Transcript Highlights:

• So, it is essential that we invest in research on more efficient treatment methods, the life cycle of
• So, it is essential that we invest in research on more efficient treatment methods, the life cycle of
• So, it is essential that we invest in research on more efficient treatment methods, the life cycle of
• So, it is essential that we invest in research on more efficient treatment methods, the life cycle of
• So, it is essential that we invest in research on more efficient treatment methods, the life cycle of

Bills: HB1621, HB1880, HB1831

Keywords: pesticides, environmental impact, agriculture, 1,3-dichloropropene, chlorpyrifos, land management, wastewater compliance, state funding, survey issues, 910, house, all

Summary: The joint committees on Agriculture and Food Systems and Energy and Environmental Protection heard three bills. HB 1621 would create a conservation, agriculture, and soil health incentive program under the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, with annual reporting and funding. Testimony was broadly supportive from the Climate Commission, University of Hawaiʻi, Hawaii Farmers Union, White Alliance for Progressive Action, and the Farm Bureau, and the bill was described as a way to advance soil health and support producers. HB 1880 would prohibit, beginning in 2027, the use of pesticides containing 1,3-dichloropropene (such as Telone). The Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity offered written comments, Hawaii Farmers Union supported the ban citing drift and health concerns, and the Farm Bureau opposed it, arguing growers need such tools; the bill also drew discussion about crop rotation and other pest-management practices. HB 1831 would authorize funding to address survey deficiencies and wastewater compliance issues on certain non-agricultural parklands; the Attorney General’s Office warned the bill as written may violate the U.S. Constitution’s contract clause and suggested revisions, while the department and Farm Bureau supported the measure’s intent. The committees later took up decision-making and voted to pass all three measures with amendments, with the effective dates changed to July 1, 3000 and HB 1831 amended to reflect the Attorney General’s suggested changes. The Agriculture and Food Systems committee then heard HB 1572, which would establish a four-year restorative aquaculture development program to streamline permitting, expand infrastructure and workforce capacity, create pilot sites, and convene an advisory council. The Attorney General noted a technical issue about whether council members would be compensated, and the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, Hawaii Farm Bureau, and Farmers Union all expressed support for streamlining aquaculture and promoting restorative aquaculture. Members asked about the bill’s focus on restorative aquaculture, and the department said the program would give the area dedicated resources and a framework. The committee also heard HB 219, which would temporarily reestablish the coffee berry borer pesticide subsidy program and manager position; the department, Waimea Coffee Association, Farm Bureau, and Farmers Union supported it. HB 2139 would fund University of Hawaiʻi research on treatment methods for the Queensland longhorn beetle. Testimony from DLNR, the invasive species council, university researchers, farmers, and the Farm Bureau emphasized the beetle’s spread and damage to trees and crops, and described nematode biocontrol as promising but labor-intensive and in need of more research and scaling. Members asked whether the funding was for research rather than a position, whether the current nematode approach is sufficient for large orchards, and whether other controls are being explored; the response was that the bill funds testing and that more work is needed, including local production of nematodes if the method proves effective.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is also my understanding that in an upcoming code cycle there is already proposed language very similar
• It is also my understanding that in an upcoming code cycle there is already proposed language very similar
• It is also my understanding that in an upcoming code cycle there is already proposed language very similar
• It is also my understanding that in an upcoming code cycle there is already proposed language very similar
• It is also my understanding that in an upcoming code cycle there is already proposed language very similar

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• or otherwise moved from or prevented from entering long-term care institutions in the last budget cycle
• It provides the centers with their original base funding from the last budget cycle of $311,000 each
• c><00:03:02.080> the<00:03:02.319> last<00:03:02.760> budget<00:03:03.159> cycle
• institutions and the last budget cycle institutions and the last budget cycle alone<00:03:04.720
• from<00:03:47.040> the<00:03:47.239> last<00:03:47.519> budget<00:03:47.920> cycle

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Or you could have a life cycle fund, which is also known as a target date fund, which is set to mature
• Or you could have a life cycle market.
• Or you could have a life cycle fund.<00:41:53.680> Life<00:41:54.160> cycle<00:41:54.480
• Life cycle fund which is also fund.
• It replaces an outdated council that we have with a new post-secondary attainment council.

Keywords: MS Senate Floor - 4 February, 2026; 10:00 AM, 925, all

Summary: The Senate convened, confirmed a quorum, received an invocation from Dr. Lenon Duncan, and led the pledge of allegiance. Routine business followed, including unanimous consent to dispense with reading the journal, committee reports, and bill titles. Several guests were introduced, including a governmental affairs representative, a doctor of the day and medical student, a county leadership group, agricultural youth council participants, a former senator’s spouse, and MSMS students. The chamber then took up several appropriations and finance measures. Senate Bill 2189, the transfer bill for state funds and agency budget setup, passed by morning roll call. Senate Bill 2190 increased the Working Cash Stabilization Reserve Fund minimum balance from 10% to 15% of general fund revenue; supporters said it would strengthen the state’s fiscal position, and it passed by morning roll call after no questions. Senate Bill 2480, a capacity project bill providing $265 million from CAPEX to MDOT for highway projects in Madison and Rankin counties and initial work on Highway 90, was amended to make it effective upon passage and then passed by morning roll call. Senate Bill 2832 extended the railroad tax credit repealer to 2029, and Senate Bill 2847 required state and local tax calculations to round to the nearest nickel in response to the federal penny phaseout; both passed by morning roll call. The Senate also approved Senate Bill 2191, which expands the purposes for which municipal use tax funds may be spent to include sidewalk repair and building acquisition/rehabilitation, after questions about municipal and subdivision sidewalks. Senate Bill 2885 created the Mississippi Work and Save Program, a voluntary retirement savings option for small employers and employees, with the sponsor emphasizing that participation is optional and that the program is intended to help workers without access to retirement plans; it passed by morning roll call. Senate Bill 2834, the omnibus tag bill, and Senate Bill 2838, the omnibus qualified resort area bill, were each amended with committee substitutes and passed by morning roll call. Later, the Senate suspended the rules and took up a large block of resolutions and commemorative measures, including sympathy and congratulatory resolutions, arts awards, sports championships, and other recognitions, along with House concurrent resolutions and two House bills designating observances. The transcript ends while the clerk is reading the long list of titles in the block.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a two-year cycle rather than a one-year cycle. I believe that's correct.
• I think under federal law, it continues every four years to be reviewed, so two-year cycles.
• Every four years to be renewed, so two-year cycles.

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Elections Committee held its final meeting of the session, with Chair Senator Gonzalez thanking members and staff for their work. The committee considered several election-related bills, including a voter ID proposal, protections against voter challenges and purging, a measure to address election disruptions, sample ballot posting, absentee ballot deadline notices for students, military and overseas voting changes, and notice requirements for expired address confidentiality protections. Senate Bill 2574, requiring government-issued photo ID to vote, drew opposition from Senators Walczyk and Myrie, who argued it would create barriers to voting and that there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud; the bill was reported from committee with opposition. Senate Bill 3233A, dealing with illegal voter purging and challenges, prompted extended discussion about citizenship verification, privacy of citizenship data, and whether information should be shared publicly; it was reported to the floor with Senators Borrello and Walczyk voting no. Senate Bill 4602A, on remedies for election disruptions, was discussed in terms of county and state board roles and bipartisan decision-making, and it was reported to the Finance Committee with a no vote from one member. The remaining bills were advanced with little or no substantive debate: Senate Bill 6253A on posting sample ballots, Senate Bill 6259 on notifying students of absentee ballot deadlines, Senate Bill 6995 on voting by mail, Senate Bill 7689B on overseas military and special federal voters, and Senate Bill 9857 on notice when address confidentiality protections expire. Most were reported either to the floor or to the Finance Committee, and the meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:08:17.199> would assessment in a one-year cycle would assessment in a one-year cycle would
• where they may have one budget cycle where they may have already<01:13:55.040> written<01:13:
• If you were going to do it in two rating cycles versus three?"
• in two<01:34:59.120> rating<01:34:59.520> cycles,<01:35:00.000> it<01:35:00.159
• The last two rating cycles, we were at 5.3%. And we've been successful.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And from that, since we go on not just the governor cycle but also on the presidential cycle, that's
• for the governor or president in the same... ...the changes for the governor or president in the cycles

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 22:47.799> the<00:22:47.960> state<00:22:48.360> flexibility<00:22:49.200> cycle
• funds on the state flexibility cycle funds on the state flexibility cycle two<00:22:52.200> um
• got a variable that you can control, such as the big tree or the fact that the roof needs to be replaced
• got a variable that you can control, such as the big tree or the fact that the roof needs to be replaced
• 53:58.640> thank<02:53:58.800> you "We have a bill to get rid of Family Court, then replace

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony from Insurance Commissioner DJ Bettencourt on the New Hampshire Insurance Department budget. He said the department is self-funded through assessments on insurers based on New Hampshire premium volume, with about $8 billion in premiums written in the state and a department budget of roughly $15.5 million. He explained that the department has 88 authorized positions, eight vacancies, and that three full-time positions were unfunded after the governor’s requested 4% reduction exercise. He also said the department is trying to balance staffing needs with not overburdening carriers during a hard insurance market. A major topic was the department’s $2.6 million rebate to industry from the prior fiscal year, which Bettencourt described as a credit against the next assessment rather than a direct cash payment. Members questioned why that credit was not reflected as a reduction in the upcoming budget, and Bettencourt and staff explained that the budget assumes full staffing and full spending, with any year-end surplus returned to insurers. The commissioner said the department had added staff in recent years for succession planning and to preserve institutional expertise, and that the rebate reflects careful budgeting rather than excess spending. Members also asked about staffing changes by division, including positions unfunded in fraud, property and casualty examinations, life and health examinations, and tax. Bettencourt said fraud investigations remain strong and that the department can use outside contractors for examinations, with those costs billed to the company being examined. He also described the department’s examination process, including periodic financial exams and targeted market conduct reviews triggered by consumer complaints or trends. Additional questions covered OIT transfers, the department’s oversight of fully insured health coverage, the insurance premium tax and fines going to the general fund, and the department’s limited role in auto repair reimbursement disputes, where he said complaints have recently declined.

Transcript Highlights:

• Last own budget cycle or budget area.
• <00:04:05.360> next set the two-year budget cycle next set the two-year budget cycle next
• We'll have a budget cycle in important.
• It also gives us a budget cycle in between.
• It also gives us a budget cycle in between.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 4893, a school safety and gun violence prevention bill, and first adopted a DE1 amendment before hearing the bill. The author and supporters described the measure as a layered approach to school safety, combining increased funding for student support personnel, required school safety plans, and anonymous threat reporting systems. They cited research from the Violence Prevention Project and other sources arguing that many school shooters are insiders, often show warning signs, and frequently leak plans beforehand, making early intervention and trusted adults in schools important. Members and testifiers also discussed the bill’s firearm storage provisions. Representative Green explained that the bill would require firearms on school property and in vehicles to be unloaded and locked, and would limit or remove principals’ discretion to allow firearms in school buildings, while preserving access for trained school security personnel. Supporters said the bill would improve clarity and safety for schools, while a representative from private schools raised concerns that the language could limit flexibility and create staffing and accountability problems for non-public schools, prompting discussion of possible amendments. Several student and organizational testifiers supported the bill, including students from Edina High School, Education Minnesota, the Minnesota School Counselors Association, and the Children’s Defense Fund Minnesota. They emphasized the impact of gun violence on students’ mental health and learning, the value of anonymous reporting systems, and the need to invest in counselors, social workers, psychologists, and nurses. No final vote on the bill was taken in the portion provided, but the committee did adopt the DE1 amendment and continued discussion of possible changes, including with the BCA and school safety center.

Transcript Highlights:

• forgot to add without written replace forgot to add without written replace without<00:34:45.720
• It complements, but does not replace, the prosecutorial burden under Amendment 1.
• Not be cycled into a medical program run by the state.
• > data<02:47:07.480> collected replace it substitute data collected replace it substitute
• Lindsey will replace Representative Lindsey will replace Representative English<03:12:27.640>

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• that would make a permanent cost of living income. to keep our judges on the bench so we avoid this cycle
• We have about It's about a two-year cycle, and we kind of bring them up and mentor them in baby cases
• We all cycle through.
• It's in an election cycle that I hear that right.
• that gives us over those judicial candidates and so the complaints that we've seen out of that first cycle

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Rehabilitation to provide an update on the findings of the proof-of-concept study titled Breaking Cycles
• <00:40:39.960> Um The Breaking Cycles study was a massive project that was completed.
• a group of community advocates to join in and help implement some of the findings of the Breaking Cycles
• Or this is the Breaking Cycles alternative models report? >> Can I... >> Yeah, go ahead. >> Mr.
• was uh a study about, breaking cycles was uh a study about, right?

Bills: SCR180

Keywords: wildfire, fire hazard, Lahaina, West Maui, Maui wildfire, vegetation management, fuel reduction, defensible space, fuel breaks, invasive grasses, emergency access, evacuation route, fire lane, state lands, public safety, Office of the State Fire Marshal, community risk reduction, hazard mitigation, brush clearance, wildland-urban interface

Summary: The committee opened by noting it was likely its last hearing of the 2026 session, then took up several resolutions. SCR 54, on appointing a hydrogen fire safety expert and training on hydrogen-related protocols, and SCR 59, on allowing certain health care professionals to practice without a license during a state of emergency, drew no testimony. Members discussed SCR 59 as a response to past emergencies and the need for pre-approved, updated registries of professionals who could be deployed quickly in emergencies. SCR 62 SD1, which asks the 911 Board to form a working group with the disability community to address access issues in emergency and 911 responses, received testimony from disability advocates and the 911 Board. Testifiers said the measure should ensure an integrated system with EMS infrastructure, real-time access for dispatchers and field personnel, and public education about the system; they also noted that Smart911 is no longer being used on Oahu and Maui and that a statewide, integrated approach is needed. Members agreed to work the suggested language into the resolution. SCR 179, urging Maui County to enforce fire code provisions on brush clearance, fuel breaks, roadside vegetation clearing, and emergency access, was noted as having no testimony but continuing to raise important issues. SCR 74, calling for an audit of no-bid contracts issued under emergency proclamations from 2020 through 2025, drew strong support from a late testifier who tied the measure to emergency procurement concerns after the Lahaina wildfire and COVID-era contracting. The witness argued that procurement rules should not be waived in ways that compromise safety, and described concerns about unlicensed contractors and construction problems in a state housing project. Members asked about the scope of the audit and whether it would interfere with criminal investigations; the witness said the audit should cover a broad range of contracts, including nonprofit contracts, and should not be limited to the wildfire period. The committee also heard SCR 28 SD1 on creating a Hawaii Vietnam Veterans Medal, with support from the Department of Defense and veterans advocates, who said the resolution is intended to do the groundwork for a future appropriation and to determine eligibility and distribution procedures. Finally, SCR 60 SD1, requesting updates on the “Breaking Cycles” rehabilitation and restorative justice study, received support from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Correctional System Oversight Commission, and reform advocates. The department asked that reporting be annual rather than quarterly because of the complexity of the OCCC project, and supporters said the measure would promote transparency and help ensure the study’s recommendations are implemented. No votes were taken in the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's like a never-ending cycle.
• maintenance and operations so we've got to approve this now it's like a never ending it's a never ending cycle
• now it's like a never ending it's a never ending cycle so I guess my I said it was more of a comment
• ending, we changed vendors, and so that was the history of how they kind of got off onto different cycles

Summary: The committee reviewed three DHS out-of-state service contracts: a $690,000-plus sole-source contract for DCFS with Evident Change for maintenance and operation of the Child Welfare Structured Decision-Making practice hub; a $1.2 million sole-source contract for County Operations with Sifter Solutions to support a SNAP waiver compliance solution; and a $156,000 contract for Developmental Disabilities with Samaritan Integrative Services for psychiatric services at the Southeast Arkansas Human Development Center. The chair and staff explained the contracts and noted that the Evident Change and Sifter contracts were sole-source due to the proprietary nature of the systems or services involved. Most of the discussion focused on the Evident Change contract. Members questioned DCFS about long-term dependence on the vendor, the lack of a competitive bid, the absence of a clear off-ramp, and whether the state was paying more overall as the work was split into multiple contracts. DCFS said the contract before the committee was only for maintenance and operations of a web-based platform used daily for safety assessments and case planning, while a separate Evident Change contract covers case reviews, CQI work, and data management. The vendor said it was continuing to reduce its role and had begun off-ramp discussions, but members remained concerned that the state was too reliant on the vendor. Staff said the contract had to be approved by May 31 or the system could be turned off. The committee also discussed the Sifter Solutions contract, which supports Arkansas’s SNAP waiver pilot by providing a dynamic list of excluded products and a consumer app that scans barcodes and provides nutrition information. DHS said the waiver is intended to improve the nutritional value of SNAP benefits, that the contract is funded with remaining federal SNAP Nutrition Education dollars that would otherwise be returned, and that the University of Pennsylvania will conduct the evaluation at no cost. Members asked about the benefit to Arkansas, whether the app would include nutrition and budgeting information, and whether the state would own the application or need future renewals. DHS said the two-year term was intentionally aligned with the waiver period and that future procurement options could change. After discussion, the committee noted the items as reviewed and adjourned without objections or votes recorded in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think it's been done in the last budget cycle, I think. >> they're not.
• I think it's been done in the last budget cycle, I think. >> Right.
• So, >> the last budget cycle, I think.
• So [clears throat] let's replace that with what you got here as a table. >> Can I just make one quick
• So [clears throat] let's replace that with what you got here as a table. >> Can I just make one quick

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The commission meeting focused on reviewing and correcting draft minutes and then working through a draft report on the cost of special education. Members made mostly clerical corrections, including clarifying references to Spalding, fixing acronyms such as LETRS, and cleaning up membership titles and appointee roles to match SB 57. The minutes were approved as amended, with some members abstaining because they were not present at the prior meeting. The chair also noted the commission’s deadline to complete findings and recommendations by July 1 and said the final report must be delivered to legislative leaders, the governor, the state librarian, and others. The main substantive discussion centered on the report’s findings about special education funding. Members agreed the report should emphasize that the commission was created to study the cost of special education and reduce reliance on local property taxes. One draft section described FY24 special education funding as coming from three primary state and federal sources totaling about $152 million, or roughly 15% of annual costs, with the remaining 85% paid by local school districts through property tax revenue, estimated at about $825 million. Members discussed adding historical or longitudinal data to show trends over time, and some suggested attaching charts or tables showing funding over the last 20 to 30 years. A second major topic was demographic data. The draft noted that statewide K-12 enrollment has declined since 2003 while the number and share of students with IEPs has increased. Members questioned whether the data compared like with like, especially given the growth of Education Freedom Accounts and charter school enrollment, and whether the figures included or excluded those students. Several members asked for clearer sourcing from the Department of Education and suggested keeping a list of unresolved questions, including the impact of the shift from ADMA to ADMR and the effect of the EFA program. The discussion ended with agreement to continue refining the report and to gather additional attachments and clarifications before finalizing recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill is not about replacing physicians or nurses or physician associates.
• This bill is not about replacing physicians or nurses or physician associates.
• Senate Bill 322 replaces that approach with a formula tied to actual growth in taxable property within
• margin of error is much smaller and easier to fix going into the next year versus a whole five-year cycle
• Madam Speaker, House Amendment 2 replaces House Amendment 1 and adds a 30-day accrued limit to loss of

Keywords: 1064, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They might replace class X with class Y, which is fine and will count towards graduation, but it may
• in Raton, New Mexico, a provider could pick up my whole database there and continue my treatment cycles
• Is that going to be replaced by this mobile unit? Mr. Chair, Representative Martinez, no.
• It will not be replaced; it's going to enhance.
• It's not intended to replace it; it's to enhance it and get further out.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:04:27.000> the<00:04:27.199> next<00:04:27.680> two-year<00:04:28.199> cycle
• <00:04:28.560> to left over for the next two-year cycle to left over for the next two-year
• cycle to help<00:04:29.000> cover<00:04:29.360> that<00:04:29.720> and<00:04:29.840
• There's uncertainties in every budget cycle.
• This is planful, and the fact of the matter is we are already in a deficit just this budget cycle.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It replaces investment income with distributable earnings and then it redefines those distributable earnings
• It replaces<00:49:20.160> investment<00:49:21.119> income<00:49:22.079> with replaces
• investment income with replaces investment income with distributable<00:49:23.520> earnings<00
• It recognizes that catching violent offenders is key to disrupting the cycle of violence, and it strengthens
• Let's bring this program to all of Minnesota. the cycle of violence and it strengthens the cycle of violence

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And special education, you'll see rather substantial weights of 60% to 130%, and this replaces a totally
• > to 60 to 60 to 130%<00:19:34.720> and<00:19:34.880> this<00:19:35.080> replaces
• <00:19:35.559> a<00:19:35.720> totally 130% and this replaces a totally 130% and this
• replaces a totally different<00:19:36.360> approach<00:19:36.720> that<00:19:36.840>
• alone net after you add up all cycle alone net after you add up all these<02:37:00.000> pluses

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• rumination cycles in trauma survivors. survivors. survivors.
• This analysis projects that under current law, the exemption threshold for 27 reassessment cycle will
• for current law, the exemption threshold for 27<00:55:03.280> reassessment<00:55:04.000> cycle
• will be set at 27 reassessment cycle will be set at $5,800 $5,800 $5,800 um<00:55:08.559> or<
• I was just getting back to the amendment, which is replacing language on L17, which would be replacing

Keywords: 981, all