Transcript Highlights:

• You know, homelessness is a big problem. But on the fiscal note, there's no cost.
• homeless status upon application.
• Joe Herron Mueller, with the Louisiana Advocacy Coalition on Homelessness.
• It's a council of people with lived experience of homelessness.
• person may need to use because you're homeless, you can still get free health care.

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

Transcript Highlights:

• And in addition, priority in grant awards is given to programs that provide students with information
• So, like with the Youth Build program, you'll see some outcomes that are students that completed their
• </c><01:35:45.440><c> that</c><01:35:46.120><c> completed</c> that are um students that completed that
• are um students that completed their<01:35:46.720><c> high</c><01:35:46.840><c> school</c><01:35:47.040
• </c> families or individuals, or homeless families or individuals, or homeless people,<01:38:31.560><

Bills: HF3878 , HF4131 , HF3796 , HF4097

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Keywords: airport workers, wage standards, labor rights, minimum wage, economic equity, surveillance, price discrimination, wage discrimination, consumer rights, automated decision systems, Minnesota Statutes, suitable seating, employee seating, workplace seating, occupational safety, workplace safety, labor standards, employer requirements, chair, stool

Transcript Highlights:

• Being homeless and in recovery is a recipe for relapse.
• People go from being housed to homeless very quickly in that.
• People go from being housed to homeless very quickly in that.
• People go from being housed to homeless very quickly in that.
• People go from being housed to homeless very quickly in that.

Bills: HF3806 , HF2687 , HF497

Committee: House Housing Finance and Policy

Keywords: housing, infrastructure bonds, funding, appropriation, Minnesota Statutes, HF2687, single-family homes, corporate landlords, corporate ownership, real estate investment trust, REIT, landlord registry, landlord database, tenant transparency, housing affordability, homeownership, deed tax, transfer tax, property tax, affordable housing

Transcript Highlights:

• Speaker, we address homelessness in our state.
• We also fund homelessness under the Youth Act, Homeless Youth Act, Emergency Service Program, Shelter
• Four of every ten homeless Minnesotans are children and youth.
• I've said many times that shelter saves lives, and housing ends homelessness.
• When our children are homeless, we haven't succeeded. Our seniors are now becoming more homeless.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our first testifier is the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions and Support. um oh
• </c><00:01:31.280><c> and</c><00:01:31.439><c> Housing</c> office on homelessness and Housing office
• on homelessness and Housing Solutions<00:01:32.200><c> and</c> support<00:01:45.040><c> chair</c><00:
• </c> off the streets or to avoid homelessness off the streets or to avoid homelessness um<00:02:55.400
• </c> to retain it or even if they're homeless to retain it or even if they're homeless to<00:03:26.760

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Summary: The joint Housing and Health and Human Services hearing began with Senate Bill 878, which would extend the sunset date for the state rent supplement program for kupuna to June 30, 2028. Testimony was uniformly supportive, including from the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions, Hawaii Public Housing Authority, Executive Office on Aging, Catholic Charities Hawaii, and others. Catholic Charities described a waitlist of seniors at imminent risk of homelessness and said the program helps seniors retain housing or secure units with landlord support. Members asked whether the bill would expand the number of households served; staff said the contract allows up to 127 households and that additional pending households could be funded, but applicants must still go through the program process. Both committees voted to pass SB 878 unamended. The committees then heard Senate Bill 1610 on Ohana Zones. The Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions supported the measure so long as it did not supplant existing funding, and described the funding as supporting homelessness services and wraparound supports. The Department of Human Services and Department of Land and Natural Resources offered comments, with DHS suggesting a definition of “kali” be added for clarity. The committee chair said the bill would receive technical amendments for clarity and consistency and accepted proposed amendments related to including “tales” in the program; the measure was advanced with amendments, with members voting in favor in both committees. In the joint Health and Human Services and Labor and Technology hearing, Senate Bill 1496 on civil rights and website accessibility drew support from disability advocates and organizations, including the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, the National Federation of the Blind, the Deaf and Blind Task Force, and the Disability and Communication Access Board. Testimony emphasized the need for stronger state protections amid concerns about federal enforcement, while one testifier raised concerns about jurisdiction, minimum contacts, the use of WCAG 2.1 standards, and the bill’s immediate effective date. The committees decided to pass SB 1496 with technical amendments, including adding a defective date to allow further work before conference, and the recommendation was adopted in both committees. Later, the joint Health, Human Services, and Commerce and Consumer Protection hearing took up Senate Bill 404 on service animals. The Attorney General’s office raised a possible constitutional issue and the lack of an enforcement mechanism, while DHS deferred to other agencies. DCAB supported the bill but recommended amendments to identify an enforcement agency and require notices from professionals and sellers of service-animal or emotional-support-animal paraphernalia. Several advocacy and real estate-related groups testified in support. After discussion, the chair recommended deferring SB 404 for further work because of the Attorney General’s concerns, and the hearing adjourned without a vote on the measure. The final joint Transportation, Culture and the Arts, and Health and Human Services agenda heard SB 1526 on a drug and alcohol toxicology testing laboratory and SB 1492 on mobility management; both measures were advanced with amendments or as-is, with SB 1526 sent forward with technical amendments and SB 1492 moved ahead after members noted blank dollar amounts and requested the Department of Transportation provide figures.

Transcript Highlights:

• That bill has been referred to the Committee on Housing and Homelessness Prevention.
• , you'll see Senate File 2231, and that bill has been referred to the Committee on Housing and Homelessness
• That bill has been referred to the Committee on Housing and Homelessness Prevention.
• That bill has been referred to the Committee on Housing and Homelessness Prevention.
• That bill has been referred to the Committee on Housing and Homelessness Prevention.

Transcript Highlights:

• We also fund homelessness under the youth act, homeless youth act, emergency service program, shelter
• We also fund homelessness under support.
• ><c> homeless</c><00:09:31.760><c> youth</c><00:09:32.080><c> act,</c> the youth act, homeless youth
• <c> which</c><01:16:32.239><c> uh</c> Now, the homeless study, which uh Now, the homeless study, which
• This is a time not to homelessness.

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c><00:12:55.040><c> this</c> Coalition for the Homeless, this Coalition for the Homeless, this amendment
• </c> fall into homelessness. fall into homelessness.
• </c> homelessness, but to prevent it. homelessness, but to prevent it.
• </c> Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless represents<00:13:30.640
• </c> at Home Act is about making homelessness at Home Act is about making homelessness rare,<00:14:36.680

Bills: HF3279 , HF1879 , HF1417 , HF2462

Committee: House Housing Finance and Policy

Keywords: housing, sales tax, homeownership, rent assistance, community stability, education, counseling, financial assistance, housing development, culturally appropriate services, HF1417, manufactured home parks, manufactured housing, mobile home parks, housing development fund, Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, MHFA, infrastructure grants, infrastructure loans, affordable housing

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> $40 million to the family homelessness $40 million to the family homelessness prevention<00:02:59.760
• Not only from falling into homelessness.
• It will keep families from experiencing homelessness.
• </c> families from experiencing homelessness. families from experiencing homelessness.
• </c> housing after they become homeless. housing after they become homeless.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our churches, at least the ones I'm honored to serve, stay close to the problem of homelessness, and
• And it's well established that people experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk of becoming homeless
• And it's well established that people experiencing homelessness are at imminent risk of becoming homeless
• To eventually exiting homelessness. Please vote yes on this bill. Thank you for your testimony.
• I'm a physician with a more than 30-year career caring for people experiencing homelessness.

Summary: The Senate Housing Committee held public hearings on four bills and then took executive action on several measures and two gubernatorial appointments. At the start, the committee waived the five-day notice rule for Substitute House Bill 2354, Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2266, and Second Substitute House Bill 2590. The committee also heard public testimony on House Bill 1859, which would expand affordable housing on property owned by religious organizations by lowering the affordability threshold needed to qualify for a density bonus. Supporters, including the sponsor, faith leaders, and local officials, said the current 100% affordability requirement has made projects difficult to finance and that the bill would better unlock underused church land for housing. The committee then heard Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2266, which would further standardize where and how permanent supportive housing, transitional housing, indoor emergency housing, and shelters can be sited, while limiting local barriers and allowing some negotiated conditions near schools or when local governments provide significant support. The sponsor and supporters from King County, housing providers, the Attorney General’s office, disability advocates, medical professionals, and others argued the bill would reduce discriminatory or inconsistent local siting rules and expand needed housing. Some local government representatives supported the bill but asked for additional amendments to preserve local flexibility, require on-site contacts, and clarify how operating conditions and funding agreements would work. The committee also heard House Bill 2590, which would revise rules for limited equity cooperatives so they can better function as a long-term affordable homeownership model and remain exempt from certain Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act requirements. Supporters said the bill would help preserve manufactured housing communities and other cooperative housing while maintaining affordability and oversight. House Bill 2354, a trailer bill to WACOIA, would make technical changes affecting common interest communities, including EV charging and heat pump cost responsibility, reserve studies, and audit thresholds; the Washington State Community Association’s Institute testified in support. In executive session, the committee confirmed gubernatorial appointments Aaron T. McGrath and Ann T. Malone and voted do-pass recommendations for EHB 1687, SHB 2269, and HB 2304, all subject to signatures.

Transcript Highlights:

• My homelessness was short-term.
• </c><00:40:47.000><c> We</c> homelessness rate in the nation. We homelessness rate in the nation.
• . homelessness. homelessness.
• </c> experience of young adult homelessness. experience of young adult homelessness.
• My My homelessness was I was fortunate. My My homelessness was short-term. short-term. short-term.

Bills: HB1730 , HB1985 , HB1749 , HB1921

Committee: Senate Agriculture and Environment

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several cesspool-related measures. HB 1730 HD2 would create a cesspool conversion implementation working group to help the Department of Health review rules and practices and develop changes to make conversions more affordable. DOH and DLNR stood on written testimony, while environmental and wastewater advocates strongly supported the bill, emphasizing the need for dedicated staffing, technical expertise, and smaller, more focused advisory groups. Members discussed the high cost of upgrades and the need for new technologies that reduce excavation and leach field costs. The bill was passed with amendments, including clarifying the DOH director’s discretion over the size of the working group, and the committee noted DOH’s appropriation request for consideration. HB 1985 HD1 would extend certain cesspool conversion deadlines and authorize funding for consultants, while also advancing outreach and education. Testimony split sharply: advocates supported the education component but opposed deadline extensions as premature, arguing the state still has many years before the 2050 mandate and should not weaken the conversion timeline. The committee agreed to amend the bill to delete the deadline-extension portion, keep technical changes, and note DOH’s position request. HB 1749 HD2 would require sellers to disclose cesspools to buyers before a real estate purchase contract is executed and direct DOH and the Real Estate Commission to create a standardized form. Realtors supported the intent but asked to avoid duplicative statutory form requirements, and advocates stressed that disclosure should be prominent and not buried in paperwork. The committee adopted amendments removing the standardized-form mandate and passed the bill. HB 1921 HD2 would allow certain existing cesspools in priority level three areas to continue serving dwellings with additional bedrooms under conditions. DOH brought the measure, and supporters from the real estate and environmental sectors discussed innovative wastewater technologies, retrofits, and composting toilets as ways to reduce costs while improving treatment. The committee amended the bill to require DOH director-approved wastewater technology using solid waste separation for bedroom-count increases and to clarify priority-level determinations using block-level data from the Hawaii cesspool prioritization tool, then passed it. The committee also heard HB 2310, an emergency appropriation for the Department of Human Services to restore funding used to keep SNAP benefits flowing during the federal shutdown; DHS, public health, children’s advocates, and others supported it, and members questioned why it was not handled through the budget. The discussion clarified that the bill sought new money to move quickly for ACA-related premium support. No final vote on HB 2310 was shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• that a large portion of, or about 20%, of people that seek out homeless services are older adults.
• It's about a permanent position authority for the Housing and Homelessness Program.
• Hi, Hannah Zamati, Deputy Director for the Housing and Homelessness Division within CDSS.
• The proposal is for permanent position authority for CDSS's housing and homelessness programs.
• Adults at risk of homelessness with reduced funding.

Summary: The Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services heard an overview from the California Department of Aging on the state’s Master Plan for Aging, including progress at the five-year midpoint, local aging and disability action plans, HCBS gap analysis, workforce work, and stakeholder engagement. The Legislative Analyst’s Office noted the department’s budget was relatively flat but flagged federal H.R. 1 pressure on nutrition-related programs. Members discussed how H.R. 1 and broader federal and state budget pressures could affect older adults through other programs, even where the Department of Aging itself had no direct cut. The committee also heard a stakeholder request from the California Association of Area Agencies on Aging for $62.3 million to support Older Californians Act services, with Finance cautioning that any added ongoing spending would worsen out-year deficits. The committee then reviewed several Department of Aging proposals, including HICAP modernization to add paid counselors and reduce reliance on volunteers, and senior meal program oversight for virtual congregate/to-go meals under AB 1476. Members also discussed the status of area agencies on aging in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties, including a new RFP process in the Central Coast and the need to protect service continuity during transitions. Finance clarified that remaining modernizing Older Californians Act nutrition funds can still be used through June 2029. The Department of Social Services presented a series of items. These included new federal Medicaid Access Rule implementation for IHSS grievance and critical incident systems; housing and homelessness programs for CalWORKs Housing Support, HDAP, Home Safe, and Bringing Families Home, with testimony that one-time funds are expiring and service levels will likely decline; permanent position authority for housing and homelessness administration; a facility management system to replace aging licensing systems; home care services branch solvency and regulations; child care centers in multifamily housing; the Seizure Emergency Response Act; licensing during emergencies and disasters; and the Family Preparedness Plan Act. The committee also heard a detailed exchange about the Autumn Oaks facility in Tulare County, where Senator Grove raised concerns about 53 complaints and the handling of unsafe conditions; CDSS said it is reviewing the matter and has authority to take administrative action even after a license surrender. No votes were taken, and items were held open.

Transcript Highlights:

• Something to hang on to, I guess you could say, once they get up, leave homelessness, and get a job,
• Prevent homelessness and support long-term stability.
• Health Care for the Homeless, on the other hand, are not just serving homeless Thank you, Madam Chair
• So homeless are being served.
• homeless shelters throughout the state, correct?

Committee: House Mortgage Finance Authority Act Oversight Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• I ended up on the street, homeless, and an addict.
• I was homeless. I was living in a hunting blind.
• I was homeless. I was living in a hunting blind.
• I was homeless.
• I went from homeless to leading my people.

Transcript Highlights:

• Previously, there was an exemption for homelessness, there was an exemption for veterans, and there was
• And then I want to know how many of those A-BOD are college students, just in general.
• how will the work requirement impact... if I may follow up, how will the work requirement impact students
• learning about what those possibilities might be, and we have those opportunities for our high school students
• learning about what those possibilities might be, and we have those opportunities for our high school students

Committee: All ALC-HOSPITAL, MEDICAID, & DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES STUDY SUBCOMMITTEE

Summary: The subcommittee first recognized the Arkansas Community Colleges Leadership Institute and received a brief DHS update on the Living Choices Assisted Living Waiver reimbursement process, including that the new cost-reporting period began in January and provider/contractor calls are underway. The main presentation then focused on SNAP and TANF, with DHS describing federal changes under the One Big Beautiful Bill that tighten SNAP work requirements for adults ages 18 to 64 without certain exemptions, remove some prior exemptions, and add new federal definitions for Native American populations. DHS also reviewed SNAP Employment and Training providers, their service areas, projected budgets, participant characteristics, and outcomes, noting that the program is currently voluntary but will shift toward mandatory participation for those subject to the new rules. Members asked detailed questions about how mandatory participation will be implemented, how referrals will be made, what other training options exist, how verification of work, volunteering, disability, and exemptions will be handled, and whether DHS has enough funding and provider capacity. DHS said it will conduct verbal and written notices during eligibility interviews, make direct referrals to providers, use six-month recertifications and documentation from employers or volunteer organizations, and apply sanctions for noncompliance after determining whether a good cause exists. Members also requested additional data, including age breakdowns of at-risk SNAP recipients, provider-level outcomes and costs, and information on other training programs such as WIOA. The committee then moved to Medicaid community engagement requirements for ARHOME, which DHS said are also required by the same federal law and must be implemented by January 1, 2027. DHS said it is preparing policy, system changes, communications, and a customer-service/outbound verification vendor, and plans a soft launch beginning in July to help clients understand what would be required if the rule were already in effect. Members raised concerns about timing, local versus central decision-making, and how clients in rural areas will be notified and assisted. The meeting concluded with broader discussion of the committee’s workforce-development goals, the recently released Alliance for Opportunity audit, and interest in continuing the contract with that group to help guide future reforms.

Transcript Highlights:

• policy advisor on homelessness.
• In that period, homelessness increased across almost all subpopulations, a 20% jump in homelessness in
• general, a 47% jump in unsheltered homelessness, and a 185% jump in chronic homelessness.
• In that period, homelessness increased across almost all subpopulations, with a 20% jump in homelessness
• in general, a 47% jump in unsheltered homelessness, and a 185% jump in chronic homelessness.

Summary: The committee approved the minutes from March 10, 2026, and then heard several House bills, mostly on appropriations, fees, water, food assistance, technology, and licensing. HB 2056, which would appropriate $100,000 for an Arizona Department of Water Resources feasibility study on brackish groundwater desalination, passed 6-3 despite concerns raised in opposition about increased groundwater pumping, subsidence, and impacts to tribal lands and conservation efforts. HB 2057, reducing the Arizona Centennial Special Plate renewal fee from $25 to $20, also passed 7-2 after one senator objected that the plate’s purpose and discount were not well justified. HB 2224, appropriating $1 million annually to DES for the produce incentive program, drew supportive testimony from food access groups who said the program helps families, farmers, and local markets; members noted the amount was below the prior $2 million funding level and could force site closures, but the bill passed 9-0. The committee also advanced HB 2257, which changes the distribution of watercraft registration and fee revenue, shifting more money to lake improvement and boating safety funds and less to the watercraft licensing fund. It passed 6-3 amid criticism that the bill moved money away from Game and Fish and concern that the boating safety fund increase could support immigration enforcement. HB 2265, which bars courts from charging criminal defendants for public defender services and certain other criminal-case fees and assessments, passed 7-1 after extensive testimony from advocates who argued the fees burden indigent defendants and cost more to collect than they raise; opponents called it a cost shift to counties and other local governments and said more fiscal data was needed. HB 2311, regulating publicly available conversational AI services with disclosure, anti-gamification, sexual-content restrictions, parental tools, and self-harm protocols, passed 7-2 after the sponsor and supporters framed it as child protection, while opponents warned about privacy, surveillance, and overbroad definitions; an Epstein amendment broadening the bill was rejected. The committee then considered HB 2752, which would subject Arizona Commerce Authority trade offices to legislative appropriation and require annual reporting. The ACA said it was neutral but supported the concept of data-driven decisions; the sponsor said the Legislature should approve trade offices and that the bill reflected his prior trade-office initiatives. An Epstein amendment requiring objective research for trade-office appropriations was rejected, and the bill passed 6-3. Finally, the committee heard HB 2957, which would preserve non-Real ID driver’s licenses, prohibit mandatory participation in enhanced ID programs, restrict biometric collection and document retention, and bar government entities from requiring digital or mobile IDs. The sponsor and several supporters argued it protects privacy, state sovereignty, and informed consent, while opponents from ADOT and the trucking industry warned it could conflict with federal Real ID and CDL requirements and jeopardize federal compliance and funding. The discussion was still ongoing at the end of the transcript, with witnesses and members debating whether the bill would change current practice or create federal conflicts.

Transcript Highlights:

• Lupe is currently the director of the UC Berkeley Chicanx Latinx Student Development Office and co-founder
• I did want to recognize Dan Chao, a student at the University of Pennsylvania and an advocate for all
• Systemic barriers to good health, like poverty, discrimination, homelessness, pay gaps, lack of health
• At UCLA's Labor Studies Department, he taught and mentored thousands of students, grounding them in the
• In the back room was the United We Dream students who were organizing around DACA.

Transcript Highlights:

• This primarily is about establishing youth homeless shelters.
• This primarily is about establishing youth homeless shelters.
• This primarily is about establishing youth homeless shelters.
• This primarily is about establishing youth homeless shelters.
• This primarily is about establishing youth homeless shelters.

Summary: The House convened with 47 members present, read the journal, and received Senate communications, including notice that House Bill 1440, HD1 had passed third reading in the Senate and that several Senate bills were transmitted and passed first reading by title. Members also made introductions recognizing guests for Working Families Day 2025, including advocates and organizers, and welcomed visitors from Khu Valley, as well as family members and community advocates in the gallery. The bulk of the meeting was devoted to the order of the day and adoption of numerous standing committee reports and accompanying bills, many of which were passed by voice vote or consent calendar. Several members registered reservations or opposition on specific measures, with comments focused on fertility coverage and the prepaid health care system, low-income tax policy, youth safe spaces and runaway youth, prenatal care for non-citizens, and fireworks regulation. In a few cases, members requested that their remarks be entered into the journal, and one member clarified a vote change on SCR 972 after the vote had been read. The House also took third-reading votes on additional bills listed on later pages, with the majority and minority caucuses announcing their votes and a few named no votes on particular measures. No resolutions were introduced for action. During announcements, members wished Representative Amato and staff members happy birthday. The House then voted to keep the journal open until midnight for further committee reports and transmitted bills, and finally recessed until 9:00 a.m. Tuesday, March 4th.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:10:16.880><c> response</c><00:10:17.320><c> system</c> whole homeless response system whole homeless
• I also bring a lived experience with me of homelessness after being in foster care.
• one of the most consistent drivers of homelessness across our state: the cost of housing.
• People fall behind, and too often they fall into homelessness.
• prevention, you name it, homelessness prevention, you name it, right?

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> People will be homeless. They will die. People will be homeless. They will die.
• don't want you to be homeless, right? don't want you to be homeless, right?
• </c> going to be homeless. going to be homeless.
• </c> disabilities are going to be homeless disabilities are going to be homeless and<01:09:04.000><c>
• </c> already have a homeless already have a homeless you<01:09:07.680><c> know</c> you know you know

Committee: Senate Human Services