Transcript Highlights:

• The trial was set for December.
• It was an unopposed motion, meaning a joint motion to continue the trial until March.
• And we continued the trial until March.
• He's on the bench. The Judicial District Court is asking for an increase of 6.3%.
• Judge Rose is on the bench this morning and sends his regrets.

Transcript Highlights:

• custody on felony level sex offenses, which is 36 months, whereas on a misdemeanor, it typically can be benched
• person who has been convicted of, found not guilty by reason of insanity, or found incompetent to stand trial
• Attorney General files a petition and proves that the person meets the criteria of being an SVP at trial
• grateful recipient of prosecutorial embedded victim services in this county, culminating in a jury trial
• He was on bench warrant status while I was going through counseling, medication, various trials, not

Bills: HB2146 , HB2349 , HB2430 , HB2457 , HB2510 , HB2532

Committee: House Community Safety

Keywords: sexual exploitation, minors, human trafficking, child safety, law enforcement, victim support, sexually violent predator, SVP, civil commitment, community notification, release notification, conditional release, unconditional discharge, escape notification, victim notification, witness notification, prosecuting attorney, Department of Social and Health Services, DSHS, Department of Corrections

Transcript Highlights:

• and that we need to take into consideration their past history when it comes to adjudication at trial
• and that we need to take criminal bench and that we need to take into<00:41:13.359><c> consideration
• </c> when it comes to adjudication at trial when it comes to adjudication at trial as<00:41:18.319><c
• And so the second part of the bill, which would allow us to introduce this type of evidence in a trial
• </c> sentencing or perhaps even at trial sentencing or perhaps even at trial should<00:46:07.119><c>

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Summary: The joint HHS and LBT meeting opened with accessibility concerns, as several blind attendees arrived after the general public had already been seated. The chair apologized and said future hearings would try to seat blind members earlier. The committee also announced the hearing was being streamed on YouTube, testimony would be limited to one minute, and written testimony was available online. The first bill heard was SB 2281, relating to the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare. The Department of Health supported transparency for patients but preferred disclosure through provider websites and office signage rather than a new regulatory program. The Hawaii Medical Association and Healthcare Association of Hawaii generally supported the bill’s intent but raised concerns about administrative burden and suggested a working group or model policies. Hawaii Pacific Health said it already uses AI for note-taking and patient portal functions and worried that written notice requirements could create too much consumer information. In response, the chair emphasized that patients should be informed when AI is used, especially if it affects diagnosis or consequential decisions, and said AI should not be making medical decisions. The committee later voted to recommend SB 2281 pass with amendments, including narrowing the definition of consequential decisions, removing certain language requested by DOH, adding a two-year implementation period, and setting a far-future defective date for further discussion; both committees adopted the recommendation, with the chair voting aye and the vice chair voting with reservations. The second major bill was SB 2852, a civil rights measure focused on digital access for people with disabilities. The Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, and the National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii all supported the bill, arguing that existing law clearly protects physical access but should also make digital access explicit. Blind testifiers described how accessible technology, such as VoiceOver on iPhones, allows them to participate independently in public processes and warned that inaccessible digital systems can create barriers for thousands of blind residents. One testifier, an attorney with disability-law experience, supported the bill’s intent but said the draft had flaws, including no exceptions for archived materials, no distinction between small and large businesses, and concerns about the timing and choice of accessibility standards; he suggested delegating regulatory authority to the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission. The bill’s sponsor said he supported DAB’s proposed amendments, and the committee indicated those amendments would address many of the concerns raised. No final vote on SB 2852 was taken in the portion provided. The committee then took up SB 2751, which defines compounded prescription drugs for workers’ compensation purposes. The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations supported the bill but requested clarifying amendments to keep pharmacists as the primary professionals authorized to compound in licensed pharmacies and to limit any physician compounding authority to the physician’s own patient. Supporters included the Work Injury Medical Association of Hawaii, while Solera Integrated Medical Solutions opposed the measure, arguing the current definition was already broad enough and warning about cost inflation, especially with 503B bulk compounding facilities and physician dispensing. In questioning, members asked about rural access, reimbursement for 503B products, and late testimony suggesting definitions for 503A and 503B facilities, limits on physician dispensing to 30 days post-injury, and pre-approval for non-FDA-approved drugs. DLIR said not every rural community has licensed pharmacists available, that products with a national drug code are reimbursed at 140%, and that 503B facilities raise concerns because they are bulk manufacturers rather than patient-specific compounding operations. The meeting then moved into decision-making on SB 2281; the chair’s pass-with-amendments recommendation was adopted by both committees, with the vice chair voting with reservations.

Bills: SB1450 , SB1458 , SB1232 , SB1238 , SB1325 , SB1209 , SB1362 , SB2072 , SB1451 , SB1540 , SB1581 , SB1535 , SB1266 , SB1927 , SB1460 , SB2084 , SB2182

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: criminal court costs, court fees, fines, assessments, waiver, ability to pay, indigent defendants, post-release relief, probation compliance, parole, deferred sentence, suspended sentence, restitution, child support, municipal court, district court, criminal justice reform, court debt, legal financial obligations, fee waiver

Transcript Highlights:

• Correa without a trial.
• Thereafter, they placed him in an unrestrained manner without a seatbelt on a bench in the back of a
• Without a seatbelt on a bench in the back of a van.
• Thereafter, they placed him in an unrestrained manner without seatbelt on a bench in the back of a van
• . on the way to the J. without seatbelt on a bench in the back of a van.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are talking about this would most likely be a jury trial.
• This is not a type of criminal action that would be decided by the bench, by a judge and someone who
• One thing that I will propose to you and I do support is the civil... be a jury trial.
• We're talking about two weeks of jury trial expense for your lawyers.
• I just got a trial the other day. And you've got to walk before you can run.

Committee: House Children and Families

Transcript Highlights:

• Thereafter, they placed him unrestrained in the back of the van on a bench and proceeded to transport
• Can you walk us through how a trial court is supposed to determine what equity requires in practice and
• DRM Gottlieb: This decision is made by a court only after a trial on the matter.
• Is the intent to merely codify existing case law or are we expanding trial court authority beyond what

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, we really need good judges on the bench as more judges retire.
• we really need good judge judges<00:39:42.240><c> on</c><00:39:42.400><c> the</c><00:39:42.560><c> bench
• as</c><00:39:44.240><c> you</c><00:39:44.400><c> know</c><00:39:44.560><c> more</c> judges on the bench
• as you know more judges on the bench as you know more judges<00:39:45.119><c> retire.
• And if I might actually call a BNF from the Hawaii State Trial Judges from the Hawaii State Trial Judges

Committee: House Labor

Transcript Highlights:

• And that county and that judge will either do a trial by bench or by jury and determine if the person
• So they either got their rights back or somebody else was identified that could come forward. bench or
• by jury and determine if the bench or by jury and determine if the person<00:28:11.520><c> needs</c>
• ,</c><00:28:44.159><c> which</c><00:28:44.399><c> usually</c> cannot wait for a trial, which usually
• cannot wait for a trial, which usually takes<00:28:45.120><c> about</c><00:28:45.360><c> 60</c><00:28

Summary: The Interim Joint Committee on Families and Children opened its first meeting with roll call and a reminder about the number of children in out-of-home care with active placements, which the chair said was 8,641 as of June 1, 2025. The committee then heard a presentation from the Center for Courageous Kids, a donor-funded camp in Scottville that serves children with lifelong illnesses and disabilities at no charge. Representatives described the camp’s year-round family retreats and summer sessions, its medically safe and inclusive model, and examples of campers gaining confidence and independence. They said the camp has served more than 43,000 campers from Kentucky, other states, and other countries, and that it is seeking legislative support for two capital projects: a new art barn and a medical lodge, with a combined request of $3.2 million. Members praised the program and asked about awareness, staffing, volunteer recruitment, accreditation, and how the projects would expand capacity; the camp said the medical lodge would help increase volunteer housing and allow future growth beyond its current summer cap of 128 campers per session. The committee then moved to adult protective services and state guardianship programs. Jessica Wayne, director of the Division of Guardianship, and Cliff Bryant of DCBS explained the legal framework for guardianship and conservatorship, including state guardianship as a last-resort option when no family member or private entity is available or appropriate. They outlined the court petition process, emergency appointments, and the distinction between full and limited guardianship or conservatorship. They emphasized that guardianship is based on legal incapacity to make decisions, not simply on a medical disability diagnosis, and noted that state guardianship can be arranged for some 17-year-olds aging out of youth services. The presenters said the state currently serves 4,645 individuals under guardianship, with most cases involving developmental intellectual disabilities, supported community living waiver participants, and people in nursing homes or long-term care facilities. They also described the division’s three branches: field services, which handles visits and day-to-day decisions in all 120 counties; a benefits branch that applies for public benefits; and a fiduciary branch that manages funds and pays bills. They reported 89 field workers statewide, an average caseload of 52, and said the agency is hiring to reduce that load. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• an innovative and delivering a locally accountable and accessible system for pre-arraignment, pre-trial
• creating innovated and delivering a locally accountable and accessible system or pre-arrayment pre-trial
• You know, when we look at the judicial system right now, as people get put onto the bench, they then
• You know, when we look at the judicial system right now, as people get put onto the bench, they then

Summary: The special commission on consolidation and cooperation in public safety held a hearing focused on correctional labor testimony, with union leaders and officers from multiple county facilities and the Department of Correction describing staffing, safety, wellness, and programming concerns. Speakers emphasized that correctional officers face high levels of workplace violence, exposure to synthetic drugs like K2, inmate suicides and assaults, and significant mental health strain. They also raised concerns about gender-identity housing policies, arguing that current practices can create unsafe conditions for staff, and urged stronger debriefing and wellness supports after traumatic incidents, including fuller use of programs like OnSide Academy. Several witnesses from unions including KCU/NCU and local county bargaining units argued against consolidating sheriff’s offices or merging them with the Department of Correction. They said consolidation could weaken collective bargaining, harm retention and recruitment, increase commute times, and disrupt locally tailored programming and reentry services. Multiple speakers stressed that county facilities are distinct and should be evaluated individually, not by a single formula, and that staffing levels, training, and facility-specific needs must drive any policy changes. One witness described innovative programming such as welding and shed-building partnerships, while another highlighted Norfolk County’s accreditation, budget stability, and reentry efforts. Commission members largely thanked the witnesses and echoed concerns about officer safety and wellness. They discussed the need for more facility tours, including Norfolk, and debated whether the commission should seek an extension beyond its September 30 reporting deadline. After discussion, the commission voted to request an extension to November 30, with the understanding that the report would still be completed and filed later. Members also discussed the possibility of examining the Norwegian correctional model and reaching out to the judiciary for additional testimony. The hearing concluded with an adjournment after public testimony closed.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> pre-trial system. pre-trial system.
• </c> pre-trial assessments and reports. pre-trial assessments and reports.
• </c> pre-trial assessments and reports. pre-trial assessments and reports.
• </c> our statistics, pre-trial Hawaii's our statistics, pre-trial Hawaii's pre-trial<00:36:14.960><c>
• So again pre-trial and trial on order.

Transcript Highlights:

• I am also currently serving as chair of the Trial Court Budget Commission.
• They used their backup trial divisions to create supplemental trial and summary judgment calendars.
• I'm more of a numbers guy from the Trial Court Budget Commission and how we deal with that.
• If they had a hearing or they needed something to occur, they would need a trial date.
• If they had a hearing or they needed something to occur, they would need a trial date.

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Summary: The Judiciary Committee met with a quorum present and heard several Office of the State Courts Administrator presentations. Judge Mark Mahan discussed the impact of 2023’s HB 837 litigation reforms on court operations, explaining that the law’s changes to comparative negligence, filing deadlines, collateral source evidence, premises liability, bad faith claims, attorney’s fees, and offer-of-judgment rules triggered a major March 2023 civil filing surge. He described how filings tripled statewide, with especially large increases in auto negligence and premises liability cases, and outlined how circuits responded through active case management, added resources, and workflow changes. Members asked whether the bill’s immediate effective date contributed to the surge and whether clearance rates would normalize over time; Judge Mahan said the court system viewed its response as a success and expected rates to settle as the backlog is worked through. The committee then received a presentation on problem-solving courts from Jennifer Grandal and Judge Nina Richardson. Grandal reviewed Florida’s drug courts, mental health courts, veterans courts, dependency and early childhood courts, noting statewide best-practice standards, annual reporting requirements, funding sources, and data collection systems. Judge Richardson gave a local perspective on treatment courts, emphasizing that they address underlying mental health and substance use issues, rely on judicial supervision and sanctions as well as incentives, and help participants achieve recovery and avoid reoffending. She said the programs are accountable, transparent, and effective, and thanked the Legislature for continued support. Finally, Judge Rachel Nordby and Eric McClure outlined the judicial branch’s legislative agenda. Nordby summarized the Supreme Court workgroup’s recommendations to expand Florida’s vexatious litigant law, including broader coverage, fewer qualifying adverse cases, a longer lookback period, and a public records exemption for stricken defamatory or sham material. McClure then highlighted additional agenda items: modernizing the duty-judge statute, expanding senior management retirement eligibility, authorizing additional judgeships based on workload studies, removing the statutory cap on court-ordered nonbinding arbitration compensation, protecting appellate clerks’ personal information, allowing alternative authentication for certain judicial notarizations, and creating a hearsay exception for guardian ad litem reports and testimony. No votes were taken, and the committee adjourned after member introductions and staff introductions.

Transcript Highlights:

• NOT A LAWYER BUT I BROUGHT MY SKILLS TO A LOT OF LAW FIRMS IN MIAMI AND THE NEXT THING I KNOW I'M IN TRIAL
• MEDIATIONS AND ARBITRATIONS AND I BROUGHT MY TECHNIQUES TO HELP THEM WORK OUT CASES AND IT'S ALL JURY TRIALS
• EXPERIENCE THE FIVE BUT THE LAWYERS ISSUED TITLE INSURANCE FUND. >> THEY DO MOSTLY PERSONAL INJURY, JURY TRIAL
• ZEROS AND IT'S A DRUG CASE THAT IT'S A SUBJECTIVE DETERMINATION FOR THE JURY OR FOR THE JUDGE IN A BENCH
• TRIAL WHETHER OR NOT THAT PERSON'S NORMAL FACULTIES WERE IMPAIRED.

Transcript Highlights:

• The 2004 trial of Terry Nichols, a co-conspirator of the Oklahoma City bombing, in that moment, Justice
• And God demands it this morning because of my experience as the presiding judge of the state trial over
• And that is the essence of justice: a fair trial and the full measure of the rule of law for everyone
• He talked about a fair trial and a full measure of the law. And Mr.
• But I'll leave with what Justice Taylor said: these people deserve a fair trial and a full measure of

Bills: HR1046 , SB1733 , SB1439

Keywords: Oklahoma City, terrorism, Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, memorial, remembrance, first responders, community support, child abuse, reporting requirements, sexual misconduct, law enforcement, school personnel, confidentiality, student safety, fossil fuels, liability protection, climate change, energy independence, oil and gas

Transcript Highlights:

• In Pima County, in addition to his felony trial work, he served as the designated attorney for clients
• He also spent seven years with the Pima County Public Defender as a felony trial attorney, handling cases
• There he handled 21 jury trials in the U.S.
• District Court, 15 appeals before the Ninth Circuit, and countless pre-trial and post-conviction hearings
• He graduated from USC, and he's been on the bench for 20 years.

Transcript Highlights:

• custody on felony level sex offenses, which is 36 months, whereas on a misdemeanor, it typically can be benched
• person who has been convicted of, found not guilty by reason of insanity, or found incompetent to stand trial
• Attorney General files a petition and proves that the person meets the criteria of being an SVP at trial
• grateful recipient of prosecutorial embedded victim services in this county, culminating in a jury trial
• He was on bench warrant status while I was going through counseling, medication, various trials, not

Summary: The committee heard public hearings on several bills, with testimony limited because of the large number of sign-ups. House Bill 2146 would expand the crime of sexual exploitation of a minor to include causing a minor to view sexually explicit conduct that is being photographed or shown in a live performance. The prime sponsor, Olympia police, and Pierce County prosecutors described cases involving adults masturbating in front of children and argued the current law leaves a gap by treating such conduct as only misdemeanor indecent exposure or communication with a minor. Committee members asked about comparisons to other states, forensic interviews, and whether related offenses could be enhanced. House Bill 2349 would expand notice requirements for sexually violent predator releases, conditional releases, address changes, discharges, and escapes to include local elected officials such as sheriffs, county executives, city officials, and legislators. The sponsor said the bill would codify a practice already occurring in some cases and help officials respond to community concerns with accurate information. DSHS supported increased communication but requested technical amendments. Several city officials testified in support, saying they had not always been notified in advance of placements in their communities. Defense advocates opposed the bill, warning that broader notification could fuel public pressure, vigilante responses, and constitutional problems for the civil commitment system. The hearing on the bill was left open for amendments. House Bill 2532 would make it a gross misdemeanor to sell or distribute nitrous oxide canisters or similar containers, with exemptions for medical, dental, food, industrial, and automotive uses. The sponsor and supporters described rising misuse among youth and young adults, public health harms, and incidents involving impaired driving and overdose deaths. Tribal representatives, the Attorney General’s Office, the Washington Poison Center, and public health officials supported the bill, while veterinary representatives asked for clarification or an amendment to preserve veterinary use. The committee also heard testimony on House Bills 2430 and 2457, which both concern the crime victim penalty assessment. Representative Barno’s bill would restore the assessment for certain offenses involving victims, while Representative Davis’s bill would increase the assessment and add a surcharge for defendants with substantial financial resources. Victim advocates, prosecutors, and sheriffs supported the bills as needed to restore funding for victim services, while defense groups opposed them as burdensome fees on indigent defendants. The chair directed the two sponsors to work together on a single proposal, and the hearings were held open.

Transcript Highlights:

• Where you'd find me is sitting at the end of the bench, but I was quite supportive there.
• Can we have Olympic trials in the state of Minnesota? Minnesota has a proud Olympic tradition.
• Can we have Olympic trials for cross-country skiing in the state of Minnesota legally?
• state of an Olympic trial in the state of Minnesota?
• </c><02:15:22.960><c> for</c> Can we have Olympic trials for Can we have Olympic trials for cross-country

Transcript Highlights:

• And incompetence has no place on the bench. Incompetence has no place on the bench.
• House Bill by Representative Egan, trial without jury, trial of misdemeanors, monetary threshold, 279
• House bill by representative, Carlson, trial by jury.
• trial of juries.
• trial of juries.

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, received and accepted multiple resignation notices from members representing Districts 37, 39, 60, 69, 97, and 100, and then recognized the election and qualification of the members-elect who filled those vacancies: Doyle Boudreau, Reese Broussard, Chasity Verrett-Martinez, and Edwin Murray. Each member-elect was sworn in, and the House also appointed committees to notify the Senate and the governor that it was ready to conduct business for the 2026 regular session. The chamber then handled a large number of procedural actions related to prefiled legislation. By motion and without objection, the House suspended rules to refer prefile bills to committee and introduced a broad slate of House bills and resolutions. Topics included the state budget and appropriations, retirement system changes, carbon capture and sequestration, criminal justice and bail, public safety, education, health care, local government matters, transportation, and several memorial or commemorative resolutions. Several resolutions and bills were noted as lying over, and some prefiled bills were withdrawn from the files. The House also received a Senate message that SCR 1 had been adopted, and the resolution was taken up without objection. The chamber then recessed for a joint session with the Senate to hear the governor’s address and a presentation honoring Technical Sergeant Adam W. Brister with the Distinguished Flying Cross. In his remarks, Governor Jeff Landry highlighted his administration’s priorities, including education, tax reform, workforce development, health and nutrition, insurance reform, transportation infrastructure, fiscal discipline, and criminal justice reform, while urging support for his agenda and several related bills and constitutional amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thereafter, they placed him on an unrestrained bench in the back of the van without a seatbelt.
• Correa without a trial.

Summary: The Judiciary Committee met with a quorum present and took up several bills, beginning with SB 762 on offices of criminal conflict and civil regional counsel. The committee adopted a strike-all amendment that removed a one-year sunset and a reporting requirement to the legislature. Senator Martin and regional counsel Itan Emotin explained that the bill would allow regional counsel offices to handle certain capital conflict cases, with the goal of reducing very high defense costs while maintaining adequate representation. After questions about whether referrals would be optional, compensation, and possible impacts on quality of defense, the committee reported CS for SB 762 favorably by a 9-1 vote. The committee then considered two uncontested local claims bills. SB 16, relating to relief of Heroberto A. Sanchez Mayan by the City of St. Petersburg, described serious injuries allegedly caused during an arrest and transport by police; counsel for the claimant appeared in support. President Gates spoke against the claims-bill process but said he would support the victim if the bill’s passage were in doubt. The bill was reported favorably 9-1. SB 14, relating to relief of Jose Correa by Miami-Dade County, involved a pedestrian struck by a county bus; the county had admitted fault and settled the case. The bill was reported favorably 9-1, and SB 24, a $500,000 settlement for Lourdes and Edward Latour against Miami-Dade County, was also reported favorably 9-1. Finally, the committee took up SB 208 on land use and development regulations. Senator McLean presented a negotiated strike-all amendment that would make development application fees more transparent and cost-based, tie them to direct and reasonable indirect review costs, and set subjective compatibility standards for residential projects, with carve-outs for PUDs, master plan communities, and historic districts. Multiple stakeholders appeared or waived in support, including 1,000 Friends of Florida, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, AARP, counties, cities, and planning and conservation groups. The amendment was adopted, and CS for SB 208 was reported favorably 10-0. The committee then adjourned after recording Senator DeSigley’s vote on SB 762.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thereafter, they placed him in an unrestrained, without a seatbelt, bench in the back of the van.
• Correa without a trial.

Committee: Senate Judiciary