Transcript Highlights:

• my understanding, since the flood of '93, overgrown.
• Page 601 is the flood control leases section. Page 596 is the statewide dues section.
• Page 601 is the flood control leases section.
• Page 601 is the flood control leases section.
• Just wondering if we're in a flood zone down here or what. All right. We're not leaking.

Committee: House Budget

Transcript Highlights:

• wastewater, and that really preserved the capacity of that wastewater system so large weather events don’t flood
• large weather Wastewater system so large weather events<00:47:10.400><c> don't</c><00:47:10.720><c> flood
• /c><00:47:11.160><c> out</c><00:47:11.760><c> our</c><00:47:12.079><c> Wastewater</c> events don't flood
• out our Wastewater events don't flood out our Wastewater system<00:47:13.480><c> we</c><00:47:13.559
• When the flooding goes over the pipes, and I just want to point out before somebody says, well, our community's

Committee: House Capital Investment

Transcript Highlights:

• whatever the cause was of that, that is equivalent to when a fire sweeps through a town, when there's flooding
• whatever the cause was of that, that is equivalent to when a fire sweeps through a town, when there's flooding
• aspects of hostage-taking, and said that when the House decides to help out a community after a fire or flood
• aspects of hostage-taking, and that when the House has decided to help a community after a fire or flood
• He said that when the House helps a community after a fire or flood, it does not say, “Well, we would

Transcript Highlights:

• Um I've lived here my whole life and I was uh at the same location in 1985 as the flood that we keep
• </c><00:05:22.880><c> that</c><00:05:23.120><c> we</c> location in 1985 as the flood that we location
• in 1985 as the flood that we keep<00:05:23.440><c> be</c><00:05:24.560><c> talking</c><00:05:24.800>
• And the city fixed a lot of our flood issues since then in 1985.
• spoke of here in through the 1985 flood spoke of here in uh<00:08:15.120><c> our</c><00:08:15.759><c

Committee: Joint Select Water Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• accordance with Senate Rules 11.10 and 11.18 so that the Senate Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding

Bills: SB 2 , SB 3 , SB 10 , SB 16 , SB 5 , SB 9 , SB 7 , SB 17 , SB 4 , SB 19 , SB 54 , HB23 , HB17 , HB16 , SB19 , SB53 , SB54 , HB16 , HB17 , HB23 , HB27 , SB9 , SB7 , SB17 , SB4 , SB2 , SB3 , SB10 , SB16 , SB5

Transcript Highlights:

• Unfortunately, the Trump approach is not going to solve the biggest problem, which is China flooding

Committee: Senate Finance Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Sections 9 through 12 are household hazardous product stewardship plans.
• PRO compensation for the redemption centers. to<01:01:52.720><c> household</c><01:01:53.200><c> hazardous
• </c><01:01:53.600><c> products</c> to household hazardous products to household hazardous products extended
• Department of Health and has a number of responsibilities and oversight, including public health hazard

Transcript Highlights:

• an act relating to the Office of State Lands and Investments, authorizing firefighters to receive hazard
• House Bill 35, Firefighters Paid Leave and Hazard Pay. Ayes: 30. Excused: 1. Message 204. Mr.
• 00:11:33.600><c> and</c> Bill 35, firefighters paid leave and Bill 35, firefighters paid leave and hazard
• </c><00:11:35.920><c> One</c><00:11:36.959><c> message</c> hazard pay. Eyes 30 excused.
• One message hazard pay. Eyes 30 excused. One message 204.<00:11:38.800><c> Mr.

Transcript Highlights:

• We were exposed to many hazards like the burn pits and chemicals, unknown to us.
• 52.320><c> many</c> and Afghanistan we were exposed to many and Afghanistan we were exposed to many hazards
• 53.840><c> burn</c><01:15:54.199><c> pits</c><01:15:54.600><c> and</c><01:15:55.000><c> chemicals</c> hazards
• like the burn pits and chemicals hazards like the burn pits and chemicals unknown<01:15:56.040><c> to
• Please tell them to remember that we were serving in places where it was hazardous to our health.

Bills: HF169 , HF195 , HF194 , HF1756 , HF2133

Committee: House Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• Martin, Columbia, Prestonsburg, Benton, Hazard, Paintsville, Danville, Greenville, McDowell, Harlan,
• Martin, Columbia, Prestonsburg, Benton, Hazard, Paintsville, Danville, Greenville, McDowell, Harlan,
• Columbia take care of them Martin Columbia prestonburg<00:54:33.559><c> Benton</c><00:54:34.359><c> Hazard
• </c><00:54:34.799><c> painsville</c> prestonburg Benton Hazard painsville prestonburg Benton Hazard painsville

Summary: The House Standing Committee on Health Services met with a quorum and took up House Bill 785, as amended by a committee substitute that combined language from HB 785 and HB 787. The bill was described as addressing Medicaid managed care organization (MCO) audits, provider contract notice and amendment procedures, mental health parity compliance, and related transparency requirements. Supporters said the measure would tighten notice to providers, limit repeated contract amendments and rate reductions, require more standardized audit procedures, and add reporting on Medicaid claims, appeals, and grievances. It also includes a provision requiring coverage of at least two evaluation-and-management billable services per physician per recipient per date of service, and a section addressing narcotic/opioid treatment program licensing and reimbursement language. Testimony in support came from Representative Kim Moore, John Inman of BrightView Health, Michelle Sandborne of the Children’s Alliance, and Kelly Cormic of RYSE. They argued that MCOs often use audits and recoupments in ways that are burdensome, opaque, and financially damaging to providers, especially smaller and rural ones. They cited examples of multiple audit requests in short timeframes, large record requests with short deadlines, delayed or absent feedback, and recoupments taken before appeals are resolved. They also said parity laws are not being consistently enforced and that the bill would give the Department of Insurance authority to suspend or revoke an MCO certificate of authority for willful or repeated parity violations. Committee members generally expressed support for provider protections and transparency, while asking for clarification on the narcotic treatment and E/M billing provisions. Tom Stevens of the Kentucky Association of Health Plans testified in opposition, saying the bill is complex to implement and should be handled through the broader Medicaid oversight work of House Bill 9, the MOAB. He said the issues raised were better suited for that bipartisan stakeholder process and noted the committee substitute had not yet been fully reviewed by his group. After discussion, the committee adopted the committee substitute and then moved to a vote on the bill; the roll call began, with several members recorded as voting yes, but the transcript cuts off before the final vote result is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• We saw that 16 were on the list for highly hazardous pesticides.
• That is Hazard Evaluation and Emergency Response. So we looked at our database.
• toxicologist at the here office that<01:32:45.639><c> is</c><01:32:45.960><c> uh</c><01:32:46.119><c> Hazard
• </c><01:32:46.560><c> evaluation</c><01:32:47.840><c> emergency</c> that is uh Hazard evaluation emergency
• that is uh Hazard evaluation emergency response<01:32:50.239><c> uh</c><01:32:50.639><c> so</c><01:32

Summary: This joint informational briefing of Senate and House committees focused on restricted use pesticides in Hawaiʻi, with opening remarks framing the issue as one of health, environmental impact, and state-level regulation. The briefing reviewed the history of pesticide disclosure efforts, including prior county actions, a 2016 court ruling that shifted responsibility to the state, and Act 45, which enabled disclosure of restricted use pesticide data. Speakers highlighted 2019 reporting data showing concentrated use in parts of Oʻahu and Kauaʻi, especially near schools and communities, and identified fumigants such as 1,3-dichloropropene and metam sodium as among the heaviest-used products. Concerns were raised about potential links to cancer, respiratory illness, reproductive harms, Parkinson’s disease, and developmental effects, as well as the lack of long-term mixture studies and the need for better buffer zones, reporting, and farmer transition support. The Department of Agriculture’s pesticides program manager described the state’s regulatory framework, explaining the distinction between general use and restricted use pesticides and the department’s role under FIFRA and Hawaiʻi law. He outlined the branch’s enforcement, education/certification, registration, and laboratory functions, including inspections, complaint response, market surveillance, applicator certification, product review, groundwater protection modeling, and special registrations. He also noted staffing and resource limitations, including the absence of an in-house toxicologist and long-term monitoring capacity, and compared Hawaiʻi’s resources to California’s much larger pesticide regulatory program. He said the department supports Act 231, which was passed the previous year and is moving forward this session. A pediatrician speaking for the Hawaiʻi chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics emphasized concerns about chronic low-level pesticide exposure in children, citing AAP policy statements and technical reports that associate exposure with cancer, leukemia, birth defects, neurobehavioral issues, and asthma. Drawing on work with the Kauaʻi Joint Fact Finding Task Force, the speaker said the group found the west side of the island to be an unhealthy community but could not prove causation because of missing drift, geospatial, and biomarker data. The testimony pointed to elevated cancer mortality, pneumonia admissions, obesity, dialysis, and developmental delay indicators, and described concerns about pesticide drift near schools and homes, including reports of children becoming ill after nearby spraying and low levels of chlorpyrifos detected in dust samples. An environmental health scientist from the University of Hawaiʻi described a pilot project using restricted use pesticide data in a public health context. She said the project began after seeing maps of Central Oʻahu pesticide use and aimed to pair GIS data with health and ethnicity data, while also conducting community focus groups. Preliminary focus group themes included calls to action, voting and policymaker awareness, concern about pesticide use near homes and fields, lack of community consent, and a desire to stay engaged. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• They leak a little, so there's some safety hazards with them, but we are effectively using them to do
• they leak a little so there's some uh they leak a little so there's some safety<00:02:21.200><c> hazards
• 22.760><c> uh</c><00:02:22.879><c> but</c><00:02:23.040><c> we</c><00:02:23.160><c> are</c> safety hazards
• with them uh but we are safety hazards with them uh but we are effectively<00:02:23.959><c> using</c
• Senator Dibble, I would hazard a guess, but I would want to get the correct answer, so I'll get confirmation

Committee: Senate Capital Investment

Transcript Highlights:

• It’s going to create a fire hazard below Waʻahila Ridge that could create another Lahaina.
• It’s going to create a fire hazard below Waʻahila Ridge that could create another Lahaina.
• It’s going to create a fire hazard below Waʻahila Ridge that could create another Lahaina.
• It’s going to create a fire hazard below Waʻahila Ridge that could create another Lahaina.
• It’s going to create a fire hazard below Waʻahila Ridge that could create another Lahaina.

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 707, which would create a state income tax deduction for contributions to Hawaii 529 college savings accounts and conform state law to federal changes allowing 529 funds to be used for K-12 expenses. The Department of Taxation said it could administer the bill as written. The Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities supported the measure but asked that ABLE accounts be included and that the program title be changed; the Department of Taxation indicated the title issue could be a problem because the bill’s expanded purpose may not fit the current program name. No vote was taken. The committee then heard House Bill 617, which would fund a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at the University of Hawaiʻi Community Colleges. UH Community Colleges supported the bill, and Maui nursing staff testified that faculty recruitment is challenging but manageable, clinical placements are available, and the campus already has a statewide RN-to-BSN pathway; they said the new program would create two tracks, including a four-year BSN option. Members also heard support from several organizations, including the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, nursing groups, and health care associations. No action was taken. Next were several UH-related measures. HB 718 would fund faculty and staff positions at the John A. Burns School of Medicine; the dean and other supporters testified in favor. HB 1279 would create a medical education liaison position tied to Project ECHO; the Attorney General raised constitutional concerns about statewide concern and grant standards, while an individual witness supported the concept but suggested the bill should focus on liaison/support functions rather than program administration. HB 1169 would consolidate conference center revolving funds, and HB 1168 would authorize up to $800 million in UH revenue bonds; UH’s CFO said both were procedural/housekeeping measures and supported them. On HB 1168, members questioned debt service, possible uses, and whether deferred maintenance would be included; the CFO estimated annual debt service could be about $33 million to $41 million at current rates, said likely uses could include student housing and research facilities, and said deferred maintenance was not the current strategy. The CFO also explained that revenue bonds require both legislative authorization and a Board of Regents resolution approving the project and amount. Finally, the committee heard HB 548, which would authorize revenue bonds and appropriations to acquire the St. Francis School campus for UH Mānoa. UH supported the bill but noted the property is privately owned and not known to be for sale. A supporter described the site as a unique 11-acre parcel contiguous to the main campus and urged the committee to seize the opportunity for future generations. No vote or final action was taken on the bills in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• I’m with the Solid and Hazardous Waste Branch in the Environmental Health Administration, Department
• I’m with the Solid and Hazardous Waste Branch in the Environmental Health Administration, Department
• :54.920><c> wellbeing</c><01:16:55.760><c> of</c><01:16:56.040><c> potential</c><01:16:56.600><c> hazards
• </c><01:16:57.440><c> in</c> and wellbeing of potential hazards in and wellbeing of potential hazards

Committee: Senate Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs

Summary: The joint committees heard testimony on Senate Bill 103, relating to electric vehicle batteries, and then moved to Senate Bill 995, relating to renewable fuel. On SB 103, the Department of Health and the State Energy Office supported the measure, and Redwood Materials said it supported the bill’s intent but requested an amendment to add a battery recycler to the commission. Other testimony on SB 103 included support from several individuals and organizations, with one opponent noted. A committee member also raised a possible deadline change requested by the Alliance of Automobile Innovation for future work on the measure. The bulk of the hearing focused on SB 995, which would create tax incentives for sustainable aviation fuel and related renewable fuel production. Supporters included the Hawaii Renewable Fuels Coalition, Pono Pacific, Hawaiian Airlines/Alaska Airlines, the Tax Foundation, PAR Hawaii, Pacific Biodiesel, and others. Supporters said the bill would help build a local SAF industry, encourage camelina and other feedstocks, and advance decarbonization goals. Several supporters also said they had proposed amendments or technical comments and stood on their written testimony. Opposition testimony argued the bill could allow toxic waste feedstocks, such as construction and demolition waste, into fuel production, and questioned whether the incentives would truly benefit Hawaii farmers or consumers. One opponent said the bill’s benefits could flow to the producer and to imported feedstocks rather than to local agriculture, and another questioned the scale of local land and water available for camelina production. Committee members pressed witnesses on acreage, water use, expected yields, the role of PAR Hawaii’s refinery investment, and whether the state would be subsidizing a business decision that might not produce significant local fuel. No vote or final action was taken in the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Residents who watch this Commonwealth spring to action when non-residents flood in.
• When non-residents flooded our shelter system, we found more than $2 billion, closer to $3 billion, to

Summary: The Senate first adopted an emergency preamble for H. 4521, establishing a sick leave bank for Kathleen Roder of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, by standing vote, with 8 in favor and none opposed. The chamber also suspended rules to refer several petitions to committee, including a resolution to rescind prior Article 5 constitutional convention applications and a petition on officer training related to stage suicides. Committee reports moved several bills forward, including legislation clarifying the duties of the Adjutant General and enhancing access and support for military-connected families, both with new drafts, and a bill designating Veterans Suicide Awareness and Remembrance Day, which was ordered to a third reading. A major portion of the session focused on the House’s nonconcurrence in the Senate’s amendment to the fiscal year 2025 supplemental budget and the appointment of a conference committee. Senators from both parties debated how to respond to the federal government shutdown and the threatened lapse in SNAP benefits, with repeated calls for the Commonwealth to use available state resources to prevent hunger, protect vulnerable residents, and seek federal reimbursement. Several members criticized the governor’s use of taxpayer-funded communications on the issue, while others defended the administration’s limited initial response and emphasized fiscal constraints. The Senate ultimately insisted on its amendment and appointed a conference committee consisting of Senators Rodrigues, Comerford, and O’Connor. The chamber also passed several local and special bills, including measures exempting Natick’s assistant fire chief from civil service, authorizing sewer service in Sharon, changing the term of the elected moderator in Holden, updating Medford’s linkage exaction program, and establishing sick leave banks for Candy J. Pike and Kathleen Roder. The Senate later adopted amended resolutions calling on the President of the United States to release contingency funds for SNAP during the shutdown, adopted an order to adjourn to the following Monday, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• county assessor finds that the property has been destroyed by a verifiable accident, including fire, flood
• county assessor finds that the property has been destroyed by a verifiable accident, including fire, flood

Bills: SB1221 , SB1293 , SB1294 , SB1430

Committees: House Ways & Means , House House Ways & Means Committee of Reference

Keywords: taxpayer protection, law interpretation, transparency, public hearings, tax policies, GPLET, abatement, tax incentives, local government, property improvement, central business district, property tax, assessment, destruction, proration, Arizona Revised Statutes, Arizona tax corrections act, transaction privilege tax, sales tax, use tax

Transcript Highlights:

• For example, if you got called up for a tornado relief or a flood or something, you could be using that
• For example, if you got called up for a tornado relief or a flood or something, you could be using that

Committee: House Veterans and Armed Forces

Transcript Highlights:

• with one specific issue, which is what do you do when you have one agency all of a sudden that gets flooded
• with one specific issue, which is what do you do when you have one agency all of a sudden that gets flooded

Committee: Senate Labor and Technology

Summary: The joint committees on Labor and Technology and Public Safety and Military Affairs heard testimony on several measures. SB 3082, relating to military families and leave protections, drew support from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, the military community relations office, the Hawaii National Guard, and the U.S. Department of Defense, all of whom said the bill would align state law with federal standards and better account for military-related leave needs. SB 3110, relating to the Hawaii National Guard, was supported by Department of Defense witnesses who said it clarifies that employees of the Guard’s youth and adult educational programs are excluded from collective bargaining. The committees also heard SB 3251, which would prohibit certain state law enforcement agencies from hiring former ICE or Border Patrol agents as law enforcement officers. The main testimony in support argued the bill could help prevent local police staffing losses to higher-paying federal agencies and avoid future workforce instability if federal funding changes. The measure drew significant public testimony, with the chair noting 62 testimonies in support, five in opposition, and three comments. Members discussed the bill’s impact on recruitment and retention, and one member voted with reservations while another voted no. Later, the committees heard SB 3095 and SB 3264, both concerning Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund salaries. EUTF testified in support of SB 3095, which would allow the board to set salaries for investment office staff, and SB 3264, which would authorize the board to set the salary for an assistant administrator. After testimony, the committees moved into decision-making and passed SB 3082, SB 3110, SB 3251, SB 3095, and SB 3264 with amendments, generally including technical changes and revised effective dates of January 1, 2077 for the EUTF salary bills and SB 3082.

Transcript Highlights:

• that I'm certainly hearing and why I'm a soft yes, is that the shift here puts hospital districts and flood
• that I'm certainly hearing and why I'm a soft yes, is that the shift here puts hospital districts and flood

Bills: HB2713 , HB2730 , HB2297 , HB2487 , HB2382 , HB2089 , HB2431 , HB2451 , HB2590 , HB2325 , HB2278 , HB2224 , HB2322

Committee: House Finance

Keywords: private detention facilities, business tax, occupation tax, financial impact, state revenue, aerospace, tax preferences, effectiveness, economic impact, grocery stores, underserved communities, food access, incentives, economic development, insurance tax, state regulation, insurers, taxation, budget impact, excise tax