Transcript Highlights:

• President, I think that the Senate needs to recess for a meeting of the Rules Committee and Committee
• to recess for a meeting of the Rules to recess for a meeting of the Rules Committee<00:59:09.840
• President, I would like to make the motion that the Senate recess for a meeting of the Rules Committee
• The Rules Committee has met and posted the following bills to the veto orders for Tuesday, April 14,
• on Kentuckians without impose rules on Kentuckians without executive<01:29:26.400> oversight<

Keywords: In an effort to stave off issues that may occur with long format live streams, we have split this stream into two parts., 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They also changed zoning rules to allow a data center bigger than Mall of America, bigger than the entire
• They also changed<00:07:22.560> zoning<00:07:22.960> rules<00:07:23.280> to<00:07
• :23.680> allow<00:07:24.639> a<00:07:25.199> data changed zoning rules to allow
• a data changed zoning rules to allow a data center<00:07:26.400> bigger<00:07:26.800> than<
• Uh, yeah, like Representative Greenman stated, if the utility is a political subdivision of the state

Bills: HF4077, HF3798, HF3886

Keywords: municipal nondisclosure agreement, NDA, public records, transparency, local government, county, city, town, school district, housing and redevelopment authority, economic development authority, port authority, economic development, land development, public financing, tax increment financing, TIF, abatement, municipal bonds, debt obligations

Transcript Highlights:

• first up we have the subdivision first up we have the contractor's<00:04:53.960> license<00:04
• It also requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish service quality standards and rules for
• It's absurd to think that they're going to rule in favor of the owner and against themselves.
• So, without the statutory authority behind the admin rules, it's unclear whether the rules have some
• guardrails, the function is typical rules, or only a function of guidance.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee opened by outlining testimony procedures and then heard SB 376 on tax credits, which would create a home fire safety improvement tax credit. Testimony from the Tax Foundation of Hawaiʻi urged that the concept would be better handled as a subsidy program and raised drafting concerns about unclear definitions and eligibility. Later, the committees agreed to pass SB 376 with amendments, including making the credit nonrefundable, clarifying third-party certification, deleting recapture-related language, and making technical changes. Members then heard SB 417, which would make unlicensed contractor work during or within five years after an emergency or disaster a class B felony. The Contractors License Board was listed for comments, and the Subcontractors Association supported the measure. The committees ultimately recommended passage with technical, non-substantive amendments and an adjusted effective date, and the measure was adopted. A substantial portion of the meeting focused on SB 782, which would require free and accessible voice communication services for incarcerated people and prohibit state agencies from profiting from those services, while also directing the PUC to set standards and providing funding for the SAVIN victim notification program. Supporters, including the Public Defender, ACLU of Hawaiʻi, Worth Rises, and others, argued the bill would reduce costs for families, improve reentry, and align adult corrections with the juvenile system. Opponents, including the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Hawaiʻi Paroling Authority, and SAVIN-related witnesses, warned that changing the funding structure could weaken victim notification and safety services. The committees deferred SB 782. The committee also heard SB 999 on fireworks, which would repeal permissible consumer fireworks uses, impose civil penalties and forfeiture remedies, and create a forfeiture special fund for safety education. The Department of Law Enforcement and Honolulu Police Department supported the bill, while fireworks industry representatives and others opposed it, arguing prohibition would be ineffective and urging stronger enforcement and education instead. The committees deferred SB 999 for further consideration, and SB 1136 on insurance was also deferred after insurers and the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs opposed it. In the later joint session with the Committee on Economic Development and Tourism, SB 744 on condominium loans was heard with support from the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority and banking groups, while one testifier raised concerns that the program could function like C-PACE financing and add risky debt to condominium associations; testimony and discussion continued on that measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• Section 2, subdivision 5, charges the MPCA with a major rulemaking, which will have a significant cost
• be a brand new rule effort, since the MPCA's last attempt at this rule was disapproved by an administrative
• be a brand new rule effort, since the MPCA's last attempt at this rule was disapproved by an administrative
• time to figure out with the keac ruling time to figure out with the keac ruling and<00:15:34.800
• Chair, being mindful of time, in subdivision 5 and Article II, it talks about section B.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House File 3030 was taken up for discussion and amended with the A1 author’s amendment before moving forward. The bill was presented as an Iron Range package with three parts: a 26-week unemployment insurance extension for workers laid off by Cleveland-Cliffs, and two mining-related provisions dealing with safe storage of reactive mine waste and a site-specific sulfite standard. The authors said the bill was intended both to help laid-off workers immediately and to support the long-term future of mining jobs in the region. Testimony was overwhelmingly supportive of the unemployment extension and the broader goal of preserving Iron Range jobs and communities. Representatives of affected workers, union leaders, a county commissioner, a tribal elder, and RAMS all described the layoffs as potentially long-term and warned of broader economic harm to families, local businesses, schools, and the region if mining jobs continue to decline. Several testifiers emphasized that mining is central to the Iron Range economy and argued that the bill would give workers time and hope while also helping keep people in the region. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency testified that it generally supported the bill’s intent but raised concerns about the environmental rulemaking language in Article 2, Section 2. MPCA said the provision would amount to a new major rulemaking, would require significant time and resources, and should be reviewed by the Environment, Natural Resources, Finance and Policy Committee. During member questions, one legislator said there was strong support for the UI extension in Article 1 but expressed concern about the environmental issues in Article 2 and asked why those provisions were not being reviewed by the environment committee. The meeting ended with public testimony closed and member questions beginning; no final vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a model bill on Congress.
• The people that don't follow the rules, that don't have rules in place.
• Rules are very important. Consumer protection is important.
• The people that don't follow the rules, that don't have rules in place.
• Rules are very important. Consumer protection is important.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several measures. HB 1957, relating to safe entryways, would create enforcement procedures in large cities to prevent personal property from blocking private doorways or entrances. The Department of the Attorney General supported the concept but recommended moving the offense to the criminal code, adding clearer definitions to avoid vagueness, and including notice, inventory, storage, and property-disposition procedures to address constitutional concerns. No other testimony was offered and no questions were raised. HB 25003/HB 253, relating to fireworks, would expand civil asset forfeiture for certain fireworks offenses, revise the definition of aerial device, and clarify air-delivery offenses. The Attorney General supported the bill but suggested removing the 25-pound weight threshold to avoid unequal treatment of similar offenses. The Department of Law Enforcement also supported the measure, saying it would improve clarity for evolving fireworks investigations and prosecutions. The committee took no action during testimony. HB 2137, relating to artificial intelligence, would prohibit certain harmful uses of realistic AI-generated digital imitations, require disclosures, and create civil remedies and fines. The Commission on the Status of Women supported the bill, while the Hawaiian Islands Republican Women opposed it on First Amendment grounds. The Motion Picture Association, Recording Industry Association of America, and SAG-AFTRA also opposed the bill but said they preferred a different framework, the federal “No Fakes” model, and were willing to work with the committee on amendments. The Attorney General had suggested constitutional amendments, which the chair said would be considered later. The committee also heard HB 2198 on prediction markets, with the Honolulu prosecutor strongly supporting inclusion of prediction markets in the gambling definition because of concerns about speculative betting on events and national security-related outcomes. HB 1511 on consumer protection drew support from the Office of Consumer Protection and the Insurance Division, with OCP proposing clearer disclosure for license and registration renewal solicitations. HB 1897 on condominium alternative dispute resolution received supportive comments from the Real Estate Commission and CI. HB 1642 on crypto kiosks drew strong support from OCP and AARP Hawaii for a ban on kiosks accepting U.S. currency, but opposition from Hill Ventures, which argued for regulation and guardrails instead of a ban. HB 1753 on social media account deletion received supportive comments from DCCA on clarifying deletion of unique identifiers and inferences. HB 1654 on anonymous complaints against public employees drew strong opposition from the Attorney General over implementation and due process concerns, while the Government Employees Association supported it as a way to screen baseless complaints; the committee then moved on to HB 1659 on collective bargaining, with testimony beginning as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Going to go down to subsection 1, subdivision D, which states for a statewide candidate, a candidate
• Vetter, no, the statewide candidates apply under this 03 provision section before that, so page 13, subdivision
• So page 13, subdivision E, so starting on line 16 of page 13 is, are the folks currently required under

Bills: SB2156

Keywords: campaign finance, disclosure, political contributions, election transparency, North Dakota Century Code, 908, all

Summary: The subcommittee met to review amendments to a campaign finance bill, focusing on reporting requirements for ending balances and annual statements. Members and staff worked through whether the language should apply to all multi-candidate committees or only statewide multi-candidate committees, and whether the addition of non-statewide political parties created any unintended change from current law. Dustin Richard from the Secretary of State’s office explained that the draft needed to be tightened to mirror existing law by inserting “statewide” where appropriate, while keeping the new non-statewide political party provisions as intended. The committee also discussed an effective date and application clause. Staff explained that an effective date of January 1, 2026 would align with the new reporting requirements, and that 2025 transactions would still be reported under the old law while 2026 transactions would follow the new rules. Members asked for plain-language clarification about how the application clause would work and whether any statutory cleanup would be needed afterward. A motion was made, seconded, and approved to adopt the amendments, with the motion then rephrased to refer to the “Dustin amendments.” The meeting concluded with scheduling discussion about reconvening later in the week to keep the bill moving before the deadline, followed by adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we heard those rule laws when we had to come up with ways to keep people in their cars instead of
• And we heard those rule laws when we had to come up with ways to keep people in their cars instead of
• like a very unfair thing to do to rule like a very unfair thing to do to rule schools<00:33:47.840
• mentally incompetent, to the negligent storage rule.
• That is now like a national model, and we're getting lots of requests for technical assistance.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• cannot demand accountability from contractors while denying them the authority to set reasonable safety rules
• cannot demand accountability from contractors while denying them the authority to set reasonable safety rules
• Yes, and so they are trying to make rules and policies so that next time things won't fail.
• Yes, and so they are trying to make rules and policies so that next time, things won't fail.
• the intent of the current statute to allow ISDs to operate under sovereign immunity or political subdivision

Bills: SB1065, SB2117, SB2217, SB2363, SB2533, SB2742, SB2743, SB2881, SB2964, SB3013, SB3014

Keywords: SB 1065, handgun carry, license holder, concealed carry, open carry, government contracts, governmental entity, property lease, state agencies, local government, higher education, university, Texas Government Code, Penal Code 30.06, Penal Code 30.07, Penal Code 46.03, Second Amendment, gun rights, firearms, civil penalty

Summary: The Senate State Affairs Committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 1065, which would require government property contracts to prohibit contractors from barring licensed handgun holders from carrying firearms on leased or owned public property, with civil penalties and attorney general enforcement for violations. Senator Hall and invited witnesses from the Texas State Rifle Association, NRA, and Texas Gun Rights argued the bill would close a loophole exposed by the State Fair of Texas gun ban and protect law-abiding Texans’ self-defense rights. Opponents, including Moms Demand Action/Everytown, said the bill would undermine event organizers’ ability to set site-specific safety rules and could increase liability and insurance costs. Public testimony was then closed and the bill was left pending. The committee next took up Senate Bill 2742, which would create civil penalties for independent school districts and officials who use public resources for electioneering, waive immunity defenses, and expand attorney general enforcement. Senator Hagan-Bood said current law bans the conduct but lacks meaningful penalties, making injunctions the only remedy. No public testimony was heard, and the bill was left pending. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 2743, also by Senator Hagan-Bood, which would allow a court to disqualify local prosecutors who refuse to prosecute election offenses and appoint the attorney general to handle the case, with a committee substitute adjusting the removal process through an adjacent-county judge. Opponents from the Texas Civil Rights Project argued the bill would undermine prosecutorial discretion and was vague and open to abuse, while a Harris County election official described past instances where alleged voter fraud cases were not pursued. After testimony, public comment was closed and SB 2743 was left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Committee on Rules and Legislative Administration will come to order. A quorum is present.
• questions if the committee has questions, and I move the adoption of the calendar for the day pursuant to Rule
• You know, they're limiting the act within a subdivision of our government, and so it really should have
• I appreciate the opportunity to be before you, as I was a member of Rules last time.
• I know we had concerns that bill authors didn't come before the Rules Committee, so I'm happy to be part

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• A report from the Committee on Rules and Legislative Administration, pursuant to Rules 1.21 and 3.33,
• two additional exempt contracts for deed sales: one being sales made by a state or a political subdivision
• were suggested by both sides that didn't make it into the final agreement and were discussed in the rules

Transcript Highlights:

• Oh, I should mention that in accordance with the rules of the Senate, the following member will
• the doesn't it doesn't fall under the doesn't it doesn't fall under the 72-hour<00:09:40.440> rule
• it<00:09:43.120> requires<00:09:43.600> them<00:09:43.839> to 72-hour rule
• And uh it requires them to 72-hour rule.
• So if you turn to page two, line 216, for example, well, this is really included in subdivision 4.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The rules are suspended.
• The rule is Chair: suspended.
• Rule suspended.
• Rule is suspended.
• On an unrelated note, I move to suspend the posting rules and all necessary rules to allow the Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• The commission had written rules that violated 466.
• reversing the rules that gave them that, is that a fair statement?
• It codifies the business judgment rule.
• Business Judgment Rule. this organization's code are consistent.
• It's a huge deal. to codify the business judgment rule.

Bills: SB29, SB406, SB447, SB875, SB893, SB1033, SB1346, SB1362, SB1539, SCR22, SB 29

Keywords: business organization, internal management, corporate governance, partnerships, liability reduction, birth certificate, biological sex, gender identity, health and safety, sex assignment, SB 875, Texas, independent school district, ISD, school board trustee, superintendent, campus administrator, electioneering, political signs, early voting

Transcript Highlights:

• Good idea. rules kind of halfway through. I don't rules kind of halfway through.
• to determine the most effective model. to determine the most effective model.
• It was a democracy defined as the people rule.
• So democracy defined as the people rule.
• Those would total about $152,000. that the rule making costs for the that the rule making costs for the

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As the Apostle Paul said, let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts and let the Holy Spirit guide us
• Senator Price moves for a suspension of the rules for the purpose of taking up the resolution at this
• Senator Edmonds moved adoption of the committee amendments, and under the rules, it is recommitted to
• And under the rules, it is recommitted to the Committee on Finance.
• It does not remove any rules or regulations that exist.

Keywords: 974, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• would, in effect, preclude the right of a majority of citizens and establish government by minority rule
• This is a Dillon rule state. Municipalities are given local control by the state. >> Thank you.
• I don't think that local assessors have the ability to make rules under RSA 541A.
• assessors have the ability to make rules assessors have the ability to make rules under<02:39:06.720
• <02:42:11.120> making and I'm I'm not seeing the rule making and I'm I'm not seeing the rule

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• agencies be responsible for determining eligibility for tax or fee benefits, requiring them to adopt rules
• The states are entering a rule-making authority, and I think they will revisit that as it relates to
• This bill prohibits Texas agencies and political subdivisions from... from limiting how much ammunition
• Is that by statute or is that by Commission rule?
• The manner of this disclosure will be governed by rules established by the Texas Ethics Commission.

Bills: HB551, HB 1281, HB1378, HB1617, HB2868, HB2881, HB3374, HB4439, HB4726, HB4732, HB4878, HB4914, HB4921, HB4958, HB5200, HB5318, HB5360, HB5402, HB5568, HB5573, HB5623, HJR218

Keywords: political contributions, address privacy, Texas Ethics Commission, election transparency, campaign finance, international organizations, World Health Organization, jurisdiction, state law, enforcement, United Nations, World Economic Forum, attorney general, Texas attorney general, state sovereignty, legal enforcement, Texas Attorney General, electric energy storage, municipal regulation, county regulation

Transcript Highlights:

• with the rule, and finally, what I'm asking the committee to decide.
• House Rule 6.1 gives this committee authority to address the conduct that violates House rules, accepted
• That's the rule that's cited.
• Minnesota House Ethics Rules Minnesota House Ethics Rules uh uh uh because<00:26:22.440> there
• rules rules adopted<00:26:38.640> uh<00:26:38.720> by<00:26:39.000> the<00:26:39.120

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• What Facility Planning has always done an excellent job of is making sure we never break a rule, that
• And so there were many rules that were being enforced that were internal customs.
• In a lot of cases, we were following rules that were more strict than statute, right?
• It seems like you're taking the same rules, but then you're refreshing the technology and the way.
• But it's the state granting funds to a political subdivision of the state.

Summary: The committee met for an informational hearing focused largely on the state capital outlay process and House Bill 2. Roger Husser and Matt Baker of the Division of Administration/Facility Planning and Control described how the office prepares and administers the capital outlay bill, said the bill has grown substantially over five years, and argued that recent changes in culture, staffing, project management, cash-flow analysis, and use of third-party support have more than doubled project expenditures and improved delivery. Members asked about the use and cost of third-party project managers, delegation of smaller projects to agencies, hiring difficulties, and whether the changes represented better interpretation of existing law versus statutory changes. Husser said some statutes were amended, some internal customs were removed, and the office would provide a list of those changes. He also explained that the office is trying to move away from overly rigid practices and toward faster project completion while still following public-bid and oversight rules. A major portion of the discussion centered on the size and structure of the capital outlay bill, especially the gap between Priority 1 cash capacity and the much larger Priority 5 backlog. Husser said the current annual Priority 1 limit is tied to construction inflation and is about $574 million, with additional surplus funds also available, but that the bill contains far more Priority 5 funding than can realistically move in a five-year plan. He and members discussed dormant projects, scope creep, legacy projects that have sat in the bill for years, and the problem of false expectations for non-state entities. Proposed solutions included limiting Priority 5 to five times Priority 1, requiring annual re-endorsement by members, setting district or project caps for non-state projects, requiring time limits and reporting for grant-like non-state projects, placing matches in escrow, requiring design readiness before submission, and consolidating the many existing reporting requirements into one clearer report. Members also discussed bundling multiple projects under one agency project, which the House had begun piloting for LSU, UL Lafayette, Southern, and DOTD, and which Husser said could improve flexibility, reduce overappropriation, and better reflect actual spending. Baker then explained cash-flow management and the commitment process, saying FPC now analyzes projects annually to estimate what can actually be spent in the next fiscal year and uses commitments to allow projects to proceed when future-year funding is expected. He said overappropriations can result from poor cash-flow estimates, delays, dormant projects, or projects coming in under budget, and that the office is already reworking cash-flow assumptions and reappropriating savings where possible. Members also raised concerns about change orders and low bids; staff said project managers review change orders closely, require concurrence on non-state projects, and sometimes reduce scope to keep projects within budget. After FPC’s presentation, the committee heard the beginning of Louisiana Economic Development’s capital outlay discussion, where LED explained that its projects generally fall into three categories, including the Economic Development Awards Program and Site Readiness Program, both used to support targeted economic development and job creation.

Transcript Highlights:

• It also gives two types of grants to political subdivisions as well as property owners for making the
• It's a zero interest loan, essentially bridging the Loan electric cooperatives with political subdivisions
• Um, am I correct that the loans can go to political subdivisions and electric cooperatives? **Mr.
• So a lot of these political subdivisions have their stuff in, but they're just waiting for it to get