Transcript Highlights:

• Instead, this bill imposes a cap structure that creates tremendous uncertainty for consumers, investors
• NIL is structural. It is not optional. And falling behind shrinks that visibility.
• Colleagues, this bill is about fairness, structure, and bringing our laws in line with the reality of
• This bill provides the structure needed to navigate this landscape.
• This year it's an endowment structure.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That’s about $32 million a year, and vehicle fees and a surcharge go into the Capital Vessel Replacement
• Pre-CCA, when we set these things up and we added the fees to fund this average here of $122 million,
• So our first priority is looking at the bridge needs, looking at the structure needs across the state
• I'm the state bridge and structures engineer. I'm responsible... Committee, my name is Evan Grimm.
• I'm the state bridge and structures engineer.

Summary: The committee received a detailed staff presentation on Washington State Ferries’ capital needs, current fleet status, and long-range funding outlook. Staff described the current service pattern, ridership recovery since the pandemic, the aging fleet, and the state’s plan to add three new hybrid-electric Olympic-class vessels under the 2025 budget, with delivery expected around 2030-2032. Members also heard that the fleet is operating with no reserve vessel, that preservation time is below the desired level, and that terminal electrification and vessel conversion plans face timing, cost, and procurement risks. Questions focused on ridership trends, biofuel supply, design-risk allocation in vessel contracts, sequencing of terminal electrification with new vessel delivery, and the cost and feasibility of restoring international Sidney service, which would require a SOLAS-certified vessel. Staff then outlined ferry capital funding, saying recent spending and programmed needs are far above regular ferry-specific revenues and that the system relies on a mix of dedicated accounts, transportation package money, federal grants, and transfers. They said the near-term budget is balanced through 2027-29, but the longer-term capital outlook shows a shortfall of roughly $250 million to $300 million per biennium, with broader unmet needs much higher. The presentation estimated costs for future vessels, life extensions, terminal electrification, and additional Jumbo Mark II conversions, and noted that the current enacted plan does not fully fund fleet replacement, full electrification, or life extension of older vessels. Members asked for follow-up information on terminal seismic/environmental issues, contract options for additional vessels, and the timing and cost of alternative vessel designs. The committee then shifted to WSDOT maintenance and preservation. Pascoe Focktich described maintenance operations, including winter response, guardrail repair, facilities, equipment, and the effects of underfunding and inflation. He said most of the maintenance budget is fixed cost and labor, that material prices have risen sharply, and that many facilities are in poor condition with asbestos issues and deferred upkeep. He also noted growing guardrail damage, increasing pavement claims, and the burden of maintaining aging bridges and facilities. Members asked about prior planning for these needs, the role of asbestos, and whether more proactive sequencing could help budget decisions. Troy Suing then presented the highway preservation program, saying WSDOT is in the early stages of critical failure and has stretched preservation dollars as far as possible. He explained the distinction between pavement, bridge, and other highway asset preservation, said the department is largely reactive, and estimated that delaying work can make it three to five times more expensive later. He said about 40% of roadways are currently due or overdue for preservation, bridge conditions are nearing the federal poor-bridge threshold, and the department’s 10-year preservation need is about $8 billion. Members asked about the cost of deferring work, whether the department could do more if funded, how priorities are set, and whether other states face similar problems. Finally, Evan Grimm and Mike Fay briefed the committee on bridge strikes by overheight vehicles. They described recent incidents on I-90 near Cle Elum and SR 410 near White River, the damage and closures caused, and possible countermeasures such as public outreach, improved trip-planning tools, and a pilot warning system with sensors and flashing beacons. Fay explained the state’s financial recovery process for third-party damage, saying WSDOT recovers roughly $20 million per biennium and about 78% to 80% of billed damages, with money going to the motor vehicle fund. Members asked about prevention, insurance recovery, and whether the state uses claim data to inform future design or safety changes.

Transcript Highlights:

• But at this time, the Those anticipation notes and revenue notes are structured in a way that allows
• And I'd appreciate it if I could just kind of see how this structured deal works, how the money flows
• We believe that, because hanging in the balance is a very expensive structure, we can move through an
• We have a study done in 2018 to explore options for essentially better securing the structure.
• We then transform that data into a structure into graphs and charts.

Transcript Highlights:

• Allotment bonus structures. We're good, thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Senator Hagenmuth.
• And do they pay you a fee to help them implement it? They do not pay us a dime.
• Incentives and bonus structures, or if the district hasn't yet applied, many teachers in that district
• In Dallas ISD, the district has worked to create a structured, transparent pathway for all teachers,
• So that’s an incredible structure for being as pro-teacher as we've ever been.

Bills: SB26, SB 26

Keywords: teacher compensation, education funding, public school educators, teacher retention, teacher designation, SB 26, Texas Property Code, colonia, colonias, Spanish translation, bilingual contract, real estate contract, executory contract, residential property, border county, international border, economically distressed area, consumer protection, language access, translator certified in Spanish

Transcript Highlights:

• We believe the existing W&M system provides a structured and fair process for managing water resources
• It's a percentage-based fee, so as soon as the Maui operators do... making sure that money goes from
• fee fee so<01:41:34.920> as<01:41:35.040> soon<01:41:35.199> as<01:41:35.800>
• Um, so yeah, I mean, I think there’s, you know, people add fees whether it’s, you know, service fees
• whether it's you know service add fees whether it's you know service fees<01:45:29.960> through

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Water and Land heard testimony on several measures, beginning with HB 347 relating to goats. The Department of Land and Natural Resources offered comments and said its Division of Forestry and Wildlife was available to answer questions. Testimony on the bill was largely opposed, with speakers arguing it would amount to a “free-for-all” rather than game management and urging deferral. DLNR responded that bag limits can be adjusted by area and game management unit under adaptive management rules, and that hunters typically take out their catch. No vote was taken in the portion provided. The committee then took up HB 1278, on which DLNR testified in support. The record in the excerpt does not include discussion of the bill’s substance beyond the department’s support, and no action or vote is shown. A substantial portion of the hearing focused on HB 144, relating to the Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority and proposed exemptions from Sunshine Law requirements during the transition period. The authority’s vice chair testified that the body is a startup agency with a complex transition from the University and needs to be able to discuss strategic planning, operational formation, and other day-to-day matters with more than two members present. Opponents, including the Public First Law Center, Hawaiʻi Environmental Alliance, and community members, argued the bill would cut the public out of the deliberative process, allow decisions to be hashed out in private, and set a poor transparency precedent. One testifier also raised cultural and environmental concerns about Mauna Kea. Committee members questioned whether existing law and narrower guardrails could address the authority’s concerns, and the authority said it had already proposed a narrower alternative but the bill returned in similar form. The excerpt ends before any final committee action on HB 144 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• We don't want to use your fee schedule, and they often ask for waivers.
• We don't want to use your fee schedule, and they often ask for waivers.
• How do we put forward a financial structure that supports this network?
• How do we put forward a financial structure that supports this network?
• <04:54:05.200> that could be part of the data structure that could be part of the data structure

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee took up HB 297 with a non-germane amendment proposed by the Insurance Department to create the Granite State Home Mitigation and Resiliency Program. Commissioner DJ Beton explained that the program is intended to help homeowners reduce rising insurance premiums and avoid surplus lines coverage by funding proactive home and property improvements such as roof fortification, exterior and foundation work, flood protection, and tree removal. He said the proposal was developed after leadership asked for more statutory detail and for the idea to be vetted through policy committees rather than handled only in the budget process. Beton said the program would be funded by the first $1 million collected annually from the insurance premium tax, with grants of up to $10,000 awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. He described the program as modeled on similar efforts in other states, with means testing tied to the Department of Energy’s weatherization/home heating assistance criteria. He also said the department would administer the program using one existing staff position, with coordination through Treasury, and that unspent funds would roll over for several years before reverting to the general fund. Members asked about the unusual use of a non-germane amendment and how the bill would be handled procedurally, since the underlying bill and the new insurance proposal were unrelated. The chair explained that the amendment was being used as a vehicle to move the department’s proposal through the committee process and that the committee could later accept one part, both parts, or neither. No vote was taken in the portion of the meeting shown; the discussion ended with questions about administration, staffing, and the relationship between the underlying bill and the amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• When we set up the program, for example, we gave OES primary responsibility over the fee, which at the
• As a large purchaser, self-funding allows for... ...fee-for-service payment model.
• Our quality data shows a significant improvement relative to fee-for-service benchmarks.
• CalOptima is unique because its governance structure has been codified into state statute.
• That is why the structure was changed to include two county supervisors.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We've looked at our current structure and looked to see what we would potentially need.
• It's an ownership structure that has that. We also hear a lot about conflicts of interest.
• Material change to ownership, operations, or governance structure.
• Do we know how much the fee is? page list of fees and the civil practice and remedies.
• Facilities fees or it would be our costs.

Bills: HB5141, HB4638, HB2264, HB2035, HB4813, HB4408, HB2684, HB1621, HB2300, HB216, HB3829, HB4466, HB1747, HB2284, HB3614, HB2587, HB3219, HB3318, HB5147, HB4014, HB216

Keywords: lease, state property, public purpose, Travis County, Health and Human Services, pharmaceutical initiative, drug distribution, healthcare services, generic drugs, advanced pharmaceuticals, cost savings, mental health, patient discharge, medical records, health care professionals, substance use, family involvement, chemical dependency, treatment facilities, minor admissions

Transcript Highlights:

• environment and you're of a a structured environment and you're of a a structured environment and you're
• for dispersement of fines and fees for dispersement of fines and fees for driving without a driving
• split up and this would get their fees split up and this would get their fees split up tag would get
• half of the fees and then tag would get half of the fees and then tag would get half of the fees and
• is appears common regulatory structure is appears common regulatory structure is appears to be more

Keywords: sessions, 2025-R, 1, 219

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 2659, structural time model. HB 2672, small school adjustment.
• HB 2768, interchange fees, payment card transaction; Commerce.
• HB 2768, interchange fees, payment card transaction; Ways and Means.
• HB 22, special plate fees revision; Transportation Infrastructure.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the prior journal, and took attendance. Members then recognized several guest groups and individuals, including the West Valley Regional Chamber, Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics Arizona, Vitalant for National Blood Donor Month, and veterans and military family representatives in advance of a Veterans Caucus meeting. A proclamation was read recognizing January as National Blood Donor Month in Arizona and honoring Vitalant’s role in supplying blood to Arizona patients. The chamber also heard a declaration naming January 22, 2026, West Valley Regional Chamber Day, and members made personal remarks, including a memorial tribute to Jennifer Marie Walker Skaggs and announcements about committee meetings and caucus events. The House recorded attendance, entered committee reports, and processed a large number of bills through first and second reading, covering elections, education, veterans, health, housing, taxation, artificial intelligence, public safety, and other topics. Several bills were also withdrawn and reassigned to different committees, including referrals to Artificial Intelligence and Innovation, Government, and Public Safety and Law Enforcement. No substantive floor debate or final votes on legislation occurred in the transcript beyond procedural motions. The House later recessed and reconvened, continued first-reading referrals for additional bills and resolutions, and then adjourned on a motion approved by voice vote until 1:15 p.m. Monday, January 26, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• last dollar award, and it's designed to cover any remaining balance of eligible tuition and mandatory fees
• be enrolled in a program or course of study leading to a degree, diploma, or certificate. mandatory fees
• after other scholarships, mandatory fees after other scholarships, grants,<00:02:33.520> stipends
• be eligible for NSP base but not be a recipient of NSP base because the total of their tuition and fees
• the enrollment intensity of the students who attend each type of institution, and the tuition and fees

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, but I want to make sure I understand what we're trying to do here structurally. Okay.
• Um, or is it more of just a structural cleanup? Just kind of want to get your take on it.
• There's a structural conflict of interest that I think deserves an honest conversation, though.
• Well, we're changing the structure. It had the executive branch in it.
• , >> Well, we're changing the structure, >> Well, we're changing the structure, changing

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For students at concerts, where tickets and parking fees alone are enough to break the bank, paying steep
• For students at concerts, where tickets and parking fees alone are enough to break the bank, paying steep
• 00:09:53.000> tickets<00:09:53.519> and<00:09:53.720> parking<00:09:54.000> fees
• concerts where tickets and parking fees concerts where tickets and parking fees alone<00:09:54.839
• The way it is structured, their options.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:11:28.480> placed boulders and permanent structures placed boulders and permanent structures
• <01:06:06.880> and establishes a clear, structured, and establishes a clear, structured, and
• > signals, overhead sign structures, signals, overhead sign structures, signals, everything<03
• exaction fee on developer for few years. exaction fee on developer for few years.
• <04:34:49.680> Um fee. So that was a lot of our focus. Um fee.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But the fact that that system has an alarm that goes off and is sounded inside of that safe structure
• gives me the comfort to ...and is sounded inside of that safe structure gives me the comfort to know
• It provides for priority docketing and prevailing party attorney's fees in law.
• It provides for priority docketing and prevailing party attorney's fees in lawsuits brought under the
• It exempts the Wekiva study area and Everglades Protection Area, revises attorney's fees to favor the

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognized several guests and groups in the gallery, including students, business groups, and university basketball coaches. The chamber then moved through a long special order calendar, taking up a series of bills on trust law, school district reporting, debt collection, service of process, lodging and food service establishments, lien waivers, public records protections for Crime Stoppers personnel, foreign ownership/health care licensure issues, diabetes management in schools, platting, fentanyl testing, third-party reservation platforms, electronic landlord-tenant notices, leaving the scene of a crash, background screening for athletic coaches, surrendered infants, and affordable housing. Several bills were temporarily postponed, and multiple House companion bills were substituted where the measures were identical or had only drafting differences. Debate focused on a few measures. Senators questioned the trust code bill’s effect on out-of-state attorneys general; the school reporting bill was described as strengthening arrest and misconduct reporting for instructional personnel; and the service-of-process and lodging bills were presented as technical and consumer-protection fixes. The fentanyl testing bill drew emotional support from the sponsor and families affected by overdose deaths. The surrendered-infant bill prompted opposition over safety, anonymity, and the limited use of baby boxes, while supporters argued it could save lives. The affordable housing bill, updating the Live Local Act, was amended to adjust parking reductions and allow certain properties to use the administrative approval process, with additional limits and exclusions added. Most measures passed overwhelmingly, including the trust code bill, school reporting, debt collection, service of process, lien waivers, public records, foreign-country business interest restrictions, diabetes management in schools, platting, fentanyl testing, third-party reservation platforms, electronic landlord-tenant notices, leaving-the-scene restitution, athletic coach background screening, surrendered infants, and affordable housing. The day’s most divided vote was on the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services bill, which drew extended debate over fluoride policy and other provisions; it passed 27-9. At the end of the session, the Senate agreed to immediately certify all bills passed that day to the House, recognized a Taiwan-related resolution for the journal, made additional announcements, and adjourned until the next scheduled meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• use a rapid U repayment um structure use a rapid U repayment um structure that<03:46:19.680>
• So again, it's just the structure of how this fund was designed.
• I mean, it collects a lot of fees.
• The general structure and management structure of state government is, you know, fairly steep, I guess
• state structure management structure of state structure management structure of state government

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard from the Personnel Appeals Board, which explained that it became an independent state agency after Senate Bill 487 and was presenting its first standalone operating budget. The board described its quasi-judicial role in hearing appeals from classified state employees over disciplinary actions such as warnings, suspensions, and terminations, and said it handles about 25 to 35 cases a year, with some cases lasting longer because of their complexity. Members also outlined the need for a chair and vice chair who are attorneys, the board’s current staffing and space needs, and its plan to move away from reliance on Administrative Services for office support and website functions. The board requested about $353,500 for fiscal year 2026, including startup costs, routine operating expenses, and two new part-time positions: a program director and a paralegal. Members said the budget reflects the new independent status, includes funding for only four board members rather than the authorized five, and is designed to avoid full-time staffing costs and benefits. Legislators asked about the cost per case, the board’s relationship to DAS, whether appeals must go through the board before court, and how often cases are appealed further. The board said appeals must first go through it, that court appeals are infrequent but have increased recently, and that the board’s process is intended to resolve disputes more quickly and less expensively than court litigation. Committee members also asked about the board’s caseload, outcomes, and staffing. The board said that in the prior year there were 22 cases, with four decisions overturned in favor of employees, nine dismissals, and nine settlements, and that many disputes are resolved before reaching the board through a multi-step internal process. A member noted the governor and council had recently approved a new board member and were expected to approve a fifth soon. The discussion ended with questions about the board’s website and records access, which members said would need to be moved from Administrative Services as part of the agency’s transition. The committee then moved to the New Hampshire Council on Developmental Disabilities. The executive director explained that the council is 100 percent federally funded under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act and develops a five-year plan to address the needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She said the council works with state agencies and advocacy organizations on quality-of-life issues, accessibility, voter rights training, and plain-language or easy-to-read materials, and that 60 percent of its membership must be individuals with disabilities or family members/guardians. She also described the council’s funding structure, including reimbursement to the state for operating costs, and noted that it currently has three full-time and three part-time positions, with no new positions requested but one full-time position being eliminated and replaced after a pandemic-era staffing change did not work out as planned.

Transcript Highlights:

• There are some fee reliefs for veterans and families toward driver's license and our National Guard members
• and spouses, as well as business filing waives a one-time $120 state fee for veterans starting new businesses
• can have whatever plate you want and still get what you deserve from our state in terms of support structure

Summary: The Committee on Military, Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security met with a quorum present and took up three veteran-related bills. SB 78 would allow the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs to authorize a nonprofit retirement community serving only veterans, spouses, and surviving spouses to create veteran- and spouse-designated nursing home beds in a skilled nursing facility, including transfer of certificate-of-need beds within 100 miles. The Air Force Enlisted Village CEO testified in support, saying it would add needed skilled nursing care to their continuum; the bill was reported favorably. The committee then considered CS for SB 1280, a broad veterans bill that modernizes employment and training programs, renames the program the Veterans Florida Opportunity Program, creates a job-training grant program, adjusts reimbursement caps, expands university/agriculture training stipends for veteran spouses, provides various fee reliefs, waives a one-time state business filing fee for veterans, and expands veterans’ treatment courts. Two amendments were adopted: one changed the state flagship designation to the SS American Victory and allowed disabled veteran designation on specialty plates via a DV embossing, while removing outdated references; the second removed hunting and fishing license provisions due to funding concerns. Veterans Florida representatives waved in support, and the committee reported the bill favorably as amended. Finally, SB 1282 created a public records exemption for information submitted to the Veterans Florida Opportunity Program when veterans are developing business opportunities, protecting trade secrets and related sensitive information from disclosure. Veterans Florida supported the measure, and after brief debate the bill was reported favorably. The committee then briefly reconsidered the vote for recording purposes and adjourned without further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• of fees that aren't disclosed. disclosed. disclosed.
• > so<00:07:50.479> that as rule on hidden fees so that as rule on hidden fees so that enforcement
• didn't participate in that green fee didn't participate in that green fee ask.
• c><01:13:40.320> more intensify, structures become more intensify, structures become more exposed
• We offered fee to the bahana tours. We offered fee to the 96744<01:30:12.960> community.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee took up Senate Bill 3019, which would cap ticket resale prices at face value for events in Hawaii and authorize DCCA to enforce violations. DCCA’s Office of Consumer Protection opposed the bill and said it preferred a ticket transparency approach focused on upfront disclosure of fees, while supporters argued the measure would curb scalping, bots, and extreme markups. Testimony from the National Independent Venue Association and a concert promoter emphasized that resale does not add inventory and said the bill would protect consumers; committee members questioned DCCA about enforcement and cited examples of very high resale prices for local concerts. No vote was taken in the excerpt, and the chair said the measure would be moved along for further consideration. The committee then heard Senate Bill 3311, which would create the Strengthen Hawaii Homes Program within DLNR to fund fire-mitigation grants for residential property owners. DLNR supported the bill, saying the need is immediate and that the program is modeled on successful mainland efforts, though the department said it ultimately belongs under the State Fire Marshal once that office has capacity. DCCA’s Insurance Division submitted written comments only. The measure was received without further action in the excerpt. Senate Bill 2979, authorizing DLNR and community-based organizations to enter community co-management agreements for state lands, drew broad support from OHA, community groups, and several individuals, who said the bill would formalize partnerships, strengthen shared responsibility, and help community stewardship efforts. Testifiers clarified that the bill does not require 65-year agreements and said the term should be left to DLNR’s discretion. The committee then moved on without questions or a vote shown in the excerpt. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 2351 on the state park special fund, which would allow DLNR to use fund monies for environmental protection programs. DLNR’s state parks administrator opposed the bill, saying the special fund is already fully committed to urgent maintenance and infrastructure needs across an aging park system, and warned that diverting money would weaken the fund’s ability to support parks. The Tax Foundation also submitted written testimony, and a community witness opposed the measure for similar reasons. The excerpt ends as the committee begins Senate Bill 2918, which would require HCDA to establish a community action center in Chinatown; HCDA’s executive director expressed concern about jurisdiction and said the city and county should continue leading that work.

Transcript Highlights:

• This policy will allow home birth providers to access 70% of what hospital bill for facility fees.
• what hospital bill for facility fees what hospital bill for facility fees this<01:10:55.640>
• We need to raise the professional fee for midwives so we can pay our bills.
• We cannot afford to survive off the global fee of $1,300 per birth, or $1,380 to be exact.
• If the starting fee is approximately $1,300, from which the average $500 assisting fee is deducted right

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <03:41:54.479> another their fees another their fees another $1.5<03:41:56.720> million
• Uh, we should be decreasing fees. The bill increases fees $1.5 million.
• Um, you know the proposed fees in article six increases filing fees that would generate more revenue
• Um, you know the proposed fees in article six increases filing fees that would generate more revenue
• Senator Lang votes I. raise fees. But what we have going on, raise fees.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all