Transcript Highlights:

• They leased space from a public high school to do that. The school had space not being used.
• and then they may want to be obtaining grants if they are leasing the space.
• Thank you.” to teens and they leased space from a to teens and they leased space from a public<05:00:
• Taxpayers were put into the library as an overflow space.
• Taxpayers were put into the library as an overflow space.

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 763, an early bill concerning AED access at athletic events and venues. Representative Morris offered amendment 0743H to clarify the bill by removing charter schools from the language and tying AED placement to American Heart Association guidance, emphasizing that AEDs should be readily accessible within a reasonable walking distance rather than mandated on every field. The amendment and then the bill as amended both passed 17-0, and the bill was reported out as Ought to Pass with Amendment. The committee then considered House Bill 781, requiring school districts to adopt cell phone-free education policies, and a related bill, House Bill 131. HB 781 was amended to include charter public school boards, cover other personal electronic communication devices, require at minimum restrictions on student personal cell phones during class instruction, allow superintendent-approved exceptions for medical or language needs, protect students with medical needs or disabilities under Section 504, and set an effective date of July 1, 2025. Some members argued the amendment was too prescriptive and limited local control, while supporters said it still left districts flexibility outside classroom instruction. The amendment passed 16-1, and the bill then passed Ought to Pass as Amended 16-1. HB 131, described as a mirror bill, was then retained by a 17-0 vote. House Bill 398, a title bill requiring Holocaust and genocide studies to include impacts on people with disabilities, was moved to ITL after Representative Selig reported the genocide commission believed the topic was already being covered. That motion passed 17-0. The committee also agreed to hold several bills for later consideration, including HB 754, HB 1221, HB 360, and HB 699, citing the need for more review or missing copies. Finally, the committee took up House Bill 361, prohibiting mandatory mask policies in schools. Supporters argued the bill would preserve individual choice while preventing statewide or districtwide mandates in future public health emergencies, and cited a Department of Health and Human Services letter saying masks remain effective but decisions should be based on individual choice and risk assessment. Opponents emphasized local control and the need for districts to respond to different public health conditions. The transcript cuts off before the final vote on HB 361 was completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• I wouldn't endorse them at this point, but I know there is one in California that's launched that's focused
• But, you know, there is one in California that's launched that's focused on determining humanness detached

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• As you heard earlier, Answer launched its first full transportation program in the 2022-23 school year
• As you heard earlier, Answer launched its first full transportation program in the 2022-23 school year

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• This year we launched the new Community Investment Program.
• This year we launched the new Community Investment Program.

Summary: The joint House and Senate committee meeting heard public presentations on tentative tribal gaming compact amendments for the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe and the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe. Staff from the Washington State Gambling Commission explained the compacting process, the role of ex officio legislative members, and that both amendments would next go to a Gambling Commission hearing on January 8, 2026, where commissioners and ex officio members would vote on whether to forward them to the governor or send them back for further negotiation. Port Gamble S'Klallam Chairwoman Amber Caldera described the tribe’s history, lands, and how gaming revenue supports government services such as health care, housing, education, language and culture, natural resources, and community investment. Commission negotiator Johnny Bray summarized the proposed compact changes for Port Gamble as updates to Appendix F, including higher credit and wager limits, more gaming stations and player terminals, language for a second facility, and adoption of Appendix G for electronic table games. Members asked about pre-screening for high-limit tables and the tribe’s handling of problem gambling and self-exclusion, and tribal counsel said internal minimum control standards were still being developed. A question was also raised about funding for green crab removal, but the tribe said it would follow up with more details. Upper Skagit Indian Tribe attorney David Hawkins gave a historical overview of the tribe, its gaming operations, and how gaming revenue supports member programs such as nutrition assistance, education, and down payment aid, as well as local charitable contributions and emergency housing. He said the tribe is seeking the amendment to add electronic table games after removing traditional table games before COVID, in order to remain competitive. Committee questions focused on air quality and smoking areas, and Hawkins said the tribe maintains a non-smoking floor with separate smoking rooms and supports smoking cessation efforts. Chair Kauffman closed by thanking both tribes for their contributions to tribal members and the broader community, including education, housing, culture, health care, and natural resource protection.

Transcript Highlights:

• If it was launched in 2021, Madam Chair's question, if it was launched in 2021 and, based on the report

Committee: Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability

Summary: The Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability met for its first meeting of the session, took roll, and heard a presentation from Ken Plant of the Joint Administrative Procedures Committee on SB 108, the 2025 law overhauling Florida rulemaking. The presentation focused on new deadlines for agencies to begin and publish rules, limits on automatic sunset provisions, changes to emergency rule procedures, expanded public input on statements of estimated regulatory costs, a five-year review cycle for existing rules, and new licensing-reporting requirements. Members asked about the review timeline and emphasized the need to keep agencies accountable for meeting the new requirements. The committee then reviewed the Department of Management Services’ response to Auditor General Report 2025-1096 on fleet management. DMS said the audit found 10 issues, most of which it believes it has addressed, and described the statewide fleet system as tracking about 27,000 assets with limited staff. DMS highlighted two major improvement ideas that would require funding: an enterprise telematics system to automate vehicle data and improve tracking, and centralized fleet procurement to reduce duplication and save money. Members questioned the status of FleetWave implementation, missing vehicle records, integration with other state systems, and access controls for separated employees. DMS explained that FleetWave is fully implemented but still relies on manual data entry, that discrepancies with the state accounting system largely reflect mismatched or inconsistent entries, and that policies and procedures were updated after the audit. The department said it now works more closely with People First to deactivate access when employees leave. After discussion, no further business was raised, and the committee adjourned without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we hope to continue to be a partner in this space. Thank you. Thank you.
• We know that other people around—that'll help us get this case actually launched a lot quicker.
• That data is again available in other spaces that are not subject to the same government surveillance
• Space. This is not the reporting that would do that, nor is it doing it now.
• the... liabilities that we put people forward if we don't take care of what we're stating in these spaces

Bills: SB41 , SB33 , SB32 , SB30

Committee: Senate Senate Health & Public Affairs

Keywords: sexual crimes, statute of limitations, criminal justice, victim rights, child abuse, individualized treatment, investigational treatment, health care, life-threatening illness, patient rights, physician recommendation, informed consent, human trafficking, sexual exploitation, child protection, prosecution, crime amendments, SB30, induced abortion, abortion reporting

Transcript Highlights:

• would accelerate what has been acknowledged as one of the most, if not the most, effective defensible space
• governments with homes in very high wildfire threat severity zones to implement and enforce these defensible space
• investments through strategic planning and will accelerate the application of proven, effective defensible space
• investments through strategic planning and will accelerate the application of proven effective defensive space
• From 2021 to 2025, our organization launched and expanded 175 compost hubs in the state of California

Summary: The committee first heard SB 14, which would direct state agencies to reduce single-use plastics and improve waste diversion at state facilities by updating integrated waste management plans, increasing reusable foodware use, reducing paper purchasing, and requiring better employee education and recycling/composting practices. Supporters from the California Compost Coalition, Republic Services, Waste Management, and others said the bill would help build composting and recycling markets and let the state lead by example. Several groups that had opposed earlier versions said they were now neutral after amendments, including the removal of a 90% requirement. The bill was moved out on a due pass as amended recommendation. The committee then took up SB 326 on wildfire mitigation. The bill would create a framework for Cal Fire to evaluate the risk-reduction benefits of fuels management and landscape resilience investments, and it would accelerate implementation of Zone Zero defensible-space standards, including grants for local enforcement and broader application to rental and sale properties and post-fire reconstruction. Support came from Stanford climate researcher Michael Mastrandrea and several local government, insurance, and climate groups. With no opposition, the bill passed as amended to Appropriations. Next, SB 34 on port emissions and the South Coast Air Quality Management District drew extensive testimony. The author said the bill was narrowed by committee amendments to preserve the ports’ ability to reduce emissions while preventing cargo throughput caps and addressing concerns about automation, local control, and the timeline for port clean-air planning. Supporters included ILWU, business groups, and port-related stakeholders, while the South Coast AQMD and many environmental and community organizations opposed it, arguing it would weaken public-health protections and set a bad precedent. After lengthy debate, the committee approved the bill on a due pass as amended vote to Transportation, with some members voting no and others abstaining. The committee also heard SB 279, which would expand composting options for farmers and small community composters by allowing limited on-farm composting after large biomass events and increasing the amount small operations may process and sell. Supporters said the bill would help address agricultural waste, expand composting capacity, and reduce landfill disposal. Commercial composting representatives opposed it, warning that the bill could create regulatory inequities, strand recent investments in permitted facilities, and allow too much unregulated food waste. Despite those concerns, the bill passed to Appropriations on a due pass vote. The transcript also briefly referenced SB 613 on upstream methane emissions data, described as having no opposition and intended to improve tracking of imported oil and gas emissions.

Transcript Highlights:

• For example, do you have guys calling and you just don't have space for them?
• For example, do you have guys calling and you just don't have space for them?
• That space is over. It's gone.
• Physicians, for example, at least I know. workforce to work in this space.
• So the state is doing a lot in this space.

Summary: The task force heard extensive testimony on recovery support, harm reduction, and community-based care. Dan Haniken of Into Action described his own recovery from addiction and incarceration and argued that treatment alone is not enough; he said recovery housing, peer support, employment, accountability, and stable housing are what help people stay sober and avoid relapse. Members asked about funding, housing shortages, transportation, treatment courts, and support for medication-assisted treatment (MAT). Haniken said Into Action relies on a braided mix of federal, state, county, city, foundation, and private funding, and that recovery housing needs longer-term support than many current funding streams provide. He also said Missouri should expand recovery housing, peer recovery support, and recovery community centers, and improve awareness and access to MAT in recovery settings and after incarceration. Matt Cushman, a community paramedic with Raytown Fire Protection District, urged Missouri to expand harm reduction, including syringe service programs and broader access to clean needles and drug-checking tools. He argued that stigma and abstinence-only approaches keep many people from seeking help, and said harm reduction reduces disease transmission, overdose deaths, hospitalizations, and other harms while creating pathways to recovery. He cited naloxone distribution as a successful example and said similar strategies should be decriminalized and expanded. Members asked about naloxone access, community paramedicine funding, and whether safe consumption sites should be considered; Cushman said syringe exchange should be a near-term priority, while safe consumption sites are a longer-term policy question. Representatives from Ozarks Medical Center/COMC and Four Rivers Community Health Center focused on the need to reimburse peer support specialists and community health workers, especially in rural and underserved areas. COMC’s Monet Lehman shared her trauma and recovery story and described her jail reentry work, helping incarcerated people with housing, benefits, IDs, employment, MAT, and community supports before release. Four Rivers said its care coordinators and CHWs provide wraparound services such as transportation, housing help, Medicaid enrollment, clothing, and same-day MAT access. Members and staff discussed confusion over reimbursement rules, noting that CCBHCs can bill for peer services through Medicaid while FQHCs generally cannot, and that CHWs are often funded through grants rather than reimbursement. No votes were taken; the meeting consisted of testimony and member questions, with several requests for follow-up information on funding, transportation, and reimbursement rules.

Transcript Highlights:

• This year, the intermediates launched Minnesota's first registered teacher apprenticeship program, the
• c> intermediates</c> education this year the intermediates education this year the intermediates launched
• <00:32:03.600><c> Minnesota's</c><00:32:04.240><c> first</c><00:32:04.519><c> registered</c> launched
• Chair Coleman and members, thank you so much for giving me the space to speak with you today.
• </c> that are excuse me longer than the space that are excuse me longer than the space between<01:08:

Committee: Senate Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• And it's very rare to sit in these<00:48:35.440><c> spaces</c><00:48:35.839><c> as</c><00:48:36.000><
• as you talked about um, how these spaces as you talked about um, how we're<00:48:37.760><c> kind</c>
• It will launch on March 9th and will include 11 states within the region.
• Um it'll launch on March 9th and area.
• Um it'll launch on March 9th and will<01:07:46.240><c> include</c><01:07:46.720><c> 11</c><01:07:47.039

Bills: HF3004 , HF3663

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Keywords: workforce development, youth employment, internships, mentoring, job opportunities, digital platform, online portal, career pathways, youth workforce, employment and economic development, DEED, general fund appropriation, nonprofit grant, social media outreach, digital outreach, workforce opportunities, teen jobs, young adults, career exploration, Minnesota youth

Transcript Highlights:

• Like, where's that space to do the education so someone doesn't have to be charged? Yeah.
• Like, where do we<00:47:04.160><c> where's</c><00:47:04.560><c> that</c><00:47:04.800><c> space</c><00
• :47:05.200><c> to</c><00:47:05.440><c> do</c><00:47:05.599><c> the</c> we where's that space to do the
• we where's that space to do the education<00:47:06.560><c> so</c><00:47:06.880><c> someone</c><00:47
• </c><01:32:23.120><c> a</c> want to launch a want to launch a GoFundMe<01:32:24.960><c> so</c><01:32:

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• We're trying to space those out. Those maximum-security beds are the longest. Yeah.
• And if we did not have space, we would have to try to transfer them.
• That's not the only problem in this space, but that's a major problem in this space.
• They have to consider what success looks like in the homelessness space.
• Outreach, how many, let's say 100 people show up today in that space?

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• Just three months ago, we launched a health plan for these exact families.
• Um just 3 months ago, we launched<00:23:25.280><c> a</c><00:23:25.520><c> health</c><00:23:25.760><c>
• plan</c><00:23:26.000><c> for</c><00:23:26.240><c> these</c><00:23:26.640><c> exact</c> launched a health
• plan for these exact launched a health plan for these exact families.<00:23:28.480><c> And</c><00:23

Bills: HB424 , SB63 , SB269 , HB424 , SB63 , SB269

Committees: House Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce , House Insurance

Keywords: HB424, Montgomery County, sheriff, county sheriff, salary increase, expense allowance, local act, county general fund, retirement contributions, public official compensation, law enforcement pay, elected official salary, Montgomery County legislation, sheriff compensation, term-based salary, immigration, law enforcement, fingerprints, DNA collection, illegal aliens

Transcript Highlights:

• So it's a very good launching pad for these small businesses. and holding these smallcale homebased and
• good<00:08:43.519><c> land</c><00:08:43.919><c> and</c><00:08:44.000><c> a</c><00:08:44.240><c> launching
• </c><00:08:44.560><c> pad</c><00:08:45.040><c> um</c><00:08:45.200><c> for</c> good land and a launching
• pad um for good land and a launching pad um for these<00:08:45.760><c> small</c><00:08:46.080><c> businesses

Transcript Highlights:

• Finally, we're very excited about the upcoming launch of a new loan program, which has been titled Prime
• Finally, we're very excited about the<00:24:56.720><c> upcoming</c><00:24:57.200><c> launch</c><00:24
• <c> a</c><00:24:58.080><c> new</c><00:24:58.559><c> uh</c><00:24:58.720><c> loan</c> the upcoming launch
• of a new uh loan the upcoming launch of a new uh loan program<00:24:59.919><c> um</c><00:25:00.000><

Committee: House Housing Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• supported, through our funding, Honolulu Community College and Kī Okaʻa Family Learning Centers in launching
• and Ki okaa family Learning<00:27:53.519><c> Centers</c><00:27:54.440><c> in</c><00:27:54.640><c> launching
• </c><00:27:55.279><c> our</c><00:27:55.600><c> first</c> Learning Centers in launching our first Learning
• Centers in launching our first state<00:27:56.519><c> our</c><00:27:56.720><c> state's</c><00:27:57.240

Committee: House Higher Education

Summary: The House Committee on Higher Education met on January 31 and heard six bills. The chair opened by outlining committee practices, including giving at least 72 hours’ notice for hearings, releasing testimony by 5:00 p.m. the day before hearings, and deferring bills needing substantive HT1 changes so members would not vote “blind.” Members briefly thanked the chair for the transparency approach before moving to the agenda. HB 223 would create a Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy special fund and workforce assessment fee to support a pharmacy center. Testimony from the Board of Pharmacy, the Hawaii Pharmacists Association, the University of Hawaiʻi Hilo College of Pharmacy, Mokai Drugs, and others generally supported the measure, emphasizing workforce data, rural access, student loan repayment, and retention. The committee later advanced HB 223 with amendments, including leaving fee amounts blank for further discussion and inserting a defective date, and the motion passed unanimously. HB 940 would appropriate funds for the rat lungworm lab at UH Hilo; HB 546 would establish the Aloha Intelligence Institute at UH to advance AI; HB 549 would create an early learning apprenticeship grant program; HB 1172 would add the Department of Taxation to the Statewide Longitudinal Data System for wage-data sharing; and HB 1320 would require UH to collect and publicly report graduate outcome data and create a dashboard. Testimony on these bills was largely supportive, with some privacy concerns raised on HB 1172 and a request to protect taxpayer confidentiality. In decision-making, the committee passed all five bills with amendments, generally deleting or blanking appropriations and FTEs for Finance Committee review, adding defective dates for further discussion, and in HB 549 adding a statement that the program is a matter of statewide concern. The committee recessed briefly for decision-making and then adopted the chair’s recommendations on each bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• . space. space.
• space.
• ,</c> guardianship or conservatorship space, guardianship or conservatorship space, but<04:46:48.640>
• A lot of but it's a very delicate space.
• </c><04:59:28.920><c> looks</c> enforcement actions in that space looks enforcement actions in that space

Transcript Highlights:

• their children are born here as U.S. citizens, we're able to give them a car seat and a safe sleep space
• is titled “Changing Diapers, Changing Lives: The Health and Economic Impacts of Diaper Benefits,” launched
• projects that would have increased our capacity for this current season, such as increasing freezer space
• and dry produce space, things that would let us expand to get HIP-eligible products and provide more

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities

Summary: The House Committee on Children and Families held a hybrid hearing on a broad set of anti-hunger, family support, and basic-needs bills. Early testimony focused on SNAP and DTA operations: Rep. DeRosa and others urged passage of H. 196/S. 167 to require DTA to identify staffing, technology, funding, and operational needs to improve timeliness and customer service, warning that unanswered calls, delayed recertifications, and federal changes could sharply raise state costs through higher SNAP administrative burdens and payment-error penalties. Speakers from Massachusetts Law Reform Institute and Project Bread said DTA is under-resourced, caseloads have grown, and families are being denied or delayed due to phone and paperwork barriers. Another major SNAP-related bill, H. 254/S. 147, would require the Commonwealth to replace stolen EBT/SNAP benefits; testimony described more than $13 million stolen from about 27,000 households since June 2022 and argued families should not bear losses from organized theft rings. The committee also heard strong support for H. 207/S. 117, which would restore state-funded nutrition assistance for legally present immigrants excluded from federal SNAP under recent federal changes. Advocates from Project Bread, the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, local immigrant services, and public health groups said the federal cuts would leave thousands of residents, including refugees, asylum seekers, trafficking survivors, and children, without food support, and argued Massachusetts has a history of filling this gap. Testimony also supported H. 222/S. 104 to make the Healthy Incentives Program permanent and year-round; supporters said HIP improves nutrition, boosts local farms and regional economies, and had already served more than 212,000 households in FY25. A related child-support bill, H. 201/S. 110, would increase the amount of child support passed through to TAFDC families and expand good-cause exemptions; witnesses said the change would put more money directly in families’ hands, reduce poverty, and better protect survivors of domestic violence and families with complicated co-parenting situations. A large portion of the hearing was devoted to deep-poverty and diaper-related legislation. Supporters of H. 214/S. 118 said cash assistance grants have lost value over time and should be raised annually until they reach half of the federal poverty level; advocates from Children’s HealthWatch, Hopewell, the Lift Our Kids Coalition, and parents described the links between deep poverty, poor child health, family stress, and child welfare involvement. They argued that higher grants would help families meet basic needs, reduce hospitalizations and neglect reports, and provide stability amid federal cuts. Finally, multiple witnesses backed diaper legislation, including H. 220/S. 151 and related bills, to create a diaper benefits pilot and/or diaper allowance commission. Testimony from the National Diaper Bank Network, MassCAP, Children’s HealthWatch, local diaper banks, and parents said diaper need is widespread, affects parental employment and mental health, and can cause health problems for infants; a federally funded pilot in Massachusetts was cited as showing improved employment, financial stability, reduced stress, and fewer diaper rashes. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing; the committee heard testimony and asked questions throughout.

Transcript Highlights:

• California is rich in green spaces on school campuses, in nearby parks and open spaces, in our regional
• establish outdoor learning as a recommended instructional strategy, provide guidance to schools, and launch
• 2158 will help ensure the health of our two most precious California resources: our spectacular open spaces

Committee: House Education

Transcript Highlights:

• We will soon launch a dashboard. I think you're going to be very, very pleased with that dashboard.
• They could do training there when they needed a larger space and could be used for events, but it's not
• So, I'm excited to work collaboratively, and we have to work collaboratively in that space.
• guess, sort of the poster child for a shift in how the university is thinking about how it utilizes space