Transcript Highlights:

• But they don’t live in Travis County and they’re not working in Travis County.
• How do we maintain the level of safety, whether it’s a county or 10 counties away?
• County, and that’s several counties away from Hardin County.
• in Liberty County and pick up and take that load to Montgomery County?”
• and Jefferson County.

Bills: HB1455, HB1777, HB2101, HB2136, HB2609, HB3142, HB3552, HB3846, HB4155, HB4514, HB4879, HB4995, HB5014, HB5139, HB5228, HB5436, HCR40

Keywords: mental health, jail diversion, law enforcement, reporting requirements, criminal justice, data collection, criminal justice reform, intellectual disability, mental illness, data reporting, public safety, reporting, substance abuse, sex offender, driver's license, identification, gunshot detection, unreported gunshots, municipal police, crime investigation

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and heard several bills, generally leaving them pending after testimony. HB 4995 would create a training/certification program allowing licensed physicians and certain EMS personnel assigned to tactical units to carry firearms during high-risk deployments, with supporters saying it would protect tactical medical staff and improve emergency care; the committee substitute was withdrawn and the bill left pending. HB 2609 would repeal the OmniBase/failure-to-appear-or-pay license hold program; the author and supporters argued it unfairly compounds debt and traps drivers in noncompliance, while judges and municipal court representatives said it is an effective, voluntary tool that prompts court appearances and reduces warrants. HB 4879 would create a grant program to help local law enforcement pay for lab testing of suspected hemp/THC substances, and HB 5436 would allow licensed auto recyclers to purchase certain untitled vehicles for scrap or parts to curb illegal sales, VIN cloning, and chop shop activity; both bills drew supportive testimony and were left pending. The committee also heard HB 1777, which would place a discrete sex-offender designation on driver’s licenses and state IDs for registrants under Chapter 62. The author said the marker would help law enforcement and businesses quickly identify potentially dangerous offenders and cited other states and research in support, while opponents argued it would function as a scarlet letter, increase harassment, and punish people who are already complying with the law. HB 4155 would create a Family Violence Criminal Homicide Prevention Task Force in the Governor’s Office to study risk factors, coordinate agencies, and recommend policy changes; the author, HHSC, TCFV, and a survivor testified in support, emphasizing the number of family violence homicides and the need for coordinated, data-driven prevention, and the bill was left pending. Finally, HB 4514 would authorize DPS to use facial image verification, with consent and confidentiality protections, to help businesses verify identities and combat fraud. Supporters from the lumber and identity-verification industries said it would reduce losses from fake IDs and organized theft, while the author stressed privacy safeguards and limited, consent-based use. The committee substitute was withdrawn and the bill was left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've already been contacted by Flagler County, a portion of Pinellas County, St.
• Johns County, Brevard County, who want us to consider running a similar program for them with monies
• Cities, counties, states—if a city or county cannot perform...
• , Sarasota County.
• This is a 3-2 in Washington County.

Summary: The Committee on Community Affairs met with a quorum present and heard two hurricane-recovery presentations focused on Florida’s response and long-term recovery efforts. Kevin Guthrie, Executive Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, reviewed response and recovery operations for Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton, including meals, water, sheltering, search and rescue deployments, power restoration, debris removal, flood-control efforts, and generator distribution. He also described ongoing public assistance and mitigation funding, the state’s FROC system for standardizing and speeding reimbursement documentation, and the Elevate Florida residential mitigation program, which will use about $400 million to elevate or reconstruct eligible flood-insurance properties and may expand to county-run programs. Senators asked about manufactured homes, school shelter hardening, mobile home tie-downs, reimbursement for USAR teams, debris hauling, regional sheltering, and FEMA review delays; Guthrie said the state is trying to move recovery faster and more proactively, while acknowledging some limits and federal bottlenecks. The committee then heard from Justin Domer, Deputy Secretary of Community Development at Florida Commerce, on HUD Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery programs. He explained that Commerce administers long-term recovery funds through its Office of Long-Term Resiliency for housing, infrastructure, and economic development, with funds used as a last resort after FEMA and insurance. Domer outlined the process for the most recent $925 million allocation covering multiple disasters, including Idalia, Debby, Helene, Milton, Broward flooding, and North Florida tornadoes, and said the state currently manages about $3.4 billion in DR funds, rising to over $4 billion with the new allocation. He highlighted completed and ongoing housing programs for Hurricane Irma, Michael, and Ian, plus workforce recovery programs and subrecipient infrastructure grants. Senators asked about Broward and Fort Lauderdale funding, homeowner turnaround times, and mobile home eligibility; Domer said Broward and Fort Lauderdale will have separate HUD-directed programs, and the committee adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Steve Smith, county administrator for Sutter County.
• Members of our own Marin County staff and many people working in Marin County live in Solano County and
• I'm from Fresno County. I'm Julie from Sutter County, and I support this bill.
• Lisa Bailey from Stanislaus County, and I support the bill. Grant Martin, Stanislaus County.
• Grant Martin, Stanislaus County. I support the bill. Stephanie Lutz from Stanislaus County.

Summary: The committee heard a long agenda of water, parks, transportation, species protection, and fisheries bills. AB 430 would require the State Water Resources Control Board to publish an economic and environmental impact study when emergency water regulations are extended over multiple years; the author and supporters from agricultural and water groups said it would add transparency without limiting emergency authority. AB 1139 would expand a CEQA exemption to let county park agencies open existing roads and trails for non-motorized recreation, with supporters emphasizing access to nature and opponents warning about impacts to sensitive habitat, tribal resources, and fire risk. AB 929 would temporarily exempt small community water systems and managed wetlands from certain SGMA pumping reductions and fines; supporters said it would protect vulnerable communities and wetlands, while farm and water coalition opponents argued it would undermine basin-wide groundwater management and shift burdens to other users. AB 1225, creating an Accessibility Advisory Committee for State Parks, drew broad support and passed unanimously. The committee also heard AB 514, which would encourage local water suppliers to develop emergency water supplies for drought and service interruptions; it passed with broad support, though one member cautioned against using scientific research as a loophole. AB 550 would let developers seek incidental take permits for species under consideration for listing, aimed at reducing delays for clean energy projects; environmental groups supported the goal but asked for clearer standards, limits on using research as mitigation, and a fee provision, and the bill passed as amended. AB 697 would authorize an incidental take permit for the State Route 37 interim project in Solano and Marin counties, balancing congestion relief and habitat restoration; supporters stressed long commutes and urgent restoration deadlines, while opponents raised climate, sea-level-rise, and tribal concerns. The bill passed, with some members noting they would continue to work on the measure. Other measures discussed included AB 975, which would give Sutter County a narrow, temporary exemption from streambed alteration agreements for certain damaged small bridges and culverts; county officials described repeated flood damage and long permitting delays, and the bill passed as amended. AB 1056 would phase out transferability of set gillnet permits after 2027, allowing only a final family transfer; supporters framed it as a gradual response to bycatch concerns, while fishing industry opponents said it would unfairly target an existing fishery and set a bad precedent. The committee also took up AB 1146, described by the author as a response to politically motivated water releases; supporters from conservation and water organizations backed the bill. Several bills were voted out to Appropriations, some were left open for later action or add-ons, and the committee repeatedly noted it was working through the agenda without a quorum early in the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• counties?
• County versus other counties? County versus other counties? Follow<03:59:46.160> up.
• with Coös County.
• counties.
• Um, Dover pays about 28% of the county cost in Strafford County.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee discussed House Bill 185, which would amend RSA 3109 to add timelines for OPLC’s complaint review and investigation process. Members reviewed the existing five-year limitation period for misconduct complaints and noted that the bill would add a 30-day deadline for the office to make a recommendation to the board and a 90-day deadline to complete investigations. Some members raised concerns that the new deadlines could conflict with the existing statute of limitations, create pressure to dismiss cases too quickly, and potentially undermine the separation between OPLC’s investigative role and the boards’ adjudicatory role established by House Bill 655. Nicholas Fry, OPLC general counsel, testified that the agency’s fiscal note originally assumed it would need roughly double its staff to meet the proposed deadlines, though a later amendment reduced that estimate somewhat. He said OPLC would still need additional personnel, including investigatory paralegals and a physician investigator for the Board of Medicine, to meet the timeframes. He also explained OPLC’s current complaint and hearing procedures, including new consumer-friendly correspondence, website guidance, and efforts by the enforcement division to improve transparency and communication with complainants and licensees. Bob Quinn of the New Hampshire Association of Realtors testified in support of the bill’s basic goal of speeding up intake and investigation, saying the 30-day intake/review period was reasonable and that the bill would not change OPLC’s role in that first step. He argued, however, that the investigation step is where delays occur, especially for lower-priority complaints, and that some cases have remained unresolved for years. Committee members also questioned how the added staffing costs would be paid, with discussion of whether they would come from license fees or the general fund. No vote or final action was taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• might be adding costs to county budgets? might be adding costs to county budgets?
• secretary of state directed 87 counties. secretary of state directed 87 counties.
• red counties, two blue counties.
• <00:21:18.799> I<00:21:19.200> was counties, two blue counties.
• I was counties, two blue counties.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: Representative Nolan West and Representative Pam Oldenorf introduced and defended a bill aimed at tightening Minnesota SNAP eligibility rules. They said the measure would move the net income test to the front of the application process, add asset testing similar to other state programs, and exclude vehicles over $100,000. They argued these changes would reduce overpayments, improve “good governance,” and help the state avoid future financial penalties tied to SNAP error rates. Oldenorf said Minnesota’s SNAP error rate has risen from about 4% in 2013 to about 9% now, and warned that if it stays above 6% the state could owe about $86 million in 2027. She cited a GAO report saying broad-based categorical eligibility is a major driver of payment errors, and pointed to examples she described as fraud or improper enrollment, including a millionaire receiving benefits and a recent Minneapolis SNAP fraud conviction. West and Oldenorf said the bill would not significantly increase county workloads, because counties already do similar eligibility and asset checks in other programs. In response to questions, the sponsors said they had not yet formally consulted many stakeholders because the bill had just been drafted, but they expected bipartisan support and said they had reached out to counties for input. They also said counties would retain some administrative costs, but the bill should not add major new burdens. The discussion then shifted to a separate topic when West raised concerns about access to Hennepin County voter rolls and alleged irregularities in voter data; he said he had obtained some county records and believed the Secretary of State was improperly limiting access, though no bill action or vote was taken on that issue in this transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• County and Alameda County can implement the law that was passed last year.
• County and Alameda County can implement the law that was passed last year.
• County and Alameda County to implement a pilot program allowing them to dispose of recreational vehicles
• through Los Angeles County and into San Diego County reached out to a task force officer that she had
• In Sacramento County, the third largest county in Northern California, we have 185 prosecutors.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so the county, we may have funded an inpatient mental health facility because the county actually
• County Behavioral Health Directors for California's 58 counties.
• County funds will support the non-federal share of components that counties may opt to provide, and that
• Counties have reported to us that 35 counties plan to implement at least one of the new optional benefits
• for all County Behavioral Health Directors across 58 counties.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• County area in particular, the L.A.
• And for the LA County area in particular, the LA County contract has facilities in the Los Angeles County
• For example, we're looking at the level of the county and ultimately at the level of the plan-county
• We're looking at the level of the county and ultimately at the level of the plan-county combination in
• For county administration, the May Revision proposes a one-time county administration augmentation of

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:03:55.720> to here or they're at the counties to here or they're at the counties to get
• We have young counties' workforces.
• impact counties' budgets, too, right? impact counties' budgets, too, right?
• constituents and counties constituents and counties um<00:14:26.040> county<00:14:26.320>
• counties start seeing the impact? counties start seeing the impact?

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The discussion focused on the need to modernize Minnesota’s human services software systems, especially MAXIS and related county-administered eligibility tools used for programs like SNAP and Medical Assistance. The senator described seeing a Ramsey County demonstration of the MAXIS system, saying the process was tedious, repetitive, and based on outdated green-screen technology that is difficult for workers to learn and use. The outdated systems were said to create long wait times for residents seeking basic needs assistance and to make it harder for counties to keep up with application volume. The senator said the old, siloed systems also create program integrity problems because they do not communicate well with one another, making it harder to detect fraud and more likely that errors will go unnoticed. Counties reportedly need to hire more staff just to process basic applications, and those added costs can ultimately affect county budgets and property taxpayers. The senator also said modernization is important to maintain federal funding and avoid penalties tied to error rates and compliance requirements in programs such as SNAP and Medicaid. Senate File 4719 was presented as a short-term bill to create a Human Services System Steering Committee made up of county representatives, state agencies, DHS, DCYF, and MNIT to develop recommendations and prioritize improvements collaboratively. The senator said the committee could begin meeting within a couple of months after enactment, with the goal of getting work started quickly this biennium. A longer-term proposal, Senate File 5020, would establish an IT funding account and require MNIT to develop a modernization plan for larger system investments. No vote or formal committee action was taken in the exchange.

Transcript Highlights:

• Take Riverside County, for example.
• Absent additional funding, in a recent survey of all 58 counties, 100% of counties anticipated Funding
• In speaking with my county, Riverside County, as you mentioned, is one of the examples.
• Currently in Riverside County, and I can only speak to the county that I represent, we're facing the
• We call counties on wait and guess, and counties are already stretched thin.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You had mentioned the situation in Jack County, one of my counties, and the county where I... Mr.
• Chairman, you had mentioned the situation in Jack County, one of my counties, and the county where I
• Chairman, you had mentioned the situation in Jack County, one of my counties, and the county where I
• I'm a county commissioner from Tom Green County.
• It is in Hill County. And there is a data center that Hill County.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• in 58 counties.
• They only serve one county.
• The majority of counties just do their own, but a couple of counties, notably San Joaquin County, have
• You can't imagine an urban county looking like a rural county.
• You can't imagine an urban county looking like a rural county.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We sent one to Tom Green County and one to Kerr County.
• Kerr County.
• Was Kerr County, did you have S.O. access in Kerr County?
• Well, not in Kerr County, but in Comal County.
• with Harris County.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• law. um and making sure that counties law. um and making sure that counties are<00:44:50.400>
• of Minnesota Counties.
• <00:54:44.319> Counties<00:54:45.280> oppose counties to fill needs.
• Counties oppose counties to fill needs.
• In both situations, the county case manager specifically for the county that would be responsible for

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I represent the Minnesota Inner County<00:01:38.159> Association. County Association.
• County Association.
• Louis County. So these are 60% in St. Louis County. So these are massive<00:04:57.600> scales.
• Ramsey County tax.
• reports from my counties all the time. reports from my counties all the time.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But I've heard from different county officials, including people in my county, in Kanawha County, again
• But I've heard from different county officials, including people in my county, in Kanawha County, again
• community in Boone County, for our community in Lincoln County.
• Boone County, for our community in Lincoln County.
• “Their budgets were full of money from Logan County and McDowell County, Mingo County, Wyoming County

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The Senate considered and passed a series of House bills on third reading, with several title amendments and a few effective-date motions adopted. Early in the session, members passed HB 4452 removing acreage limits on land owned by church or religious trustees, HB 4577 creating reciprocal driver’s license recognition agreements with Ireland and Japan, HB 4588 authorizing West Virginia participation in a federal tax credit scholarship program, and HB 4592 requiring higher education institutions to create coordinated campus safety maps. HB 4602 was amended to align with a prior Senate child welfare pilot program, and members discussed its projected cost and implementation timeline before passing it. HB 4603 created a pre-adjudicatory alternative disposition process in abuse and neglect cases, and HB 4606 narrowed bail rules by requiring consideration of residency and community ties while prohibiting personal recognizance bonds for violent felony offenses after an adopted amendment. The Senate also passed HB 4710 changing the party-registration deadline for candidates from 60 to 180 days before an election, with debate over its impact on independents, and made it effective January 1, 2027. HB 4712, known as Bailey’s Law, increased penalties for DUI causing death and related conduct, with emotional testimony from members about the victim and similar tragedies. HB 4765 established a pay raise for teachers, school personnel, and state police and added a market-pay enhancement system based on county cost-of-living differences; an amendment to the amendment capped county differentials and guaranteed at least a 1% increase in every county. HB 4865 created an optional program for high school and homeschool students to serve as election official trainees, and HB 4869 established narrow guaranteed-issue rights for Medicare supplement policies. Later bills included HB 4995, which strengthened video/audio recording rules in special education classrooms and was passed, then reconsidered and passed again; HB 4996 creating a new crime for making threats of violence against schools or children; HB 5048 guaranteeing virtual instruction for foster children in temporary placement; HB 5065 adding recordkeeping and geolocation requirements for hotel marketplace facilitators to ensure proper hotel tax remittance; and HB 5074 reallocating medical cannabis fund revenues to child protection, homeless services, research, law enforcement, and other purposes. The Senate also passed HB 5101, the Joanna Phillips Domestic Violence Prevention Act, which increased penalties for domestic violence offenses and adjusted bail provisions, after amending it to conform with the earlier bail bill. Additional measures passed included HB 5166 requiring notice before political committees are fined for filing violations and allowing limited extensions, HB 5168 directing $12 million in lottery funds to EMS first responders and county EMS support, HB 5182 authorizing certain state treasurer security personnel to carry concealed firearms, HB 5212 streamlining higher-education financial aid rules, HB 5214 allowing court-ordered drug testing of parents before reunification in abuse and neglect cases, HB 5353 regulating virtual currency kiosks with licensing, disclosures, and transaction limits, and HB 5366 exempting J-LAP records from FOIA to protect confidentiality for lawyers and judges seeking assistance. Most bills passed with strong bipartisan support, though HB 5074 and HB 5353 drew some dissenting votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• . county. county.
• Bullet County, Barber County, district. Bullet County, Barber County, district.
• Bullet County, Barber County, and Russell County. They don't they they and Russell County.
• The county where county got to pay from? The county where county got to pay from?
• I can find out county by county. Wow. I can find out county by county. Wow.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Lake County, I'd like to turn it over to Senator Hayes in Lake County to talk about his experiences.
• Of all the counties that have more than 200,000 voters, Lake County was number one in the state for turnout
• All of that is done well before the election and an approved plan on a county-by-county basis that's
• They have some county-wide officers, but from a county-wide perspective, as a county commissioner, you
• They have some county-wide officers, but from a county-wide perspective, as a county commissioner, you

Summary: The committee heard a presentation from several county supervisors of elections and the Florida Supervisors of Elections Association on the 2024 election cycle and priorities for the 2025 session. They described very high turnout in the presidential election, major operational planning needs, and the heavy reliance on seasonal workers, list maintenance, ballot-on-demand systems, and secure chain-of-custody procedures. They also discussed the impact of recent legislative changes on voter-roll maintenance, including inactive voter removal, and said Florida’s election administration has improved to what they called a “platinum standard.” The supervisors outlined several legislative requests: allowing more than one non-government “wild card” early voting site to improve access and emergency flexibility; requiring newly naturalized citizens to update driver’s license information so voter records match DHSMV data; exempting home addresses of certain election workers and ballot transporters from public records to improve safety and recruitment; restoring a checkbox on vote-by-mail return envelopes so voters can stay on the vote-by-mail list for the next cycle; aligning base salaries for supervisors, property appraisers, and clerks with other constitutional officers; and reducing ballot length by removing precinct committee races from the ballot. They also said they expect a committee bill to carry some of these proposals. Members questioned the panel about ballot transport security, signature verification, vote-by-mail expiration, public records transparency, and the petition process for constitutional amendments. The supervisors said ballots are transported under detailed county plans with tamper-evident seals, chain-of-custody logs, trained workers, and in some cases two-person transport teams. On petitions, they said the process is labor-intensive and expensive, that fraud has occurred in some cases, and that they favor reforms such as requiring more personal identifying information and having initiative sponsors mail petitions to voters rather than making supervisors handle the mailing. They also said signature mismatches can be cured within 72 hours after Election Day and that voters are notified when possible. After the supervisors’ presentation, the committee also heard brief public testimony from Kathleen Griffiths, who urged adoption of commercial-style risk management standards in election systems and referenced several election-related bills her group supports.

Transcript Highlights:

• County, and that's several counties away from Hardin County.
• in Liberty County and pick up and take that load to Montgomery County?
• In Liberty County and pick up and take that load to Montgomery County and then Montgomery County and
• county to county and all that.
• and Jefferson County.

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several public safety, criminal justice, and regulatory bills. HB 4995 would create a training and certification program allowing licensed physicians and certain EMS personnel assigned to tactical units to carry firearms during high-risk deployments, with supporters saying it would let tactical medical staff protect themselves while providing immediate care; the bill was left pending. HB 2609 would repeal the failure-to-appear-or-pay/OmniBase license-hold program, with the author and advocates arguing it creates compounding debt and unnecessary barriers to driving, while judges and municipal court representatives said the program is a voluntary, cost-effective tool that improves court appearances and reduces warrants; the bill was also left pending. HB 4879 would create a grant program to help local law enforcement pay for lab testing of suspected hemp/Delta-9 THC substances, and HB 5436 would let licensed auto recyclers buy certain untitled vehicles for scrap or parts to curb illegal sales, VIN cloning, and chop shops; both measures were left pending after brief testimony in support. The committee also heard HB 1777, which would require a discrete designation on driver’s licenses and state IDs for people required to register as sex offenders. The author and supporters argued the marker would help law enforcement and businesses quickly identify potentially dangerous offenders and prevent harm, while opponents called it a stigmatizing “scarlet letter” that would increase harassment, family harm, and reintegration barriers. The bill was left pending. HB 4155 would create a two-year Family Violence Criminal Homicide Prevention Task Force in the Governor’s Office to study family violence homicides, gather stakeholders, and recommend policy changes; the author, HHSC, the Texas Council on Family Violence, and a survivor testified in support, and the bill was left pending. The committee also heard HB 4514, which would authorize DPS to use facial image verification, with consent and privacy safeguards, to help businesses confirm identities and combat fraud; supporters from the lumber and identity-verification industries said it would reduce theft and fraud, and the bill was left pending. Finally, HB 5139 would clarify that peace officers and jailers are justified in using less lethal force weapons when acting within training and official duties; law enforcement groups supported the measure as a way to encourage use of less lethal tools without fear of prosecution, and testimony was underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• So this benefits very large counties such as the county of Hawaii, and then we also look at those that
• such as the benefits very large counties such as the county<00:04:17.560> of county of county
• County of Maui receives 11.7%. The County of Hawaii received 17.88%, for a total of 100%.
• So, same with the counties.
• > funds our counties for providing County funds our counties for providing County funds too<01

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Committee on Health and Human Services held an informational briefing on Kupuna Care funding, distribution, utilization, and the status of program rules. The Office of Aging explained that state Kupuna Care funds are distributed using the same federally approved interstate funding formula used for Older Americans Act funds, with eight weighted factors tailored to Hawaii’s conditions: older adults, greatest economic need, low-income minority status, disability, language barriers, geographic isolation, inverse population density, and older adults living alone in poverty. The department said the formula is based on census and American Community Survey data, with current county shares listed as Kauai 7.45%, Honolulu 69.61%, Maui 11.7%, and Hawaii County 17.88%. Officials said the formula is being reviewed with current data and will need federal approval and then public hearing before final adoption. Members questioned how the program works in practice, noting that the statute and eligibility language can sound like direct individual benefits even though services are delivered through area agencies on aging, ADRCs, and contracted providers such as meal and adult day care programs. The Office of Aging said ADRCs determine eligibility and then refer clients to authorized providers, who must meet service standards in their contracts. The chair pressed repeatedly for long-delayed rules, saying the Legislature had expected them years earlier and that clear rules are needed to ensure funds are spent properly and to avoid conflicts of interest. The department acknowledged the delay, said draft rules were written in 2023 after earlier commitments to finish sooner, and said it paused while federal Older Americans Act rules were being updated; it now expects to send the rules to the Deputy Attorney General, then out for public hearing, with a goal of completion in 2025. The department also reported utilization data for the last two fiscal years. In 2023, it expended about 93% of its allocation and served 5,473 older adults at an average annual cost of $1,358; in 2024, it expended about 97% and served 5,520 older adults, with the average cost down by about $200, which officials said may indicate fewer services per person. Eligibility was described as age 60 or older, U.S. citizen or qualified alien, with cognitive impairment or disability and functional deficits, and the statewide profile showed many participants were homebound, living alone, or below poverty. The most-used services were transportation, case management, and home-delivered meals. The chair also asked about the former Kupuna caregiver program; officials said the programs are now combined under Kupuna Care, with most funding going to adult day care to provide respite for working caregivers. County representatives then described local conditions, especially on Hawaii Island. Hawaii County officials said the county covers about 5,000 square miles, has about 208,000 residents, and roughly 24% are age 65 or older. They identified three main challenges: staffing shortages and retention problems among providers, shortages within the county department itself, and the loss of adult day care capacity, with only one center remaining on the island and none on the west side. They said these constraints limit service delivery even as demand grows. At the same time, they highlighted successes such as serving people in the community before they need higher levels of care, providing caregiver counseling and training through adult day care, serving 467 individuals locally, and ensuring the Resource Center answers calls from caregivers seeking help.