Transcript Highlights:

• uh<00:31:42.720> additionally<00:31:43.080> ensuring<00:31:43.399> that Islands
• uh additionally ensuring that Islands uh additionally ensuring that native<00:31:43.720> Hawai
• not only profitable but also just, equitable, and deeply rooted in the traditions and values of our Islands
• 50:37.880> one<00:50:38.079> Dispensary<00:50:38.559> on Hawaii really is an island
• low cost some of the neighboring Islands low cost some of the neighboring Islands have<01:38:56.320

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The states around us, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, California, and New York
• The states around us, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, California, and New York
• Rhode Island is at 1,000.
• Surrounding states such as Massachusetts and Rhode Island only require 1,000, and in Vermont they don
• <01:38:47.440> only Massachusetts and Rhode Island only Massachusetts and Rhode Island only

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee opened a hearing on Senate Bill 185, which would add timelines to Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) investigations. Senator Howard Pearl said the bill was prompted by concerns from the New Hampshire Association of Realtors about delays at the Real Estate Commission, and he explained that the proposal would require OPLC staff to make an initial determination within 30 days and, if misconduct is found, complete an investigation within 60 days. He said the goal is to improve transparency and give consumers and licensees more timely information, while preserving the board’s adjudicatory role. He also noted that the bill had been amended to delay implementation to give OPLC time to work through its backlog. Committee members questioned how the bill would work when an investigation is incomplete and whether the board could send a case back to OPLC without a firm deadline. Pearl said the board would have discretion to continue the investigation or make a final determination, and that the bill was intended to streamline OPLC’s process rather than impose a hard cap on complex cases. OPLC Executive Director Deanna Durus and General Counsel Nicholas Fry then testified that the agency has already changed its procedures under prior legislation, including a facial review of complaints and monthly board review of dismissal memos. They said the bill would substantially alter the current structure, could conflict with existing limitation periods and board duties, and would be difficult to implement without additional staff and funding. Durus said the agency’s backlog is large, that new complaints are being triaged and prioritized, and that some urgent matters are moved ahead based on risk and statutory deadlines. She said OPLC had completed a review of about 500 backlog cases that would now be dismissed under current screening standards, and that those cases are being turned into memos for board review. Board of Medicine public member Nina Gardner testified in favor of the bill but said the backlog is significant and that the agency needs more resources to make the process work effectively. She said the board is seeing progress, but not fast enough, and suggested the bill may not go far enough without additional staffing and funding. No vote was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• helps ensure small, local,<00:27:31.760> and<00:27:32.000> neighbor<00:27:32.320> island
• <00:27:32.720> businesses local, and neighbor island businesses local, and neighbor island
• been cropping up all over Oahu for the last couple of years, and they're also now on the neighbor islands
• ><00:46:39.760> on<00:46:39.920> the<00:46:40.079> neighbor<00:46:40.319> islands
• them coming up on the neighbor islands them coming up on the neighbor islands as<00:46:40.960>

Bills: SB2045, SB2354

Keywords: combat sports, boxing, mixed martial arts, health regulations, safety standards, licensing, event regulation, 912, senate, all

Summary: The committees first took up SB 2071 on rent-to-own housing. Testimony was generally supportive from HHFDC and Hawaii Realtors, but Sierra Club of Hawaii and others opposed the bill unless it was amended to exclude ceded lands from the 99-year lease provision. Members discussed the scope of ceded versus non-ceded lands and whether an inventory exists. The committees ultimately recommended passage with amendments, including HHFDC’s proposal to make the fixed-price period flexible by tying it to an option period and Sierra Club’s language limiting the program to non-ceded state or county land. They then heard SB 2191 on limited profit housing associations. HHFDC supported the measure, while the Tax Foundation of Hawaii and the Office of the Auditor urged caution about tax exclusions and asked for clearer, more targeted limits and measurable outcomes. The committees adopted amendments to add a statement of purpose, include measurable metrics, apply the tax provisions to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025, and delay the effective date to allow for administrative changes. SB 2191 was recommended for passage with amendments. The committees also considered SB 2197, which would have replaced the five-year fixed-price period in rent-to-own housing with an option period set by HHFDC, but deferred it indefinitely because its issues were addressed in SB 2071. SB 2180 on deposits of public funds drew comments from the Hawaii Bankers Association questioning definitions and noting banks are already subject to Community Reinvestment Act requirements; decision-making was deferred to the next day in the CPN committee and to a later date for the housing committee. Finally, SB 2210 on housing discrimination received support from disability advocates and the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, which asked for one additional investigator; the committees passed it with amendments adding a blank appropriation for one full-time position and planned to notify Ways and Means for possible re-referral.

Transcript Highlights:

• Virgin Islands makes us nervous because the implications of the virus getting into those territories
• There are provisions in place to somewhat regionalize those islands if they would happen to get the virus
• , our partners with USDA have done a great job of evaluating the feral swine populations on those islands
• Virgin Islands makes us nervous because the implications of the virus getting into those territories
• I had an opportunity to do some training at Plum Island research facility on some of these reportable

Bills: HF601, HF271, HF1101, HF979

Keywords: agriculture, depredation compensation, livestock, crop damage, elk, wolves, wildlife management, skills path program, career and technical education, CTE, dual credit, postsecondary options enrollment, apprenticeship, apprenticeship readiness, dual training, work-based learning, career pathways, skilled trades, workforce development, high school to career

Transcript Highlights:

• and the department, where we're working to restore native oyster beds in Great Bay around Nanny's Island
• and the department, where we're working to restore native oyster beds in Great Bay around Nanny's Island
• and the department, where we're working to restore native oyster beds in Great Bay around Nanny's Island
• and the department, where we're working to restore native oyster beds in Great Bay around Nanny's Island
• and the department, where we're working to restore native oyster beds in Great Bay around Nanny's Island

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• friction that exists in the space right now is that a lot of the projects we do go to the Cayman Islands
• <00:27:27.440> that<00:27:27.600> go we do go to the Cayman Islands. that go we do
• go to the Cayman Islands. that go outside<00:27:28.080> the<00:27:28.320> United<00:27:
• to become DUNAs in the near future, and we're working with actually converting some of the Cayman Island
• We ended up with 2,500 of these entities inside the Cayman Islands already.

Bills: HB0075, HB0128

Keywords: virtual currency, kiosk, financial institutions, regulation, Wyoming Money Transmitters Act, penalties, severance tax, oil production, tax exemption, energy sector, economic impact, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I not only represent the islands, but I represent Polynesia, and when it comes down to it, I represent
• My grandfathers are from very small villages in the island kingdom of Tonga.
• My maternal grandfather is from Haano, from the island group of Ha'apai.
• And my paternal grandfather is from the small island village of Hauri of the island group of Bahu.
• in strong support of Rashelle's Senate confirmation as a judge. ...I'm from the west side of the island

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee hearing covered three judicial confirmations for the First Circuit family court. The first nominee, Maria F. Penn, was introduced for confirmation to a six-year term as a district family court judge. Testimony from family law attorneys and the Hawaii State Bar Association was strongly supportive, emphasizing her courtroom demeanor, preparation, knowledge of family law, respect for litigants and counsel, and ability to manage emotionally difficult family court matters. Judge Penn also spoke about her background, including her legal career, prior service as a PDM family court judge, and her view that family court requires both legal judgment and empathy. The chair noted that the committee would not vote that day and would take up votes the next morning. The second nomination was Wilson Aunga for a district family court judgeship. Supporters described his character, community involvement, and suitability for family court, including testimony from the Honolulu prosecutor, longtime friends, classmates, community members, and others. Speakers highlighted his work with youth, his leadership in the prosecutor’s office, his calm and impartial temperament, and his commitment to education and public service. The chair reported 105 supporters, no opposition, and one comment from the Hawaii State Bar Association. Additional testimony continued from members of the public, including a speaker discussing mental health and personal support for Aunga. Throughout the hearing, the chair enforced a two-minute limit on oral testimony and explained that the committee was short on time and would recess as needed. No votes were taken during the hearing; the chair announced that voting would occur the following day in the same room.

Transcript Highlights:

• it's from the chamber or the other folks who have talked about how Minnesota kind of stands as an island
• it's from the chamber or the other folks who have talked about how Minnesota kind of stands as an island
• it's from the chamber or the other folks who have talked about how Minnesota kind of stands as an island
• it's from the chamber or the other folks who have talked about how Minnesota kind of stands as an island
• it's from the chamber or the other folks who have talked about how Minnesota kind of stands as an island

Bills: HF276, HF413, HF411

Keywords: human services, Medical Assistance, Medicaid, long-term services and supports, LTSS, public assistance, application process, eligibility determination, customer service survey, wait times, form complexity, lead agencies, Department of Human Services, Department of Children Youth and Families, streamlining, administrative reform, case management, reassessment, intake system, adaptive eligibility form

Transcript Highlights:

• It has a population closer to 14,000 and makes up the northern half of Amelia Island, a barrier island
• I can tell you that the priorities in the town of Palm Beach on the island are very different than the
• I just have a question because I know one of my cities, Marco Island, was talking about reaching out.
• For my constituents, I have Collier County, and within the county I have two cities, City of Marco Island

Summary: The Select Committee on Property Taxes heard first from city representatives through the Florida League of Cities, who argued that property taxes are a stable local revenue source that funds core services such as police, fire, parks, public works, and stormwater work. Casey Cook emphasized that cities are optional governments with widely different tax bases and service levels, that exemptions shift the burden to fewer taxpayers, and that transparency already exists through TRIM notices, public budgets, and local hearings. Sarah Campbell of Fernandina Beach, T. Michael Stavris of Winter Haven, and Stephen O’Kee of Port St. Lucie described their budget processes, the share of general-fund revenue coming from property taxes, reserve policies, debt and capital planning, and the impact of inflation, minimum wage increases, and personnel costs. They all said local governments need predictable revenue and that any property tax changes would require careful consideration of replacement funding or service reductions. Members questioned the city panel about whether homebuyers are clearly informed about city versus county taxes and services, the role of HOAs, how many lobbyists cities employ, reserve levels, average salaries, and whether utility revenues are used only for utility purposes. The panel said TRIM notices, realtor listings, and city websites provide tax information; HOAs generally do not provide emergency services; lobbyists help local governments track Tallahassee legislation; reserves vary by city and fund; and utility revenues are generally restricted, though some cities use limited transfers. Members also asked about revenue replacement if ad valorem taxes were reduced or eliminated, and the panel said options would likely include user fees, service cuts, or other local revenue shifts. The chair also asked about public safety consolidation, and the response was that such decisions are local and may shift costs rather than create true savings. The committee then heard from county representatives after an overview by the Florida Association of Counties’ Davin Suggs, who framed counties as shared partners with the state and emphasized the gap between rising market values and the shrinking share of taxable value after exemptions and assessment limits. He said counties face a mismatch between revenue based on taxable value and expenses driven by real-world costs, and noted that most counties either held millage steady or lowered it without reaching rollback rates. He also highlighted that property taxes are only one part of county revenue, with charges for services and intergovernmental revenue often larger in some counties, and that public safety at the county level includes more than law enforcement, such as EMS, emergency management, inspections, and corrections. Deborah Manzo of Okeechobee County described a fiscally constrained rural county with limited staff, a county-supported airport, heavy reliance on property taxes for the general fund, and major cost pressures from inflation, insurance, retirement, and state and federal mandates. She said the county lowered millage slightly over recent years but still depends on multiple revenue sources and special assessments, and she flagged Medicaid, medical examiner costs, and possible firefighter workweek changes as significant concerns. Bay County Administrator Mark McQueen said his county’s budget is shaped by Hurricane Michael recovery, non-discretionary obligations, and rapid growth; he described ongoing FEMA reimbursement delays, substantial borrowing to cover disaster costs, and continuing interest expenses while the county waits for reimbursement. The county panel was still in progress when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, in addition to that, it's quieter, so areas like Governor's Island, where we have a deer problem
• and currently it's archery only because nobody on the island wants the noise, an air rifle would be
• like that it's quieter so areas like that it's quieter so areas like Governor's<00:31:31.600> Island
• > we<00:31:33.480> have<00:31:33.600> a<00:31:33.760> deer Governor's Island
• where we have a deer Governor's Island where we have a deer problem<00:31:34.880> and<00:31:35.039

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• My name again is Johnny Johnson, former tribal president of Prairie Island and now the education director
• Prairie Island supports both the logo and the mascot, as they reflect aspects of our culture and tradition
• the mascot is the logo and the mascot is the Wingers<00:47:22.680> Prairie<00:47:23.000> Island
• <00:47:23.359> supports<00:47:24.359> both<00:47:25.359> the Wingers Prairie Island
• supports both the Wingers Prairie Island supports both the logo<00:47:25.960> and<00:47:26.119

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There's a contract we have with, um, IRO, Island Peer Review Organization, and I can get some of those
• There is a contract we have with, um, IRO, Island Peer Review Organization, and I can get some of those
• there's a contract we have uh with um I there's a contract we have uh with um I iro<00:48:25.040> Island
• peer<00:48:25.640> review<00:48:26.040> organization<00:48:26.800> and iro Island
• peer review organization and iro Island peer review organization and I<00:48:27.000> can<00:48

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The subcommittee met to review the Department for Medicaid Services’ program integrity work. Commissioner Lisa Lee and Program Integrity Director Jennifer Dudinsky outlined Kentucky Medicaid’s structure, funding, enrollment, and spending, including FMAP rates, the size of the Medicaid and KCHIP populations, the number of providers, and 2024 expenditures. They also described the managed care and fee-for-service populations, noting that managed care serves most members while fee-for-service is concentrated in long-term care and waiver populations. Most of the discussion focused on fraud, waste, abuse prevention, and provider oversight. The department described its provider enrollment and certification checks, revalidation requirements, site reviews, fingerprinting for some high-risk providers, and termination grounds such as false application information, Medicare actions, unreported ownership changes, and abandonment of a provider number. Members asked about nonprofit ownership reporting, MCO fraud oversight, and how the department tracks unusual CPT code utilization, especially in behavioral health. The department said it uses data analytics, audits, policy review, and collaboration with behavioral health staff to monitor those trends. Dudinsky explained the division’s four branches: provider licensing and certification, audits and compliance, recovery, and third-party liability/estate recovery. She described prepayment and postpayment audits, referrals of credible fraud allegations to the Attorney General, monthly meetings with the AG’s office, and coordination with the Office of Inspector General, CMS, HHS OIG, MCOs, and other partners. She also explained payment suspensions, stand-downs during law enforcement investigations, and recovery efforts for overpayments, provider/member fraud, and third-party liability. The department said its recovery and avoidance efforts produced more than $251 million in savings so far in 2025. No votes or formal actions beyond approving the minutes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is working because it means that we don’t have to transfer patients between islands.
• This is working because it means that we don’t have to transfer patients between islands.
• It's always been on the western sides of the islands, where we just have a lot of extra risk, including
• collar crime problem that we are having in our communities, especially on the west side and on Hawaiʻi Island
• The person that brought her to the island and sex trafficked her in Waikīkī, but she went to jail because

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I worked with the university and universities in the South Pacific. >> So everybody could understand.
• universities in with the university and universities in the<01:48:30.320> South<01:48:30.639> Pacific
• <01:48:31.199> and the South Pacific and the South Pacific and >> so<01:48:33.119>

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The working group on restrictive housing met with a quorum present, approved the August 21, 2025 minutes, and adopted a procedure to take public testimony on each agenda item with a two-minute limit per testifier, with some flexibility for follow-up questions. The main presentation came from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation on restrictive housing policies and a recent outside assessment of mental health care practices at HSCF and OOTC. DCR said the assessment found strengths such as consistent medication administration and staff commitment, but also identified major problems including outdated workflows, staffing shortages, inadequate physical plant conditions, overuse of suicide/safety watch for personal safety issues, and a need for more individualized treatment plans. DCR described several corrective steps already underway: filling a long-vacant high-level mental health administrator position, adjusting evening medication passes, working with DOH on transfer and referral workflows, planning a new electronic medical records system and revised screening tools, and pursuing additional training for ACOs and mental health staff. For OOTC, DCR said the facility is overcrowded and decrepit, needs a better screening tool, and requires more mental health-specific training and staffing. For HCF, DCR said the layout limits confidential assessments and provider access, and that the proposed consolidated healthcare unit would add 43 beds, private exam rooms, and a de-escalation room. DCR also said the new unit could serve acute and chronic suicide/safety watch needs and possibly some inmates with dementia, Alzheimer’s, or significant cognitive impairment. The discussion then focused on Act 292, which DCR said is difficult to implement as written. DCR said the bill aligns with DOJ, NCCHC, and ACA guidance in defining restrictive housing, limiting duration, requiring reviews, identifying vulnerable populations, and using step-down units, but raised two major concerns: a requirement to refer vulnerable people to DOH for confinement, and a requirement for clinical assessments every 12 hours by a provider. Members responded that the law should be matched with funding and staffing, and asked what resources are needed. DCR said it submitted a request for 35 positions at a cost of about $8.6 million, and also said funding may be needed for community-based beds and contracted medical services. Members also asked about the current MOA/MOU between DOH and DCR, the working group membership, and the timeline for revisions. DCR said the group includes DCR, DOH, and governor’s office medical advisors, that a first draft is complete, and that the revised agreement should be in place by the end of the year. On staffing, DCR said ACO recruitment classes increased from five to eight, vacancy rates dropped from 34% to 24%, but OOTC still faces a projected $7.1 million shortfall and heavy overtime costs, forcing post closures and program reductions. The meeting ended with continued discussion of screening tools, including DCR’s explanation that current broad questions may over-identify people with substance-use-related symptoms as having serious mental illness, and that a more discrete tool is needed to better identify those with acute needs.

Transcript Highlights:

• really terrible case in Yuma County where we had a school district that decided to go to Coronado Island
• I think the public should have had a right to know that they were going to Coronado Island, or the same
• The record should reflect that the Coronado Island and Bellagio trips are attributed to Legislative District
• Senator Donne can you repeat that for the record please the the record should reflect that the Coronado Island

Bills: HB2093, HB2370, HB2376, HB2380, HB2381, HB2383, HB2423, HB2481, HB2621, HB2895, HB4005, HB4043, HB4109

Keywords: mental health, school curriculum, education policy, instruction requirements, statute repeal, charter schools, education, weapons detection, public safety, school administration, school districts, real estate transactions, school property, bond issuance, land use approval, capital improvements, school governance, board meetings, education funding, parental notification

Transcript Highlights:

• I am a resident of Pine Island, Minnesota, and one of the organizers of the Stop the Pine Island Data
• But as we're seeing play out in Hermantown, Farmington, Monticello, North Mankato, Pine Island, and other
• And Representative Greenman, in my area is Cannon Falls and Pine Island, and I've met with groups of

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• He said that back in 1994 they were talking about nuclear and Prairie Island, storing casks of nuclear
• uh were talking about nuclear and um uh were talking about nuclear and um Prairie<00:42:38.800> Island
• > and<00:42:39.680> storing<00:42:40.079> casks<00:42:40.720> of Prairie Island
• and storing casks of Prairie Island and storing casks of nuclear<00:42:41.520> waste<00:42:41.760

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: Representative Craft presented House File 2986, as amended with the DE6, and asked that it be laid over for possible inclusion. He described the bill as an affordability measure centered on virtual power plants, explaining that aggregating distributed energy resources such as solar panels, batteries, EVs, smart thermostats, heat pumps, and water heaters can help utilities reduce peak demand and avoid costly generation and distribution investments. He said the bill would require utilities to reduce system peak through a virtual power plant program by 5% by the end of 2028 and 10% by the end of 2032, using an independent third-party RFP process, with plans incorporated into integrated resource planning and a savings clause if requirements prove infeasible. Testimony in support came from the Department of Commerce, Vote Solar, Solar United Neighbors, Kite Rocket, and Mincia. Supporters said virtual power plants can function like grid-scale resources, lower spot-market and peak costs, improve reliability and resilience, and make better use of existing distribution infrastructure. Commerce said the approach fits an all-of-the-above strategy and noted consumer protections in the bill, including standards for contracts, disclosures, dispatch frequency, notice, opt-out, and compensation. Several supporters cited estimates of significant savings, including a national DOE estimate of 10% to 20% of peak load by 2030 and a Minnesota-specific estimate from Solar United Neighbors of about $63.5 million in savings if 10% of peak demand were met with VPPs in 2030. Committee members raised questions about how much cheaper VPPs are than peaker plants and whether utilities, especially Xcel Energy, are already implementing similar programs. Representative Baker expressed concern that the bill could move faster than the technology or market would naturally develop and asked about the risk of forcing utilities into a mandate before the economics are fully proven. In response, a Solar United Neighbors witness pointed to a fact sheet and Brattle Group-based analysis comparing VPP costs and benefits in Xcel territory, while an Xcel representative said the company has been discussing the bill with Representative Craft for months. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion, and no final vote on the bill itself was taken in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, and this also typically happens mostly on the neighbor islands.
• c> neighbor typically happens mostly on the neighbor typically happens mostly on the neighbor islands
• . islands. islands.

Bills: SB2567, SB2448, SB3046, SB2231, SB2526

Keywords: harassment, restraining order, temporary restraining order, injunction, protective order, public employer, public servant, public employee, government employee, state employee, legislator, judge, judicial branch, executive branch, local government, political subdivision, workplace violence, threats, stalking, employee safety

Transcript Highlights:

• welcome and introduce my friend Pat Gagean and his students, uh, seventh and eighth grade students from Island
• an investment in sustainable growth, and it's an investment in protecting the very essence of our island
• an investment in sustainable growth, and it's an investment in protecting the very essence of our island
• an investment in sustainable growth, and it's an investment in protecting the very essence of our island

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is our first bill off the island, in the way of an omnibus bill from this committee, and again I
• <01:16:20.280> bill<01:16:20.560> off<01:16:20.800> the<01:16:20.920> island
• <01:16:21.600> um this is our first bill off the island um this is our first bill off the
• island um in<01:16:21.800> the<01:16:21.880> way<01:16:22.000> of<01:16:22.080><

Bills: HF2601, HF2607, HF2027, HF2608

Keywords: financial institutions, insurance regulation, insurance holding company, group capital calculation, liquidity stress test, NAIC, National Association of Insurance Commissioners, insurer solvency, affiliate transactions, groupwide supervision, internationally active insurance group, lead state commissioner, policyholder protection, hazardous financial condition, deposit or bond, contract for deed, conventional loan, cooperative apartment loan, mortgage interest rate cap, average prime offer rate