Transcript Highlights:

• The more secure we are in our food, the more secure we are as a nation.
• Food security is national security.
• <02:52:58.960> Uh security is a part of this. Uh security is a part of this.
• Food security<02:53:04.560> is<02:53:04.800> national<02:53:05.200> security.
• And um I security is national security.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It requires the agency to report increases for the other four positions listed in the packet.
• There were a total of 92 increases reported to the **LBB** pursuant to this Rider in fiscal year 24.
• Three, securing justice for Texans. Four, protecting Texans from fraud, waste, and abuse.
• I don't want my insurance premiums to go up because I reported it to the insurance company.
• **Senator Creighton**: Put $186 billion into helping Ukraine secure their borders.

Bills: SB 1

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, Attorney General, budget recommendations, funding swaps, salary increases, Landowner's Compensation Program, public testimony, law enforcement

Summary: The meeting focused on the budget recommendations for the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), where key issues included the proposed decrease of $163.9 million for the 2024-25 biennium and various methodology swaps for funding. Attorney General Paxton discussed ongoing litigation expenditures and emphasized the need for continued investments in agency staffing to address rising demands within law enforcement. Notably, he requested a 6% salary increase for 2026 and 2027 to retain talented personnel amidst competitive job markets. Public testimony highlighted community awareness challenges regarding the Landowner's Compensation Program, indicating a need for enhanced outreach efforts.

Transcript Highlights:

• The second thing was obviously security cameras; we had that.
• It was staff who reported it.
• The statewide security operations center is working to proactively identify and remediate security threats
• The tribe never reported it. The vendor said, "I never got paid.
• Indian Affairs was asleep at the wheel and never reported it.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, that takes us to page two. security at 3.5 million. Both sides have security at 3.5 million.
• years ago in the 2023 bill to uh report years ago in the 2023 bill to uh report on<00:08:36.000>
• They expand supervision funding report.
• committee and change a reporting committee and change a reporting deadline<00:48:15.200> for<
• The only differences are the reporting date and the frequency of the reports.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The chief clerk will report the bill.
• You have to secure those so they don't blow away.
• You have to secure those so they don't blow away.
• You have to secure those so they don't blow away.
• The clerk will report the amendment.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The latter is in reference to net negative carbon emissions that appear in the report that's supposed
• The methodologies for that would be in the report, but I think considerations for the non-unique... .
• Yes, it's a national security issue. Thank you, that was exactly what my question was going to be.
• What are the national security... I don't want to say implications, but...
• We feel safe here, we feel secure here, and this is just another easy way for us to translate that.

Bills: HB1647, HB2612, HB3125, HB3158, HB3240, HB3506, HB3516, HB3707

Keywords: carbon sequestration, environmental policy, Texas, energy, climate change, regulatory council, geothermal energy, workforce development, education and training, energy industry, apprenticeship, energy production, energy policy, renewable energy, state council, administrative law, public information, transparency, government accountability, judicial process

Transcript Highlights:

• It's the financial reporting.
• It's the financial reporting.
• It's the financial reporting.
• report that we just report and I have a report that we just gave<01:28:39.600> there's<01:28:39.760
• We have initiated new reporting.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Department of Administrative Services presented an overview of its budget and operations, emphasizing that it is the lowest-spending agency in state government and that its general fund allocation has declined since 2019. Commissioner Arling House explained that DAS also handles back-office functions for several administratively attached boards, which has affected staffing and spending comparisons. He said the department’s current general fund spending is roughly split between retiree health and other operations, and that the presentation was based on adjusted authorized spending rather than the original budget figures. A major portion of the meeting focused on retiree health benefits and the long-term effort to control costs. Deputy Commissioner Cassie Keane described how the state moved from a projected deficit in retiree health to savings through a series of changes, including higher premium contributions, co-pay adjustments, and shifting Medicare retirees into Medicare Advantage arrangements to capture federal reimbursement. She said the state has about 12,500 retirees and spouses on the plan, with roughly 10,906 Medicare retirees and 1,580 non-Medicare retirees, and that the savings have depended heavily on federal funding and procurement decisions. She also noted that Medicare retirees pay Part B premiums and that the state has grandfathered older retirees from some premium contributions. Members asked about what the expenditures cover, why the state offers retiree health instead of simply giving retirees a payment to buy coverage themselves, and whether out-of-pocket costs changed under Medicare Advantage. Keane said the plan covers actual health claims or insurance premiums, that co-pays and maximum out-of-pocket limits remain in place, and that the state has no authority to change benefit details without legislative action. She explained that retiree health is a long-standing employee benefit that wraps around Medicare and is not collectively bargained in the usual sense, though its eligibility rules and cost-sharing have been tightened over time to better target the benefit to long-term state service. The discussion also covered vendor performance problems. Keane said Anthem recently won the contract back from Aetna, but its pharmacy subsidiary, Caroline, caused serious service disruptions. DAS responded by withholding payments, assessing more than $2 million in performance guarantees, and hiring a third-party auditor to review the pharmacy processes. The current contract runs through the end of calendar year 2026, and officials said they are watching federal Medicare Advantage reimbursement changes closely because future savings are uncertain.

Transcript Highlights:

• WENT A LONG WAY IN PROVIDING $100 MILLION IN RECURRING FUNDING TO REALLY TAKE A LOOK AT THE KPMG REPORT
• WE USED TO TREAT OUR PRISON AS A PRISON AND YOU HAD FROM A HIGH LEVEL OF THE SECURITY TO A LOW LEVEL
• WE HAVE TO MOVE THOSE REPORTS ARE OUT BASED ON AVAILABILITY AND WE ARE TRYING TO BE MORE INTENTIONAL
• SO WE'VE USED A LOT OF OUR SECURITY ENHANCEMENT MONEY TO IMPACT ALL THOSE AREAS.
• A LOT OF THE STAFFING NEEDS WILL ENHANCE AT LEAST WITH SECURITY.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and file a police report. and file a police report.
• We receive reports.
• Um we're also reporting hub. agencies. Um we're also reporting hub.
• , a police report.
• report, a police report. report, a police report.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee held an informational briefing on fraud in the community, with presenters from ARP, CoinFlip, HPD, the Hawaii Bankers Association, DCCA’s Office of Consumer Protection, and the Department of Law Enforcement. The chair described widespread scams targeting kupuna and other residents, including impersonation of grandchildren, lottery/inheritance schemes, romance scams, online shopping fraud, investment scams, and tech-support scams. Members emphasized the emotional manipulation used by scammers, the difficulty of getting victims to report losses, and the need to educate the public on warning signs and available resources. ARP said scams are an epidemic and highlighted national data showing major losses among older adults, including $4.8 billion lost by people age 60 and over in 2024. ARP focused especially on cryptocurrency kiosks as a growing scam channel in Hawaii, citing 64 complaints totaling $922,000 in 2024 and noting that complaints nearly doubled from the prior year. ARP urged stronger safeguards such as limits on transactions, refunds, live customer support, and a law-enforcement contact for operators, and said its Fraud Watch Network can help victims freeze credit, identify next steps, and track current scams. The chair said he intends to introduce legislation to lower and ultimately eliminate the amount of Bitcoin that can be purchased through ATMs. CoinFlip said it supports consumer-protection regulation and described its compliance practices, including scam warning screens, anti-money-laundering controls, blockchain analytics, wallet pinning, transaction monitoring, and cooperation with law enforcement. The company said it is registered as a money services business, files suspicious activity and currency transaction reports, and holds money transmitter licenses in many jurisdictions. It also pointed to Illinois-style refund protections for new users and said it refunds fees to scam victims, though not the underlying funds. In response to committee questions, members and the company discussed whether crypto kiosks are necessary, how scams can be traced, and whether banks and kiosks can better intervene when suspicious activity is detected.

Transcript Highlights:

• telephone, and uh social security telephone, and uh social security number. number. number.
• >> Are social security numbers ever on these yet? >> They're not now, but they could be.
• . >> Motion for favorable report.
• >> I make motion for favor report. >> I make motion for favor report.
• Do we have >> Motion for favorable report. Do we have a<00:32:30.480> second?

Bills: HB67, HB89, HB67, HB89

Keywords: parental rights, drag performances, public schools, public libraries, overnight programs, gender identity, minor safety, HB89, Medicaid, pregnant women, pregnancy, prenatal care, ambulatory prenatal care, presumptive eligibility, temporary Medicaid coverage, Alabama Medicaid Agency, maternal health, low-income women, health coverage, eligibility determination

Transcript Highlights:

• What was the question was, do we have any significant security issues? >> That would be a no.
• any significant security issues? any significant security issues?
• significant security issues because significant security issues because we've<00:26:17.360> been
• Like I said, our mission is to provide secure, accessible, convenient election services.
• :36:26.720> convenient provide secure, accessible convenient provide secure, accessible convenient

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• health care plan we wanted, we secured health care plan we wanted, we secured protections<01:15:
• And it's no wonder the Trump administration has unilaterally canceled all future food security reports
• And it's no wonder the Trump administration has unilaterally canceled all future food security reports
• proud that my office was able to secure proud that my office was able to secure $8<02:23:43.920>
• Speaker, this energy security. Mr.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• external audit committee within the system to audit the system and Board of Regents and requires annual reports
• If I could provide it to you for the committee report or put it in a testimony... Thank you, Chair.
• It requires annual reports to the legislature, with an effective date of 7/31/2050.
• It requires annual reports to the legislature, with an effective date of 7/31/2050.
• It requires annual reports to the legislature, with an effective date of 7/31/2050.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Higher Education met on March 14, 2025, and heard five University of Hawaii-related bills. SB 741 would create an external audit committee for the UH system and Board of Regents; UH and UHPA opposed it, saying existing internal and external audits already provide robust oversight, and the committee later recommended deferring the bill indefinitely as duplicative. SB 1252 SD2 would create a dementia training program for health care providers; the Alzheimer’s Association and other supporters said broader training is needed across the care workforce, while the university discussed using JABSOM as a coordinator. The committee deferred the bill to March 19 for an HD1 reflecting JABSOM’s suggestions and removing the appropriations/FTE language. SB 1502 SD1 would fund faculty positions, student programs, and facilities at UH Manoa and West Oahu for defense-sector workforce development. UH and Chamber of Commerce Hawaii supported the measure, describing a pipeline for students into intelligence, cybersecurity, and related fields, while one individual opposed it as too closely tied to military contracting and urged investment in other sectors instead. The committee amended the bill to remove FTE references and advanced it; the vote to pass with amendments was adopted, with several members voting aye and some excused. SB 1530 would require performance-based allocation of UH general funds and efficiency reporting. UH and the Attorney General’s office raised concerns, saying the bill’s metrics would apply across the entire general fund budget and were not practical as drafted; the committee also noted opposition from the Budget and Finance Department and individuals. SB 1624 SD1 would restrict RIM funds to renewing, improving, or modernizing existing facilities and require annual reports. UH opposed the bill and explained that RIM is a lump-sum approach used to address deferred maintenance and capital needs, with Board of Regents approval and quarterly reporting already in place; the Attorney General suggested constitutional amendments. The transcript ends during discussion of SB 1624, with no final action shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• the campus sexual assault reporting the campus sexual assault reporting appropriation.<00:10:47.200
• c> mental<00:15:01.199> products reporting policies and mental products reporting policies
• doctoral degree in cyber security. doctoral degree in cyber security.
• This consolidates into one report certain reports that the Office of Higher Education is required to
• :20.960> certain consolidates into one report certain consolidates into one report certain reports

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Reports from standing committees.
• Report will be received. Senator from Lewis. Thank you, Mr. President.
• instead of annual reporting for business organizations, and has amended same, and reports the same back
• reporting for business organizations.
• Report will be received. Senator from Lewis. Thank you, Mr. President.

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, journal approval, and numerous guest introductions, including students, community leaders, food bank representatives, and visitors connected to Hunger Free West Virginia Day. A resolution recognizing March 10, 2026, as Hunger Free West Virginia Day was adopted, and Senate Concurrent Resolution 7 on the Southern West Virginia water crisis was referred to the Rules Committee. The chamber also heard remarks highlighting Hunger Free West Virginia’s work and a West Virginia company, Unigen, developing pharmaceutical manufacturing in the state. The Senate concurred with House amendments and passed several measures, including Senate Bill 467 on enforcement of Purple Heart parking spaces, Senate Bill 712 on cattle guards on certain public roads, and Senate Bill 781, a supplemental appropriation measure that was also made effective from passage. The chamber then adopted and passed Senate Bill 844, a large supplemental appropriation to the Department of Human Services, and Senate Bill 87, a supplemental appropriation to the Department of Commerce, both effective from passage. Other third-reading bills passed included the Blue Envelope Program for drivers with autism, dementia, or intellectual and developmental disabilities; coverage for scalp cooling systems during chemotherapy; expansion of sex-offender registration to include solicitation of a minor and non-consensual disclosure of private images; child safety reporting requirements for school personnel; age-verification requirements for websites hosting harmful sexual material; free Gold Star parent vehicle registration; online training and updated standards for sanitarians; sheriff hiring authority; organ donor registration through voter registration; a Cold Case Task Force; abandoned vehicle title procedures; nutrition continuing education for physicians; special plate rules; gift card fraud offenses; protections for athletic officials; in-year school personnel movement; administrative services powers; pharmacy benefit manager regulation; vape shop regulation; reduced parole supervision fees; disability service credit for certain troopers; property valuation reporting changes; and quarterly Hope Scholarship payments. The Senate also advanced a large number of House bills and committee substitutes on second reading, including supplemental appropriations and measures on mental health examinations, dog registration rules, juvenile jurisdiction on military installations, military interpersonal violence, kinship care subsidies, a statewide prevention plan, contraband smuggling into federal prisons, forestry equipment levy treatment, and Commerce Department rules for microgrid districts and high-impact data centers. Several committee amendments were adopted, and many bills were advanced to third reading without objection. No executive communications were reported.

Transcript Highlights:

• You should have that report.
• I know we didn't, you have a report, this report, which graphically and visually is very easy to follow
• and the 2023 report.
• This is a very basic question that I was not able to capture from the report. The report.
• This is a very basic question that I was not able to capture from the report. The report.

Summary: The committee’s first major discussion focused on higher education facilities across UC, CSU, and the community colleges, with Chair Alvarez framing the issue as a final budget hearing before the May Revise. The LAO presented findings that campuses have grown substantially in buildings and square footage, while classroom and lab utilization remains below legislative standards and deferred maintenance backlogs continue to rise. The LAO also emphasized that the state and segments lack comprehensive data on capital renewal spending and recommended better reporting, clearer funding targets, and long-term planning for renewal and maintenance. UC, CSU, and community college representatives each described large five-year capital plans, aging facilities, seismic and deferred maintenance needs, and the role of student housing, while noting that construction costs are rising faster than inflation. Members questioned the segments about debt service, utilization rates, and how projects are prioritized. UC said its debt service tied to state support is about $665 million annually and described a $30 billion five-year capital financial plan, including housing, medical centers, and building renewal. CSU said it has about $31 billion in five-year needs and more than $8 billion in deferred maintenance, with funding coming from a mix of state-related and one-time sources since the state shifted capital responsibility to CSU. Community colleges said their unmet facilities needs total about $33.5 billion and explained their use of a scoring matrix and FUSION system to rank projects. The chair and members pressed all three systems to better distinguish between projects that are truly shovel-ready and those that are long-term needs, and discussed whether facilities condition data, total cost of ownership, and more standardized metrics should guide future bond proposals. The committee then turned to Proposition 2 and the Governor’s proposed community college capital outlay projects. The Department of Finance said Prop. 2 provides $1.5 billion for community colleges and that the Governor’s budget proposes 29 projects, with two continuing Prop. 51 projects also included. The LAO supported the overall use of the funds but raised concerns about the current 65/35 split between modernization and growth, the unusually large share of gymnasium projects, and some scoring metrics that favor larger campuses and certain regions. Community college officials said the scoring system was developed through participatory governance and would take one to two years to revise, but they supported the funding and agreed to follow up on questions about project categories and the rationale for the weighting. Members also suggested giving more weight to modernization, regional access, and intersegmental or collaborative projects. A final item addressed the CalKids program. The Department of Finance proposed $56,000 ongoing General Fund for three positions, while the LAO recommended approving two positions but rejecting a manager position until the current $7.5 million marketing campaign is evaluated. ScholarShare’s executive director said CalKids has enrolled more than 5 million children, with nearly 600,000 claims and over $45 million distributed, and argued that additional staff and outreach are needed to reach a goal of 1 million claimed scholarships by the end of 2025 and to implement AB 2808. Members asked about marketing effectiveness, data sharing, and eligibility rules, and the program said it is expanding partnerships with Cradle to Career and CSAC. No final vote was taken in the hearing, and the chair indicated the facilities item would be held open.

Transcript Highlights:

• And by your vote SB 654, is reported reported 654, is reported reported favorably.
• High security places.
• High security places.
• High security places.