Transcript Highlights:

• Seeing we have a quorum, I will entertain a motion for the approval of the minutes from the August 14th
• All those approved, please say I. >> I. >> Any. Thank you very much for that.
• Seeing we have a quorum, I will entertain a motion for the approval of the minutes from the August 14th
• All those approved, please say I. >> I. >> Any. Thank you very much for that.
• That is the the being uh approved etc.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Intelligence Task Force met with a quorum present and approved the minutes from the August 14 meeting. The first presentation was from the National Retail Federation on artificial intelligence in the retail sector. NRF described AI use cases in three areas: consumer-facing tools such as chatbots, product descriptions, and marketing; employee-facing tools such as company-specific apps trained on employee manuals; and internal uses such as supply chain forecasting, inventory planning, fraud detection, cybersecurity, and coding support. The presenters said retail has been among the top deployers of AI and emphasized that the goal is to improve both customer and employee experience. NRF also outlined its principles for responsible AI use, organized around governance and risk management, customer engagement and trust, workforce applications, and business partner accountability. The group said retailers should maintain strong internal oversight, be transparent with customers, ensure compliance with existing laws, closely review workforce-related uses because they can be high-risk, and clearly define responsibilities between retailers and third-party developers. In policy discussion, NRF urged a tiered approach focused first on high-risk uses such as hiring, health care, financial, mortgage, and rental decisions, warned against fragmented rules that could favor only the largest firms, and encouraged voluntary standards and worker upskilling incentives. In response to a question about dynamic pricing, NRF said its members do not target consumers based on pricing and offered to follow up with more information. The committee then moved to a follow-up discussion on energy policy and data centers, hearing from Bartley Cleland of NetChoice. He explained that AI runs largely in data centers and that cloud computing shifts processing and storage away from individual devices, which he argued improves efficiency and can reduce costs. He said electricity demand has been rising over time and that AI will increase compute-related electricity use, but framed electricity as a normal input to economic growth. No votes or formal actions were taken after these presentations.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a career mechanical engineer, and I believe in practical solutions.
• Sometimes oil field engineers get to take on really big projects, and I have had the privilege and the
• Engineers make things happen in real life. We use a lot of maps, so I hope you'll bear with me.
• The Army Corps of Engineers or through FEMA.
• If you do vote to approve this redistricting now, we will remember this at the ballot box. ...leaders

Keywords: 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, between the two it be approved.
• Do you think that makes a would before approving these. It's a very high before approving these.
• And one thing that doesn't get approval.
• They've Engineering.
• to expand the facility and get approval to expand the facility and get approval for<01:43:30.000>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Because the high school was approved in 2020, the state would be forced to take this incredible option
• away from kids and families. ...eliminated because the high school was approved in 2020, the state would
• They're doing science, engineering, and design.
• We have an engineering specialist, Dave Brown, who has hand-built most of the equipment that we use,
• So it’s just the state essentially blessing that these are the state-approved, if you will, standards

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education heard testimony on several bills centered on school accountability, receivership, graduation requirements, charter school access, community schools, school libraries, and student voting rights. Much of the discussion focused on the Thrive Act, S. 374, which would end state receivership and change the state’s accountability approach. Supporters, including educators, parents, advocacy groups, and students, argued that receivership has not improved outcomes in districts such as Lawrence, Holyoke, Southbridge, Boston, and the Dever, and that local communities should have more control, with greater emphasis on community schools, wraparound services, and broader measures of school quality. They also supported related bills on community schools and school library standards, and several witnesses backed a bill to expand student representative voting rights on school committees. Opponents of S. 374, especially charter school leaders, parents, students, and some education advocates, focused on Section 4 of the bill, which would change the charter school net school spending cap in the lowest-performing districts. They argued that the provision would reduce access to charter seats in communities where families are seeking more options, and that schools such as Roxbury Prep, Excel Academy, Brook, Veritas Prep, and Libertas Academy have produced strong results for students, including students of color, low-income students, and students with special needs. Several witnesses said the section would force schools to shrink or close and would remove opportunities for families in districts with long waitlists. Committee members questioned witnesses on both the effectiveness of receivership and the charter school cap language. Chair Lewis and Chair Gordon emphasized the need for a better accountability system and noted concerns about whether current measures, including MCAS-based designations, accurately reflect school quality. Some witnesses said they had discussed the possibility of removing Section 4 from the Thrive Act and suggested it might be addressed in separate charter reform legislation. No votes were taken during the hearing; testimony was received and the committee later closed testimony on S. 374 and several related bills before moving on to the student voting rights bill, S. 367.

Transcript Highlights:

• For example, over the past 20 years, the FDA has approved more than 600 new cancer treatments, including
• They also are directly contrary to language approved by this committee year after year after year. and
• Most of the novel medicines approved in 2024 continue to be launched in the U.S.
• The engineering is coming from the National Science Foundation.
• And this funding was approved months ago. This isn't wasteful government spending.

Transcript Highlights:

• The journal stands approved.
• The journal stands approved. The journal stands approved.
• , plan, which does require voter approval, plan, which does require voter approval, the<02:53:03.520
• We've become a country of engineers. We've become a country of lawyers.
• Our competitors are countries of engineers.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, September 4, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ALSO, OUR STATE LITERACY DIRECTORS ALSO FACILITATE ONE OF THE TWO STATE APPROVED LITERACY COACH ENDORSEMENT
• AND PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT LOW INCOME STUDENTS, PROVIDE EDUCATION, LITERACY, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING
• SUMMER AND AFTERSCHOOL LEARNING ACTIVITIES, SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING PROGRAMS, PROFESSIONAL LEARNING,
• OUR BOARDS APPROVE OUR BUDGETS. THEY APPROVE OUR PERSONNEL.
• STRATEGIC PLANNING, THEY APPROVE ANY GRANTS THAT MIGHT APPLY.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and then go through the actual approval and then go through the actual approval process<01:33:38.040
• But they are still in removal proceedings and must still approve their asylum claim.
• But they are still in removal proceedings and must still approve their asylum claim.
• But they are still in removal proceedings and must still approve their asylum claim.
• What we do is not emissions testing; it's an engine code read.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 758, which would establish a study committee on airport operation hours and possible noise abatement measures, including whether New Hampshire should prohibit departures between midnight and 6 a.m. The sponsor said the committee would examine the pros and cons and consult stakeholders. The Bureau of Aeronautics testified neutrally, noting that New Hampshire has 25 public airports, 12 with federal funding and grant assurances that may require them to remain open during those hours, and that cargo operations, including at Manchester, commonly occur overnight. Members also discussed existing noise abatement programs and how mitigation is determined by noise contours and FAA funding decisions. No vote was taken; the chair closed the hearing after testimony. The committee then heard House Bill 489, allowing voluntary emergency workers to use rear-facing blue lights on private vehicles when responding to emergencies. The sponsor said the bill corrects an oversight in existing law, would not cost the state or towns money, and would improve visibility and safety, especially in rural areas. Supportive testimony from a volunteer responder emphasized that blue lights help cut through fog, snow, and nighttime conditions, and that the bill would only add a single rear-facing blue light to existing red, amber, and white emergency lighting. The New Hampshire State Police opposed the bill, arguing that expanding blue lights to private vehicles would confuse the public and desensitize drivers to blue lights, which are associated with law enforcement. The hearing closed without action. Finally, the committee took up House Bill 533, which the sponsor and State Police clarified is actually two separate changes: one authorizing civilian automotive equipment inspectors to assist with vehicle inspection work, and another expanding language in motor carrier enforcement to include new entrant safety audits and compliance reviews. The State Police explained that civilian inspectors are hired and trained through the department and that any findings of state-law violations would be referred to troopers; they also said the new motor carrier language was requested to satisfy federal audit concerns about right of entry. The New Hampshire Motor Transport Association said it had no position if the civilian inspectors were not doing commercial truck inspections, but would oppose the bill if they were. Members asked about the difference between audits and compliance reviews, and the State Police said audits are for newer carriers and are non-enforcement, while compliance reviews look for violations. The chair then closed the hearing on HB 533. After a brief reset, the committee opened House Bill 594, which would repeal an alternate definition of “way” for the driving-after-suspension statute. The sponsor said the change was requested by the Department of Justice. Representative Erica Leon opposed the repeal, explaining that the prior language was intended to avoid criminalizing people who mow lawns or perform similar work near property edges while suspended, but she worried the repeal could create a loophole allowing driving on places like highway medians. Members questioned whether the issue was limited to mowing or broader vehicle use on property edges, and Leon said she would work with agencies to clarify the language so it protects lawful mowing without allowing misuse. No vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Hansen, would you give me a motion to approve the minutes? Yes, Madam Chair.
• Representative Hansen moves approval of the minutes for February 25th. Any discussion?
• Minutes are approved.
• In 2018, we contracted with an engineering firm to conduct a water and sewer system analysis.
• firm to conduct a water an engineering firm to conduct a water and<00:20:38.679> Source<00:20

Bills: HF919, HF1192, HF212, HF214

Keywords: wastewater, infrastructure, funding, Litchfield, economic development, environmental compliance, Hastings, water treatment, PFAS, nitrates, bonds, capital investment, public health, HF212, Round Lake-Brewster, Independent School District No. 2907, school construction, school building, sales tax exemption, use tax exemption

Transcript Highlights:

• on here today and for what the governor may sign prior to a special session education bill being approved
• ><00:37:31.040> to<00:37:31.200> a Prior to a special session education bill being approved
• <00:42:22.960> the a D+ I think by many people in the a D+ I think by many people in the engineering
• 23.920> side<00:42:24.160> of<00:42:24.319> things<00:42:24.560> on engineering
• uh side of things on engineering uh side of things on transportation.<00:42:25.359> So<00:42:

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:32:37.360> and and, you know, if it's approved and and, you know, if it's approved and
• approval before we award<00:33:04.159> them<00:33:04.320> financed.
• <00:33:16.080> they discretionary approvals before they discretionary approvals before they
• Operating Engineers Local 3 in support. Sing testimony in support. Thank you.
• Operating Engineers Local 3 in support. Operating Engineers Local 3 in support.

Bills: HB1719, HB1742, HB1737, HB2049, HB1725, HB1726, HB1738, HB1799, HB1700

Keywords: housing crisis, manufactured homes, factory-built housing, zoning, relocatable housing units, farm employee housing, agriculture, Hawaii Revised Statutes, agricultural districts, land use, regulation, renewable energy, community development, housing, affordable housing, real estate, state regulation, building codes, construction, permitting

Summary: The joint public hearing covered several housing-related bills and one building-code measure. HB 1719 would make manufactured homes a permitted use by right on residentially zoned lots in the urban district, HB 1742 would authorize self-contained relocatable housing units with restrictions, and HB 1737 would clarify that a farm dwelling in an agricultural district may include an accessory employee housing structure. Testimony on these bills was overwhelmingly supportive from groups including Hawaii Realtors, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, Housing Hawaii’s Future, the Modular Building Institute, the Hawaii Farmers Union, and others, with a few agencies offering comments. No one testified in opposition on HB 1719 or HB 1742, while HB 1737 drew one opposition and one comment in addition to broad support. No votes were taken during the hearing segment provided. A major portion of the hearing focused on HB 2049, which restructures the conveyance tax into a marginal-rate system and changes how the revenue is allocated, including funding for the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the rental housing revolving fund, while also affecting the legacy land conservation fund. Supporters, including DHHL, Hawaii Appleseed, Aahu Youth Action Board, Hawaii YIMBY, and others, argued the bill would help Native Hawaiian housing and, for most transactions, function as a tax cut. Opponents, including NAP Hawaii, Hawaii Realtors, Hawaii Land Trust, Mhai Land Trust, and the Tax Foundation of Hawaii, objected to using conveyance tax as a revenue-generating tool and raised concerns about higher upfront costs and reduced funding for other housing uses. Committee members and staff discussed the bill’s revenue estimates, the reduced percentage but higher cap for the land conservation fund, the effect on rental housing funding, and the bill’s cost-of-living adjustment language; staff said a line-by-line comparison of the current and proposed tax structure would be provided before decision-making. The hearing also took up HB 1725, which would extend the state building code adoption cycle from two years to six years, apply the IRC to triplexes and fourplexes, allow counties to adopt more or less stringent amendments, and appropriate funds for code adoption work. Most testimony supported the bill, with advocates saying the current process is unmanageable, too resource-intensive, and creates confusion because state and county codes can diverge; supporters said a longer cycle would improve clarity and allow more focused review. The International Code Council and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers opposed the measure, warning that delaying adoption could have negative consequences and urging the committee to let an existing statewide code-adoption strategy proceed first. Members asked about sequencing, county implementation, and whether the longer cycle would create catch-up problems, but no action was taken in the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Those mechanical pencils are high-end pencils used by engineers, architects, and others, and draftsmen
• <00:45:03.000> this<00:45:03.240> amendment request that you approve this amendment
• request that you approve this amendment A2<00:45:04.559> and<00:45:04.760> pass<00:45:
• As many of you may have experienced this morning starting your snowblowers and other small engines, I
• changes to the gasoline asmm approved changes to the gasoline specification<01:32:09.960> of<

Bills: HF737, HF247, HF325, HF1330

Keywords: lead, cadmium, consumer products, safety regulation, retail restrictions, motor sports, nonoxygenated gasoline, fuel regulations, storage requirements, racing events, HF325, flavored nitrous oxide, nitrous oxide, whippets, laughing gas, retail sales, consumer protection, misdemeanor, commerce, Minnesota Statutes chapter 325F

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Gadberry is an act in Titles 40 and 37 relative to the practice of professional engineering
• The bill says they can go up to $2 under two conditions: the proposed increase is approved by a majority
• is an act in Title 26 relative to wines, distilled spirits, and powdered alcohol, to provide for approved
• It would allow them to raise their parcel fee up to $150 with the approval of the vote of the people.
• He was a decorated combat engineer and reconnaissance Marine.

Keywords: 974, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• First order of business would be approval of the journal, Senator from Taylor. Mr.
• Next order of business would be approval of the journal, Senator from Taylor. Mr.
• as written, please. approved as written, please.
• <00:05:11.320> as Thursday, March 5th, 2026 is approved as Thursday, March 5th, 2026 is approved
• move with me and approve this resolution today.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate convened with an invocation and pledge, established a quorum, approved the prior journal, and received a message from the House announcing passage of House Bills 364, 534, 600, and 662 and requesting concurrence. The chamber then took up second-reading reports, placing several bills on the Rules Committee calendar, and briefly recessed for caucus meetings before returning to floor business. The first major floor action was Senate Bill 11, a residential safe room rebate program aimed at rural tornado preparedness. Supporters described it as a way to use FEMA or private funds to help homeowners build personal storm shelters that could also serve neighbors; one senator opposed it over a fiscal note and concerns about unintended consequences in rural areas. The Senate adopted a committee substitute and passed SB 11 by a vote of 33–3. The Senate then considered Senate Bill 8 on public utilities and PSC intervention procedures. A committee substitute and floor amendment were adopted to clarify intervention standards, limit delay tactics, allow written comments from non-intervenors, and revise transmission-line approval thresholds; supporters said the changes would improve PSC efficiency and protect ratepayers, while some senators objected to a provision moving records from the Energy and Environment Cabinet to the state auditor as politically motivated. SB 8 passed 30–5. Senate Bill 94, dealing with dealer compensation for warranty and recall work, was also amended and passed unanimously after supporters said it reflected agreement between auto dealers and manufacturers. Finally, Senate Bill 197 on economic development incentives was amended to create county tiers, expand incentives for distressed areas, allow cross-border projects near state lines, and correct clerical errors; it passed 36–0.

Transcript Highlights:

• Those tariff that has to be approved.
• It contracts are approved by the PSC.
• So, we we have, um, I'm not a transmission engineer.
• was approved in 16 >> 16.
• And so that was and conditions approved.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The specific plan retains local review and discretionary approval.
• It suggests that our locally adopted and state-approved plans are somehow not enough.
• Selecting with the American Council of Engineering Company, also in support. Thank you.
• The Moss Landing was approved totally by local control with no guidance from the state.
• And this way, the guidance that doesn't exist now, if it's locally approved, or even if it's approved

Summary: The committee first heard SB 753, which would modernize California’s shopping cart recovery rules by allowing cities and counties to return abandoned carts directly to retailers, recover documented retrieval costs, and avoid the current impound-and-wait process. The author and supporters, including San Jose officials and the League of California Cities, said the bill would help clear streets, sidewalks, and waterways and reduce local costs. Grocers and retailers opposed the measure unless amended, arguing it would turn cart retrieval into a new cost burden and could create incentives for cities to charge too much for stolen property. After extensive discussion about notice periods, cost caps, and local ordinances, the committee adopted amendments and passed the bill 6-0 as amended. The committee then took up SB 445, which would speed up permitting and approvals needed for high-speed rail by requiring early engagement, setting rules for third-party coordination, and creating a dispute-resolution process. The author said the bill was narrowed from an earlier, broader transit proposal and was intended to reduce delays caused by utilities, local governments, and other entities. Supporters said permitting bottlenecks add major costs and delays to infrastructure projects, while opponents from utilities, cities, counties, telecoms, and special districts raised concerns about safety, reliability, affordability, and the need to review the pending amendments. The bill passed 8-1 to the Utilities and Energy Committee. The committee also heard SB 9, a narrower housing bill focused on accessory dwelling units. The author explained that it would require local ADU ordinances to be submitted to HCD for review and would make state standards control if a local agency fails to submit a compliant ordinance or respond to HCD findings. Supporters from housing and YIMBY groups said the bill would improve enforcement of state ADU law and prevent local barriers from slowing housing production. There was no opposition, and the bill passed 6-0. The committee then began hearing SB 79, which would allow more housing near major transit stops; the author and supporters framed it as a response to the housing shortage and transit underuse, and the hearing continued with extensive support testimony as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• California requires prior rate approval and it is the only state that takes roughly a year to approve
• rate reduction act, proposition 103 from 1988, that requires insurance companies to raise prior approval
• So the money has been already granted, it's been approved, but now it's frozen and as you say, you not
• have currently a lot of manic move among some states, 18 states to eliminate internal combustion engine
• And how that's driving up insurance rates versus traditional internal combustion engine automobile?

Keywords: homeowners insurance, natural disasters, insurance costs, climate change, disaster preparedness, federal policies, bipartisan solutions

Summary: The meeting reviewed critical issues surrounding the rising costs and accessibility of homeowners insurance across the United States, particularly in light of increasing natural disasters linked to climate change. Members engaged in extensive discussions regarding the implications for families and the economy, citing significant increases in premiums and decreasing availability of policies in high-risk areas. Supervisor Peysko highlighted the direct impact of federal policies on local communities, emphasizing the growing burden on homeowners as they face skyrocketing insurance costs amidst a backdrop of environmental challenges and regulatory constraints. The committee expressed a unified call to action for bipartisan solutions, focusing on improving building codes and enhancing disaster preparedness measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• We don't have finance approval on this, and do you have Ways and Means?
• Next bill: House Bill 563, HD1 ST1, relating to the University of Hawaii Space Science and Engineering
• Initially, this bill funded the shortfall from what the Board of Regents approved and what ultimately
• 25:00.120> Regents fall from what the Board of Regents fall from what the Board of Regents approved
• and what ultimately made it to approved and what ultimately made it to the<00:25:02.000> governor's

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The conference committees met repeatedly on Friday, April 25, 2025, mostly to wait for finance releases and to roll bills to later times. Several measures were deferred or continued, including HB 1007 on HCDA, HB 987 on procurement, HB 620, HB 961, HB 1293, HB 1320, SB 1252, HB 1168, and others, with members often agreeing to reconvene later in the day when releases might be available. One higher education bill, HB 549 on an early learning apprenticeship grant program, was deferred because the requested expenditure of about $12.5 million could not be approved, and HB 563 on the UH Space Science and Engineering Initiative was also deferred after conferees could not reach agreement in time. Several bills were successfully amended and passed. HB 329 appropriated $2 million for the Mililani work-for-housing project and $2 million for Maui Central Middle School. HB 736 established a wastewater system technology testing pilot program at the UH Water Resources Research Center and included a $745,325 FY26 appropriation. SB 865 created a full-time permanent CTAHR extension position, funded at $76,570 in each of FY26 and FY27 through the Agribusiness Development Corporation. HB 442 funded two pre-nursing pathway positions at UH with $215,552 each year for two fiscal years, and HB 1146 funded UH graduate assistant positions and planning work for Ala Wai Canal debris management and water quality control, with the conferees correcting the FY26 amount during discussion before approving it. Later, HB 1168 on UH revenue bonds was approved with amendments, setting the bond amount at $30,750,000 and a July 1, 2025 effective date. HB 961, the librarian pilot program, was ultimately approved with a CD1 restoring the original $132,308 appropriation and two FTE librarian positions for a two-year pilot serving one Oahu complex area and one neighbor island complex area. HB 1293 on Department of Education procurement was also approved with amendments to support the DOE’s farm-to-school goals by exempting certain local food purchases under $250,000 from the electronic procurement system and requiring at least three written quotes instead, effective July 1, 2025, with repeal on June 30, 2028. SB 1252 on dementia was later approved with a CD1 funding two full-time positions in UH Mānoa’s John A. Burns School of Medicine Department of Geriatric Medicine at $525,000 each in FY26 and FY27.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so any change in the view corridors requires approval by the legislature.
• You don't have to run an idling engine at a point of delivery, considering that you're not having to
• It's the refrigeration, primarily, and then the engine when arriving and departing.
• The engine and the refrigeration, neither one of them is exceeding 65.

Bills: HB246, HB796, HB 1056, HB1544, HB1846, HB2001, HB2618, HB2625, HB2869, HB2898, HB3069, HB3114, HB3157, HB3228, HJR98, HB246

Keywords: federal directives, state authority, Tenth Amendment, government enforcement, local governance, gold standard, legal tender, currency, transactional currency, financial transactions, electronic payment systems, state finance, regulatory compliance, electric trucks, charging infrastructure, advisory council, transportation, sustainability, criminal penalties, official information

Transcript Highlights:

• You can't be a peace officer in Texas anymore without going through a T-Cole-approved academy with approved
• We got survey shots done, signed by a floodplain manager, a P.E. engineer.
• We explained then that, you know, we were not, we did not approve the plan.
• And we admit now it was short-sighted, but you didn't have to approve it.
• We have three that have just been approved in the last few weeks.

Keywords: 1184, house, all