Transcript Highlights:

• This is part of the The census package he sent over here included six bills, but essentially what happened
• Again, this is a package of six, but in the 11th hour after a meeting that we had on I believe it was
• I think what some folks are grappling with this is this is a part of this is a package of six bills that
• I can't remember the number, but this is a package of six.

Bills: HB1823, HB3031, HB3369, HB3378, HB3429, HB3624, HB3657, HB3880, HB4215, HB4476

Keywords: housing finance, Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency, publication requirements, housing policy, state regulations, HB3369, food truck, food truck fire suppression, mobile food establishment, mobile food preparation vehicle, mobile food vendor, automatic fire extinguishing system, fire suppression, fire extinguisher, Class K extinguisher, NFPA 10, State Fire Marshal, Oklahoma Liquefied Petroleum Gas Administration, Oklahoma Liquefied Petroleum Gas Board, liquefied petroleum gas

Transcript Highlights:

• portion of it is done safely, and then the USDA has the authority over how it is actually sold and packaged
• actually um the authority over how it is actually sold<00:07:48.000> and<00:07:48.560> packaged
• Um<00:07:50.880> this<00:07:51.120> is<00:07:51.360> something sold and packaged
• Um this is something sold and packaged.

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00 Attendance Roll Call: 00:25 HB 309 Discussion: 00:49 HB 308 Roll Call Vote: 11:34, 958, all

Summary: The House Agriculture Committee met with a quorum and first introduced legislative interns before taking up House Bill 309, sponsored by Representative Ryan Dodson and co-sponsored by Representative Scott Sharp. The bill would ban lab-grown meat in Kentucky, with the sponsor arguing it was needed to protect Kentucky’s cattle, livestock, and broader agricultural industries, and citing uncertainty about the long-term effects of cultured meat. Supporters also said the state should defend traditional animal agriculture and that the bill had backing from livestock interests and the Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture. Members raised several concerns, including whether labeling rather than a ban would be a better approach, whether the bill could conflict with the dormant commerce clause, and whether it might hinder emerging research or business opportunities in Kentucky. Some members compared the proposal to existing regulation of other products, while others said they supported the intent but were uneasy about a total ban. The sponsor responded that Kentucky should act to protect its farmers and that the issue could be revisited later if new research emerged. After discussion, the committee took a roll call vote. The bill received enough support to advance, with the chair announcing that House Bill 309 passed with favorable expression and should also pass on the House floor. Several members explained yes, no, or pass votes, reflecting a mix of support for Kentucky agriculture and concern about overbroad regulation and possible legal issues. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• required an adult signature on delivery what's more a number of the sites promoted the fact that the packaging
• was discreet so you wouldn't know what was in the packaging when it is delivered. packaging was discreet
• so you wouldn't know what was in the packaging when it was delivered to the house and that the credit

Summary: The Assembly Business and Professions Committee heard several measures, including SB 402 by Senator Valadares, which would move existing qualification requirements for qualified autism service providers and related professionals from the Health and Safety Code and Insurance Code into the Business and Professions Code without changing the standards. Supporters said it was a technical cleanup that would improve consistency and legislative oversight, while an opponent argued the bill was unnecessary and could create access issues; another witness urged inclusion of the QABA credentialing board. The committee approved SB 402 on a due pass motion to the Committee on Health. The committee also heard SB 378 by Senator Wiener, aimed at online platforms that facilitate sales of illicit cannabis and intoxicating hemp products. Supporters, including labor, local government, and cannabis industry representatives, said the bill would help protect consumers, minors, legal businesses, and tax revenue by creating accountability for online marketplaces. Opponents from the hemp industry and TechNet argued the bill was overly broad, could sweep in legitimate platforms and payment services, and should better distinguish bad actors from compliant hemp businesses; members discussed implementation, enforcement through a private right of action, and coordination with AB 8. The committee passed SB 378 to the Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection. Senator Arreguín presented SB 779, which would establish minimum enforcement fines for Contractors State License Board citations where minimums are currently very low or absent, and would raise the board’s reserve cap from six months to 12 months. The sponsor said the changes would better match penalties to violations and help support consumer protection and board operations during economic downturns. There was no opposition, and the committee approved SB 779 as amended to the Committee on Appropriations. The committee also approved the consent calendar, which included SB 344 and AB 652, both sent to Appropriations. SB 508 was not heard because it had been pulled by the author.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 1417 was part of a package of three bills that dealt with reentry.
• House Bill 1417 was part of a package of three bills that dealt with reentry.
• One bill in this package, as I mentioned, One bill in this package, as I mentioned, House Bill 1549,

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee met to review fiscal aspects of House Bills 1417 and 1425, both part of a broader criminal justice reentry package. HB 1417 would eliminate the $35 public defender application fee and end court-ordered reimbursement of indigent defense costs, while also removing the $55 monthly community supervision fee. Testimony from the Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigents and the Department of Corrections said the bill would replace lost revenue with general fund appropriations of about $310,000 for indigent defense and $1.5 million for supervision fees, and that the fees are rarely collected and can hinder reentry. Representative Clemene said the bill is intended to reduce barriers to successful community reintegration and improve data and supervision practices. HB 1425 would create and fund front-end diversion, deflection, and pretrial services programs. Supporters described it as allowing prosecutors and local jurisdictions to divert appropriate low-level offenders from prosecution, establish deflection programs for people with behavioral health needs, and expand pretrial services. The bill includes a pilot program in three counties, a $1 million appropriation to DOCR for one FTE and contracts with local providers, $750,000 to DHS for treatment services, and $55,000 for a study of pretrial services cost savings. Committee members asked several questions about how the pilot counties would be chosen, how the consultant study would be procured, and what services the DHS funds would cover. The committee also heard House Bill 1603, which would provide a $500,000 matching grant for Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act compliance, with $100,000 available to each of North Dakota’s five tribes if matched. Sponsor testimony said the funds would support a Historical Society NAGPRA compliance committee and help catalog and repatriate human remains and cultural items in coordination with tribes. After questions about the federal mandate and the difficulty of identifying artifacts, the committee voted 4-0 to give HB 1603 a do-pass recommendation, with Senator Meyer assigned to carry it forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• This A9 amendment reflects that we are pulling this bill out of the Human Services Program Integrity Package
• mostly changes that we put on in the Human Services Committee when it was sitting in that broader package
• appropriation differs from what was passed out of the Human Services Committee as part of that broader package

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee heard House File 2354, a bill by Representative Norris to strengthen Minnesota’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and combat medical assistance fraud. Norris explained that the bill, previously part of a broader Human Services program integrity package, was being converted into a standalone measure through the A9 amendment. The amendment made conforming changes and shifted the appropriation to ongoing funding from a special revenue fund, which Norris said was important to secure a three-to-one federal match for additional staff. As amended, the bill would increase investigative and prosecutorial capacity, create new penalties for Medicaid fraud over $100,000 and over $1 million, align prison time with other theft laws, extend the statute of limitations, and include medical assistance fraud under the state racketeering law. Norris and supportive members emphasized that Minnesota’s fraud unit is smaller than comparable states and that the added funding would help hire more staff. Members Pinto and Cleborne, along with Representative Koznick, offered supportive comments about the importance of the bill and broader legislative efforts to address fraud. The A9 amendment was adopted by voice vote, and after discussion the committee voted to refer House File 2354, as amended, to the General Register. The motion passed by voice vote, with no opposition recorded.

Transcript Highlights:

• The State Board of Workforce Development had a meeting in April where we presented this waiver package
• We had a follow-up meeting in May where it was approved with a vote of 11 to 3 to package.
• So we kind of talked about waiver package benefits already a little bit, but just to go into a little
• So we kind of talked about waiver package benefits already a little bit, but just to go into a little
• I mean, the 11 administrative entities under your waiver package.

Summary: The meeting focused on Arkansas’s workforce development reorganization and a set of federal waiver requests intended to consolidate and streamline the state’s WIOA system. Commerce officials said the department has already centralized shared services, split the old workforce agency into reemployment and Arkansas Workforce Connections, and submitted a combined WIOA/Perkins state plan. They described nine waiver requests, including replacing local workforce boards with a single statewide board, creating one planning and accountability structure, allowing more flexible movement of funds across regions, easing the “last-dollar” requirement for training and supportive services, reducing required youth program elements, and allowing affiliate sites instead of mandatory comprehensive centers. Officials said the goal is to reduce administrative costs and redirect more money to training, supportive services, and employer-driven programs. Legislators raised concerns about rural representation, local employer relationships, and whether local offices would close. Commerce officials said local offices would remain open, some current staff could be rehired, and regional business councils would preserve local employer input. They said the current system is fragmented and expensive, with roughly $14 million in federal workforce funds flowing through local boards but only about $1.9 million spent on training and supportive services last year; they argued the reorganization could raise training spending to about $6 million to $7 million annually. Questions also addressed board composition, performance accountability, and how funds could be shifted between regions when needs change. The State Board of Workforce Development had approved the waiver package 11-3 before it was submitted to the U.S. Department of Labor. Members also discussed workforce access for people with disabilities, child care and transportation supports, and the role of Arkansas Launch, apprenticeships, and career and technical education. Officials said vocational rehabilitation now has better access to the state job board and that referrals and data-sharing with DHS and other partners still need improvement. Several legislators emphasized the need for training to align more closely with employer demand, especially in manufacturing, technology, health care, and rural areas. The committee also heard a brief overview of Workforce Pell, with staff explaining that the new federal short-term Pell option has narrow eligibility rules and may not fit many existing programs, including some CDL and CNA programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• That spirit guided the House majority package this session.
• natural resources and cultural identity are under threat, we came together to craft a legislative package
• In total, we passed or funded every piece of our House majority package, in addition to over 250 other
• In a time majority package this session.
• . in addition to over 250 other package. in addition to over 250 other measures,<01:20:55.280> each

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If two companies are using the same package, is that accurate? Thank you.
• If two companies are using the same package, is that accurate? Thank you. Is that accurate?
• , the use of data analytics. ...commercial data packages, the use of data analytics, which some would
• analytics package then converts those data streams into proprietary.
• That's why people can sell it as a package, as a subscription.

Summary: The committee heard several bills and took up multiple votes. AB 576, dealing with updates to California’s charitable fundraising platform registry after AB 488, was presented as a technical fix to help charities and platforms more quickly update eligible listings; there was no opposition testimony, and the measure was later moved on a due pass basis. AB 1160, on law enforcement drone programs, was presented with proposed amendments requiring U.S.-based data storage and limits on sharing or selling collected data; supporters said it would protect sensitive drone-collected information while preserving affordable drone use, while there was no opposition testimony, and it was also later passed out on a due pass as amended basis. AB 75, which would require insurers to give notice before collecting aerial images of homes and provide homeowners access to those images, drew support from the Department of Insurance and consumer advocates, while insurers opposed it unless amended, arguing aerial imaging is a cost-saving inspection tool and that the bill could worsen availability and affordability; the bill was moved to Appropriations on a due pass basis, with the roll held open for absent members. The committee spent the most time on AB 325, which would address algorithmic price-fixing and collusion. The author and supporters argued that competitors using the same pricing software or algorithm to set prices can function as collusion even when the agreement is hidden behind code, and cited examples involving housing, frozen potatoes, gas pricing, and other industries. Opponents, including apartment, business, hospital, retail, chamber, and tech groups, said the bill was too broad, could sweep in lawful software and public-data market research, and might chill legitimate pricing tools, especially for small businesses and housing providers. Committee members raised concerns about clarity, intent standards, and whether the bill should focus more narrowly on nonpublic competitor data; despite those concerns, AB 325 was moved to Appropriations on a due pass basis, with the roll held open. Later, AB 1221 was presented as a workplace surveillance bill that would prohibit certain invasive or discriminatory surveillance tools, require notice to workers, limit sharing of worker data, and require corroborating evidence before discipline based on surveillance outputs. Labor and consumer groups supported the bill, saying modern surveillance technologies can track speech, movement, emotion, and other sensitive traits and can be biased or abusive. The Security Industry Association opposed it, warning that the bill’s broad definitions could restrict legitimate security systems, emergency sharing with first responders, and employer responses to misconduct or unsafe behavior. The transcript cuts off before any final vote on AB 1221 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• talking about the various authorities that the state has negotiated coverage of certain service packages
• talking about the various authorities that the state has negotiated coverage of certain service packages
• And every state has a unique bundle of services and packages and how they operate it within—” “Unique
• bundle of services and packages and how they operate it within their various state agency.
• And we really try to weave those together in a service package that provides lifespan health.

Keywords: 907, all

Transcript Highlights:

• going to show up and, you know, advocate for, you know, high wages, high, you know, good benefit packages
• Within the last two years, the city of Poulsbo has processed multiple separate code amendment packages
• The package will introduce additional incentives for affordable housing and middle housing.
• current and future strategies, code amendments, and planning initiatives into a single accessible package
• current and future strategies, code amendments, and planning initiatives into a single accessible package

Summary: The Senate Housing Committee work session focused first on Civic Commons’ “starter home production plan,” a statewide strategy intended to increase production of homes affordable to households roughly between 60% and 120% of area median income. Presenters said the Covenant Home Ownership program will not succeed without more starter homes, and outlined recommendations including a temporary cross-sector crisis task force, a developer network, new financing tools, public seed funding, and a multi-site demonstration program to test off-site construction and standardized designs. Committee members asked about silos in the current system, the role of off-site and modular construction, target income ranges, and where the plan would be most useful. Civic Commons said the plan is meant to be statewide, community-informed, and respectful of local context, with pre-approved plans and standardized approaches for both single-family and multi-unit housing. The Department of Labor and Industries then gave an update on factory-built housing oversight. Officials said residential factory-built structures are a small but important part of their work and described progress in prioritizing residential plan reviews, which they said has reduced review time from months to about two days. They also reported creating a plans examiner supervisor position, moving forward with rules for third-party plan review and inspection, and beginning analysis of national standards from the Modular Building Institute to see whether they align with state code. Committee members and L&I discussed the value of standardized plans, real-time tracking for applicants, and the role of state inspection in reducing local jurisdictional variation. The Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council testified that it supports efforts to reduce permitting delays and increase housing production, but warned against weakening safety standards or labor protections. The labor representatives said prefabrication and modular construction can help if the workforce is protected, wages and apprenticeship opportunities are preserved, and projects use tools such as community workforce agreements. They also raised concerns about wage theft, misclassification, and unlicensed contractors in residential construction, and suggested stronger front-end contractor education or licensing. Committee members responded that the goal is to expand production without sacrificing safety or good jobs. The committee also heard city perspectives on local housing reforms. Olympia described its affordable housing emergency ordinance, which gives qualifying projects priority in the permitting queue, and said success depends on communication among housing staff, planners, engineers, and developers. Walla Walla, an early adopter of middle housing, reported increased ADUs, duplexes, and smaller-lot development after eliminating single-family zoning and expanding tools such as MFTE and ADU flexibility. Des Moines described adopting middle housing and ADU ordinances in June 2025 after a lengthy public process, while Poulsbo described proactive code changes including duplexes on corner lots, unit lot subdivisions, manufactured home protections, expanded ADU allowances, and pre-approved ADU plans shared with neighboring jurisdictions. No votes were taken during the work session.

Transcript Highlights:

• Kratom is being packaged and sold as a kind of pick-me-up. It's an energy booster.
• introduced, it had certain parameters that were put in place to put up guardrails on how it was packaged
• the Agricultural Commissioner's office, they're the ones actually going to oversee the creative packaging
• , state, they have to submit the label, the packaging, all the information to the Agricultural Commissioner's
• basically anybody that's going to distribute or sell kratom in the state has to submit the label, the packaging

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, roll call, and a quorum present, then moved through a series of conference committee appointments and reconsideration motions. Senator Axtman successfully moved to reconsider House Bill 1160, which had previously failed, and the chamber later passed it. HB 1160 creates a statewide bell-to-bell policy restricting personal electronic devices during instructional time; supporters argued it would reduce distractions, improve mental health and academic outcomes, and help teachers, while opponents raised local control concerns. The bill passed 42-4. The Senate also passed several other measures, including HB 1247 on protecting student victims of sexual offenses, HB 1489 consolidating civil protection orders into one chapter, HB 1032 making municipal courts courts of record and updating related procedures, HB 1487 authorizing a Minot facility for the Highway Patrol and Bureau of Criminal Investigation with a line of credit and emergency clause, HB 1469 requiring annual online statements of interest for public officials, HB 1199 creating the Missing and Indigenous People Task Force and related MMIP initiatives, HB 1169 regulating paid veterans benefits claim assistance with consumer protections, HB 1209 directing a foreign adversary threat assessment, and HB 3018 as amended to study water, wetlands, and taxation of inundated lands. Most of these passed with strong bipartisan support, though HB 1169 drew substantial debate over veterans’ service options and HB 1209 passed on a narrower 40-7 vote. The chamber rejected or declined several other measures. HB 1455, which would have required the Indian Affairs Commission to review introduced legislation for tribal implications, failed 7-40 after concerns about an unfunded mandate and duplicative duties. HB 1259, which would have put North Dakota on year-round daylight saving time, was defeated 15-32 after debate over time zones, construction, recreation, and whether the issue should be left to future legislatures. HB 1555, dealing with statements of ownership for foreign organizations of concern, also failed 3-44. The Senate then moved to announcements and committee scheduling for later meetings and conference committees.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, and it was a package.
• and<00:15:57.839> it<00:15:58.000> was<00:15:58.079> a<00:15:58.240> package
• Um, and it was a package. It had office. Um, and it was a package.
• Um, and it was a package.
• Um, and it was a package.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That amendment is in your packages, so if there is any discussion on the amendment...
• That amendment is in your packages, so if there is any discussion on the amendment...
• That amendment is in your packages, so if there is any discussion on the amendment...
• amendment<00:16:00.639> is<00:16:00.880> in<00:16:01.040> your<00:16:01.440> packages
• <00:16:02.440> so uh that amendment is in your packages so uh that amendment is in your packages

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So that said, the funding structure for sustainability, I think, if packaged correctly, some of that
• enhance this area of nursing education and health science education, and potentially if that could be packaged
• legislation in such a manner... ...and health science education, and potentially if that could be packaged
• So that said, the funding structure for sustainability, I think, if packaged correctly, some of that
• from legislation in such a manner, and health science education, and potentially if that could be packaged

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education met to focus on nursing education funding, workforce supply, and Florida’s low NCLEX pass rates. The chair emphasized that Florida ranks last nationally in nursing exam pass rates and said the committee wants to use budget decisions and a forthcoming nursing bill to improve outcomes. The Florida Center for Nursing at USF presented preliminary workforce and education data showing RN supply is moving toward equilibrium with demand through 2037, while LPN shortages are projected to worsen, especially in some regions. The center also reported on enrollment, retention, faculty vacancies, and NCLEX trends, noting Florida still underperforms the national average but has shown some recent improvement, including higher RN pass rates in 2024 despite fewer test takers. The center highlighted that students who test sooner after graduation tend to pass at higher rates. A panel of nursing education leaders from public universities, state colleges, technical colleges, and private institutions described how prior state pipeline and line-item funding helped expand enrollment, simulation labs, faculty hiring, student support services, and partnerships with hospitals. UNF, Galen College, College of Central Florida, Keiser University, and Lorenzo Walker Technical College each reported strategies such as expanded simulation, mental health and social work support, test-prep and remediation, and efforts to grow faculty pipelines. Several speakers said faculty recruitment and retention remain major barriers because of salary competition with hospitals, faculty debt, and aging faculty. Technical college representatives also stressed the need to strengthen LPN pathways, English-language support, and LPN-to-RN bridge programs. Members asked for ideas to improve NCLEX outcomes and discussed possible policy options, including student loan forgiveness, critical shortage supplements for faculty, incentives for students to test soon after graduation, and possible changes to timing or regulation around NCLEX eligibility. Several witnesses supported more flexible or recurring funding, while noting that one-time line funding has been useful for simulation, scholarships, and faculty support but is harder to sustain. The committee adjourned after the discussion, with the chair saying the ideas would be considered in future funding and policy decisions.

Transcript Highlights:

• So Senate Bill 273 is essentially a package that was developed by the Senate Finance Committee in response
• So Senate Bill 273 is essentially a package that was developed by the Senate Finance Committee in response
• The package itself is focused on the lost GRT because of the lost contract and lost property taxes. and

Bills: HB2, SB152

Keywords: general appropriation, budget, Medicaid, education funding, public safety, telecommunications, low-income assistance, lifeline, broadband, rural broadband, universal service fund, public regulation commission, PRC, 911 surcharge, telecommunications relay service, VoIP, mobile service, internet affordability, digital equity, digital inclusion

Transcript Highlights:

• For Texas wholesalers, package stores and wineries, in that subsection B, it has a part where it does
• And I'm super proud to see this Texan packaged product from my hometown on shelves across the nation.
• But I recognized that we had stuff in our package beverage.

Bills: SB8, SB650, SB667, SB779, SB1349, SB1355, SB1378, SB1585, SB1721, SB2312, SB 8

Keywords: immigration enforcement, ICE agreements, sheriff grants, law enforcement, county jail, federal immigration law, China, Chinese-affiliated entities, Chinese military companies, People's Republic of China, Chinese Communist Party, divestment, state pension funds, public retirement systems, Teacher Retirement System, Employees Retirement System, Permanent School Fund, Texas Comptroller, foreign investment, national security

Transcript Highlights:

• So, we'll again present a package to continue to modernize Act 250.
• So, let's keep moving towards the middle with a legislative package that prioritizes safety, health,
• towards the middle with<00:31:46.960> a<00:31:47.120> legislative<00:31:47.679> package
• <00:31:48.000> that with a legislative package that with a legislative package that prioritizes

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, they're also selling these goods on the black market, taking price tags off and changing packaging
• or removed a label, price tag, or security tag or transferred retail merchandise into different packaging
• tag has been altered or removal in terms of the theft detector or transferred from the original packaging
• to different packaging.
• , um, I worked for a counter sex trafficking organization, and that organization provides target packages

Transcript Highlights:

• Additional campus needs, supplies, materials, or resources.
• Do you have to use a certain kind of approved curriculum or materials?
• High-quality instructional material.
• So you have to use that money to buy high-quality instructional materials?
• However, we have to use high-quality instructional materials.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• from your bill in SB, which we passed before crossover, in SB—excuse me— as part of the governor's package
• 19:06.559> new<00:19:07.360> sd1 The working group wasn't in the original governor's package
• is there any difference in that package is there any difference in that in<00:19:33.400> that
• :19:36.520> Governor's wasn't in the original Governor's wasn't in the original Governor's package
• it was it it's in 1449 1449 yeah package it was it it's in 1449 1449 yeah it<00:19:42.320> was

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several health-related bills. HB 72 on pharmacy drew only support, with testimony from the University of Hawaiʻi system, the Board of Pharmacy, pharmacists, and others; no questions were raised. HB 237 on peer support programs also received broad support from the Department of Health, DHS, early learning officials, families, and advocates, with testimony emphasizing the value of peer-to-peer mentoring and support for parents, youth, and people with disabilities; no opposition or questions were noted. HB 250, the prior authorization bill, generated the most discussion. SHPDA supported a revised version focused on reporting prior authorization practices and creating a nonbinding working group to develop automation standards, while PCMA, HMSA, Kaiser Permanente, and others raised concerns about duplicative pharmacy requirements, unintended consequences, and alignment with federal timelines and reporting. Several medical groups and individual patients supported the measure, describing delays and burdens caused by prior authorization. A committee member asked whether the bill’s working group differed from a similar group in Senate Bill 1449, and the witness said it was intended to be the same. HB 303 on health care preceptors was supported by the Department of Health, University of Hawaiʻi, nursing and health care organizations, and the Hawaii Pharmacists Association, which asked that pharmacists’ residency programs be specifically tied to national accreditation standards. HB 341, relating to issuance of SPURS to assist the Hawaii Island Community Health Association, drew support from the health center and related groups. HB 692 on Preschool Open Doors received extensive support from early learning, education, family, labor, and community organizations; testimony stressed the shortage of child care and preschool slots, especially on Kauai, and the need to expand access for families. Committee members asked about adding family child care providers and about licensing/certification barriers, and DHS said the bill was focused on current licensed child care facilities and that certification issues were a separate, broader problem. HB 700 on cognitive assessments also drew strong support, with the Department of Health, the Executive Office on Aging, disability advocates, the Alzheimer’s Association, caregivers, and others urging use of a validated cognitive assessment tool during annual wellness visits and asking that the age 65 threshold be removed; some witnesses supported keeping the data-collection portion as a pilot and emphasized early detection and reporting.