Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, no applicants were turned away at this point in time.
• Chair, no applicants were turned no, Mr.
• as applicable as maybe some think it is. as applicable as maybe some think it is.
• The question is, does it raise fees? Dr. Leer: No, Mr.
• Chair, Representative, it does not raise fees. Thank you.

Bills: HF2784, HF2785, HF2778, HF2281, HF2576, HF2280, HF2579

Keywords: beginning farmers, agriculture, loans, economic opportunity, farmers' equity, agriculture appropriations, farm to school, early care, child care food program, school lunch program, local food, Minnesota agriculture, food access, farm-to-institution, limited market access, county fairs, biofuels, E25, ethanol, meat processing

Transcript Highlights:

• We can have a CHW come in and do Medicaid applications.
• We can have a CHW come in and do Medicaid applications.
• prepared to submit an updated application.
• Their funding comes through a per parcel fee.
• Their funding comes through a per-parcel fee, a real estate transaction fee. That fee is $3.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• students from taking on unnecessary student debt, AB 1534 requires that programs limit tuition and fees
• Lastly, AB 1534... ...debt, AB 1534 requires that programs limit tuition and fees to the Maximum Pell
• while considering even more mandatory fee increases in the future, all within the last three years,
• I remember when we introduced student success fees back in 2011, 2012, when I was at the CSU system,
• They don't receive developer fees, and they also cannot apply for hardship.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This imposes a fee on the total amount of independent expenditures made by a non-candidate committee
• This bill will increase the fee of 5% of the cost of independent expenditures made during an election
• So it might be that this burden may be unconstitutional because I can't see how the fee would prevent
• <01:21:51.360> would because I can't see how the fee would because I can't see how the fee
• Because if it's independent expenditures, it'll impose like a fee on expenditures.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on SB 114, which would create a presidential preference primary for the 2028 election. The Office of Elections said the bill would cost about $4.1 million. Supporters, including the Hawaii Democratic Party and the League of Women Voters, favored moving the process to a state-run primary, while several opponents, including the Hawaiian Islands Republican Women and multiple individual testifiers, argued it would be too expensive, would shift control away from the parties, and would replace volunteer-run caucuses with a mail-in system. Committee members questioned the chief election officer about election timing, certification, and how a primary might be scheduled with other elections. Testimony was recorded as 11 in support, 41 opposed, and 3 comments, and no vote was taken in the excerpt. The committee then took up SB 725, which would require judges to make findings about a defendant’s ability to afford bail. Judiciary and Attorney General witnesses asked that the bill be deferred or amended, saying the Judicial Council is already reviewing pretrial bail reform and that the bill’s language could create practical problems for police, sheriffs, and courts. Supporters, including the Correctional System Oversight Commission, the public defender, the Community Alliance on Prisons, the ACLU of Hawaii, and disability rights advocates, said cash bail disproportionately harms low-income defendants, increases pretrial detention costs, and should require clearer findings and records. Opponents included the Hawaii County prosecuting attorney. Members questioned how bail is initially set, what records exist, and whether the bill would change current practice; Judiciary witnesses said initial bail decisions are often made by police or judges and later reviewed on the record, while supporters argued the bill would strengthen front-end due process. The ACLU said it supported the bill with amendments, including clearer standards for ability to pay and written findings. The committee also began hearing SB 733, a proposed constitutional amendment to establish a continuous legislative session. Early testimony was strongly supportive, with advocates arguing that the current 60-day session limits public participation, makes it hard for working people to testify, and prevents lawmakers from collaborating effectively. Supporters said a year-round model could improve transparency, reduce duplicate bills, and better accommodate neighbor island legislators. The excerpt ends during the opening testimony on SB 733, before any committee action or vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• with that fee for service.
• We're not recalculating or adjusting the fees.
• We're not setting new fees, we're adjusting the fees based on the Consumer Price Index from 2008 to 2019
• There was an example of one of the fees for service.
• That's a 2008 fee.

Transcript Highlights:

• commissioner for the fee for registration.
• I think that the one concern that remains has to do with the fees.
• Initially, the bill had a fee of $5,000.
• Most of the fees for other industries are $500 or $600.
• First, it is neutral and generally applicable law.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• be setting its fees be setting its fees and<02:12:46.639> it<02:12:46.800> end<02:
• There is a set license fee.
• There's a license fee for first-time applicants, and there is one for renewals, and I believe it's in
• the process of updating that fee the process of updating that fee schedule<02:39:38.359> it
• testing application and Licensing fees<04:04:17.720> and<04:04:17.880> maintain<04:04:

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee first took up House Bill 702, which would change how extra or special duty pay for retired police officers is treated for retirement and work-limit purposes. Supporters argued the bill would let retirees work more special-duty hours, helping municipalities fill traffic-detail and similar assignments without added state cost, and said it would not prohibit retirees from working but would simply stop those hours from counting toward the return-to-work threshold. Opponents argued the change would be inconsistent with the retirement system’s 2011 reforms, could increase pension liabilities, and would treat the same compensation differently for active employees and retirees. Members also discussed whether the bill would affect current and future retirees, the role of municipalities, and whether the policy amounted to “policing for profit.” The subcommittee ultimately voted 3-2 to recommend inexpedient to legislate (ITL) on HB 702, sending it to the full committee with that recommendation. The committee then discussed House Bill 581, which would create a Group Three retirement plan for new state employees hired after the bill’s effective date. The chair outlined a housekeeping amendment to delay implementation, moving the effective date to January 1, 2026, and noted a sponsor amendment addressing health insurance group inclusion and medical and surgical benefits so those benefits would not be put at risk for the new group. Testimony and discussion focused on the shift from defined benefit to defined contribution, with supporters citing Michigan examples and arguing the bill would help recruit and retain employees while giving them more flexibility. Opponents said the change could weaken retirement security and increase unfunded liability, though supporters responded that the bill still requires employer contributions toward accrued liability and is intended to keep the state on track to pay off its unfunded liability by 2039. The transcript ends with continued discussion of the bill and no final vote shown on HB 581.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, it's not like we all increased our fees associated with that.
• So, we want to go live with something like an airline application on your phone.
• Would be somewhere like an airline application on your phone, like your American Airlines app.
• we provide, as well as from statutory fees.
• And so, those are really using the fee revenue that we generate.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• by a water suspante of application by a water carrier.<00:17:56.960> Requires<00:17:57.280>
• , the the signed form will application, the the signed form will look<00:37:09.599> different.
• Jersey law um which is for applicants Jersey law um which is for applicants uh<00:41:42.160>
• For example, the fines and fees for crossing outside of a marked crosswalk is $130.
• further deliberate on the applicable further deliberate on the applicable quotes<01:43:37.040>

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several transportation-related bills. HB 1688, which would provide a general excise tax exemption for certain aircraft maintenance materials, parts, tools, and facility construction, received comments from the Department of Taxation and support from Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Kohala Coast Resort, the Activities and Attractions Association of Hawaii, and the Tax Foundation of Hawaii. Testimony indicated the measure was intended to clarify an existing exemption rather than create a new one. The bulk of the hearing focused on HB 2386, which would authorize the Public Utilities Commission to establish automatic adjustment mechanisms and a water carrier inflationary cost index. The Department of Transportation said it would change its testimony to support the bill, citing a 2020 working group recommendation, while the PUC and DCCA offered comments. Matson, the Maritime Group, Hawaii Harbors Users Group, and Young Brothers supported the measure, arguing it would modernize regulation, improve predictability, and help maintain reliable interisland shipping. Hawaii Farm Bureau offered comments, while Hawaii Food Industry Association, Maui Brewing Company, Lani Kai Brewing Company, and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Hawaii opposed it, arguing automatic rate increases were not the solution and that underlying costs and efficiencies should be addressed first. The chair noted the bill was essentially the same as one previously considered, and asked questions about how Hawaii’s water carrier regulation compares with other states. The committee also heard HB 1691, which would allow electronic signatures for certain motor vehicle title transfers after total-loss insurance settlements and remove the notary requirement for that narrow transaction. The City and County of Honolulu Department of Customer Services, Hawaii Insurers Council, Copart, American Property Casualty Insurance Association, and one individual supported it, with Copart saying the change would reduce delays and could allow a faster, largely electronic settlement process. Members asked about county impacts, and Copart said counties would only see a different form with no added cost or electronic integration. HB 1680, requiring county finance directors to notify agencies through a centralized system for vehicle transfers, drew opposition from the City and County of Honolulu Department of Customer Services and one individual in support. HB 2516, raising helmet requirements for electric foot scooters and bicycles and requiring helmets for high-speed or Class 3 electric bicycles, received support from DOT, DOH, AAA Hawaii, and the Hawaii Bicycling League. HB 193, allowing deaf vehicle owners to register a deafness designation visible to law enforcement, drew support from the City and County of Honolulu Department of Customer Services, the Hawaii Disabilities Rights Center, and an individual who suggested amendments to broaden the bill to deaf and hard of hearing individuals and adjust the proof standard. HB 2442, increasing required accessible and van-accessible parking spaces in larger parking lots, was supported by the Disability and Communication Access Board, the Council on Developmental Disabilities, and the Disability Rights Center, which said the bill would address shortages of accessible parking and may need technical amendments to align terminology with the ADA.

Transcript Highlights:

• And if somebody that reviews these applications follows the letter of the law, a firefighter with a fire
• Alabama ABC Board the authority to create a new license fee to have enforcement out in the field.
• Well, so the permit fee money would go to the ABC for enforcement. That's what that piece is for.
• Is this a fee on the wholesaler, right?
• So, it's an additional fee that the ... it's an additional fee that will be collected at the wholesale

Bills: HB227, HB255, HB465, HB472, HB482, HB483, HB526, HB529, HB484

Keywords: firefighter benefits, occupational disease, line of duty, disability pension, death benefits, retirement benefits, hypertension, heart disease, respiratory disease, cancer presumption, HIV, hepatitis, municipal firefighters, state firefighters, fire districts, workers' compensation, public safety employees, post-retirement benefits, benefit eligibility cutoff, occupational illness

Transcript Highlights:

• And when we've run into that actual application, we call a tow company.
• You don't have to have a hearing just application of a law that says if you application of a law that
• program, participate, they pay a fee. program, participate, they pay a fee.
• 17 with Aaliyah may assess an annual fee 17 with Aaliyah may assess an annual fee not<01:16:44.800
• The the there's now a docket fee easy.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our beachhead application is a fraction of that.
• <00:15:15.920> for accelerate additional applications for accelerate additional applications
• are charging housing fees, it is not.
• are charging housing fees, it is not.
• are charging housing fees, it is not.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Then the next fee on here was a $2.50 driver education fee.
• And then the actual registration fee is just a portion of all the fees, and then these additional fees
• payment fees.
• No, that's a fee that's in the fee schedule for us, and so we manage that fee so that we don't accrue
• The registration fee is the same thing. Those fees, while we call them fees, are really taxes.

Keywords: 985, all

Transcript Highlights:

• districts can serve all the students that Walk up to their door because, remember, there is no application
• districts can serve all the students that walk up to their door because, remember, there is no application
• There's a lot of unjust application of our tax code, loopholes, and other areas that could have provided
• what I would ask is this: Is there anywhere in the budget right now that pays for the civil attorney fees
• We don't have a fee-for-service solution for those needs, and we really need time to craft an alternative

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Costs from Medicare and medicines are AWP plus 6% for administrative fees.
• And then another one about continuing on the fines and fee structure.
• Continuing on the fines and fee structure, where do the actual fall? So that's part one.
• First, just want to acknowledge, yes, there are fines and fee structures in the bill today.
• DHS has approved applications for 14,995 entities to receive the NDP distribution.

Summary: The Assembly Health Committee heard a long agenda of health bills focused on access to preventive care, behavioral health, hospital services, and patient safety. Early items included AB 554, which would expand and protect access to HIV prevention drugs like PrEP, including injectable forms and coverage protections; supporters said it would shore up access amid federal threats, while insurers opposed it as a costly benefit mandate. AB 577 would limit insurer and PBM practices that steer medications away from physician offices and require more transparency and patient consent; doctors and patient advocates supported it, while health plans and insurers warned it could raise drug costs and disrupt specialty pharmacy networks. AB 546 would require coverage for portable HEPA purifiers for vulnerable enrollees during declared emergencies, especially wildfire smoke events, with support from air quality and public health groups and opposition from insurers concerned about benefit expansion and cost. The committee also heard AB 224, which would codify California’s updated essential health benefits benchmark plan after a public review process, adding infertility treatment, hearing aids, and durable medical equipment if approved by CMS for the 2027 plan year. DMHC said the state had completed the review and needed legislation to meet federal timing, and the measure drew broad support. AB 1032 would require plans and insurers to reimburse up to 12 additional behavioral health visits for enrollees in wildfire-affected counties for a limited period after an emergency; supporters argued it would fill gaps in trauma care after disasters, while insurers said existing parity and continuity-of-care rules already address the issue and that the bill could create inequities. AB 849 would require trained chaperones for sensitive ultrasound exams and training on how to observe and intervene; it was backed by a survivor and patient advocates, with hospitals and health districts raising staffing concerns. Later, AB 1196 would direct the Department of Public Health to update outdated rules requiring three surgeons for certain heart surgeries using cardiopulmonary bypass; supporters said the rule no longer reflects modern practice and strains staffing, while cardiology representatives had no formal opposition but wanted to review amendments. AB 1113 would codify a right to wear a mask for health reasons in public spaces, with support from disability and public health groups. AB 1386 sought to add perinatal care to the list of basic hospital services, prompting testimony about maternity ward closures, workforce shortages, and rural access; the author said the bill would be amended further and that the committee would need to revisit timelines and implementation details. The committee also heard AB 1429, which would address Kaiser’s repeated mental health parity violations and improve access to behavioral health care, though the transcript cuts off before any action on that bill is shown. Several bills were moved with motions and seconds, but many were held for quorum; AB 1196, AB 1113, and AB 1386 were among the measures advanced to a roll call or held on call, and the committee repeatedly noted that final votes would occur when quorum was available.

Transcript Highlights:

• Repeal of fees for plan specifications applications. page of the amendment.
• <06:58:13.200> It fees. Um and I apologize I misspoke. It fees.
• Can we accept it with the $4 fee instead of the $6 fee?
• fee instead of the $6 fee? fee instead of the $6 fee?
• the fee.

Keywords: 10am HB 1 & HB 2, 928, house, all

Summary: The committee of conference for HB 1 and HB 2 reviewed the side-by-side budget comparison and began working through agreed and disputed items. Members first confirmed that grayed-out items were already settled and discussed a process for making later technical and intent changes, especially to true up abolished positions after additional decisions were made. They then moved through several budget sections, including judicial branch reductions, retirement systems, the Department of Justice, the Human Rights Commission, liquor enforcement, corrections, and the Department of Information Technology. Several items were agreed to or treated as settled package items, including the judicial branch position, the Department of Justice reduction, the Human Rights Commission item being held until related HB 2 language is finalized, the Housing Appeals Board being moved into the Board of Tax and Land Appeals, and the Office of Child Advocate. The committee also agreed to update the House bill language as needed based on HB 2 decisions, and to keep certain IT support rows in place unless related boards and commissions are eliminated. The effective date remained July 1, 2025, with no change. The main unresolved discussion centered on the retirement systems budget, where the Senate defended a large increase for deferred IT security and investment-function improvements, while the House argued the increase was too large and favored a back-of-the-budget cut. The Senate said the funds would support strategic IT and investment changes and would remain in the trust if cut, while the House emphasized the size of the increase and suggested a compromise. The committee ultimately retained the Senate position on retirement systems for the moment and said it would return to the issue later. On corrections and liquor enforcement, the committee described a negotiated back-of-the-budget cut structure, including a $10 million cut for corrections with some restoration of POS offices and administrative aides, and a liquor enforcement cut that was treated as part of a broader package. The Department of Safety item related to commercial enforcement and motor vehicle inspections was held for later discussion. The meeting ended with several items agreed, several held for coordination with HB 2, and some major budget questions still open.

Transcript Highlights:

• So you're limiting their application and reduce it.
• But you're essentially limiting the application or utilization of the fund to try.
• Essentially limiting the application or utilization of the fund to treat weeds?
• And will this affect anything in terms of the application or utilization of that?
• Possible fees here too. So that's another kind of...

Keywords: 965, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So you're limiting their application and reduce it.
• But you're essentially limiting the application or utilization of the fund to try.
• Essentially limiting the application or utilization of the fund to treat weeds?
• And will this affect anything in terms of the application or utilization of that?
• “Possible fees here too. So that’s another kind of...

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 1209, which would pause new cooperative endeavor agreements for surface water withdrawals after December 31, 2026, while allowing existing agreements to continue and renew through 2036. The author said the bill is intended to force a broader, data-driven review of Louisiana’s surface water management and to improve funding for aquatic plant control, especially giant salvinia. An amendment was adopted to broaden the description of how the aquatic plant control fund may be used and to require annual reporting on agreements, withdrawals, revenues, deposits, spending, and non-monetary consideration. Department officials said the current program is voluntary, underfunded for monitoring, and that the bill could create a gap for new users if no replacement mechanism is enacted. The bill was reported favorable as amended after testimony from supporters including the Louisiana Wildlife Federation and opposition concerns from industry representatives were noted but not formally presented. House Bill 599 was then heard, which would prohibit the sale of Louisiana running surface water outside the state. The author argued that out-of-state sales, especially involving Toledo Bend and Texas, would be short-sighted and could harm Louisiana’s long-term water interests. Supporters said Louisiana lacks a water budget and should preserve water for in-state needs, while the Department of Conservation and Energy noted that the state currently has no mandatory process for such agreements and that the bill would not affect Sabine River Authority authority. The committee reported the bill favorable. Finally, House Bill 1206, dealing with permitting and reporting of water usage at data centers, was discussed. The substitute bill and amendment would give the department authority to monitor and regulate groundwater and surface water withdrawals, require public hearings, and improve transparency through reporting and a universal project identifier. The author and supporters said the bill was prompted by concerns in communities affected by large data center projects and the lack of public hearings on water use. Department officials agreed that more comprehensive data and a clearer framework are needed, but the author voluntarily deferred the bill to continue working with the department on a broader measure for next session. The committee also heard House Bill 1171 on allowing airboats in the Mar-Paw Swamp Wildlife Management Area, but after extensive debate over noise, habitat impacts, and existing restrictions, the discussion was ongoing in the portion provided and no final action on that bill was shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• , the docket fee.
• <02:20:57.359> We're the fee, the docket fee. We're the fee, the docket fee.
• , court fees.
• more and more fees more and more fees through<02:25:32.560> the<02:25:32.800> courts
• <02:26:21.760> at<02:26:22.000> all charging these fees at all charging these fees

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This account tied to the fee increase.
• There is the Senate park fee increase.
• The Senate proposal does fee increase.
• Um uh to increase the AIS boat fee.
• :46.480> and applicable statutes, rules, and applicable statutes, rules, and commission<02:15:

Keywords: 1187, senate, all