Transcript Highlights:

• The state then has to take it upon itself to clean up to some degree after these industrial practices
• Happy to work and collaborate<00:58:16.000><c> with</c><00:58:16.319><c> ADC</c><00:58:16.799><c> and
• </c><00:58:17.040><c> others</c><00:58:17.359><c> on</c><00:58:17.760><c> um</c> collaborate with ADC
• But it is important to pause and consider what that truly means in practice.
• But it is important to pause and consider what that truly means in practice.

Bills: HB1621, HB1880, HB1831

Keywords: pesticides, environmental impact, agriculture, 1,3-dichloropropene, chlorpyrifos, land management, wastewater compliance, state funding, survey issues, 910, house, all

Summary: The joint committees on Agriculture and Food Systems and Energy and Environmental Protection heard three bills. HB 1621 would create a conservation, agriculture, and soil health incentive program under the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, with annual reporting and funding. Testimony was broadly supportive from the Climate Commission, University of Hawaiʻi, Hawaii Farmers Union, White Alliance for Progressive Action, and the Farm Bureau, and the bill was described as a way to advance soil health and support producers. HB 1880 would prohibit, beginning in 2027, the use of pesticides containing 1,3-dichloropropene (such as Telone). The Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity offered written comments, Hawaii Farmers Union supported the ban citing drift and health concerns, and the Farm Bureau opposed it, arguing growers need such tools; the bill also drew discussion about crop rotation and other pest-management practices. HB 1831 would authorize funding to address survey deficiencies and wastewater compliance issues on certain non-agricultural parklands; the Attorney General’s Office warned the bill as written may violate the U.S. Constitution’s contract clause and suggested revisions, while the department and Farm Bureau supported the measure’s intent. The committees later took up decision-making and voted to pass all three measures with amendments, with the effective dates changed to July 1, 3000 and HB 1831 amended to reflect the Attorney General’s suggested changes. The Agriculture and Food Systems committee then heard HB 1572, which would establish a four-year restorative aquaculture development program to streamline permitting, expand infrastructure and workforce capacity, create pilot sites, and convene an advisory council. The Attorney General noted a technical issue about whether council members would be compensated, and the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, Hawaii Farm Bureau, and Farmers Union all expressed support for streamlining aquaculture and promoting restorative aquaculture. Members asked about the bill’s focus on restorative aquaculture, and the department said the program would give the area dedicated resources and a framework. The committee also heard HB 219, which would temporarily reestablish the coffee berry borer pesticide subsidy program and manager position; the department, Waimea Coffee Association, Farm Bureau, and Farmers Union supported it. HB 2139 would fund University of Hawaiʻi research on treatment methods for the Queensland longhorn beetle. Testimony from DLNR, the invasive species council, university researchers, farmers, and the Farm Bureau emphasized the beetle’s spread and damage to trees and crops, and described nematode biocontrol as promising but labor-intensive and in need of more research and scaling. Members asked whether the funding was for research rather than a position, whether the current nematode approach is sufficient for large orchards, and whether other controls are being explored; the response was that the bill funds testing and that more work is needed, including local production of nematodes if the method proves effective.

Transcript Highlights:

• By embedding best practices into LCAPs and creating a statewide advisory body, it gives every district
• It's about using tech to empower students through collaboration, creativity, and personalized learning
• It's about using tech to empower students through collaboration, creativity, and personalized learning
• Dual-credentialed teachers can strengthen inclusive practices that benefit all students.
• Dual-credentialed teachers can strengthen inclusive practices that benefit all students.

Summary: The Assembly Education Committee heard several education bills, with AB 887 by Assemblymember Berman proposing that every school district and charter school adopt a plan so all high schools offer at least one computer science course by 2029-30. Supporters, including a teacher and student, argued California is falling behind other states and that computer science is essential for student opportunity and workforce readiness. ACSA opposed the bill, citing the shortage of qualified computer science teachers and administrative burden. The bill passed the committee on a 6-0 vote and was sent to Appropriations. The committee also heard AB 1390 by Assemblymember Solache, which would allow local and county school boards to raise trustee compensation above long-standing statutory minimums that have not changed in decades. Supporters said the current stipends are too low to make board service accessible to working families and younger community members. There was no opposition testimony, and the bill passed with five votes, with the roll left open for additional members. AB 865 by Assemblymember Gonzalez would create a $5 million, three-year grant program for dual-language immersion instructional materials, split between high-demand languages and other languages. Supporters said districts often lack standards-aligned materials in languages beyond Spanish, forcing teachers to create their own. The bill passed 7-0 to Appropriations. AB 857 by Assemblymember Gibson, requiring annual cultural competency training for K-12 staff, also passed 5-1 after supporters linked it to the state reparations task force report and argued it would improve trust and student outcomes. The committee additionally approved AB 677 by Assemblymember Bryan, which would make it easier for unhoused students to access school-based vision and dental screenings by allowing directory information to be used for that purpose with an opt-out process; it passed 8-0. AB 903 by Assemblymember Avila Farias, directing the Department of Education to develop best practices on education technology and digital equity, passed after amendments and with some opponents indicating they would remove opposition once the amendments were in print. Finally, AB 917 by Assemblymember Avila Farias, extending permanent-status protections to certain educators in small districts and county programs, drew significant opposition from small districts and regional occupational programs over flexibility and funding concerns; the bill still passed 5-2 with the roll held open for additional votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm asking about whether you do tax credits and rebates as a normal practice.
• normal practice we did not I did not normal practice we did not I did not look<00:11:46.480><c> at</c
• the neighborhood boards as well, so they need more collaboration about what they intend.
• </c><01:00:33.079><c> of</c> well so they need more collaboration of well so they need more collaboration
• </c><01:00:48.799><c> with</c> Korean and have non collaborated with Korean and have non collaborated

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The hearing began on SP 547, which would create incentives for graywater recycling systems and atmospheric water generators through an income tax credit, a Department of Health rebate program, and building code standards. The Department of Health and Department of Taxation offered written comments; Taxation said it had seven proposed amendments to improve administration. Testimony was largely supportive, with advocates and local users describing water-supply benefits, emergency use during the Maui fires, and potential help for drought conditions and Red Hill concerns. The Tax Foundation of Hawaii suggested only the rebate program should move forward for clearer cost transparency, and the Department of Health said it needed more time to study the bill. Members questioned the fiscal impact and whether combining a tax credit and rebate was typical, but staff did not have cost estimates. Decision-making on SP 547 was deferred to February 12, 2025. The committee then took up SP 242 on foreign ownership of agricultural lands. The chair recommended passage with amendments, including deleting a reference to the Attorney General in one section and changing the effective date to July 1, 2050. Supporters argued the bill was a first step to limit foreign ownership of farmland, citing other states with similar restrictions, while several members said they supported the intent but had reservations about possible unintended harm to farmers and agriculture investment. After discussion, the measure passed with amendments on a 5-0 vote, with some members voting with reservations. The committee also discussed SP 1633, which would create a green building tax credit for structures using at least 30% Hawaii-grown hemp material. The chair said the bill was close but needed more work, and decision-making was deferred to February 12, 2025. Later, the committee heard several environmental measures: SB 683, which would ban intentionally added PFAS in certain products starting in 2028; SB 1109, which would replace the “finding of no significant impact” with a “finding of completion of environmental disclosure process”; SB 391, which would expand recycling requirements to certain lithium-ion batteries; and SB 12, which would classify neonic pesticides as restricted-use pesticides and limit certain seed treatments. Testimony on these bills included support from environmental and advocacy groups, comments from state agencies, and requests for amendments or further study, but no final votes were taken on those measures in the portion of the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are currently labeling children as infants in policy who are toddlers in practice.
• We are currently labeling children as infants and policy who are toddlers in practice.
• It recognizes that no single system currently owns this space and enables collaboration across those
• It's optional, and ultimately in terms of the impact, we support that it enables collaboration.
• It's optional, and ultimately in terms of the impact, we support that it enables collaboration.

Summary: The committee first adopted a 4-0 consent calendar for SB 1345, SB 1410, and SB 1421. It then heard SB 1200 on child care, which would redefine infant and toddler age categories so providers could count 18- to 24-month-olds as toddlers without changing ratios. The author and family child care providers said the bill would better reflect child development, improve reimbursement, increase capacity, and help keep family child care businesses open; there was no opposition, and the bill passed 4-0 to Appropriations. The committee next approved SB 971, a permissive framework for counties to offer senior education and technology training through local public health systems and community partners. Supporters said it would help older adults with digital literacy, fraud awareness, health, and social connection, while remaining optional and locally tailored. There was no opposition, and the bill passed 4-0 to the floor. The committee also passed SB 1234, which requires fentanyl to be included in court-ordered drug testing in dependency cases when drug testing is already ordered. The author, an angel family member, and a sheriff’s office witness described child deaths and fentanyl exposure risks; the bill passed 4-0 to the floor. SB 1109, dealing with oversight of short-term residential therapeutic programs in small rural counties, drew substantial testimony. Supporters from Alpine County argued that two facilities there strain local emergency response and that annual review should be triggered by repeated serious citations or placement in counties lacking basic infrastructure. Opponents said the bill was too broad and could destabilize needed placement capacity. After discussion, the author accepted committee amendments, and the bill passed 4-0 to Appropriations as amended. The committee also passed SB 961, which would notify financial aid applicants that they may be eligible for CalFresh; students and advocates said it would reduce food insecurity and improve college success, with no opposition, and it passed 4-0 to Appropriations. Later, SB 1099, clarifying local governments’ authority to provide state or local public benefits to all residents under federal PRWORA exemptions, was heard and supported by local government attorneys; it was held on call after a 2-0 roll. SB 1190, creating licensing and safety rules for youth transport companies used in out-of-state residential placements, was supported by survivors and advocacy groups, with some support-if-amended testimony; it passed 4-0 to the Public Safety Committee. Finally, SB 1325, a narrow San Diego County measure to allow Feeding San Diego to participate in Cal Food under specific conditions, drew support from the author and Feeding San Diego but opposition from the California Association of Food Banks, which argued it would shift limited resources and add administrative burden. The transcript ends during committee discussion on SB 1325, before a final vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• chairman, the members of this committee, the regulators and industry to make sure we are making practical
• Is there any federal types of collaborations?
• Um, with that would go our collaborations with our bases like mine in San Antonio Joint Base San Antonio
• We share a lot of the same priorities and there's a significant degree of collaboration.
• It's not dependent on wind or sunshine and it's practically limitless, plus a small surface footprint

Transcript Highlights:

• The regulators and industry to make sure we are making practical, smart decisions for our future.
• I have a question in terms of, is there any collaboration with any of the bases, perhaps, in Texas to
• These orphaned wells, is there any federal types of collaborations? We really don't.
• With that would go our collaborations with our bases like mine in St. Anthony.
• We share a lot of the same priorities, and there's a significant degree of collaboration occurring from

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We do so by supporting administrators, parents, and students in establishing a collaborative environment
• By embedding best practices into LCAPS and creating a statewide advisory body, it gives every district
• To empower students through collaboration, creativity, and personalized learning.
• Dually credentialed teachers can strengthen inclusive practices that benefit all students.
• In practice, this restricts the number of educators that can participate in these programs and limits

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm one of the leaders within Deloitte, within the transportation practice.
• I'm one of the leaders within Deloitte, within the transportation practice.
• Now, when we talk about identity verification as a practice or as a premise, and this is where, for me
• I think the reality of even the collaboration between Socure and ACTA, and really our premise here, is
• As a practice or premise for both companies, we provide all this intelligence to the government.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It basically collaborates and brings together information to come up with the answer that we put into
• It basically collaborates and brings together information to come up with the answer that we put into
• learn held by Representative Connolly to start this discussion on how the state can utilize best practices
• concern is jobs, but then there are also more jobs, so how do you transition... ...from a certain practice
• into another form of practice is something that I think America is going through in competition with

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• From sustainable farming practices to water management and food production, the university plays a critical
• cleansing were... ...deportations, forced religious conversions, and ethnic cleansing were also practiced
• This approach has been a practice in Nebraska since the 1950s, giving counties another tool in their
• The crops we grow, the livestock we raise, and the innovations we drive in sustainable farming practices
• This makes the alignment and formal collaboration both natural and necessary and creates a framework

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• First, it directs the University of Washington, in collaboration with Washington State University and
• The language before you is a consensus product from months of collaboration between DSHS, agencies, and
• It's practical, low cost, supports preventive care, reduces disparities, and promotes healthier aging
• It mirrors the certification process practiced in many other states that national carriers have already
• It mirrors the certification process practiced in many other states that national carriers have already

Bills: SB5985, SB6019, SB6161, SB6183, SB6210, SB6194, SB6102, SB6103

Keywords: endometriosis, healthcare, reproductive health, patient education, awareness campaign, home care, home care services, home care agency, home care worker, caregiver, direct care, consumer directed employer, consumer-directed care, Medicaid, long-term care, aging services, disability services, personal care, respite care, vendor rate

Transcript Highlights:

• who have exited EL status to ensure that new EL funding is being used to support evidence-based practices
• EL funding is being used to support evidence-based practices. That is it for Chairman. Thank you.
• But I think it will take more collaborative interim work, which is often very challenging because we
• We're asking for one fiscal year to collaborate with LFC and PED on a shared methodology for accounting
• Practices, private school tuition vouchers, education savings accounts (ESAs), and associated budget

Transcript Highlights:

• members, as you've heard, the first part of this discussion is really about the importance of collaborations
• So, as you heard the dean and the director talk about, it's collaborations between producers, processors
• productive... ...to devise more efficient, more productive, more profitable, and more sustainable practices
• since there are a whole diversity of, or suite of, precision agricultural tools, technologies, and practices
• We do a lot in the sphere of international market collaborations, trying to sell more product that's

Summary: The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee held an interim work session focused on Washington agriculture’s viability, workforce, and competitiveness. Director Derek Sanderson of the Washington State Department of Agriculture and WSU Dean Raj Kosla described the size and diversity of the state’s farm sector, declining farm numbers, major export markets, and pressures from labor costs, low commodity prices, trade barriers, drought, regulatory burdens, and pests and disease. Kosla emphasized WSU’s land-grant role in education, research, and extension, including precision agriculture, broadband needs in rural areas, and the need for state support to help producers adopt new technologies and train the next generation of agricultural workers. Members asked about retaining farmland, increasing workforce capacity, and the role of precision agriculture. Kosla said precision agriculture can help address labor shortages and water scarcity, but adoption is limited by cost and rural broadband gaps. He explained precision agriculture as tailoring inputs to the right place, time, amount, and manner, and said WSU is working on low-cost sensor technologies and other innovations. Members also asked about how widely precision agriculture is used and whether it improves farm bottom lines; Kosla said adoption varies by tool and that he would follow up with more data. The committee then heard from Dr. Randy Fortenberry of WSU’s Impact Center on an agricultural competitiveness study and the effects of tariffs and trade. He reported that Washington’s competitiveness has generally declined relative to peer states in dairy, grapes, hops, apples, and wheat, with potatoes as the main bright spot. Surveyed producers said a substantial share of revenue is tied to regulatory compliance, with labor-related costs a major driver, and small diversified farms reported land access, capital, and profitability as bigger barriers than regulation. On trade, Fortenberry said Washington agriculture is highly export-dependent and vulnerable to retaliation, citing past losses in wheat, apples, pulses, and cherries when tariffs disrupted markets, while noting current uncertainty around China and India. The committee asked follow-up questions about compliance time, peer-state comparisons, and regulatory burdens; no votes were taken, and the department said it plans an interim report by the end of the year and a final report by June 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• I see this as an opportunity to collaborate and potentially create practical... ...is an opportunity
• to collaborate and potentially create practical and efficient recommendations and beneficial management
• practices that could be useful to wind developers as a whole and also help address conservation of our
• But I do know of particular cases where wind companies, for example, have worked collaboratively with
• In practice, we are in a good place toward produced water use for beneficial purposes.

Bills: SB3074, HB49, HB2440, HB3556, HB3619, HB3866, HB4042, HB4112, HB4271, HB4413, HB4426, HB5033

Keywords: SB 3074, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Water Code, permit applications, environmental permitting, administrative record, ex parte communications, legislative communications, governor, lieutenant governor, state legislators, district projects, public records, recusal, conflict of interest, substantial interest, agency transparency, environmental regulation, permit renewal

Summary: The committee heard and laid out several natural resources and environmental bills, with testimony focused on balancing development, public health, wildlife protection, and regulatory authority. SB 3074 would allow the governor, lieutenant governor, and legislators to communicate in writing with TCEQ about matters before the commission, with safeguards requiring the communication to be part of the record and allowing other parties to respond; a committee substitute narrowed it to written communications about permits only, limited legislator communications to facilities in their districts, and adjusted conflict-of-interest rules. HB 3556, as substituted, would require notice to Texas Parks and Wildlife for certain very tall structures in specified coastal counties and give TPWD a limited right to seek injunctive relief if mitigation is insufficient to prevent material harm to migratory birds; supporters said it would address ignored wildlife recommendations and protect key flyways, while opponents argued the bill was too broad, singled out wind energy, and gave one agency unusually strong enforcement power. HB 49 would expand liability protections for produced-water recycling and beneficial use; supporters said it would encourage reuse of a large wastewater stream and reduce disposal pressures, while opponents warned it could shield operators from responsibility before the science and standards are mature. HB 4413 would authorize mass-balance accounting for renewable biomass feedstocks, and HB 3866 would regulate intermediate bulk container recycling facilities near homes, with a committee substitute adding a grandfather clause and making implementation contingent on funding. The committee also heard bills affecting air and energy regulation. HB 5033 would create a trigger to end vehicle emissions inspections if federal law changes to allow it; the substitute removed a Supreme Court-related trigger, and the lone public witness opposed the bill, warning it would worsen air quality and harm nonattainment areas. HB 4112 would clarify that on-site storage of high-level radioactive waste is allowed at current and future nuclear reactors and university research reactors only for waste generated at that site; the substitute clarified the language and removed an inoperative permit condition, and witnesses from environmental and nuclear groups said the clarification was needed to prevent unintended restrictions while avoiding off-site storage. HB 2440 would prohibit state agencies from using air-quality rules to ban or restrict vehicles based on energy source, including internal combustion vehicles, and no public testimony was offered. HB 4271 would require TCEQ to hold public meetings on request for composting facility authorizations; the substitute limited the requirement to future applications and was presented as a transparency measure after a denied local request and extensive public comments. Additional bills addressed landowner protections and Railroad Commission oversight. HB 3619 would require the Railroad Commission to restore surface land after plugging or replugging operations and indemnify landowners from damages tied to authorized entry; a witness supported the bill but urged fixing a separate statutory loophole that he said allowed operators to enter unrelated tracts without notice. HB 4042 would extend Railroad Commission pipeline safety and fee provisions to propane distribution systems by removing the word “natural” from the relevant definitions. HB 4426 would set a 10-year permit term for commercial surface disposal facilities, allow renewal based on compliance history, and require renewal applications 120 days before expiration. The committee took no votes because a quorum was not initially present, and each bill was left pending after testimony and discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 2736 aims to remedy this mass reapplication practice by requiring the appraisal district to
• This practice has taken place for thousands of years, dating back to the first rudimentary versions of
• beer, and the USDA and FDA agree that this is a safe practice.
• To further encourage this practice, House Bill 3336 introduces an excise tax credit for breweries and
• Texas should be a leader in encouraging collaborations and legislation that exemplify this principle

Bills: HB249, HB 1186, HB2313, HB2408, HB2508, HB2730, HB2974, HB3045, HB3232, HB3336, HB3710, HB4044, HB4236, HJR133, HB249

Keywords: ad valorem taxes, property taxes, homestead exemption, disabled veterans, senior citizens, tax payments, installment payments, municipal tax revenue, hotel, convention center, tax code, economic development, local government, municipality, tax revenue, qualified projects, municipal taxation, hotel project, municipality funding, veteran

Transcript Highlights:

• Over the past 18 months, this work, which was conducted in collaboration with consortium members, has
• Over the past 18 months, this work, which was conducted in collaboration with consortium members, has
• The consortium is also participating in collaborations with nine other states and with organizations
• By forcing the Water Quality Control Commission to permit these practices... ...to far less efficacy.
• I think there's been a lot of collaboration.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is relating to emergency management and appropriates funds for the office of the governor in collaboration
• </c> office of the governor in collaboration office of the governor in collaboration with<00:02:12.360
• Hua Collaborative in support. We'll stand on our testimony. Thank you very much.
• </c><00:30:30.519><c> related</c><00:30:30.840><c> to</c><00:30:31.080><c> donor</c> breast practices
• related to donor breast practices related to donor information<00:30:32.200><c> retention</c><00:30:

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint hearing first took up SB 696, which would create an emergency management office and fund tax credits, grants for low-income taxpayers to fortify homes, shelter development, and staffing. Supporters argued Hawaii needs a dedicated preparedness office and funding before the next hurricane season, while the Tax Foundation said the bill was too vague, especially on who would qualify for the tax credits and under what conditions. The Department of the Attorney General and the insurance division offered comments, and both committees recommended deferral of SB 696. The Commerce and Consumer Protection committee then heard SB 179 on construction defect remedies and the contractor repair act. Builders, Realtors, carpenters, and a mortgage industry witness supported the bill, saying it would reduce abusive litigation, speed repairs, and help housing production and affordability. Homeowner advocates and plaintiff attorneys opposed it, arguing it would weaken consumer protections, shift repair costs to homeowners, and delay or limit legitimate claims. One testifier suggested the Senate focus instead on stronger alternative dispute resolution, and the committee noted 105 written supporters, four opponents, and one comment submission. The committee next heard SB 416 on allowing pets in rental housing, with the Attorney General recommending a non-impairment safeguard because of possible effects on existing contracts. SB 593 on commercial dog breeders drew support from the Hawaii Humane Society and others, with concerns raised that counties would be expected to enforce the new regime without funding. SB 641, creating a tax on low-alcohol-by-volume spirits beverages, drew opposition from the Wine Institute, which said it would create a tax break for one segment and likely reduce state revenue. SB 1048 on online crowdfunding received support from GoFundMe and comments from the Attorney General, with GoFundMe urging changes to reduce burdens on charitable fundraising. SB 1213, allowing businesses to accept service of process by email instead of maintaining a registered agent, drew DCCA comments and opposition from LegalZoom, which warned email service could be unreliable and vulnerable to phishing.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is a better package than a resident going into practice could get in another state.
• A physician is obligated to practice in New Mexico for four years.
• Educational debt is one of the many reasons private practices continue to struggle with recruitment and
• They have to stay in practice in the state for four years.
• So I think it's deepening those collaborations.

Bills: SB241, SB145

Keywords: child care, child care assistance, child care subsidy, early childhood education, early childhood care, daycare, preschool, pre-K, Head Start, Early Head Start, Children's Code, early childhood education and care department, ECECD, child care facilities, licensed child care, registered child care, copayments, waitlist, subsidy, federal poverty level

Transcript Highlights:

• We're so grateful for the work of the prime sponsors in both chambers and appreciate the collaboration
• We ask for collaboration with cities on how best to craft a solution that allows our comprehensive plans
• House Bill 2480 is a practical, targeted tool.
• rules actually favoring agritourism functions to the detriment or limitation of typical farming practices
• on the activities happening on that agritourism facility, or are they allowed to continue their practices

Bills: HB2459, HB2480, HB2530, HB2129, HB2223

Keywords: school siting, urban growth, education policy, zoning regulations, community planning, residential development, commercial zones, mixed-use zoning, urban planning, state regulations, public facilities district, regional aquatics, sports facilities, local government, infrastructure, agritourism, agriculture, tourism, economic development, local businesses

Transcript Highlights:

• All the communities here, I think we work collaboratively together.
• It's actually come further in 50 years than it ever has because of that collaboration with NAFTA.
• Here's just an example of a great collaboration that we've had from top to bottom.
• And to try to collaborate with the state of New Mexico to help put such a large-scale infrastructure
• New Mexico Tech, I was on the phone with them this morning; we collaborate with them extensively.