Transcript Highlights:

• </c> request uh for funding to fund a person request uh for funding to fund a person to<01:07:04.319>
• Appropriate<01:07:54.240><c> funds.</c> Appropriate funds. Appropriate funds.
• I agree with the funding.
• I agree with the funding.
• </c> for funds for sterilization. for funds for sterilization.

Bills: HB2425 , HB2596 , HB2573 , HB2017 , HB1931 , HB1736 , HB1594 , HB1828

Committee: House Agriculture & Food Systems

Keywords: agriculture, sugarcane, permitting process, land use, conservation district, diversified agriculture, economic impact, invasive species, plant sales, weed risk assessment, consumer protection, environmental impact, workforce development, biosecurity, training program, partnerships, tax credit, Hawaiian home lands, investment costs, nonrefundable

Summary: The committee heard opening remarks and then took testimony on several agriculture-related bills. HB 2425 would exempt agricultural enterprises on former commercial sugarcane lands in conservation use districts from certain permitting and site plan requirements. The Department of Agriculture supported the measure and stood on written comments. The Hawaii Farm Bureau supported the intent but said the bill appeared to cite the wrong statute and suggested amending the conservation district law instead. Other testimony was generally supportive, while some witnesses raised concerns about using the right statutory vehicle. Committee members questioned whether the bill should be redirected through a different chapter. The committee then heard HB 596, which would require retail sellers of plants to disclose invasiveness risk, direct the Invasive Species Council to create a labeling system and weed risk assessments, and establish fines. The Department of Land and Natural Resources strongly supported the bill, saying point-of-sale labels would help consumers make informed choices. Supporters from the Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species said the state’s noxious weed and restricted plant lists are outdated or incomplete and that the bill would help prevent harmful species from being purchased and planted. Opponents, including the Hawaii Farm Bureau and Hawaii Food Policy Foundation, argued the measure was too broad, could stigmatize plants and producers, and might be better implemented through voluntary education or narrower definitions. Committee discussion focused on possible amendments, including using printable labels from a website and limiting the bill to larger commercial retailers. HB 2573 would create a five-year agriculture and biosecurity workforce development pilot program involving the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, Leeward Community College, and the Department of Human Resources Development. DHRD said it supported the intent but wanted clearer responsibilities; the University of Hawaiʻi, the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, the Hawaii Farm Bureau, the Hawaii Food Policy Foundation, and others supported the proposal. DAB said the program would help build needed biosecurity staffing and training, and that law-enforcement-related curriculum could be incorporated. Finally, the committee began hearing HB 207, which would expand the important agricultural land qualified agricultural tax credit to include certain Hawaiian homelands and additional agricultural costs such as orchards, fruit crops, and clearing former sugar and pineapple lands. The Department of Taxation and DAB stood on written comments, while the Department of Hawaiian Homelands strongly supported the bill, calling it a potential game-changer for developing agricultural lands and offsetting infrastructure costs; the department also asked that the credit be broadened beyond agriculture alone.

Transcript Highlights:

• The federal government luckily was able to carry the load through the Coast Guard funds, and we were
• The problem is that the derelict vessel fund is not funded adequately to respond to the number of vessels
• The federal government luckily was able to carry the load through the Coast Guard funds, and Z.
• The federal government luckily was able to carry the load through the Coast Guard funds, and we were
• The problem is that the derelict vessel fund is not funded adequately to respond to the number of vessels

Bills: HB2117 , HB2199 , HB2327 , HB2516 , HB2554

Committee: House Agriculture & Natural Resources

Keywords: tribal member, board of natural resources, indigenous representation, natural resource management, local governance, derelict vessels, marine environment, coastal management, environmental protection, maritime economy, audit, county, forest management, transparency, public lands, rodenticide, rodenticides, anticoagulant rodenticide, bromethalin, pesticide

Transcript Highlights:

• funds were transferred outside of the Treasury into this new account.
• Once that transfer was made, it was their funds to recognize as revenue at that point in time based on
• That was the reason that we had so many of them out of sync with the SIF funds, because the transfer
• funds were transferred outside of the Treasury into this new account.
• That was the reason that we had so many of them out of sync with the SIF funds, because the transfer

Summary: The committee met to receive a series of audit presentations, beginning with the statewide Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for fiscal year 2025. The State Auditor’s Office and OMB reported a clean, unmodified opinion for the state, with strong financial results including a $40.6 billion net position, $30.99 billion in assets, $1.81 billion in liabilities, and continued Legacy Fund growth. OMB also explained the new GASB 101 compensated-absences reporting change and discussed pension-liability fluctuations tied to discount-rate assumptions and investment performance. Members asked about how the state compares to others and about the effect of short-term commodity price swings, and OMB said the report reflects actual fiscal-year results rather than forecasts. The committee then heard the University System audit, which also received a clean opinion but included four findings: misreporting of Strategic Investment and Improvements Fund revenue, insufficient monitoring of service organizations at CTS, NDSU, and UND, improper bank reconciliations at Dakota College of Bottineau, Dickinson State, and Williston State, and investment/cash reconciliation problems at Bismarck State College related to bond proceeds. University officials agreed with the findings and said corrective actions were underway, including internal review of bank reconciliations. Members raised questions about NDSU’s use of certificates of deposit, and university staff explained that CDs are used to earn interest on funds being accumulated for future projects. Several other audits were presented, most with clean opinions and no findings, including the State Auditor’s Office, Workforce Safety and Insurance, Housing Finance Agency, Housing Incentive Fund, Job Service North Dakota, the Retirement and Investment Office, PERS, the Center for Distance Education, the Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigents, the Ethics Commission, and the Office of Administrative Hearings. Notable exceptions included a State Fair Association audit with an adverse opinion on the foundation component unit because its financial statements were not available for audit, and a Securities Department performance audit finding that performance-based pay increases and bonuses were issued without required evaluations. The committee also discussed the State Auditor’s future needs, including more staff capacity, data analytics, cybersecurity reviews, possible subpoena authority, independent legal counsel, and whether some audits—such as the Ethics Commission and State Fair—should be handled by independent third parties or under different statutory arrangements.

Transcript Highlights:

• Rachel Dan from the Sempervirens Fund in support.
• This measure created the Habitat Conservation Fund, a unique pot of funding that has since protected
• knowing that these funds will continue to exist into the future.
• This is what makes the HCF funds so essential.
• Rachel Dan, Sempervirens Fund, is in support.

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several natural resources and water-related bills. SB 224 by Senator Hurtado would require the Department of Water Resources to implement audit recommendations, improve climate-informed water supply forecasting, and provide annual updates to the Legislature; supporters emphasized the need for better transparency and more accurate water planning, and the bill passed as amended to Appropriations. SB 556, also by Senator Hurtado, would fund floodplain restoration in the Tulare Basin to reduce flooding, recharge groundwater, and provide habitat and other community benefits; local officials and conservation groups supported it, some initial concerns about Proposition 4 were resolved, and the bill passed as amended. SB 630 by Senator Allen would streamline State Parks and other state real property acquisitions by raising review thresholds and reducing duplicative approvals; conservation groups and park advocates supported the measure, while some members raised oversight and fiscal concerns, and it passed as amended. SB 718 by Senator Allen would reduce hunting and fishing license costs for low-income Californians, framed as helping subsistence users and disabled veterans and seniors, and it passed as amended. The committee also approved SB 427 by Senator Blakespear, which extends the sunset of the Habitat Conservation Fund from 2030 to 2035. Supporters said the fund has protected more than 1.2 million acres, leverages other funding, and supports habitat, recreation, and climate resilience; members highlighted its importance for areas like the Salton Sea and the need to protect the funding stream from future sweeps. SB 586 by Senator Jones, an e-moto off-highway vehicle bill, was taken up with little discussion and passed as amended. SB 639 by Senator Ashby would extend the deadline for Sacramento-area flood protection projects in the Natomas Basin and Beach Lake subareas from 2025 to 2030 to allow completion of remaining work and avoid delays to infill housing; city, county, and flood agency representatives supported it, and it passed as amended. Throughout the hearing, witnesses and members repeatedly emphasized water reliability, flood protection, conservation funding, and reducing bureaucratic delays. Several bills drew broad support from local governments, water agencies, tribes, and conservation organizations, and multiple members requested to be added as coauthors. All of the measures discussed were reported out of committee, generally with amendments and with some items left open for add-on votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Driskell: IF WE LEFT THESE FUNDS UNALLOCATED COULD WE MAKE A PROVISION FROM THOSE FUNDS TO RETIRE DEBT
• TO STRENGTHEN THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND WHICH IS OUR STATE'S RAINY DAY FUND THE AMENDMENT DOES THREE
• THINK OF THE EMERGENCY FUND LIKE THAT AND THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND I THINK A GOOD ANALOGY WOULD
• THAT'S THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUNDS. THE INTENT.
• THE FUNDS RIGHT NOW IS AT ITS CAP.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> uh burn jag funding. uh burn jag funding.
• Y'all fund yourself.'
• Y'all fund yourself.'
• Y'all fund yourself.'
• So we need to fund them.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the September 24 minutes, and heard a briefing from representatives of three Kentucky drug task forces: Greater Hardin County, Bowling Green-Warren County, and Bluegrass Narcotics. The presenters described how multi-jurisdictional task forces operate, their partner agencies, and the kinds of drugs and trafficking patterns they are seeing, with fentanyl identified as the most dangerous and fastest-growing threat. They also described large seizures and investigations involving fentanyl pills, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, tractor-trailer shipments, postal shipments, and a case tied to a pill press and undercover work with the DEA. Bluegrass Narcotics said it was formed in response to overdose deaths and has since seen major reductions in complaints and overdose deaths in Harrison and Bourbon counties. A major theme of the presentation was funding. The task forces said Byrne JAG funding has declined from about $2.1 million statewide in 2023-2024 to $1.4 million this year, while their costs for vehicles, fuel, technology, overtime, office space, and training have risen sharply. They said local support and asset forfeiture help, but the revenue is uneven and unpredictable, and they asked the legislature to consider adding about $1 million per year in state support, with oversight from the Justice Cabinet or Office of Drug Control Policy. They also emphasized that if meth labs return, many agencies would need new training and equipment because those capabilities have largely expired or been scaled back. Members asked about possible statutory barriers, coordination across counties and states, the source of drugs, and how seized cash is handled. The task forces said coordination with federal, state, and other local agencies is generally strong, but money remains the main obstacle to broader operations. They explained that seized cash is held as evidence and, after court proceedings, may be awarded back to task forces or split under statute, with 15% going to the Commonwealth’s attorney and 85% to law enforcement. No votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the minutes and receiving the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• funding of modern IP-based systems.
• Participating PSEPs would remain within the allowable ranges of the grant fund.
• Funding Funding is a part of it, but flexibility helps prioritize high-risk zones when resources are
• The USDA has pledged to expand tribal code stewardship and consultation funding.
• The USDA has pledged to expand tribal code stewardship and consultation funding.

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> which requires and appropriates funds which requires and appropriates funds for<00:47:42.960><c>
• </c><00:49:21.200><c> the</c> from last session transfers the from last session transfers the functions
• Act 236<00:49:31.680><c> transfers</c><00:49:32.319><c> the</c><00:49:32.640><c> funding</c><00:49:33.040
• ><c> for</c><00:49:33.280><c> the</c> 236 transfers the funding for the 236 transfers the funding for
• It makes it so the funds corrects that.

Bills: HB1979

Committee: Senate Agriculture and Environment

Keywords: environmental review, affordable housing, clean energy, judicial proceedings, public participation, Hawaii Revised Statutes, 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 1979 HD3, which would shorten the time to file certain judicial challenges to environmental assessments and environmental impact statements for affordable housing and clean energy projects, and would also affect transfer of some environmental court appeals to the Supreme Court. The Office of Planning and Sustainable Development supported the amended bill, saying the changes were improved from earlier versions and that the shorter filing period was reasonable for these priority projects. Hawaii Gas asked that the bill’s clean energy definition be broadened to align with existing renewable energy law so emerging technologies like renewable hydrogen and renewable gas would be included. Kauai Island Utility Co-op and Greenpeace Hawaii testified in support and opposition, respectively, with supporters arguing the bill would reduce litigation uncertainty and opponents saying the shorter deadline would limit public participation and not solve the real causes of project delays. Opposition testimony came from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Earthjustice, Sierra Club, 350 Hawaii, and others, who argued the bill could chill legitimate public-interest claims, especially where there is limited public notice, and that environmental review was being unfairly blamed for delays caused by permitting, financing, or infrastructure problems. Several speakers said the measure would reduce transparency and make it harder for communities to respond in time. One testifier from Earthjustice said the environmental review process itself is not the problem and should not be weakened for projects that still need public disclosure and community engagement. The committee then moved to decision-making and, citing the volume of opposition and concerns about public participation, transparency, and whether the bill would actually improve timelines, the chair deferred HB 1979 HD3 indefinitely. The hearing was adjourned after the vote decision was announced. The transcript then shifted to HB 2585, relating to tourism and statewide standards for agritourism. Testimony was mixed: farmers and agricultural groups described agritourism as essential to keeping small farms and ranches viable, while also urging safeguards so it would not be abused or displace real agricultural production. Some speakers warned the bill’s revenue-based limits could unintentionally shut down existing farm stays and related operations, especially in Maui County. The Hawaii Farm Bureau said it supported the intent but wanted clearer protections for bona fide agriculture and more flexibility around revenue requirements and force majeure situations. The discussion was still underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• If the affidavit requests the transfer of property, the holder of property must transfer that property
• Top among them is naming a charity as a beneficiary of a retirement fund.
• If these funds are distributed to the charity, is the charity in a position to return funds to the estate
• funds?
• We have a banking account if they need to transfer assets.

Bills: HB2095 , HB2500 , HB2412 , HB2595 , HB2354 , HB2597

Committee: House Civil Rights & Judiciary

Keywords: public safety, vulnerable users, pedestrians, protected classes, transportation, charitable organization, charity, nonprobate transfer, beneficiary designation, life insurance, retirement account, payable on death, POD account, transfer on death, TOD, financial institution, insurance company, transfer agent, estate planning, donor intent

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> administration that you have to fund administration that you have to fund veterans<00:57:09.680>
• We ways to fund this bill's provisions.
• Something peaceful transfer of power.
• Peaceful transfer of power. wide. Peaceful transfer of power.
• Allow me to place another... there was a peaceful transfer of power there was a peaceful transfer of

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, July 16, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This fund is sort of federal and other funds. This is actually a grant from the Walton Foundation.
• Yeah, so within DESE, the receiving fund is categorized in the system as federal and other funds.
• Yeah, so within DESE, the receiving fund is categorized in the system as federal and other funds.
• Page 28 is the high-need fund.
• State Road Fund authority.

Committee: House Commerce

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We also defined reinstatement and interagency transfer to clarify employee eligibility for new hire leave
• We also defined reinstatement and interagency transfer to clarify employee eligibility for new hire leave
• We added language that agencies may continue enhanced accrual rates for interagency transferring employees
• must be used within the first year of employment, is not available to reinstated or interagency transfer
• So you have to submit it within 15 days of travel versus receipt of funds.

Committee: Joint Administrative Rules Committee

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• [snorts] funding.
• </c> that fund would only be for equipment. that fund would only be for equipment.
• </c> rental trust fund? rental trust fund?
• </c> per the trust the savings transfers. per the trust the savings transfers.
• </c><01:20:33.280><c> would</c><01:20:33.440><c> then</c> fund for funding, uh, which would then fund

Bills: SF0032 , SF0010 , SF0001 , HB0001

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: 911 services, emergency response, grant funding, next generation technology, government accountability, public safety, mental health, detention, competency evaluation, treatment, contractual agreements, Wyoming, budget, funding, education, wildfire prevention, healthcare, community colleges, grants, economic development

Transcript Highlights:

• In June 2022, I had my first IVF transfer, which resulted in an early miscarriage.
• In January 2023, prior to my next IVF transfer, I started twice-a-week intramuscular estrogen shots,
• Thankfully, the transfer was successful, and I continued these shots and medications until 11 weeks of
• In January 2023, prior to my next IVF transfer, I started twice a week intramuscular estrogen shots,
• Thankfully, the transfer was successful, and I continued these shots and medications until 11 weeks of

Summary: The committee heard several health-related bills, with extensive testimony on maternal health, prenatal safety, privacy, valley fever, Medi-Cal contracting, anti-discrimination protections, and health data sharing. SB 32 would require time-and-distance standards for labor and delivery units in health plan networks; the author and supporters said it would address maternity care deserts and improve access, while health plans opposed. SB 646 would require testing and public disclosure for toxic elements in prenatal vitamins; supporters emphasized fetal and maternal safety and transparency, while industry opponents warned it could confuse consumers or lead to reduced nutrient content. Both bills drew broad support from medical and public health groups, and both were advanced on party-line or near-unanimous votes after committee discussion. The committee also approved SB 313, which moves a parent’s birthplace on birth certificates into the confidential section to protect privacy, and SB 297, which directs CDPH to identify high-incidence valley fever regions and publish them for screening and awareness; valley fever experts and supporters stressed rising cases and the need for earlier diagnosis, while local health jurisdictions raised concerns about mandates. SB 324, dealing with Medi-Cal enhanced care management and community supports, would prioritize local community-based organizations and clarify contracting and data practices; it received strong support from nonprofits and community health advocates, with children’s hospitals and health plans seeking amendments, and it was sent forward after amendments were discussed. The committee then considered SB 418, which would codify ACA nondiscrimination protections in state law and allow up to a 12-month prescription supply for hormone therapy when medically necessary. Supporters framed it as protecting continuity of care for transgender patients and others using hormone therapy, including IVF and menopause patients, while opponents argued it would conflict with federal policy and promote harmful treatments. The bill passed to the next committee. Finally, SB 660 would strengthen the California Health and Human Services data exchange framework by creating governance and accountability for data sharing across health and social service entities; supporters said it would reduce duplication and improve care coordination, while some providers and hospital groups raised concerns. It was approved and sent to the Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee. The consent calendar and the other measures were also voted out, with the committee recording the required roll-call votes and sending the bills onward.

Transcript Highlights:

• Competes Fund.
• The Department of Veterans' Services gets their funding through the general fund, so I want to make sure
• Seeing none, Veterans' Services gets their funding through the general fund, so I want to make sure that
• in fiscal year 2027 to the livestock compensation fund.
• The bill also outlines the entity for which fund monies will be allocated.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The meeting covered a long series of bills, mostly in health, education, commerce, federalism, and government. In health, members discussed radiology technology updates (HB 2050), a tribal Medicaid waiver/drawdown measure with no state cost (HB 2177), an emergency medicine study committee (HB 2183), fetal death certificate and remains-transfer requirements (HB 2184), a physician assistant licensure compact (HB 2190), dementia care telemonitoring funding (HB 2202), SNAP error-rate reduction and fraud/eligibility oversight bills (HB 2206, HB 2442, HB 2797), child welfare protections like credit freezes and recorded interviews (HB 2321, HB 2322), and podiatric licensure compacts (HB 2438). Several of these were described as consent-calendar items, while HB 2206 and the SNAP-related measures drew discussion about fraud reduction, administrative burden, and work requirements. In commerce and finance, the committee heard bills on mobile food vendors and local permits (HB 2118), earned wage access services with fee caps and disclosure rules (HB 2309), CPA licensure changes (HB 2476), cash acceptance for retail purchases under $100 (HB 2555), drone delivery and unmanned aircraft guardrails (HB 2875), timeshare salesperson licensing (HB 2877), and a prohibition on state-mandated social credit scoring in lending decisions (HB 2903). The tax and retirement-related items included 529 plan conformity and Roth IRA transfer rules (HB 2477), annual tax conformity to the Internal Revenue Code (HB 2785), ASRS technical and disability-related changes (HB 2089, HB 2090, HB 2092), and a bill on employee health insurance definitions (HB 2089). The Arizona Commerce Authority bill (HB 2754) would add legislative members to the board and shift more control over trade offices and Arizona Competes Fund spending to the legislature. The education section focused heavily on school governance and finance. Bills included patriotic youth group presentations in schools (HB 2312), school board term limits (HB 2318), mandatory training for governing board members (HB 2379), independent municipal advisors for bond elections (HB 2320), restrictions on districts buying operating charter/private school sites to game enrollment formulas (HB 2376), conflict-of-interest limits for school facilities board architects and engineers (HB 2378), public meeting and travel transparency rules for districts (HB 2380), limits on long-term school property leases and reporting requirements (HB 2384), tighter bidding rules for school construction job orders using Building Renewal Grant funds (HB 2482), and a voluntary computer science proficiency seal (HB 2764). Sponsors repeatedly framed these as transparency, accountability, and anti-abuse measures, while some opposition centered on local flexibility, housing use, and existing training providers. In federalism and government, the committee heard bills to give counties more time to mail sample ballots (HB 2006), require courts to identify veterans at first appearance for possible veterans court referral (HB 2226), study veterans’ awareness of benefits (HB 2406), broaden military leave protections (HB 2663), require SAVE verification for voter registration and certain state services (HB 2806), require U.S.-sourced voting machine components by 2029 (HB 2901), affirm the Electoral College (HB 2902), and establish due process protections for justice of the peace courts against outside administrative action (HB 2976). Government committee items included a later deadline for library trustees’ annual reports (HB 2129), a two-year limit on certain adult protective services reports to the Attorney General (HB 2228), and an exemption for public and semi-public cold plunges from ADEQ spa rules (HB 2439). Several bills were reported as consent-calendar items, and a number of sponsors noted committee votes, fiscal neutrality, or favorable testimony in support of the measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• Reinsurance works, but funding has been a challenge.
• The third column is the Fund Management Area.
• If it's not a general fund, it will say a different fund, and those funds are explained at the bottom
• Then we have the February forecast, which is the base funding, meaning that this is the funding that
• or transfer to the Department of Commerce.

Bills: HF1646 , HF2443

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Keywords: medical debt, debt relief, healthcare financing, consumer protection, financial hardship, commerce, cannabis, insurance, housing, ombudsperson, affordability, property, task force, financial institutions

Transcript Highlights:

• We're funded first by assets from the insolvent insurer's estate, and if those assets are insufficient
• So we assure that we have the funds necessary to pay the claims.
• We're going to clarify that the coverage following an insurance business transfer or corporate division
• The primary funding for the guarantee system comes from the insolvent company's assets.
• Overseas, if I've got a book of business that I want to transfer to another insurance company, is that

Committee: House Insurance

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• each improvement's nexus to encouraging private development, estimated completion date, and proposed funding
• are really going to be in there, locked in there by their bylaws, by their loan agreements, by any funding
• that they receive from grant funding or outside funding like that.
• Hold, lease, and transfer real property.
• As long as it's being transferred to a public entity that is going to use it for growing and harvesting

Summary: The committee heard several public hearings on tax and housing-related bills. HB 2451 on local tax increment financing was briefed as a negotiated trailer bill adding new limits and consultation requirements for increment areas, including restrictions on using areas that already have needed public improvements, earlier sunset rules, more detailed project analysis, and stronger notice, mediation, and arbitration procedures for affected taxing districts. Supporters from cities, ports, and fire districts said the bill rebalances the process and protects impacted jurisdictions; the hearing then closed. HB 2322 would change the alternative jet fuel tax incentive program by replacing the current production-capacity trigger with a fixed effective period beginning in 2031 and ending in 2046, while clarifying carbon-intensity requirements. The sponsor said the change adds certainty and supports cleaner aviation fuel. A refinery representative supported the program but asked for clarification to include Pierce County or define “blender,” while a climate-health opponent argued the bill subsidizes continued fossil-fuel combustion and should be rejected. HB 2590 would revise the limited equity cooperative definition and exempt such cooperatives from WUCIOA unless they opt in, while preserving the property-tax exemption requirements; supporters said it would reduce red tape and better fit cooperative housing, while members raised concerns about unintended restrictive membership rules and asked for fair-housing guardrails. HB 2655 would create a new sales and use tax exemption for construction and equipment at certain new data centers in eastern Washington, subject to labor, wage, apprenticeship, employment, and sustainability requirements. Supporters framed it as a jobs and clean-energy opportunity tied to hydrogen development and regional competitiveness, while opponents said it was a subsidy for large corporations and could strain water, power, and public revenues. The committee then moved to executive action and advanced HB 1983, the second substitute for HB 1974, the substitute for HB 2334, HB 2367, and the substitute for HB 2650, all with due pass recommendations. Amendments were adopted on HB 1974 and rejected on HB 2367; the other bills were advanced without amendment. Votes were recorded on each measure, with HB 1974 passing 10-4, HB 2334 passing 13-1, HB 2367 passing 11-3, and HB 2650 passing 14-0.

Transcript Highlights:

• You start to have a grasp of how to transfer the data to discernible actions on behalf of the board and
• Broadcast licenses quietly transferred to administration allies," which I'm sure none of us want that
• , and there's had to be General Fund transfers to do it.
• So we do have a funded balance at the moment. We're able to pay our bills.
• So it's in that respect that we're really wanting to monitor our fund level because we did have some

Summary: The Senate Rules Committee met to consider several governor’s appointments, bill referrals, rule waiver requests, and floor acknowledgments. The committee approved multiple non-appearance appointments, including Peter Briar-T to the Southern Low-Level Radioactive Waste Commission, several appointees to the Acupuncture Board, Roy Mathur to the Board of Pilot Commissioners, and Davina Hurt to the California Water Commission; the Water Commission appointment drew a 3-2 vote. The committee also approved bill referrals, two rule waiver requests allowing guests on the Senate floor on March 16 and March 23, and floor acknowledgments, all by unanimous or near-unanimous votes. Afterward, the committee returned to the earlier appointment of Peter Briar-T and added it to the record by roll call. The committee then heard testimony from Lillian Corral, nominated to the California Community Colleges Board of Governors. Corral emphasized her background as a Colombian-born immigrant and first-generation college graduate, and said her priorities would include helping students navigate a changing economy shaped by AI, improving data and digital infrastructure, supporting Vision 2030 goals, and expanding pathways to jobs. Senators questioned her about community college bachelor’s degrees, achievement gaps, dual enrollment, staffing, and her work at New America and the Open Technology Institute, focusing on privacy, student safety, age verification, TikTok, and financial aid fraud. Corral said safety and security should come first, that she supports privacy and technically feasible verification tools, and that the community college system is using identity verification, AI tools, and human review to reduce fraud. The committee voted 3-0 to advance her nomination to the full Senate. The committee also heard from Paul Tupi, nominated to lead the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Tupi described a career in law enforcement and ABC enforcement and said he would focus on public trust, timely licensing, licensee education, community responsiveness, and accountability when alcohol-related harms occur. Senators asked about enforcement against sales to minors, alcohol-related traffic deaths, delivery compliance, agency responsiveness, fund stability, and potential policy changes such as entertainment zones and cocktails-to-go. Tupi outlined ABC’s decoy, shoulder-tap, delivery decoy, and TRACE programs, and said the department also works with local agencies through grants and training. Supporters from the alcohol policy, wine, brewing, and former ABC legal communities praised his open-door approach and enforcement focus. The committee unanimously approved his nomination to move to the full Senate for confirmation.

Transcript Highlights:

• So federal funds that are meant for New Mexicans.
• Are being transferred over or paid through New Mexico and transferred over to California.
• And what happens is we get a limited amount of federal funds and it's transferred over to places like
• So at our organization, we have funding. We also have ESG funding through Housing New Mexico.
• We still have some ARP funding for that as well.