Transcript Highlights:

• or federal law to do so.
• I should say both self-funded and fully insured are governed by federal law as well.
• Additionally, the school received $2 million in congressionally directed federal funding in the fiscal
• One thing to note is we do have a couple of lines of business, so like the federal employee program and
• And so it may be that they're a very large federal employee program or Medicaid expansion provider where

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee met to review the history and current treatment of North Dakota health insurance mandates, with presentations from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota, Sanford Health Plan, the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), and the Insurance Department. The discussion focused on how mandates apply differently to fully insured, self-funded, ACA, Medicaid, and PERS plans; how the state’s benchmark plan and federal essential health benefits affect coverage; and how the existing process requires cost-benefit analysis and, for certain measures, a PERS pilot period before broader application. Presenters also reviewed the long list of existing state mandates, including provider, beneficiary, and coverage requirements, and noted that many were enacted decades ago and have not been revisited despite changes in medical evidence and treatment options. Witnesses from the carriers argued that mandates should be reviewed periodically because some are outdated, can create unintended costs, and may not align with current medical guidance. Examples cited included PSA screening, off-label drug coverage, prior authorization rules, step therapy, and cost-sharing provisions for mental health and substance use treatment. They emphasized that carriers often cover services without a mandate when supported by clinical evidence, and that mandates can shift costs to employers and employees, especially in the fully insured small-group market. They also suggested possible policy improvements such as clearer mandate definitions, better transparency around cost-benefit analyses, a regular 10-year review of mandates, and more timely submission of proposals through the interim process. PERS and the Insurance Department highlighted a recurring tension over what counts as a mandate and when a measure triggers the state’s defrayal obligation under federal law. PERS described its interim committee process, the April 1 deadline for fiscal-impact proposals, and the limited pilot program used for certain measures, noting that only a few bills have gone through the full pilot process. The Insurance Department explained that it views new benefit mandates through the lens of the ACA benchmark plan and essential health benefits, distinguishing true new benefits, such as infertility coverage, from changes to existing benefits, such as telehealth or insulin cost-sharing caps. No votes were taken on policy changes; the meeting was informational, with members asking questions about costs, applicability, transparency, and whether a periodic mandate review should be established.

Transcript Highlights:

• programs, and now a direct federal assault on our state.
• A poison pill that will result in an 11.2 billion dollar cut in Medicaid funding from the federal government
• First, they said thank you for funding the programs that save our lives.
• And perhaps the biggest example of that is in continuing to fund health care under our Medi-Cal program
• Fact, we put in funding for behavioral health programs, which is great.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, it's a federal employee personal loan guarantee program.
• This is a guaranteed loan program, so it's guaranteed back by our federal government.
• through other programs that essentially should have gone to fund.
• been<00:38:37.000> funded<00:38:37.480> in Programs that had not been funded in Programs
• I understand that we did not put any funding in those programs, but these programs really serve a major

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill appropriates funds for the establishment of faculty positions, student programs, and facilities
• And I also think yesterday an agency said in a similar bill, I know that federal funding is going to
• And I also think yesterday an agency said in a similar bill, I know that federal funding is going to
• And I also think yesterday an agency said in a similar bill, I know that federal funding is going to
• I know that federal funding is going to be cut, but defense sector funding won't be.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Higher Education met on March 14, 2025, and heard five University of Hawaii-related bills. SB 741 would create an external audit committee for the UH system and Board of Regents; UH and UHPA opposed it, saying existing internal and external audits already provide robust oversight, and the committee later recommended deferring the bill indefinitely as duplicative. SB 1252 SD2 would create a dementia training program for health care providers; the Alzheimer’s Association and other supporters said broader training is needed across the care workforce, while the university discussed using JABSOM as a coordinator. The committee deferred the bill to March 19 for an HD1 reflecting JABSOM’s suggestions and removing the appropriations/FTE language. SB 1502 SD1 would fund faculty positions, student programs, and facilities at UH Manoa and West Oahu for defense-sector workforce development. UH and Chamber of Commerce Hawaii supported the measure, describing a pipeline for students into intelligence, cybersecurity, and related fields, while one individual opposed it as too closely tied to military contracting and urged investment in other sectors instead. The committee amended the bill to remove FTE references and advanced it; the vote to pass with amendments was adopted, with several members voting aye and some excused. SB 1530 would require performance-based allocation of UH general funds and efficiency reporting. UH and the Attorney General’s office raised concerns, saying the bill’s metrics would apply across the entire general fund budget and were not practical as drafted; the committee also noted opposition from the Budget and Finance Department and individuals. SB 1624 SD1 would restrict RIM funds to renewing, improving, or modernizing existing facilities and require annual reports. UH opposed the bill and explained that RIM is a lump-sum approach used to address deferred maintenance and capital needs, with Board of Regents approval and quarterly reporting already in place; the Attorney General suggested constitutional amendments. The transcript ends during discussion of SB 1624, with no final action shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• The federal government provides 6%. That's between Medicaid and the federal funds.
• The voucher program is a voluntary program.
• How will we fund programs, an increase in programs that are voluntary? Secondly, choice.
• How will we fund programs, an increase in programs that are voluntary? Secondly, choice.
• > in will we fund programs an increase in will we fund programs an increase in programs<02:15:

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the demand-side grid support program from existing unused funds, and makes other technical changes.
• That doesn't mean fully funding early release probation services or diversion programs.
• And they say to us, basically, if you fund this program, I will probably live longer.
• And it funds care for seniors through the PACE program and through other nutrition programs and important
• And it funds care for seniors through the PACE program and through other nutrition programs and important

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Can you enlighten us a little bit on other states that may state fund a program like this rather than
• funds being lost because of a disagreement about how HCNP was moving forward with federal funds, something
• funds being lost beat about um federal funds being lost because<00:52:18.119> of<00:52:18.280
• <00:52:28.359> funds was moving forward with federal funds was moving forward with federal
• So move the compost reimbursement program, the funding, the resources that go to that, to wherever this

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• type of funds there's a lot of federal type of funds there's a lot of federal Cross<01:06:00.720
• FTA is Federal Transit Authority revenue vehicles, so these are federal funds that we use to fund local
• we are federal funds that that we are federal funds that that we um<03:05:39.200> um<03:05
• federal funds uh historically we these federal funds uh historically we have<03:08:44.720> always
• The only state funds, other than state-administered crossing grants, was a federal program.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard a Department of Corrections capital budget presentation on HB 25, focused largely on urgent maintenance and security needs at the New Hampshire State Prison for Men and other DOC facilities. DOC officials described the governor’s proposed priorities: boiler surge and radiator tank replacements, electronic controls and camera upgrades, and replacement of HVAC units using R22 refrigerant. They also outlined additional requested projects totaling $15.4 million, including a body alarm/man-down system at Northern New Hampshire Correctional Facility, steam line and trap repairs, fire alarm replacements, and removal of an underground diesel tank in favor of above-ground storage. DOC testified that many systems are well beyond their expected service life, including 40-year-old boilers, outdated analog cameras, and HVAC equipment using discontinued R22 refrigerant. They said the men’s prison is relying on a leased temporary boiler, has significant steam leaks causing major water loss and reduced boiler efficiency, and is dealing with frequent fire alarm faults and deteriorating wiring. On the body alarm system, they said the vendor no longer supports the equipment and replacement parts are no longer available. On the diesel tank, members questioned whether it could be abandoned in place or whether fuel could be reused; DOC said it had not explored all alternatives and would follow up, while noting the tank is underground and tied into the warehouse system. Members also asked whether some current investments could be reused in the planned new men’s prison. DOC said some items, such as air handlers, might potentially be moved, but most projects are needed to keep the current facility operational and would not be practical to transfer. Questions were also raised about the leased boiler arrangement, the use of the man-down system by staff and visitors, and whether the kitchen project could be converted to a modular unit. DOC said the modular kitchen approach is necessary because the existing kitchen cannot remain fully operational during repairs. The committee then moved to lapse extensions, and DOC identified several projects no longer needing extensions, including items numbered 64, 65, and 66 in HB 25, with the chair noting those balances would be deleted and that the lapse amount was $550,500.

Transcript Highlights:

• Fund. Our federal revenues continue to be the same or a little higher.
• We should not be supplanting federal programs.
• This is a program you all started several years ago with nonrecurring funds.
• This is a $26.5 million distribution from the Capital Development Program Fund, a fund that you all started
• This process, as well as local funding, other state funds, and federal funds that were put into the projects

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• About some of the federal impacts.
• So in that regard, federal funding, federal support for weather-related investigations or research, from
• So just to clarify, there's federal funding impacts to the work that you foresee doing in the future
• That’s about a two-year-old program. There’s already a certificate program created for aquaculture.
• The state program, Court of Career, which I guess is under California Volunteers, recently funded.

Summary: The hearing of the Select Committee on Sea Level Rise and the California Economy focused on infrastructure, pollution, climate resilience, public health, access, and economic impacts of sea level rise in California, with an emphasis on San Diego and the Bay Area. Chair Tasha Boerner Horvath opened by describing the committee’s purpose, the state’s sea level rise action planning, and the need for better monitoring and early warning systems. She also referenced her prior bills AB 66 and AB 72, which supported Scripps research on coastal bluff collapse warning capabilities. Assembly Members David Alvarez and Jessica Caloza later joined and emphasized that sea level rise affects not only coastal communities but inland areas as well, and that the issue should inform future legislative and budget decisions. In the first panel, Dr. Mark Merrifield of Scripps Institution of Oceanography described observed sea level rise of roughly 0.8 to 0.9 feet since the early 1900s, with acceleration expected by mid-century and potentially much greater rise by 2100 depending on emissions. He highlighted flooding, groundwater rise, beach and cliff erosion, salinization, and risks to transportation, sewage, ports, and national security. Dave Gibson of the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board discussed how sea level rise affects wastewater systems, stormwater, contaminated sites, wetlands, and coastal groundwater basins, and said the board is requiring climate adaptation planning, updating stormwater permits, and seeking more flexible state permitting and mitigation tools. Members and witnesses also discussed the need for better mapping, more monitoring, and more state funding, especially if federal support from NOAA and other agencies declines. The second panel addressed public health, equitable access, and local economies. Ramon Chiras of Un Mar de Colores described how sea level rise, pollution, and access barriers threaten the Tijuana River Valley and Imperial Beach, especially for underserved communities and youth programs that rely on safe, welcoming access to the ocean. He stressed the cultural and spiritual importance of coastal access and the need for water safety and environmental education. Jessica Fane of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission explained that the Bay Area faces major economic exposure from sea level rise, citing a regional estimate of $96 billion in adaptation costs versus $230 billion in potential losses from inaction, and said BCDC is working with local governments under SB 272 on shoreline adaptation planning, funding, and regulatory innovation. Members discussed the tension between environmental permitting and the need to move projects faster, including the possibility of planned retreat in some areas and the use of simultaneous permitting and longer-term state authority to streamline adaptation work. In the final panel, Philip Gibbons of the Port of San Diego described the port’s climate adaptation efforts and its vulnerability assessments under AB 691. He said the port manages state tidelands, supports maritime commerce and recreation, and is already seeing flooding at king tides and during El Niño events, including storm-drain backflow and damage to bikeways and parks. He explained that future sea level rise could inundate major port areas and disrupt operations, underscoring the need for continued planning, mitigation, and infrastructure investment. The hearing did not take formal votes, but it concluded with a clear call for more science, funding, coordination, and regulatory streamlining to prepare California’s coast and nearby communities for worsening sea level rise impacts.

Transcript Highlights:

• Even at the current funding levels, families can't access early care and learning programs for low-income
• A special revenue fund for the Great Start Compensation Program to make sure that the next time there's
• A special revenue fund for the Great Start Compensation Program to make sure that the next time there's
• funds what we do more than I do. funds what we do more than I do.
• Fund the department. department, great. Fund the department.

Bills: HF2436, HF2929

Keywords: child welfare, economic assistance, child care, grant program, video security cameras, HF2929, SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, food assistance, nutrition assistance, public benefits, eligibility determination, income eligibility, federal poverty guidelines, poverty level, county agency, Tribal agency, human services, children and families, benefits administration

Transcript Highlights:

• , on the available funding.
• So I think it's our fault what happens to your federal funding. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair.
• For this particular program.
• Um, most of them are funded through state general funds.
• For this particular program, we do not have a waitlist for some of our other programs, as I mentioned

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:33:30.360> funded to those 12 federally funded to those 12 federally funded airports<00
• > funds<00:35:23.040> come amount of federal funds those funds come amount of federal funds
• We also use the highway fund, and federal funds, a federal program flows through the Highway Fund as
• :24.839> program<00:40:25.680> flows federal funds a federal program flows federal funds
• levels of service; lack of matching funds for federally funded projects; limited state funds for non-federal

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Public Works and Highways Committee held an orientation meeting focused on introducing members, outlining committee norms, and hearing an overview from the Department of Transportation. Chair David Mills emphasized the committee’s long-standing bipartisan working style, asked members to share contact information for short-notice scheduling, and noted that the committee would need to complete as much work as possible before the building is vacated later in the year. Members introduced themselves and described backgrounds in engineering, construction, planning, local government, military service, education, and business. Several members highlighted prior service on planning boards, school boards, zoning boards, or in transportation-related fields as relevant to the committee’s work. Members repeatedly described the committee as collegial and nonpartisan, with most bills going to the consent calendar. The chair also noted that the committee’s work centers on state infrastructure, including roads, bridges, highways, and buildings. Representative Cluder, the ranking member, and others echoed that the committee is effective because it talks issues through and resolves disagreements collaboratively. One member mentioned a recent trip that reinforced the importance of infrastructure resilience after storms and rebuilding efforts in other states. Department of Transportation officials, led by Assistant Commissioner and Chief Engineer David Rodrig, gave a detailed organizational and operational overview. They described DOT’s structure, mission of “transportation excellence,” and major responsibilities across highways, bridges, rail, transit, aeronautics, maintenance, and administration. Rodrig reported 1,651 permanent positions and 404 vacancies, 2,160 state bridges with 115 on the Red List, 4,600 centerline miles of roadway, 25 public airports, 11 transit systems, and 194 active state-owned rail lines. He also outlined FY 2024 spending, project development activity, highway maintenance operations, fleet and fuel systems, and the distinction between the highway fund and DOT’s budget, including the role of federal funds and the turnpike enterprise fund. No votes were taken and no bills were acted on during this orientation meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• The federal We are at a funding cliff.
• <03:55:01.960> funding<03:55:02.240> cuts the federal funding cuts the federal funding
• Federal afterschool funding is being reduced this year.
• Federal afterschool funding is children.
• Three programs, three protective factors funded through one fee.

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, approved the previous day’s journal, and heard several announcements, including recognition of the University of Denver men’s hockey championship and a sesquicentennial flag presentation for Colorado’s 150th anniversary. Members also received committee meeting notices and a reminder about open enrollment benefits. Committee reports were then read, advancing several bills from Appropriations, Judiciary, and Transportation, Housing, and Local Government to the Committee of the Whole or to Appropriations with favorable recommendations. The chamber adopted the majority leader’s motion to add a slate of bills to the special orders calendar for May 6, including Senate Bill 5 and several House and Senate bills. The House also adopted a motion limiting debate on Senate Bill 5 to one hour, with the vote recorded at 36 aye, 24 no, and five excused. The House then resolved into committee of the whole and took up Senate Bill 5, which creates a state-court civil remedy for constitutional violations committed during civil immigration enforcement and includes an appropriation. Supporters of Senate Bill 5 argued that the bill is needed to provide a meaningful remedy when federal immigration enforcement violates Fourth Amendment and other constitutional rights, citing alleged abuses, surveillance practices, and court decisions narrowing federal remedies. Opponents argued the bill is likely unconstitutional, duplicates existing federal remedies, and would be struck down in court; they also criticized the use of Rule 14 to limit debate and said Colorado should wait for litigation in other states. The transcript ends during continued debate on the bill, with no final vote shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• , so a federal loan guarantee for multifamily rental housing, which is a successful program.
• eligible for the federal risk-sharing program.
• but unfortunately like a lot of federal but unfortunately like a lot of federal programs<01:03:18.799
• /c> federal risk sharing program I would federal risk sharing program I would rather<01:06:02.319>
• <01:06:28.839> that federal funds that we determine that federal funds that we determine that

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , could they still be eligible for any possible federal programs to assist with energy costs?
• We were very concerned about the federal cuts for SNAP, Medicaid, and those programs that will affect
• to the general fund and, quote, without adversely affecting programs.
• to the general fund and, quote, without adversely affecting programs.
• eliminate all federal funding for digital and Hawaiian education, housing and career training.

Bills: HCR93, HCR14, HR85

Keywords: image-based sexual abuse, working group, gender-based violence, Hawaii Commission on the Status of Women, prevention efforts, survivor protections, new technologies, legal reform, HCR14, House Concurrent Resolution, perpetual easement, non-exclusive easement, state submerged lands, submerged lands, shoreline easement, drainage outfall, stormwater outfall, lagoon outfall, pipelines, Kahala Hotel & Resort

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:09:49.320> and well so between the general fund and well so between the general fund and
• Have you considered the Legacy money, the Clean Water Fund, for this rather than the general fund?
• for this rather than the Water fund for this rather than the general<00:34:21.399> fund<00:34
• funds.
• ours be more efficient with State funds ours be more efficient with State funds penipen<00:52:32.119

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think one of the challenges we have with grants is the federal funding and the state funding and the
• funding and the grants is the federal funding and the state<01:27:05.480> funding<01:27:06.080
• under federal health care programs under federal health care programs under federal<01:31:15.320
• We get federal funding and state funding, and there is a lot of repeat work, or not repeat work.
• We get federal funding and state funding, and there is a lot of repeat work, or not repeat work.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• fraud within this program? fraud within this program?
• It was a different program built specifically for that time because we had $600 million in federal funds
• uh<00:14:59.839> that federal funds.
• Um this program uh that federal funds.
• Uh, we could address housing stability funds that are being frozen at the federal level.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This means average funding per student varies for each program based on program type and hours offered
• funding sources to support bilingual multicultural education programs.
• is used to supplement programming for English learners and not supplant federal or state funds.
• One last question: The federal funding they were cutting back on English language learner funding.
• We also don't have a federal funding update for you this month.