Transcript Highlights:

• DEP has the rule, and we're supportive of that.
• , control structures that we operate.
• , control structures that we operate.
• That's for our water control structures.
• We manage 84 water control structures.

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government

Transcript Highlights:

• The structure of a court is going to depend on what rules you think are going to apply to it.
• Because if you put different rules in place, it may not fit the structure.
• So this is, I think, part of how to set up a structure of a new court, not just rules in a vacuum.
• That was the rule.
• That was the rule.

Summary: The Child Custody Review Task Force met to approve prior minutes and then worked through draft legislation related to a possible family court study committee. The group discussed the proposed 15-member committee’s makeup in detail, including whether to add parent representation, judges, family law section members, child support, clerks of court, domestic violence advocates, and other stakeholders. The task force ultimately agreed to keep the committee at 15 members, reduce the legislative membership from eight to six, add two judges from different districts, add two family law section members with rural and urban representation, include one parent subject to a custody order, and replace the mental health professional with a clerk of court representative appointed through the trial court administrator’s office. The draft was also revised to keep domestic violence advocacy representation and to clarify that the study could consider juvenile court issues as part of the family court umbrella. The committee voted to approve the revised draft and recommend it to Legislative Management, with one recorded “no” vote from Judge Hovey after the meeting resumed. The task force then turned to a second draft dealing with requiring participation in a family transition program, which was renamed in discussion to a parenting education course. Members debated whether the bill should simply refer to an existing program like Parents Forever or instead specify broader education about the court process, parental rights, co-parenting, and related issues. Some members supported the requirement as a way to reduce conflict and improve understanding of the system, while others raised concerns about vague language, cost to parents, lack of exemptions, and whether the bill was too open-ended or potentially duplicative of other legislation. The discussion became lengthy and unresolved, with the drafter noting that more specific direction would be needed to revise the bill. The transcript cuts off before a final vote or action on this second draft is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> uh as as you mentioned uh and the rule uh as as you mentioned uh and the rule sets<00:26:57.360>
• and these are existing structures, not new construction.
• and these are existing structure and these are existing structures<00:31:24.480><c> not</c><00:31:24.679
• existing structures not new construction existing structures<00:31:27.440><c> um</c><00:31:28.279><c
• </c> and and the structure and and the structure are<00:32:29.039><c> pretty</c><00:32:29.360><c> much

Summary: The committee heard several water, land, and natural resources measures. SB 5 would narrow the definition of historic property to properties eligible for the Hawaii Register of Historic Places or with important Native Hawaiian or ethnic cultural value. The State Historic Preservation Division said the bill would tighten the definition and could reduce or streamline reviews, while one testifier warned it could add another layer of review and delay. Support and opposition were both noted. SB 19 would appropriate funds to DLNR’s Division of Aquatic Resources to establish positions, and it drew strong support from DLNR and multiple ocean and reef advocates. SB 145, concerning declarations of water shortage and emergency, was supported by the Commission on Water Resource Management and the Board of Water Supply, which said rulemaking would improve transparency and public input. The chair also noted broader public concern about water use and pricing, especially on Maui. SB 44 would prohibit commercial sale of parrotfish caught by spearing and ban spearing them at night; DLNR supported the measure, while several fishers and gathering-rights advocates opposed it, arguing it would restrict traditional gathering and that resource management should focus on fish populations rather than methods. The committee noted 26 communications in support and opposition combined. SB 427 would bar the state from leasing or extending public land leases to parties in arrears, out of compliance with environmental obligations, or convicted of a crime, and would require gubernatorial certification for certain federal leases. DLNR said existing law and BLNR procedures already address compliance and cure periods, while supporters argued the bill would help ensure accountability for contaminated or poorly managed lands. The committee also began SB 457, dealing with submerged land reclamation and leasing of submerged/tidal lands; DLNR again said current statutes and BLNR protocols were already adequate, describing existing review and enforcement practices for shoreline structures and easements. No votes were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's our standard rule, so just to let you know.
• rules correctly, Of these types of rules, if I'm reading the rules correctly, things like this should
• I mean, I think the rules do state that.
• So we're not redefining structure.
• In the first part, we have bounded by structural.

Bills: HB294 , SB40 , SB43 , SB35

Committee: House House Judiciary

Keywords: cannabis, cannabis packaging, cannabis labeling, cannabis regulation, Cannabis Control Division, adulterated cannabis, artificial color additive, food dye, youth appeal, minor appeal, child-resistant packaging, black-and-white packaging, edibles, product labeling, consumer protection, marijuana, hemp, dispensary, licensed cannabis business, cannabis manufacturer

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, with that, do we have a motion on the rules for 25-26? Second.
• Okay, committee rules. Papan? Aye. Papan, aye. Jeff Gonzalez? Aye. Jeff Gonzalez, aye. Aye.
• These structures are operated by placing removable flashboards against a fixed structure to temporarily
• So, for the Kings River, there's nine structures that we evaluated within this Kings River.
• Committee rules, Alvarez, aye. Item number two, AB 293, motion is do pass. Alvarez, aye.

Summary: The committee heard several water, parks, and wildlife bills. AB 764 would expand the list of exotic non-game birds that can be managed in California to better control mute swan populations; the author and California Waterfowl said swans are invasive, aggressive, and rapidly increasing, while no opposition testified. The bill passed to Appropriations. AB 616 would make the State Library Parks Pass program permanent by allowing state parks to transfer annual day-use passes to the State Library free of charge; supporters said it improves equitable access to parks, especially for low-income families, and the bill passed unanimously to Appropriations. AB 293 would require groundwater sustainability agencies to post board membership and a link to Form 700 filings online. Supporters, including the Community Alliance with Family Farmers, argued it would improve transparency and public trust, while opponents said the requirement was redundant and could discourage service on GSA boards. The bill passed, but with some no votes. AB 639 would narrow the definition of dams so certain weirs used for irrigation would not be subject to dam regulations; the author and technical witnesses said the structures pose no safety risk and are already closely managed, while members urged the bill be narrowed further to the Kings River area. It passed as amended to Appropriations. AB 679 would streamline land transfers for Big Basin Redwoods, Año Nuevo, and Butano State Parks by exempting those acquisitions from the Public Works Board process. Supporters said it would speed conservation and park rebuilding after the CZU fire, while one member opposed it over cost and broader state land-management concerns; it passed as amended. AB 454 would remove the sunset on the California Migratory Bird Protection Act, making state protections for migratory birds permanent after federal rollback concerns; it passed as amended to Appropriations. The committee also adopted its 2025-26 rules and approved the consent calendar, and the meeting adjourned after add-on votes were taken for absent members.

Transcript Highlights:

• a look at how you're going to structure the court is going to depend on what rules you think are going
• Because if you put different rules in place, it may not fit the structure.
• And so this is, I think, part of how to set up a structure of a new court, not just rules in a vacuum
• That was the rule.
• We have rules on domestic violence protection order rules and things like that.

Committee: Joint Child Custody Review Task Force

Summary: The Child Custody Review Task Force met with a quorum, approved the prior minutes, and then took up draft legislation to create a future interim committee to study the feasibility of a family court in North Dakota. Beth outlined the draft’s purpose, proposed 15-member membership, and the study topics, including constitutional authority, court structure, jurisdiction, fiscal impact, implementation, and possible phased-in approaches. Members discussed committee composition at length, ultimately agreeing to keep the committee at 15 by reducing legislative members from eight to six, adding two judges from different judicial districts, two family law section members with rural/urban representation, one parent subject to a custody order, and a clerk of court representative; the self-help, mental health, and domestic violence positions were debated, with domestic violence advocacy retained and some other positions removed or replaced. The committee also agreed to include analysis of state and local fiscal impacts and efficiencies, and to keep the provision on procedural rules in the draft. The revised draft was approved and recommended to Legislative Management, with one recorded no vote from Judge Hovey after the fact. The committee then turned to a second draft dealing with mandatory participation in a family transition program in contested parental-rights cases. Members first clarified that the term should be changed to a more general “parenting education course,” rather than a named private program, and discussed whether the bill should also require education about court process and family-law procedures. Some members argued the bill should specify content such as co-parenting, parental alienation, harassment, disorderly conduct, removal of a child from the jurisdiction, and contempt consequences, while others objected that the proposal was too vague, could impose costs without clear limits or waivers, and might amount to compelled legal advice or an undefined private program. Several members said the bill needed more specificity before it could be presented, and the discussion became increasingly divided over whether to keep the draft at all. The transcript ends amid that debate, with no final action yet taken on the second draft.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Shoshone-Bannock Water Bank rules before you today enhance the authority and structure of the bank
• rules.
• The column labels list the pending rule section title, rule book page number, pending rule reference,
• The column labels list the pending rule section title, rule book page number, pending rule reference,
• The pending rule in its final form can be reviewed in your committee rule book.

Committee: House Resources and Conservation

Transcript Highlights:

• And rather than simplifying the old structure, to me, education— The old structure, to me, Education
• Senator, those are our rules.
• It's an internal rule.
• Senator, those are our rules.
• It's an internal rule.

Transcript Highlights:

• At this hearing, we'll be adopting the committee rules once we get. position on the bill.
• Okay, with that, do we have a motion on the rules for 2025-26? Second.
• Okay, committee rules. Papan? Aye. Jeff Gonzalez? Aye. Alvarez. Farías. Aye. White veins.
• These structures are operated by placing removable flashboards against a fixed structure to temporarily
• For the Kings River, there's nine structures that we evaluated within this Kings River.

Committees: House Water, Parks and Wildlife , House Water, Parks, and Wildlife

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on wildlife, water, parks, and transparency. AB 764 would expand the list of exotic non-game birds that can be legally managed, with the author and California Waterfowl arguing it would help control rapidly growing mute swan populations that threaten native species and wetlands. The bill passed to Appropriations with no opposition. The committee also adopted its 2025-26 rules and approved the consent calendar, which included AB 14 and AB 581; AB 514 had been pulled by the author. AB 616, dubbed “Parks for All,” would allow state parks day-use passes to be transferred to the State Library free of charge to preserve the library pass program and improve access to state parks for low-income families and first-time visitors. Supporters said the program has been highly successful and equitable, and the bill passed to Appropriations. AB 293 would require groundwater sustainability agencies to post board membership and link to Form 700 filings online; supporters emphasized transparency and public trust, while some members raised concerns about redundancy and added burdens. The bill passed to Appropriations on a split vote. AB 639 would create a narrow exception in the Water Code so certain weirs used for irrigation would not be treated as dams, with the author and district representatives saying the structures pose no safety risk and should not face unnecessary regulation. Members urged the bill be narrowed to the Kings River area, and it passed as amended to Appropriations. AB 679 would streamline land transfers for Big Basin Redwoods, Año Nuevo, and Butano State Parks after the CZU fire, with conservation groups supporting faster acquisitions and one member opposing on budget and state-management grounds; it also passed to Appropriations. AB 454 would remove the sunset on California’s Migratory Bird Protection Act to keep state protections for migratory birds in place despite federal changes, and it passed to Appropriations. Later, the committee took add-on votes for members who arrived late, and the meeting adjourned after all listed items were acted on.

Transcript Highlights:

• DEP has the rule, and we're supportive of that.
• , control structures that we operate.
• That’s for our water control structures.
• As Mike’s mentioned, our structures are all over 60 years old and in need of great repair, and Our structures
• We manage 84 water control structures.

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government heard budget presentations from all five water management districts for FY 2026-2027: Northwest Florida, Suwannee River, St. Johns River, Southwest Florida, and South Florida. Each district described its preliminary budget, major funding sources, staffing levels, and how most of its spending is tied to the four core missions of water supply, water quality, natural systems, and flood protection. Several directors noted budget reductions from the prior year largely because major projects were completed or because grant/appropriation funding is not yet fully reflected in preliminary budgets. Committee members repeatedly asked how districts project operations and maintenance costs, how projects are selected, and what share of staff and spending is devoted to core missions versus administration or regulatory work. Northwest Florida Water Management District said its preliminary budget is $93.4 million, down about 15%, with 97% of spending tied to core responsibilities and a request for additional regulatory services funding. Suwannee River Water Management District presented a $70.4 million budget, emphasized its rural/agricultural character and spring protection work, and highlighted the Water First North Florida reclaimed-water recharge project; members also discussed its need for an additional FTE to handle consumptive use permit reviews tied to a new lower Santa Fe rule. St. Johns River Water Management District presented a $181 million budget, highlighted major water supply, water quality, flood protection, and land management projects such as Taylor Creek Reservoir, Water First North Florida, Black Creek, Crane Creek, and Lake Jessup restoration, and said about 93% of its budget supports core missions. Southwest Florida Water Management District presented a $227.6 million budget, with major spending on alternative water supply, water control structure repairs, watershed projects, and land management; officials said 93.4% of the budget supports core missions and discussed rising construction costs for aging infrastructure. South Florida Water Management District presented the largest budget at $1.05 billion, focused on Everglades restoration, flood control, water supply, and ecosystem recovery; the director described major reservoirs and treatment projects, the EAA Reservoir, and ongoing efforts to improve water quality and restore flows to the Everglades and Florida Bay. The committee took no formal votes on the district budgets and adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• structures are structurally sound and that the plumbing, heating, electrical, and other components are
• In the bill before you, when adopting rules for factory-built housing and commercial structures, L&I
• So the referral is to Rules. The Senate, or the recommendation is to Rules.
• So the referral is to rules. The Senate, or the recommendation is to rules.
• So the recommendation is to Rules.

Summary: The Labor and Commerce Committee held public hearings and later executive action on several bills. Senate Bill 6158, by request of L&I, would update factory-built housing and commercial structure rules to incorporate International Code Council standards and allow qualified third-party inspectors approved by L&I; the sponsor said it would make modular housing inspections more efficient and cost-effective, and L&I supported it with a requested technical amendment and no fiscal impact. Senate Bill 6197 would separate plumbing discipline standards for residential and nonresidential work, allowing suspension after five infractions in five years for nonresidential violations while keeping the current three-in-36-month standard for residential work; supporters from mechanical contractors, union plumbers, and a plumbing advisory board member said it would curb unlicensed work and unsafe practices, while opponents from contractor groups and some plumbing businesses argued it was too punitive, did not adequately distinguish commercial service from construction, and should be refined. L&I said it needed time to implement and asked for a later effective date. During executive session, the committee adopted a proposed substitute and advanced Senate Bill 5437, which voids noncompetition covenants, with a delayed effective date and other conforming changes; some Republicans opposed it as too broad. The committee also advanced Senate Bill 6117, which would extend PERC jurisdiction and state collective-bargaining protections if federal labor law no longer applies, after rejecting an amendment that would have narrowed coverage further. Senate Bill 5852, dealing with immigrant worker protections during federal I-9 inspections, advanced after the committee rejected an amendment to remove the private right of action. Senate Bill 5847, on workers’ compensation medical care and treatment access, advanced with an amendment removing penalty provisions and another adding claims manager positions; the bill was sent to Ways and Means. Senate Bills 6067 and 6136 also advanced, the former changing workers’ compensation health benefit calculations and the latter requiring L&I to publish actuarially indicated industrial insurance rates. The committee then heard Senate Bill 6302, which would address misclassification in finishing trades on public works by limiting contractors and subcontractors to no more than two independent contractors on covered finishing work such as drywall, flooring, tile, painting, and glazier work, with violators treated as employees for prevailing wage and workers’ compensation purposes. Supporters from building trades and pipefitters said the bill would reduce misclassification, protect workers, and level the playing field; opponents from general contractors and contractor associations said it would effectively ban legitimate independent contractors, reduce flexibility on public projects, and hurt small businesses. L&I said it had clarifying questions about how the cap would apply and asked for more specificity.

Transcript Highlights:

• , control structures that we operate.
• , control structures that we operate.
• That's for our water control structures.
• As Mike's mentioned, our structures are all over 60 years old and in need of great repair, and Our structures
• We manage 84 water control structures.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government heard budget presentations from the Northwest Florida, Suwannee River, St. Johns River, Southwest Florida, and South Florida water management districts for FY 2026-2027. Each district described its preliminary budget, major funding sources, staffing levels, and priorities within the four core missions of water supply, water quality, natural systems, and flood protection. Common themes included reduced budgets from the prior year due to completion of major projects, continued reliance on state appropriations and ad valorem revenue, rising construction and maintenance costs, and the need to maintain aging infrastructure while advancing alternative water supply, springs restoration, flood control, and land management projects. Committee members repeatedly asked how much of each district’s budget and personnel were devoted to the core missions, how maintenance and operating projections were developed, and how projects were selected. The districts generally said most spending was tied to core responsibilities, with administrative overhead relatively small, and explained that budgets are built through a mix of staff analysis, governing board direction, strategic basin planning, and cooperative funding with local, state, and federal partners. Several districts highlighted specific projects, including Water First North Florida, Black Creek, Taylor Creek Reservoir improvements, Crane Creek, Everglades restoration, and various springs and watershed projects. The districts also noted challenges from hurricanes, inflation, cybersecurity, and aging water control structures. South Florida Water Management District’s presentation focused on Everglades restoration and the large-scale infrastructure needed to move, store, and clean water in South Florida. The director said the district’s $1.05 billion preliminary budget is largely for flood control, water supply, ecosystem restoration, and maintenance of extensive canals, levees, pumps, and reservoirs, and emphasized that recent restoration investments are producing measurable water quality and salinity improvements. No votes were taken on the district budgets, and the committee adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Third, it is most clear that the three-hour rule is not evidence-based.
• the three-hour rule via statute.
• the three-hour rule via statute.
• They are problems of larger structural and equity issues. I don't know.
• They're problems of larger structural inequities.

Summary: The Massachusetts Permanent Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities held a public hearing focused on health equity for people with disabilities. The chair opened by explaining that the session was not about specific legislation, but about sharing data, lived experience, and strategies to inform more inclusive health systems. Presenters included representatives from the Health Equity Compact, the Department of Public Health, MassHealth, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts, UMass Chan Medical School, Spaulding Rehabilitation, and the Arc of Massachusetts/Operation House Call. Speakers described how structural racism and ableism contribute to poor health outcomes, unemployment, poverty, and barriers to care for disabled people, especially disabled people of color. Testimony highlighted access problems such as inaccessible medical equipment, transportation, inadequate provider training, lack of culturally competent care, and insurance barriers. Several speakers emphasized the importance of collecting and disaggregating disability data, training providers in disability-competent care, and screening for accommodation needs. MassHealth described its Quality and Equity Incentive Program under the 1115 waiver, including disability-related metrics on data completeness, staff training, and accommodation screening, and reported early increases in hospitals collecting self-reported disability data. Brain injury advocates focused on inequities in rehabilitation access, including the impact of CMS’s “three-hour rule,” which they argued denies needed inpatient rehab to people with severe traumatic brain injury. They called for policy changes, a TBI task force, and possibly bipartisan legislation if CMS cannot revise the rule. Other testimony described DPH efforts such as one-to-one navigation, health promotion workshops, mini-grants for accessible recreation, and the Massachusetts Health and Disability Partnership. The hearing also highlighted medical education efforts like Operation House Call, which uses home visits and disability-led teaching to reduce bias and improve provider competence. No votes were taken and no formal actions were announced.

Transcript Highlights:

• Then I'm going to turn the time over to Vice Chair Zito so that we can finish up on some of our rules
• So just a high-level cap on structural balance.
• And so having that structural balance gives you all the flexibility to be decision makers.
• and put them as guidance somewhere, which I The rest of the rule is fine.
• It's just a really quirky thing within all of our rules of where that IBR fits.

Committee: Senate Agricultural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• We will keep strictly to the three-minute rule so we can continue to move our day ahead.
• A similar home rule has been considered and adopted in recent years by the General Court.
• A similar home rule has been considered and adopted in recent years by the general court.
• Why the home rule petition on the lieutenant's position? I've never...
• This issue is not simply about government structure.

Bills: H5426 , H5434 , S3084 , S3087 , S3088 , S3092

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government

Summary: The Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government held a hybrid hearing on several local bills and home rule petitions. The first major item was Senate Bill 3092, authorizing the city of Newton to issue pension obligation bonds or notes. Senator Cindy Cream and Mayor Mark Laredo’s chief of staff, Dana Hansen, testified in support, saying the measure would help Newton manage its unfunded pension liability, preserve its AAA bond rating, and create about $10 million in budget flexibility over five years. Senator John Keenan supported the bill but cautioned that pension obligation bonds depend heavily on market timing and assumptions about future funding and hiring. The committee then heard testimony on a Boylston bill, Senate Bill 3088, allowing the town to contract for a newly created police lieutenant position. Boylston officials said the town’s growth and public safety needs justify a second-in-command role with supervisory, internal affairs, and emergency command duties, and that a contract is needed because of the position’s management-level responsibilities. Representative Wells asked why a lieutenant position required a home rule petition, and the chief explained that town counsel advised the arrangement functioned more like an employment contract than a standard personnel-plan position. Next, the committee took up House Bill 5426 for North Attleboro, a charter amendment package. Town Manager Mike Borg said the bill makes limited local changes: correcting charter language, expanding the Board of Health from three to five members, and requiring write-in candidates to meet a minimum vote threshold comparable to ballot candidates. The committee then heard Senate Bill 3087 for Walpole, which would create a water and sewer advisory board and change the governance structure for the town’s water and sewer system. Town officials supported the bill as a way to improve planning and accountability, but several elected water and sewer commissioners and a town meeting member opposed it, arguing it would abolish an elected board, reduce voter representation, and concentrate power in appointed officials. After testimony concluded, the committee adjourned without taking a vote in the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• They're organizations trying to follow the rules in a system where rules kept moving.
• They're organizations trying to follow the rules in a system where rules kept moving.
• </c> where rules kept moving. where rules kept moving.
• That is not rules change again.
• </c> structure of the program as it is today. structure of the program as it is today.

Transcript Highlights:

• Because if you put different rules in place, it may not fit the structure.
• This is, I think, part of how to set up a structure of a new court, not just rules in a vacuum.
• That was the rule.
• We have rules on domestic violence protection order rules and things like that.
• But 3.2F1 says this rule does not apply to the extent it conflicts with another rule.

Committee: Joint Child Custody Review Task Force

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:07:10.759><c> for</c> years and uh incremental structuring for years and uh incremental structuring
• It mandates public disclosure of ownership and beneficiary structures.
• It mandates public disclosure of ownership and beneficiary structures.
• It also provides to the general public what the rules are to obey and abide by, as per this act.
• </c><00:42:22.720><c> I</c> ownership or beneficiary structures I ownership or beneficiary structures

Summary: The Senate Agriculture and Environment Committee heard five bills on January 24, 2025. SB 1 would phase out disposable air filters and require reusable air filters by 2030; testimony was limited, with one supporter urging clearer definitions of fiberglass and paper and several opponents listed, and the committee later deferred the bill indefinitely for lack of support testimony. SB 13 would create an aquaculture investment tax credit beginning in 2026; state agencies and several industry groups supported it, while the Tax Foundation raised concerns about loose definitions, internal inconsistencies, and blanks that made the bill hard to estimate or vet. The committee passed SB 13 with amendments and technical changes, and deferred its effective date to July 1, 2015 as stated on the record. SB 177 would shift aquatic livestock import and movement permitting to the Department of Agriculture’s Animal Industry Division, require a risk-based assessment and biocontainment standards, and seek a $1 million appropriation for research and staffing. The Department of Agriculture said the bill would help expand aquaculture while managing risks to native species; aquaculture and farm groups supported it, while Animal Rights Hawaii was listed in opposition. The committee passed SB 177 with amendments, blanking the appropriation for committee report consideration, and deferred its effective date to July 1, 2050. SB 184 would raise the beverage container deposit and refund from 5 cents to 10 cents. Supporters said the higher deposit could improve recycling and environmental outcomes, while opponents, including the Tax Foundation, cited fraud concerns, the program’s existing fund balance, and practical challenges in redemption; the Department of Human Services also noted potential impacts on blind vendors. The committee took the bill up but deferred decision-making until Monday, January 27, 2025, at 10:01 p.m. in Room 224. The committee also heard SB 250, which would increase the income tax credit for interisland transportation costs for agricultural products. Agricultural and industry witnesses supported the bill as a way to offset rising shipping costs and preserve access to markets, while the Tax Foundation preferred direct appropriations over tax credits and objected to missing bill details. The committee passed SB 250 with amendments from the Department of Agriculture and deferred its effective date to July 1, 2050. Separately, a joint hearing on SB 240, the Right to Farm bill, drew mixed testimony: the Department of Agriculture supported further study and raised concerns about the bill’s fragmented approach, while farm, cattle, and other industry witnesses split between support for protecting customary Native Hawaiian subsistence farming and opposition to excluding CAFOs and certain business structures. No vote was taken on SB 240 in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• A career rule is needed now.
• A career rule is needed now.
• </c> means the career rule, we'll take it. means the career rule, we'll take it.
• This used to be T's rebuttal to having a high age-only benefit structure with no career rule.
• </c><02:03:24.719><c> Well,</c> structure with no career rule. Well, structure with no career rule.

Transcript Highlights:

• The structure, the accountability structure, is that if they, just so that there's accountability and
• RS-33614 is simply the approval of the DAPI rules and should be, yeah, all of them are ADAPA rules, standard
• This is to change two rules, 45 and 26.
• This is to change two rules, 45 and 26.
• because we have a structure in place.

Committee: House Ways and Means