Transcript Highlights:

• But there are some innovations and some evaluations of the police academy that I'm going to bring Colonel
• But there are some innovations and some evaluations of the police academy that I'm going to bring Colonel
• He has made some concrete decisions and changes in evaluations, and I think the general public and all
• A robust medical needs evaluation is conducted for every pre-trial detainee remanded to the Suffolk County
• To do this, we are required by the Supreme Judicial Court to evaluate their qualifications, including

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing was held in Clinton Town Hall as part of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means’ budget review, with local officials welcoming legislators and noting the long agenda of many panels. The main presentation was from Secretary Terrence Reedy of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, who outlined the Healey-Driscoll administration’s FY26 proposal for the secretariat, including a $1.7 billion budget and a 7% increase over FY25. He described investments in emergency preparedness, hate-crime prevention, reentry programming, technology modernization, internships, and public safety training, while also noting some reductions driven by resource constraints, including cuts to certain grant programs and administrative costs. Committee members also raised concerns about federal uncertainty and how it could affect state budgets and public safety planning. A major portion of the questioning focused on the Department of Correction. Secretary Reedy and Commissioner Sean Jenkins said the biggest challenges are staffing, officer wellness, facility safety, and contraband—especially K2. They described steps taken at MCI Souza and other facilities, including reducing population at the maximum-security unit, changing management, removing metal products and free weights, improving screening and roll calls, adding a rapid response team, and increasing investigative and technological efforts to combat K2. They also discussed the closure of MCI Concord, saying it was driven by high maintenance costs and staffing needs, and explained that savings are being used to improve staffing patterns and address deferred maintenance over time rather than producing immediate large budget reductions. Members also questioned the budget’s impact on police training and community policing. The administration defended the increase in police academy tuition from $3,200 to $6,000 as reflecting true training costs and said it would still be subsidized by the state, while acknowledging the burden on small municipalities. They said the MPTC is expanding regional training and considering proposals such as Greenfield Community College’s. On community policing, officials emphasized uniform statewide training, de-escalation, and communication skills. The State Police also announced an outside review of the academy by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and said the next class will be split into two smaller groups to improve oversight and allow quicker implementation of recommendations. Other topics included ICE and federal immigration enforcement, with Reedy saying state law prohibits Massachusetts law enforcement from acting in a civil immigration capacity and that no state dollars were used in the Tufts-related ICE operation mentioned by a member. Senators and representatives also raised the upcoming FIFA World Cup, warning that it will require significant public safety resources and likely federal funding. Additional discussion covered restorative justice and juvenile diversion, health care costs in DOC, electronic health records, and the need for more diverse and culturally competent public safety staffing. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Lambert said he would love to say that the DOT conducts very comprehensive speed-limit evaluations of
• He said the department evaluates speed limits on a case-by-case basis generally when the topic comes
• <01:16:47.120> We<01:16:47.240> just evaluation of the whole system.
• We just evaluation of the whole system.
• 50.520> a<01:16:50.560> case-by-case evaluate speed limits on a case-by-case evaluate speed

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: House Transportation opened public hearings on three Senate bills and discussed a fourth scheduling issue. On SB 499, which would change Traffic Safety Commission reporting requirements, the sponsor’s representative said the bill would require annual aggregated data on the causes of traffic collisions in New Hampshire and recommendations to address them. Members asked about the added Trauma Medical Review Committee seat, and a representative explained that it is a longstanding state board of emergency and trauma professionals; the bill had already been amended and passed unanimously earlier in the process. On SB 500, concerning restroom access for certain commercial motor vehicle operators, the sponsor and trucking-industry supporters said the measure arose from concerns raised by female truck drivers and was intended to require larger commercial facilities with available public or employee restrooms to allow truck drivers to use them when there are no public safety concerns. Supporters from the New Hampshire Motor Transport Association said driver shortages make it important to recruit and retain women, and that lack of bathroom access is a significant barrier. Committee members asked about the scope of the problem and whether the issue affected male and female drivers differently. The committee then heard SB 559, which would reduce the minimum allowable speed limit on locally controlled roads. Supporters, including bicyclists and the Bike-Walk Alliance, testified that lower speeds improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers, citing personal crash experiences and national guidance supporting lower urban speed limits where warranted by traffic or engineering studies. They emphasized the bill would not mandate lower limits statewide but would give towns local discretion. Members questioned whether the group would support 15 mph limits and how congestion and travel-time concerns were weighed. A Department of Transportation official testified neutrally, saying the agency had no formal position but had concerns about public perception and possible spillover to unnumbered state roads. The chair also noted an earlier scheduling problem that prevented immediate executive action on a bill until later in the day.

Transcript Highlights:

• analytics to assist or increasingly replace humans when making decisions about hiring, performance evaluation
• making decisions about hiring, making decisions about hiring, performance<00:01:15.080> evaluation
• ,<00:01:16.160> promotion, performance evaluation, promotion, performance evaluation, promotion
• Others are a bit more nebulous, but at least we know that a human is the one evaluating us and that not
• us and that not every one one evaluating us and that not every one of<00:05:20.680> our<00:05

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think um for me uh since the commissioner, the department is going to be evaluating the situation and
• <01:05:33.800> the department is going to be evaluating the department is going to be evaluating
• In a prior evaluation of PSAP, 95% of caregivers said they were satisfied with services, and their worker
• In a prior evaluation of PSAP, services.
• In a prior evaluation of PSAP, 95%<01:34:24.880> of<01:34:25.000> caregivers<01:34:25.960

Bills: HF2136, HF4195, HF4548, HF4432, HF4174, HF3024, HF4389, HF3773

Keywords: youth intervention, grants, community support, early intervention services, nonprofit, Minnesota human services, forecast adjustment, budget forecast, appropriations, Medical Assistance, MinnesotaCare, Health Care Access Fund, general fund, behavioral health, housing support, General Assistance, Minnesota Supplemental Aid, MFIP, DWP, child care assistance

Transcript Highlights:

• health units may operate at more than one facility and allows for short-term care, assessment, evaluation
• c> and allows for short-term care, and allows for short-term care, assessment,<00:02:20.720> evaluation
• , evaluation, and stabiliz- stabilization<00:02:23.440> for<00:02:23.680> incarcerated<
• This should not limit their ability to evaluate the risk and charge premiums for the type of activity
• their ability to evaluate the risk and<00:36:27.320> charge<00:36:27.680> premiums<00:

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Maui follows close behind at 35%, and this credit, when it was originally evaluated over several years
• <00:20:25.280> over when it was originally evaluated over when it was originally evaluated
• time could alter the pilot program and the data that is being sought by the legislator to truly evaluate
• 04:13.200> legislator<01:04:13.800> to<01:04:13.920> truly<01:04:14.280> evaluate
• <01:04:15.320> the the legislator to truly evaluate the the legislator to truly evaluate the

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee first took up gubernatorial message nominations. Margaret Jackson was heard for reappointment to the State Council on Mental Health, where she said her lived experience with family members facing schizophrenia, houselessness, and substance use issues motivates her service. Andrew Savaiano was heard for the Juvenile Justice State Advisory Council and said he wanted to continue elevating youth voice and lived experience. Tao Yan was heard for the Board of Certification of Operating Personnel in Wastewater Treatment Plants and emphasized the importance of wastewater treatment to public health and the environment. The Department of Health testified in support of the nominations, and the committee later adopted chair recommendations to advise and consent to all three nominations, noting Senator Favela’s excuse and no recorded objections. The committee then heard HB 1853 relating to dementia. Testimony was overwhelmingly in support from state agencies, advocacy groups, caregivers, and individuals with lived experience, including a person living with Alzheimer’s and his caregiver spouse, who described the value of early diagnosis and coordinated support. Supporters said the bill would expand memory care navigation and access, especially on neighbor islands and in rural areas, and help families connect to resources earlier. One member raised concerns about the cost and scale of the proposed program, asking about the number and cost of dementia specialists and noting broader budget pressures, but the bill remained under discussion with no final action shown in the transcript. The committee also heard HB 1591 relating to health care, which would expand the preceptor tax credit to additional health professions, including physician assistant students and PAs, with testimony in support from nursing, public health, medical, and provider organizations. Supporters argued the measure would help address workforce shortages and improve training opportunities for local and economically disadvantaged students. A committee member asked about the aggregate cost of the credit and whether the existing credit had been fully utilized; the chair noted the bill was being kept narrower than broader proposals because of fiscal concerns. The transcript then moved to HB 1961 relating to health care access near facilities, with supporters arguing it protects access to legal reproductive health care and opponents saying it is unnecessary, vague, and burdensome on free speech and protest activity. No final vote on the bills appears in the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• that up by requiring the electric utilities that own significant transmission to incorporate and evaluate
• the electric 2024 was directing the electric utilities<01:26:56.400> to<01:26:56.639> evaluate
• <01:26:57.120> the<01:26:57.360> cost<01:26:57.520> and utilities to evaluate
• the cost and utilities to evaluate the cost and feasibility<01:26:58.560> of<01:26:59.199>
• <01:27:28.719> gets<01:27:29.120> projects ...incorporate and evaluate GETS projects

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• years and take hundreds of thousands of dollars when other people were double-checking the till and evaluating
• but I don't want to have you vote on anything or do anything without your ability to read it and evaluate
• <01:38:04.719> read<01:38:04.880> it<01:38:05.040> and<01:38:05.360> evaluate
• <01:38:05.840> it,<01:38:06.000> but ability to read it and evaluate it, but ability
• to read it and evaluate it, but just<01:38:07.360> hopeful<01:38:07.679> for<01:38:07.920

Bills: SF0087, SF0088, SF0092

Keywords: felony, law enforcement, police officer, criminal penalties, public safety, sex offender, child care facility, residency restrictions, criminal law, sex offenders, child care facilities, legislation, false claims, civil penalties, state accountability, whistleblower protection, fraud prevention, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A seven-digit, and it may be appropriate to evaluate, is that the right solution moving forward to look
• A seven-digit, and it may be appropriate to evaluate, is that the right solution moving forward to look
• at the And it may be appropriate to evaluate is that the right solution moving forward to look at the
• So Central West End, we actually had to close that office for some improprieties, and we're evaluating
• I understand your point, and it's become very obvious this year that this has to be evaluated in some

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• capital project like this, it might be worth the General Assembly to have in place some way of evaluating
• , to have in place some way of evaluating, to have in place some way of evaluating, you<00:35:51.760
• So each one is evaluated and we move forward as fast as we possibly can to move forward. Thank you.
• So each one<01:03:43.200> is<01:03:43.680> evaluated<01:03:44.480> and<01:03:44.799
• and we move fa forward one is evaluated and we move fa forward as<01:03:46.240> fast<01:03:46.400

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call- 00:00:01 Staff Report on Statewide Emergency Responder Voice System- 00:01:09 Kentucky State Police and Finance and Administration Cabinet Response to Staff Report- 00:48:37 Adjournment-01:34:512, 958, all

Summary: The committee heard a staff report on Kentucky’s statewide emergency responder voice system (SERVS), a multi-phase project intended to improve interoperable radio communications for first responders. Staff said Kentucky State Police did not appear to have violated statutes or regulations, but the project lacked an overall master plan, clear milestones, and consistent documentation, which contributed to delays, spending issues, and deployment problems. The report recommended updating the Kentucky Field Operations Guide to reflect SERVS and noted that the project has been funded in phases since 2018, with appropriations totaling roughly $216 million across 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024, while about $109 million had been spent by the end of fiscal year 2025. The report raised concerns about project sequencing and oversight. Staff said most spending was concentrated in special mobile equipment, with Motorola accounting for about two-thirds of all SERVS expenditures and the top four vendors making up 81 percent of spending. They also said a sample of Motorola payments suggested possible late payments, though they could not confirm whether interest was paid. Staff criticized the use of master agreements for a project of this size, the lack of a centralized ledger, and the absence of a documented timeline or risk mitigation plan. They recommended stronger procurement and planning requirements, including possible legislative changes requiring approved master plans for large capital projects and additional funding conditions tied to SERVS master agreements. Land acquisition and deployment progress were identified as major bottlenecks, especially in Eastern Kentucky. Staff said the project began in western Kentucky using existing tower sites, but the remaining work is concentrated in harder-to-acquire areas, with more than 95 percent of new towers still incomplete. They said the Division of Real Properties did not begin formal contract work on acquisition until October 2024, despite earlier coordination, and recommended earlier consultation on future projects. Staff also noted that the Kentucky Wireless Interoperability Executive Committee had not been active in oversight, and survey results showed limited awareness and involvement among first responders. Committee members agreed that the lack of an initial implementation plan and the continuing need for funding reflected broader planning problems, and they discussed the need for a clearer end-to-end game plan rather than continuing to fund the project without a defined completion path.

Transcript Highlights:

• We also discovered that there are shortages of qualified evaluators, which delay access to emergency
• It reduces wait lists for the evaluation of criminal defendants' competency by 90%.
• evaluators which delay access<00:30:26.320> to<00:30:26.640> emergency<00:30:27.279>
• It reduces weight lists for the<00:31:35.600> evaluation<00:31:36.240> of<00:31:36.399>
• criminal<00:31:36.880> defendants the evaluation of criminal defendants the evaluation

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:00 Roll Call: 00:00:09 State of the Judiciary: 00:02:33 The Corrections - KCTCS Reentry Program: 00:49:44 Update on 2022 RS SB 90: 01:27:49, 958, all

Summary: The Interim Joint Committee on the Judiciary met on November 6, 2025, approved the minutes, and welcomed guests including Kentucky Specialty Courts manager Elizabeth Nichols and Boyle/Mercer Family Court Judge Bruce Petri. The committee then heard the Chief Justice of Kentucky, Deborah Lambert, deliver her state of the judiciary address, focused largely on judicial branch funding, facilities, technology, and specialty court programs. Chief Justice Lambert said the branch is facing a projected $14.3 million shortfall for fiscal year 2026 and asked lawmakers for supplemental support, access to reserve funds, and higher base appropriations to cover inflation and nondiscretionary costs. She also requested a 15% across-the-board pay increase for judicial branch employees, citing salary gaps with other state workers and declining judicial compensation relative to national averages. She emphasized that the branch has received a clean FY 2025 audit and said the requests were intended to sustain current operations rather than expand them. A major portion of her remarks covered court technology and facilities. She described the move to Chamberlain during Capitol renovations, the purchase of that building as a cost-saving measure, and the need to fund courtroom audio/video systems and a new statewide case management system. She also discussed courthouse maintenance, flood damage, mold issues, security system upgrades, and the $47 million asset preservation fund created last session, while asking for additional local facilities funding and one-time disaster-related support. Lambert highlighted specialty court and statewide program results, including foster care review boards, family recovery courts, court designated worker programs, drug and mental health courts, and the Judicial Commission on Mental Health. She thanked legislators for prior bills and support, including House Bill 1, Senate Bill 26, and the CES law, and said 2026 recommendations will focus on civil commitment reforms under KRS 202C. During questions, Senator Wheeler asked whether some courthouses are being overbuilt; Lambert said most facilities are inadequate, though some may be larger than needed, and that future needs and population changes must be considered. She also noted that virtual hearings and technology have improved efficiency. No votes or formal committee actions were taken beyond approving the minutes and receiving the presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• How are you evaluating a student K through 2?
• > a<01:39:55.520> certified<01:39:55.920> staff<01:39:56.239> member evaluated
• by a certified staff member evaluated by a certified staff member teacher.<01:39:58.960> All<
• How are you evaluating a doing it?
• How are you evaluating a student<01:40:06.080> K<01:40:06.400> through<01:40:06.719>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Education Funding Committee met in executive session on a bill concerning school meal access and reimbursement. The bill would address local school districts’ responsibility to provide meals during school hours, reimburse schools for meals served at no cost, and make an appropriation. The committee first moved to retain the bill, with supporters saying it was complex, had uncertain fiscal impacts, and should be considered alongside other related meals bills. Opponents argued the committee already had enough information, that the bill served a small number of students at relatively low cost, and that delaying action would harm children who need food to learn. The committee also heard from Tim Roar, a Keene school business administrator and co-designer of the bill, who explained that the proposal was intended to be an opt-in program for districts, with rulemaking to set participation requirements. He said the bill was meant to target aid to students between 175% and 200% of poverty, reduce bad meal debt, and avoid spending taxpayer money on families who could afford to pay. He estimated the state cost at about $250,000 in year one, with local taxpayer costs around $8,500 for Keene, and said some districts already have systems for online applications while others do not. Committee members questioned him about meal debt, online application software costs, and how districts handle students who reach debt limits. Roar said districts still feed students who are hungry, but use other resources and family outreach when meal debt is capped, and he argued that parents should be responsible for providing lunch when they can afford it. Other members pushed back, saying they had seen students go hungry and that teachers sometimes pay for lunches themselves. One member noted the bill would increase eligibility, make it easier to apply, strengthen personal responsibility, and was not a mandate. The discussion ended without a recorded final vote in the excerpt, though the retain motion remained the central action under debate.

Transcript Highlights:

• They send a solution. associate from Pasadena ISD to Willis ISD. to evaluate your campus, but they provide
• It also becomes a better tool to actually evaluate growth because you have examples of writing over time
• Can we evaluate where a third grader is in their reading skills?
• And obviously evaluate the student, right, because they're teaching their kids are not the function of
• While Texas's accountability system is plainly aware that a one-size-fits-all approach to evaluating

Bills: HB4, HB54, SB 10, SB 24, HB4, HB54, HB775, HB850, HB 1122, HB 1249, HB1405, HB2336, HB2757, HB3372, HB3622, HB4442, HB4687, HB4893, HB5089, HB5515, HB5606, SB10, SB24, HB1573, HB3369

Keywords: district composition, congressional election, Texas, legislature, voting districts, citizenship, U.S. citizen, non-citizen, public office, advisory board, task force, state government, local government, political subdivision, commission board, appointment eligibility, officeholder qualifications, public service, naturalization, Texas Government Code

Transcript Highlights:

• It requires math core to use evidence-based instructional support to evaluate and accelerate student
• It requires math core to use evidence-based instructional support to evaluate and accelerate student
• It requires math core to use evidence-based instructional support to evaluate and accelerate student
• It requires the department to post on its website the rubric used to evaluate curriculum.
• It requires the department to post on its website the rubric used to evaluate curriculum.

Bills: HF1388

Keywords: BARR Center, Building Assets, Reducing Risks, education finance, school funding, grant appropriation, evidence-based program, student achievement, social and emotional learning, school climate, teacher effectiveness, high school graduation, students in poverty, students of color, BIPOC, equity in education, Minnesota Department of Education, urban schools, suburban schools, rural schools, school coaching

Transcript Highlights:

• We're streamlining the 62J mandate evaluation process to allow freshman legislators to introduce mandates
• 00:36:18.640> the<00:36:18.960> 62J<00:36:19.680> mandate<00:36:20.160> evaluation
• streamlining the 62J mandate evaluation streamlining the 62J mandate evaluation process<00:36:21.200
• mandates the health committee as these mandates are<00:49:29.200> being<00:49:29.359> evaluated
• to make sure that we are being evaluated to make sure that we are<00:49:31.599> striking<00:49

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Memory screens are quick, simple tests that evaluate memory and other thinking skills to detect memory
• Memory screens are quick, simple tests that evaluate memory and other thinking skills to detect memory
• Memory screens are quick, simple tests that evaluate memory and other thinking skills to detect memory
• Memory screens are quick, simple tests that evaluate memory and other thinking skills to detect memory
• Additionally, the Improv Group conducted an evaluation between 2021 and 2023 that found approximately

Bills: HF2115, HF2276, HF1644, HF99, HF2068, HF2707, HF2704, HF2406, HF1674, HF1579

Keywords: human services, aging services, disability services, behavioral health, long-term care, nursing home, nursing facility, assisted living, waiver services, medical assistance, Medicaid, case mix reimbursement, PDPM, RUG, direct care and treatment, developmental disabilities, day services, positive support, guardian, conservator

Transcript Highlights:

• The state should know and evaluate not only the percentage of students absent, but also not enrolled.
• Our student schools and community deserve better than re-evaluating the previous school year's information
• The state should know and evaluate not only the percentage of students absent, but also not enrolled.
• Our student schools and community deserve better than re-evaluating the previous school year's information
• of interventions that are at evaluation of interventions that are at play<00:57:34.839> and<00

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• and they all have needs, and so they submit their proposals through a process, and then those are evaluated
• ><00:42:13.680> then<00:42:13.839> those<00:42:14.000> are<00:42:14.720> evaluated
• <00:42:15.720> by process and then those are evaluated by process and then those are evaluated
• continue through session, just looking at what is the return on investment metric that you're using to evaluate
• continue through session, just looking at what is the return on investment metric that you're using to evaluate

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They are also looking at fundraising and opportunities in the NIL space right now that they are evaluating
• <00:37:09.000> that<00:37:09.240> right<00:37:09.359> now actually evaluating
• that right now actually evaluating that right now because<00:37:09.839> right<00:37:09.960>
• And it's all evaluated. We do continuous improvement, and it goes to every county, every island.
• That's what it's paying for, and it's all evaluated.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Higher Education met at the University of Hawaiʻi’s Bachman Hall and heard testimony on several UH-related bills. HB 542 would expand the Hawaiʻi Promise Program to provide unmet-need scholarships at four-year UH campuses. UH system officials, the UH Student Caucus, and a Honolulu Community College student testified in support, emphasizing college affordability, student retention, and workforce needs. Committee members asked about current program data, eligibility, transfer patterns, and cost; UH said it had data available, noted about 10% of current Hawaiʻi Promise students transfer to four-year campuses, and estimated the full expansion would cost about $12 million. UH also suggested a possible alternative of focusing on transfer opportunities from two-year to four-year campuses. The committee then heard HB 840, which concerns athletics appropriations for UH. UH Mānoa and UH Hilo supported the bill. UH officials said the funding would help cover recurring athletics operating costs, women’s sports travel and recruiting, Austin Awards, and a new nutrition fueling station, while Hilo said the money would help with travel, per diem, and conference-related costs. Members asked about the history of the athletics funding, the difference between Austin Awards and special talent waivers, NIL planning, and whether the appropriation should be restored to the base budget. UH explained that a $4 million athletics appropriation was originally made in 2018 or 2019, later removed from the base, and has been reappropriated annually since then. Finally, the committee heard HB 842, which would fund three additional permanent mental health practitioner positions at UH Mānoa’s Counseling and Student Development Center. UH supported the bill, and Academic Labor United and a high school student testified in favor, citing student stress, overwork, and the need for more counseling access. In questions, members discussed the current counselor-to-student ratio, recruitment challenges in a tight labor market, and strategies for hiring, including looking at candidates on soft-money grants who may be seeking stable employment. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, probate requires evaluation. How do you implement this?
• <00:32:27.080> how<00:32:27.279> do<00:32:27.440> you evaluation how do you evaluation
• This would happen, as mentioned earlier, as a sort of annual evaluation of somebody's estate, even though
• This would happen, as mentioned earlier, as a sort of annual evaluation of somebody's estate, even though
• This would happen, as mentioned earlier, as a sort of annual evaluation of somebody's estate, even though

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Judiciary Committee heard several bills on January 30. SB 286 and SB 287 both concerned supplemental funding for the Honolulu Department of the Prosecuting Attorney: SB 286 for the career criminal prosecution unit and SB 287 for the victim witness assistance program. Testimony from the department explained that these bills are filed each year because the Attorney General’s core budget allocation may not be sufficient, though the department said the core had recently been increased and the supplemental request might no longer be necessary. For SB 287, the department also warned of a possible federal Victims of Crime Act funding freeze that could cut about $1.88 million and severely harm victim services. Both bills drew support from county and community witnesses, and members asked about prior-year funding and why the requests were limited to fiscal 2025-26; no votes were taken in the excerpt. SB 289, from the State Ethics Commission, would create a more uniform administrative fine process under the ethics code and lobbyist law. The commission said the measure would not change substantive enforcement but would let it issue a notice and order of fine first, with the respondent able to request a hearing within 20 days, which would speed up cases that are not factually disputed. Members questioned whether the bill would deny due process or function like an automatic parking ticket, and the commission responded that respondents could still challenge the fine and that the process would apply to violations with fines under $1,000. The committee also heard SB 304, which would add 11 positions for the First Circuit Adult Client Services Branch; Judiciary testimony said probation caseloads are high, with an average of 116 cases per officer, and the added staff would help meet national supervision standards and better serve higher-risk clients. Members asked whether the positions were already in the budget and about current staffing ratios; the witness said the positions were not already funded and that the Judiciary supported the bill with amendments. The committee then heard SB 311, a proposed constitutional amendment to exclude spending money to influence elections from protected free speech. Testimony was strongly divided: supporters argued that Citizens United has distorted elections and empowered special interests, while opponents warned the language was too broad and could affect nonprofit advocacy and grassroots groups. Finally, SB 313 would impose a 1% wealth asset tax on individuals with $20 million or more in assets. The Department of Taxation said it had concerns about the bill’s ambiguity and administration and noted it would require annual valuation and likely additional resources; opponents, including family business representatives and the Tax Foundation of Hawaii, argued the tax would be difficult and costly to administer, would require sensitive business disclosures, and could force family businesses to pay from company cash. Supporters said wealthy residents should pay a fair share. The committee heard testimony and questions on these bills, but the excerpt does not show final committee votes or actions.