Transcript Highlights:

• These are for all the non-energy codes.
• Code.
• The rest of the package in the building code, the fire code, the mechanical code, the plumbing code,
• So things like energy code.
• Code enforcement is not fee-based.

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Going from commercial to, in terms of the residential code versus the building code.
• building code and the residential code.
• Building code, that's right. Share it. in terms of the residential code versus the building code.
• codes.
• codes.

Summary: The Senate Housing Committee heard a series of work-session presentations focused on transit-oriented development, commercial-to-residential redevelopment, building code implementation, housing market trends, and the Covenant Homeownership Program. The first presentation, from the Urban Institute, reviewed research on HB 1491 and TOD feasibility, arguing that Washington has made major progress but faces diverging conditions across transit areas. The presenter said rising construction costs, higher interest rates, and lower rents in some markets have made many projects less feasible, and recommended targeted infrastructure funding for lower-market communities, adjustments to MFTE and affordability requirements by local market conditions, more support for very low-income housing in high-market transit areas, minimum density standards near stations, expanded public land/joint development tools, and better tracking of TOD outcomes over time. Committee members asked about AMI calculations, immigration’s effect on construction labor, developer input, and whether a tracking mechanism had been removed from the bill. The Department of Commerce then outlined implementation of HB 1491 and demonstrated the new Washington Zoning Atlas, which is live and intended to help visualize zoning, overlays, and station-area conditions. Commerce said local governments will designate station areas, update zoning and MFTE policies, and handle anti-displacement measures, with Vancouver and Spokane first to implement and Puget Sound following later. Staff described a timeline for updated MFTE guidance, station-area implementation guidance, a TOD model ordinance, and later rulemaking on variances. The committee also heard from the Lieutenant Governor’s office on a report about converting commercial properties to housing, which found substantial potential for redevelopment on vacant or underused commercial land, especially near transit, but noted barriers such as ground-floor retail mandates, affordability requirements, infrastructure costs, private covenants, and slow implementation. The office urged by-right residential use on commercial land and faster rollout of new housing laws. The State Building Code Council updated the committee on its three-year code cycle and several legislatively directed actions, including minimum dwelling size, emergency shelters, and especially single-exit stairs and multiplex housing. Council staff said those code changes are nearing completion and will provide prescriptive solutions, while noting that elevator size and requirements were not changed and would require separate legislative direction if the committee wanted to revisit them. Members discussed the cost impacts of building and energy codes and the council said it is required to consider economic impacts and is increasingly looking at performance-based approaches. Later, the Washington Center for Real Estate Research presented its annual housing report, showing that higher mortgage rates have sharply reduced affordability, flattened house prices in many cities, and slowed single-family permitting and completions, while multifamily construction has recently cooled after a prior surge. Finally, the Washington State Housing Finance Commission reported strong first-year results for the Covenant Homeownership Program, which provides zero-interest down payment assistance to eligible first-time buyers with family ties to Washington before 1968; the program assisted 547 homebuyers in its first fiscal year, with more than $60 million loaned, and the agency said participation has continued to grow after income-limit changes enacted in 2025.

Transcript Highlights:

• and to issue code interpretations.
• So, from a local perspective, local governments can write more restrictive building codes and ordinances
• , the uniform fire code, the uniform building code, standards code, whatever it is, two feet is two feet
• code, and those are all by local ordinance, how is a state going to overturn what the local government
• rather than the California Building Code.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the code.
• The first is that it allows local governments to adopt the 2025 building code standards, the local reach
• new codes through 2031.
• new codes through 2031.
• which our code is based is national building code, which runs on a three-year cycle and which our code

Summary: The committee heard a series of housing and wildfire-recovery bills, with members repeatedly framing the package as a response to the Los Angeles fires and the state’s broader housing affordability crisis. AB 306, by Assembly Member Schultz, would place a six-year moratorium on new residential building-code updates and local code modifications except for health-and-safety emergencies. Supporters argued it would reduce costs and provide certainty for rebuilding and new housing production, while opponents from environmental, clean-energy, and labor groups warned it would freeze beneficial code improvements, delay innovation, and limit local control. Despite those concerns, several members said they would support the bill while seeking amendments, and the committee voted it out on a due pass recommendation to Appropriations. The committee also approved AB 301, which would require state agencies to follow shot-clock style deadlines for reviewing building permits, and AB 253, which would allow licensed third-party professionals to conduct certain post-entitlement permit reviews if local departments take more than 30 days. Supporters said both bills would reduce delays, lower costs, and speed rebuilding and housing production; some members emphasized that safety reviews must remain intact. AB 301 passed on a due pass vote to Appropriations, and AB 253 passed 8-0 to Local Government. AB 462, by Assembly Member Lowenthal, would exempt accessory dwelling units in Los Angeles County’s coastal zone from coastal development permit requirements, with the goal of speeding ADU construction for disaster recovery and housing supply. Supporters said ADUs are a proven tool and that the bill would help displaced residents and future coastal disaster areas; one member of the public opposed the bill, arguing ADU proliferation can change neighborhood conditions. The committee sent AB 462 to Appropriations on an 8-0 vote. The final bill discussed, AB 299, would let disaster-displaced families stay in hotels, motels, and short-term rentals for more than 30 days without triggering landlord-tenant rules, mirroring an earlier homelessness-related law; the transcript ended as the author began presenting the bill and its support.

Transcript Highlights:

• the difference between the fire code and building code that Mr.
• the difference between the fire code and building code that Mr.
• the difference between the fire code and building code that Mr.
• the difference between the fire code and building code that Mr.
• code that Mr.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• government about... will be reported. will be reported.
• Uh we have the federal government.
• are coming from the federal government are coming from the federal government that<00:10:12.160>
• places from the federal government places from the federal government because<00:11:57.200> we're
• That code sections are brought forward.

Keywords: Medicaid - Room 216, 29 January, 2026; 2:00 PM, 925, all

Summary: The committee considered five bills. SB 2567, the Mississippi Pediatric Access to Critical Health Care Protection Act, would allow a border hospital to accept Medicaid patients and payments; it was moved as title sufficient and reported, with one member opposing. SB 2571, the Foster Youth Earn Benefit Protection for Success Act, would require Social Security survivor or disability benefits for foster youth to be used for the child rather than reimbursing the state for foster care costs; the sponsor said the bill follows federal guidance and other states’ practices, and it was reported after a title-sufficient motion, with one opposition. SB 2708 would require insurers to cover postpartum depression screenings. Senator Boyd said most insurers already do this, and he offered an amendment to strike lines 364-368 because of concerns about step-therapy language; the committee adopted the amendment and then reported the bill. SB 2765 would open code sections related to DHS and Medicaid income verification so Mississippi can respond to federal error-rate penalties tied to SNAP and related programs; Senator Sparks said the state’s 10.69% error rate could trigger about $128 million in annual penalties, and members discussed whether the state’s change-reporting rules may be inflating that rate. The bill was reported. The final bill, SB 2746, the Older Mississippians Act, was described by DHS as a cleanup measure that updates aging-services statutes, formally designates Mississippi as the state unit on aging, and removes obsolete program references. After brief discussion, it was reported on a title-sufficient motion. At the end of the meeting, Senator McMahan publicly thanked the chair for his work, and the committee then moved to rise and report.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a matter of law, respect, and government-to-government responsibility.
• And again, that government-to-government language sounded like a stumbling block. I don't know.
• And, you know, to strike government-to-government and to fail to recognize sovereignty, it says that
• We are sovereign in a government-to-government relationship with the federal government, so this is lip
• Has the Attorney General of Virginia weighed in on this government-to-government concept?

Keywords: Commission on Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of Virginia Tribes, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And with regard to these codes, who's suggesting what goes into the codes?
• code.
• They can make that determination rather than the governments using some of the newer energy codes that
• code.
• If a code, some code, results in an increase in fee, we're typically not going to oppose the code, as

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of Elections and Government Affairs, four on its merits.
• of Elections and Government Affairs, four on its merits.
• of Elections and Government Affairs, four on its merits.
• Sixth, accountability and good government.
• I mean, they are a local government, so, you know, we do like local governments here in this building

Summary: The Senate reconvened, read committee reports, and assigned House Bill 89 with House Amendment 1 and House Bill 393 with House Amendment 1 to the Senate Finance Committee. It then adopted Consent Calendar 64, which included resolutions recognizing Take Our Children to Work Day, Juneteenth, National Farmers Day, Invisible Disabilities Week, Stonewall Uprising Remembrance Day, National Nonprofit Day, and two property-assessment working group resolutions. The calendar passed by a unanimous roll call, and the chamber heard remarks supporting Juneteenth, Delaware agriculture, invisible disabilities awareness, and the nonprofit sector. The Senate passed the fiscal year 2026 and 2027 revenue estimates in Senate Joint Resolution 16 and Senate Joint Resolution 17, and approved the fiscal year 2027 operating budget in Senate Bill 335 after extended debate on budget growth, recurring costs, health care, education, public safety, retiree obligations, and fiscal restraint. It also passed Senate Bill 336, the one-time supplemental appropriation bill, which includes one-time investments such as a $100 million transition toward a weighted education funding formula, election support, early childhood education, classroom projects, lead remediation, and campaign finance modernization. Several members praised the budget process and staff, while others cautioned against future spending growth. Among policy bills, the Senate passed House Bill 369 to codify the Office of Gun Violence Prevention and Community Safety, House Bill 268 to increase penalties for assaulting postal workers, House Bill 374 to require workforce reporting on large public works projects, Senate Bill 253 with House Amendment 1 to standardize school bullying parental-notification procedures, Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 342 to modernize the Delaware Motion Picture and Television Development Commission, House Bill 402 to extend Clean Air Act Title V permit fees, and Senate Bill 346 with Senate Amendment 1 to streamline Environmental Appeals Board timelines. The Senate also began consideration of House Bill 293, which would add hate crimes to the Victims’ Compensation Assistance Program, but the transcript cuts off before its vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's right in the code. I if you I it. It's right in the code.
• this by amending the model code. this by amending the model code.
• model code and so forth. Right. model code and so forth. Right.
• Applicable code. Yeah. Page three. one. Applicable code. Yeah. Page three.
• Existing Building Code 2021, the International Plumbing Code 2021, the International Mechanical Code

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That's all in Texas Local Government Code 214.097. You have other things like drainage fees.
• That's in Local Government Code 552.041.
• code 552.041 Infrastructure—that's in the Local Government Code, 552.041 through 0.054.
• , Utility Code, Texas Local Government Code, and many different chapters within the code.
• Under Chapter 395, Local Government Code, cities can only levy these fees for water, wastewater, drainage

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Summary: The committee met to monitor implementation of several housing-related bills from the 89th session, with the chair emphasizing Texas’s housing shortage and the need to review land-use laws. For House Bill 24, witnesses from the Texas Public Policy Foundation, Reason Foundation, a church-affordable housing project, Habitat for Humanity, developers, and housing advocates said the bill’s higher protest threshold and simpler council override had reduced procedural barriers to rezoning, helped projects move forward, and supported lower rents and more multifamily development. Public testimony largely praised HB 24 as working as intended, and the chair noted it had passed the committee 6-1, the House 83-56, and the Senate unanimously. The committee then heard testimony on Senate Bill 1567, which preempted certain municipal occupancy limits based on unrelated-adult restrictions. Supporters, including Texas Public Policy Foundation, Texas Realtors, Texans for Housing, and Texas A&M student leaders, said the law improved clarity, reduced arbitrary local limits, and helped students and property owners use existing housing more efficiently. Opponents from College Station and Bryan-College Station neighborhood groups argued the law has encouraged investor purchases, tear-downs, and “stealth dorms,” displaced working-class residents, and harmed family homeownership. The chair noted SB 1567 had passed the committee 5-1, the House 101-19, and the Senate 30-1. The committee also reviewed Senate Bill 15, which reduced minimum lot sizes in covered jurisdictions. Ed Pinto of AEI said the law had already led to thousands of new small lots and lower-cost starter homes, while recommending expansion to more counties and broader application to attached housing. Other witnesses from builders, Pew, and housing advocates said smaller lots can increase affordability, but some cities, such as College Station and Grand Prairie, were adding local standards that could blunt the bill’s effect. City representatives from El Paso described how they implemented the law by reducing lot sizes and widths, while urging broader applicability to more of the city. The chair said SB 15 had passed the committee 7-0, the House 86-43, and the Senate 24-7. Finally, the committee began hearing testimony on Senate Bill 840, a by-right multifamily redevelopment measure. City officials from Garland and Plano described how they had updated local standards to comply while preserving design and setback rules, and said the bill could help redevelop built-out commercial corridors and add housing without expanding city footprints. The transcript ended as the committee continued taking testimony on SB 840.

Transcript Highlights:

• It did not pass out of Government Organization.
• Current code provides that no provision of the code can be construed to require the disclosure of standards
• body, such as council or other governing body.
• This bill amends one section of code, 20-2-42, makes some minor code citation format updates, and adds
• a cross-reference to another code section.

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, they have a statewide code.
• You're going to follow the International Building Code, which is a standard among... Codes.
• I believe that too much government, too much local control, the government wants money, and they have
• I believe that too much government, too much local control, the government wants money, and they have
• Obviously, we have a very diverse state—some that have codes, some that don't want codes, and some that

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It did not pass out of Government Organization.
• Current code provides that no provision of the code can be construed to require the disclosure of standards
• body, such as a council or other governing body.
• This bill amends one section of code, 20-2-42, makes some minor code citation format updates, and adds
• a cross-reference to another code section.

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The Committee on Government Organization met with a quorum present, approved the minutes, and then considered a series of House bills, most of them related to licensing, local government administration, and agency operations. House Bill 5063 would let county commissions appoint a county commissioner as a voting member of a convention and visitors bureau board, including for multi-county CVBs; it was reported to the full Senate. House Bill 5087 would join the interstate cosmetology licensure compact, allowing licensed cosmetologists to obtain multi-state practice privileges in compact states, and it was also reported. The committee then took up a strike-and-insert amendment for House Bill 4793, which combined provisions affecting barbering/cosmetology apprenticeships and lowered certain age and education requirements; after adopting a Jefferson amendment clarifying the salon training language, the bill was reported as amended. Members next approved a strike-and-insert for House Bill 5638, which clarifies the State Chief Information Security Officer’s duties, changes cyber risk review procedures, and updates references to the Office of Technology head as the chief information officer; it was reported as amended. House Bill 4483, dealing with the Board of Funeral Examiners, was amended to change the effective date for licensee-in-charge requirements and make technical corrections, then reported as amended. House Bill 5653, requested by the Department of Revenue, would expand confidentiality protections to cover audit manuals, guidelines, procedures, algorithms, and related materials to prevent taxpayers from gaming audit selection, and it was reported. House Bill 4452 repeals acreage limits on church property ownership, and House Bill 4801 expands permissible uses of hotel occupancy tax funds to include demolition of unsafe structures and planning or improvement of public property; both were reported. The committee also advanced House Bill 5622, which creates an expedited process for municipalities to conform local election terms and procedures to the state requirement that municipal elections be held with statewide primaries or general elections, and recognizes the Secretary of State as keeper of municipal charter rolls. House Bill 4546 would allow business entities to file reports biennially instead of annually, with higher biennial fees and updated enforcement provisions; its strike-and-insert amendment was adopted and the bill was reported as amended. House Bill 5613 would define and regulate telematics for state fleet vehicles, require reporting on unsafe driving and corrective actions, and include cost-benefit information in annual reports; it was reported. House Bill 5323 would let the Division of Natural Resources adjust license and stamp fees for inflation by removing a prior CPI-based restriction, and House Bill 4819 would revise criminal-record standards for certain non-Chapter 30 occupational licenses, shifting to a direct-relationship standard while preserving existing exclusions for violent sexual offenses; both were reported. The committee then adjourned after closing remarks from the chair and vice chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 300 with House Amendment 1, an act to amend Title 14 of the Delaware Code relating to the
• House Bill 165 with House Amendments 1 and 2, an act to amend Title 24 of the Delaware Code relating
• House Bill 165 with House Amendments 1 and 2, an act to amend Title 24 of the Delaware Code relating
• House Bill 420, an act to amend Title 24 of the Delaware Code relating to massage and bodywork.
• House Bill 420, an act to amend Title 24 of the Delaware Code relating to massage and bodywork.

Summary: The Senate received communications from the House listing numerous bills, substitutes, amendments, and concurrent resolutions passed by the House or returned to the Senate, and it also noted a Senate amendment being stricken from House Bill 190. Committee reports were read on a wide range of nominations and bills, including favorable reports on several executive nominations and legislation involving nurse preceptors, voting, agricultural/forestry grants, child care, Title IX coordination, vehicle security devices, dry needling, human remains disposition, child care assistance, autism-related oversight, nursing advancement, correctional oversight, massage and bodywork, probate letters, computer security breaches, automobile insurance, medical debt protection, and technical corrections. The Senate also assigned House Bill 300, House Bill 64, and House Bill 385 to the Finance Committee. The chamber confirmed several gubernatorial nominations by roll call vote, each receiving the required majority: Heidi J. A. Gilmore to the Marijuana Appeals Commission; Lee Wynne and Ruth J. Tucker to the Delaware River and Bay Authority Board; Jennifer R. Hallman and Lindsay E. Alexich to the Professional Standards Board; Jason M. Munion and F. Todd Kulata to the Environmental Appeals Board. The Senate also passed House Substitute 1 for House Bill 383, which changes overtime eligibility for certain DelDOT employees and clarifies covered positions, and Senate Bill 315 with Senate Amendment 1, which revises the Delaware Technical Innovation Program to give the Division of Small Business more flexibility in using federal grant funds. Consent Agenda M passed unanimously, including Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 319 on menopause and perimenopause coverage, House Bill 411 on alcohol/tobacco/marijuana enforcement, House Bill 271 on marijuana establishment spacing, House Bill 258 on alcohol licenses, House Bill 303 on juvenile probation/parole officers and DCYF employees, and House Bill 377 on Ocean View municipal election deadlines. Consent Calendar 63 also passed unanimously, including resolutions recognizing Day of Service, National Adoption Month, National Coaches Day, Free Speech Week, Women’s Equality Day, and Spirit of America 250, along with resolutions encouraging a veteran cemetery in Kent County, seeking plans for repurposing underused public buildings, and honoring Delaware Boys State. The Senate spent significant time on floor remarks about the Boys State delegates and on a tribute to emergency responders who helped save a seven-year-old child trapped by a seatbelt; the responders were recognized individually and thanked for their work. Additional remarks explained the purpose of the menopause coverage bill, the adoption month resolution, the free speech resolution, and the America 250 resolution. The session ended with no further business and the Senate recessed until June 18.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a triennial code proposal and adoption process with intervening codes adopted every 18 months.
• , and some of the interim codes and reach codes that have been mentioned.
• Not all code provisions—the residential code is about this thick—it falls into a lot of different places
• This bill is a bit of a chainsaw approach to the codes.
• updates, interim code updates, reach codes, and what types of code development are actually in the benefit

Summary: The Assembly Appropriations Committee met on March 19, 2025, adopted its committee rules unanimously, and then heard a series of housing, insurance, and disaster-recovery bills. Early bills focused on wildfire relief and insurance issues, including AB 238 on mortgage forbearance for Los Angeles County wildfire survivors, AB 493 on insurance payout interest for homeowners, AB 597 on consumer protections after disasters, and AB 226 on strengthening the California FAIR Plan’s liquidity tools. Supporters generally framed these measures as necessary protections for disaster survivors and market stability, while opponents and concerned witnesses raised issues such as investor guidelines, compliance conflicts, and market disruption. Several members also noted equity concerns and the need to balance relief with consistency across the state. The committee also heard a cluster of housing-production bills. AB 306 proposed a six-year pause on new state building code updates affecting residential construction and limits on local code modifications, drawing strong support from housing and building industry groups who argued it would reduce costs and improve predictability. It also drew opposition from code, environmental, and clean-energy advocates, who warned about safety, local control, and the loss of important code updates. AB 253 would allow licensed third-party professionals to perform plan checks if local review takes 30 days or more, and AB 301 would impose state-agency permitting timelines similar to those already applied to local governments; both were presented as ways to reduce delays and speed housing development. AB 462 would exempt ADU construction from coastal development permit requirements in Los Angeles County, especially to aid fire recovery and expand housing supply. After hearing testimony and brief member discussion on each measure, the committee placed the bills on suspense or advanced them as appropriate. In the suspense hearing at the end of the meeting, the committee took up the suspense-file bills and reported AB 226, AB 238, AB 301, and AB 306 out with due pass recommendations on roll call votes. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• codes.
• Energy conservation codes?
• and construction code, whether that be from the electric code or mechanical code, if those are things
• So the sponsor notes that when states and local governments stay current with updated building codes,
• enforcement of a violation of the Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code or local building codes,

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Housing, Construction and Community Development Committee met with quorum present and considered a full agenda of housing, code enforcement, and rent regulation bills, many of which had passed the Senate in prior years. Early measures included a statewide residential rental registry (S.912), penalties and reporting for vacant and abandoned properties (S.925), and extending tenant response time for major capital improvement rent increase applications (S.1461). The committee also advanced several code-enforcement and fire/building-code bills, including measures to expand remedies for Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code violations (S.3406), increase the Secretary of State’s code enforcement powers (S.4165 and S.4534), and authorize investigations into code administration and enforcement (S.4535). Members raised concerns about local fiscal impacts, the scope of state authority, contractor use, and whether the bills adequately define or limit “imminent threat” and related enforcement powers. A substantial portion of the meeting focused on S.4852, which would require the Codes Council to review and act on updates to international model codes within 18 months. Senators debated whether the bill would speed up code adoption or, as some feared, weaken economic reasonableness considerations by striking the word “economically” from the statutory standard. Supporters said the bill was intended to ensure prompt review of widely used model codes and noted other statutory safeguards remain in place; opponents worried about reduced attention to cost and practical impacts, especially amid housing and utility capacity constraints. The committee also discussed S.6368A, requiring complainants to receive copies of compliance orders issued after code complaints, and S.6600B, mandating inspections of certain non-fireproof buildings in New York City. Additional bills advanced included standards for all-gender bathroom design and construction (S.7131A), compensation for required code-enforcement personnel training (S.7159), and audits of individual apartment improvements in rent-regulated units (S.8046A). Several measures were reported to Finance, while others were reported to the floor. Throughout the meeting, votes were largely along expected lines, with some members voting negative or “without recommendation” on the more expansive code-enforcement bills. No bill was defeated, and all items on the agenda were reported out of committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• Out of Elections and Government Affairs, two favorable, two on its merits.
• House Bill 448, an act to amend Title 15 of the Delaware Code relating to campaign expenditures.
• of Elections and Government Affairs, two favorable, two on its merits.
• I'm not telling the federal government what to do.
• However, the Delaware Code still contains references to minors engaging in prostitution.

Keywords: 1064, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I, I'm asking because you have this provision in the code, does the code also make provision for these
• They're wondering why is the government doing this when the government really didn't intend to do it
• applications at government agencies and at government offices.
• OK, it's already defined in the code.
• I think what's in the code is very adequate.

Bills: HB304

Keywords: franchise tax credit, food desert, grocery store, healthy corner store, nutrition assistance, economic development, public health

Transcript Highlights:

• Another code that typically gets put in that same boat is the National Electrical Code.
• “The other thing the International Code Council has just done in relation to the energy code, because
• And the only reason why that's in the plumbing code is because it's in the state sanitary code.
• And the only reason why that's in the plumbing code is because it's in the state sanitary code.
• Code.

Summary: The House Committee on Commerce met on May 18, 2026, with a quorum present and the chair noting it was the committee’s last meeting of the session. The committee first considered Senate Bill 254, which would prohibit certain excess debit card surcharges and authorize enforcement by the Attorney General. After adopting technical amendments and a committee amendment requiring written notice before a private right of action, the bill was reported favorably as amended. The committee then took up Senate Bill 80 on broadband administration fees and GUMBO program closeout. Members questioned the proposed increase in administrative and contractor fees, the timing of project completion, and how withheld reimbursements would work for utility damage. After adopting several amendments, including cleanup language and a provision to restore the reimbursement process, the bill was reported favorably as amended, though the Louisiana Telecommunications Association voiced concerns about the withholding language and lack of a clearer fault-determination process. The committee next considered Senate Bill 469, updating the Louisiana Underground Utilities and Facilities Damage Prevention Law. Technical amendments were adopted, along with amendments clarifying that the bill’s 30-day notice to utility owner-operators is separate from existing GUMBO notice requirements and creating a rapid dispute-resolution process involving the Office of Broadband, the utility operator, and the local governing authority. Testimony from broadband and municipal stakeholders emphasized the need for quicker responses to excavation damage and better enforcement, while some witnesses raised concerns about the late amendment and the need for clearer recourse and standards. The bill was reported favorably as amended. Senate Bill 468, dealing with fuel rewards programs and fuel discount limits, was also amended to allow such discounts while capping them at $1 below the advertised price; it was reported favorably as amended. Senate Bill 131, concerning attorney’s fees and costs in professional licensing disciplinary proceedings, drew testimony from a cosmetology board representative and the Pelican Institute. Supporters argued the bill would curb incentives for boards to generate revenue through enforcement and give licensees a fairer opportunity to resolve cases; board testimony noted that some boards already have fee caps and that enforcement actions are relatively limited. After adopting an amendment clarifying when a licensee is the prevailing party, the bill was reported favorably as amended. Senate Bill 251 on critical infrastructure protection also received technical amendments and several substantive changes, including adding ports and airports to the definition of critical infrastructure, clarifying “significant access,” adding a knowledge requirement, and adjusting exemptions and enforcement timing; it was reported favorably as amended after testimony from State Armor representatives about foreign adversary threats. Finally, House Resolution 253 was introduced to create a task force to study how post-2005 building code additions and inspection requirements affect residential construction costs, with the sponsor explaining the goal was to gather industry input and return recommendations next session.