Transcript Highlights:

• <00:40:39.960> Um The Breaking Cycles study was a massive project that was completed.
• Kristy, you know, obviously that this previous study report was given out, and this resolution is trying
• <00:50:53.320> about, breaking cycles was uh a study about, breaking cycles was uh a study
• And we spent a year basically working very hard to study all the plans that we could find on the best
• And we spent a year basically working very hard to study all the plans that we could find on the best

Bills: SCR180

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

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

Transcript Highlights:

• and we um many times I I haven't studied and we um many times I I haven't studied this<00:14:52.040
• Chair, it extrapolated to over a billion dollars because that original study only studied a segment of
• Chair, it extrapolated to over a billion dollars because that original study only studied a segment of
• Chair, it extrapolated to over a billion dollars because that original study only studied a segment of
• Chair, it extrapolated to over a billion dollars because that original study only studied a segment of

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• : An act in relation to directing the President of the State Civil Service Commission to conduct a study
• I'd just like to make a comment that I support this bill, and I think it's incredibly useful to study
• But in addition to that, I have a bill, S-4638A, which studies Tier 5 and 6.
• And so I've encouraged that we move my bill, S-4638A, to do that study in order to make sure that we

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Civil Service and Pensions met on May 5, 2026, with a quorum present and eight bills on the agenda. The committee considered measures on a temporary task force on the Variable Supplements Fund (S1181), cost-of-living adjustments for certain retirees (S3414A), an optional 25-year retirement plan for Suffolk County fire marshals (S5754B), a heart disease presumption for certain NYC Police Department traffic enforcement agents (S8147B), a Civil Service Commission study of state agency job vacancies (S8209), employment of persons with autism spectrum disorder (S8640), an optional 25-year retirement plan for certain New York Power Authority employees (S9068A), and the effective date of a reclassification for accidental disability retirement benefits (S9909).

Transcript Highlights:

• Your imaginary case study here?
• Your imaginary case study here?
• Your imaginary case study here? Sarah Holland: Yeah, it's not necessarily imaginary, right?
• here yeah it's not necessarily study here yeah it's not necessarily imaginary<00:45:08.319> right
• Samara Sheckler from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University come and speak to us,

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and so the the purpose of the study and so the study<00:21:22.640> the<00:21:23.240> the
• Senate turned it into a study Senate turned it into a study commission. commission. commission.
• It's the items that we're supposed to study on this commission.
• So, we've got eight items here that we're studying with task to study.
• Not to say that somebody won't do a study at some time in the future.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The meeting opened with a quorum present and approval of the April 17 minutes. The commission then heard a presentation from attorney Jacob Rhodes of Cleveland, Waters and Bass on the history and legal basis of New Hampshire’s timber tax, explaining that timber was historically treated as part of real property, that a 1913 case confirmed that view, and that a 1949 constitutional amendment created a separate timber yield tax to discourage clear-cutting and support forest conservation. He described the tax as a tax on the yield when timber is severed, not an income tax, and noted that towns are reimbursed through a system based on Department of Revenue Administration market data and local reports of cut. Members and guests asked how “yield” is defined, how the timber tax interacts with current use, and whether carbon sequestration could be treated similarly. Testimony explained that current use generally is not affected by harvesting timber, that towns can tax standing timber under RSA 79:5 but rarely do because it is labor-intensive, and that carbon credits might be valued using a similar market-data approach. Several speakers discussed a prior bill drafted with DRA input that would have treated carbon more like timber, but noted it never fully advanced in the General Court and that the version ultimately discussed by the House differed from the earlier DRA-comfortable draft. The discussion also covered whether carbon sequestration agreements are effectively long-term leases or transfers of timber rights, with Rhodes suggesting that 99-year arrangements could be taxable transfers of real property under DRA rules, though he had not reviewed specific agreements. DRA staff said they do not currently have a timber-like survey mechanism for carbon and would likely need access to proprietary market data or a subscription service to build one. No formal vote was taken beyond approving the minutes; the commission appeared to agree to revisit the carbon/timber valuation issue and the draft bill at a future meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• studying what's in the data. studying what's in the data.
• study and we will use it." study and we will use it."
• Well, we got the salary study Well, we got the salary study and<01:36:45.840> they<01:36:
• How often do you do those studies?
• people in order to do that huge study. people in order to do that huge study.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• From seven years ago, their study. I don't believe it's in there.
• We are talking about a study committee, a very important one.
• Bill 575, which would establish a study Bill 575, which would establish a study committee<01:14:
• <01:29:04.960> or classroom or on social studies or classroom or on social studies or current
• There's a said, "We did this study.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You know what you want to talk about, you know the people you want to have in that study committee, do
• You know what you want to talk about, you know the people you want to have in that study committee, do
• Again, fiscal notes are consistently a troubling thing, and we do have a lot of study commissions.
• So if we had folks that there's clearly individuals that want to participate in this study committee,
• Representative Wall said that a formal committee, yet another study committee, is being formed.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 118 in executive session and adopted Amendment 0882H, which would remove the House and Senate members from the Child Care Commission while leaving the commission in place. Members said the amendment was a continuation of earlier committee discussion and supported it as a needed change. The committee then voted 12-0 to recommend ought to pass as amended, and HB 118 was placed on consent. The committee next considered House Bill 142, dealing with Gold Star Mother’s Day. The sponsor explained that the bill was unnecessary because existing statute already directs the governor to issue a proclamation for Gold Star Mother’s Day and to urge appropriate observance, including flag-related ceremonies. Several members discussed how to ensure the proclamation and flag observance would happen and whether the committee report should note the existing statute. Other members said they would oppose killing the bill because the recognition was important. The committee voted 9-3 to table/ITL the bill, and HB 142 was declared inexpedient to legislate. The final major item was a public hearing on a non-germane amendment to House Bill 456, with a related draft amendment also discussed. The sponsor said the amendment would raise the annual membership allowance from $20 to $75, rename fees as dues, prohibit dues from being used to pay lobbyists, require NHMA dues to be brought before voters as a separate warrant article for transparency, and require separate accounting so lobbying funds are not co-mingled with other funds. Supporters said the goal was to keep taxpayer-derived money from funding lobbying while preserving non-lobbying services such as legal advice and training. Opponents argued the proposal was an overreach and would micromanage local towns. No vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Some other barriers that we see: in 2018, and I actually brought the study, we commissioned a study in
• He's part of these two guy groups and Bible study groups. And I told him, I go...
• These two guy groups and Bible study groups.
• He's part of these two guy groups and Bible study groups. And I told him, I go...
• These two guy groups and Bible study groups.

Keywords: 914, all

Summary: The committee/task force met with several disability service providers to discuss integrated employment, transition services, and barriers to community jobs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Robin Arder and Belinda Stevens of ThinkAbility described creating their own businesses when community employers were not hiring their clients, and said rigid service rules, employer readiness, bullying, and reimbursement structures often force the person to fit the service rather than the service fitting the person. They said they have not seen clients lose benefits, but they do closely manage reporting to Social Security and related supports. Tina Hannah of South Central Industries described a broad business model that includes manufacturing, janitorial work, city beautification, state-use contracts, a food truck, and an entertainment trailer, along with an adult day program and residential services. She said many employers are hesitant because of productivity and cost concerns, and that businesses are often more open to contracting with her agency than hiring individuals directly. Miranda Figueroa of A New Leaf said her agency is moving toward a more person-centered model with sheltered work, volunteer sites, paid contracts, and a Transition Academy. She said the academy is a two-year program focused first on independent living and then on employment, with internships and an 85% placement rate, but funding is a major barrier because the program is not accredited and students cannot access traditional aid. She also cited dual diagnoses, inconsistent job coaches, and employer uncertainty as major obstacles. Angela Decker and Deborah Copeland of DRTC described DRTC’s long-running enclave contracts, a new Community Skills and Connections program, and a plan to phase out 14(c) subminimum wage use by the end of the year. They said the new program is designed to keep people engaged in community-based skill-building and networking while families still need day supports, and that DRTC has developed more than 100 community partnerships. Senator Kirt, Rep. Hefner, and participants discussed broader system issues, including the need for better school-to-work transition, more social integration, transportation, safety, and employer education. DRS staff said the agency is already required to provide pre-employment transition services in schools starting at age 14 and offers employer accommodations support and job-carving assistance, though they acknowledged federal reporting expectations and service rules can be restrictive. Several participants raised concerns about line-of-sight restrictions, congregate living rules, benefit cliffs, and the difficulty of moving from DDS to DRS services. The group also discussed the need for better data and possible working groups focused on in-school transition, program support and blending services, and community integration. No formal votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• for PFAS risk assessments, so we are overlooking key, not fringe, information by not considering studies
• That is because the methods for studying drinking water can only identify about 29 PFAS out of 14,000
• And, you know, just reviewing the information provided to me, it seems like attribution studies have
• There have not been attribution studies.
• There have not been attribution studies.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have multiple studies that show our kitchens aren't quite ready.
• We have multiple studies that show our kitchens aren't quite ready, but we think this funding goes toward
• We also have a study that will be coming out later this year because there was an extension on their
• This is a teacher teaching, I believe it was 8th grade social studies.
• This is a teacher teaching, I believe it was 8th grade social studies.

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education heard the Governor’s proposals for universal school meals, the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP), and community schools. On universal meals, the Department of Education supported continued funding for the Universal School Meals Program and a fourth round of Kitchen Infrastructure and Training Grants, citing meal-count growth, improved meal service, and the need to offset federal uncertainty, inflation, and reduced direct certification tied to immigration-related policy changes. The LAO recommended rejecting another kitchen grant round, arguing prior rounds are still being spent and the state has not clearly defined unmet need. Members also raised concerns about the state’s ability to backfill federal meal funding and about how federal requirements affect programs like Summer EBT/SUN Bucks. Public commenters largely supported school meals and kitchen investments, with some urging support for plant-based milk options and continued infrastructure funding. For ELOP, the Department of Finance proposed $4.7 billion ongoing Proposition 98 funding, including $62.4 million to set a minimum Tier 2 rate of $1,800 per pupil. The LAO recommended going further and fully fixing the Tier 2 rate, saying rate uncertainty complicates district planning. CDE supported the proposal and said the program has improved attendance and academic outcomes, while noting new CalPADS reporting will provide more data soon. Senators discussed whether ELOP should remain a standalone program or be folded into LCFF, and whether the state should require stronger outcome reporting. Public testimony generally backed stabilizing Tier 2 funding, but some speakers urged more support for older youth and more timely, user-friendly reporting. On community schools, the administration proposed $1 billion ongoing Proposition 98 funding to expand the model to thousands more schools and to support existing grantees, along with stronger technical assistance, statewide alignment, and an accreditation/self-certification framework. The LAO recommended continuing the current one-time grant approach instead of creating a new ongoing categorical program, warning about reduced flexibility, administrative burden, and the state’s capacity to support a much larger cohort. CDE supported the ongoing investment but asked for additional county office and technical assistance funding. Senators and public commenters were broadly supportive of community schools, emphasizing improved attendance, graduation, and student engagement, while also debating accountability, accreditation, and whether non-classroom-based charter schools should be eligible. Public testimony strongly favored ongoing funding and highlighted community schools’ role in mental health, family engagement, and wraparound supports.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have multiple studies that show our kitchens aren't quite ready.
• We have multiple studies that show our kitchens aren't quite ready, but we think this funding goes toward
• We also have a study that will be coming out later this year because there was an extension on their
• This is a teacher teaching, I believe it was 8th grade social studies.
• This is a teacher teaching, I believe it was 8th grade social studies.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• S. 281, an act relating to a zero-carbon nuclear feasibility study for Vermont, introduced by Senator
• S. 281, an act relating to the zero-carbon nuclear feasibility study for Vermont.
• S. 287, an act relating to studying the construction of a self-funding limited access highway replacing
• <00:14:22.480> the S287, an act relating to studying the S287, an act relating to studying
• <00:14:43.839> the an act relating to studying the an act relating to studying the construction

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Another study by Daniel Nagin in 2013 reaches the same conclusion. But within.
• Another study by Daniel Nagin in 2013 reaches the same conclusion, but with an important clarification
• So, in fact, studies show that crime decreases without an increase in arrests for serious or violent
• One of the most studied approaches is hotspots policing.
• Additional studies in 2024 and the previous one in 2013 found the same thing: when you strategically

Summary: The House Committee on Community Safety held a December 4, 2025 work session focused first on crime trends and then on policing effectiveness. Adam Gelb of the Council on Criminal Justice reviewed long-term national data showing major declines in reported crime and victimization since the early 1990s, a pandemic-era spike in homicide and some violent crime, and a recent drop back toward pre-pandemic levels. He also highlighted a sharp decline in juvenile arrests and incarceration, a substantial reduction in racial disparities in imprisonment, and noted that much of the disparity reduction appears tied to changes in arrest patterns. James McMahon of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs then presented Washington’s 2024 crime report, saying total crime fell 8.4% from 2023, with decreases in violent crime, property crime, murders, robberies, aggravated assaults, hate crimes, and vehicle theft, while crimes against society rose. He emphasized that domestic violence makes up about half of crimes against persons, that Washington remains above its 2019 levels in several categories, and that underreporting affects the data. Marshall Clement of the Council of State Governments Justice Center added that Washington remains one of the states still above 2019 violent-crime levels, with homicide and juvenile victimization especially concerning, and noted wide variation in juvenile arrests and violent-crime trends across cities and counties. Jeff Asher of the Real Time Crime Index said his near-real-time data through September 2025 suggests continued national and Washington declines in murder, violent crime, and property crime, with Washington’s murder trend likely continuing downward into 2025. The second half of the work session shifted to policing methods and clearance rates. Richard Hahn of the Niskanen Center argued that disorder and neighborhood conditions affect public safety perceptions, that environmental design and street lighting can reduce crime, and that police agencies need better deployment, investigative capacity, and clearance rates, especially amid staffing shortages. Mark Kropanski of Arnold Ventures summarized research finding that police staffing matters, hotspots and problem-oriented policing reduce crime, and better investigations increase deterrence and trust; he stressed that homicide clearance rates remain only around 60% in Washington and that property-crime clearance is much lower. Marshall Clement returned to focus on Washington’s solve rates, saying only 44% of violent crimes reported to police are solved, with 62% of homicides, 51% of aggravated assaults, 25% of rapes, and 31% of robberies cleared in 2024, and that large numbers of serious crimes remain unsolved over a three-year period. He urged state leaders to set goals, improve data collection, strengthen investigative resources, and support victims and witnesses. No votes or formal actions were taken; the session was informational and included extensive member questions about juvenile crime, domestic violence, underreporting, detective staffing, and how to improve clearance rates.

Transcript Highlights:

• They work with us on these economic impact studies.
• And so we've commissioned these detailed drainage studies.
• Representative Dixon, that is kind of the last part of the study.
• In the Wilson study, and Madam Chair, Mr.
• Management studies, just off the top of your head, what's the main source of generation?

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 4567 by Curry. study by the Texas Education Agency regarding standardizing building designs for public
• of transnational representation, of repression and unauthorized enforcement of foreign law in the study
• a federal or state judge who can subcommittee on family and fiduciary relationships. relating to a study
• HB 4740 by Guerin relating to the study of school district property values conducted by the. comptroller
• HB 4994 by Patterson Rulling, the study of the Department of State Health Services. is regarding the

Bills: HB9, HB22, HB908, HB1392

Keywords: property tax, ad valorem tax, tangible personal property, income-producing property, business personal property, tax exemption, local government finance, appraisal district, chief appraiser, rendition statement, property tax relief, small business, commercial property, leased property, related business entity, unified business enterprise, tax situs, Texas Tax Code, local taxing unit, constitutional amendment

Transcript Highlights:

• Colin Wright, an evolutionary biologist who studies the biology of sex and sex differences.
• I hold a Master's in Gender Studies and a Master's in Sociology from the University of Cambridge.
• A study bill on this, or a hearing on this, would be something I could support.
• I think it's a really great idea to do a study and continue this conversation.
• Studies show that male athletes outperform elite female athletes by wide margins.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But did you hold any interim studies or otherwise that demonstrates that our 911 services funding is

Bills: LB815A, LB838A, LB912A, LB972A, LB1126A, LB962A, LB1114, LB921, LB937, LB803, LB803A, LB1032, LB1032A, LB1075, LB1075A, LB889, LB878, LB933, LB304, LB304A, LB1096, LB1096A, LB1165, LB1165A, LB958, LB958A, LB762, LB1187, LB966, LB929, LB962, LB753, LB788, LB913, LB1055, LB1195, LB429, LB721, LB722, LB727, LB743, LB745, LB749, LB778, LB787

Keywords: LB815A, LB815, appropriation, appropriations bill, Nebraska Department of Revenue, Motor Fuel Tax Enforcement and Collection Cash Fund, motor fuel tax, gas tax, fuel tax, tax enforcement, tax collection, cash fund, budget, state spending, per diem, salaries, fiscal year, enrollment and review, final reading, Nebraska

Transcript Highlights:

• There were two interim studies. I do not believe this is the end-all fix.
• I don't believe so because, as of two weeks ago, they had not done that study for a fact.
• just so we know what we're talking about, what we propose to do is to move the task to OSU to do a study
• Pro Tem, it's been asked a couple of times about the Wildlife Department doing these studies.
• In fact, I did have an Oklahoma content creator come to my interim study on this topic, and that was

Bills: HB4319, HB4317, HB1225, HB3076, HB3081, HB4226, SCR17, HB4432, HB3304, HB3411, HB3435, HB4339, HB4331, HB4341, HB4342, HB1770, HB1016, HB4113, HB2950, HB4141, HB3277, HB2988, HB3029, HB3338, HB1889, HB3834, HB3831, HB2939, HB3045, HB3657, HB1739, HB3759, HB3755, HB4484, HB4486, HB4108, HB1250, HB2961, HB1219, HB3025, HB1782, HB1907, HB3718, HB4459, HB2976, HB3548, HB3545, HB2952, HB2929, HB2956, HB2973, HB3055, HB3086, HB3040, HB3794, HB4336, HB3151, HB1590, HB3581, HB3313, HB3429, HB3448, HB1752, HB2650, HB3584, HB4202, HB3586, HB4321, HB4280, HB3650, HCR1020, HB2116, HB2206, HB4301, HB3625, HB3147, HB3403, HB3498, HB3970, HB3975, HB3976, HB3980, HB4265, HB4266, HB3638, HB3880, HB3930, HB3942, HB3944, HB4191, HB3242, HB3678

Keywords: administrative procedures, rulemaking authority, specific authority, legislative review, agency rules, accounting, CPA, licensure, educational requirements, reciprocity, professional conduct, vital records, birth certificate, birth registration, biological sex, sex designation, male, female, nonbinary, gender identity

Transcript Highlights:

• 37, introduced by Representative Hockman-Vigil, is an act making an appropriation for a feasibility study
• A memorial requesting the Legislative Education Study Committee to assemble an Education Data Governance
• and Artificial Intelligence Working Group to study and recommend a structure for improved statewide
• Legislative Education Study Committee to assemble an Education Data Governance and Artificial Intelligence
• Working Group to study and recommend a structure for improved statewide education data governance and