Transcript Highlights:

• That's just the fact: we don't have an evidentiary standard for youth.
• So this is just setting an evidentiary standard for youth.
• This bill supports that approach by clarifying an evidentiary standard.
• I was teaching children and adults how to swim and felt really proud to teach.
• And you know this as an attorney, that it's harder to meet that kind of standard than it is.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Public Safety met on March 17, 2026, with no quorum at the start and throughout much of the hearing, so bills were presented and discussed but no final votes were taken. The committee heard SB 936 on nitrous oxide sales, SB 941 on commissary price caps in private immigration detention facilities, SCR 118 urging release of Jeffrey Epstein-related files, SB 1009 on juvenile detention standards, AB 46 on mental health diversion, and SB 948 on firearm safety training and registration for new residents. The chair explained public comment procedures and noted that SB 891 was on consent, but the transcript focused on the other measures. SB 936 drew strong support from the author, prosecutors, local officials, and public health/environmental groups, who described rising misuse of flavored large nitrous oxide canisters, youth targeting, impaired driving crashes, deaths, and waste disposal costs. Opposition from the ACLU argued the bill was too broad and should use a regulatory rather than criminal approach, warning about overreach into ordinary household items. Members generally expressed support, though some asked for narrowing amendments to avoid unintended coverage. SB 941 was presented as a cap on markups for commissary goods sold to detainees in privately run federal immigration detention facilities, modeled on prior prison commissary limits. Supporters described severe price inflation for basic necessities and the burden on families, while no opposition testified. SCR 118, calling for full release of unclassified Epstein investigation files, was supported by the author, a survivor statement, and anti-trafficking advocates; one member objected that the resolution could implicate people without full facts, while others emphasized transparency and survivor accountability. SB 1009 and AB 46 both centered on criminal justice discretion: SB 1009 would require clear and convincing evidence before detaining youth and was supported by defenders and youth advocates but opposed by probation and district attorneys who warned about public safety and resource constraints; AB 46 would narrow mental health diversion by allowing judges to deny diversion when public safety is at risk, with prosecutors and victims’ families supporting it and public defenders, ACLU, and behavioral health groups opposing it as an unnecessary restriction on treatment. SB 948 would expand firearm safety certificate requirements to include live-fire training and require new California residents to register firearms within 60 days; the author and gun-safety advocates supported it as a common-sense safety measure, and the hearing moved into support testimony as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• evidence for pretrial detention, we just don't have an evidentiary standard for youth.
• That's just the fact: we don't have an evidentiary standard.
• So this is just setting an evidentiary standard for youth.
• I was teaching children and adults how to swim and felt really proud to teach.
• And you know this as an attorney, that it's harder to meet that kind of standard than it is.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> allowed to continue and and uh teaching allowed to continue and and uh teaching and<00:16:08.639
• I forgot the name of the high school in Manchester who actually has a program to teach kids ASL, and
• has a program to teach kids ASL and<00:17:48.559><c> they</c><00:17:48.799><c> learn</c><00:17:49.039
• </c><00:30:41.200><c> and</c> come close to meeting this standard and come close to meeting this standard
• 01:37:45.679><c> for</c> there's no national standard for there's no national standard for measuring<

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first approved the draft minutes from its May 29 meeting and then received an informational update from the Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing about the state’s ASL interpreter pipeline. Representative Woods and Associate Commissioner Ann Landry explained that the American Sign Language program at UNH Manchester, the nation’s first fully accredited program, is facing viability concerns because high tuition has left only two of a potential 20 students committed so far. They warned that if enrollment does not recover, the program could face a teachout and eventually be lost, which they said would be detrimental because many state services and legal proceedings require qualified interpreters. Members discussed possible alternatives, including whether community colleges could help, and asked for follow-up research and contact information for UNH officials. The committee also heard that interpreter demand across DHHS continues to rise and that the department must ensure compliance with civil rights and service-access requirements. The committee then turned to Medicaid policy changes tied to Senate Bill 134 and a new federal interim final rule on Medicaid community engagement, or work, requirements. DHHS officials Olivia May and Ann Landry explained that the state law and federal rule align in many areas, but the committee still needed to decide how to implement several remaining policy choices. The department recommended adopting all four short-term hardship exceptions because the federal rule requires states to take them all or none: inpatient or institutional care, federally declared emergencies, high-unemployment areas, and extensive out-of-state travel for serious medical care. Members generally supported the exceptions but raised concerns about how they would be defined and applied, especially the emergency and medical-travel categories. Several legislators asked for more clarity on terms like “extensively” and “serious or complex medical care,” and DHHS said the federal rule does not rigidly define them, though the state could refine implementation through rulemaking if authorized. The department also said the emergency exception would apply only to federally declared emergencies, not state declarations, and would be tied to the emergency event itself. No final vote on the Medicaid policy was recorded in the portion provided, but the discussion indicated the committee was reviewing the remaining decisions needed to implement Senate Bill 134 under the new federal framework.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, as a brief reminder, House Bill 1652 sets in place a state standard for the sulfur content of fuel
• The bill in front of you establishes a standard of 0.1% sulfur fuel for use in the engines of certain
• . ...or a standard that is inconsistent with the current greenhouse gas emissions standard for baseload
• This bill is really just about setting a low-sulfur fuel standard.
• You talk about meeting the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards in the field testing.

Bills: HB2421, HB1652, HB2367, HB2284

Keywords: 6PPD, tires, environmental impact, public health, chemical regulation, HB1652, Salish Sea Protection and Marine Clean Fuels Act, marine fuel, low-sulfur fuel, sulfur emissions, ocean-going vessels, shipping, maritime pollution, air quality, particulate matter, Department of Ecology, port visit, regulated waters, fuel switching, vessel emissions

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, take your seats. criticism of the prohibition on teaching criticism of the prohibition on teaching
• </c> structures, they must follow standard structures, they must follow standard fire<02:01:35.360><c
• That is not a standard worthy of this House.
• And what exactly is the standard? Mr.
• </c> And what exactly is the standard? And what exactly is the standard?

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• number three: provide instructional design and technology support for developing highest-quality teaching
• quality teaching and learning materials<00:25:28.080><c> that</c><00:25:28.360><c> are</c><00:25:28.520
• Representative Schwartz, the process varies a bit by campus, but what is standard is that each college
• </c> essentially one number that's a standard essentially one number that's a standard number<01:03:10.400
• faculty um the ifo four-year teaching faculty um the ifo and<01:07:51.160><c> the</c><01:07:51.319><

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• When I was teaching, I did my best to meet the needs of all of my students.
• This bill is about teaching techniques, not subject material.
• methods it doesn't dictate what teaching methods it doesn't dictate what specific<00:42:19.559><c> teaching
• methods are adopted specific teaching methods are adopted but<00:42:21.760><c> only</c><00:42:22.240
• If I know that evidence-based in education means teaching methods or techniques... ...means teaching

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• financial literacy requirements that the Department of Family and Protective Services is required to teach
• That's the... ...national standard.
• The struggle to reach national standards is perpetuated by funding challenges.
• This bill standardizes the timelines for application and credentialing.
• Standards. This approach would have several negative consequences.

Bills: HB107, HB742, HB1639, HB1700, HB2071, HB2187, HB2402, HB2516, HB3211, HB4529, HB5342, HB694, HB923, HB4655, HB107

Keywords: sickle cell disease, registry, health data, confidentiality, healthcare access, human trafficking, first responders, health care, training, reporting, protection, cancer, female firefighters, health study, state health services, fire protection, telemedicine, teledentistry, telehealth, health records

Transcript Highlights:

• Both the new EOC and office comply with Category 5 hurricane standards.
• We have minimum standards that we have, and I think it's 2.5 million liters or 2.5 million bottles of
• It will be a nationwide standard. So then that'll take all of the guesswork out of it.
• He really is the gold standard.
• He really is the gold standard.

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:

• No other changes, but it gives the kids and teachers more time to teach the standards and for them to
• No other changes, but it gives the kids and teachers to be able to have more time to teach the standards
• and for them to benefit. more time to teach the standards and for them to benefit academically.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Kentucky hereby recognizes and honors the Commonwealth's newest National Board for Professional Teaching
• Standards certified teachers.
• Any other member seeking recognition, motions, petitions, communications, and teaching standards certified
• teachers. teaching standards certified teachers.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is my standard question for the committee.
• than I can, but they want to, in addition to investigating, you know... ...capping schemes or other standard
• Passing this bill will reinforce the lessons I try to teach the youth I work with, that our humanity
• Passing this bill will reinforce the lessons I try to teach the youth I work with, that our humanity
• This bill will reinforce the lessons I try to teach the youth I work with: that our humanity begins when

Summary: The committee held public hearings on several bills. House Bill 2542 would require drug developers to use validated non-animal testing methods when available, unless federal regulators request animal testing. The sponsor said the bill builds on prior Washington action on cosmetics testing and is intended to move toward more humane and modern science. Supporters, including students, animal welfare advocates, and biotech-related witnesses, argued that animal tests often fail to predict human outcomes and that alternatives are more accurate. A biotech industry representative said animal testing is still necessary for some research and warned the bill could deter local innovation, but said the industry was open to amendments. The sponsor said she was open to discussing changes to the enforcement mechanism. No vote was taken on the bill during the hearing. House Bill 2629 would address theft and vandalism of critical communications infrastructure, including copper and fiber lines. The bill would ban cash payments for nonferrous metal transactions, require electronic or stored-value payment methods, impose civil penalties for stolen copper used in telecommunications cable, and create a new Class C felony for destruction of critical communications infrastructure. The sponsor and industry witnesses described repeated outages affecting 911, hospitals, schools, and first responders, and said Washington has a high rate of these incidents. Recycling industry representatives supported the bill after negotiations, but a prosecutor and some others said the bill should focus more on law enforcement tools such as searchable transaction databases and holding periods rather than new penalties. No final action was taken in the hearing. House Bill 2394 would expand the Insurance Commissioner’s insurance fraud program and create a Class B felony for insurance fraud, including fraudulent billing, misrepresentation of repair costs, and misuse of coding systems. The bill also broadens who can be considered a victim for restitution and gives the commissioner additional investigative tools, while the substitute removed a reporting duty for certified public accountants. The sponsor and the Insurance Commissioner’s office said the measure responds to more sophisticated, technology-driven fraud schemes that harm both insurers and consumers. Insurance industry and fraud bureau witnesses supported the bill as a consumer protection measure. No vote was taken. House Bill 2361 would raise the maximum principal amount for small loans from $700 to $1,200, with annual inflation adjustments, while keeping the existing 30% of monthly income cap and other safeguards. The sponsor said the change would better reflect emergency costs and help borrowers avoid illegal lenders. DFI raised implementation questions about inflation adjustments and publication requirements, and opponents from AARP, SEIU 775, poverty advocates, and consumer attorneys argued the bill would increase debt traps and fees for low-income borrowers and older adults. MoneyTree supported the bill, saying the current cap is outdated and that the product remains a flat-fee, regulated credit option with existing consumer protections. The hearing also included testimony on House Bill 2294, which would prohibit negative use restrictions on real property that block grocery stores or pharmacies; staff described a proposed amendment adding notice and changing enforcement, and the committee then moved the bill out with a due pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• And one of the things that we do is to teach people how to use some of the newer technologies that are
• So it's just a wonderful, wonderful way in which we could teach her, show her something.
• The legal standard has really raised for that.
• We've established standard operating procedures for our interdisciplinary teams' work.
• don't want to substitute our service We don't want to create dependency on us, but they will help teach

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• we were physically doing about 5,000 examinations annually now. we're closer to 8000 the national standard
• every single year in four years we will have a site inspection by name to see that we're still up to standard
• And those operations have kind of set the standard states nationwide on that public safety area.
• The people we need to bring in to teach it and it's a you know we're a live-in, high-stress six-month-long
• They'll teach that.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We, I don't want to belabor the point, but we did this with the Law Enforcement Standards and Training
• , and the department shall provide administrative services for the board and the Law Enforcement Standards
• We've communicated, and we're setting a standard of what energy we want in this position and what we
• empathetic, not looking at that as a weakness because you're caring, or you're loving, or you're teaching
• , what we're doing to each other, is what we're teaching our children.

Transcript Highlights:

• A minimum wage should be just that: a minimum standard for everyone. And this is our last...
• These programs are teaching people to get into the workforce and into the communities at wages that we
• Yes, we need to teach people employment skills.
• Unions set the standard for all workers when they negotiate fair wages, benefits, and workplace safety
• standards.

Transcript Highlights:

• They teach visitors, especially our young people, about the delicate balance of our ecosystems and the
• There is a set of standards that have been established for Class III gaming.
• There is a set of standards that have been established for Class 3 gaming.
• We've been able to do tours teaching our architect students about forestry.
• We've been able to do tours teaching our architect students about forestry.

Summary: The committee first took up SB 80, the Parks Preservation Act, which would define state park purposes around conservation-based recreation and public access, prohibit uses such as golf courses, tennis courts, pickleball courts, ball fields, and hotels, require more public notice and advisory input on land management changes, and mandate reporting on park spending and maintenance backlogs. Testimony was overwhelmingly supportive, with conservation groups, youth advocates, and other members of the public backing stronger protections for state parks. The bill was reported favorably. Members then approved SB 200, directing DEP to develop a statewide waste reduction and recycling plan, and CS for SB 496, which clarifies that timeshare facilities are governed by Chapter 721 and only need annual board meetings. CS for CS for SB 1404, dealing with illegal gambling, was amended to add reporting requirements, tighten penalties, preempt local gambling legalization, and create a process for vetting certain machines and veteran-service-organization gaming questions; the bill drew significant concern from veterans groups and others over vague machine definitions and the need for clearer standards, but it was still reported favorably. The committee also passed SB 622 to allow pari-mutuel permit holders to lease facilities across horse-racing classes. The committee next approved CS for CS for SB 712 after adopting a strike-all and amendment that covered synthetic turf rules, change-order timelines, public works scoring, elevator and alarm contractor issues, mass timber code updates, pool and spa contractor scope changes, spaceport building-code exemptions, and solar/energy-storage inspection provisions. Support came from timber, construction, and industry groups, while pool contractors objected to parts of the scope changes. The committee also reported favorably CS for CS for SB 1742, a major condominium reform bill that pauses reserve funding after milestone inspections, expands financial flexibility, adds disclosure and conflict-of-interest rules, and increases data collection and oversight; members from both parties praised the sponsor’s work on condo issues. Finally, the committee approved SB 1574 on renewable natural gas infrastructure and SB 1580 authorizing DEP coastal resiliency public-private partnerships. It also passed CS for SB 1760, which requires certain public officials and agency leaders to meet Florida residency or proximity requirements. The last bill, SB 820, would codify the Office of Faith and Community in the Governor’s office; while supporters said it would permanently support faith-based and community organizations and improve coordination, several senators raised concerns about church-state separation, the office’s ties to Hope Florida, and whether codifying it could make the program more political. Despite those concerns, the bill was reported favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• But want to go into teaching for their career.
• So, this funding will be used for some sort of new interventions to improve math teaching across the
• We're also talking about teaching.
• So that could be teaching, but maybe it's also counseling and social work.
• And then finally, residencies are what we consider sort of the gold standard for teacher prep.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have based our standards on Hawaii standards, so you can't conflate the two to make it easier. bills
• </c> standards of acnm nor State Standards standards of acnm nor State Standards established<00:13:45.519
• <c> so</c><00:15:16.959><c> you</c> our standards on Hawaii standards so you our standards on Hawaii
• That is the teaching of our people.
• That is the teaching of our people.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The joint House Committee on Health and Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce heard two midwifery bills, with testimony focused primarily on HB 1194. Committee chairs opened the hearing with rules for Zoom testimony and noted the bills relate to midwives. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs said it supported the intent of HB 1194 and offered comments. Supporters of the bill, including the Midwives Alliance of Hawaii, argued that midwifery should remain subject to mandatory licensure to protect consumer safety, citing the state’s regulatory licensing standards and a 2025 state auditor sunset analysis. They said the bill would strengthen educational standards and public protection, and some offered clarifying amendments. Opponents argued HB 1194 would restrict access to care and fail to protect traditional, cultural, and community-based birth practices. Testifiers from the Hawaii Home Birth Task Force, the Hawaii Home Birth Collective, the Libertarian Party of Hawaii, the Center for Reproductive Rights, Pacific Birth Collective, and Papa Ola Lōkahi said the bill would limit licensure pathways, reduce access in rural and underserved areas, and burden Native Hawaiian and traditional practitioners. Several speakers said the measure could worsen Hawaii’s maternal health shortages, especially on Maui, and urged lawmakers to defer HB 1194 or instead advance HB 1328, which they said better protects practitioner access and cultural practices. The Hawaii affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives said it opposed HB 1194 because it did not align with national or state standards for certified midwives and could create conflicts with Medicaid reimbursement and prescriptive authority. The ACLU also opposed the measure, emphasizing reproductive rights, privacy, and the need to preserve apprenticeship pathways to licensure. No vote or final committee action was taken during the portion of the hearing reflected in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 936 builds on these local efforts by establishing a statewide standard for nitrous regulations.
• That's just the fact: we don't have an evidentiary standard.
• So this is just setting an evidentiary standard for youth.
• I was teaching children and adults how to swim and felt really proud to teach.
• And you know this as an attorney, that it's harder to meet that kind of standard than it is.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Public Safety met on March 17, 2026, beginning without a quorum and hearing several bills and a resolution. SB 936 by Senator Blakespear would prohibit retail sale of nitrous oxide canisters larger than 8 grams while preserving legitimate medical, dental, culinary, and automotive uses. Supporters, including prosecutors, county officials, and local government groups, described rising misuse among youth, impaired driving crashes, deaths, and environmental waste from large flavored canisters. The ACLU opposed unless amended, arguing the bill was too broad and should use a regulatory approach rather than criminal penalties; the author said amendments were being considered to narrow the language. Committee members largely expressed support, though some raised concerns about wording and implementation. SB 941 by Senator Padilla would extend a prison commissary price cap framework to private for-profit immigration detention facilities under federal contract in California. Supporters said detainees and their families face extreme markups on basic necessities and that the bill would curb exploitation. There was broad support from immigrant justice, civil rights, and disability rights organizations, and no opposition testimony was presented. SCR 118 by Senator Gonzalez urged release of unclassified Jeffrey Epstein investigation files. Supporters framed it as a transparency and survivor-accountability measure, with testimony from CAST and a survivor statement. One committee member voiced concern about incomplete facts and the risk of political overreach, while others supported the resolution as part of broader anti-trafficking efforts. SB 1009 by Senator Becker would require clear and convincing evidence before detaining youth in juvenile proceedings and would emphasize less restrictive alternatives. The author and supporters argued that detention harms youth, increases recidivism, and is overused, citing a personal witness who described spending more than 200 days in juvenile detention before her case was resolved. Probation, district attorneys, and AFSCME raised concerns that the bill could limit judicial discretion, strain county resources, and create public safety risks or uneven implementation. Committee members were split, with some supporting the bill as a needed safeguard and others saying the system needs more resources before changing the standard. AB 46 by Assemblymember Nguyen would narrow mental health diversion by allowing judges to deny diversion when public safety is at risk. Supporters, including district attorneys and a crime victim’s family, said current law is too restrictive and has allowed dangerous offenders to reoffend; opponents, including public defenders and the ACLU, argued diversion is already limited and effective and that the bill would reduce access to treatment. Finally, SB 948 by Senator Aegian would require more comprehensive firearm safety training for firearm safety certificates and require new California residents to register firearms and obtain a certificate within 60 days. Supporters, including Brady and youth gun violence advocates, said the bill would close loopholes and improve safety; gun rights groups opposed, calling it an unconstitutional financial barrier and a burden on new residents.