Transcript Highlights:

• that's $50 is pretty small for this task that's $50 is pretty small for this task it<04:38:28.039
• I've been for the last 30 plus years, I've sat on a lot of task forces, a lot of working groups, and
• I've been for the last 30 plus years, I've sat on a lot of task forces, a lot of working groups, and
• 05:16:53.920> working<05:16:54.280> groups<05:16:54.558> and task forces a lot of
• working groups and task forces a lot of working groups and I<05:16:54.840> can<05:16:55.000><

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But this is kind of, from what I understand, unusual to have no term limits on this particular task force
• force work on psychedelic drugs as medicine.
• <01:21:46.520> force<01:21:47.120> or<01:21:47.280> the<01:21:47.800> yeah
• ,<01:21:48.000> the<01:21:48.360> the<01:21:48.600> task the task force or the
• yeah, the the task the task force or the yeah, the the task force force force had<01:21:50.600> developed

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Florida Digital Service will be tasked with documenting the... ...as of that time.
• The task force surveyed over 4,000 citizens and received presentations from 13 prospective locations
• The task force surveyed over 4,000 citizens and received presentations from 13 prospective locations
• Johns County, listed as a front-runner, were forwarded to the task force.
• We're not forcing anybody to do it. It should cost no money.

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, doctor and guest introductions, and then took up Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 168, the Tristan Murphy Act, on mental health. Senator Bradley described the bill as a major criminal justice and behavioral health reform measure that would expand pretrial mental health diversion, strengthen treatment-based probation conditions, broaden grant uses for mental health and substance abuse programs, add Hillsborough County to a forensic hospital diversion pilot, require certain DOC mental health evaluations, and create a Florida Behavioral Health Data Repository. Senators from both parties spoke in strong support, emphasizing treatment over incarceration, public safety, data collection, and the Murphy family’s role in advancing the bill. The Senate passed the bill 37-0 and then approved 37 co-sponsors. The chamber then received the Senate’s 2025-26 General Appropriations Bill, SB 2500, with Chair Hooper outlining a $117.4 billion budget that he said reduces spending, preserves reserves, and includes major investments in water quality, transportation, education infrastructure, and reporting requirements. Committee chairs summarized their portions: K-12 funding at $34.7 billion with increases for FEFP, scholarships, VPK, school hardening, and school safety; higher education at $11.5 billion with workforce, nursing, reading, autism, and student aid investments; health and human services with a $1.8 billion increase for Medicaid, mental health, opioid response, disability services, and veterans programs; criminal and civil justice at $7.6 billion for corrections, juvenile justice, law enforcement, courts, and judgeships; transportation/tourism/economic development at about $18 billion including roads, housing, Visit Florida, and cultural grants; and agriculture/environment/general government with major Everglades, water quality, citrus, food bank, and agency IT funding. Members then questioned several budget items, especially education funding formulas, the shift of scholarship dollars below the line, the impact on public school districts, AP/IB and other accelerated program funding, the APD wait list, opioid settlement spending, arts grants, and the My Safe Florida Home and condo pilot programs. Chairs generally said scholarship and accelerated-program dollars were being restructured for transparency and flexibility rather than cut, that school districts would still receive funding based on enrollment, and that APD and other human services issues would continue to be worked out in conference. The budget discussion concluded with remarks praising staff and noting a 4% across-the-board pay raise for state employees and targeted increases for law enforcement and firefighters, followed by a recognition for FAMU Day at the Capitol.

Transcript Highlights:

• Hence the reason why I'll start talking about the task force might be necessary to deal with this because
• Hence the reason why I'll start talking about the task force might be necessary to deal with this because
• Hence the reason why I'll start talking about the task force might be necessary to deal with this because
• Hence the reason why I'll start talking about the task force might be necessary to deal with this because
• Hence the reason why I'll start talking about the task force might be necessary to deal with this because

Bills: SF0044, SF0046

Keywords: gambling, lotteries, raffles, social relationships, charitable gaming, gaming, liquor establishments, skill based amusement games, regulations, age restrictions, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• invi<00:49:59.680> advise ...out a task force that would advise the council on implementation
• I suppose it is possible for the task force to present a preliminary draft consolidation plan by February
• force.
• I suppose it is possible for the task force to present a preliminary draft consolidation plan by February
• designated as appointees to the task designated as appointees to the task force.<01:13:38.960>

Bills: HF3676, HF3593, HF3785, HF3774, HF4111, HF3513

Keywords: Safe at Home, address confidentiality, domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, harassment, victim privacy, survivor protection, confidential address, protected address, secret address, identity protection, residential confidentiality, program participant, nondiscrimination, court disclosure, protective order, service of process, driver's license, state ID

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, and we also have a governor's broadband task force that we do provide administrative and technical
• Department of Commerce. broadband task force that we do provide broadband task force that we do provide
• Uh, the broadband task force, as I mentioned, we provide technical administrative support for them.
• force<00:04:31.600> as<00:04:31.759> I Uh the broadband task force as I Uh the broadband
• task force as I mentioned<00:04:32.320> we<00:04:32.560> provide<00:04:32.880> technical

Bills: HF3508, HF3548, HF3549

Keywords: dairy assistance, agriculture, investment, relief initiative, farm support, farm assistance, down payment, state funding, loan modification, grain indemnity, financial security, crop insurance, Minnesota agriculture, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• This involves, by necessity, a centrally planned economy as opposed to one that reflects market forces
• So I think if you parallel it with that, and also with that task force work, you'd be able to get future
• So I think if you parallel it with that, and also with that task force work, you'd be able to get future
• And also with that task force work, you'd be able to get future data on how this topic is being presented
• <01:16:19.480> around task force that's being developed around task force that's being developed

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on House Bill 749, which would require high schools to provide at least one hour of instruction on the nature and history of communism. The prime sponsor said the bill was prompted by concerns that students lack basic historical knowledge about communism and its effects, and argued that a short, flexible requirement could be embedded in an existing course without creating a new full class. He described communism as a totalitarian ideology and cited historical examples including the Soviet Union, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Cold War, and current events involving Russia, Ukraine, and Taiwan as reasons students should understand the topic. Members asked whether the subject is already covered in current social studies standards, whether one hour is enough, and whether the bill would apply to public, private, parochial, and charter schools. The sponsor said he did not believe communism is specifically required in current standards, that he would prefer a full course but was proposing a minimal requirement, and that he intended the bill to apply broadly to schools under the Department of Education’s umbrella, though he acknowledged the wording may need clarification for charter schools. He also said the proposal was both reactive and proactive, based on anecdotal concerns and his teaching experience. A second supporter testified that he was born in the Soviet Union and favored the bill, but suggested the instruction should emphasize critical thinking and explain both why communism can appeal to some people and why it can have harmful consequences. No vote or final committee action was taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• In fact, we've engaged on numerous projects in an attempt to help with that, and the market forces that
• Asking a developer to build affordable housing with these infrastructure costs is an impossible task,
• are are happening here in same forces are are happening here in Minnesota<00:18:02.120> and<00
• <01:04:02.079> force<01:04:02.319> for with presentations on the task force for with
• presentations on the task force for long-term<01:04:03.039> sustainability<01:04:03.799> and

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:17:26.799> before part of peacekeeping forces before part of peacekeeping forces before
• honors including an armed forces honors including an armed forces expeditionary<00:17:35.360>
• I provided this update to one of the task force that some of the members in this body are on, and it
• <00:24:54.320> of to one of the task force uh that some of to one of the task force uh that
• Um, our state partners, the disaster prevention and resiliency task force that's met three times now

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the prior meeting minutes, and then spent much of the meeting recognizing members of the Falmouth Police Department and related support personnel. Representatives and senators described the department’s response to a May 17, 2025 shooting between two vehicles, saying officers secured the area, apprehended suspects, and prevented further harm within about 30 minutes. They also recognized Officer Jonathan Bis for helping rescue a person from a burning storage facility on May 3, and honored Chaplain Abram Croer and police administrator Marilyn Belure for their support roles. Members praised the officers’ service and presented citations; one member also noted the recent flooding in Falmouth and the strain on local responders. The committee also observed a moment of silence for a firefighter who died after a vehicle crash while responding to a call. The committee then recognized Sergeant Major Jimmy Thorne, USMC (Ret.), with a lengthy citation for his military service and community involvement. The citation highlighted more than three decades of service, including Vietnam, Lebanon, Somalia, multiple injuries, exposure to Agent Orange, and numerous decorations such as the Purple Heart and Meritorious Service Medal. Speakers also noted his continued civic work in Williamstown and Grant County. Thorne thanked the committee, said enlisting in the Marine Corps and moving to Kentucky were two of his proudest decisions, and received a committee coin. Members and guests offered additional remarks about his character and service. Finally, Brigadier General Charles Jones and Kentucky Emergency Management Director Eric Gibson gave an update on spring storm response and recovery. They said Kentucky has had three declared disasters and one undeclared event this year, with 113 of 120 counties affected in the last 12 months, including February flooding, April flooding, and May tornadoes; a January ice storm appeal was denied. Gibson emphasized the rising frequency and cost of disasters, citing about $350 million in public assistance over the first 10 years of the period reviewed versus about $2 billion in the last five years. He reported on sheltering, disaster recovery centers, FEMA and SBA assistance, and said about $57 million in individual assistance had been paid and nearly $69 million obligated, while public assistance projects were still moving through review and payment.

Transcript Highlights:

• The AGC of Texas has had a task force composed of a cross-section of small and large contractors.
• That task force first met several years ago, and most recently in 2024.
• The task force has not been able to reach consensus on a supporting position.
• And in the opinion of the AGC task force that's been working on this for, I don't know, probably five
• I founded and served as chair of the Transportation Task Force, which was composed of volunteers, and

Bills: HB2065, HB2462, HB2621, HB3187, HB3539, HB3563, HB3726, HB4164, HB4207, HB4368, HB4706, HB4916, HB4950, HB4967, HB5177, HB4429, HB5597

Keywords: commercial vehicles, parking regulations, residential areas, local governance, land use, traffic safety, high occupancy vehicle lane, pregnant operators, transportation, parental rights, motor vehicle regulations, live video feed, state agency, transparency, public safety, regional transportation, mobility program, sales tax, public infrastructure, local government

Transcript Highlights:

• And also a new advance by our governor, who has called together another statewide task force on food
• And as we found out during the COVID pandemic, at that first food security task force, farmers are at

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The meeting was the final session of the Special Commission on Agriculture in the 21st Century, convened to adopt its final report. The chairs described the report as the product of extensive public engagement, research, and collaboration, focused on challenges and opportunities for Massachusetts agriculture, including climate resilience, farmland access, workforce development, food security, and farm viability. Several members and stakeholders thanked the chairs and staff for the multi-year process and emphasized the value of hearing directly from farmers and industry participants. Senator Barrett offered a detailed set of draft corrections and concerns for the record, including the report title, outdated references, repeated definitions of MDAR, the need to better reflect suburban communities, and a possible tension between recommendations supporting anaerobic digestion and a governor’s proposal affecting the alternative portfolio standard. The chairs noted that comments had been circulated for written review and said substantive feedback would be considered, while also indicating the document was nearing finalization. The commission then held a roll call vote and unanimously voted to adopt the final report, with all members present voting yes. The chairs said the final report would be formatted, published online, and distributed to stakeholders and the public, with a public rollout and media briefing planned for the fall. They also noted that the report was intended to support related legislation already filed or expected to be filed in the Legislature.

Transcript Highlights:

• has gained the respect of intelligent men and women, who has filled her niche and accomplished her task
• meeting, the main thought in my head was that Colleen My first thought was that Colleen Hanabusa was a force
• We gather today in a chamber that knows the echoes of power, but rarely has it known a force quite like
• That's a task that John has inherited.

Bills: HB1800, HB1860, HB2250, HB472, HB649, HB1391, HB1481, HB1509, HB1511, HB1515, HB1518, HB1541, HB1548, HB1576, HB1618, HB1642, HB1643, HB1661, HB1667, HB1678, HB1682, HB1688, HB1692, HB1707, HB1710, HB1711, HB1713, HB1718, HB1721, HB1728, HB1737, HB1740, HB1741, HB1785, HB1801, HB1802, HB1804, HB1810, HB1815, HB1824, HB1838, HB1839, HB1853, HB1854, HB1864, HB1870, HB1881, HB1888, HB1890, HB1891, HB1894, HB1920, HB1959, HB1960, HB1969, HB1973, HB1974, HB2023, HB2050, HB2078, HB2094, HB2095, HB2104, HB2137, HB2152, HB2158, HB2171, HB2207, HB2218, HB2246, HB2270, HB2271, HB2272, HB2279, HB2282, HB2289, HB2293, HB2297, HB2300, HB2309, HB2310, HB2314, HB2319, HB2329, HB2338, HB2339, HB2344, HB2361, HB2385, HB2395, HB2417, HB2429, HB2443, HB2452, HB2474, HB2475, HB2498, HB2505, HB2547, HB2576

Keywords: supplemental appropriations, state budget, Hawaii budget, biennial budget, capital improvement projects, CIP, general fund, special fund, green fee, special land and development fund, clean energy revolving loan fund, agricultural development revolving fund, community grants, nonprofit grants, Office of Community Services, housing, affordable housing, homelessness, health care, mental health

Transcript Highlights:

• In the previous biennium, I carried legislation to create a task force on the closure of our aging prison
• Adequate space and plumbing to house the residents who were forced to share rooms.
• I recognize a member for my task, a representative. I go, yes, that is my motion, Mr. Speaker. Mr.

Transcript Highlights:

• They partner together, in other words, to complete the task. Mr.
• Senate Bill 1946, which relates to the creation of a Family Violence Criminal Homicide Prevention Task
• Force.
• An amendment would allow the governor to appoint the members of the task force, designate the governor

Bills: SJR27, SB7, SB27, SB57, SB66, SB140, SB293, SB413, SB437, SB467, SB506, SB510, SB512, SB571, SB710, SB785, SB800, SB850, SB863, SB865, SB904, SB905, SB973, SB974, SB1191, SB1281, SB1300, SB1362, SB1494, SB1504, SB1522, SB1567, SB1579, SB1580, SB1723, SB1760, SB1838, SB1923, SB1946, SB1957, SB1964, SB2121, SB2167, SB2221, SB2321, SB2368, SB2373, SB2407, SB2431, SB2477, SB2587, SB2615, SB2807, SB2965, SB2986, SB3039, SB3047, SB3070, SB1, SB8, SB12, SB13, SB15, SB17, SB21, SB30, SB37, SB260, SB268, SB331, SB379, SB441, SB447, SB457, SB509, SB568, SB650, SB763, SB1198, SB1405, SB1506, SB1540, SB1566, SB1610, SB1637, SB1660, SB1833, SB2018, SB2024, SB2155, SB2217, SB2308, SB2337, SB2601, SB2753, SB2778, SB2878, SB2900, SB2972, SB3059, HB4, HB145, HB300, HB493, HB2011, HB2067, HB2516, HB2525, HB2885, HB2974, HB3071, HB3372, HB3556, HB3595, HB5138, HB5246, HB40, HB46, HB119, HB705, HB1545, HB2017, HB2963, HB3642, HB3909, SJR36, SJR50, SJR63, SCR12, SCR39, SB2023, SB62, SB666, SB847, SB284, SB854, SB810, SB1505, SB583, SB507, SB1434, SB1772, SB2016, SB1122, SB731, SB397, SB508, SB1436, SB287, SB1882, SB393, SB1791, SB209, SB2429, SB1085, SB1975, SB2717, SB1262, SB636, SB2056, SB884, SB1200, SB1845, SB2458, SB801, SB3014, SB3013, SB758, SB2797, SB2076, SB2876, SB1640, SB1449, SB1181, SB1234, SB2926, SB2841, SB1528, SB1854, SB317, SB1250, SB2082, SB1237, SB2819, SB629, SB2608, SB1602, SB2009, SB867, SB640, SB1698, SB2680, SB913, SB1071, SB1086, SB1087, SB1483, SB1444, SB1553, SB1556, SB1703, SB2133, SB2297, SB2298, SB2622, SB2955, SB2334, SB1367, SB2044, SB2363, SB2565, SB1888, SB3036, SB3057, SB3043, SB3063, SB3035, SB203, SB2688, SB2522, SB2459, SB2655, SB2251, SB1884, SB2928, SB2566, SB2549, SB2553, SB2919, SB1944, SB1232, SB1798, SB2603, SB2607, SB2683, SB1319, SB3045, SB3071, HB796, HB1523, HB5294, HB748, HB3395, HB180, HB3171, HB146, HB5596, HB5694, HB1135, HB3225, HB186, HB1449, HB3793, HB112, HB104, HB3336, HB3520, HB3320, HB5663, HB2399, HB111, HB3483, HB4580, HB3748, HB632, HB4730, HB5690, HB5689, HB3385, HB4359, HB5381, HB123, HB5606, HB1057, HB3664, HCR141, HCR40, HCR59, SR695, SCR54, HCR153, HCR166, HCR168, SJR27, SB7, SB57, SB66, SB140, SB293, SB413, SB437, SB467, SB506, SB510, SB512, SB571, SB710, SB785, SB800, SB850, SB863, SB865, SB904, SB905, SB973, SB974, SB1191, SB1281, SB1300, SB1362, SB1504, SB1522, SB1567, SB1579, SB1580, SB1723, SB1760, SB1838, SB1923, SB1946, SB1957, SB1964, SB2167, SB2221, SB2321, SB2368, SB2407, SB2477, SB2587, SB2615, SB2807, SB2965, SB2986, SB3039, SB3047, SB3070, HB40, HB119, HB705, HB1545, HB2017, HB2963, HB3642, HB3909, SB17, SB21, SB509, SB1198, SB1506, SB1833, SB2155, SB2601, SB2778, HB300, HB2011

Keywords: judicial conduct, state commission, judicial misconduct, commission membership, constitutional amendment, water infrastructure, financial assistance, Texas Water Development Board, water supply, environmental sustainability, school safety, emergency operations plan, multihazard plan, mandatory drill, disaster preparedness, emergency response, students with disabilities, impairments, special education, Section 504

Transcript Highlights:

• Section 13 is a governor's initiative and makes the Maternal and Child Health Advisory Task Force and
• <00:24:39.919> force<00:24:40.400> and child health advisory task force and child health
• advisory task force and advisory<00:24:41.120> committee.
• Developing a budget this season was not an easy task.
• we are tasked just in our little corner. we are tasked just in our little corner.

Bills: HF2435

Keywords: healthcare, dementia services, public health funding, opioid prevention, women's health, community health boards, mental health, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I had the distinct honor of serving on the task force last year for the psilocybin bill, and I'm currently
• I had the distinct honor of serving on the task force last year for the psilocybin bill, and I'm currently
• I had the distinct honor of serving on the task force last year for the psilocybin bill, and I'm currently
• /c><00:56:21.400> the<00:56:21.640> silos<00:56:22.079> cybin task force last year
• for the silos cybin task force last year for the silos cybin Bill<00:56:22.799> and<00:56:22.880

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Secondly, how do we provide greater access to services that promote longer-term employment and labor force
• In particular... ...that promote longer-term employment and labor force attachment.
• In particular, labor force attachment is becoming a bigger and bigger issue, in my opinion.
• The question is, can we help them stay attached to the labor force over a long period of time?
• So it's forcing these conversations anyway because of the federal appropriation situation.

Summary: The committee met to hear consultants Mason Bishop and Cameron Christie discuss Arkansas’s “one door/no wrong door” workforce and social services modernization effort. Bishop argued that the current system is fragmented across multiple agencies, offices, and portals, making it hard for job seekers and employers to access services efficiently. He said the goal is to create a more integrated system that promotes upward mobility, longer labor force attachment, better employer access to talent, greater efficiency, and faster adaptation to changes such as AI and other economic disruptions. Bishop repeatedly pointed to Utah as a model, describing how that state combined workforce and public assistance functions into a single agency, used statewide cost allocation to blend funding streams, and improved customer service and outcomes after reform. He said Arkansas should consider integrating governance, service delivery, and financing, including possible waivers, a statewide cost allocation plan, and a benefits-cliff pilot. He also said Arkansas’s current local workforce board structure creates duplication and weak coordination, and that Launch is a useful tool but not a full service-delivery system. Committee members asked how the proposal would work in practice, including whether TANF could be used to cross-train DHS workers, how federal waivers might be obtained, how local boards would be affected, and how disabled clients would be handled. Bishop said TANF should be treated as part of a workforce strategy, that federal pilot authority for workforce reform nearly passed but did not, and that waivers are now the practical path. He also said Arkansas could either merge functions more fully or at minimum co-locate workforce staff in DHS offices statewide. No votes were taken; the meeting ended with plans to continue the discussion in August, including a focus on case management and whether the state is managing programs or people.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, Regin King, and I'm the speed task force coordinator under the speed task force.
• Is that something in the speed task force? Um, was that a common problem?
• >> under the speed task force. >> under the speed task force.
• Could you reach out to the speed task Could you reach out to the speed task force<00:25:13.840> coordinator
• I think in the task force your gaming.

Bills: HB2118, HB2473

Keywords: business development, arts, cultural affairs, Hawaii, commissions, administrative transfer, funding appropriation, Hawaiian culture, sense of place, land management, environmental stewardship, cultural preservation, 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard several bills related to permitting and economic development. On HB 2603, relating to permits, the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development said it supported the measure with comments. Committee discussion focused on the fact that the state’s facilitated permit process appears to have been rarely or never used, the need to identify specific projects that would use it, and whether DBEDT would need dedicated staffing to administer it. DBEDT said it had found no projects under the current process, had no capacity to run the program as structured, and estimated it would need about 7 to 9 FTEs, including permitting, coordination, data, systems, and possibly legal support. The chair suggested exploring a staff assignment and comparing the concept to federal FAST-41-style expedited permitting. On HB 2140, relating to essential permitting positions, the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development again supported the bill with comments. Testimony and questioning centered on a pilot program to help counties pay competitively for permitting staff. A DBEDT representative said the issue of competitive pay affected both county and state permitting offices and that the bill was intended as a temporary pilot, though a more permanent solution would be preferable. When asked how counties would fund the salary support, the witness said that was not yet discussed with the counties and agreed to follow up. The committee also noted the bill applies to participating counties. On HB 2598, relating to the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation, the State Procurement Office and HTDC offered comments, and the Department of the Attorney General raised constitutional concerns. The AG said the bill’s residency-based certification requirements, when tied to procurement, could implicate the dormant Commerce Clause, and that the required 1% contribution tied to state contracts raised unconstitutional-conditions concerns. In questioning, the AG characterized these as legal risks rather than automatic lawsuits. The committee did not take a vote. The committee then heard HB 2141, relating to state enterprise zones. Taxation, DBEDT, HCDA, the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, and HTDC testified in support, while the Tax Foundation noted the program was intended to help economically depressed areas create jobs. HTDC said the bill would help preserve the Maui Research and Technology Center’s enterprise-zone status after rezoning. Committee discussion focused on whether the enterprise zone program is being used effectively, how the bill might attract businesses to areas where the state is investing, and whether the program’s labor requirements are too burdensome for new businesses. DBEDT explained that the program requires a 10% workforce increase in the first year, which must be sustained, and said it promotes the program through county coordinators and in-person outreach. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have two urban search and rescue teams in Minnesota, Task Force One and Task Force 2, and they are
• <00:53:35.839> Force<00:53:36.119> One<00:53:36.480> and<00:53:36.720> Task
• in Minnesota Task Force One and Task in Minnesota Task Force One and Task Force<00:53:37.359>
• <01:05:02.720> force<01:05:03.160> to trafficking investigators task force to trafficking
• investigators task force to help<01:05:03.559> provide<01:05:03.880> us<01:05:04.079><

Bills: HF2432

Keywords: HF2432, judiciary finance bill, public safety finance bill, corrections policy, crime victims, victim services, Minnesota victims of crime account, court fees, marriage license fee, financial crimes, fraud investigations, insurance fraud, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, BCA, Commerce Fraud Bureau, wage theft, automobile theft prevention, nonprofit security grants, 911 funding, POST Board

Transcript Highlights:

• We also want to note that the Judiciary did have a criminal pre-trial task force in December of 2018
• We also want to note that the Judiciary did have a criminal pre-trial task force in December of 2018
• We also want to note that the Judiciary did have a criminal pre-trial task force in December of 2018
• We also want to note that the Judiciary did have a criminal pre-trial task force in December of 2018
• We also want to note that the Judiciary did have a criminal pre-trial task force in December of 2018

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.