Transcript Highlights:

• We're convening the Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection.
• safeguards, like for example, the statute is currently limited at $20 cap, but the bill also has protections

Bills: HB1986, HB1694, HB1695, HB2030, HB1673

Keywords: clean fuel standard, alternative fuels, carbon intensity, emission reduction, greenhouse gases, transportation, sustainable aviation fuel, tax credit, greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy, Hawaii, economic development, carbon footprint, aviation sector, renewable fuels, local production, energy resilience, agricultural innovation, job creation, clean vehicles

Summary: The committee on Energy and Environmental Protection heard testimony on three measures related to cleaner fuels. On HB 1986, which would require the Department of Transportation to adopt rules for a clean fuel standard by January 1, 2028 and include reporting and public informational sessions, testimony was largely supportive from state commissions, fuel companies, airlines, and other industry and advocacy groups. Supporters said the bill would create a long-term framework for reducing emissions and developing cleaner fuels in Hawaii. Opposition came from Energy Justice Network, which argued that so-called clean fuels are not carbon-free, would be costly, and could delay a needed transition to electrification. The department later said it was monitoring the bill and was concerned about costs. No vote or final action was taken in the hearing. The committee then heard HB 1694, a sustainable aviation fuel tax credit bill that would provide a per-gallon credit for SAF, cap annual credits at $20 million, require reporting, and sunset in 2035. The Department of Taxation testified on administration, while the Department of Transportation said it supported the measure as a short-term strategy to jump-start SAF until the clean fuel standard ramps up. Airlines, fuel companies, the Hawaii Food Industry Association, the Hawaii Renewable Fuels Coalition, and others supported the bill, saying it would send a market signal, help close the cost gap with conventional jet fuel, and encourage local production and investment. Opponents, including Energy Justice Network, Life of the Land, and Ted Metros, argued the bill would be expensive, could lock in a transitional fuel system, and would not produce enough fuel to meet demand. Committee members asked about the likely impact and the share of total fuel demand the credit could support; DOT said the supported gallons would be only a very small percentage of annual demand and that the credit was intended to work alongside the future clean fuel standard. Finally, the committee took up HB 1695 HD1 on renewable fuel, which expands the renewable fuels production tax credit. Testimony was again mixed but generally supportive from the Department of Transportation, Department of Taxation, Island Energy Services, airlines, the Tax Foundation, Pana Pacific, and the Hawaii Farm Bureau. Supporters said the measure would encourage local feedstock production, create agricultural opportunities, and help attract investment in renewable fuels. Pana Pacific requested an amendment to explicitly include camelina in the definition of renewable feedstocks. Opponents, including Energy Justice Network and Life of the Land, repeated concerns about cost, imported feedstocks, and the risk of undermining full electrification goals. The hearing transcript does not show any vote or final committee action on HB 1694 or HB 1695 HD1.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are convening the Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce.
• So they could still protection side.
• My name is Protection and Commerce.
• and protects Hawaii's keiki.
• and protects Hawaii's keiki.

Bills: HB2614, HB1660, HB1704, HB1563, HB1573, HB1777, HB1749

Keywords: cosmetics, returns, refunds, consumer protection, high-pressure sales, transparency, accountability, HB1660, Hawaii, county labor standards, counties, contractors, building permits, permit denial, permit suspension, permit revocation, wage theft, wages, benefits, hours

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 2614, which would require merchants selling cosmetics to accept returns of newer unopened goods within specified time frames and expand signage requirements for return and refund policies. DCCA’s Office of Consumer Protection strongly supported the bill, citing updated figures of 180 cosmetic complaints from 2020 to 2025, 54 still under investigation, 148 referred to class action litigation, and more than $1.3 million in consumer losses. Members questioned whether the bill was needed given the pending lawsuit and whether bad actors would comply, while the office responded that clearer signage would improve consumer awareness and could reduce complaints without limiting other remedies. No vote was taken. The committee then heard HB 1660 HD1, which would allow counties to require contractors to disclose wage, benefit, hour, and employment-status information and to deny, revoke, or suspend permits for certain labor-law violations. DLIR, the Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters, Operating Engineers Local 3, and Pacific Resource Partnership testified in support, arguing the measure would help deter cheating contractors, protect law-abiding employers, and keep bad actors from undercutting wages and taxes. One member raised concerns about possible delays to affordable housing projects and whether owners should be held responsible for contractors’ misconduct; supporters replied that compliance is a minimum standard, that county action would be discretionary rather than automatic, and that the bill would not bar counties from working with affordable housing developers. No action was reported. Finally, the committee took up HB 1704, adopting the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact to allow telepsychology and temporary in-person practice across state lines. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the State Health Planning and Development Agency, the Hawaii State Association of Counties, and the Hawaii Association of Health Plans supported the measure, saying it would help fill major staffing gaps, especially for forensic evaluations and services in rural and neighbor-island communities. The Board of Psychology raised concerns about the compact’s scope, the need for a study focused specifically on psychologists, background-check requirements, possible loss of regulatory authority and revenue, and the need to update older statutory provisions. Hawaii Association for Justice opposed the immunity language in the compact, and Shawn Scanlon opposed the bill, arguing it could weaken cultural responsiveness and local control and suggesting the state instead improve temporary licensing and other in-state pathways. The committee also questioned the Department of Corrections about its vacancies and whether telehealth could be filled by local providers; no vote was taken in the excerpt.

Bills: HB3794, HB3796, HB3928, HB2955, HB4453, HB4460

Keywords: licensure, criminal history, public safety, occupational certification, rehabilitation, state regulations, insurance, regulations, certification, long-term care, mergers, consumer protection, property safety, vision insurance, optometry, reimbursement, healthcare policy, ophthalmic materials, provider agreements, captive insurance

Bills: HB3794, HB3796, HB3928, HB2955, HB4453, HB4460

Keywords: licensure, criminal history, public safety, occupational certification, rehabilitation, state regulations, insurance, regulations, certification, long-term care, mergers, consumer protection, property safety, vision insurance, optometry, reimbursement, healthcare policy, ophthalmic materials, provider agreements, captive insurance

Summary: The committee first took up HB 3794 and HB 3796, both Oklahoma Insurance Department request bills. Members adopted PCS drafts for each without objection, heard brief explanations that the measures cleaned up and clarified insurance licensing and other statutory provisions, and then advanced both bills on unanimous or near-unanimous votes. The committee then considered HB 3928, as amended, which would require optometrists to be reimbursed at Medicare/Medicaid levels and address payment parity for certain vision plans. Representative Tedford raised concerns about premium increases and interference with private contracts, while the author argued the bill would create a fairer level playing field and would not significantly raise consumer costs. The bill passed on a recorded vote and was recommended to the next committee. HB 2955, updating the Oklahoma Captive Insurance Company Act to make Oklahoma more competitive, also passed after OID confirmed a questioned travel reimbursement provision was current law and unchanged. HB 4453 proposed creating an all-payers claims database board to analyze health care spending, use the health information exchange, and make recommendations to OID. The author described changes to board appointments and reporting language, and members asked about consumer representation, fiscal impact, and the board’s advisory role. The bill passed and was recommended onward. HB 4460, which would shift collection of copays, deductibles, and other cost-sharing from providers to insurers, drew extensive testimony from an emergency physician supporting the measure as a way to reduce medical debt and simplify billing, but members raised concerns about ERISA preemption, premium impacts, implementation, and broader market effects. After discussion, the author laid HB 4460 over for later consideration, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• proposed amendments address fee caps in the Egg Grading Act, the Pesticide Control Act, the Plant Protection
• Farmers and ranchers depend on NMDA's ability to effectively promote, protect, and sustain agriculture
• the reduction of hazardous fuel loads will lower the risk and severity of catastrophic wildfire, protecting

Bills: SB47, SB110, SB122, SB143, SB168

Keywords: food recovery, composting, waste management, solid waste surcharge, organic waste reduction, environment, grants, advisory group, bosque management, Rio Grande, environmental protection, water resources, fiscal appropriation, drinking water, well owners, water testing, water treatment, public health, agriculture, New Mexico Department of Agriculture

Transcript Highlights:

• We just hope to gain your support here today to help us do a little bit of a better job protecting the
• the proposed substitute does, and basically institutes the same Department of Ecology process for protecting
• But merely banning 6 PPD without an alternative for safety, affordability, and protecting our environment
• If we want to protect the environment, we would have a bill that would improve the environment by building

Bills: HB2436, HB2322, HB2343, HB1420, HB2426, HB2271, HB2215, HB2421, HB2301, HB2296

Keywords: oil tanker, tank vessel, restricted waters, Puget Sound, San Juan Islands, Rosario Strait, Admiralty Inlet, Discovery Island, New Dungeness, tug escort, pilotage, marine safety, spill prevention, oil transport, petroleum shipment, coast guard authorization, Board of Pilotage Commissioners, articulated tug barge, bunker vessel, refueling vessel

Summary: The Environment and Energy Committee heard testimony on several bills, including HB 2436, which would update tug escort horsepower requirements for certain oil tankers in Puget Sound waters. The sponsor and the Washington State Board of Pilotage Commissioners described it as a technical cleanup to align statute with existing rulemaking and industry practice, with the goal of better protecting the Salish Sea and southern resident killer whales. The hearing on HB 2436 was then closed. The committee also heard extensive testimony on HB 2322, which would change Clean Fuels Program rules and the timing of tax incentives for alternative jet fuel. Supporters, including the sponsor, 12, the City of Moses Lake, and U.S. Oil & Refining, said the bill would provide needed certainty for large-scale sustainable aviation fuel investment and clarify how electricity carbon intensity is calculated, including treatment of hydro power. Ecology opposed the bill, saying it would weaken the clean fuels program’s ability to drive new renewable generation and that it was willing to work on concerns through rulemaking. The hearing on HB 2322 was then closed. In executive session, the committee advanced HB 2343 on water discharge permits for publicly owned animal facilities, HB 2426 allowing Pollution Control Hearings Board appeals to be heard by a single member or alternate panel by agreement, HB 2271 on post-consumer recycled content requirements for plastics, HB 2215 on Climate Commitment Act fuel-supplier thresholds, and HB 2421 on 6PPD restrictions in tires. HB 2421 saw an unsuccessful amendment to exempt rural eastern Washington counties before passing. The committee deferred action on HB 2301 and HB 2296 until a later meeting. Most measures were reported out on party-line or near-party-line votes, with HB 2343 passing unanimously and the others passing by recorded vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill creates new consumer protections regarding companion chatbots that protect minors who use the
• This bill is the data privacy protections.
• But to protect the world of work and protect workers and protect people, the world of work and protect
• I also want to protect children.
• from AI, and... ...protection from AI-enabled fraud, image manipulation protection, political transparency

Bills: S0214, S0482, S7030, S0554, S0994, S0998, S1004, S1074, S1076, S1266

Keywords: special districts, funding, financial assistance, rural community, state agency, economic development, artificial intelligence, personal data protection, consumer rights, chatbot, deceptive practices, government contracts, public records, consumer protection, data privacy, investigations, proprietary information, chatbots, Florida statutes, nonprofit

Summary: The Committee on Commerce and Tourism heard and advanced several bills focused on economic development, consumer protection, workforce issues, and technology. SB 1076 would raise Florida’s research and development tax credit cap from $9 million to $50 million beginning with the 2027 allocation, and it was reported favorably. SB 1266, as amended, creates a cybersecurity experiential internship and clearance-readiness program with Cyber Florida and was also reported favorably. SB 554, a Florida Bar-backed update to the not-for-profit corporations statute, was approved without opposition. SB 1004, aimed at protecting buyers of dogs and cats from deceptive sales practices and predatory financing at retail pet stores, received supportive testimony from animal welfare advocates and was reported favorably. SB 1074, which sets rounding rules for cash transactions if pennies are unavailable, also passed favorably. The committee also considered SB 998, the Department of Commerce package, which combines updates to the Small Cities CDBG program, clarification of rural community eligibility, an exemption from a reverter clause for military-related land conveyances, and revisions to E-Verify enforcement. The E-Verify portion drew the most debate, with questions about employer cure periods, treatment of current investigations, and whether the bill creates a loophole for independent contractors. Senator Smith opposed the bill, arguing it creates unequal enforcement between employers and immigrant workers, while Senator Wright supported the military-related provisions. SB 998 was reported favorably on a divided vote. SB 214, which expands the rural community definition to include special districts in rural counties, was reported favorably. The committee then took up SB 482, an artificial intelligence consumer-protection bill that creates an “AI bill of rights” covering companion chatbots, parental controls for minors, data privacy, de-identified data, unauthorized use of likeness, and enforcement by the Attorney General, with a limited private cause of action for minors. The bill drew extensive testimony both in support and in opposition, including concerns about privacy, age verification, and enforcement, but it was reported favorably. Finally, the committee approved SPB 7030, a public-records exemption tied to Department of Legal Affairs investigations under the AI bill, and adjourned after members requested to be recorded on certain votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Environmental Protection Agency.

Bills: HB2029, HB2030, HB2096

Keywords: water conservation, grants, infrastructure, environmental protection, sustainability, grant fund, Arizona water law, A.R.S. 49-1332, water efficiency, water reuse, education programs, public outreach, rainwater harvesting, gray water, graywater, drought-resistant landscaping, xeriscaping, turf removal, groundwater recharge, aquifer health

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> trying to invalidate protections trying to invalidate protections provided<00:52:14.160><c> under
• </c><00:53:14.240><c> and</c> disabilities retain protections and disabilities retain protections and
• Failure to engage in the protection.
• </c><01:24:20.480><c> class,</c> does not create a new protected class, does not create a new protected
• </c> protect people with disabilities. protect people with disabilities. the<01:25:39.040><c> the</c>

Bills: HF3661, HF2380, HF3468, HF3483

Keywords: facial recognition, privacy, government surveillance, public safety, data protection, civil liberties, disability rights, discrimination, accommodations, employment, housing, public services, education, civil action, failure to render aid, damages, Minnesota Statutes, legal liability, trespass, civil immigration enforcement

Transcript Highlights:

• But in 2024, we had something called the Tourism Protection Act.
• And the merchant of record in the Tourism Tax Protection Act here really governs who holds the money
• Protection Act.
• </c><00:11:46.720><c> Uh</c><00:11:47.200><c> it</c> tourism tax protection act here.
• Uh it tourism tax protection act here.

Bills: SB294, HB296, HB300, SB269

Keywords: public officers, bonding, risk management, notification, delinquency, consumer protection, rental home, marketplace guarantees, insurance, commissioner of insurance, healthcare, breast cancer screening, insurance coverage, deductible, copayment, emergency medical services, ambulance reimbursement, health care insurers, balance billing, provider networks

Transcript Highlights:

• A number of taxing districts may impose an EMS levy, including cities, counties, and fire protection
• In Clark County, we have Fire District 3 that protects Battle Ground and the Hockinson area.
• Just under 50,000 people are protected there.
• So given this complexity, we'd also like to see guidance protecting our stores from violations of the
• Please protect working families by voting yes on House Bill 2100. Thank you very much.

Bills: HB2334, HB2140, HB2326, HB2100

Keywords: cash transactions, pennies, currency adjustment, economic impact, consumer protection, tax exemption, governmental transfer, agriculture, land use, property tax, emergency medical services, levies, healthcare funding, local government, taxation, excise tax, large companies, payroll expenses, minimum wage, Well Washington fund

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 2140, which would exempt land sold or transferred to a governmental entity from the additional tax owed when land is removed from an open space current-use classification in certain circumstances. Staff explained the bill’s current-use tax rules and noted the fiscal impact is expected to be minimal but indeterminate. Representative Lowe said the bill is meant to fix a narrow problem where a county takes a small frontage strip for public purposes and the owner is still charged back taxes; FutureWise testified in support of the intent but asked for language tweaks to ensure the transferred land does not later become incompatible with agricultural or open-space use. The hearing on HB 2140 was then closed. The committee then heard House Bill 2326, which would allow a fire protection district to impose an EMS levy on the portion of its district not already covered by another taxing district’s EMS levy, with voters in the affected area approving it. Fire district and fire chief representatives testified in support, describing situations where a small overlap prevents most residents in a district from voting on or funding EMS service. Opponents argued the bill would add to property tax burdens. Testimony concluded and the hearing was closed. Next, House Bill 2334 was heard, responding to the federal decision to stop minting new pennies by setting rules for rounding cash transactions to the nearest five cents. Staff said rounding would apply only to cash payments and would occur after taxes and fees are included; the fiscal note was described as indeterminate but minimal at the state level, with some implementation costs. Retail and grocery groups generally supported the bill but requested clarifying amendments and protections related to tax obligations, consumer lawsuits, SNAP equal-treatment rules, and local ordinances; other testimony supported the measure as a practical response to the penny’s disappearance. The hearing was then closed. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 2100, a proposed payroll expense tax on large operating companies to fund the new Well Washington Fund for higher education, health care, cash assistance, energy, and housing, with an oversight board and a credit for eligible city payroll taxes. Staff described a substitute narrowing the bill to employers with 250 or more employees and at least $7 million in payroll, with several public-sector and health-related exemptions; the fiscal note projected substantial revenue. Supporters, including labor, poverty, housing, health, and faith advocates, said the bill would help offset federal cuts and protect vulnerable residents. Business, retail, hospitality, construction, and chamber representatives opposed it, warning about job losses, higher costs, and harm to competitiveness. The prime sponsor said the bill is intended as a near-term response to federal funding cuts, and testimony continued with many additional witnesses before the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome to the Consumer Protection and Business Committee. We're happy to see you.
• to prove all five elements of the Consumer Protection Act.
• Thank you so much for coming to the Consumer Protection and Business Committee.
• I'm not a fan of the per se Consumer Protection Act violations.
• This is not what consumer protection should look like.

Bills: HB2229, HB2274, HB2294, HB1269, HB1078

Keywords: professional engineers, registration act, licensing, engineering practice, state regulations, email regulation, commercial communications, consumer protection, data privacy, electronic mail, consumer access, real property, food security, medicine access, restriction, pawnbroker, fees, interest rates, financial regulation, pet insurance

Summary: The Consumer Protection and Business Committee heard public testimony on House Bill 2229, which updates the Professional Engineers Registration Act. Staff described changes to board membership, registration qualifications, continuing education, exclusions from registration, certificate terms, and terminology updates. Representative Zahn said the bill is intended to modernize and clean up the code, and noted she would offer an amendment to avoid changing the board’s official name. A board representative supported the bill as a way to improve licensing flexibility and administrative consistency, while one member questioned removing the U.S. citizenship requirement for board members; the witness said the requirement had been requested by the committee last year and that board members would still need to be Washington-licensed and familiar with state law. The hearing on HB 2229 was suspended and later reopened for additional testimony, then closed without action. The committee also heard House Bill 2274, which would modify the Washington Commercial Electronic Mail Act. Staff explained that the bill would raise the knowledge standard for violations from “reason to know” to “reliable basis,” require a subject line to be likely to mislead a reasonable recipient about a material fact, limit damages to recipients who received, reviewed, and detrimentally relied on the email, and repeal the act’s per se Consumer Protection Act violation while leaving statutory damages in place. Supporters, including the prime sponsor, retailers, hospitality businesses, and e-commerce representatives, argued that a recent Washington Supreme Court decision led to a wave of lawsuits over ordinary promotional subject lines and exposed businesses to large statutory damages and defense costs even without proof of harm. Opponents and consumer advocates argued the current law already targets false or misleading subject lines, that the bill would weaken consumer enforcement, and that the recent lawsuits involve deceptive urgency tactics. The committee did not take final action on HB 2274 during the hearing. House Bill 2294, which would prohibit future negative use restrictions on real property that block grocery stores or pharmacies where such uses are otherwise allowed, also received a hearing. Staff said the bill would declare such restrictions against public policy, with exceptions for existing covenants, nearby relocations, and certain retail centers, and would enforce the prohibition through a per se Consumer Protection Act violation. Representative Farivar said the bill responds to food access problems, including the Lake City grocery closure, and is modeled on local ordinances already adopted in Seattle, Bellingham, and Kent. Food industry and grocery association witnesses generally supported the goal of improving food access, though one group asked for narrower guardrails to preserve legitimate business uses of restrictive covenants and raised concerns about competition and investment. The committee then moved to executive session and unanimously voted House Bill 1269, which adjusts pawn broker loan terms, interest rates, fees, storage charges, and online payment options, out of committee with a due pass recommendation by voice vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• While our community continues to grow, Hopkinton's water and fire protection infrastructure remains limited
• I share this with you because both communities have had challenges for fire protection based on their
• Finally, the Insurance Services Organization, ISO, evaluates community fire protection, including water
• supply, using this fire suppression rating schedule to assign a public protection classification score
• This bill protects patients, reduces administrative waste, and improves access to timely coordinated

Bills: S2732, S2738, S2739

Keywords: healthcare, direct primary care, insurance, referrals, network providers, payment denial, insurance costs, manufactured homes, homeowners insurance, affordability, state regulations, insurance market, consumer protection, mobile homes, firefighting, water supply, cistern program, rural areas, urban interface, state funding

Summary: The Joint Committee on Financial Services held a public hearing on late-filed matters, with testimony focused mainly on two Senate bills: S. 2738, which would create a special commission to study rising insurance costs for manufactured and mobile home residents, and S. 2739, which would establish a program or fund to help communities install and maintain fire cisterns. Senator Kelly Duner and Representative Lisa Field, along with Taunton officials and residents, described sharp premium increases, limited insurer participation, confusing coverage practices, and the impact on seniors, veterans, and low-income homeowners in manufactured housing communities. Several speakers urged the commission to include residents directly and to produce recommendations for more affordable, transparent, and adequate coverage. Local officials from Taunton, Carver, and other communities echoed those concerns, saying many residents face few options, actual cash value policies, and premiums that can exceed $4,000 annually. On the fire cistern bill, fire chiefs from Hopkinton and East Hampton testified that many communities lack municipal water or hydrants and need year-round dedicated water sources to fight structure fires, brush fires, and newer hazards such as lithium-ion battery fires. They said cisterns improve response times, reduce damage, and can help with insurance ratings, but maintenance and funding are often inadequate. A representative of the Massachusetts Insurance Federation supported the concept of helping fire services but objected to funding the program through insurance policy assessments, arguing that such surcharges drive up premiums and should instead be paid from the general fund. The committee also heard strong support for S. 2732, a direct primary care bill filed by Senator Michael Moore. Physicians and medical association representatives said the bill would let direct primary care doctors make referrals for HMO patients and dispense medications directly from their offices. They argued this would reduce delays, improve continuity of care, lower prescription costs, and help patients with transportation or access barriers. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the chair adjourned after public testimony concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• I just have one question, Mayor Watson: Do all these bills protect the law enforcement and the firefighters
• That's always the balance: to make sure we protect the taxpayers and the citizens, but also those who
• , and most active and retired Austin firefighters recognize that these reforms are essential to protecting
• This is backed by extensive actuarial analysis and guided by a shared commitment to protecting the long-term

Bills: SB771, SB2345, HB135, HB135

Keywords: diesel fuel tax, tax credit, auxiliary power units, power take-off equipment, refund, energy efficiency, firefighter retirement, municipal contributions, pension system, retirement benefits, funding ratios, sales tax exemption, exotic animals, game animals, agriculture, livestock, civil liability, motor vehicle, legal protection, removal

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm joined here today by Kelly Billings-Ray, who is the Chief of our Environmental Protection Division
• Thank you. and other attorneys from our Environmental Protection Division were in Pittsburgh last week
• lawsuits against the Biden administration were brought by the Attorney General's Environmental Protection
• The Environmental Protection Division's job is to... ...provide legal enforcement support to an array
• Protection Division also performs the critical tasks of protecting our state's sovereignty against federal

Bills: SB766, SB290, SB494, SB1145

Keywords: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, water regulation, environmental protection, pesticide management, natural resources, LP-gas, property owner notice, gas installations, safety notification, petroleum theft, task force, oil and gas, law enforcement, economic impact, environmental regulation, water permits, water quality, land application, 1185, senate

Transcript Highlights:

• giving a school district with 500 students $96,000, it seems to be a program that's working and protecting
• I know, years in this body, we've talked about protection of our kids.
• The fact that we have done measures in this body to protect our kids and those vulnerable positions whenever

Bills: SB1189, SB1295, SB1297, SB1330, SB1333, SB1338, SB1341, SB1344, SB1355, SB1377, SB1378, SB1546, SB1859, SB1946, SB1990, SB1998

Keywords: school security, funding, public schools, security enhancements, resource officers, domestic violence, fatality review, revolving fund, database, public safety, Oklahoma, census accuracy, Oklahoma Department of Commerce, federal census, grassroots outreach, marketing campaign, SB1330, Pardon and Parole Board, parole board, pardon board

Transcript Highlights:

• giving a school district with 500 students $96,000, it seems to be a program that's working and protecting
• I know years in this body we've talked about protection of our kids.
• I just think we have to keep it on the radar, the fact that we have done measures in this body to protect
• our kids in those vulnerable positions whenever there's a school. ...in this body to protect our kids

Bills: SB1189, SB1295, SB1297, SB1330, SB1333, SB1338, SB1341, SB1344, SB1355, SB1377, SB1378, SB1546, SB1859, SB1946, SB1990, SB1998

Keywords: school security, funding, public schools, security enhancements, resource officers, domestic violence, fatality review, revolving fund, database, public safety, Oklahoma, census accuracy, Oklahoma Department of Commerce, federal census, grassroots outreach, marketing campaign, SB1330, Pardon and Parole Board, parole board, pardon board

Summary: The committee met in an appropriations setting and first laid over Senate Bill 1946. It then advanced Senate Bill 1344, creating an insulin access affordability program at the Health Department, on a 19-1 vote. Senate Bill 1295, establishing a Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board revolving fund and database, was amended to delete a section and then passed 21-0. Senate Bill 1355, creating a program for memorials and headstones for eligible National Guard veterans, also passed unanimously. Members then advanced several other measures, including Senate Bill 1998 to help smaller towns qualify for quality events incentives, Senate Bill 1330 raising Pardon and Parole Board salaries, Senate Bill 1297 creating a decennial census revolving fund to support outreach for the 2030 census, and Senate Bill 1189 extending the school security fund for three more years at $50 million annually. The committee also passed Senate Bill 1338 making the Heroes Literacy Instructional Team permanent, and Senate Bill 1546 increasing scholarship support for teacher preparation students. Additional bills passed included Senate Bill 1378 creating the Olympics and Oklahoma Revolving Fund, Senate Bill 1859 creating an OSBI cyber crime and fraud unit fund, Senate Bill 1341 creating a Career Counseling Revolving Fund, Senate Bill 1377 directing DHS to provide bags for foster children’s belongings, and Senate Bill 1990 broadening the Incentive Evaluation Commission’s comparative analysis of incentives. Several bills had appropriations stripped by amendment at the chair’s request before passage, and the committee repeatedly discussed fiscal impacts, local matching expectations, transparency, and whether programs should remain state-funded or rely on local or philanthropic support. The meeting ended with adjournment and notice of a meeting the following week.

Transcript Highlights:

• , or something that needs to be removed in order to protect state systems.
• But in April of 2025, we actually got threat intelligence from one of our partners that a ransomware
• So we are aware that there's a critical infrastructure entity that had experienced a ransomware attack
• So we are aware that there's a critical infrastructure entity that had experienced ransomware attack.
• So, ransomware, again, it's about whether or not they made payment, but if you're talking about business

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We are very protective. of that designation and we believe that we practice efficiency and and proper
• geared to deliver the best supervision and regulation that we can for our entities and for the protection
• the same issues that banks do, the cybersecurity risk is high, just like it is with the banks and ransomware
• protecting our consumers.
• Sometimes it's ransomware. So you can put a dollar amount on ransomware.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, they were established in 1988 with a mission to promote, protect, and provide support for homeschooling

Bills: HB1601, HB1616, HB1603, HB1604, HB1605, HB1606, HB1802, HB1569, HB1619, HB1730, HB1749, HB644, HB1620

Keywords: biosecurity, invasive species, Hawaii Invasive Species Council, Department of Land and Natural Resources, appropriation, agriculture, aquaculture, commercial activity, swine production, Korean natural farming, land leases, Hawaii, extension, Department of Agriculture, housing, workforce, land use, zoning, public-private partnerships, tax credit