Transcript Highlights:

• And I will tell you that ever since I dropped this bill, other people have been coming up to me and saying
• And I will tell you that ever since I dropped this bill, other people have been coming up to me and saying
• And I will tell you that ever since I dropped this bill, other people have been coming up to me and saying
• And I will tell you that ever since<01:50:04.159> I<01:50:04.320> dropped<01:50:04.639>
• this bill, other people since I dropped this bill, other people have<01:50:06.320> been<01:50

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Then in FY 27, that cost drops down to $3,196,696. Is there a question on this subject matter?
• We can ask Ed when he comes. would need then an FY 27 that cost drops would need then an FY 27 that cost
• drops down<00:24:54.520> to 3,196<00:24:58.440> , 3,196 , 3,196 , $696<00:25:02.000>
• What they're wanting is to make sure the inventory matches when they drop off the restricted use, not
• I think they do walk away with a record of what they dropped off. Absolutely nothing? No?

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard budget testimony first from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Director Tommy Johnson outlined short-term goals to reduce overcrowding, improve living and working conditions, fill vacancies, expand mental health services, and update the correctional master plan. He said the department is still dealing with severe overcrowding at facilities such as OCCC and HCCC, with 947 people at OCCC against a design capacity of 628, and noted 938 inmates are currently housed on the mainland because of temporary repairs at Halawa. He also reported progress on staffing, saying the correctional officer vacancy rate has dropped from 34.3% to 24% through expanded recruitment. The department’s major budget request was $30 million for planning and design for a new Old Triple C project, along with other requests for re-entry services, identification documents, security systems, radios, sink-toilet modules, and trauma-informed care. Members asked about the timing and scope of the OCCC project, courtroom space in new facilities, and the department’s plan to use the funding to improve re-entry and reduce recidivism. The committee then heard from the Department of Law Enforcement on a wide range of priorities. The department described requests to expand agricultural crime enforcement, traffic enforcement, illegal fireworks enforcement, and facilities such as a police building at the DKI airport, a state training center, and new police facilities in central and Leeward Oahu. It also discussed a major IT request for a statewide law enforcement and critical infrastructure notification platform, plus funding for grants management, the Wahiawa Civic Center and court complex, the prescription monitoring program, narcotics enforcement operations, and the narcotics lab. A significant portion of the discussion focused on a proposed traffic enforcement program for commercial vehicle inspections, speeding, and DUI enforcement, which the department said would be funded with federal dollars and would operate concurrently with county police. Committee members questioned whether the effort duplicated county jurisdiction and how the program would be trained and staffed. Members also pressed the department on salary disparities for deputy sheriffs and related vacancies, and the department said the administration was working on a supplemental agreement and placeholder funding to address the issue. Additional discussion covered agricultural crime staffing, the Silver Alert program, and expansion of the forensic lab to handle explosives, firearms, and related evidence. No votes were taken in the portion provided, and the meeting moved from the corrections presentation to the law enforcement budget review with questions and answers throughout.

Transcript Highlights:

• As we continue to see gas prices drop and things like that, it feels really good when you fill up your
• As we continue to see gas prices drop and things like that, it feels really good when you fill up your
• As we continue to see gas prices drop and things like that, it feels really good when you fill up your
• Um, we are a drop in the bucket.
• Um but we we do it a drop in the bucket.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• when you look deeper into the facts, and you know children of color, low-income students, the numbers drop

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: House and Senate leaders announced a conference committee agreement on a literacy bill that both chambers had previously passed, saying the compromise combines the strongest parts of each version. The speakers said the bill responds to poor third-grade reading outcomes and aims to improve early literacy instruction for the next generation of students, with implementation planned for the 2027-2028 school year. The bill would require K-3 reading curricula to meet Department of Elementary and Secondary Education guidelines and be evidence-based, provide free approved curriculum options for districts that need them, and allow waivers for districts already using acceptable evidence-based programs. It also would remove unproven teaching methods, support student progress monitoring, require dyslexia screening, publish relevant data, and provide professional development and apprenticeship opportunities for teachers. One speaker described the measure as effectively ending guessing-based reading instruction and returning to phonics-focused teaching. The conferees said the bill was developed through weeks of negotiation and had unanimous votes in both chambers on the earlier versions. Senators Lewis and O'Connor, though absent, were said to support the compromise and would sign the conference report. The leaders said they expected strong support when the compromise bill comes to the House and Senate floors later in the week.

Transcript Highlights:

• mic's on, and I think, you know, sometimes we got this incredibly loud feedback when, like, if you drop

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Your local school district will never have an outside sensor dropped on its network unless it asks and

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• exemption and then obviously with the exemption some<00:24:37.840> larger<00:24:38.400> drops
• You can see we had a high of 12,500 home sales in 2021, but that's dropped down to about 7,600, 7,700
• Sacket, because it gets a little tricky in there because of that drop to the 8.3, right?
• <02:28:44.880> to<02:28:45.120> the<02:28:45.359> 8.3, the drop to the 8.3,
• the drop to the 8.3, right?

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We replace some of that by dropping the assessment rate constitutionally on owner-occupied homes to 8.3%
• We replace some of that by dropping the assessment rate constitutionally on owner-occupied homes to 8.3%
• <00:54:58.960> the We replace some of that by dropping the We replace some of that by dropping
• So this money, whether it's $100 million or $50 million, is a drop in the bucket compared to what the
• in the bucket or 50 million is a drop in the bucket compared<02:24:42.560> to<02:24:42.720>

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, but again, $5 million is a drop in the bucket. Representative Murphy.
• in the but again 5 million is a drop in the bucket. bucket. bucket.
• <04:35:22.719> drop<04:35:22.879> a >> Yeah.
• I'll I'll drop I'll drop a >> Yeah. Okay.
• I'll I'll drop I'll drop a couple<04:35:23.199> thousand<04:35:23.600> dollars<04:35:23.760

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Drop the mic, baby. Further comments? You can't tee one up for me and expect me not to hit it.
• >> Drop<01:09:07.359> the<01:09:07.600> mic,<01:09:07.920> baby.
• Drop-off is going to be on the street.
• Drop off is going to be on parks there. Drop off is going to be on the<06:25:45.040> street.
• off on a street are going to handle drop off on a street that<06:25:57.600> may<06:25:57.760>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Municipal and County Government Committee met in executive session on February 17, 2026, to act on a series of bills. Early in the meeting, members agreed that they could consult the online submission summaries rather than have changing submission counts read aloud. The committee then took up House Bill 1386, which would have allowed citizens in a municipality to vote to require a financial audit of a local school district. Members opposing the bill argued that school districts already have audit authority and reporting requirements under existing law, and that the proposal was unnecessary and potentially burdensome. The committee voted 17-0 to recommend the bill inexpedient to legislate, placing it on the consent calendar. The committee next considered House Bill 1181FN on public hearing notice requirements for zoning board of adjustment appeals. Members who opposed the bill said newspaper publication provides independent third-party verification and archival value, and that removing that requirement would weaken public notice. The committee voted 17-0 ITL and sent the bill to the consent calendar. It also voted 17-0 ITL on House Bill 1327, concerning the definition of commercially zoned land, largely because the sponsor was absent and members said they could not do due diligence without hearing from the sponsor. The committee then acted on House Bill 1473FN, concerning the use of agricultural fairground property, and House Bill 1147, concerning the use of capital reserve funds. In both cases, members cited the sponsor’s absence and the need for more information as reasons to recommend inexpedient to legislate; both votes were 17-0 and both bills were placed on the consent calendar. House Bill 1220, which would have allowed municipal governing bodies to review and approve school budgets, was also recommended ITL by a 17-0 vote after members raised concerns about local control, legal conflicts between separate entities, and technical drafting problems. The committee recommended ought to pass on House Bill 118, which raises the amount of money municipal treasurers may hold before depositing it in the bank, with supporters saying the higher threshold would reduce unnecessary trips to the bank and improve efficiency. It also recommended ought to pass on House Bill 1151, a housekeeping bill correcting statutory references related to conservation commission appropriations, and it approved House Bill 1309 as amended after adopting Amendment 2026-0411H to clarify town meeting warrant language. Finally, the committee considered House Bill 1385, prohibiting negative property tax rates in certain municipalities, and recommended ITL by a 17-0 vote after testimony indicated the practice at issue had already ended and that a blanket prohibition could create problems for municipalities with excess revenues. The committee also began work on House Bill 1369, relating to posting warrants for special town meetings, and discussed an amendment to preserve newspaper notice while also allowing website posting where available.

Transcript Highlights:

• However, she was saying none of the landlords are dropping the rent on these vacant apartments right
• That’s uh, they’re going to need to uh, drop rents.
• However, she was saying none of the landlords are dropping the rent on these vacant apartments right
• That’s uh, they’re going to need to uh, drop rents.
• If you're not I don't want drop rents.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• this amendment does is set the default at 100%, but then allows school boards, with verification, to drop
• this amendment does is set the default at 100%, but then allows school boards, with verification, to drop
• this amendment does is set the default at 100%, but then allows school boards, with verification, to drop
• Are we going to let it drop to the floor, or are we going to grab it for our constituents?
• the a drop in the state's<02:45:58.160> contribution<02:45:59.120> to<02:45:59.439>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• He said the issue is a dropping number of qualified patients in the last three years, down 15 percent
• <01:03:57.680> number<01:03:58.079> of<01:03:58.319> qualified is a dropping
• number of qualified is a dropping number of qualified patients<01:03:59.599> in<01:03:59.760>
• analysis and through, like, Six Sigma, and trying to identify efficiency and steps that could be dropped
• analysis and through, like, Six Sigma, and trying to identify efficiency and steps that could be dropped

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up SB 1494 on hearing aids. Testimony was generally supportive of expanding hearing-aid coverage, with the Insurance Division raising concern about possible federal defrayment issues, SHPDA supporting the goal of hearing augmentation, DCAB strongly supporting the bill as an important access issue, and health plans and insurers asking for amendments. Kaiser Permanente and the Hawaii Association of Health Plans requested changes to add a medical-necessity standard and clarify annual notice language, while HMSA suggested the proposal should be studied by the auditor. The chair noted concerns about federal preemption and the lack of an audit, and deferred the bill in favor of a related resolution calling for a study. The committee then heard SB 1448, an emergency appropriation for the Hawaii State Hospital. DAGS and the Department of Health supported the measure, with the hospital administrator saying the funding would improve the environment of care, support cleaning, and allow a third-party review of the building. Committee members questioned the size of the request and the status of litigation against the design-builder. Administration witnesses said they were pursuing a comprehensive study involving destructive testing, had made a demand on the design-builder to fund the study, and were using different processes than before. They also said the roof work would be handled through a separate CIP request. No final action was taken in the portion provided. The committee next heard SB 1432, relating to the future responsibilities of the Department of Health and land issues at Kalaupapa after the last patient dies. DOH supported the bill in part but said its long-term role would be limited mainly to environmental cleanup, with operations expected to continue under the National Park Service and land-use decisions left to DHHL and beneficiary consultation. DHHL asked that the measure reflect that any land-use or zoning changes on homeland lands require commission approval and beneficiary consultation. Testifiers from Kalaupapa and Maui County, including Degra Vanderbilt-Papa and Council Member Keani Rollins-Fernandez, supported deferring the bill, saying there had been no meaningful community discussion about provisions affecting Kalaupapa’s future management and possible transfer of responsibilities to Maui County. The committee also read into the record written testimony from Gloria Marks emphasizing that Kalaupapa stakeholders must be included in future discussions. Finally, the committee heard SB 955 on fitness-to-proceed examinations. The Judiciary and the Public Defender’s Office both supported raising pay and standardizing expectations for private examiners, but opposed reducing felony fitness evaluations from three examiners to one and opposed expanding use of expedited reports. They argued that a single examiner would reduce reliability, create a more adversarial process, and likely increase costs and contested hearings, while expedited reports do not contain enough information for a proper fitness determination. The Department of Health also supported the bill’s intent but asked to preserve a three-examiner framework and said the goal was to reduce the number of people sent to the State Hospital, where admissions have reportedly risen about 20% year over year since Act 26. The bill remained under discussion in the excerpt, with no final vote shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• This adds in language on the request for Black Hills that was accidentally dropped from L027 during seconds
• As the majority leader stated, um, this amendment fixes something that was accidentally dropped off from
• I'm fine with both of those realities, but we're going to drop the soling on the heads of others.
• Olympic size swimming pools with two drops or something like that.
• We need to dive in a bit deeper into the issues here. >> There's three drops in 30 Olympic size swimming

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Nothing's done until sine die, until that gavel drops.
• convictions by the federal government—Biden administration, Trump administration—of where we have dropped
• convictions by the federal government, Biden administration, Trump administration, of where we have dropped
• Let's drop that.
• Let's drop that. You know, federal politics, etc.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The House took up Senate File 3432, a public safety bill requiring identifying equipment and insignia to be removed from emergency vehicles sold to the public. The chamber first adopted a House language amendment, then debated a broader security package that would fund judicial and courthouse security, Capitol security measures, short-term protection for legislators facing credible threats, State Patrol deficiency funding, and additional BCA analysts and investigators to assess threats statewide. Supporters framed the bill as necessary to protect public safety, democracy, and First Amendment activity at the Capitol and courthouses; they also said the package was pared down from larger requests and based on security reviews. The House adopted an A-1 amendment clarifying that BCA staff could investigate threats statewide, and later rejected a Schultz A-3 amendment that would have eliminated all appropriations in the bill. The A-3 was defeated on a 37-94 vote after the House upheld the Speaker’s ruling that a proposed school-safety secondary amendment was not germane, with that appeal decided 69-62. A major theme of debate was whether the Legislature should prioritize security for members and the Capitol before passing school safety funding. Several members argued they could not support spending tens of millions on Capitol and legislative security without first funding school safety for all students, including public, charter, private, and tribal schools. Others defended the bill as necessary because of recent threats and violence, including the June 14 tragedy, and said the Capitol security changes were based on professional recommendations. Some members also criticized the new security setup as overly restrictive or “security theater,” while supporters said the measures were needed to keep the public, staff, and lawmakers safe. After the A-3 was defeated, the bill was read for third time and members continued floor debate. The discussion remained split between those emphasizing immediate Capitol and legislative security needs and those insisting school safety should come first. Representative Agbaje then moved to table the bill, and the clerk began a roll call on that motion.

Transcript Highlights:

• Two of those have been addressed with the amendment that dropped last night. been very collaborative
• /c><01:09:17.359> that addressed with the amendment that addressed with the amendment that dropped
• <01:09:18.400> That<01:09:18.560> dealt<01:09:18.839> with dropped last night
• That dealt with dropped last night.
• their inclusion is the reason the bill imposes limits on how many batteries someone can bring to a drop-off

Bills: HF3426, HF3896, HF1426, HF3793, HF4061, HF4246

Keywords: natural resources, environment, sustainability, conservation, outdoor recreation, wild rice, watercraft regulation, environmental protection, aquatic ecosystems, HF1426, product stewardship, extended producer responsibility, EPR, electronics recycling, e-waste, battery recycling, circuit boards, printed circuit boards, electrical products, covered products

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, let me drop off for a second and see if I can figure out the technology. >> Sure. >> Who else do
• Later, the protective order and the child abuse allegations were denied by the court and dropped by BFS
• parenting and making it the standard in 2018 and made the first shared parenting day, we saw a 70% drop
• > we<00:37:24.000> saw<00:37:24.240> a<00:37:24.400> 70%<00:37:25.119> drop
• <00:37:25.440> in<00:37:25.599> domestic day, we saw a 70% drop in domestic day, we

Bills: SF0099, SF0116, SJ0006

Keywords: easement, electricity delivery, public utility, prescriptive easement, landowner rights, surface water, drainage utilities, municipality, elections, environmental management, shared parenting, family law, joint custody, child well-being, parental rights, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It drops the cost of the state voter roll to $1,000, does not allow the publication of Social Security
• It drops the basically three things.
• I told folks I can drop it like it's hot. to folks in my district to see how they to folks in my district
• I told folks I can drop<00:50:45.920> it<00:50:46.160> like<00:50:46.319> it<00:
• 50:46.800> And<00:50:46.960> I<00:50:47.119> didn't<00:50:47.200> even "Drop

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, a bill was dropped in '24 for a full ban and it was never heard in committee.
• Um, a a bill was<00:52:25.119> dropped<00:52:25.359> in<00:52:25.680> 24<00:52:26.559
• So, I'd love to say in three to five years we see super mega drops in our data around restrictive procedures
• /c><01:05:01.760> see<01:05:03.200> super<01:05:03.520> mega<01:05:03.839> drops
• five years like we see super mega drops five years like we see super mega drops in<01:05:04.640>

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The Seclusion Working Group approved the minutes from its November 5, 2025 meeting and then heard presentations from Jessica Heiser and Aaron Sansmark of Solutions Not Suspensions and the Minnesota Disability Law Center on the misuse and illegal use of seclusion in schools. They described illegal seclusion as including use outside emergencies, for discipline or noncompliance, beyond the emergency period, in unregistered rooms, without parent notice, without required observation or documentation, for students outside the grade-limit rules, when meals/restroom/water are withheld, or when staff are not properly trained. They emphasized that Minnesota lacks a single reliable data source for identifying illegal seclusion and that families often learn about incidents late, if at all, making complaints and legal action difficult because of barriers such as time, cost, language, and access to advocates. The presenters summarized Minnesota Disability Law Center records, saying they receive about one seclusion-related case per month during the school year, statewide, and that in the cases reviewed over the last year the children were all boys with disabilities, including autism, ADHD, developmental delay, or emotional disabilities; three were white and two were children of color, and four of the five were age 10 or younger. They said all of those families pulled their children from school afterward, and that five of five cases potentially had valid illegal-seclusion claims, though only three pursued legal action. They also noted PACER reports many discipline and behavior calls involving seclusion but does not keep hard records. The presenters proposed better statewide data collection, including identifying school buildings, staff, or students involved, reporting incident duration, and adding a checkbox on MDE complaints to flag restraint/seclusion allegations. A substantial portion of the discussion focused on disproportionality. The presenters cited national research showing students with disabilities and students of color, especially Black boys, are disproportionately restrained or secluded, while acknowledging Minnesota does not have a single statewide racial aggregate for seclusion. Members discussed whether banning seclusion would reduce misuse and disproportionality, whether it could increase physical holds or injuries, and whether the issue should be viewed in the broader context of emergency interventions. Heiser argued Minnesota is moving in the same direction as federal actions and other states that have restricted or banned seclusion, and noted that the current birth-through-third-grade ban has reportedly reduced seclusion by 40%. Other members agreed disproportionality is a serious systemwide problem, but emphasized the need to keep the conversation focused on seclusion and emergency use. No additional votes or formal actions were taken beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:33:20.960> willing<01:33:21.400> to<01:33:22.639> uh<01:33:22.880> drop
• and we would be uh willing to uh drop and we would be uh willing to uh drop the<01:33:24.560>
• uh<01:33:25.120> drop<01:33:25.560> the<01:33:26.719> uh<01:33:27.440> square
• <01:33:27.760> footage<01:33:29.199> um the uh drop the uh square footage um the uh
• drop the uh square footage um issue<01:33:30.760> and<01:33:32.000> uh<01:33:32.639>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all