult to absorb in smaller preservation work. The committee then shifted to a JTC-funded study on transit-oriented development, presented by Urban Institute researcher Yona Freemark. The study examined TOD conditions in 33 cities in Snohomish, King, Pierce, Clark, and Spokane counties near rail and bus rapid transit stations. Freemark said Washington’s housing affordability crisis is severe, especially near transit, and found that high-cost cities have seen more development near stations but also signs of gentrification and loss of affordable housing, while lower-cost cities have had less development and worsening affordability relative to income. He identified barriers including high debt costs, land costs, infrastructure costs, zoning and parking rules, and limited subsidies for affordable housing. He recommended more neighborhood infrastructure funding near stations, stronger affordable housing investment, and better use of public land, noting that HB 1491 and related legislation are already changing some local requirements.

Transcript Highlights:

• bill.
• the unintended consequences this bill the unintended consequences this bill may<03:30:08.239>
• House Bill 267.
• So is it the same bill? It's essentially the same bill.
• House Bill 82.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting was an orientation-style overview from the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC), led by Executive Director Deana Jurus and staff. They described the office’s mission to protect public health, safety, welfare, the environment, and the public trust, and outlined the agency structure: enforcement, licensing and board administration, operations, legal counsel, board counsel, and the hearings bureau. OPLC said it currently supports 57 boards, including seven advisory boards, and has about 104 filled positions out of 120 authorized. They also noted new voluntary certifications for doulas, lactation consultants, and community health workers that are in rulemaking. A substantial portion of the discussion focused on how boards and staff divide responsibilities under RSA 310:4. Staff explained that the office handles application processing, complaint intake and initial review, records retention, 91-A requests, and rule drafting, while boards make final decisions on licensure criteria, complaint dismissals or investigations, disciplinary actions, and some hearing matters. They also described the rule structure by chapter number ranges and the distinction between full licensing boards and advisory boards. The committee asked about complaint notifications, and OPLC said it is tightening policies so complainants are told whether a matter is closed or moving forward. The licensing process was discussed in detail, especially for nursing. Bethany Katrell explained that applicants apply through an online portal, may receive approval to sit for exams, can work under provisional authority in some cases, and then receive full licensure after exam results and criminal background checks are complete. OPLC said the portal now reduces back-and-forth paperwork and that, as of the latest biweekly report, 87% of applications were decided within the statutory 90-day period and 57% within 14 days. Members also raised questions about why some professions require board approval before taking an exam, and OPLC said that requirement varies by statute or board rule. No votes or formal actions were taken during the discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• the bill. the bill.
• the bill. the bill.
• the bill. the bill.
• I want to be clear, this bill was not drafted in an effort to exclude these specific municipal employees
• be clear, this bill was not drafted<01:31:54.120> in<01:31:54.240> an<01:31:54.400>

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House opened with a devotional reading for St. Patrick’s Day, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and the reading of a resignation letter from Representative Hooper of Burlington. The letter said the House environment had changed significantly and that he was resigning before the next cycle, while thanking colleagues and urging bold leadership to address major problems facing Vermonters. Members then received first readings and referrals for a large slate of bills. House bills introduced included measures on tax administration, hunting license fees, emergency management, oath and affirmation language in statutes, judiciary procedures, a Vermont homelessness response continuum, paperwork reduction, public utility subjects, municipal regulation of agriculture, miscellaneous agricultural subjects, and municipal permitting of ground-mounted solar arrays. Senate bills referred to House committees included vocational rehabilitation, home improvement and land improvement fraud, advanced metering infrastructure devices, water quality, and fair employment practices. Several other bills on the notice calendar were also referred to Ways and Means or Appropriations because they affected state revenue or carried appropriations. The House adopted two concurrent resolutions on the consent calendar: HCR 214, honoring Irish-American patriots and their role in American independence, and HCR 220, welcoming the USS Vermont’s namesake visit and designating April 18, 2026 as USS Vermont Day. Members also offered announcements recognizing guests from the USS Vermont and related veterans’ groups, remembering former Representative Ken Harvey, and noting upcoming events such as March Madness pools, the Legislative Cabaret, a Rural Caucus meeting, and a NAMI Walks team. On the floor calendar, H. 723 on posting of land was taken up, amended as recommended by the Committee on Environment, and ordered to third reading on a 10-0-1 committee vote. The House then began second reading of H. 757 on manufactured homes and limited equity cooperatives; committee members described manufactured housing as a key affordable housing option in Vermont and said the bill would clarify how these homes are purchased, titled, taxed, and financed, while reducing costs and improving consistency for homeowners, lenders, and municipalities.

Transcript Highlights:

• to know about this bill. to know about this bill.
• it in this bill. it in this bill.
• testify on this bill. testify on this bill.
• . bill. bill.
• . bill. bill.

Bills: HB0076, HB0102, HB0115

Keywords: annexation, landowner rights, municipal law, city planning, property, local government, artificial intelligence, synthetic sexual material, child protection, self-harm, criminal liability, cardiac emergency, defibrillator, school safety, training, public health, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:11:31.440> working item has been added as a bill working item has been added as a bill
• It's not unprecedented that a bill will pass separately and then also be incorporated into House Bill
• <00:39:54.640> to amending the trailer Bill house bill to amending the trailer Bill house
• It's a great bill.
• Oh, the first two bills... bills, bills, 165.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Finance Division 2 hearing took testimony from the director of New Hampshire Police Standards and Training on the agency’s budget request and operations. He described the agency’s role in setting hiring, education, certification, and discipline standards for police, corrections, probation and parole, and court security officers, and noted that the agency runs the full-time, part-time, corrections, and court security training programs. He also outlined the agency’s staffing, facility, and budget request for FY 2026-27, including a request to keep funding level with the governor’s recommendation while shifting funds to support an IT manager position by defunding a vacant administrative slot. The agency requested several statutory changes in Chapter 106, including clarifying the definition of police misconduct, allowing a temporary member on the Conduct Review Committee, clarifying reporting requirements for misconduct allegations, and codifying the Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission. The director also reviewed new responsibilities added in recent years, including crisis intervention training, statewide accreditation, the Conduct Review Committee, and increased annual in-service training requirements. He explained that crisis intervention funding is carried in a continuously appropriated, non-lapsing account and that some budget lines were reclassified, including software and janitorial services, to reflect actual spending needs. Members asked about national standards, the different academy tracks, crisis intervention funding, maintenance and contract changes, temporary positions, and the court security training program. The agency said it coordinates with national peers through IADLEST, that the part-time and corrections academies are longstanding programs, and that the new court security academy can be delivered either as a full academy or as in-service training depending on resources. The director also said the agency has been running extra full-time academies because of high vacancy rates, but expects to return to three full-time academies this year, with two corrections academies and one or possibly two part-time academies. He also explained the current approach to misconduct records and public disclosure, saying sustained findings under RSA 106-L are heard by the council and published, replacing the older, less standardized exculpatory list process.

Transcript Highlights:

• Grant has the amended version of Senate Bill 2025.
• That was, again, House Bill 1504. And that was the $500,000 from the general fund.
• Well, if it passes, then he's not supportive; he can veto the bill.
• I would move Senate Bill 2025 as amended. And gross Senate Bill 2025 as amended.
• get them voted on, then the bill can move forward.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee reconvened to work through the amended version of Senate Bill 2025, beginning with a clarification from the Department of Veterans Affairs on the source of funds used to cover the commissioner’s salary equity increase. Commissioner Lonnie Wong explained that the money came from federal highly rural transportation grant administrative/salary funds, within the allowable 10% administrative cap, and that the department had not exceeded that limit. The committee then reviewed the major House changes to the veterans budget, including funding for a veterans benefits specialist FTE, salary equity increases for veterans service officers, additional operating funds, one-time funding for homeless veteran services and the Veterans Post-War Trust Fund, carryover authority for Fisher House and veterans transportation projects, accrued leave, and a document scanning project. Members also discussed a section changing governance authority for veterans affairs and the veterans home, with questions about the ACOVA board and the governor’s appointment authority. The committee debated the appropriateness of using federal grant administrative funds for salary adjustments and the broader shift in authority over veterans affairs, with some members emphasizing legislative control over salaries and budget decisions and others supporting the reorganization as a way to improve administration. After discussion, Amendment 25.092.0203 was moved, seconded, and adopted on an 8-0 roll call. The committee then moved SB 2025 as amended, and that motion also passed 8-0. The meeting then shifted to Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation budget issues, where members reviewed FTE reductions, salary equity funding for correctional officers and parole/probation officers, and the status of federal ARPA dollars that had previously been used to backfill salaries and bonuses. DOCR officials described pay levels for correctional officers and compared them with county jail wages, arguing that the proposed equity funding was needed for retention and competitiveness. Members also discussed transitional facility costs, women’s treatment unit funding, and county jail overflow housing, including new or planned bed capacity in Grand Forks, Burleigh-Morton, Rugby, and other facilities. The committee agreed to continue refining the budget through a new long sheet and planned to request amendments for consideration in the following days before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, but, you know, the funny thing is, there's a lot of stuff that gets pre-drafted before the session
• You can't just come up with ideas and come up with solutions during session, get it drafted, processed
• meeting with stakeholders, with experts, with Senate Council or revisers to come up with the right drafting
• Now, every constitutional amendment, every part of the Bill of Rights, is subject to some regulation.
• of Rights, is every part of the Bill of Rights, is subject<00:08:04.120> to<00:08:04.200>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The interview focused on Minnesota gun violence prevention efforts following the June shootings of the Hortmans and Hoffmans and the Annunciation shooting. The senator said those events prompted him and Senator Zaynab Mohamed to form a gun violence prevention working group during the interim to gather public and expert input, explore ideas, and build bipartisan support. He said the group was meant to set the stage for session work, and that several ideas vetted there are now appearing in legislative proposals, along with a package from the governor’s office. Asked what the legislature should prioritize, the senator said there is no single solution and outlined a multi-pronged approach: enforcing and expanding red flag and universal background check laws, considering an assault weapons ban and high-capacity magazine limits, banning ghost guns and binary triggers, improving firearm storage and security, and increasing school counseling and wraparound mental health supports. He emphasized that mental health alone is not the cause of violence, but said better identification of students in distress and easier access to care could help. He also argued that these measures can coexist with the Second Amendment and said regulation is appropriate to keep firearms from people with violent criminal histories, domestic violence histories, or other prohibitions. On politics and prospects, he said passage will depend on bipartisan negotiation in a closely divided legislature, noting that some Democrats and Republicans are uncomfortable with certain proposals while others are open to them. He said he is willing to adjust language, as he did on earlier red flag and background check laws, and hopes members will work with him and Senator Mohamed, especially in swing districts. If no package passes this session, he said the issue will return next session and voters should hold legislators accountable in the next election. He closed by telling families affected by gun violence that lawmakers are working on the issue now and should not wait for another mass shooting, adding that gun violence also includes suicides and other daily deaths, not just mass shootings.

Transcript Highlights:

• there are a group of us over here that convene in January and we have committee meetings and pass bills
• You all know this program came out of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed by President Trump on July
• Until very recently, everything has been in draft or interim stages.
• You probably know we passed a bill...
• These initiatives have been drafted broadly.

Keywords: Public Health and Welfare - Room 216, 4 June, 2026; 2:30 PM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We were clear that that was not in the draft plan, but it would be in the next iteration.
• And so that's what this bill really looks at.
• As much as possible, which is the intent of the bill. My last question, Mr.
• Both the literacy and math bills do that. Identify those students early right away.
• And these bills reflect That. Thank you, Chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 1397 by Representative Cody Harris and Senator Mays Middleton relates to the care, custody
• So that would come later in the appropriations bill, I guess, at some point in the future.
• The bill, I know, allows for the commission members to hire an executive director.
• There will still be bills to pay out for a little while.
• So we anticipate that David Yoskowitz's text for us in my life, we anticipate that draft...

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 55.440> deals<00:06:55.759> with drafted an amendment that deals with drafted an amendment
• , towards the direction of this bill, towards the direction of this bill, understanding<00:08:08.319
• Oh, the bill of sale.
• bills into one amendment. I don't know. bills into one amendment. I don't know.
• three bills that we listed previously. three bills that we listed previously. Flee. Okay.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• have it included in House Bill 2.
• No, the funding is in House Bill 1, not in House Bill 2. Okay.
• The funding is in House Bill 1.
• relate to retain bills uh that we had. relate to retain bills uh that we had.
• Bill 2 from 2023. Bill 2 from 2023.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first revisited HB 781, the cell phone bill, after previously retaining it. On reconsideration, members moved to OTP the bill, and it passed unanimously. The committee then moved into the budget tracking packet and adopted an amendment to HB 2 to add the same cell phone policy language, also unanimously, and separately reduced HB 1 by $1 million to match the policy change. Members noted the cell phone language had already been stripped of grant funding language in the House version and that the policy and funding pieces were being aligned across the budget bills. The committee then took up a Department of Education technical amendment to HB 2 on charter school grants, which made timing and administrative changes without altering grant amounts, and adopted it unanimously. Members also discussed but held other education-related items, including adequacy grants, pending broader decisions on overall education funding. Another HB 2 item concerning E-911/state police radio communications prompted a longer discussion about whether E-911 surcharge funds were being used for purposes that should instead be general-funded. After debate over whether to leave the current practice in place or split the funding 50/50 between E-911 and general funds, the committee adopted a joint HB 1/HB 2 change to shift the funding source to a 50/50 split and delete the HB 2 language authorizing the prior use; the motion passed 7-0. The committee also discussed but did not act on several lottery-related provisions, including the video lottery terminal amendment, the increase in maximum ticket price from $30 to $50, and related tax split changes, with members planning to hear from the Lottery Commission on Monday. The meeting ended with the committee beginning review of new amendments in the tracking packet, including a Department of Education request related to Public School Infrastructure Commission grant administration, but no action was taken on that item in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• The way the underlying bill is drafted, the amount that non-public schools would get for safe school
• The way the underlying bill is drafted, the amount that non-public schools would get for safe school
• The way the underlying bill is drafted, the amount that non-public schools would get for safe school
• I think that's how this bill should be drafted.
• I think that's how this bill should be drafted.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In drafting that bill, we overlooked the fact that the earnings, investment earnings in the pool, uh,
• In drafting that bill, we overlooked the fact that the earnings, investment earnings in the pool, uh,
• In drafting that bill,<00:02:52.560> we<00:02:52.720> overlooked<00:02:53.200> the
• . bill. bill.
• House Bill 556. House Bill 556.

Bills: SJ0001, SF0017

Keywords: mineral leasing, federal lands, Wyoming, energy policy, local control, federalism, forestry management, good neighbor authority, state lands, employee funding, donations, revolving account, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• bring the bill forward. bring the bill forward.
• We do have significant concerns with Senate Bill 657 as drafted.
• I brought that bill, uh, almost an identical bill back in 1998. It was House Bill 1227.
• <01:53:59.760> that Senate Bill 667, a late filed bill that Senate Bill 667, a late filed
• It was House Bill 1227. It was House Bill 1227.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all