Transcript Highlights:

• electricity rates through the roof and unaffordable rates risk discouraging households from purchasing electrification
• cities and counties with populations of 75,000 or more to create and adopt a plan to meet their electrification

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It supports a project that strengthens the grid, accelerates electrification, and provides meaningful

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee first heard testimony on H. 3599, a bill concerning access to historic Indian lands and easements for landlocked tribal parcels in Massachusetts. Witnesses, including members of the Mashpee Wampanoag and Herring Pond communities, said the bill would restore access to family lands that have long been treated as landlocked and had been denied easements by necessity in prior court rulings. They described heavy tax burdens, prior litigation, and support from the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, with conditional support from the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe pending language changes. Committee members asked about the tax assessments and the status of tribal support, and the chair said the committee would follow up on possible amendments. The committee then took up S. 2922, which would authorize an underground easement at Magazine Beach in Cambridge for the Greater Cambridge Energy Project. Eversource representatives said the easement is needed for a transmission line connecting the Brighton and Kendall Square substations, supporting grid reliability and the Commonwealth’s clean energy transition. They said DCR would receive fair market value and replacement land in Wendell to satisfy Article 97 requirements. No objections were raised, and the panel’s testimony concluded without a vote recorded in the transcript. Most of the hearing focused on H. 5047, which would authorize the Commonwealth to take the Norwood Hospital site by eminent domain so the hospital can be restored. Sponsors, local officials, hospital task force members, EMS and fire representatives, a chamber of commerce leader, and a former hospital administrator all argued that the 2020 flood and Steward’s bankruptcy left the region without adequate care, causing longer ambulance transports, emergency room boarding, staffing strain, and economic losses. They said the site remains a partially completed shell, that the state should be able to acquire it and bring in a nonprofit operator, and that the taking would not require state funding because an operator would pay the acquisition costs. Committee members from both chambers expressed support and asked about costs, timing, infrastructure, and whether a nonprofit operator is being pursued. The chair took the bill under advisement after extensive testimony; no vote was taken in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• up 30 years ago to Boston to speak to legislators and also business executives regarding the electrification

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee first heard testimony on a proposed Massachusetts baby bonds program, including H. 3429, S. 2146, and the Treasurer’s related bill H. 48. Treasurer Goldberg and a broad coalition of advocates, researchers, health professionals, and people with lived experience said the program would create trust accounts for children born into low-income families or in DCF custody, with funds available at age 18 for education, homeownership, business startup, or other long-term asset-building uses. Supporters argued the program would help close the racial wealth gap, improve economic mobility, and not affect eligibility for financial aid or public benefits. Committee members asked about administration, investment returns, eligibility, and withdrawal rules; the Treasurer said the accounts would be held in trust and managed by her office with an advisory board, with funds accessible at 18 and usable through age 35 if the beneficiary remains a Massachusetts resident. No vote was taken during the testimony shown. The committee also heard testimony on legislation establishing Lobular Breast Cancer Awareness Day, including S. 2666 and H. 4625. Senator Ross, Representative Badger, physicians, survivors, and advocates described invasive lobular carcinoma as difficult to detect because it often grows in lines rather than forming a lump, can be missed on mammography, and is underfunded and underrepresented in research and clinical trials. Witnesses said the bill would codify an annual October 15 proclamation to raise awareness, improve diagnosis, and encourage more targeted research and treatment. Committee members asked why the disease is so hard to detect, and medical witnesses explained the imaging challenges and the lack of lobular-specific protocols. The witnesses urged favorable reports. The committee then took testimony on H. 4648, a bill concerning the purchase or lease of Fenn Farm in Stockbridge by the Stockbridge-Munsee community. Representative Davis, the Stockbridge Land Trust president, and the tribal president testified that the bill would remove a conservation restriction tied to a state MVP grant so the tribe could manage the land without a restriction that they said would conflict with tribal sovereignty and Indigenous stewardship practices. They said the parcel is a sacred site connected to Monument Mountain and that the restriction is unnecessary because the land is already surrounded by conserved property. The witnesses asked for favorable action on the bill. Finally, the committee heard testimony on H. 3416, a resolution urging Congress to create a national infrastructure bank. Representative Senna and several advocates argued that an off-budget infrastructure bank could finance major repairs and upgrades to roads, bridges, rail, water systems, broadband, and housing without adding to the state budget, while creating jobs and supporting economic growth. Witnesses cited historical precedents for national infrastructure banks and said Massachusetts could benefit substantially from such a program. The transcript shown does not include a committee vote or final action on the resolution.

Transcript Highlights:

• California, the infrastructure just is not in place for the electrification of our vehicles, vehicle

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The committee began with announcements about consent items and then heard AB 72, which would create an electric vehicle economic opportunity zone in Riverside County. Supporters said the bill would help bring EV manufacturing jobs and training to the Inland Empire, while some senators questioned whether the state should favor one region over others and whether local economic development groups should handle the effort. The bill was passed on a roll call vote and sent to Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement. Members then took up AB 685, which would establish the Small Business Resiliency and Innovation Fund to support technical assistance and capital infusion programs for small businesses. The author and supporters emphasized the importance of TAP and related programs for women-owned, minority-owned, immigrant-owned, veteran-owned, and rural businesses, while some chambers of commerce raised concerns about amended eligibility language and whether the funding would be truly supplemental. After discussion, the bill was passed and sent to Senate Appropriations. The committee also approved ACR 173 on a 7-0 vote, and consent items AB 375 and AB 1587 were adopted 10-0. Later, AB 1760, a Dental Practice Act cleanup bill, and AB 1637, which would limit who may alter physician-authored medical records, both passed unanimously. AB 1785, allowing online sales of pseudoephedrine products with existing safeguards, also passed 10-0. AB 1973, expanding abortion-care authority for advanced practice clinicians, drew strong support and opposition and passed 7-3 after senators raised safety and training questions. AB 2025, requiring disclosures for digitally altered rental listings, passed 8-1, and AB 2697, allowing locally approved drive-through cannabis sales with security requirements, passed 7-3. The committee then heard AB 2249, which would tighten cannabis packaging rules to reduce child appeal, and the author described it as a response to poison-control calls and an audit finding that current law is too vague.

Transcript Highlights:

• a rapidly growing array of demands, including AI data centers, electric vehicle charging, and electrification

Summary: The Assembly Select Committee on Regulatory Authority held its first hearing to examine how California’s regulatory framework affects housing production, affordability, and timelines. Chair Pacheco and Assemblymember Haney framed the discussion around the state’s housing shortage and the need to reduce costs while maintaining environmental, safety, and community protections. The first panel featured housing experts and industry representatives who argued that state regulations, code complexity, utility constraints, and agency review processes add substantial cost and delay to development. Bill Fulton described overlapping state and local land-use authorities and the tension among housing, coastal protection, climate, and wildfire goals. CBIA’s Chris Ochoa and California Apartment Association representative Bob Raymer said building codes, energy mandates, and agency processes have materially increased per-home costs, and they urged more centralized affordability analysis and greater scrutiny of regulatory impacts. The Bay Area Council’s Louis Marante called for a statewide cost target for housing and stronger timelines and accountability for state agency reviews. The second panel brought in state agencies to explain their roles. HCD said its housing element enforcement, streamlining laws, and technical assistance have helped increase production, shorten entitlement timelines, and improve compliance by local governments. CARB said SB 375 is a planning law that does not directly regulate land use, and argued that regional housing assumptions in sustainable communities strategies are not being fully implemented on the ground. The Coastal Commission said it works with local governments to balance coastal protection, sea-level-rise risk, and housing, and noted recent guidance and pilot efforts to streamline housing approvals in the coastal zone. The Energy Commission said its building energy standards are designed to be cost-effective and save consumers money over time, though they can add some design and documentation complexity. Fish and Wildlife and DTSC both emphasized early engagement and collaboration to reduce delays while protecting natural resources and public health; DTSC said it is refining vapor intrusion guidance and using brownfield grants to support redevelopment. The State Water Resources Control Board said it uses general orders and basin planning to provide predictable permitting while balancing water quality, water rights, and housing needs, and noted billions in grants and loans for water infrastructure and site remediation that can support housing affordability. In response to questions from Assemblymember Haney, several agencies described ongoing coordination across departments, including regular meetings among HCD, CARB, the Coastal Commission, and transportation agencies, as well as broader interagency efforts to reduce redundancies and identify pinch points in project delivery. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken during the hearing; the main outcome was informational testimony and discussion of possible future reforms to improve coordination, predictability, and affordability in state regulatory processes.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so I believe one of the other bars was to increase our spending for NEBI, the National Electrification

Transcript Highlights:

• working on school resilience, building decarbonization, and renewable energy acceleration and electrification
• Working on school resilience and building decarbonization and renewable energy acceleration and electrification

Summary: The committee hearing centered first on AB 1243, the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act of 2025, which would direct CalEPA to identify major fossil fuel companies, study California’s climate damages, and assess fees on the largest polluters to fund resilience, recovery, and related projects. The author and supporters argued the bill would make polluters help pay for climate harms, protect taxpayers, create jobs in construction and clean energy, and dedicate at least 40% of funds to disadvantaged communities. Support testimony came from environmental justice groups, labor, youth advocates, health organizations, and many individual witnesses, while opponents from the building trades, chambers of commerce, petroleum, and business groups warned it would raise fuel and consumer costs, threaten refinery jobs, and create legal and economic uncertainty. Committee members debated the bill’s impact on affordability, jobs, refinery closures, and whether cap-and-trade already addresses climate funding needs. The committee ultimately voted to give AB 1243 a due pass recommendation to the Judiciary Committee, with the roll left open. After AB 1243, the committee moved to another bill on wildfire mitigation and related resilience work. The author said the measure addresses a long-running wildfire problem and accepted committee amendments, describing the bill as a response to increasingly severe wildfire seasons and the need to help communities stay safe and rebuild after disasters. The transcript cuts off as that presentation begins, so no final action on the second bill is shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Additionally, a fully functional State Water Project provides significant opportunity to support the electrification

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Additionally, a fully functional State Water Project provides significant opportunity to support the electrification

Summary: The committee heard several wildlife and water-related bills. SB 872, by Senator McNerney, would create a Delta Levees and Canal Subsidence Fund and allow waiver of local cost-sharing for Delta levee repairs to protect the State Water Project and Delta infrastructure. Supporters from water agencies, environmental groups, counties, and agricultural interests said the bill is needed to address levee failure and canal subsidence; there was no opposition, and the bill was held open until a quorum was present, with broad support expressed. SB 1108, by Senator Caballero, would establish the Grasslands Ecological Area Conservancy in the Central Valley to coordinate conservation, habitat restoration, public access, and voluntary easements in a region described as the largest remaining wetland/grasslands complex west of the Mississippi. Support came from the Grasslands Water District, Audubon, conservation groups, and local stakeholders, who emphasized the area’s importance to migratory birds, wildlife corridors, and land-use transition under groundwater sustainability. There was no opposition, and the bill received favorable committee support. SB 1135, by Senator Blakespear, would reestablish and strengthen the statewide wildlife coexistence program to reduce human-wildlife conflict through nonlethal deterrence, education, and compensation for livestock losses. Supporters cited rising wildlife incidents, wolf depredation, and the need for proactive tools; opponents and some committee members raised concerns about rural impacts, funding, and the absence of law enforcement/public safety as a specifically named advisory role. After discussion and amendments that moved the cattlemen and Farm Bureau to neutral, the bill passed out of committee on a due-pass motion, though some members voted no or abstained. SB 1305, by Senator Richardson, would direct CDFW to study the feasibility of grizzly bear reintroduction and prepare a roadmap, with tribal consultation and stakeholder engagement, but would not itself authorize reintroduction. Tribal sponsors and conservation groups supported the bill as a planning and cultural restoration effort, while hunting, ranching, and county groups opposed it, arguing California already faces major wildlife-management and funding challenges and that the proposal would create new conflicts. Committee members debated costs, appropriations, and whether the study should include funding estimates; the bill was amended and passed on a due-pass motion. The committee also heard SB 1250, by Senator Cortese, which would require Caltrans to incorporate wildlife connectivity into transportation planning; supporters said it would reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and improve habitat connectivity, and the bill was presented in support as the hearing continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• The state needs to seriously reconsider how it approaches energy and the rush to electrification that

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Business held an informational hearing focused on the conditions facing small and micro businesses in Massachusetts and the state programs intended to support them. Chairs Andy Vargas and Adam Gomez opened by emphasizing equitable economic development, the importance of CDFIs, and the need to help underserved entrepreneurs, especially women, minorities, veterans, immigrants, and other groups facing barriers. Committee members noted the hearing would not take up bills, and testimony was limited to 10 minutes per organization. State and quasi-public agency witnesses described current programs and funding. Dico Gibral of the Executive Office of Economic Development highlighted the Business Front Door, multilingual access, small business office hours in Gateway Cities, and funding in the Mass Leads Act, including support for CDFIs, small business technology, and capital grants. Tom Hooper of Commonwealth Corporation described workforce training programs such as the Workforce Training Fund, Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund, and Career Technical Initiative, saying they help small businesses train workers, fill labor shortages, and support returning citizens and people with disabilities. Committee members asked about federal funding uncertainty, workforce migration, training schedules, and program uptake. Business and advocacy groups focused on cost pressures and regulatory burdens. The Massachusetts Restaurant Association urged continuation of outdoor dining and takeout alcohol sales, and pressed for relief from high credit card swipe fees, support for surcharging, and streamlining municipal licensing. The Retailers Association of Massachusetts cited survey results showing inflation, utility costs, payroll taxes, health insurance, and interchange fees as major concerns, and said many members might sell or close within five years; it also backed ending the state prohibition on surcharging and creating an Office of Main Streets Massachusetts. MACDC, BECKMA, and the Coalition for an Equitable Economy emphasized the need for more technical assistance, CDFI and small business funding, and protections against rising costs, tariffs, supply chain disruptions, and immigration enforcement impacts on immigrant-heavy business districts. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• California, and one CCA we talked to estimated that 30% of incentive money coming from the state for electrification

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Much of the demand has been passed through this chamber on electrification of everything in the State

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened, approved the prior journal, and then took up a series of utility and public service bills and resolutions. A resolution sponsored by Senator Scarcella-Spanton designating April 9, 2026, as Yellow Ribbon Day was adopted after remarks honoring veterans, active-duty service members, and their families. The chamber then moved through several Public Service Law measures focused on utility affordability, consumer protections, and PSC procedures, with some bills laid aside and others advanced. Among the bills passed were measures by Senators Mayer, Cleare, Hinchey, Comrie, and Parker. Debate on the Mayer bill centered on limiting utility expenses and fees recoverable in rate cases; supporters said it was part of a broader package to reform PSC practices, while opponents argued it would not lower current bills and had been softened from earlier versions. The Webb bill creating a residential utility usage monitoring program drew extended debate over whether it would meaningfully reduce costs, who would pay for the program, and whether it could lead to government monitoring of household usage; supporters said it would give consumers more control and transparency, while critics said it would not lower rates. The Gonzalez bill, which would add consumer protections during PSC investigations and delay shutoffs in certain circumstances, also passed after questions about whether it applied to rate cases, with the sponsor saying rate cases were explicitly excluded. Several members explained their votes, with supporters emphasizing affordability, transparency, and consumer protection, and opponents arguing the package would not address immediate rate relief and could burden ratepayers or encourage nonpayment. Senator Tedisco and others criticized PSC appointments and state energy policy, while Democratic sponsors argued the bills were part of a longer-term effort to reform utility regulation and address climate and affordability concerns. The chamber restored multiple bills to the non-controversial calendar before final votes, and the recorded results showed passage of the major utility bills by substantial margins, along with one amendment appeal being ruled nongermane and rejected.

Transcript Highlights:

• But when it was passed, P&M announced within a week that it can meet the aggressive electrification standards

Bills: SB12, SB36, SB92, SB120, SB133, SB151, SB18, SB96

Keywords: tax credit, physician, healthcare, income tax, rural health, quantum technology, infrastructure, economic development, New Mexico, corporate tax, research and development, innovation, affordable housing, gross receipts tax, tax deduction, construction materials, multifamily housing, low income, journalism, local news

Transcript Highlights:

• And then the other role is just demand growth in the electricity space from the electrification of the

Transcript Highlights:

• The great demand for future electrification in this state will slow to a halt.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• replacement, not only doing the HVAC, but also doing the lighting that may be, or elevators or other electrification

Summary: The committee’s first major discussion focused on higher education facilities across UC, CSU, and the community colleges, with Chair Alvarez framing the issue as a final budget hearing before the May Revise. The LAO presented findings that campuses have grown substantially in buildings and square footage, while classroom and lab utilization remains below legislative standards and deferred maintenance backlogs continue to rise. The LAO also emphasized that the state and segments lack comprehensive data on capital renewal spending and recommended better reporting, clearer funding targets, and long-term planning for renewal and maintenance. UC, CSU, and community college representatives each described large five-year capital plans, aging facilities, seismic and deferred maintenance needs, and the role of student housing, while noting that construction costs are rising faster than inflation. Members questioned the segments about debt service, utilization rates, and how projects are prioritized. UC said its debt service tied to state support is about $665 million annually and described a $30 billion five-year capital financial plan, including housing, medical centers, and building renewal. CSU said it has about $31 billion in five-year needs and more than $8 billion in deferred maintenance, with funding coming from a mix of state-related and one-time sources since the state shifted capital responsibility to CSU. Community colleges said their unmet facilities needs total about $33.5 billion and explained their use of a scoring matrix and FUSION system to rank projects. The chair and members pressed all three systems to better distinguish between projects that are truly shovel-ready and those that are long-term needs, and discussed whether facilities condition data, total cost of ownership, and more standardized metrics should guide future bond proposals. The committee then turned to Proposition 2 and the Governor’s proposed community college capital outlay projects. The Department of Finance said Prop. 2 provides $1.5 billion for community colleges and that the Governor’s budget proposes 29 projects, with two continuing Prop. 51 projects also included. The LAO supported the overall use of the funds but raised concerns about the current 65/35 split between modernization and growth, the unusually large share of gymnasium projects, and some scoring metrics that favor larger campuses and certain regions. Community college officials said the scoring system was developed through participatory governance and would take one to two years to revise, but they supported the funding and agreed to follow up on questions about project categories and the rationale for the weighting. Members also suggested giving more weight to modernization, regional access, and intersegmental or collaborative projects. A final item addressed the CalKids program. The Department of Finance proposed $56,000 ongoing General Fund for three positions, while the LAO recommended approving two positions but rejecting a manager position until the current $7.5 million marketing campaign is evaluated. ScholarShare’s executive director said CalKids has enrolled more than 5 million children, with nearly 600,000 claims and over $45 million distributed, and argued that additional staff and outreach are needed to reach a goal of 1 million claimed scholarships by the end of 2025 and to implement AB 2808. Members asked about marketing effectiveness, data sharing, and eligibility rules, and the program said it is expanding partnerships with Cradle to Career and CSAC. No final vote was taken in the hearing, and the chair indicated the facilities item would be held open.

Transcript Highlights:

• This came shortly after we began to see electrification across the country.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Just five years ago, we were looking at electric vehicles, building electrification; all that's going
• In this case, clean air, clean indoor air, home energy efficiency, and electrification, but it does much

Transcript Highlights:

• electricity rates through the roof, and unaffordable rates risk discouraging households from purchasing electrification
• cities and counties with populations of 75,000 or more to create and adopt a plan to meet their electrification

Summary: The Assembly met after a quorum call and first dealt with a procedural dispute over four amendments to AB 1240. The Speaker ruled the amendments out of order as not germane, and the Assembly sustained that ruling on a 49-16 vote. Members then added co-authors to several consent-calendar resolutions, including measures on the National Conference of State Legislators, Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, ALS Awareness Month, and Men’s Mental Health Month, before adopting the consent calendar. The chamber also heard guest introductions, including a welcome for Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, and took up a motion to bring AB 41 up out of file, which failed 19-48. The bulk of the meeting was floor action on a long series of bills and resolutions, many of which passed with broad bipartisan support. Measures approved included ACR 40 supporting immigrant students and FAFSA privacy; AB 917 on permanent status for certain school employees; AB 985 on anesthesia access; AB 7 and AB 42 on higher education and student services; AB 245 providing property tax relief for wildfire victims; AB 255 allowing funding for drug-free recovery housing; AB 279 updating K-12 library standards; AB 289 creating a pilot for automated speed enforcement in highway construction zones; AB 291 on an educator apprentice program; AB 327 addressing swatting; AB 340 on confidential union communications; AB 341 creating an oral health technical assistance center for people with disabilities; AB 356 on San Diego health care infrastructure; AB 410 on bot disclosure; AB 476 on copper theft enforcement; AB 477 on educator pay targets; AB 485 on stolen wages and business licensing; AB 487, the insurance committee’s technical omnibus bill; AB 573 on tobacco retail license fees; AB 598 on school mapping technology; AB 635 on mobile home law enforcement referrals; AB 651 on remote participation for incarcerated parents in dependency hearings; AB 654 on homelessness hotline assistance in Los Angeles County; AB 662 creating a South County higher education task force; AB 667 on language access in professional licensing; AB 669 limiting early denial of addiction treatment; AB 670 on naturally occurring affordable housing; AB 695 on online continuation of community college for deported students; AB 723 on disclosure for digitally altered real estate images; AB 727 placing Trevor Project information on student IDs; and AB 736, a $10 billion affordable housing bond for the June 2026 ballot, which passed on a 61-11 urgency vote after extensive debate. Debate on AB 736 was the most extensive of the day, with supporters arguing the bond would help address California’s housing crisis and give voters a chance to weigh in, while opponents criticized the state’s bond debt and past spending results. The Assembly then recessed for caucus meetings and later returned to continue the daily file, where additional measures were taken up, including AB 798 adding diapers and wipes to the emergency food bank reserve program, which passed 56-0, and AB 821 on career technical education, which was presented as bipartisan-supported as the transcript continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• continue to electrify every aspect of our lives, from renewable energy deployment to transportation electrification

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing focused mainly on two subjects: expansion of the Massachusetts bottle bill and bills to remove woody biomass from state clean-energy and greenhouse-gas programs. On the bottle bill, supporters from municipal, environmental, public health, and local government groups argued that the 5-cent deposit is outdated, redemption rates have fallen, and expanding coverage to more beverage containers—especially water, sports drinks, and small alcohol bottles—would reduce litter, cut plastic waste and microplastics, and save cities and towns money. Several speakers also backed raising handling fees for retailers and redemption centers, and some supported restoring a Clean Environment Fund so unclaimed deposits would support recycling-related purposes. Opponents, including the Massachusetts Beverage Association and the National Waste and Recycling Association, argued that curbside recycling and transfer-station systems are more convenient, that the targeted containers are valuable to local recycling programs, and that the proposal would shift costs onto consumers and municipalities. Committee members questioned witnesses about redemption rates, handling fees, the 2014 ballot question, and whether the bill had changed from prior sessions. The biomass portion drew strong support from Springfield officials, state legislators, environmental advocates, and public health groups. They said woody biomass should not count as clean energy because burning wood produces particulate pollution and carbon emissions, and they warned that current law contains a loophole that could help finance the proposed Palmer Renewable Energy biomass plant in Springfield. Witnesses emphasized Springfield’s air-quality and asthma burdens, the public health impacts of PM2.5, and the need to close the loophole before a January 1, 2026 deadline. One forest-industry witness supported a separate bill promoting modern wood heat with pollution controls, arguing it is cleaner than older wood systems and has minimal ratepayer cost, while noting that those credits would be affected if the governor’s broader energy affordability bill repeals the alternative energy portfolio standard. No votes were taken during the hearing. The chairs managed testimony by alternating between the bottle bill and biomass topics, asking speakers to keep remarks brief and to note when they agreed with prior testimony. Several legislators also testified in support of the bills, and committee members asked follow-up questions on deposit levels, retailer handling fees, recycling economics, and the public-health rationale for the biomass restrictions.