Transcript Highlights:

• Minnesota has an element of the school finance system called declining pupil enrollment.
• The idea behind this formula element is to soften the loss of pupil units, to give districts a little
• <01:06:14.039> of<01:06:14.160> the Minnesota has an element of the school finance
• The idea behind this formula element is to soften the loss of pupil units, to give districts a little
• of the school Finance of these elements of the school Finance formula<01:15:13.280> are<01:15

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee first approved the January 21st minutes by voice vote. Members then resumed a school finance overview focused on how Minnesota’s “base” budgeting system works and how future committee targets are set above or below that base by the Ways and Means chair, in consultation with fiscal staff. Staff emphasized that school funding decisions are tied to the state budget base and that changes made by the tax committee can affect school levies and school finance more broadly. The presentation then turned to property tax fundamentals. Staff explained that roughly 65% of school district revenue comes from state aid and about 20% from property taxes, with property tax revenue applying to school districts rather than charter schools. They reviewed the two main school tax bases—referendum market value and adjusted net tax capacity—along with class rates, sales ratios, and equalization. They also described tax credits, especially the school building bond agricultural credit, which helps reduce the property tax burden on agricultural land in Greater Minnesota. Members discussed student choice programs and how funding follows students. In response to questions from Representative Quam, staff explained postsecondary enrollment options (including direct enrollment and College in the Schools) and online learning, noting that funding generally follows the student to the serving institution or district. Staff also reviewed Minnesota’s pupil-counting system, including average daily membership and pupil weighting, and explained that students attending charter schools, other districts through open enrollment, or online programs are counted where they are served. The presentation concluded with broader school finance context: funding sources, equity and adequacy goals, constitutional and statutory authority, and the state’s school data systems (EUP/FARS, MARS, and STARS). Staff also began reviewing long-term enrollment trends, noting the impact of the baby boom, later growth from the mid-1980s through about 2000, and projected modest declines in public school enrollment through 2029.

Transcript Highlights:

• And those new data elements don't fit with our existing data collection system, and therefore the state's
• So this bill simply adds that required data element, which is hours worked, to the unemployment insurance
• So this bill simply adds that required data element, which is hours worked, to the unemployment insurance
• heard, would modify our existing wage data reporting by adding a small number of targeted known elements

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill does change substantially after the amendment, so I'm not sure if discussing the elements in
• The amendment that we just passed makes the bill a little bit leaner and adds certain other elements.
• It's got transportation and state and local and judiciary elements in it dealing with safety and security
• It's got transportation and state and local and judiciary elements in it dealing with safety and security

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• different medical organizations, insurers, and a wide group of stakeholders that do support the elements
• 56.320> um to um that do support this uh the the um to um that do support this uh the the um elements
• 04:57.520> So<00:04:57.759> I<00:04:58.000> think<00:04:58.080> it's elements
• So I think it's elements of the bill.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee first considered House Bill 241, which would provide information about alternative pain treatments rather than mandate services. Members cited support from the prime sponsor, medical organizations, insurers, and other stakeholders, and noted there was no fiscal impact. The committee voted unanimously, 7-0, to ought to pass the bill. It then took up House Bill 629, which raises a boat decal fee and dedicates the revenue to the dam maintenance fund. Members described the state’s deteriorating dam infrastructure, noting the large number of dams, the high-hazard sites, and the much larger funding need, while saying the bill would provide only a modest start. They also said boat owners generally did not strongly object to the fee. The committee voted 7-0 to ought to pass. House Bill 1042, concerning an increase in the unified contingent credit limit for New Hampshire Business Finance Authority projects, drew more divided discussion. Supporters said the higher cap would provide needed flexibility and liquidity for business development and that the state treasurer and BFA had explained the credit structure and low historical loss rate; opponents warned the increase would raise state exposure too much, too soon. After debate, the chair postponed the bill, then later returned with an amendment lowering the proposed limit from 450 million to 400 million, which the committee adopted unanimously. The committee then moved to ought to pass as amended. Finally, the committee considered House Bill 1411, which would have allowed withholding payments to the federal government in response to federal actions. Members opposing the bill argued that withholding employee-related funds would be unlawful and ineffective, while supporters said it could serve as a statement and suggested interim study instead. The committee rejected the bill on a 4-3 vote and voted to inexpedient to legislate.

Transcript Highlights:

• However, it's crucial to leave the trees and all the natural elements because that's actually nature's
• new river and restoring its natural flow. floodplains along it, and we shouldn't be pulling those elements
• one of the things that's addressed in this legislation and then I think there's also a ...a time element
• It would also be of greater assistance to the people we're trying to help if there was some... ...element

Bills: HB2, HB1, HB18, HB19, HB20, HB1, HB 2, HB18, HB19, HB20

Keywords: emergency communication, interoperability, grant program, first responders, state council, disaster response, emergency management, mass fatality, justices of the peace, training programs, emergency manager license, volunteer management, justice of the peace training, criminal history checks, state health services, broadband, public safety, disaster preparedness, funding, flood disaster plan

Transcript Highlights:

• It also creates training and orientation grants and other elements in the agreement.
• > training and orientation grants and training and orientation grants and other<00:05:17.039> elements
• other elements in the agreement. other elements in the agreement. members,<00:05:20.320> we

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I guess I see missing that human element in this, that, you know, what is the problem and how can we.
• :22.159> human I guess I see missing that that human I guess I see missing that that human element
• 25:23.840> you<00:25:24.000> know<00:25:24.159> what<00:25:24.400> is element
• in this that you know what is element in this that you know what is the<00:25:24.799> problem

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Committee on Labor and Technology heard several resolutions focused on workforce shortages and program development. STR 145/SR 117 would create a legislative working group on paid family and medical leave; testimony from state agencies, labor groups, advocacy organizations, and others was overwhelmingly supportive, though some asked for broader representation and legal expertise. Members raised questions about prior studies, staffing estimates, and funding needs for administering a future program. The chair ultimately deferred decision making on this measure to March 28, 2025. The committee also heard STR 55/SR 37 on reviewing the boiler and elevator inspection branch to improve recruitment and retention. DLIR supported the measure, while the Department of Human Resources Development supported the intent but suggested labor should lead the study. Industry witnesses described long inspection wait times, backlogs, and difficulty recruiting inspectors, and several said higher pay and training pathways were needed. The committee voted to pass the resolution unamended. For STR 64/SR 49, which would establish a Hawaii State Fellows Program, the department supported the concept but said resources would be needed and should be included in the budget rather than a resolution; the committee recommended deferral indefinitely. STR 67/SR 51, addressing hiring shortages in the public mental health care system, drew support from the State Council on Mental Health and others, with requests for amendments to ensure broader cooperation and added agencies. The committee moved the measure as a Senate draft with amendments. STR 63/SR 48, proposing a Hawaii Workforce Excellence Award, received support from DLIR, and the committee later recessed and reconvened for decision making on the measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• As noted in the testimony on the prior bill, there are some elements of employment in the state that
• Bill there the testimony on the prior Bill there are<00:34:35.320> some<00:34:35.800> elements
• of<00:34:36.919> employment<00:34:37.399> in<00:34:37.520> the are some elements
• of employment in the are some elements of employment in the state<00:34:37.919> that<00:34:38.040

Keywords: 910, house, all

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:

• And obviously, this is the first hearing of many, but we weren't able to land some important elements
• I am one of the Assemblywoman's constituents. I strongly oppose the legislation. Thank you.
• So I wonder if that was a part of what my constituency was dealing with.
• My constituents... Thank you. I can't tell you how many calls I've gotten on this.
• My constituents. Thank you. I can't tell you how many calls I've gotten on this.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The committee heard several bills, with extensive testimony on AB 1557, AB 1770, AB 2075, AB 1864, and AB 1709. AB 1557 would clarify e-bike power limits and set lower speed restrictions for Class 1 and 2 e-bikes; the author and police chiefs framed it as a youth safety measure in response to severe injuries and deaths, while bicycle industry representatives warned it could conflict with federal standards and disrupt California businesses. AB 1770 would place large health care service plans’ binding arbitration under Attorney General oversight and require compliance with the California Arbitration Act; supporters described patient harm and biased arbitration, while Kaiser Permanente and the Civil Justice Association said they were still reviewing amendments and had concerns. AB 2075 would require fire suppression equipment to be kept on or near tractors and other work sites to prevent wildfire spread, and AB 1864 would require screening of gene synthesis orders to prevent misuse for bioterrorism; both were presented as common-sense safety measures, with AB 1864 drawing support from biosecurity experts and some industry groups raising amendment concerns. The most extensive discussion was on AB 1709, which would prohibit social media accounts for users under 16 on platforms with harmful addictive features and create an e-safety commission. The author and supporters argued that social media companies intentionally design addictive products that harm children’s mental health, citing internal company documents, research, and recent court rulings; teen, medical, and advocacy witnesses described cyberbullying, addiction, and other harms. Opponents, including EFF and other civil liberties and industry groups, argued the bill is overbroad, violates the First Amendment, increases data collection, and could cut off access to community and information for youth, especially LGBTQ+ youth and other vulnerable groups. Committee members raised questions about out-of-state users, parental use, dark web harms, and how to preserve community resources for teens; the author said the bill targets platform design rather than speech and emphasized continued work with stakeholders. No final votes were taken during the portion of the meeting provided. The chair repeatedly noted that motions would be taken later when quorum and agenda timing allowed, and several authors asked for aye votes or said they would continue working with opponents on amendments and clarifications.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's something that has been a big, big issue for me and many of my constituents have brought up the
• That's something that has been a big, big issue for me and many of my constituents have brought up the
• That's something that has been a big, big issue for me and many of my constituents have brought up the
• have brought up many of my constituents have brought up the<00:59:32.720> need<00:59:32.880><
• > part<01:03:35.280> of<01:03:35.440> this And this, I think, just adds another element

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, what is the incentive for us to provide to constituents throughout the state to get insurance?
• Uh, what is the incentive for us to provide to constituents throughout the state to get insurance?
• Constituents throughout the state to get insurance, and I think the bill is a good bill.
• who have been hurt by constituents who have been hurt by people<01:07:40.279> on<01:07:40.440
• 1,000 feet of a school or playground, and the Supreme Court said that fails the narrow tailoring element

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As you know, health care affordability is the top issue to constituents and for Texas employers.
• also is we've heard a lot, and we know about how the cost of health insurance has really hit our constituents
• I encourage you to check out these resources and share them with your constituents.
• And I'll be honest, for my constituent... And stuff like that.
• And how do we build tools so that your constituents can actually shop and find out and make informed

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then finally, there's an inconsistency of some key elements among scholarship programs and that affects
• our concerns are of the some of the language is vague, the including the the language regarding elements
• inform parents of what services accommodations schools offer, but not to put in writing all the elements

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Disasters always carry an element of unpredictability. We were fortunate this time.
• And Representative Johnson, I am one of your constituents.
• the constituents and are ready to respond when needed.
• There's a lot... ...representing her area and her constituents is number one.
• I want to thank my constituent for being a volunteer and helping people.

Summary: The joint Senate and House disaster preparedness and flooding hearing opened with quorum calls, prayer, testimony time limits, and remarks from legislative leaders emphasizing decorum, respect, and the goal of learning from the July 4 flood to prevent future loss of life. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Speaker Dustin Burrows said the special session and hearings were intended to hear directly from local officials and residents, and that the state would pursue immediate and longer-term legislation and continue working beyond the current session. The committee then heard invited testimony from Kerr County, Kerrville, Kendall County, Real County, and the Upper Guadalupe River Authority, followed by member questions. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, Sheriff Larry Leitha, and emergency management coordinator William B. Thomas described the flood as a sudden, unprecedented event that overwhelmed local systems before many officials or residents understood the danger. They said the county received multiple National Weather Service and IPAWS alerts, but the rain fell in remote upstream areas with limited gauges, and the flood rose too quickly for normal response. They detailed the emergency response, including dispatchers handling heavy call volumes, deputies and volunteer firefighters conducting rescues, and state and federal partners assisting. County officials said 108 people died, including 37 children, and two remained missing. They called for better real-time flood detection, stronger rural emergency management resources, improved broadband and cell coverage, and more funding for swift-water rescue and warning systems. Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring and City Manager Dalton Rice said the city had floodplain rules, emergency plans, and prior preparedness efforts, but the event exposed gaps in communications and regional warning capacity. They urged the Legislature to fund a flood warning system, whether sirens, automated alerts, or a hybrid, and asked for support for predictive weather modeling, broadband expansion, a hazard mitigation fund, and disaster recovery resources. The Upper Guadalupe River Authority said it had long funded gauges and pursued flood-warning and mitigation projects, including a new software-based flood prediction system and possible retention dams, and planned to dedicate reserve funds to feasibility studies and infrastructure improvements. Kendall County Judge Shane Stolarczyk said his county’s emergency action plan and early alerts helped prevent deaths there, and he recommended easier access to alerting tools, a river-wide warning system, simpler grant applications, and regional coordination. Real County Judge Bella Rubio said rural counties face major challenges because of limited cell service, broadband, staffing, and funding, especially for camps and visitors along the Frio and Nueces rivers, and argued that reliable alert systems should be treated as a necessity, not a luxury. Members asked about the timeline of the flood, low-water crossings, communications failures, sirens, bridges, and funding, and several witnesses said the key lessons were better communications, better warning systems, and more investment in rural flood mitigation and emergency response.

Transcript Highlights:

• You're all five elements starting on section six.
• You're all<00:22:56.960> all<00:22:57.280> five<00:22:57.600> elements.
• The list of elements that I described were elements that are considered safeguards and guardrails to
• The elements that I described are considered safeguards and guardrails to make sure that any potential
• The point here is that the cultivation location would be included as an element of the information that

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 118, as amended, which contains several unrelated provisions with a modest fiscal note. Nathan White of the Department of Health and Human Services explained that section 1 would change the personal needs allowance for Medicaid-eligible residents of private and county nursing homes from an adjustment every five years to an annual adjustment, increasing the state cost by about $50,000 per year. He also described section 2, a one-time appropriation of about $160,000 to make certain Hampstead employees whole for missed bonuses and lost leave during the state’s transition of the facility to Dartmouth management. White then outlined sections 3 through 5, which would create a dedicated fund for Hampstead lease revenue to cover the state’s contractual obligation to match Dartmouth capital improvements dollar-for-dollar up to $3 million. He said the state receives about $1.141 million in lease revenue in the first year, with a 3% annual escalator, and that the fund would hold lease revenue until needed for reimbursement. Members questioned how the matching arrangement would work, what happens if Dartmouth spends before the fund has enough money, and whether the state could refuse to match certain improvements. White said Dartmouth has final determination under the agreement if disputes arise, and that if the bill does not pass the state could face difficulty meeting the obligation without cutting services or finding other general funds. Several members also raised policy concerns about the personal needs allowance becoming an automatic cost driver. Brian Clark, attorney for the Bureau of Adult and Aging Services, clarified that current law requires the allowance to be updated at least every five years, but the legislature could change it in an off year if it chose. He also explained that the allowance is money residents retain from their own income, such as Social Security, as part of Medicaid cost-of-care calculations, and that the department does not regulate how residents keep those funds. No vote was taken during the discussion, and the committee paused to correct the bill copy before continuing testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• Anyways, it's an important element of multiple programs in the Opioid Abatement Commission.
• One of the concerning elements was safe injection sites, which was controversial, and that was another
• Anyways, it's an important element of multiple programs in the Opioid Abatement Commission.
• One of the concerning elements was safe injection sites, which was controversial, and that was another
• was safe injection sites which elements was safe injection sites which was<00:36:01.839> with

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• policy process has certain timelines, stakeholder involvement, approval processes, and other key elements
• You know, like the state approval element is just fundamentally different.
• You know, like the state approval element is just fundamentally different.
• You know, like the state approval element is just fundamentally different.
• You know, like the state approval element is just fundamentally different.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I do want to also share with you and emphasize the element of this.
• We think that one element of this bill, which is requiring supervision of the telemedicine physician
• We think<01:17:15.120> that<01:17:15.520> one<01:17:16.240> element<01:17:16.640
• > of<01:17:16.760> this<01:17:16.960> bill, think that one element of this bill,
• trying to modify the performing elements trying to modify the performing elements to<01:43:49.440

Bills: HB2323, HB2324, HB1509, HB2164, HB2165, HB2367, HB2619, HB1765, HB2187, HB1864, HB1452, HB2314, HB1898, HB2558, HB2319, HB1643, HB2121

Keywords: workers' compensation, treatment plans, vocational rehabilitation, electronic submission, reporting requirements, occupational safety, hoisting machines, discrimination protection, Department of Labor, safety standards, treatment plan, injured worker, medical treatment authorization, employer response deadline, secure electronic transmission, facsimile, fax, mail submission, denial of care, medical necessity

Summary: The committee heard several administration bills related largely to workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance. On HB 2323 HD1, which would modernize workers’ compensation notice and filing procedures, DLIR and other agencies testified in support of the original bill language but said HD1 removed key components and weakened the bill’s clarity and continuity. HB 2324 HD1, which would repeal state hoisting-machine certification requirements and the separate crane operator certificate, drew support from DLIR; members asked about whether the change would affect safety or local operators, and DLIR said OSHA-compliant certifications already exist and the union supported the change. HB 1509 HD1, which would require faster employer responses to treatment plans and impose penalties for nonresponse, received support from DLIR and others, while DHRD said it wanted an amendment. The committee also took up HB 2164 HD1 on compounded prescription drugs in workers’ compensation. DLIR supported the bill as a way to define compounded drugs and curb inflated pricing, but DHRD and a medical provider opposed it and asked for amendments. Testimony focused heavily on whether the definition should include 503B compounding facilities and whether physician dispensing should be limited to the first 30 days after injury. HB 2165 HD1, dealing with unemployment insurance eligibility and removing the two-year limit on recouping overpayments, was supported by DLIR but opposed by Unite Here Local 5, which argued it would make it harder for striking workers and other claimants. Members questioned the impact of changing reporting deadlines from calendar days to business days and raised concerns about future benefit offsets; DLIR said the bill was needed for federal conformity and that the committee would revisit the offset percentage and effective date. Later, the committee heard HB 2367 on pay transparency, requiring salary ranges in job postings and removing the small-employer exemption. The Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, AAUW, Hawaii Women Lawyers, and an individual testifier supported the bill, saying pay transparency promotes fairness, trust, and pay equity; one testifier described being underpaid compared with a predecessor and said posting ranges would save applicants’ time. HB 2619 HD1, concerning homemade food products and farm kitchens, received generally supportive comments from the Department of Health, which requested an amendment to preserve flexibility in future rulemaking. HB 1765 HD1, on spear-fishing safety warnings, drew support from a safety educator and comments from DLNR; supporters said warning labels would help prevent hypoxic blackout deaths and were low-cost and easy to implement. No votes or final committee actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Pinto, one of the things that was of concern is that Senator Latz came and talked about one of his constituents
• Lass came and talked about one<00:42:36.480> of<00:42:36.640> his<00:42:36.960> constituents
• <00:42:37.520> and<00:42:37.760> others<00:42:38.079> who one of his constituents
• and others who one of his constituents and others who in<00:42:38.960> fact<00:42:39.680>
• I also recognize that Representative Baker has a time element, so the sooner that we can get up there

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Are we going to put someone on patrol or a constituent?
• A lot of your constituents come to visit the Supreme Court.
• One concurrence that I hear from my constituents is the reality of having to travel to Aztec to take
• People who live in remote areas, when I was a representative, had constituents that had to drive 20 miles
• it's been very much more about lining up MOUs for pay with treatment providers as the most essential element