Transcript Highlights:

• Senators, this is the fiscal year 2027 maintenance appropriation bill for Health and Human Services.
• Health and Human Services is the way we've grouped some maintenance budgets around.
• You're not going to see that in a budget, in a maintenance bill.
• Again, this is a maintenance budget. This has been looked at by JFAC individually budgets.
• And the decision is being made in this maintenance bill to...

Transcript Highlights:

• there concerns then that because of the lack of potential cash flow that there will be lack of maintenance
• there concerns then that because of the lack of potential cash flow that there will be lack of maintenance
• money to help the capitalization and improvements that are needed because of the deferred maintenance
• When it comes<00:42:41.240><c> to</c><00:42:41.320><c> maintenance</c><00:42:41.760><c> and</c><00:42
• :41.840><c> maintaining</c><00:42:42.320><c> a</c> comes to maintenance and maintaining a comes to maintenance

Committee: Senate Housing and Homelessness Prevention

Transcript Highlights:

• So the next part of that, I noted, are our operations and maintenance estimates for IBR.
• , maintenance of vehicles, electricity and fuel, if it were buses, vehicle maintenance, the regular inspections
• , facilities maintenance.
• If it were buses, vehicle maintenance, the regular inspections facilities maintenance.
• Can you talk about who will pay for the transit operations and maintenance on the Washington side?

Committee: Joint Joint Oregon-Washington Legislative Action Committee

Summary: The Joint Special Session Committee on the Interstate 5 Bridge met jointly with the Washington-Oregon Legislative Action Committee and adopted its proposed committee rules. Program staff then provided updates on the Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) project, saying the work remains in the supplemental environmental impact statement process, with a final SEIS and amended record of decision expected in early 2026 before construction can begin. Staff reported progress on Section 106 historic preservation work, a NOAA Fisheries biological opinion, and an upcoming Coast Guard navigational impact report that will help determine whether the bridge will be a fixed or movable span. They also described extensive outreach, tribal consultation, and architectural workshops that produced non-final visualizations and guidance for the bridge, corridor, shared-use paths, walls, lighting, and landscape treatments. Members pressed staff on schedule delays, rising costs, accessibility, and whether community input would change the design. Senator Pham questioned the repeated slippage in the environmental timeline and the effect on taxpayer costs; staff said the process is complex, that some steps are outside the program’s control, and that they are working toward a 2026 record of decision. Representative Bostert Davis urged the program to emphasize functionality, safety, efficiency, and economy over aesthetics. Representative Tran asked about accessibility on the Vancouver side, and staff said the shared-use path height is constrained by the BNSF rail line but that they are working with local partners to improve connections and that public comments have already influenced the design. Representative Lay asked about the movable-span option and cost impacts; staff said a movable span would likely add more than $400 million but they still expect to keep the overall construction start in 2026. The committee also received funding and tolling updates. Staff said the program has committed state and federal funding in place, including the initial state contributions, Washington’s and Oregon’s larger commitments, and federal grants totaling about $2.1 billion, while tolling is expected to contribute roughly $1.1 billion to $1.6 billion depending on the final plan. They said the updated cost estimate is being developed now using a risk-based process and should be ready for the committee in December. On the transit side, staff outlined the Federal Transit Administration Capital Investment Grant process, including project development, engineering, and a target full funding grant agreement in 2028, and said Oregon’s transit operations and maintenance share is committed through TriMet while Washington-side funding is still being worked out. The tolling agencies then described Level 3 traffic and revenue work, possible toll scenarios, exemptions and discounts, and a planned 2027 start for pre-completion tolling. Public testimony followed, with supporters urging the project to move ahead and critics arguing it is behind schedule, underestimating costs, and facing uncertain toll and federal funding assumptions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chris Stewart of the maintenance division, he's the newest maintenance specialist. Thank you, sir.
• Chair, um, presenting the Exemplary maintenance report update. Um, I'll make this brief.
• Um, this is in reference to NMAT code 6.27.3.11, um, regarding preventive maintenance programs, which
• OK, I just, cause I know their maintenance director took on another job, so I'm kind of in shock that
• That, that reminds me of the distribution that I asked about earlier that money can go to maintenance

Transcript Highlights:

• programs that transit providers apply for; some are specific to operating, some are specific to maintenance
• So the larger of those two pots to the Metropolitan Council, 95%, was for transit operations, maintenance
• The larger of those two pots to the Metropolitan Council, 95%, was for transit operations, maintenance
• activities uh is authorized maintenance activities uh is authorized by<00:40:37.119><c> the</c><00:40
• um on line 212 um so for the maintenance um on line 212 um so for the last<00:53:33.839><c> bium</c>

Transcript Highlights:

• Operations and maintenance for maintenance workers, custodians, and groundskeepers stay the same.
• </c><01:13:41.040><c> major</c> enhancement maintenance major enhancement maintenance major maintenance
• on major maintenance projects.
• money on major our major maintenance money on major maintenance<01:20:33.040><c> projects.
• It's the long-term maintenance.

Committee: Joint Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration

Transcript Highlights:

• a city or town's population exceeds this population threshold, the transfer of installation and maintenance
• The city or town is then responsible for installation and maintenance responsibilities at its own expense
• Cars currently pay TBD's fees for local road maintenance, and trucks over 6,000 pounds do not.
• Our city uses the TBD fee for pavement preservation and maintenance, as there's limited funding for these
• Our city uses the TBD fee for pavement preservation and maintenance, as there's limited funding for these

Committee: House Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• years, 30 years down the road, those are not coming back to the state for more money simply for maintenance
• purposes, and making sure that there is a maintenance plan in place for all of these projects.
• of what we did while I was mayor in Shakopee for making sure that we have a plan in place and a maintenance
• last year that Chair Lee had that had a fund that was in place and putting aside money for capital maintenance
• It sets up a capital maintenance plan and it requires that at future times when people come back to the

Committee: House Elections Finance and Government Operations

Transcript Highlights:

• park and then seek to increase its value by raising the rent, adding fees, and cutting back on maintenance
• place and clarifies the community owner's responsibility for things like tree care and utility maintenance
• park and then seek to increase its value by raising the rent, adding fees, and cutting back on maintenance
• themselves and their investors. ...value by raising the rent, adding fees, and cutting back on maintenance
• place and clarifies the community owner's responsibility for things like tree care and utility maintenance

Transcript Highlights:

• operations officer for the Air Force chief of staff during the 9/11 attacks on the Pentagon, and aviation
• 00:36:16.720><c> and</c> the 911 attacks on the Pentagon and the 911 attacks on the Pentagon and aviation
• 18.160><c> an</c><00:36:18.320><c> RC135</c><00:36:19.200><c> crew</c><00:36:19.440><c> member</c> aviation
• duty as an RC135 crew member aviation duty as an RC135 crew member flying<00:36:20.320><c> long</c><

Bills: HB4593 , HR780 , HR977 , HR979 , HR978

Keywords: showerhead, regulation, energy policy, consumer protection, overregulation, gridlock, policy priorities, House resolution, legislative process, procedural motion, committee, House of Representatives, Mr. Knott, ethics, membership, Doug LaMalfa, memorial resolution, condolence, death of a member, adjournment in honor

Transcript Highlights:

• Even small harvest areas support sawmills, trucking, and maintenance industries.
• Could the real issue be poor road maintenance, not the existence of roads?
• Maintenance helps, but fragmentation is the bigger problem.
• Could the real issue be poor road maintenance, not the existence of roads?
• Maintenance helps, but fragmentation is the bigger problem.

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• It seems like a lot of the repairs outlined would kind of fall under the category of expected maintenance
• If we're no longer in Whitehall, then we would not be paying for the maintenance and upkeep of that.
• In all probability, delayed maintenance actually required delayed maintenance was operational between
• It's not HHS's fault that maintenance was not done.
• actually required delayed maintenance was operational between Lincoln Regional Center and Whitehall

Summary: The Health and Human Services Committee held an invited-testimony hearing on LR 425, which examines the Whitehall campus in Lincoln and possible long-term options for youth currently served there. Chair Brian Hardin explained that Whitehall houses two separate programs for adolescent males: a substance use program and a youth-who-sexually-harm program. Testimony from DHHS officials described Whitehall as a Joint Commission-accredited psychiatric residential treatment facility (PRTF) that provides about 40 hours of weekly programming, family involvement, school services, and community reintegration activities. Officials said the department is evaluating whether the programs should remain at Whitehall or move to another state-owned facility, with Hastings described as the department’s preferred alternative because it is more residential in design than a youth rehabilitation treatment center (YRTC).

Transcript Highlights:

• This $200 million will help address deferred maintenance needs across DCR's portfolio, and those needs
• Consistent and predictable support from the state for roadway maintenance provides significant relief
• I have over 30 years' experience in road design and maintenance.
• Chapter 90 is a lifeline to ensure maintenance of our critical infrastructure.
• From a maintenance standpoint, the timing of addressing infrastructure issues early, before it's too

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Transportation

Summary: The committee heard testimony on House Bill 4987, the administration’s transportation bond bill centered on Chapter 90 roadway funding and related capital programs. Administration officials described the bill as a roughly $5.5 billion package that would continue $300 million per year for Chapter 90 over four years, with part of the funding distributed by the traditional formula and an additional $100 million based solely on road miles to better support rural and smaller communities. They also highlighted authorizations for municipal pavement work, Shared Streets and Spaces grants, accelerated bridge and pavement repairs, MBTA rail modernization and reliability, housing-related transportation improvements, and a new DCR-focused PRISM program for parkways and related infrastructure. Officials emphasized that the bill is financed through the Commonwealth Transportation Fund and Fair Share revenues, and said it would help municipalities plan more predictably, speed project delivery, and support housing, safety, and climate goals. Committee members and witnesses discussed the bill’s broader scope beyond traditional Chapter 90, especially the $200 million for transportation projects that support housing development and the $200 million for MBTA modernization and rail reliability. Members asked about the rationale for a four-year authorization amid fiscal uncertainty, federal funding volatility, and the status of commuter rail electrification. Administration officials responded that the capital authorization is backed by dedicated transportation revenues rather than the operating budget, and said multi-year certainty helps cities and towns make better long-term repair decisions. They also said the MBTA’s rail modernization funds would support locomotive procurements, including battery-electric and Tier 4 diesel locomotives, as part of a longer-term regional rail and electrification strategy. Municipal officials and regional advocates strongly supported the bill. The Massachusetts Municipal Association, along with town and city officials from Sherborn, Conway, and Yarmouth, said the increased Chapter 90 funding and road-mile-based distribution are especially important for small and rural communities with limited local revenue capacity, and that multi-year funding would let them bundle projects, bid at better prices, and address backlogs more proactively. A Better City and MAPC also supported the bill but urged the committee to treat it like a traditional bond bill by adding policy provisions and considering new transportation revenue tools, such as TNC fee changes, road pricing, parking taxes, and other mechanisms. The committee took no vote during the hearing and adjourned after testimony concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• The college bears more than $250 million in deferred maintenance and faces well-documented infrastructure
• This very smart amendment allows that the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance is going
• This very smart amendment allows that the Division of Capital Asset and Management and Maintenance is
• We all understand the importance of trying to ensure that we address deferred maintenance, trying to
• We all understand the importance of trying to ensure that we address deferred maintenance, trying to

Summary: The Senate took up a higher education capital bond bill, House 4769, and considered a long series of amendments focused largely on campus facilities, housing, and related policy issues. Many amendments were adopted, including funding or project language for MassBay Community College HVAC and window replacement, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Springfield Technical Community College, Cape Cod Community College nursing/allied health expansion and housing-related land use, Worcester State University and Quinsigamond Community College, Middlesex Community College, Salem State’s Sullivan Building, Roxbury Community College’s Center for Economic and Social Justice, UMass Boston’s Manning College of Nursing and Health Sciences, and several Massachusetts State College Building Authority updates. Some amendments were rejected, including proposals on a sustainable hand hygiene incentive program, unlocking housing on surplus land, a Senator Bill Owen Center designation, Urban College of Boston, and a board membership change. A number of amendments were held or withdrawn during the process. A major debate centered on an amendment by Senator Tarr to dedicate $300 million of surtax revenue to K-12 education, framed as a response to Chapter 70 funding concerns and the need to modernize school aid. Supporters argued that local districts face rising costs and that the state should set aside fair share revenue for school funding and future school building investments. Opponents said the bill was the wrong vehicle and noted the Commonwealth already dedicates substantial surtax revenue to K-12 programs. The amendment was defeated by roll call. Tarr also offered amendments on a safety valve for surtax revenue declines, equity analysis of surtax allocations, bond covenant requirements, and Chapter 62F taxpayer protections; those were not adopted. The Senate also adopted a separate amendment on AP credit policies at public higher education institutions, though the transcript reflects some procedural confusion around that vote. After completing amendments, the Senate ordered the bill to a third reading and then passed it to be engrossed by a recorded vote of 38-0. Senators then adopted several extension orders giving committees additional time to report on pending bills, including Environment and Natural Resources and Municipalities and Regional Government. The chamber also adopted an order to meet again the following Monday at 11 a.m. The session concluded with a unanimous memorial adjournment in honor of Bolton Police Chief Luke Hamburger, followed by a brief statement recognizing Rare Disease Day and the challenges faced by patients seeking diagnosis and treatment.

Transcript Highlights:

• are included and which repairs and maintenance the customer is responsible to pay for.
• , and... ...sign on the dotted line and then they're stuck with the cost and no maintenance.
• And I know many years ago when the maintenance subsidy went away for the solar in Sarah Vista, we had
• Contracts that hide important details on cancellations, maintenance, and resale of homes.
• It has been so successful that when it rains, it breaches the system and they have to do maintenance

Committee: House House Natural Resources, Energy & Water Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee heard several water and energy-related measures. SB 1200, as amended by a Griffin strike-everything amendment, addressed the Arizona Department of Water Resources’ treatment of certain “conduit lakes” in active management areas. ADWR testified neutral on the bill but opposed the amendment as written, saying it could grandfather in lakes that are currently in violation of the lakes statute and create water-management concerns. HOA and industry witnesses argued the bill would simply clarify and restore a prior interpretation for existing communities that rely on lakes to move groundwater and effluent for irrigation, while avoiding costly redesigns. The committee adopted the strike-everything amendment and then passed SB 1200 with a due pass recommendation by a 6-3 vote. The committee then considered SB 1419, which would tighten consumer protections for residential rooftop solar sales and installations by adding disclosure, inspection, and contractor-responsibility requirements. County and solar-industry witnesses said the bill was the product of a lengthy stakeholder process and was intended to address misleading sales practices and roof-damage concerns, while noting additional floor amendments were still expected. The committee adopted the Griffin amendment and passed SB 1419 with a due pass recommendation by a 6-1 vote, with two members voting present. SB 1447, which extends certain groundwater withdrawal fee exemptions and fund deadlines in the Pinal Active Management Area, was supported by irrigation and municipal water users as a needed bridge for infrastructure and conservation efforts amid Colorado River uncertainty; it passed 7-1. SB 1560, increasing the maximum single loan from the water supply development revolving fund from $3 million to $20 million, was backed by WIFA as necessary to meet larger rural water project needs; it passed 8-1. Finally, the committee heard SCM 1004, a memorial asking Congress to clearly define the EPA’s powers and duties. One speaker opposed it as unnecessary, but the memorial was approved on a 6-2 vote. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• This $200 million will help address deferred maintenance needs across DCR's portfolio, and those needs
• are extensive. ...maintenance needs across DCR's portfolio, and those needs are extensive, including
• Consistent and predictable support from the state for roadway maintenance provides significant relief
• I have over 30 years' experience in road design and maintenance.
• From a maintenance standpoint, the timing of addressing infrastructure issues early, before it's too

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Transportation

Summary: The Transportation Committee heard testimony on House Bill 4987, the Healey-Driscoll administration’s transportation bond bill financing long-term improvements to municipal roads and bridges. Administration officials said the bill would authorize more than $5 billion overall, including $1.2 billion for Chapter 90 over four years, $500 million for accelerated road and bridge repairs, $200 million for MBTA rail modernization and reliability, $200 million for transportation projects supporting housing development, $200 million for a new DCR parkway resilience and safety program, and reauthorizations for federal-aid highway projects, non-federal highway projects, municipal pavement, and Shared Streets and Spaces. They emphasized that the proposal is backed by Commonwealth Transportation Fund revenues, including registry fees, gas tax, and Fair Share surtax revenue, and said it would improve safety, reliability, housing production, and regional equity. Committee members asked about the four-year Chapter 90 authorization, the housing-related transportation funding, federal funding uncertainty, and how the MBTA money would support commuter rail electrification and regional rail. Administration witnesses said the multi-year structure would help municipalities plan and avoid more expensive deferred maintenance, that the housing funds would be flexible for infrastructure needs tied to development, and that the state is pursuing federal grants while relying on state-backed capital financing. They also described process improvements at MassDOT that have reduced project bid-to-notice timelines by 60% and said the rail modernization funds would support locomotive procurement, including battery-electric and Tier 4 diesel locomotives. The Massachusetts Municipal Association and local officials from Sherborn, Conway, and Yarmouth strongly supported the bill, saying the increased Chapter 90 funding and road-mile formula have made a major difference for small and rural communities and that four-year funding would improve predictability, project bundling, and cost savings. They cited local road, bridge, culvert, and gravel-road needs and urged favorable action. A Better City and MAPC also supported the bill but urged the committee to use it for broader transportation policy changes and new revenue tools, including possible reforms to TNC fees, regional pricing, and other funding mechanisms. The committee took no vote during the hearing and adjourned after testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• These buildings are required to benchmark, do operations and maintenance programs, and energy management
• Operations and maintenance programs yield, on average, 10 to 15 percent in annual utility cost savings
• Is it possible to get to this committee the expense that you see for delayed maintenance and upgrades
• Well, so we have a $1.8 billion deferred maintenance backlog at WSU.
• Technically, deferred maintenance and decarbonizing dozens of public campuses must be about building

Summary: The committee first received a Commerce overview of capital budget grant programs, including behavioral health facilities, Building for the Arts, Building Communities Fund, early learning facilities, library capital improvements, and youth recreational facilities. Commerce described program eligibility, match requirements, funding cycles, and project examples such as an early learning center in Spokane, a rural library in Stevens County, and a youth clubhouse in Prosser. Members asked about behavioral health capital projects, including how many facilities have been opened and how capital planning aligns with operating funding; Commerce said it could provide more data later and noted it focuses on capital while HCA, DSHS, and DOH handle operating requests. Members also raised concerns about nonprofit financial stability, project licensure, siting, and the burden of non-state match, while Commerce emphasized shovel-ready projects, community match, and efforts to reduce application burden. The committee then heard an update on the Clean Buildings Performance Standard from Commerce. Staff reviewed Washington’s building emissions laws, compliance tiers, exemptions, incentives, and district energy system decarbonization planning under House Bills 1543, 1976, and 1390. Commerce reported nearly 5,000 inquiries in 2025, a fellowship program that has helped more than 250 buildings in 16 counties, and review of nearly 30 district energy plans. The presentation highlighted that over half of Tier 1 buildings are already meeting targets, that Tier 2 incentive applications suggest the 30-cent-per-square-foot incentive often covers compliance costs, and that district decarbonization plans face common challenges such as aging infrastructure, grid readiness, workforce, and inconsistent cost reporting. Members asked what additional legislative action might help, and Commerce said it was still learning from the new rulemaking and implementation changes. Western Washington University and Corex then presented on WWU’s campus heating conversion project and a possible off-campus thermal energy partnership with the Port of Bellingham. WWU described its aging steam system, high emissions, maintenance costs, and the $51 million in Climate Commitment Account funding it has received to transition toward an electric hot-water system using technologies such as geo-exchange, heat recovery chillers, and air-source heat pumps. Corex explained its existing district energy system at the Port of Bellingham, which uses industrial waste heat and is operating at very high efficiency, and said it is exploring a heat transmission line to WWU and possibly sewer-heat recovery. Testimony from WSU and UW supported the broader decarbonization effort but raised concerns about the scale of costs, deferred maintenance, and the need for predictable state funding. A contractor witness urged the state to think bigger about public-private partnerships and other financing tools rather than forcing campuses to compete for limited funds. The committee then held a public hearing on House Bill 2330, which would create a prioritization process for capital funding for state campus district energy system decarbonization projects. Staff said the bill would establish a Commerce committee to score and rank projects, issue a preliminary framework report by December 30 of this year, and provide biennial recommended project lists beginning in 2028, while also studying barriers to energy-as-a-service contracts and public-private partnerships. The prime sponsor said the bill is intended to create a thoughtful, predictable process for deciding which projects to fund, emphasizing energy savings, emissions reductions, operating cost reductions, shovel-readiness, and the value of public-private partnerships. Testimony was mixed but generally supportive: WSU and UW backed the bill as a way to advance compliance and predictability, though WSU warned that compliance costs could be very large and that the university would likely seek state help if fines were imposed. A contractor witness supported the concept but argued the bill should help build a larger funding “pie” through partnerships and financing tools rather than simply dividing scarce resources. The committee then opened and heard testimony on House Bill 2338, which would authorize community-scaled weatherization projects. Commerce staff said the bill would allow weatherization funds and matching funds to be used for neighborhood-scale projects affecting multiple dwelling units, while still prioritizing low-income households; the fiscal note estimated about $273,000 in FY 2027 and about $237,000 per biennium ongoing for administration. Supporters from community action agencies and Spark Northwest said the bill would improve health, safety, affordability, and contractor participation by allowing weatherization to be done at a community scale, especially in mobile home parks and low-income neighborhoods. No votes were taken in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• The funding included in the governor's recommended budget is focused on maintenance and operations for
• is the governor's recommending a recurring fund shift of $27.5 million from the Operations and Maintenance
• And that covers both the maintenance and operations as well as enhancements to that system.
• And that covers both the maintenance and operations as well as enhancements to that system.
• This $124 million, most of it, is maintenance and operations for the modules that will have gone live

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services heard presentations on the governor’s proposed FY 26-27 budget for the health and human services silo, which totals $48.5 billion within a $117.4 billion state budget. Agency leaders outlined major spending priorities, including AHCA’s behavioral health redesign, APD waiver enrollment and facility needs, DCF’s integrity and self-sufficiency systems, opioid response, community-based care and mental health bed expansion, DOEA’s Alzheimer’s, home care, and community care programs, DOH’s cancer research, public health, EMS blood-transfusion initiative, and lab feasibility study, and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ facility, cybersecurity, and medication-management investments. Members generally praised several proposals, especially increased reimbursement for private duty nursing, behavioral health funding, Alzheimer’s support, and the EMS blood program. Senator Sharief raised concerns about the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), warning that changes could leave many Floridians without coverage for HIV medications and asking whether manufacturers could provide rebates directly to patients. Surgeon General Ladapo said the issue was driven largely by funding and federal changes, not a legal barrier, and said the department had explored alternatives but could not fill the gap with current resources. Senator Rouson asked about the Office of Minority Health and Health Equity, and DCF said its budget includes about $7 million for the substance abuse and mental health data dashboard required by prior legislation. Public testimony focused heavily on ADAP. Former program leaders and advocates said the proposed changes would reduce enrollment and remove key drugs and insurance-premium support, calling the situation a crisis and criticizing the department for lack of transparency and stakeholder engagement. They urged a pause and collaborative review of the program’s finances. The committee also discussed KidsCare implementation, with AHCA saying federal conditions and litigation have delayed the expansion. The meeting ended after the chair noted the budget would still need to be adjusted for updated Medicaid caseload estimates, and the committee adjourned without taking any formal votes or other action on the budget items.

Transcript Highlights:

• The other thing is, this includes maintenance.
• The majority of the maintenance money—millions, hundreds of millions of dollars—is done through price
• can't be used for maintenance.
• Maintenance of state roads, to be sure there are opportunities for us to provide financial support to
• I could see the concern, especially in rural areas, for maintenance of those roads.

Committee: Senate Senate Tax, Business & Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• This fee only goes to their portion to fund the maintenance of that building.
• It is dedicated strictly to that field office for the maintenance of that field office.
• Who pays for the maintenance on those? It's the state, right?
• There's no maintenance fee for that.
• So the maintenance costs are not there.

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met on March 23 with a quorum and received an update from OMV leadership. Director Brian Adams and Commissioner Keith Neal said the agency has improved morale, staffing, and efficiencies, is operating in the black, and expects to begin testing the driver’s license portion of its modernization project in September. They also said the agency is working on customer service and technology upgrades. The committee then considered several OMV-related bills. HB 781, creating a fleet vehicle registration program, was amended to delay implementation until the OMV system is ready and was reported with amendments. HB 712, which waives OMV fees for driver’s licenses and state IDs for eligible homeless persons, drew extensive testimony for and against; supporters said it would remove a barrier to employment, housing, and identification, while opponents raised concerns about eligibility, fraud, and policy scope. The committee adopted amendments clarifying the waiver and verification requirements, and the bill passed on a roll call vote. HB 372, requiring OMV education on roundabouts, was discussed but voluntarily deferred in favor of a House concurrent resolution approach. HB 746, dealing with oversized trucking permits, was amended to preserve existing permits while imposing a one-year moratorium on new local permit requirements and was reported with amendments. HB 732, allowing temporary waiver of certain OMV-related debts for people in special circumstances such as hospice, was amended and reported favorably. HB 722, providing automatic reinstatement of driver’s licenses after payment of fees and fines except for DUI-related suspensions, was amended and reported with amendments. HB 593, raising the maximum service fee for certain OMV field offices, was amended to exclude Shreveport and reported 9-5. HB 613, adding a citizenship indicator to Louisiana driver’s licenses and IDs, was heavily debated over its purpose and implications but was reported 8-5. Finally, HB 582, reducing reinstatement fees for insurance lapses, was reported favorably, and HB 762, which would block referral of certain OMV debts to the Office of Debt Recovery, was taken up with testimony emphasizing the burden of added collection fees.