Transcript Highlights:

• Many of our staff's current uniforms are beginning to show signs of wear, tear, and age from daily use
• Many of our staff's current uniforms are beginning to show signs of wear, tear, and age from daily use
• This funding request is to repair and upgrade DJJ's aging facilities.
• to understand what that means, dollars and cents, on the back end of being tough on crime with an aging
• to understand what that means, dollars and cents, on the back end of being tough on crime with an aging

Summary: The committee received a presentation on the Governor’s fiscal year 2026-2027 public safety budget, which totals $8.2 billion for the public safety silo and includes funding for the Departments of Law Enforcement, Juvenile Justice, and Corrections, along with courts and legal affairs. The Governor’s Office highlighted recurring reductions and vacancy eliminations, while agency heads outlined their major requests: FDLE sought funding for fentanyl enforcement, career offender registry staffing, alert-system upgrades, alcohol testing modernization, officer wellness, criminal intelligence, and immigration-related intelligence work; DJJ requested money for the Florida Scholars Academy, uniforms, residential services, a new Broward detention center, and facility maintenance; and DOC requested major increases for officer pay, additional staff, facility construction and maintenance, communications upgrades, inmate health care, pharmaceuticals, and food service. Members questioned FDLE about immigration enforcement and public records burdens, and DOC about staffing, capacity, mental health services, contraband, housing, and whether prison beds were being used for immigration detainees. Public testimony also urged better prison conditions and basic necessities for incarcerated people. The committee then took up and reported favorably CS/SB 156, the Jason Rayner Act, which would strengthen penalties and clarify that a person may not resist an officer with violence when the officer is performing official duties. An amendment conforming the bill to House language was adopted, and the bill passed with Senator Smith voting no. The committee also adopted an amendment and reported favorably CS/SB 54, which concerns use of substances affecting cognitive function and limits certain medical-record disclosures to information relevant to investigations of violent offenders; Senator Smith voted no on that measure as well. Next, the committee considered Senator Berman’s bills on domestic and dating violence. CS/SB 296 would direct a study of a secure web-based alert platform for victims, including a discreet phone-number/code system and geolocation support, and would expand the Address Confidentiality Program to dating-violence victims. The bill drew emotional support testimony from survivors and advocates describing the dangers victims face when trying to leave abusive situations, and it was reported favorably. Its companion, CS/SB 298, would extend public-records protections in the Address Confidentiality Program to dating-violence victims; it was also reported favorably. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• RSA 630:1 for aggravated felonious sexual assault on a child under age 13 as well will fall under this
• with what's called capital murder or the uh aggravated felonious sexual assault on a child under the age
• /c><00:24:56.640> child<00:24:56.799> under<00:24:57.120> the<00:24:57.600> age
• <00:24:57.760> of flown AFSA on a child under the age of flown AFSA on a child under the age

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• RECORDS OF PROSTATE AND ALLOWS FOR IMMUNIZATION STANDARDIZATION AS WELL AS KINDERGARTEN FIRST GRADE AGES
• INSTALLATIONS THAT HOST MORE THAN 66,000 ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY PERSONNEL THAT BRING WITH THEM 39,000 SCHOOL AGE
• CHILDREN TO FLORIDA AND WE ARE THE NUMBER ONE HIGHEST RANKING STATE IN SCHOOL ATTENDANCE AGE CHILDREN
• IN THE MILITARY AND WE ARE THE NUMBER ONE HIGHEST RANKING STATE IN SCHOOL ATTENDANCE AGE CHILDREN IN
• MORE OUTREACH INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO ACTUALLY GET ALL MILITARY MEMBERS WITH SCHOOL AGE

Transcript Highlights:

• year from a constituent of mine, a very proud eight-year-old constituent who competed starting at the age
• Merman of Sacramento passed away on January 6, 2025, at the age of 85.
• He played football through high school and had many friends at an early age. Thank you.
• Fran passed away last March at the age of 86. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1938.
• Today, I rise to adjourn in memory of Alejandro Luna, who passed away on May 4, 2025, at the age of 46

Summary: The Assembly met after a quorum call, prayer, and pledge, with members observing a moment of silence for the Minnesota tragedy mentioned by the Speaker. The chamber then moved quickly through a large daily file, taking up many Senate amendments and third-reading measures, with most bills passing by wide margins or unanimously. Early procedural actions included returning AB 1308 to the Senate, rescinding action on SB 863, and later taking up several resolutions and bills on concurrence and third reading. Among the main policy items, members adopted AJR 8 on temporary protected status after debate over immigration policy, and AJR 19 urging opposition to dismantling the U.S. Department of Education. The Assembly also adopted ACR 112 recognizing September as Deaf Awareness Month, with several members speaking in support of the deaf community and accessibility. Other notable measures included bills on water reclamation and Colorado River Aqueduct maintenance (AB 580), telehealth (AB 688), housing approvals and ADU enforcement/cleanup (AB 920, SB 9, SB 543), pension and retirement rules (SB 301), volunteer fire department tax exemptions (SB 87), dementia training for home care aides (SB 412), and a San Francisco public-safety measure on stolen goods resale (SB 276), which drew opposition over permitting and criminalization concerns. The Assembly also passed or concurred in a number of Senate bills dealing with local government finance and infrastructure, public contracts, the Delta, fairgrounds compensation, and San Francisco liquor licenses, as well as AJR 3 on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Most measures were approved on roll-call votes with few no votes; SB 227 and SB 276 were urgency measures and received the required two-thirds support. The consent calendar was adopted unanimously, and the day concluded with several adjournment-in-memory tributes, including remembrances of former Assembly staffer Lawrence Merman, Jeff Brady, Fran Urcini, and Alejandro Luna, before the House adjourned until the next morning.

Transcript Highlights:

• Tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m. in the Ag Museum, we will take up and consider pending business to vote
• Again, that's 9:30 a.m. tomorrow morning in the Ag Museum. With that, let's get to new business.
• be based on numerous factors, such as a person's race, ethnicity, and gender. ...gender, religion, age
• We talk about different topics when discussing race, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, and mental or
• So two hours now, at whatever age they are, sadly, it's still more than what they may have had ever.

Bills: HB 1181, HB3704, HB1363, HB1610, HB1615, HB1620, HB3223, HB1317, HB2884, HB2176, HB4027, HB1664, HB933, HB2613, HB3353, HB2086, HB4101, HB3441, HB4145, HB3455

Keywords: judiciary, judges, justices, retired, legal assignments, judicial conduct, notary public, criminal offense, education requirements, official documents, record retention, implicit bias, bias training, judicial training, judge education, court personnel, continuing legal education, CLE, state bar, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

Transcript Highlights:

• Code that pertains specifically to laws regarding the operation of a vehicle by a person under the age
• This section of the statute states that a person under the age of 18 may not operate a motor vehicle
• This statute, which is currently in effect, regulates the movements of individuals under the age of 18
• hardened toward police when they have been stopped, questioned, detained, and fined for being a certain age
• The third reason is that it assumes that being a certain age and out in public is alone a sufficient

Bills: HB1511, HB1831, HB1988, HB2147, HB2234

Keywords: housing, affordable housing, state regulations, zoning, local government authority, drug court, juvenile justice, diversion programs, rehabilitation, criminal justice reform, remote proceedings, depositions, virtual hearings, court technology, criminal responsibility, age of maturity, expungement, mental health services, juvenile record sealing, 1184

Transcript Highlights:

• He had a a school-aged child or you moved into the neighborhood with a child who is eligible for school
• And then during the school year, the Department of Education takes a census to count the students of age
• And so today, Mister Chair, we have 543,000 students in scholarship programs. 16% of the school age children
• But we've had COVID and many people but many of us even in this room beyond childbearing age threat people
• look get our school facilities and what we're doing with them and have some clear data on the school aged

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Youth ages 12 to 14 experience more use of force by law enforcement than older youth.
• With officers using force against black and native youth in this age range at rates more than twice as
• youth, and officers use force more than three times as often with black and native youth between the ages
• of 15 and 17 with white youth of the same age.
• A lot of that is children under the age of 10 years old. That are being raped by adults.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Finally, the bill allows the state to purchase ag land that was converted to a solar field after it was
• of the original bill was to make sure that these solar farms were able to either be co-located with ag
• opportunities or be reconverted into ag.
• and more of those solar farms being repurposed, so to the extent that they can be converted back into ag
• Alex Haley, Florida Department of Ag and Consumer Services, the Legislative Affairs Director, waves and

Summary: The Housing, Agriculture and Tourism Subcommittee heard and advanced several bills. HB 615, allowing landlords to send required notices electronically with tenant written consent, was amended to allow either landlords or tenants to send messages electronically and passed favorably after testimony from legal aid and tenant advocates urging stronger opt-in, opt-out, and notice protections. HB 665, dealing with local government impact fees and development permits, would limit certain art-related impact fees, define “extraordinary circumstances,” and require more public process before fee increases; it passed after local government and industry testimony focused on refining the extraordinary-circumstances definition and concerns about public art funding. HB 365, a tenant protection bill for affordable housing units receiving public incentives, was amended to apply only to leases of 13 months or less and to take effect in July 2026; it passed with support from housing advocates and AARP and was described as preventing mid-lease rent increases while preserving renewal-time adjustments. HB 381, requiring issuance of addresses and parcel identification numbers within a set timeframe, was amended to extend the deadline to 20 business days and shift the fee consequence to the address fee rather than the building permit fee; it passed after discussion about delays affecting developers and local government responsibility.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so that quality of lawyer who has... have done that, they are aging out and retiring.
• The case is before a court from filing to disposition and the age of the court's active pay.
• Our disposition rate last year was approximately... only 107% with the average age of a case being 4.3
• Our disposition rate is 96% at this point, with the average age of the case being 5.4 months.
• And I will say that most of those cases, when you look at the average age of the case, those are the

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• data on this slide not only shows the decrease in out-of-home care, but also highlights the shifting age
• the most notable trends is the increase in older children, particularly as the number of children ages
• In fiscal year 2023-24, 1,662 LRT staffings were held involving 714 children, and the average age of
• Oh, my God, I'm aging myself. Let me not talk. Okay.
• in terms of another section that you had addressed, it was on the out-of-home care distribution by age

Summary: The committee heard three presentations focused on child welfare workforce development and the needs of children in Florida’s dependency system. First, the Florida Institute for Child Welfare described its Grow Center and related initiatives, including academic curriculum enhancements, simulations, virtual reality training, coaching, on-demand learning, advanced certifications, and the planned Tallahassee learning lab opening in January 2026. Members asked about conflict resolution, domestic violence, addiction, and microcredentials; the presenter said the institute is expanding training in those areas and is working with DCF to align advanced certifications with the department’s career ladder. The Department of Children and Families then presented on the Continue the Mission initiative, which recruits veterans, military spouses, and former law enforcement officers into CPI, API, and case management roles. DCF said it has held more than 240 hiring events and hired 372 such workers since launch, while also improving recruitment and retention through higher starting pay, streamlined hiring, rebranding, wellness supports, and enhanced pre-service training. Senators asked about PTSD concerns, staffing levels, caseloads, hotline vacancies, and salaries; DCF said it had not seen direct PTSD issues from the hiring effort and provided figures including a $50,000 starting salary for CPIs, $37,000 for APIs, and average caseloads of 12 to 15 investigations for CPIs and about 10 for APIs. Finally, DCF discussed the increased acuity of children in the dependency system, explaining that fewer children are entering care overall but those who do often have more complex behavioral, mental health, developmental, or medical needs. The department highlighted a new Behavioral Qualified Residential Treatment Program (BQRTP) designed for youth who need more intensive support than traditional foster or group home settings but do not require inpatient psychiatric treatment; one facility is licensed with 12 of 14 beds filled, and DCF said it is seeking funding for placement for 230 youth total. Members pressed for details on licensure timelines, standards, funding, and the handling of crossover youth and lockouts, and DCF said it uses braided funding and works with DJJ, APD, and lead agencies through local and state review teams. A representative of the Florida Coalition for Children also testified, saying the issue is complex and multi-year, and that the coalition is working on possible legislative and programmatic solutions. The committee took no formal votes and adjourned after the presentations and discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome to the Age of the Jetsons.
• This is the new age of aeromobility.
• I would just like to invite you all to the Age of the Jetsons. Welcome to the Age of the Jetsons.
• This is the new age of aeromobility.
• This is the new age of aeromobility.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognized several guests, including a state champion Crossroads Academy girls basketball team and a Florida State University student intern. The chamber then turned to executive appointment confirmations reported by the Committee on Ethics and Elections and other reference committees under Rule 12.7, with Chair Don Gates explaining that the committee had reviewed the qualifications and suitability of the nominees and held public hearings where required. Members debated several confirmations at length. The report containing 186 appointments was adopted 31-0 after Senator Polsky explained her no votes on three nominees, citing concerns about past comments and ideological views. The Senate then confirmed Jeffrey Aaron to the Public Employee Relations Commission by a 26-10 vote after sharp debate over his role as counsel to the Hope Florida Foundation and allegations tied to the diversion of Medicaid settlement funds; supporters argued he was a competent lawyer and no formal action had been taken against him. Chavon Harris was confirmed as Secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration by a 32-5 vote, with supporters praising her work on Medicaid funding and opponents criticizing her prior leadership at DCF and the Hope Florida-related issues. Taylor Hatch was confirmed as Secretary of the Department of Children and Families by a 33-4 vote, despite concerns raised about SNAP/EBT compliance, child welfare practices, audits, and DCF’s handling of Hope Florida; supporters emphasized her commitment to reform and the difficulty of the agency’s mission. After a brief recess, the Senate held a lengthy recognition of outgoing President Kathleen Passidomo. Senators from both parties offered personal tributes focused on her leadership, toughness, humor, mentorship, and support for colleagues, especially women in the chamber. Several speakers also referenced her handling of difficult bills, her post-presidency service as Rules Chair, and her resilience after personal loss. No further legislative action was taken during the recognition segment.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is something that attracts children in this day and age with, you know, the graphics popping up and
• It is something that attracts children in this day and age with, you know, the graphics popping up and
• It is something that attracts children in this day and age with, you know, the graphics popping up and
• It is something that attracts children in this day and age with, you know, the graphics popping up and
• We've heard a lot about the need for replacing aging water infrastructure.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• More recently, in 2013, Hawaii County raised the age to purchase tobacco from 18 to 21 to protect more
• Two years later, the state of Hawaii adopted the same measure raising the age.
• same measure raising the age. same measure raising the age.
• This is actually the brainchild of AG Lopez.
• of one of the pages has to allow the AGs of one of the pages has to allow the AGs to<01:47:35.160

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.

Transcript Highlights:

• And it says that the the pun, age of 12.
• 16 years of age, so I apply<01:20:58.400> this."
• The age gap issue that Representative Land brought. Anybody?
• The age gap issue that through 22?
• The age gap issue that Representative<01:31:24.080> Land<01:31:24.560> brought.

Bills: HB0008, HB0009

Keywords: stalking, minors, felony, protection orders, criminal penalties, grooming, sexual offenses, child protection, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• >> Um, I think that's something that we would need to consult with the AG on. >> Thank you, Chair. >>
• would need to consult with the AG on. would need to consult with the AG on.
• Actually, we do have the AG here, so I can ask you, Department of the AG.
• parents, for example, or their aging parents, for example, or their<01:15:16.880> kids<01:15:
• parents in the then say their aging parents in the second<01:16:43.760> home.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committees heard testimony on five housing-related measures. SB 2232 would create a three-year tiny home grant pilot program within HHFDC, with annual reporting to HHFDC and the Legislature; testimony was mixed, and the bill was later recommended for passage with amendments, including a full-time housing development specialist, a residential-use-only restriction for the tiny homes, and a blanked appropriation. SB 2192 would bar county down-zoning that reduces housing capacity unless equivalent capacity is added elsewhere in the county; it drew support from housing advocates and comments from planning officials, and was also recommended for passage with amendments. SB 2378 would clarify insurance requirements for single- and multifamily projects seeking expedited county permitting; engineers and housing groups supported it, while one testifier opposed it, and it was recommended for passage with a technical amendment. SB 2524 would appropriate funds to the City and County of Honolulu for housing-related departments to comply with prior acts; the Honolulu department supported it, and members asked about prior spending and funding sources. SB 2398 would require residential housing utility availability maps; the Honolulu Board of Water Supply opposed the bill as written, citing infrastructure security, accuracy, liability, and administrative burden concerns, while supporters said it would improve transparency for developers. The chair proposed amendments to make the maps broad and geographic rather than parcel-specific, remove contested-case and reliance provisions, allow disclaimer language, and change the date; the bill was then recommended for passage with amendments, with one member noting reservations. All five measures were ultimately passed out of committee with amendments, with votes recorded and some members excused.

Transcript Highlights:

• Eating disorders affect everyone at every age, but especially in the teen demographic.
• reconfiguration and training employees reconfiguration and training employees for<00:35:19.359> age
• <00:35:20.800> Additionally, for age verification. Additionally, for age verification.
• The average adverse childhood experience score was 6.31 out of 10, and the average onset age of abuse
• 6.31 out of 10 and the average onset age of<00:41:15.359> abuse<00:41:15.599> was<00:41

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint HHS, Agriculture, Environment, Energy, and Intergovernmental Affairs hearing focused first on SB 2262, a pollution and illegal dumping measure. The Department of Health said it stood on its written testimony, and public testimony included support from CARES with suggested amendments to involve the counties in standardized response planning and to address pollution caused by individuals. Members questioned the bill’s fines, where they would go, and how the department would handle carcasses and illegal dumping enforcement. DOH said administrative fines go to the general fund, criminal fines are collected by the Attorney General, carcasses are generally buried by the landowner under existing rules, and DOH mainly regulates solid waste and coordinates with counties and other agencies when violations arise. After discussion, the chair recommended SB 2262 be passed with substantial amendments. The proposed amendments would add DLNR to the task force, deposit all fines into a special fund to support enforcement, allow fines below $5,000 for littering and higher fines for excessive or chronic illegal dumping, and include a January 30, 2050 effective date. The committee adopted the recommendation, with members voting aye. The hearing then moved to the HHS calendar. On SB 2087, relating to health insurance, agencies including DHS, DCCA, the Attorney General, and Labor stood on written testimony, while several advocacy and medical groups testified in support. One Medicaid recipient opposed the bill, arguing the coverage should be immediate rather than phased in over three years. Angela Melody Young supported the bill but urged amendments to prioritize people with disabilities, kupuna, and mothers. Members questioned whether the rural health transformation program could support the bill’s deductible structure; the Department of Human Services said it was unlikely CMS would allow that level of coverage, though rural funds might help in other ways. The committee then moved on to SB 2089, which would expand services eligible for Medicaid prospective payment system reimbursement, hearing support from OHA, DHS, and others, along with testimony about mental health access and training. The transcript also began SB 2106, relating to health and eating disorder prevention, with a student testifying in support and citing youth eating disorder harms, but the discussion was cut off before any action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, Commission on the Aging.
• Uh commission<00:37:56.960> on<00:37:57.119> the<00:37:57.280> aging.
• We're going to commission on the aging.
• And the amendment that we passed on age.
• <01:34:00.080> into 65, aging into 65, aging into Medicare,<01:34:02.560> but<01:34

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As a family medicine physician, I see patients of all ages and... ages of life for a multitude of conditions
• I'd really point to the survey that we did on your handout that shows that 83% of Texans over the age
• Over 22% are already over the age of 65, and within the next decade.
• More than 40% of the psychiatric workforce in Texas will be reaching retirement age.
• Hearing loss in children before the age of six has cost estimates of $230,000.

Bills: HB46, HB35, HB4490, HB4454, HB2188, HB3078, HB4743, HB2556, HB46, HB5342, HB4783, HB3785, HB5278, HB1639, HB2581, HB4224, HB4070, HB4099, HB4882, HB3794

Keywords: local government spending cap, expenditure limit, political subdivision, property tax, ad valorem tax, budget cap, taxpayer protection, spending restraint, inflation adjustment, population growth, voter approval, supermajority vote, county budget, municipal budget, school district finance, junior college district, hospital district, special district, attorney general enforcement, local fiscal limits

Transcript Highlights:

• They're not age-gating for kids. There's absolutely no care or awareness for that.
• They're not age-gating for kids. There's absolutely no care or awareness for that.
• They're not age-gating for kids. There's absolutely no care or awareness for that.
• By age 45, users have brain damage on MRI, older facial age, less happiness. More are on welfare.
• :51:57.280> happiness on MRI older facial age less happiness on MRI older facial age less happiness

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint Health and Human Services and Judiciary meeting heard testimony on several measures, with most of the discussion focused on SB 709 and SB 955. On SB 709, relating to mental health data and related appropriations, the Department of Health supported the bill’s intent and said the funding would help maintain a data dashboard and positions, though it had no suggested amount for one blank appropriation. Members also discussed whether sections of the bill were duplicative of existing data reporting. The committees later recommended SB 709 be passed with amendments, including technical changes, deferring the date to December 31, 2050, and blanking out the appropriation for later clarification. SB 955, relating to fitness to proceed, drew mixed testimony. Judiciary opposed portions of the bill, saying some changes could have unintended practical consequences. The Office of the Public Defender supported the bill’s intent but urged keeping a three-member evaluation panel rather than reducing it to two, warning that a two-panel process could create delays if a third evaluator had to be added later. A former Hawaii State Hospital clinician said the bill placed too much blame on the courts and should address institutional and administrative problems at the hospital more directly. The Department of Health supported the intent and said it appreciated efforts to address overcrowding. After discussion about examiner shortages and status hearings, the committees recommended SB 955 be passed with amendments reducing the number of qualified examiners from three to one and making related technical changes. The committee also heard SB 1228, a child welfare services measure creating a working group related to youth legal representation and child welfare reform. DHS requested adding a Child Welfare Services representative to the work group, and multiple advocates, including the National Center for Youth Law and Hawaii Youth Services Network, testified in strong support, emphasizing the need for youth voice and implementation of Malama Ohana recommendations. Members asked whether this working group overlapped with another recently passed working group bill; testimony indicated the two measures addressed different issues. The meeting then recessed and later resumed for decision-making on the 9 o’clock calendar, where SB 709 was adopted with amendments and SB 955 was adopted with amendments.