Transcript Highlights:

• Also in the gallery, we have Happy Fulford and Sherry Fulford, who used to be government affairs workers
• And this ID can also include those here on a temporary visa or some other work type program.
• Where there were actually several election workers in distress who reached out to the news and other

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:20:12.480> housing one-year extension for temporary housing one-year extension for temporary
• The temporary site has been fully cleared and restored.
• temporary housing for survivors. temporary housing for survivors.
• >> It'll go above those temporary houses.
• >> It'll go above those temporary houses.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So we are here to provide a temporary safety net until consumers can move back into the voluntary market
• So we are here to provide a temporary safety net until consumers can move back into the voluntary market
• What we're finding now is instead of being a temporary safety net, we're becoming the insurer that people
• Again, our role is to be the temporary safety net, right? People come in, they get in.
• Again, our role is to be the temporary safety net, right?

Summary: The Assembly Insurance Committee held an oversight hearing on the California Fair Plan, focused on the plan’s rapid growth, its financial stability after the January Southern California wildfires, and its role as the insurer of last resort. Fair Plan officials explained that the plan was created in 1968, is a not-for-profit involuntary association of licensed property insurers, and is intended to be a temporary safety net until policyholders can return to the admitted market. They emphasized that the plan is not a state agency or taxpayer-funded, but is regulated by the Department of Insurance and supported by member-company assessments if claims exceed available funds. Victoria Roach and Armand Feliciano said the Fair Plan has grown sharply since 2018 and especially after market pullbacks by major insurers, reaching about 575,000 policies and roughly $600 billion in exposure by spring 2025. They noted that growth is increasingly occurring in lower wildfire-risk areas, where the plan can sometimes be cheaper than the voluntary market, and said this undermines depopulation back into the private market. They also discussed recent policy expansions, including coverage for farms, higher residential and commercial limits, and pending or proposed changes such as AB 290, SB 525, and AB 226, which would add tools like a line of credit and bond access. A major portion of the hearing addressed the January wildfire losses and the plan’s financial response. Fair Plan officials said they assessed member insurers for $1 billion after determining claims and cash flow would exceed available resources, and that the process was approved quickly and paid smoothly, with more than 80% of the assessment collected within 10 days. They also described the reinsurance tower, the plan’s limited surplus, and the need for actuarially sound rates to reduce future reliance on assessments. On claims handling, they said the plan has received over 5,500 claims from the fires, has paid more than $2.9 billion so far, expects total payments near $4 billion, and has focused on advancing payments quickly for total losses and other urgent needs. Members questioned the plan’s solvency, the growth in non-wildfire areas, claim denials, smoke-loss coverage, and how depopulation works. Roach said most closed claims without payment were duplicates rather than denials, and that smoke claims require direct physical loss under the policy, with coverage determined case by case. Public commenters from the California Building Industry Association and the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of California said the Fair Plan’s growth reflects a weak voluntary market, inadequate rates, and insurer fear of future assessments, and urged support for rate increases and AB 226. The hearing concluded with no vote, but with a commitment from Fair Plan officials to follow up on unanswered questions and continue providing more transparency through public data and website disclosures.

Transcript Highlights:

• <02:41:52.080> um specifically say for a temporary um specifically say for a temporary um
• special I'm sorry, um, temporary basis for special purposes, and I would like to defer to the Attorney
• Um, the writing in that one does say that it is a pilot, like a temporary basis.
• The other one, like a temporary basis.
• um put temporarily positioned temporary um put temporarily positioned in<03:08:22.479> the<03

Bills: HB676

Keywords: HB676, Hawaii correctional facilities, youth correctional facilities, adult correctional facilities, Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Office of Youth Services, inmate phone calls, prison phone calls, jail phone calls, free prison calls, free communication services, incarcerated persons, prison reform, reentry, family visitation, recidivism, video visitation, electronic messaging, commissions, ancillary fees

Summary: The committee heard three public safety bills. HB 2235 would appropriate $1.3 million for the Military Affairs and Community Relations Office to strengthen coordination on military and defense issues. Supporters, including the Hawaii National Guard and DBEDT’s military relations office, said the office helps Hawaiʻi understand federal contracting, USA Jobs, and military-related economic impacts. One member questioned why the state should fund a DoD-related office while Hawaiʻi remains under-reimbursed on impact aid; supporters responded that the office serves Hawaiʻi communities and helps prepare residents for federal jobs. The chair said she intended to recommend the bill pass with a HD1, a blank appropriation to be filled in the committee report, technical amendments, a defective effective date, and updated office title language. HB 2263 would expand Hawaiʻi family leave law to cover qualifying military exigencies. The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, DBEDT’s military relations office, and the Hawaii National Guard supported the measure, saying military families often face short-notice deployments, relocations, briefings, and urgent family arrangements that require time away from work, and that aligning state law with federal standards would provide clarity and consistency. The chair said she would recommend passage with a HD1, a defective effective date, and technical amendments. HB 2291 would clarify that certain National Guard Youth and Educational Programs employees are excluded from collective bargaining, rename the program, and codify its Hawaiian name. The Hawaii National Guard said it was a housekeeping bill with no appropriation, but requested an amendment to align the bill with updated authorities and program references; the chair asked for proposed language before the later decision-making. She said she would recommend passage with a defective date and the requested amendment if provided, and then recessed the hearing until 11:30 a.m. for decision-making on all three bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our peer support workers are there to offer a hand so that when they are struggling, they can reach out
• I believe that that kind of collaborative approach is important, because you're a temporary facility.
• are working with have been kind enough to donate their time, all the way down to our peer support workers
• My mother, Teresa, and stepfather, Frank, were essential workers.
• I think that you'll make a great social worker, and I look forward to seeing you in the social work field

Transcript Highlights:

• We all know this is temporary, these are temporary fixes, we need more long-term.
• A temporary housing solution could be the difference between a family recovering or ending up on the
• families displaced by the Southern California wildfires as well as future disasters can access stable temporary

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• SENATORS WE ARE NOW GOING TO GO INTO A TEMPORARY RECESS AS WE WAIT FOR SEVERAL SENATORS TO COME PRESENT
• >>Vice Chair Avila: WE ARE NOW BACK FROM OUR TEMPORARY RECESS.
• WE ARE IN TEMPORARY RECESS WHILE WE WAIT FOR THE NEXT SENATOR TO PRESENT HIS BILL. >> Vice Chair Avila

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, last year the legislature imposed a temporary cap on the tuition and recognized tuition and fees
• <00:03:01.280> cap the legislature imposed a temporary cap the legislature imposed a temporary
• <01:29:14.719> and caps, this is a temporary and caps, this is a temporary and challenging
• I think this is temporary. We are going to have to fix a state grant.
• It is we are going to have to temporary.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 4252 and first heard a walkthrough of a DE2 amendment that largely incorporated Office of Higher Education technical and statutory cleanup items, including reporting consolidations, updates to postsecondary registration and licensing statutes, and an anti-fraud provision. New provisions in the DE2 would require public postsecondary institutions to explain developmental courses before enrollment and obtain a written acknowledgement, revise the state grant tuition cap, add a $1.5 million ongoing appropriation in FY 2027 for an identity verification system to combat enrollment fraud, and provide $5,000 one-time funding for reforestation at Bemidji State University. Fiscal staff also noted additional special revenue fund revenue and expenditures tied to licensing and registration litigation response. The main debate centered on the A8 amendment offered by Representative Rarick, which would require the governor to appoint University of Minnesota regents only from candidates recommended by the joint legislative committee if the legislature fails to elect regents. Rarick argued the amendment was needed to address what he described as conflicts of interest and pay-to-play concerns in recent gubernatorial appointments. Several members questioned whether the language was constitutional, whether it actually addressed conflicts of interest, and whether it should instead refer to ARCAC-screened or ARCAC-recommended candidates. Nonpartisan staff said the governor’s appointment power is addressed in the university charter, not directly in the constitution, but could not definitively assess constitutionality if challenged. Members were divided: some supported the goal of cleaner governance but said the amendment was not ready or did not match the problem being described; others argued the legislature had failed to complete its own regent appointments and that the amendment was a response to that failure. No vote on the A8 amendment or the bill was reached in the portion provided, though a roll call was requested on the amendment and the chair indicated the bill would continue through amendment consideration before final discussion and vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Professionals and auxiliary workers. Okay. Then I heard you mention mentors.
• You addressed that in kind of a temporary approach, Mr. Chairman. We appreciate that.
• So an additional social worker, for example? Yes, basically.
• You learn not only how to teach, but also how to plan, how to work with your co-workers. workers and
• I fell in love with my co-workers and also just how. and inviting and welcoming that school was.

Bills: HB2, HB2

Keywords: public education, teacher compensation, certification, funding, school finance, educator rights, education funding, charter schools, staff compensation, state aid, retention allotment, disaster preparedness, emergency management, flooding, mass fatality, mass casualty, fatality tracking, body recovery, autopsy, justice of the peace

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> Turner, I think you said thanks so much for mentioning that the temporary period between the 60
• That temporary period between the 60 days does limit that process.
• So, hence, I think this conversation about what is the temporary payment withhold, to the extent that
• So to that, I think rulemaking is supposed to be a temporary tool where we don't have legislation to
• So to that, I think the rulemaking supposed to be a temporary got where we don't have legislation to

Transcript Highlights:

• accrued time that, again through no fault of their own, but because they transitioned from being state temporary
• accrued time that, again through no fault of their own, but because they transitioned from being state temporary
• accrued time that, again through no fault of their own, but because they transitioned from being state temporary
• accrued time that, again through no fault of their own, but because they transitioned from being state temporary
• accrued time that, again through no fault of their own, but because they transitioned from being state temporary

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: Division 3 of House Finance met in a continued work session on Senate Bill 118, with no LBA present. The chair reviewed the bill’s complicated history: it began as a short Senate bill, was expanded in the Senate to address Hampstead Hospital and related contracts, and was later amended by the House Health and Human Services Committee to add the substance of House Bill 53, which would allow home cultivation of cannabis for therapeutic use. Members also discussed the bill’s timing against upcoming legislative deadlines and the available options, including recommending it ought to pass, retaining it, ITL, or amending it. A member asked about the $160,000 appropriation tied to Hampstead Hospital employees. Deputy Commissioner Marissa Hen explained that most of the money would cover accrued time owed to a small number of employees who transitioned through multiple staffing arrangements at the hospital, and the rest would honor previously promised bonuses for a few workers who would otherwise miss them after the transition to Dartmouth Health. She said the payments were intended to make employees whole after repeated changes in hospital management and staffing. Representative Stringham then offered Amendment 2345H, which would strip the House-added cannabis provisions and keep only the Senate-originated Hampstead Hospital-related sections. He argued this would improve the bill’s chances of surviving a gubernatorial veto and preserve the portions members broadly supported. The amendment failed on a 6-3 roll call. The committee then voted 6-3 to recommend the bill ought to pass without the amendment. Members also designated Representative Seaworth to speak for the majority and Representative Daniels for the minority when the bill reaches full Finance, and the work session adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• At one event with our seniors, a Social Security worker told us that wait times are exploding.
• At one event with our seniors, a Social Security worker told us that wait times are exploding.
• The Social Security worker told us he felt that he had failed the American people. Let's be clear.
• Security worker told us that weight Security worker told us that weight times<00:14:28.079> are
• I was a page at the state, a temporary page at the state legislature.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, May 1, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll have a variety of different professionals, but you're going to see nurses, social workers, people
• This is not temporary damage. It is permanent harm, of photos or videos.
• This is not temporary damage. It is permanent harm tied to a person's identity.
• The harm we are talking about here is not temporary. It is lasting.
• The harm we are talking about here is not temporary. It is lasting. In many cases, it is lifelong.

Summary: The committee met to approve prior minutes and then heard a presentation from Dr. Ramona Danielson on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), focusing on the economic and public-system impacts in North Dakota. She explained that ACEs are a population-level measure, not a diagnostic tool for individuals, and said higher ACE exposure is consistently associated with more chronic illness, mental health challenges, child welfare involvement, justice-system contact, and reduced workforce participation. She emphasized that precise dollar estimates are difficult because of the many interacting factors across a person’s life course, but said the direction of the impact is clear and that evidence-based prevention and protective factors can reduce harm. Members asked about definitions of a “healthy family,” same-sex couples, divorce, substance abuse, historical trends in ACEs, and the role of positive childhood experiences and home visiting. The committee then heard from Allison Mahoney and Missy Barranco about evidence-based home visiting programs in North Dakota, including Healthy Families, Early Head Start, Nurse-Family Partnership, and Parents as Teachers. They described home visiting as voluntary, relationship-based, and tailored to family needs, with referrals coming from hospitals, WIC, human service zones, pregnancy navigators, self-referrals, and other community sources. A parent, Abby, shared that home visiting helped her family after premature births and NICU stays by providing support with postpartum mental health, breastfeeding, developmental screenings, referrals, and parenting guidance. The presenters said the programs are funded through a mix of federal MIECHV/Title IV-E dollars, Medicaid targeted case management, state and tribal funds, philanthropy, charitable gaming, and grants, and they noted that current funding is fragmented and insufficient to serve all eligible families statewide. Members discussed whether the state should expand or better fund these services and how to improve outreach and referrals. Later, the committee received a memorandum on artificial intelligence and sexual exploitation, followed by a presentation from a BCI special agent on how AI is already affecting child exploitation investigations in North Dakota. The memo and testimony described AI-generated child sexual abuse material, deepfakes, sextortion, and risks posed by chatbots, along with relevant federal and state law and recent executive orders. The agent said North Dakota saw 2,698 cyber tips in 2025, the highest on record, and that investigators are increasingly encountering AI-assisted exploitation that is harder to detect and verify. Members discussed the need for child-safety protections, the limits of executive orders, and broader concerns about AI undermining critical thinking and spreading misinformation. No votes were taken on the AI materials during the portion provided, and the committee recessed briefly after the report.

Transcript Highlights:

• But as the student population grows and changes, the demands for workers in the technology spaces are
• The highest paying might be the government workers, right? Maybe the superintendent.
• My co-workers are some of my favorite people on the planet.
• What we ultimately got was a temporary increase of $55—a pittance.
• Counselors, librarians, social workers, and teachers provide a lot of emotional support, mentorship,

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Since May of last year, we have worked with the university to get some sort of temporary barriers in
• This is only a temporary solution, but it has already saved at least six lives that we are aware of.
• Since May of last year, we have worked with the university to get some sort of temporary barriers in
• sort of temporary barriers in place. sort of temporary barriers in place.
• /c><00:05:19.840> has<00:05:20.080> already temporary solution, but it has already temporary

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 666 converts two temporary farm-to-school extension agent positions within the University
• We do support this bill because we do have two temporary employees funded in temporary positions that
• employees funded have two uh temporary employees funded in<00:52:10.160> temporary<00:52:10.680
• Two temporary Farm agents positions.
• So the temporary positions—there are no vacant positions that they can get into.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint Committee on Higher Education and Agriculture heard Senate Bill 1158, which would authorize general obligation bonds and appropriations for a controlled environment agriculture research and demonstration facility at the Magoon Research and Teaching Site in Manoa. Testimony was overwhelmingly supportive from the University of Hawaiʻi, Department of Agriculture, Farm Bureau, Maui County, MetroGrow Hawaiʻi, and other agricultural groups, who said the project would strengthen food resilience, support year-round production, create clean jobs, and provide a demonstration site for urban vertical farming. University representatives said the project would include demolition of an existing condemned building, a research and lab component, and a multistory vertical farm, with an estimated cost of $6 million and a projected two-year build time. Members questioned whether Manoa was the best location, whether the project fit the university’s broader strategy, and whether the request would displace other priorities. The University said the site is tied to SEAR activities, close to students and faculty, and intended to support hands-on training and commercial-scale production. In response to concerns about soil testing and stakeholder needs, the University said it would restart the soil testing lab using internal funds, though not as part of this bill, and would request additional staff for efficiency. The committee then recessed and later reconvened in decision-making, where the chairs recommended and the committee adopted amendments to SB 1158, including a name correction and deferral to July 31, 2050, and the bill passed with amendments. The committee then took up Senate Bill 663, relating to the University of Hawaiʻi College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources and SEAR research and experiment stations. The University testified that the stations are important for locally relevant agricultural research but are short staffed, with 34 positions down since 2005, and that the bill requests eight new positions, including agricultural technicians and four county community coordinator positions, to improve station operations, community engagement, and workforce development. The Farm Bureau supported the measure, saying the positions are needed to revamp extension services and that Manoa is an appropriate urban location for the vertical farming component. Members questioned why vacant or existing positions could not be used instead of new ones, and the University explained that some listed vacancies reflected old federally funded positions or inaccurate counts, promised a written update, and said it was working to fill current openings. No final vote on SB 663 was reached in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• convincing evidence, what we're asking is for trusted adults to look the other way when our social workers
• convincing evidence, what we're asking is for trusted adults to look the other way when our social workers
• convincing evidence, what we're asking is for trusted adults to look the other way when our social workers
• Today we have work requirements built into our food stamp and temporary aid for needy families programs
• loss of license is a good idea temporary loss of license is a good idea there's<04:16:46.880> a

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The hospital social workers know now that they’re... again yes I can I I have a question for again yes
• makes that connection the hospital who makes that connection the hospital social<00:47:59.920> workers
• By the way, it only needed to be a temporary guardianship just for someone to sign the lease.
• So we went ahead and filed our own petition for temporary guardianship.
• petition for temporary petition for temporary guardianship<01:09:16.040> um<01:09:16.239>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• be in a position where you can renew on a Saturday or Sunday, have a grace period, you'll get a temporary
• be in a position where you can renew on a Saturday or Sunday, have a grace period, you'll get a temporary
• uh<00:58:15.720> you'll<00:58:15.880> get<00:58:16.000> a<00:58:16.160> temporary
• <00:58:16.880> you'll<00:58:17.079> get uh you'll get a temporary you'll get uh you'll
• get a temporary you'll get your<00:58:17.359> hard<00:58:17.680> copy<00:58:18.200>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Transportation Committee met for an opening/orientation session in which members introduced themselves and explained their interest in the committee. Several members noted backgrounds in trucking, piloting, boating, motorcycles, road safety, or constituent concerns about transportation issues. The chair also noted several absent members and said the committee would first hear agency presentations before covering committee procedures. The Department of Safety gave the main presentation, outlining its seven divisions and how they relate to transportation policy and the Highway Fund. The assistant commissioner emphasized that Highway Fund revenue supports both the Department of Transportation and the Department of Safety, with collections coming largely from the road toll/gas tax, DMV fees, and the new electric vehicle surcharge. He also noted that 12% of Highway Fund revenues go to local road repair through the DOT Betterment Fund, and warned that the fund has had a structural deficit for several biennia, requiring General Fund transfers that may be uncertain this session. He said the department aims to provide data and fiscal context on legislation and fiscal notes. State Police then provided a detailed overview of its structure and operations, including the Operations Bureau, Investigative Services Bureau, and Justice Information Bureau. Testimony highlighted Troop G’s role in vehicle inspections, commercial motor vehicle enforcement, fraud investigations, and consumer complaint handling, as well as statewide staffing shortages. The division reported rising calls for service, motor vehicle stops, DWI arrests, and other arrests despite a vacancy rate of about 17%. It also described aviation, K-9, bomb squad, special events response, SWAT, narcotics, major crime, forensic laboratory, and other specialized units, with statistics on drug seizures, investigations, and lab workload. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during this portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Sam's wife was then filing two petitions seeking both temporary and permanent guardianship.
• One was done as a temporary petition and one was done as a permanent petition.
• Commissioner Smith, via minute entry, denied the temporary petition on 5/3/2023.
• One was done as a temporary petition and one was done for permanent petition.
• Commissioner Smith via minute entry denies the temporary petition on 5.3, 2,023.

Summary: The Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Elder Abuse opened by explaining it was gathering testimony on elder abuse, especially alleged misconduct involving court-appointed systems such as guardians ad litem and fiduciaries, to identify gaps in law and oversight and develop legislative fixes. The chair limited each witness’s time, asked for names and contact information for follow-up, and repeatedly noted that some allegations might warrant referral to law enforcement, the attorney general, or county attorneys if basic criminal elements were present. Several witnesses described alleged abuse in guardianship, conservatorship, and fiduciary cases. Dr. Holly Lauder said her mother, who had Alzheimer’s disease, was subjected to allegedly deficient psychological capacity evaluations that ignored treating doctors and family input, leading to a fiduciary arrangement that later resulted in neglect. Kevin Axson described his mother’s probate case, saying a guardian ad litem and conservator were appointed after a family financial dispute, that the guardian ad litem and fiduciary had little contact with his mother, and that the estate was burdened with substantial fees and a $200,000 bond requirement. Frieda Alvarado testified about a 94-year-old client, Samuel Armento, saying he was isolated, medicated without his request, and treated without dignity after a fiduciary and care team took control. Bill Chalmers, Johnny Hamilton, and Kathy Hamilton also testified about Sam Armento’s case, alleging isolation, excessive fees, conflicts of interest, and poor oversight by fiduciaries and caregivers. Other witnesses raised broader concerns about Arizona probate practices. David Redkey said he has been under a long-running conservatorship despite earning degrees and maintaining capacity, and alleged that court-appointed professionals and fiduciaries overcharged his estate and blocked efforts to terminate the arrangement. Susan Wolfe described the Peyton case, alleging that a wife’s conservatorship and related court actions led to the loss of assets, exclusion of witnesses, and large fees for a relatively small monthly care bill. Dr. Lewis Heller, an OB-GYN and disciplinary committee member, said the medical evaluations he reviewed showed the people involved were competent and that the conduct he observed was unethical and possibly criminal. Renee Self testified that she lost her role as trustee and spent large sums defending her father’s estate, alleging that the probate process stripped her father of assets and limited her access to him despite APS findings that her actions were in his best interests. No formal committee votes or legislative actions were taken in the excerpt, but members repeatedly expressed concern, asked for documents and transcripts, and indicated they would follow up with witnesses and consider stakeholder meetings to craft legislation addressing oversight, transparency, and accountability in guardianship and fiduciary systems.