Transcript Highlights:

• I was fascinated about the part about the test that you could take at home.
• Is there a requirement for people to take that test?
• of mine emailed me a picture of the test of mine emailed me a picture of the test during<00:32:45.240
• I thought until I found out about this test.
• Thank you. found out about this test um and then found out about this test um and then they<00:33:05.399

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Judiciary Committee met in executive session and first took up HB 148, a bill allowing classification by biological sex in limited settings such as multiple-use bathrooms, certain sports, and involuntary commitment facilities. Supporters said it was needed to protect privacy and safety, especially for minors, and argued it was consistent with recent federal and state developments. Opponents said the bill was poorly defined, unnecessary, and could create discrimination or confusion, especially because it did not define “biological sex” in the text. The committee voted 10-8 ought to pass, and the chair said a minority report would be written. The committee then considered HB 254, a bill concerning medical aid in dying. The chair moved ought to pass and described the bill as a matter of liberty for terminally ill patients within six months of death, arguing it should not be treated as suicide. Opponents raised religious, ethical, and policy concerns, including worries about a slippery slope, misuse by vulnerable people, and the effect on death records and public health data. The committee voted 11-7 ought to pass, and the chair said a majority report would be written with a minority report by Representative Perez. Finally, the committee turned to HB 611 with Amendment 2025-0638, a replace-all amendment dealing with recoupment of costs for appointed counsel. The chair explained the amendment would restore the law to its pre-2020 form, allowing the Office of Cost Containment to seek repayment from some recipients of appointed counsel services, including those found not guilty, if they had the ability to pay. Supporters said the prior change had sharply reduced collections and that the state should not treat indigent defendants differently from people who hire private counsel. Opponents argued the policy unfairly bills innocent people and children who were entitled to counsel. The transcript cuts off during debate on the amendment, before a vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• round<00:05:10.800> of<00:05:10.960> testing<00:05:11.199> that testing.
• The first round of testing that testing.
• ended up hiring additional testing ended up hiring additional testing through<00:05:23.520> an
• That testing confirmed what the contractors had said from the very beginning.
• We had the ability to wait months for testing, reports, and negotiations.

Bills: HF4133, HF3419

Keywords: homeowner's insurance, peace officer, property damage, just compensation, exclusion policy, corporate powers, entity law, business corporations, nonprofit corporations, LLC, limited liability company, cooperative, partnership, trust, foreign entity, campaign finance, election spending, political spending, ballot measure, ballot initiative

Transcript Highlights:

• I've been conducting fiscal stress tests of New Hampshire's budget using the state's official revenue
• First, consider doing official stress testing to model recession scenarios.
• I've been conducting<00:14:29.440> fiscal<00:14:29.839> stress<00:14:30.160> tests
• c><00:14:30.480> of<00:14:30.639> New conducting fiscal stress tests of New conducting
• A stress test asks a simple scenarios.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The requirement for the English learner students is that they be tested on the English learner test that
• But on the English learner, it's test in, test out, no more than seven years.
• on the English learner they be tested on the English learner test<01:20:04.560> that<01:20:04.760
• <01:20:12.880> the skills are proficient on that test the skills are proficient on that test
• c> English learner it's test in test out uh English learner it's test in test out uh no<01:21:13.480>

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee first approved the January 21st minutes by voice vote. Members then resumed a school finance overview focused on how Minnesota’s “base” budgeting system works and how future committee targets are set above or below that base by the Ways and Means chair, in consultation with fiscal staff. Staff emphasized that school funding decisions are tied to the state budget base and that changes made by the tax committee can affect school levies and school finance more broadly. The presentation then turned to property tax fundamentals. Staff explained that roughly 65% of school district revenue comes from state aid and about 20% from property taxes, with property tax revenue applying to school districts rather than charter schools. They reviewed the two main school tax bases—referendum market value and adjusted net tax capacity—along with class rates, sales ratios, and equalization. They also described tax credits, especially the school building bond agricultural credit, which helps reduce the property tax burden on agricultural land in Greater Minnesota. Members discussed student choice programs and how funding follows students. In response to questions from Representative Quam, staff explained postsecondary enrollment options (including direct enrollment and College in the Schools) and online learning, noting that funding generally follows the student to the serving institution or district. Staff also reviewed Minnesota’s pupil-counting system, including average daily membership and pupil weighting, and explained that students attending charter schools, other districts through open enrollment, or online programs are counted where they are served. The presentation concluded with broader school finance context: funding sources, equity and adequacy goals, constitutional and statutory authority, and the state’s school data systems (EUP/FARS, MARS, and STARS). Staff also began reviewing long-term enrollment trends, noting the impact of the baby boom, later growth from the mid-1980s through about 2000, and projected modest declines in public school enrollment through 2029.

Transcript Highlights:

• So these are studies where an inoculum of bacteria placed on the test subject's hands, the test article
• So they want us to design the studies to test in a consumer-clinical way how these products work.
• Well, those tests will take several years to complete. They take several years even just to design.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Every baby born in Florida already receives a total bilirubin test.
• has an ACA code, billing code 8249, for a combined total and direct bilirubin test.
• It's a measurement adjustment, ...and direct bilirubin test. So this is not a system expansion.
• It's a measurement adjustment within an existing test. And here are the numbers.
• The Medicaid reimbursement rate for this repeat test is $3.11.

Bills: S0042, S0688, S0762, S1168, S1296, S1298, S1300, S1318, S1332, S1376, S1548, S1570, S1574, S1632, S1634, S1750

Keywords: child protection, medical records, investigation, abuse, neglect, healthcare, Child Protection Team, diagnosis, criminal defense, legal representation, death penalty, indigent defense, regional counsel, conflict of interest, background screening, athletic coaches, youth sports, criminal history, expungement, Florida statutes

Summary: The committee first took up CS for SB 42 on specific medical diagnosis and child protective investigations. A late-file strike-all amendment was adopted that made only stylistic changes to align with the House version. Supporters said the bill would help DCF and child protective teams better identify rare medical conditions and give parents a chance to defend against mistaken abuse findings. The bill was then reported favorably. The committee also approved SB 1570, which restores a prior program to help locate missing persons with special needs through voluntary tracking devices and coordination with sheriff’s offices and CARD centers, with nonrecurring funding included. Members then advanced several education, disability, and public services measures. CS for CSSB 182 created a teacher training and mentoring program for high-performing current and retired teachers to mentor teachers in D- and F-rated schools, and CS for CSSB 794 required background screening for employees in residential and day training programs for people with developmental disabilities while directing APD to study support coordination quality, workforce issues, and service gaps. Testimony on SB 794 strongly supported better training, lower caseloads, and more consistent support coordination. The committee also favorably reported CS for CS SB 1168 on background screenings, CS for CS SB 214 to allow rural special districts to pay verified invoices directly, CS for SB 1376 to create grants for genetic counseling education, and SB 1574 (Maddie’s Law) to add newborn screening for biliary atresia; the latter drew emotional support and testimony that early screening could save lives and reduce transplant costs. The committee heard and passed a number of other policy bills, including CS for CS for SB 1510, the DEP agency package, after environmental groups warned that one provision could delay basin management protections and allow more septic systems in impaired watersheds; the bill still passed favorably. Members also approved CS for CS for SB 598 on funeral and cemetery regulation, SB 688 to license naturopathic doctors, SB 1318 on scholarship account reversion rules, CS for CS for SB 682 on domestic violence injunctions and penalties, SB 130 on workforce training for current and former inmates, and SB 1548, the latest Live Local affordable housing update. Several bills were briefly postponed or taken up later in the meeting. In the latter portion of the meeting, the committee approved CS for C.S. for SB 536 on criminal gang membership criteria, CS for C.S. SB 762 on assigning conflict capital cases across regional counsel offices, SB 1332 on career offender registration requirements, CS for CS for SB 1742 creating a new offense for indecent exposure of sexual organs to a child, and CS for SB 1750 increasing penalties for serious sex offenses and child sexual abuse material crimes. The committee also debated CS for SB 1226 on Public Employee Relations Commission procedures and union certification rules, including a late-file amendment setting a 60% threshold and 25% quorum for recertification; the discussion focused heavily on constitutional concerns, union rights, and differences between first responders and other public employees. The transcript ends while that bill’s debate is still underway, with the committee having already taken numerous favorable votes throughout the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• ,<00:14:50.000> well<00:14:50.320> disclosures, on our radon testing, well disclosures
• , on our radon testing, well disclosures, uh,<00:14:51.920> community<00:14:52.399> land
• Right now, protected under 13.51, the court is required to employ the balancing test before releasing
• what's the relationship between the section amended in section four of the bill and the balancing test
• what's the relationship between the section amended in section four of the bill and the balancing test

Bills: HF3676, HF2959, HF3233

Keywords: Safe at Home, address confidentiality, domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, harassment, victim privacy, survivor protection, confidential address, protected address, secret address, identity protection, residential confidentiality, program participant, nondiscrimination, court disclosure, protective order, service of process, driver's license, state ID

Transcript Highlights:

• Only 11 of the requests have been for exemptions to the blight test, and those that came forward for
• the exemption to the blight test would not meet obviously the Redevelopment standard, nor would they
• But eliminating the renovation and renewal district and just putting that factor in as a blight test
• as a secondary test or option within the renovation or in the Redevelopment districts is not going to
• putting that factor in as a blight test putting that factor in as a blight test as<00:50:13.760>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• He also said it is important to have testing from qualified laboratories.
• He also said it is important to have testing from qualified laboratories, and that he has included an
• He said it is important to have testing from qualified laboratories, and that he included an amendment
• sluds for agricultural<01:05:22.440> purposes<01:05:23.440> without<01:05:23.720> testing
• agricultural purposes without testing agricultural purposes without testing for<01:05:24.240>

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint Housing and Health and Human Services hearing began with Senate Bill 878, which would extend the sunset date for the state rent supplement program for kupuna to June 30, 2028. Testimony was uniformly supportive, including from the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions, Hawaii Public Housing Authority, Executive Office on Aging, Catholic Charities Hawaii, and others. Catholic Charities described a waitlist of seniors at imminent risk of homelessness and said the program helps seniors retain housing or secure units with landlord support. Members asked whether the bill would expand the number of households served; staff said the contract allows up to 127 households and that additional pending households could be funded, but applicants must still go through the program process. Both committees voted to pass SB 878 unamended. The committees then heard Senate Bill 1610 on Ohana Zones. The Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions supported the measure so long as it did not supplant existing funding, and described the funding as supporting homelessness services and wraparound supports. The Department of Human Services and Department of Land and Natural Resources offered comments, with DHS suggesting a definition of “kali” be added for clarity. The committee chair said the bill would receive technical amendments for clarity and consistency and accepted proposed amendments related to including “tales” in the program; the measure was advanced with amendments, with members voting in favor in both committees. In the joint Health and Human Services and Labor and Technology hearing, Senate Bill 1496 on civil rights and website accessibility drew support from disability advocates and organizations, including the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, the National Federation of the Blind, the Deaf and Blind Task Force, and the Disability and Communication Access Board. Testimony emphasized the need for stronger state protections amid concerns about federal enforcement, while one testifier raised concerns about jurisdiction, minimum contacts, the use of WCAG 2.1 standards, and the bill’s immediate effective date. The committees decided to pass SB 1496 with technical amendments, including adding a defective date to allow further work before conference, and the recommendation was adopted in both committees. Later, the joint Health, Human Services, and Commerce and Consumer Protection hearing took up Senate Bill 404 on service animals. The Attorney General’s office raised a possible constitutional issue and the lack of an enforcement mechanism, while DHS deferred to other agencies. DCAB supported the bill but recommended amendments to identify an enforcement agency and require notices from professionals and sellers of service-animal or emotional-support-animal paraphernalia. Several advocacy and real estate-related groups testified in support. After discussion, the chair recommended deferring SB 404 for further work because of the Attorney General’s concerns, and the hearing adjourned without a vote on the measure. The final joint Transportation, Culture and the Arts, and Health and Human Services agenda heard SB 1526 on a drug and alcohol toxicology testing laboratory and SB 1492 on mobility management; both measures were advanced with amendments or as-is, with SB 1526 sent forward with technical amendments and SB 1492 moved ahead after members noted blank dollar amounts and requested the Department of Transportation provide figures.

Transcript Highlights:

• that duty to any other organization and lays out some requirements for attorney licensure, including testing
• material that is not considered obscene to adults, but it is to minors, and it limits what the Miller test
• was from the perspective. ...obscene to adults but it is to minors, and it limits what the Miller test

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The Rules Committee considered several Senate bills for constitutional and proper-form review. Senate Bill 1099, dealing with defamation claims and a statute of limitations for internet publications, was flagged for possible anti-abrogation and First Amendment issues, but was still recommended by a 4-2 vote. Senate Bill 1148, which would require the Arizona Supreme Court to handle attorney licensing and bar membership requirements, drew separation-of-powers concerns because it would direct how the Court exercises its exclusive authority over the practice of law; it was nevertheless recommended 4-2. The committee then reviewed Senate Bill 1435 and Senate Bill 1567, both addressing sexually explicit materials and minors in schools, libraries, and government settings. Staff raised vagueness and First Amendment concerns, especially around the terms “facilitating” and the breadth of the materials definitions, but said amendments could likely cure the issues. Members questioned the state’s interest in protecting minors and whether narrower definitions could resolve the constitutional problems. Both bills were recommended, each by a 5-2 vote. After correcting the recorded vote on SB 1099, the committee took up a mass motion covering many additional Senate bills. Staff said each measure in the motion had been reviewed and was constitutional and in proper form. The mass motion passed unanimously, 7-0, with one member absent, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• It includes a business purpose test as well as an economic substance test to make sure these agreements
• So it puts in certain tests that they have to actually pass.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It has its own income and asset test.
• It has its own income and asset test.
• <00:30:43.279> I that have removed the asset test. I that have removed the asset test.
• <00:34:35.359> whether posing as patients to test whether posing as patients to test whether
• , medications, inhome medical testing, medications, inhome medical testing, transportation,<05:13

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• California misses its own reliability target by the mid-2030s under every growth scenario the state tested
• As these emergency assets phase out, new supply is tested against real stress, and the build-out that
• few years ahead, and in the decade after that, as these emergency assets phase out, new supply is tested
• And so we do believe, and it's still early because it hasn't been tested through the summer, so I want
• We do believe, and it's still early because it hasn't been tested through the summer, so I want to be

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So when I tested positive, I had already lost so many. including the Medicare premium payment program
• So when I tested positive, I had already lost so many.
• So when I tested positive, I had already lost so many friends, and they were just going so fast.
• well, I started doing some supportive classes, and one day they asked me if I wanted to be an HIV test
• One is on the administrator trainings: there's actually a test to make sure that they have learned the

Summary: The Select Committee on Older LGBTQ Californians held an inaugural hearing focused on the health care and support landscape for older LGBTQ Californians, including people aging with HIV and transgender, gender non-conforming, and intersex seniors. Opening remarks emphasized the long history of discrimination faced by older LGBTQ adults, the growth of the aging LGBTQ population, and the need to translate existing state commitments into concrete services. Senators highlighted concerns about nursing home vulnerability, the aging of people living with HIV, and the impact of federal actions and Medicaid cuts on California’s safety net. The first panel featured Justice in Aging, CalHHS, the Department of Aging, and the Aging and HIV Institute. Testimony described widespread inequities, including discrimination, social isolation, economic insecurity, and gaps in culturally competent care. State officials outlined the Master Plan for Aging, the first statewide survey of LGBTQIA older adults, gender-affirming care protections in Medi-Cal, and efforts to improve coordination across departments. Advocates argued the state has been too slow to respond to federal threats and that services are often hard to find or fragmented. Committee members pressed the departments on how survey findings are being turned into action, how rural and underserved communities are being reached, and whether more formal stakeholder coordination or “no wrong door” access systems are needed. The second panel focused on seniors living with HIV. A long-term survivor gave emotional testimony about the “survivorship penalty,” loss of benefits, housing insecurity, and the need for legal and navigation support, housing assistance, and protection from outdated disability standards. The Department of Aging reported on implementation of SB 258, which added HIV status to the definition of greatest social need for area agencies on aging; it said 20 of 33 area plans now identify HIV as a target population and many include specific strategies, such as LGBTQIA mental health connections programs. The Office of AIDS described Project Cornerstone, Ryan White, ADAP, HOPWA, the Medi-Cal waiver, and PrEP-AP, noting these programs serve thousands of older clients and rely on whole-person case management. Case management testimony underscored persistent needs for medication subsidies, transportation, food, and housing. Committee members questioned how ADAP rebate funds might be used, how SB 258 is enforced across local agencies, and how to reduce administrative barriers and auto-connect eligible people to benefits. The final panel began with the Department of Social Services outlining protections for TGI seniors in licensed care facilities, including SB 219’s nondiscrimination requirements and related provider notices and resident rights materials. The hearing remained focused on identifying service gaps, improving coordination across aging, health, and social service systems, and ensuring state programs better reflect the lived experience of older LGBTQ Californians.

Transcript Highlights:

• One of these teachers has five tested math preps, and she had 50% mastery on the STAAR Algebra I last
• She walks kids through their hardest moments, oversees testing, and supports every student because she
• He's taken three STAAR tests this spring. They were very stressful for him.
• him, he said, 'I want to perform well because my teacher will make more money if I do well on this test
• crazy thing, that it would drill down to his math teacher getting a raise because he did well on a test

Bills: HB2

Keywords: disaster preparedness, emergency management, flooding, mass fatality, mass casualty, fatality tracking, body recovery, autopsy, justice of the peace, medical examiner, county judge, sheriff, mayor, emergency coordinator, emergency manager license, volunteer management system, volunteer registration, criminal history check, background check, Texas Division of Emergency Management

Summary: The committee continued public testimony on House Bill 2, which would make major changes to public school funding, teacher pay, special education, early learning, school safety, and related programs. Many superintendents and education advocates supported the bill’s overall direction but urged changes, especially a larger basic allotment and more flexible funding for rural and small districts. Witnesses from Paint Creek, West Hardin, Cushing, Blooming Grove, Mildred, Buffalo, Plano, and rural school groups said the bill’s targeted raises and new requirements would not fully cover inflation, TRS/Medicare costs, transportation, insurance, or support staff salaries, and several asked the committee to restore the House version’s higher basic allotment and small-school allotment. Charter school representatives supported the facilities funding changes and said charter schools need state help because they cannot levy taxes, while also noting the funding gap with ISDs. Fine arts advocates asked the committee to restore the fine arts allotment, arguing arts improve engagement, attendance, and academic outcomes, especially in rural and at-risk communities. Early learning and special education witnesses supported parts of the bill but raised concerns about pre-K restrictions, disability-related pre-K access, and the need to preserve or clarify special education provisions and mental health oversight language. Several witnesses praised the teacher pay raise, teacher incentive allotment expansion, and teacher preparation investments, saying they would help recruit and retain educators and improve student outcomes. Others, including counselors and support staff advocates, argued the bill should also include raises for counselors, nurses, librarians, bus drivers, custodians, aides, and other non-teaching employees who keep schools running. One witness from the Texas Counseling Association opposed the substitute because it removed a counselor pay provision, warning of counselor shortages and inequities. A parent and special education advocate said the bill’s structure creates too many strings attached and asked for a larger basic allotment instead of more targeted funding. Another witness from Mental Health America urged keeping the collaborative task force on public school mental health services through 2031, and a disability rights advocate said the committee substitute appears to omit some special education items that were in the House version. The committee also briefly took up House Bill 6, a school discipline bill. After questions about automatic mandatory expulsion for vape possession and concerns about younger students, the committee adopted the substitute and voted to report HB 6 favorably to the full Senate by a 9-1 vote, with Senator Menendez voting no and Senators West and Menendez expressing reservations but supporting further discussion. After that vote, testimony on HB 2 resumed. Senators used the hearing to ask about the bill’s cost, the difference between the basic allotment and the bill’s targeted funding buckets, and whether the permanent teacher pay increase shifts pressure off districts. The bill’s supporters emphasized that it represents an historic, roughly $8 billion investment and that many of the new funding streams are intended to be permanent or to address specific district needs.

Transcript Highlights:

• sperm donation I immediately took<00:21:36.600> a<00:21:36.720> DNA<00:21:37.120> test
• > found<00:21:37.720> out<00:21:37.919> that<00:21:38.039> I'm took a DNA test
• and found out that I'm took a DNA test and found out that I'm also<00:21:38.600> white<00:21:
• Donor anonymity in these days with commercial DNA testing can't be guaranteed.
• <00:32:37.559> whether The way in which we would test whether the law was really equal was

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Judiciary Committee heard SB 1231, which would repeal the Parentage Uniform Act of 1973 and update Hawaii’s parentage laws, including parts of the Uniform Parentage Act of 2017. Supporters said the current statutes are outdated and do not adequately address assisted reproduction, surrogacy, and modern family formation. The Attorney General’s office supported the bill with technical amendments, including conforming changes to the Probate Code and child support provisions, and several testifiers urged passage as a needed modernization of the law. A major point of disagreement was Part 10, which concerns donor anonymity. Some supporters, including members of the task force, the Uniform Law Commission, fertility and family law practitioners, and LGBTQ+ advocates, backed the bill as written or said it should move forward even if Part 10 is removed. Others, including donor-conceived adults, parents, and advocacy groups, opposed Part 10 and urged the committee to adopt the 2024 version of Article 9 or delete Part 10 entirely, arguing that anonymous donation harms donor-conceived people’s access to genetic, medical, and identity information and that anonymity is not realistic in the DNA-testing era. One task force member and attorney said she supported the bill but preferred removing Part 10 if necessary to pass the rest. The hearing included extensive public testimony both in support and opposition, with many individuals describing personal experiences with adoption, IVF, surrogacy, and donor conception. No committee vote or final action on the bill was taken during the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• In 2020, the Boston Foundation, Suffolk University Law School's housing discrimination testing program
• That report used fair housing testing to uncover what far too many renters already knew: housing discrimination
• In 2020, the Boston Foundation, Suffolk University Law School's housing discrimination testing program
• I'm testifying on behalf of the Housing Discrimination Testing Program, which is a program within the
• I've been doing discrimination testing for the past five years, and unfortunately, we do find evidence

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure heard testimony on several real estate, housing, and consumer protection bills. A major portion of the hearing focused on bills to create licensure for commercial interior designers (H.324/S.254), with supporters from the architecture and interior design fields arguing the measure would recognize a distinct profession, expand permitting authority for qualified designers, improve public safety, and remove barriers to firm ownership and public contracting. Witnesses said the proposal had been redrafted through collaboration among interior designers, architects, engineers, and building officials, and Senator Gomez said the Senate had passed the bill previously and hoped to advance it again. The committee also heard support for H.450 on solar customer protections, with solar companies backing standardized disclosures, a consumer brochure, a longer rescission period, and sales registration requirements as consumer safeguards that would not materially disrupt business operations. The committee then took testimony on H.431/S.245, a bill to end housing discrimination in the Commonwealth. Senator Gomez, fair housing advocates, and several renters described alleged discrimination against Black renters and voucher holders, citing testing data and personal experiences. They said the bill would strengthen enforcement by linking court findings to temporary license suspensions, require fair housing training, increase public reporting, and add board representation with fair housing or voucher-holder experience. A real estate appraisers representative also supported S.196, which would make appraisal licensure mandatory in Massachusetts, arguing that home valuation should be done by licensed professionals. A substantial part of the hearing addressed broker-fee and rental-timing bills, including H.335, H.336, H.374, H.224, and H.449. Supporters of the broker-fee changes argued that tenants should not be charged fees when the landlord hired the broker, while opponents warned the language could restrict tenant representation and harm small landlords, students, and the rental market. Several witnesses opposed the 90-day lease-signing window in H.336, saying it would compress the September rental cycle, worsen competition, and make it harder for students and out-of-state renters to secure housing. The chairs noted that broker fees had already been addressed in the state budget, and the hearing concluded with no votes on the bills, only the close of testimony and an announcement that the committee would not hold another hearing until later in the year.

Transcript Highlights:

• that you have to do to become a CNA, which leads to these individuals being able to then take that test
• from the statement that happened from the incident, there were two CNAs that couldn't even pass a CNA test
• They shouldn't have been on the floor if they could not pass a CNA test.
• I don't see why they should be on the floor if they could not pass a CNA test.
• So where's the drug test? Where's the background test? Where's the training?

Summary: The Joint State Agencies committee met to approve the October 8, 2025 minutes and then held an extended hearing on the death of Zachary Moore at the Southeast Arkansas Human Development Center. DHS officials Lori McDonald, Jennifer Brise, and Melissa Weatherton described the HDC system, staffing and resident needs, and said Moore died after being held in a prone restraint for about 13 minutes, followed by a delayed chemical restraint and delayed CPR. They said the family settled a wrongful death claim for $725,000, 13 staff were terminated, the facility leadership was changed, and at least five staff had been criminally charged, with the death certificate later described as homicide and the cause of death as physiologic stress associated with struggle and prone restraint. Members pressed DHS on why the family was not kept informed, whether there was a written restraint protocol, how staff are trained, and why the agency did not have more complete information ready for the hearing. DHS said staff receive CPI restraint training, annual restraint training is mandatory, and a consultant is reviewing policies, retraining staff, and conducting a root cause analysis under a directed plan of correction from the Office of Long-Term Care. Legislators also raised broader concerns about low pay, staffing shortages, use of float and contract staff, and a waiting list of about 2,000 people for home- and community-based care. DHS said it is working on a retention and recruitment plan and a rate report for certain PASS services, but that the PASS rate study does not cover CNA pay. Several members said the incident reflected both a failure of restraint practice and a broader staffing and oversight problem. DHS acknowledged that prone restraint should not have been used, that the chemical restraint was given at the wrong time, and that multiple breakdowns occurred in supervision, communication, and equipment use. The committee also discussed whether there should be more regular independent audits of HDC policies, and DHS said it does not currently have a separate annual policy audit beyond existing oversight. At the end of the meeting, the committee asked DHS to keep it updated on recruitment, consultant reports, and to contact Moore’s mother about the communication she had been promised. The meeting adjourned without any additional formal action beyond approving the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• that you have to do to become a CNA, which leads to these individuals being able to then take that test
• from the statement that happened from the incident, there were two CNAs that couldn't even pass a CNA test
• That shouldn't have been on the floor if they could not pass a CNA test.
• I don't see why they should be on the floor if they could not pass a CNA test.
• So where's the drug test? Where's the background test? Where's the training?

Summary: The Joint State Agencies committee met to approve prior minutes and then focused on the death of Zachary Moore at the Southeast Arkansas Human Development Center, later clarified in discussion as the Warren facility. DHS officials described Moore’s background, said he died after a prolonged prone restraint followed by a delayed chemical restraint, and reported that 13 staff were terminated, the superintendent was replaced, a consultant was brought in, and the agency entered a settlement with the family for $725,000. Members pressed DHS on the cause of death, restraint policies, staff training, supervision, family notification, and why the family had not been kept informed; DHS said a family-notification procedure exists but that communications during litigation had been handled through counsel. The committee also heard that six staff had been criminally charged with manslaughter and neglect of a vulnerable person, and that the death certificate listed the manner of death as homicide with cause of death tied to physiologic stress associated with struggle and prone restraint. DHS officials gave broader context on the five human development centers, their licensing and accreditation, resident population, mortality review process, and training programs. They said the centers serve highly medically and behaviorally complex residents, that annual restraint training and CPI-based instruction are required, and that the mortality review committee and Office of Long-Term Care review deaths and make recommendations. Members repeatedly criticized the agency for not having complete information at the meeting and for what they saw as gaps in oversight, staffing, and chain-of-command clarity during emergencies. DHS responded that the Warren facility had not been meeting the same standards as the others, that the consultant’s root-cause analysis identified multiple failures, and that new crisis-team and chain-of-command procedures were being drafted. A second major topic was staffing and recruitment. Members discussed low pay, turnover, use of float and on-call staff, rural staffing shortages, and a waiting list of about 2,000 people for home- and community-based services. DHS said CNAs at the centers start at about $39,000 a year, that a broader retention and recruitment plan is being drafted for all five centers, and that a separate rate study for PASS services will be implemented in January 2027 but does not cover CNA pay. The meeting ended with testimony from Moore’s mother, Angela Stevens, who said money could not replace her son and urged stronger training, background checks, and supervision so other residents would be protected. The committee asked DHS to keep members and Stevens updated on consultant reports, recruitment efforts, and follow-up on the family communication issue, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• and also staffing in order to do these enforcement activities for the hemp, including monitoring, testing
• uh for the hemp uh including activities uh for the hemp uh including monitoring<00:11:11.839> testing
• <00:11:13.279> um monitoring testing um monitoring testing um And And And >> can<00:
• They are doing the testing, monitoring, and all this uh um that is being put forward in this bill. >>
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Bills: SB2178

Keywords: industrial hemp, Hawaii, agriculture, sustainability, Native Hawaiian practices, regulation, cultural stewardship, economic development, 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on SP 2178, which would create an industrial hemp program in the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, establish an advisory board, support research through the University of Hawaii, and promote hemp-based materials and partnerships with Native Hawaiian practitioners and cooperatives. Testimony was generally supportive from industry, Native Hawaiian advocates, the Hawaii Farm Bureau, and the department, with supporters emphasizing economic opportunity, community-based development, and potential uses such as hempcrete and fiber products. The Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity also said it supported the intent, but its representative explained that the bill would require additional staffing and resources for education, monitoring, testing, and enforcement. Members raised concerns about overlapping regulation with USDA hemp licensing and the cost of new positions; the department estimated three additional positions at about $80,000 each and noted current federal licensing does not charge fees. The committee recommended passage with amendments, including removing state licensing requirements to avoid duplication with USDA authority, making technical changes, and blanking the appropriation amount for later consideration, and the recommendation was adopted unanimously. The committee also heard and later took action on several other measures. SB 2702, relating to Hawaiian Homes and an irrigation system inventory, drew support but was postponed for decision-making until February 5 so additional amendments could be prepared. SB 2785, relating to economic development, received mixed testimony but was recommended and adopted for passage without amendments. SB 2790, relating to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the Mākai irrigation system, received strong support and was also passed unamended. SB 2314, relating to the Hawaiian language and the legal effect of Hawaiian versions of laws, drew support from the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission and others, while the Attorney General’s office raised concerns about the wording; the committee adopted amendments incorporating language from the judiciary, clarifying that English and Hawaiian are official languages and that priority goes to the version consistent with legislative intent when there is a material difference, and then passed the bill with amendments. All final votes reported were in favor, with no recorded opposition.