Transcript Highlights:

• synopsis of the budget.
• transparency in developing the budget transparency in developing the budget there<01:41:17.719><
• <01:42:04.960> and policy and our emergency budget and policy and our emergency budget and
• schedules uh federal federal budget schedules uh federal federal budget uncertainty<01:42:20.719
• facilities uh as you know in our budget facilities uh as you know in our budget we<04:39:21.160>

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Finance held its first informational briefing for 2025, beginning with member introductions and then hearing an economic outlook presentation from Dr. Eugene Tian of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. Dr. Tian said Hawaii’s economy was in relatively good shape in several areas, especially construction, which he described as at a historical high, with construction employment above 40,000 monthly and building permit values and contracting tax base both up sharply. He also noted real estate sales had rebounded in 2024, the labor market had stabilized with unemployment around 2.9%, and initial unemployment claims were below 2019 levels. At the same time, he highlighted challenges including inflation running above the national rate, a shrinking labor force, lower employment compared with 2023, and continued weakness in visitor spending and arrivals. He said future growth would likely come from health care, professional services, construction, tourism recovery, and diversified sectors such as renewable energy, aquaculture, creative industries, and technology. Dr. Tian also discussed Hawaii’s economic structure and recovery, saying the state remains more concentrated in a few industries than the U.S. overall, with government and hospitality making up larger shares of the economy. He said non-tourism sectors had recovered, but tourism-related jobs and output were still below pre-pandemic levels, with Maui and the visitor industry still affected by the wildfire and COVID-19 impacts. He projected tourism and non-agricultural wage and salary jobs would not fully recover until 2027, and said population trends remain a concern because of aging, the likelihood of deaths outpacing births in coming years, and reliance on in-migration. After his presentation, the chair said questions would be taken later and the committee took a short break. After the break, Dr. Carano of the Hawaii Executive Director’s office presented a second outlook, saying Hawaii’s economy in 2025 looked better than 2024 overall, though he emphasized substantial uncertainty tied to the incoming federal administration. He said possible changes to tariffs, tax policy, immigration, and federal spending could raise inflation and keep interest rates higher than previously expected, which would affect housing, consumer debt, the dollar, and Hawaii’s visitor industry. He noted that U.S. visitors account for roughly three-quarters of visitor spending in the state, making federal policy especially important. He also said deregulation could be a long-term positive but would not likely have much effect in 2025 or 2026. As an additional risk, he pointed to bird flu and its effect on livestock, poultry, and egg prices. No votes or formal actions were taken during the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• State's bienial budget State's bienial budget requests.<00:15:29.600> On<00:15:30.040>
• have to absorb within its budget. have to absorb within its budget.
• operations and maintenance in his budget operations and maintenance in his budget recommendations
• ,<01:11:16.800> and constraints on the state budget, and constraints on the state budget,
• ,<01:38:06.080> I comes to cuts or altering budgets, I comes to cuts or altering budgets,

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So those are already entered into agreements with funds allocated to the district or area where those
• So those are already entered into agreements with funds allocated to the district or area where those
• So those are already entered into agreements with funds allocated to the district or area where those
• But we are asking for funding in this supplement to budget for three schools, right?
• But that's not even enough. budget for three schools. Right. So budget for three schools. Right.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint House committees on Housing and Education heard HB 1713, HD1, which would repeal school impact fees and transfer remaining balances in the school impact fee and certain fair share accounts to the school facilities special fund. The Department of Education testified in opposition, while the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, the Attorney General’s office (with comments and suggested constitutional amendments), the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, the School Facilities Authority, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, NAP Hawaii, Avalon Development Company, Mark Development, Maui Chamber of Commerce, Housing Hawaii’s Future, Landis Research Foundation, BIA Hawaii, and others testified in support. The Tax Foundation of Hawaii offered comments. The DOE said the bill would weaken a key tool for matching school facilities to residential growth, while supporters said the current program leaves funds unused or restricted in ways that limit their effectiveness. A lengthy discussion followed about the difference between the older school impact fee program and the separate fair share agreements tied to land use entitlements and change-of-zone approvals. DOE Deputy Superintendent Jesse Suki explained that fair share funds are tied to the district where they were collected, may be too small to build a full school on their own, and are held until needed for projects such as Core Ridge, Central and West Maui, and other planned schools. Committee members pressed DOE on why funds had remained unspent for years, how much money was in the accounts, and whether the department had reviewed audit findings about the program. Members also questioned whether homeowners ultimately bear these costs through developers passing them along. The committee did not take a vote during the portion of the meeting provided. The discussion ended with members and DOE debating whether the current statute should remain in place, whether past entitlements should be affected, and whether the bill should be amended to better address remaining construction-related obligations and the use of collected funds.

Transcript Highlights:

• I have seen the boots-on-the-ground kind of organization that we have on a shoestring budget.
• I have seen the boots-on-the-ground kind of organization that we have on a shoestring budget.
• I have seen the boots-on-the-ground kind of organization that we have on a shoestring budget.
• I have seen the boots-on-the-ground kind of organization that we have on a shoestring budget.
• I have seen the boots-on-the-ground kind of organization that we have on a shoestring budget.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:39:11.119> Okay, >> budgets on. Okay, >> budgets on.
• the budgeting process. the budgeting process.
• to the budgeting it's beneficial to the budgeting process.<01:05:43.760> Right.
• highlights uh quickly on on the budget. highlights uh quickly on on the budget.
• This budget also the 2028 budget cycle.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• By contrast, the budget we passed last week was $114.5 billion, which is less than the total budget for
• So we've cut billions of dollars out of our budget.
• dust, budget dust, to offset the impact.
• Were budget dust, budget dust, to offset the impact.
• It's budget dust. We can handle it. ...said it today. It's budget dust. We can handle it.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:30:25.120> DECA<00:30:25.520> to allocation of resources allows DECA to allocation
• managing the budget for these projects? managing the budget for these projects?
• project then we establish the budget is project then we establish the budget is we<00:40:54.800> start
• time and budget, how do you manage that? time and budget, how do you manage that?
• <00:48:20.560> process wonders why that the budgeting process wonders why that the budgeting

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Budget Review Subcommittee on Economic Development, Tourism, and Energy and Environmental Protection met at 9:00 a.m., approved the June 3 minutes, and heard a presentation from the Department of Parks and the Finance Cabinet on Kentucky State Parks capital projects. Commissioner Mark Keelin and Scott Baker described the scope of the state parks system, the ongoing coordination with DECA/Finance Cabinet, and the status of projects funded through House Joint Resolution 76, House Bill 553, House Joint Resolution 56, and House Bill 6. They said 36 of 44 state parks have received renovations or upgrades, with 66 projects completed and 17 under construction, and outlined work on campgrounds, utilities, wastewater systems, broadband, building systems, safety upgrades, ADA improvements, pools, golf courses, marinas, and lodge accommodations. The presenters highlighted several completed or active projects, including campground upgrades at Carter Caves, Ken Lake, and My Old Kentucky Home; utility and grid-resilience work at parks such as Kentucky Dam Village and Kincaid Lake; wastewater projects at parks including E.P. Tom Sawyer, Carter Caves, Dale Hollow, and Blue Licks Battlefield; and building and hospitality renovations at parks such as Lake Barkley, Baron River, and Cumberland Falls. They also noted completed playground upgrades, lock system replacements, beach refurbishment, and golf course improvements, and said the parks system is managing additional internal projects beyond those discussed. The department emphasized that parks often serve as sheltering locations during disasters and that infrastructure replacement is a high priority. Scott Baker then explained DECA’s role in managing the Commonwealth’s capital construction program, saying it oversees about 1,300 active projects across 28 cabinets and agencies, including 149 parks projects. He described DECA’s team-based approach, with dedicated project managers and field staff assigned to parks, and said monthly status meetings and more frequent check-ins are used to keep projects moving. In response to committee questions, Keelin and Baker said projects are assigned to DECA based mainly on the need for architectural or engineering services, while smaller or less complex work can be handled in-house by parks staff or the P11 construction crew. No votes were taken beyond approving the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our fiscal year 27 budget, the executive budget request, keeps that momentum going by strengthening capacity
• It is a 5% increase over the current operating budget.
• I did not... mean to say you cut our 26 budget, so I apologize.
• In home the budget, Mr. Chair.
• Fund in our budget right now: $301 million.

Bills: SB2

Transcript Highlights:

• So the formula was designed to equalize educational opportunity, allocating the same amount of funding
• Which is then allocated to each school district and charter school based on the number of program units
• Essentially, this document runs you through a numeric version of the budget that's being considered.
• This is your state budget.
• We're going to have John back to present the LESC budget.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so it makes me wonder whether it's a good use of Isleton's almost bankrupt budget to be doing this
• We're working hard to secure additional funding in the state budget to fund the ACHAP program to make
• There's zero money in this year's budget from the governor for affordable housing at all.
• And they literally allocated a cul-de-sac city that was right adjacent to the freeway, in which they
• allocated... ...a portion of that city, or that cul-de-sac.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard SB 866, which would require jurisdictions that do not receive HAP homelessness grants to include homelessness data, strategies, and regional coordination in their housing elements. The author and supporters said the bill would close a gap in planning by requiring more jurisdictions to collect and report data and outline homelessness reduction efforts. Opposition from the League of California Cities and several cities argued the bill would impose duplicative reporting, require data cities cannot control, and burden small jurisdictions without added resources; members discussed possible amendments, including thresholds for very small cities. No final vote was taken on SB 866 during the excerpt. The committee then heard SB 967, which would allow qualifying interim housing units to count toward a jurisdiction’s RHNA obligations for acutely low-income housing, with safeguards against double counting. Supporters said interim housing is a faster, cheaper way to get people indoors and should be incentivized because many Californians remain unsheltered; opponents argued the bill would blur the line between temporary shelter and permanent housing and could reduce pressure to build deeply affordable permanent units. Members debated the policy tradeoff, with some supporting the bill as a practical response to street homelessness and others objecting to counting temporary units toward housing targets. The committee ultimately voted to pass SB 967 to the Senate Appropriations Committee, with the bill kept on call for absent members. The committee also considered SCR 131, a resolution urging a coordinated state effort to end unsheltered homelessness and prioritize a broader set of interventions, including interim housing, permanent supportive housing, and prevention. Supporters framed the resolution as a call to action in response to the scale and human cost of unsheltered homelessness, while one member abstained over concerns that the language could be read as endorsing funding without clear metrics or accountability. The resolution was moved and kept on call. Finally, the committee heard SB 1238 on homeowners association management, which would increase disclosures, transparency, and accountability for HOA managers and boards, including proposed changes to reserve use and inspection reporting. Supporters said the bill would protect homeowners and improve financial clarity, while opposition from community managers objected to a proposed fiduciary duty to individual homeowners and raised concerns about litigation and insurance costs; members discussed those issues and indicated the bill would continue to be worked on in Judiciary.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so it makes me wonder whether it's a good use of Isleton's almost bankrupt budget to be doing this
• impacts cities of all sizes, not just large cities who get over 300,000 or more and get direct allocation
• There’s zero money in this year’s budget from the Governor for affordable housing at all.
• And they literally allocated a cul-de-sac city that was right adjacent to the freeway, in which they
• allocated... ...a portion of that city, or that cul-de-sac.

Summary: The committee heard SB 866, which would require jurisdictions that do not receive HAP grants to include homelessness data, strategies, and regional coordination in their housing elements. The author and supporters said the bill would close a gap in planning and create more consistent, data-driven local responses to homelessness. Opponents, including the League of California Cities and several cities, argued the bill would impose costly and duplicative reporting requirements on small jurisdictions, require data cities cannot control, and should instead be aligned with existing regional planning processes. Members raised concerns about burden on small cities, but also emphasized the need for statewide, standardized homelessness planning. The committee then heard SB 967, which would allow jurisdictions to count qualifying interim housing toward a portion of their acutely low-income RHNA obligations, with safeguards against double counting and reporting requirements for moved units. Supporters said interim housing is a faster, less expensive way to get people indoors and should be incentivized as a bridge from encampments to permanent housing. Opponents, including housing law experts and advocacy groups, argued the bill would blur the line between temporary shelter and permanent housing, weaken obligations to build deeply affordable housing, and create a two-tier system for the lowest-income Californians. After discussion, the committee passed SB 967 on a due pass motion to Appropriations, with several members voting aye and the bill held on call for absent members. The committee also considered SCR 131, a resolution calling for a coordinated state effort to end unsheltered homelessness and prioritize a broader set of interventions, including interim housing, prevention, and permanent supportive housing. Supporters described unsheltered homelessness as a moral and public health crisis and urged stronger state alignment and funding. One member explained an abstention based on concerns that the resolution’s language could be read as endorsing more funding without clear metrics or evidence of effectiveness. The author said amendments had already narrowed the language and was open to further changes. The resolution was adopted on a motion, with the roll held open for absent members. Finally, the committee heard SB 1238, which would strengthen oversight and transparency for homeowners associations and HOA management companies, including disclosures, reserve-fund protections, and a fiduciary-duty provision. The author and supporters said the bill would protect homeowners from mismanagement and improve financial clarity in common interest developments. Opponents from community manager and HOA groups said managers are administrative agents, not decision-makers, and objected especially to imposing a fiduciary duty to individual homeowners. Members generally supported the bill but flagged the fiduciary-duty issue and reserve-fund language as areas for further review, noting that some amendments had been agreed to and others would be addressed later in the process.

Transcript Highlights:

• indeed allocated by the legislature.
• Our budget.
• But the budget request currently is $189.95 million.
• Lastly, our project budget. Lastly, our project budget.
• And when added into our budget, the federal government funds 72% of the child support budget.

Summary: The subcommittee heard updates on several major technology modernization efforts, beginning with the Department of Financial Services’ Florida PALM project, which is replacing the state’s decades-old FLAIR accounting system. DFS described PALM as a statewide effort affecting all three branches of government, with cash management already live and the remaining financial management, payroll, and data warehouse components still in development. Officials said the project began in 2014, was restructured after a 2022 legislative pause, and is now being recommended for a go-live delay from January 2026 to July 2026. Members asked about governance, staffing, contract structure, cost growth, and maintenance costs; DFS said the contract is deliverable-based, the current amendment would add a net $2.2 million, and post-go-live maintenance is expected to be about $13 million annually under the current contract through July 2027. The Agency for Health Care Administration then updated the committee on the FX Medicaid enterprise modernization program. AHCA explained that federal CMS directed states to move from monolithic Medicaid systems to a modular approach, leading Florida to procure separate vendors for integration services, data warehouse, unified operations, provider services, and claims processing, with pharmacy benefits still to be procured. Officials said the project has spent about $334 million to date, with most costs federally matched, and requested $189.95 million for the upcoming year. They also highlighted a 2024 special assessment that produced 81 recommendations, most tied to staffing shortages, and said the Legislature added 47 FTEs, with 17 currently filled or being filled. Members asked about governance changes, production status, data access, and future technology maintenance; AHCA said some components are operational, the data warehouse is nearing certification, and the agency is working to keep the system adaptable and nonproprietary. The Department of Children and Families presented its Access modernization project, which is replacing a mainframe-based eligibility system used for SNAP, TANF, Medicaid assistance, and related programs. DCF said the six-year, $205 million project is in its third year and has already delivered a new customer portal with mobile access, multi-factor authentication, and fraud protections, while also building a worker portal, document management, community partner tools, and workload management functions. The agency said it is requesting $36.625 million for the next fiscal year, the same as last year, and emphasized that the project has remained on schedule and on budget by breaking work into smaller modules and using strong vendor and staff support. Members praised the project’s progress and asked about cybersecurity testing and the long delay before modernization began; DCF said security requirements were built in from the outset and that the remaining work will focus on moving staff off the legacy mainframe and modernizing notices and back-end processes.

Transcript Highlights:

• reservations um in voting this budget reservations um in voting this budget through<01:06:01.200
• DoD has the largest budget of any federal department.
• budget of $2.1 million and 14 positions. budget of $2.1 million and 14 positions.
• allocating the funding for it. allocating the funding for it.
• as applicable for allocations. as applicable for allocations.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The DOE budget every year is about $2 billion to feed all kids.
• Oh, one second, please. should be requesting for their budget is should be requesting for their budget
• So we do request a base budget for school meals.
• <01:02:56.119> when hard for us then to do our budget when hard for us then to do our budget
• <01:53:47.920> saving teaching myself about budgeting saving teaching myself about budgeting

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 707 on the College Savings Program. Members discussed a suggested amendment from the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities to include the Hawaii ABLE Savings Program. The chair said the Department of the Attorney General advised there was no title problem, so the bill could be broadened to cover both the College Savings Program and the ABLE program. The committee also noted technical, non-substantive changes and a defective date of July 1, 3000 for further discussion. HB 707 HD1 was then voted on and the recommendation to pass with amendments was adopted unanimously by the members present, with two members excused. The committee then heard House Bill 424, which would provide free breakfast and lunch beginning the next school year to students who currently qualify for free and reduced-price meals. The Department of Education supported the measure, and testimony in favor came from teachers, public health and food security advocates, and several organizations. Supporters described students being denied meals because of unpaid balances, said school meals should not depend on family debt, and argued that the bill would reduce stigma and help hungry students learn. Committee questions focused on meal pricing, the impact of raising prices on families who pay full price, and whether portion sizes could be increased; DOE said breakfast costs less than lunch, full-price students would bear any increase, and portion sizes must follow USDA rules. Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute and Hawaiʻi Children’s Action Network said many families above the free/reduced thresholds still cannot afford meals, citing estimates that the DOE collects about $20 million a year in meal payments and that federal reimbursement totals are much larger. The committee then heard House Bill 757, the universal free school breakfast and lunch bill. DOE and the Department of Health supported it, and testimony was overwhelmingly in favor from county officials, teachers, students, food banks, advocacy groups, and community organizations. Witnesses argued that universal meals would eliminate stigma, reduce paperwork and debt collection, and ensure students do not fall through the cracks because of income cutoffs, language barriers, or administrative hurdles. Several students from Castle High School described classmates asking for food and families struggling to keep meal accounts funded, while teachers said they regularly see negative meal balance notices and hungry students. Advocates also said the bill is the better equity vehicle because it avoids means testing and reaches students who are not currently receiving meals despite needing them. The hearing on HB 757 was still ongoing at the end of the transcript, and no final vote on that bill was shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• So let me go through the budget. Just a couple of comments about the budget.
• So, that's a little hit on our... budget.
• So page 13 shows our overall budget.
• Also, I would like to mention that our budget request for Fiscal Year 27 will be a flat budget of $575,000
• This covers 84% of our total budget. We have an enterprise fund.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then on the process of the budgets this week, this is a supplemental budget year, as we know, and
• based on those priorities that will be passed the floor. the budgets this week, this is a the budgets
• bills that are passed by the budget bills that are passed by the budget committees,<00:01:41.680
• the supplemental budget bill.
• everything's budgets for that. everything's budgets for that.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• With the $1 million one-time funds that were allocated to us through last year's, well through this past
• With the million dollars that, again, we were allocated from the legislation, this. is one of our big
• So, in conclusion, we were able to get the million dollar allocation this year.
• But just the snap cuts and Medicaid budgets are killing us now. And I'm a strong supporter of this.
• What's that budget? So it will be about $250,000 for the year.

Transcript Highlights:

• Here's the allocation, and I'll stop talking because I keep getting messages that we're supposed to be
• I believe there's 210 million in the budget identified for these projects. Thank you.
• You all know Medicaid is a huge part of our budget now, so we think this is a really smart investment
• Um, how much money is in the budget, to start this fund? Um, Mr.
• Chair, earlier this evening that there is no money in the budget bill for this, but we're creating a

Transcript Highlights:

• And I'm curious, are the tribal budgets based on a federal budget?
• That's from the president's budget.
• Because they do out your budgets.
• But it does vary from the president's budget, and I have seen increases where the president's budget
• Budget.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:03:17.440> Uh File 2446, the omnibus a budget bill.
• Uh File 2446, the omnibus a budget bill.
• <00:05:25.759> Thank accordance with our budget rules.
• Thank accordance with our budget rules.
• , what really took priority on our budget, what really took priority on our budget, and<01:00:25.280

Bills: HF2446, HF2563, HF2444

Keywords: agriculture finance, broadband development, Department of Agriculture, Board of Animal Health, Agricultural Utilization Research Institute, Office of Broadband Development, food safety, food handler license, cottage food, home processed food, livestock dealer, meat packing company, milk marketer, milk marketing license, grain buyer, grain storage, beginning farmer, emerging farmer, farm down payment assistance, livestock investment grant