Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:11:19.839><c> type</c><00:11:20.040><c> of</c> versus US type of versus US type of situation<
• not force them to see us.
• not force them to see us.
• </c> Not force them to see us.
• Go. and you may use any one of them but use and you may use any one of them but use one<00:51:40.200>

Summary: The House Children and Family Law Committee opened its February 4, 2025 hearing with a business item on House Bill 553, appointing a subcommittee chaired by Representative Greg and including several named members. The committee then took up House Bill 486, which would revise New Hampshire’s grandparents’ visitation law. The prime sponsor said the bill is intended to address gaps in current law, especially in situations involving divorce, separation, kinship care, and parental substance use, so that children can maintain important relationships with grandparents or other kin caregivers. He emphasized that the proposal was meant to supplement existing law rather than replace it, and said the language was modeled on statutes from other states. Several witnesses testified in support of HB 486, describing painful family separations and arguing that current law can be interpreted too narrowly. One grandmother said the existing statute had been used to dismiss her visitation case because she was restricted while the parents were separated, and she asked for language changes so courts could still order visitation in similar circumstances. Another witness, testifying online, urged passage of the bill as being in the best interest of children. A third witness described a family living arrangement in which grandparents had been a consistent presence in their grandchildren’s lives but were later cut off during a contentious separation, and said the bill would help repair those relationships. Committee members asked about the six-month timeframe in the bill, whether the proposed language would affect cases where a grandparent does not live with the child but is still a regular caregiver, and whether the sponsor had written amendment language; the sponsor said the six-month language was taken from other states’ statutes and that the new language would not change existing visitation rights but would add to them. After hearing the testimony, the chair said the committee would hold HB 486 aside for a week or two while awaiting additional information before voting. The hearing then moved to House Bill 320, an act relative to enforcement of marital property settlements. The sponsor explained that the bill would require courts to enforce final property decrees and would clarify the difference between enforcement and contempt, arguing that courts should have clear authority to fashion remedies and that litigants, especially self-represented parties, need clearer statutory guidance. Committee members questioned the legal distinctions the sponsor drew, including whether the bill was aimed at enforcement rather than contempt and how the proposed language would operate in practice. The transcript cuts off before any vote or further action on HB 320.

Transcript Highlights:

• us or none of us.
• us or none of us.
• us or none of us.
• us or none of us.
• us or none of us.

Summary: The joint committees first heard SB 1146, which would appropriate funds to the University of Hawaiʻi to develop an action plan and pre-engineering concept plan for debris management and water quality control in the Ala Wai Watershed. Testimony was largely supportive from DLNR, a UH student, and a special improvement district representative, while one speaker suggested the work should be coordinated with existing efforts to avoid duplication. Committee discussion focused on the multi-jurisdictional nature of the watershed, existing debris-trap work that captures only about 20 to 30 percent of debris, the role of the university in capstone projects and recommendations, and the relationship to the existing Geni project and other community efforts. Members also asked about costs, tracking progress, and the difference between water-quality improvements and the larger debris problem. The committees then voted to pass SB 1146 with amendments, including blanking out the appropriation and deferring the effective date to July 31, 2050. The motion passed in both committees, with votes recorded in support and no opposition noted during the decision-making. The committees also heard SB 321, which would deem certain fee simple privately owned lands transferred to adjacent property owners or community associations if specified conditions are met. Testimony was in support from several individuals, but members raised concerns about the lack of input from counties and the state, and about how the bill might affect roads already used by the public or maintained by local governments. After discussion, the committees voted to advance SB 321 unamended to the next committees, with the measure adopted in both committees despite one recorded no vote in the Water and Land committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• What kind of assurances can you give us that this rapid acceleration in terms of Salton Sea expenditure
• So this is an issue that's important to me in terms of trying to have us get ahead in terms of all the
• She took off with her piece, like all of us do.
• version of the task force was launched way back in 2021.
• Can you give us an update in terms of what's going on?

Transcript Highlights:

• , of DESE, and the one thing that I do know, though, in terms of us... ...of our agency, of DESE, and
• And that kind of invalidation of their trauma, to use the words of one of our presenters from a few months
• focus and target of efforts to force. the focus and target of efforts to force universities to change
• And we need a way, kind of force-feedings.
• None of us know anyone.

Summary: The meeting opened with approval of the July 9, 2025 minutes and a roll call confirming quorum. DESE Commissioner Pedro Martinez gave his first official testimony, affirming the department’s commitment to preventing antisemitism and societal bias in schools, saying DESE supports the commission’s recommendations and will add staff resources to help develop and disseminate guidance and instructional materials. He said DESE’s rubric and guidance for identifying effective curricula and resources should be finalized in late fall, and commissioners welcomed the partnership and asked about the ongoing Section 98A work. The commission then heard from Professor Eitan Hirsch of Tufts, who presented research on antisemitism and campus climate. He described survey findings showing sharply different Jewish and non-Jewish views on Israel, increasing social pressure on Jewish students, and a growing tendency for Jewish students to hide their identity or feel penalized for participating in Jewish life. He argued that colleges need to do more to teach students how to handle dissent and build cultures of viewpoint diversity, and commissioners asked about best practices, regional differences, and the role of campus climate surveys. Rabbi Fine of UMass Amherst Hillel and student Sky Landau testified about antisemitism at UMass, especially since October 7. Fine described both a thriving Jewish student community and serious incidents including harassment, vandalism, classroom issues, protests, and students hiding Jewish identity; he said the university is working with Hillel and DEI leadership on goals and strategy for Jewish inclusion, and he urged more training and structured dialogue. Landau described antisemitic incidents she experienced or witnessed, including hostile BDS meetings, exclusion of Zionist students, Holocaust denial, threats, and social ostracism, and said Hillel was the only consistently safe space for her. Commissioners discussed reporting pathways, affinity groups, mental health supports, and ways to distinguish criticism of Israel from antisemitism. Later, the commission moved to its recommendations and made several edits before voting, including deleting offensive wording in a footnote, adding a citation to recent FBI hate crime data, and restoring language tied to an existing DESE regulation, 603 CMR 26.05, on classroom neutrality and fact-based instruction. Commissioners also reiterated that criticism of Israel’s government is not inherently antisemitic. The meeting included a brief interruption by a protester, after which the commission recessed and then resumed its work on the draft recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• and create a task force to support recovery... ...create a task force to support recovery of those funds
• However, a capricious use of TRIA would undermine certainty, and for that reason some of the changes
• We stand on the shoulders of those who paved the way before us.
• force of the federal government was used during the New Deal to help people and solve problems beyond
• And we have to embrace all of it because it makes us who we are today. because it makes us who we are

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman and members of the committee.
• My name is Jonathan Kaufman, and I am providing testimony in support of House Bill 4082 on behalf of
• Aviation is one of the fastest-growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions.
• the number of flights.
• Across most of the country, regional ballot initiatives are regularly used to finance transportation

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Revenue

Summary: The Joint Committee on Revenue held a public hearing on bills related to transportation, telecommunications, and utilities, with Senators Eldridge, Rausch, and Jehlen and House members including Co-Chair Madaro, Leader Donato, Representatives Paulino, Wells, Gómez, and Plouffe present. The chairs reviewed hearing procedures, deadlines for written testimony, and the new joint rules governing action on bills. No votes were taken; the hearing was for testimony only and was adjourned after public comment. Testimony began with strong support for Senate Bill 1998 and House Bill 3230, An Act Enhancing Renewable Heating Solutions for the Commonwealth. A representative of the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas said the bill would help decarbonize heating by allowing utilities to use renewable natural gas and other qualified renewable fuels, while also supporting jobs and local economic development. The committee then heard support for House Bill 4082, which would make the Title V septic tax credit refundable; the Falmouth Water Quality Management Committee said this would better help lower- and middle-income homeowners facing costly septic upgrades or sewer connections in nitrogen-sensitive coastal areas. The committee also heard opposition to House Bill 4080 and Senate Bill 1924 from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, which argued that higher aviation fuel taxes would not be justified without a clear aeronautical use for the revenue and noted federal restrictions on aviation fuel tax proceeds. In contrast, a coalition opposing private jet expansion supported Senate Bill 1924, saying a higher jet fuel tax would better align tax policy with climate and public health goals and help address aviation emissions. Finally, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council supported House Bill 3050 on regional ballot initiatives, arguing that local revenue tools could help cities and towns fund transportation projects and reduce pressure on state transportation dollars.

Transcript Highlights:

• So if we're able to operate that and have it full of events, it makes it a lot easier for us to justify
• The three of us—Ms. Garcia, Ms.
• of fact by size, it's difficult for us to all get together.
• nature of the legislature in terms of support for the spaceport is not helping us.
• Because of these launches, the use of orbital vehicles is dropping. ...precipitously.

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• will be reimbursing us 100% of the cost.
• Members' use of services.
• A small amount of money in the grand scheme of things, but for us it's a huge amount of money.
• He, he was able to supply us with lots of pictures.
• of our biggest partners is the US Forest Service.

Transcript Highlights:

• Last summer, the Department of Finance and Administration authorized the Secretary of State to use $2.1
• It's up to us to sort of work through what all of that means, uh, with that we're gonna go straight to
• We used to use it for pre-K, home visiting. Uh, variety of different things.
• track and and so that is for us a signal of.
• And I'm gonna stop there because all of us want to get home.

Transcript Highlights:

• Act requires of us.
• I'm going to use the term of herbicides.
• use of bioherbicides.
• You're leaving us? I'm out of here. Why are you leaving us, man? I have work, Finn.
• You're leaving us out of here. Why? Why? chair next year? Is this was... You're leaving us.

Committee: House Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• However, there has been a growing trend of CEQA being used as a legal defense to slow development of
• in advance, well above what the Surplus Land Act requires of us.
• I've seen wildfire mitigation projects literally on the backside of the hill of the street I used to
• ... ...use of bioherbicides.
• You're leaving us? I'm out of here. Why? Why? Chair next year? Is this was... You're leaving us.

Summary: The committee heard a series of Senate bills on environmental, climate, recycling, wildfire, outdoor access, and clean transportation policy. SB 958 would clarify CEQA treatment of impacts tied solely to increased building height, and SB 1230 would increase penalties and create CalRecycle support tools for repeat commercial illegal dumping. SB 1341 would revise how processing fees are calculated for bag-in-a-box wine under California’s recycling program. All three measures received due-pass recommendations to Appropriations, with roll calls showing majority support and the bills left open for absent members. Members then took up SB 1300, which would create a more permanent legislative role in California’s international climate cooperation and establish a climate secretariat at UC; SB 1370, which would codify and streamline wildfire fuel-reduction permitting with added safeguards, geographic and size limits, and pesticide-related amendments; and SB 1260/1268, which would codify the Outdoors for All initiative and the Deputy Secretary for Access position at the Natural Resources Agency. Each drew support from environmental, utility, business, and local-government witnesses, while SB 1370 also drew opposition from environmental and advocacy groups concerned about reduced CEQA review and herbicide use. The committee discussed amendments at length, especially on SB 1370, and all three measures advanced with due-pass recommendations. The committee also heard SB 1213, the Clean Truck Transparency Act, requiring baseline pricing disclosure for medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission trucks tied to state incentives and directing agencies to explore alternative financing. Support came from clean-air, business, and environmental groups, and the trucking/manufacturing opposition moved to neutral after amendments; the bill advanced on a due-pass vote. Finally, SB 1075, the Clean Air Promise, sought to strengthen AB 617 implementation and clarify community emission reduction planning, but it generated substantial opposition from air districts, business groups, and others over enforceability, funding, and the distinction between formal SERPs and community L-SERPs. The author described additional pending amendments to narrow L-SERP provisions, and the bill also received a due-pass recommendation to Appropriations.

Transcript Highlights:

• with an annual report regarding the use of facial recognition technology.
• regarding the use of facial recognition technology.
• We'll turn this, however, to Michael to give us a quick recap of this bill.
• And an audit by the state auditor kind of justified people's lack of trust in that.
• And, you know, it doesn't make us above the law, but it does let us act within the scope of good care

Committee: Joint Government Operations Interim Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• we will use the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Department of Health, essentially.
• To provide us with that guidance, we will use the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Department of
• are safe and effective, protecting all of our children and those of us who love and care for them.
• for doing this for New Mexico and protecting each and every one of us.
• When we look at some of the information presented to us, much of these folks are still detained.

Committee: House House Consumer & Public Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• And so it's not a very effective use of all of that funding being tied up.
• use of the state's funds.
• And as I talked about, there are some very justifiable uses of those funding that they have.
• expected of us and to protecting California.
• of the water that was available to us.

Transcript Highlights:

• It prohibits the use of removal.
• Um, this is something that I think will eventually impact all of us if we're not.
• /c> eventually impact all of us if we're not eventually impact all of us if we're not Thank<00:31:58.000
• So we make it very easy to get a hold of us.
• companies that we use specifically to analyze all of our transactions.

Committee: House Banking & Insurance

Transcript Highlights:

• First of all, I know there's been a lot of frustration by all of us that this appears to be at the last
• So I just think a lot of us here have no control of when things get scheduled.
• The timeline was not up to any of us.
• I want to talk a little bit about process and then two portions of the bill, since there's a few of us
• poverty and the silencing of us who are most impacted.

Bills: AB275 , SB371 , SB457

Committee: Assembly Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• They could collapse all of the chairs down, use that as a multi-purpose, even to a point of a shelter
• They could collapse all of the chairs down, use that as a multi-purpose, even to a point of a shelter
• I think resource identification, tell us what you need well in advance of the storm, be a part of FROC
• And DMS gave us a great piece of property.
• The other question I have kind of takes us back towards the beginning of the meeting, and it ties into

Summary: The Economic Development Budget Subcommittee received a lengthy presentation from Kevin Guthrie, Executive Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, on disaster costs, recovery operations, sheltering, and major capital projects. He reviewed the 2024 hurricane season impacts from Debby, Helene, and Milton, explaining how FEMA public assistance and state reimbursement work, how cost shares can shift from 75/25 to 90/10 after a federal threshold is reached, and how Florida uses prior storm data and inflation to estimate recovery costs. He also described the state’s faster reimbursement timelines, crediting legislative investments in technology and digital field documentation, and said the division is working to reduce disaster closeout timelines from decades to about seven years. Members asked about debris removal, FEMA de-obligations, local preparedness, and whether regional shelters or co-located emergency operations centers could be used more efficiently. Guthrie said debris assistance is complicated and should generally remain tied to local contracts and planning, though the state will help fiscally constrained communities when needed. He explained de-obligations as FEMA clawing back previously approved funds after later review, and said Florida’s FROC program is helping local governments reduce those risks through standardized documentation, procurement review, and training. He also urged more mandatory emergency-management training for local and state officials and cautioned against weakening the FEMA 50% rule for rebuilding damaged structures. Guthrie provided updates on the new central Florida warehouse in Auburndale and the new State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee. He said the warehouse will improve logistics, include cold and ultra-cold storage, and be run by a private vendor with virtual inventory tracking, while the new EOC is designed for Category 5 conditions and expanded partner capacity. He acknowledged budget pressures that reduced the size of the EOC project and said an additional IT request was needed because those costs were not originally included. The meeting ended with praise for FDEM’s work and no votes or formal actions beyond adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• us And you talked or you referenced a couple of times kind of a different partnerships with other.
• Travel renter, there's just a lot of costs have gone up for us.
• At least a couple of them didn't like us asking questions.
• I remember you telling us that the origins of your office came from some really horrific cases of abuse
• Goodness knows how big the US Department of Education's standards are too.

Committee: House A&B Education Subcommittee

Transcript Highlights:

• Once a task force has been created, what's the goal? What is the mission of the task force? Sure.
• What is the mission of the task force? Sure.
• The UCG refinement was really kind of a forcing function of reorganization caused by the way that the
• And so what we used to have is we used to have divisions of three people, which organizationally just
• So one of the main things, sir, that came out of... Us.

Summary: The committee met on May 26, 2026, and first approved the minutes from the May 22, 2025 meeting. The main topic was the Northwest Louisiana earthquake cluster, with testimony from Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy staff, LSU and Tulane geoscientists, and later LSU law professor Keith Hall. Witnesses said the cause of the swarm has not been definitively identified, but induced seismicity from wastewater injection or hydraulic fracturing remains a concern. They described 50 earthquakes reported by the USGS in Red River, Bienville, DeSoto, and Natchitoches Parishes, including a magnitude 4.9 event on March 5, 2026, and explained that Louisiana’s sparse seismic network limits detection and depth/location estimates. C&E said it inspected Class II injection wells within 12 miles of the events, found no violations, now requires more frequent injection reporting, and is working with researchers and LSU on a possible state monitoring network and future policy changes. Committee members asked about injection depths, fault locations, whether the activity could be natural, and whether Louisiana should adopt stronger monitoring or a traffic-light regulatory system like other states. The witnesses said more data is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn, but that denser monitoring can detect smaller quakes and help identify patterns. Professor Hall summarized responses in other states, including more frequent reporting, increased monitoring, injection reductions, moratoria, and traffic-light systems in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Ohio, and Illinois. Members also discussed whether operators should share more seismic and geologic data, and several said the state should avoid jumping to conclusions while still improving oversight. The committee then heard from William Berger, a Texas geoscientist, who described using AI and operator data to model wastewater injection and seismic risk, and said broader data sharing would improve forecasting and siting decisions. He and another witness emphasized that many earthquakes arise from clusters of wells rather than a single well, and that proprietary concerns limit voluntary disclosure. The committee also received a brief update from GOSEP and the Louisiana National Guard on the Barksdale Air Force Base drone incursions. GOSEP said it logged the incident in WebEOC and shared releasable information, while State Police and the FBI said they were limited in what they could disclose. Officers said a task force has been formed, some personnel have received federal drone-mitigation training, and House Bill 940 is intended to mirror the task force MOU. Finally, Major General Thomas Friloux and Brigadier General Jason Maffus updated the committee on the merger of GOSEP into the Louisiana Military Department. They said the merger has reduced GOSEP from seven divisions to three, brought back employees to in-person work, modernized the state’s common operating picture, and produced about $10.5 million in first-year cost avoidance through staffing and contract changes. They also noted the planned transfer of the Louisiana Center for Safe Schools to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement, ongoing hurricane preparedness, and continued coordination with parish emergency managers. No votes were taken on the substantive topics, and the meeting ended with the committee moving through its agenda items and receiving informational testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• Once a task force has been created, what's the goal? What is the mission of the task force? Sure.
• The UCG refinement was really kind of a forcing function of reorganization caused by the way that the
• It will take us out through November of 2028.
• And so what we used to have is we used to have divisions of three people, which organizationally just
• And so what we used to have is we used to have divisions of three people, which organizationally just

Summary: The committee first heard an update on the Northwest Louisiana earthquake cluster. Laura Sori of the Department of Conservation and Energy said the agency has inspected Class II injection wells within 12 miles of the earthquakes, found no permit violations, and is requiring monthly reporting of daily injection data. LSU and Tulane researchers explained that the swarm includes about 50 earthquakes detected by USGS since December 2025, including a 4.9 magnitude event on March 5, and that better monitoring is needed because Louisiana has very limited seismic station coverage. Dr. Cynthia Ebinger said her temporary array has detected more small quakes than USGS, that the pattern looks more like a swarm than normal aftershocks, and that the data suggest pressure changes in the subsurface, though no definitive cause was identified. Keith Hall of LSU described how other states responded to suspected induced seismicity with more monitoring, more frequent reporting, injection limits or moratoria, and “traffic light” systems that escalate regulatory responses as seismicity increases. Members asked about depths, fault locations, possible links to injection or fracking, and whether more monitoring and data-sharing should be pursued; several speakers said Louisiana likely needs a denser monitoring network and more structured data collection. A Texas geoscientist, William Berger, also testified that Texas uses large-scale data analysis and AI to study injection-related seismicity and argued for secure sharing of operator data to improve forecasting and risk management. The committee then took testimony on UAV and drone incursions over Barksdale Air Force Base. GOSEP said the incident was logged in WebEOC and the common operating picture, but that Barksdale did not request direct GOSEP resources and that the matter was handled through law enforcement channels. Louisiana State Police and the FBI said they were limited in what they could disclose, but confirmed multiple drone sightings on the morning and evening of March 9 and continued monitoring for several days. State Police said they have created a task force with the Police Chiefs Association, Sheriffs Association, GOSEP, and LSP, and that officers are receiving FBI-related training to help detect and, where authorized, mitigate drones. Members discussed whether the activity was nefarious, what counts as an incursion, and the need for better public education about drone restrictions near military and critical infrastructure sites. No formal action was taken, but members said the issue will continue to be tracked alongside pending legislation. Finally, the committee received a one-year update on the merger of GOSEP with the Louisiana National Guard and Military Department. Major General Thomas Freelieu and Brigadier General Jason Maffus said the merger has reduced GOSEP from seven divisions to three, shifted administrative functions to the Military Department, and produced about $10.5 million in first-year cost avoidance. They said the agency has modernized its common operating picture, returned staff to in-person work, and continued statewide preparedness exercises. Freelieu highlighted Guard missions including cyber expansion, the new Air National Guard cyber squadron at Jackson Barracks, modernization of the 159th Fighter Wing, and ongoing support for homeland security missions in New Orleans and Washington, D.C. Maffus said GOSEP’s core mission remains emergency preparedness, response, and recovery, and that the merger is intended to make state support to parishes faster and more efficient.