Transcript Highlights:

• Once we receive those grants, they help navigate the grants and the process of that grant because, as
• grant?
• grants and do the things that they do. grants and do the things that they do.
• admin fees unless you receive the grant? admin fees unless you receive the grant?
• They were all of the FEMA grants.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first heard an update from representatives of the Kentucky County Clerk’s Association on the transition to electronic recording and land records modernization. They reviewed the 2021 task force work, the legislation and budget funding that followed, and the requirements for county clerks to provide online search portals and complete 30-year property record searches, with a 60-year standard expected next summer. Speakers said most counties are still working through scanning and verification, with only a small number fully complete, and emphasized that verification of records is the main bottleneck because it requires staff time and careful matching of indexes to deeds. They also noted limited vendor availability, differences among counties in what records are already digitized, and that the association and land title attorneys are now working more closely on future “continuous improvement” legislation. The clerks also raised related issues, including concerns about deed fraud as more records become searchable online. They said some counties already offer notification services that alert property owners when a document is recorded, which can help owners respond quickly to suspicious filings. They also discussed the filing document storage fee and KDLA digitization grants, saying the funding structure has generally worked but that two grant cycles have been missed. Another topic was whether, once records are fully digitized and searchable, some permanent records should remain publicly accessible or be moved to a safer archive. In response to committee questions, the witnesses said the remaining delays are less about money than staffing shortages and the need for more manpower to complete verification, and they said they would follow up on the balance in the KDLA fund and other details. The committee then received a presentation from an Area Development District representative, who described the districts as regional, nonpartisan service organizations that help cities and counties pool resources, provide technical assistance, and leverage public and private partnerships. He highlighted examples of regional cooperation, including veterans-directed care and other shared programs, and argued that the districts create efficiencies and economies of scale for local governments and the state. No votes or formal actions were taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Soil and Water Conservation Board programs.
• I will turn to John Foster, who is our programs director, to dive deeper into each program, and then
• Program. which focuses on even other resource concerns that don't fall into one of our existing programs
• Section 319H non-point source grant program in hopes of addressing problems with voluntary methods before
• Major program administered by the agency is the flood control dam program, which is separated into two

Bills: HB294, HB405, HB519, HB294

Keywords: food production, property owners' association, home gardening, cottage food, urban agriculture, livestock, community standards, renewable energy, ethanol, biodiesel, incentives, agriculture, grants, honey production, beekeeping, food safety, local regulation, energy efficiency, tax exemption, residential properties

Transcript Highlights:

• This program is one of the most well-researched and well-utilized programs to support parents in need
• This program is one of the most well-researched and well-utilized programs to support parents in need
• granted. Representative West. granted. Representative West.
• . grant. grant.
• <00:40:44.360> So, federal benefit programs. So, federal benefit programs.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 4466, the Health Finance and Policy bill, and first adopted the A8 amendment, described as a set of technical fixes. Members then considered a large A9 amendment that bundled a wide range of Children and Families provisions, including child care licensing modernization, crisis nursery licensing, SNAP/MFIT-related language, child care provider self-reporting, a physical abuse recognition poster, child protection and welfare provisions, funding for parent support outreach, and forensic interview training scholarships. Supporters described it as bipartisan work with relatively small fiscal impact, while opponents said it greatly expanded the bill and should be handled separately; after a roll call, the A9 amendment failed 7-14. Representative Scott then offered the A11 amendment, raising concerns about new all-payer claims database language and whether it should have been heard in the Judiciary and Civil Law Committee. Department of Health staff explained the data-sharing safeguards, de-identification process, fee structure, and enforcement provisions, but Scott remained concerned about privacy and the scope of the program and withdrew the amendment. The committee then moved to final bill discussion. Members and authors described HF 4466 as a lean health finance bill largely conforming Minnesota law to federal HR1 Medicaid-related changes, including work requirements, retroactive eligibility limits, cost-sharing, and home equity provisions. Supporters argued conformity was necessary to avoid major federal funding losses and noted a few additional member bills in the package; opponents criticized the federal changes as harmful, especially for vulnerable populations such as victims of trafficking and domestic violence. Fiscal staff said the bill would save just over $2 million in FY 2026-27 and almost $98 million in FY 2028-29. No final vote on the bill itself was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a small grant from the U.S. Geological Survey. Okay. And it's a research grant.
• Recovery is mostly your grants administration, both hazard mitigation and public assistance grants.
• Here's a grant program that you can apply for money from GOSEP to implement that at your school.
• That was the Katrina Public Assistance grant. Right. That was the Katrina Public Assistance grant.
• program.

Summary: The committee met on May 26, 2026, and first approved the minutes from the May 22, 2025 meeting. The main topic was the Northwest Louisiana earthquake cluster, with testimony from Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy staff, LSU and Tulane geoscientists, and later LSU law professor Keith Hall. Witnesses said the cause of the swarm has not been definitively identified, but induced seismicity from wastewater injection or hydraulic fracturing remains a concern. They described 50 earthquakes reported by the USGS in Red River, Bienville, DeSoto, and Natchitoches Parishes, including a magnitude 4.9 event on March 5, 2026, and explained that Louisiana’s sparse seismic network limits detection and depth/location estimates. C&E said it inspected Class II injection wells within 12 miles of the events, found no violations, now requires more frequent injection reporting, and is working with researchers and LSU on a possible state monitoring network and future policy changes. Committee members asked about injection depths, fault locations, whether the activity could be natural, and whether Louisiana should adopt stronger monitoring or a traffic-light regulatory system like other states. The witnesses said more data is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn, but that denser monitoring can detect smaller quakes and help identify patterns. Professor Hall summarized responses in other states, including more frequent reporting, increased monitoring, injection reductions, moratoria, and traffic-light systems in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Ohio, and Illinois. Members also discussed whether operators should share more seismic and geologic data, and several said the state should avoid jumping to conclusions while still improving oversight. The committee then heard from William Berger, a Texas geoscientist, who described using AI and operator data to model wastewater injection and seismic risk, and said broader data sharing would improve forecasting and siting decisions. He and another witness emphasized that many earthquakes arise from clusters of wells rather than a single well, and that proprietary concerns limit voluntary disclosure. The committee also received a brief update from GOSEP and the Louisiana National Guard on the Barksdale Air Force Base drone incursions. GOSEP said it logged the incident in WebEOC and shared releasable information, while State Police and the FBI said they were limited in what they could disclose. Officers said a task force has been formed, some personnel have received federal drone-mitigation training, and House Bill 940 is intended to mirror the task force MOU. Finally, Major General Thomas Friloux and Brigadier General Jason Maffus updated the committee on the merger of GOSEP into the Louisiana Military Department. They said the merger has reduced GOSEP from seven divisions to three, brought back employees to in-person work, modernized the state’s common operating picture, and produced about $10.5 million in first-year cost avoidance through staffing and contract changes. They also noted the planned transfer of the Louisiana Center for Safe Schools to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement, ongoing hurricane preparedness, and continued coordination with parish emergency managers. No votes were taken on the substantive topics, and the meeting ended with the committee moving through its agenda items and receiving informational testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• road tests and it creates a new grant road tests and it creates a new grant program<00:04:08.079
• Another thing House File 1242 creates is a new grant program to foster the training of commercial truck
• Training programs range from four weeks to four months, while grants for tuition, room and board for
• Another thing House File 1242 creates is a new grant program to foster the training of commercial truck
• Training programs range from four weeks to four months, while grants for tuition, room and board for

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program is a program of implementation.
• Next, the MDI program—again, this is a potentially big program.
• The MDI program, again, is a potentially big program.
• and the farmer program.
• and the SAFER program.

Summary: The hearing focused on the governor’s May Revision proposals for transportation, natural resources, climate, and related programs, with the Department of Finance and the LAO presenting competing views on the state’s fiscal condition. Finance said the budget remains balanced over two years, with major climate-bond, water, parks, transportation, DMV, and agriculture proposals, while the LAO argued the state still has a structural deficit and should reject or defer many new discretionary spending items, preserve reserves, and be cautious about ongoing commitments. The LAO specifically questioned the timing and scale of new spending for programs such as Clean California, Healthy Rivers and Landscapes, and the Golden Gate Fields acquisition, and urged more clarity on future obligations and revenue scenarios, including for the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. A major portion of the hearing was devoted to the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes proposal for Bay-Delta water quality implementation. Secretary Wade Crowfoot and Finance described it as an enforceable, science-based alternative to a more traditional regulatory approach, with the state’s $25 million request intended to support early implementation, monitoring, habitat restoration, and environmental flows. The LAO countered that the Water Board has not yet adopted the updated Bay-Delta plan, that the proposal may be premature, and that the Legislature should wait for more information on the state’s total funding commitment and the program’s long-term costs. Several members expressed support for the program as a way to reduce conflict and protect water reliability, while others echoed concerns about timing and fiscal exposure. The committee also examined the proposed $125 million Proposition 4 contribution toward acquiring the Golden Gate Fields property for a shoreline park and habitat project. State officials said the acquisition is a time-sensitive, once-in-a-generation opportunity, with an appraised value of $175 million and additional philanthropic and local funding expected to close the gap. Members questioned whether the project had gone through the usual competitive process, whether the site is the best use of scarce park bond dollars, and how public access, habitat, and disadvantaged-community priorities would be protected. The discussion ended without a vote, and the committee moved on to transportation items including Clean California litter abatement, the Games Route Network, homeless encampment coordinators, and DMV modernization and field office proposals, with LAO recommending rejection or delay on several of those requests as well.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a pilot program.
• This is a pilot program.
• programs.
• grants as far as what those programs grants as far as what those programs would<02:21:44.640>
• You mean the adequacy grant?

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee met with Lottery Director Charlie McIntyre and Charitable Gaming Chief Compliance Officer Kulie Aoyo to review proposed changes in HB 2 and related amendments affecting video lottery terminals, historic horse racing, charitable gaming, and scratch tickets. McIntyre said the late-arriving amendment made revenue estimates difficult, especially because the bill would allow operators to decide when to convert from HHR to VLTs and would change the floor-space rules. He explained that the existing 70/30 floor-space split between machines and table games was negotiated to protect charity revenue, and warned that moving to a 90/10 split could reduce charity revenue, potentially by as much as $17 million, while also changing the character of the facilities. Committee members discussed whether to keep the 70/30 split, and McIntyre said he could provide updated estimates later that day, including net impacts after any offsetting gains or losses under current law. Members also asked about the governor’s proposed operator share versus the Sweeney amendment’s higher operator share. McIntyre said the governor’s 45% figure was based on his own estimate and on comparable rates in other states, and he supported it as a way to maximize revenue for the state and charities. He also described a change to high-stakes tournaments: after speaking with Rep. Sweeney, he said the amendment was clarified to apply only to those tournaments and would lower the house take from 10% to 5% to encourage participation in rare, high-buy-in events. The committee also discussed a separate proposal to raise the maximum scratch ticket price from $30 to $50; McIntyre said the change would take time to implement, would likely increase net state revenue by about $1 million in year two, and was consistent with pricing in neighboring states such as Massachusetts and Connecticut. Additional questions covered sports betting and a separate Kino-related estimate. McIntyre said March Madness is the busiest period for sports betting and that the state’s sports betting revenue has exceeded initial expectations. He also said he had estimated that removing a municipal-vote restriction for Kino could cost about $12 million total, with $2 million in the first year and $10 million thereafter. No formal votes were taken during the discussion; the chair indicated the committee would revisit the VLT amendment and other sections later, and McIntyre agreed to send updated revenue estimates to committee members.

Transcript Highlights:

• As you know, I mentioned it's an expansive programming that we have with those 25 programs through the
• So that's the lowest that will go on this program in both programs really.
• And again, these out-of-school time programs fund programs at schools, so before and after school programming
• A CTE pilot program created a seven-year CTE pilot program.
• Programming, mini grants, providing professional development to educators working with families as it

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then the L&I grant program for apprenticeship wraparound support services.
• And I look forward to being a part of the program. and then the L&I grant program for apprenticeship
• Just, I had to experience being a manager of an apprenticeship program at Grant PUD, and the way it kind
• of worked... ...a manager of an apprenticeship program at Grant PUD, and the way it kind of worked for
• The GRIP grant, the GRIP program, if you're familiar with that one, ultimately did provide an opportunity

Summary: The Joint Committee on Energy Supply, Energy Conservation, and Energy Resilience opened by electing Senator Shoemake as chair and Representative Alex Ibarra as vice chair. Members then moved into a series of work sessions focused on data centers, transmission, and workforce needs tied to Washington’s clean energy and grid planning challenges. Kate Bruns and Glenn Blackman presented preliminary findings from the governor’s Data Center work group, created under Executive Order 25-05. They said the group met for six months, received more than 1,000 public comments, and included representatives from agencies, industry, tribes, labor, utilities, environmental groups, and research institutions. The presenters emphasized that data centers are expected to be the largest source of load growth over the next five to ten years, creating concerns about grid capacity, ratepayer impacts, forecasting, water use, backup generation, and compatibility with Washington’s energy and climate laws. They described nine recommendations, including protecting existing energy and climate policy, improving forecasting, seeking more clean power and transmission, and encouraging flexible data center operations. A proposed tax incentive change that would have expanded eligibility while tying the exemption to new clean electricity sources narrowly failed in the work group. Members asked about tribal consultation, cooling technologies, and local benefits from data centers; the presenters said tribal consultation was ongoing and a final report would follow. Keegan Moyer of West Tech then outlined a regional transmission study showing major strain on the Western grid from load growth, electrification, resiliency needs, and limited transmission capacity. He said the 10-year study identified about 12,000 line miles of needed projects across the West, with roughly $56 billion in estimated costs, including planned projects, reliability upgrades, and new interregional transfer projects. He stressed that many projects are upgrades within existing rights-of-way, but new corridors are still needed, and he previewed recommendations on permitting, equipment procurement, cost allocation, and project sponsorship. In response to questions, he discussed the difficulty of crossing jurisdictional “seams,” the role of federal coordination, landowner compensation, eminent domain as a last resort, and the limited role of public financing beyond a federal GRIP grant. Stephanie Scott of Commerce presented the transmission workforce study, which focuses on substation technicians, line workers, and line clearance tree trimmers. She said current workforce levels are far below what will be needed under a clean energy expansion scenario, and that active projects are essential because apprenticeship training depends on thousands of hours of hands-on work. She highlighted barriers such as high upfront CDL and pre-apprenticeship costs, the need for wraparound supports, and the importance of expanding access for women, people of color, and tribal communities. Members asked about tribal utility apprenticeship programs, utility-run training pipelines, and whether the study included funding sources; Scott said the report would include an inventory of apprenticeship programs and tribal considerations, but revenue ideas were outside the study scope. Finally, Brant Johnson of Grid United described the North Plains Connector as a case study in large transmission development. He said the project, a 420-mile, 3,000-megawatt HVDC line connecting Montana and North Dakota, has relied on early stakeholder engagement, route changes, tribal consultation, and coordinated federal and state permitting to reduce risk and shorten timelines. He said the project aims for permits by the end of 2026 and construction beginning in 2028, with an earliest commercial operation date of 2032. In response to questions, he discussed the challenges of crossing regional seams, interconnection queues, land acquisition and compensation, eminent domain, and financing, noting that the project is primarily privately financed with a $700 million federal grant covering a portion of costs.

Transcript Highlights:

• the letters program. the letters program. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm.
• referring specifically to the program. referring specifically to the program.
• with this program. with this program.
• $200 per pupil grant to consolidate. $200 per pupil grant to consolidate.
• Is it grant writing? Is food services? Is it grant writing?

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• program rule.
• new program? new program?
• applying for these grants.
• And so program.
• grant awards. It's your ear all set. grant awards. It's your ear all set.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes and consent calendar, then moved through several Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid-related rules. Rule 25-220 from the Department of Energy was postponed until June so stakeholders would have more time to review revised language. Rule 25-240, involving Medicaid income verification and deductible provisions for medically needy applicants, was adopted after staff noted the cited sections had expired but the agency said it had continued operating under federal law and the state plan; the agency also said it had begun rulemaking on the cited provision. Rules 25-265 and 2633 were also adopted, with staff explaining that although parts of the rules had expired, the agency had continued implementing the policies through the Medicaid state plan, billing manuals, and related rules. The most extended discussion centered on rule 25-304 from the Bureau of Aging and Adult Services, which covers case management services for the CFI program. Staff and the agency explained that the amended conditional approval request clarified how case management agencies indicate staffing capacity, how telehealth decisions are evaluated, and that the department—not the case management agencies—sets the timeline for accepting or denying cases. The agency said the rule is intended to ensure participants are not pushed into telehealth when they do not want it or cannot use it, while leaving technical and clinical telehealth decisions to the provider. A case management provider testified in opposition to parts of the rule, arguing that the committee should not require agencies to admit unverified patients, that reimbursement-rate issues belong in legislation, that the quality-management section duplicates existing licensure oversight, and that the telehealth language improperly gives case managers authority over how other licensed providers deliver services. Committee members questioned whether the telehealth language was simply allowing case managers to determine whether telehealth fits a person’s care plan, and agency representatives responded that this was the intent. No final vote on rule 25-304 is shown in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• . programmed. programmed.
• On the community fuels reduction program, there were nine grant awardees this past year, totaling about
• Program. Program.
• We have a watershed program, also DOHFA, federal fund increase for anticipated grant awards. >> You guys
• So, for LNR 801, that is the oboe. program that's a DOD grant REPI funds. program that's a DOD grant

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It applies only to this grant program or this grant cycle and existing grants in the pipeline with this
• It applies only to this grant<01:25:31.760> program grant program grant program um<01:25:33.520
• Lines 40.24 dealing with grants, grant contracts, and programs administrative costs.
• <01:48:23.040> programs<01:48:23.520> that<01:48:23.840> I level as other grant
• programs that I level as other grant programs that I just<01:48:24.239> don't<01:48:24.480>

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The conference committee met late on Friday evening to discuss the Public Safety and Judiciary budget agreement, beginning with a brief exchange among members about concerns that the executive branch had been delaying the committee’s work by waiting to approve legislative decisions. Members emphasized that the legislature should retain its independence while still allowing normal collaboration with the governor’s office. The committee then moved through several outstanding policy items and adopted them without opposition, including the A38 amendment addressing data-sharing concerns involving disability-related information, a study of firefighting services by the state fire marshal, and an A46 amendment governing access to unredacted portable recording system data in collision investigations, with guardrails on disclosure and use. The committee next reviewed the spreadsheet and budget targets. Fiscal staff explained the judiciary side of the agreement, including funding for court operating costs, a one-time Justice Partner Access Program appropriation, forensic exam rate increases, guardian ad litem funding, public defense, human rights, the competency attainment board, the cannabis expungement board, and fee increases for civil filings and motions. On the public safety side, staff described the target as well as the discretionary items funded, including nonprofit security grants, BCA staffing changes, fire marshal initiatives, a 10-year arson statute of limitations, prosecutor training grants, legal representation for children, E911 funding for critical infrastructure, Philando Castile Training Fund support, corrections-related savings from the Stillwater phased closure and sentence-to-serve elimination, a mandatory minimums task force, a victims of crime account transfer, a decommissioning study, in-service use-of-force training, and extensions of several expiring appropriations. The committee also noted a correction to a spreadsheet label related to the Stillwater closure item. After the spreadsheet walkthrough, the committee took testimony from Chief Justice Natalie Hudson and State Court Administrator Jeff Shorban on behalf of the Minnesota Judicial Branch. Hudson thanked the committee for its work and said the agreement covers some unavoidable costs, including insurance, lease expenses, forensic examiner pay, and the new access system, but argued it does not adequately address the judiciary’s most urgent problem: staffing and judicial compensation. She said court employees are leaving for better-paying jobs, judicial salaries are frozen for two years, and applicant pools for judgeships have declined, especially in greater Minnesota. She also said the judicial branch was not meaningfully consulted on the budget target and urged lawmakers to recognize the courts as a constitutional obligation rather than a discretionary program.

Transcript Highlights:

• This proven program is a cornerstone of DEED's small business programs, and through a competitive process
• Business Assistance Partnership Program Business Assistance Partnership Program has<00:02:01.439
• <00:02:11.760> during level invested in this program during level invested in this program
• programs and through a small business programs and through a competitive<00:02:21.000> process,
• I've seen firsthand how this program I've seen firsthand how this program helps<00:02:37.840>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Members who have not been present until today, for whom arrest warrants were issued, will be granted
• A record vote is granted. The Clerk will ring the bell. Garren voting aye. Bell ringing.
• The excuse is not granted. The following proclamation from the Governor.
• program administered by the council for the purchase of certain public safety...
• No. 94 by Toth, relating to creating a grant program administered by the Texas Division of Emergency

Keywords: 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• or statewide food programs and schools like the New Mexico Grown Program, the Approved Supplier Program
• senior programs.
• The food bank program was basically a federal grant program.
• Then we put in programs like the CRP, the Conservation Reserve Program.
• Program, our ecological monitoring program, and our conservation science program.

Transcript Highlights:

• attractive a program as possible.
• Okay, so this is a last-dollar program.
• <00:07:34.680> aren't when like I said when grants aren't when like I said when grants aren't
• for various programs to other programs<00:08:03.319> that<00:08:03.440> Ohi<00:08:04.039
• <00:08:09.759> is if this program is if this program is included<00:08:11.599> thank

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee heard House File 2454, the Minnesota Law Enforcement Scholarship Act, and then laid the bill over. The author said the bill is intended to address a law enforcement workforce shortage by creating a last-dollar scholarship for licensed police officers and their dependents to pursue criminal justice or law enforcement degrees at Minnesota state colleges, universities, and University of Minnesota campuses. The bill was described as modeled on a Nebraska program and aimed at both recruiting officers from other states and retaining current Minnesota officers. Mark Ross, president of the St. Paul Police Federation and a longtime St. Paul officer, testified in support. He said the shortage is severe, citing vacancies in St. Paul, Minneapolis, and statewide, and argued the scholarship could help retain officers nearing retirement and attract people from other professions into law enforcement. No one else testified, and there were no questions from members during public testimony. During member discussion, questions focused on how unused funds would be handled and how the scholarship would interact with other aid. The author said the program was intended to be last-dollar, with other gift aid applied first, and expressed a preference that any funds roll over rather than lapse. Nonpartisan staff explained that transfer authority for unencumbered balances is typically addressed in the omnibus appropriations act and is not automatic. The author and chair indicated they would work on legislative intent and funding details in the omnibus process before the bill moves further.

Transcript Highlights:

• programs were a part of that. 21st Century grant programs are funded.
• programs are that. 21st century grant programs are funded<00:03:11.920> uh<00:03:12.080> they're
• So we have um next year's grant cycle.
• Um, services and programs are available.
• And at some point I particular programs.

Keywords: This live stream stopped early and will be uploaded as a complete video later today or tomorrow morning., 958, all

Summary: The committee first considered a pulled contract involving the Department of Education and heard from KDE staff Karen Worth, Matthew Courtney, and later Mickey Ray Marinelli. Members asked about contract 42, which related to the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program and broader federal budget uncertainty. KDE explained that the program is forward-funded, so current-year and next-school-year funding were secure, but future funding remained unclear because federal decisions were still in flux. Members asked to be kept informed of any changes and expressed support for the program. The committee then discussed contract 43, a $105,000 general fund agreement for a communications/digital media consultant. KDE said the position was created to help increase awareness of resources for district staff, administrators, and teachers, including Read to Succeed, numeracy, MTSS, website usability, standards resources, and the Kentucky Learning Hub. Members questioned why the work was being routed through the Green River Co-op, whether the role was new, how long it had been vacant, how many similar positions existed, and whether the work amounted to internal marketing. KDE said the selected employee was coming from Thomas More University, the position had existed for about one year, the vacancy had been less than six months, and the role was intended to improve communication and online resources. Some members voiced concern about growing administrative spending and whether more positions were needed. Both contracts were ultimately approved as reviewed without objection after motions, seconds, and roll-call votes. The committee then announced that the September 25 meeting would instead be held on Tuesday, September 9 at 9:00 a.m., and adjourned after a motion.

Transcript Highlights:

• program alongside our grant unit.
• :47:48.319> program studies grant program studies grant program alongside<00:47:50.400> our
• alongside our grant unit. alongside our grant unit.
• :08:36.480> are teacher prep programs obviously are teacher prep programs obviously are going<
• It talks about grants that are going to be given to help implement this program, which kind of where

Bills: HF3489, HF3550

Keywords: grooming, child protection, student safety, sexual exploitation, educator licensing, teacher discipline, mandatory reporting, mandated reporter training, school misconduct, predatory offender, child abuse, sexual abuse, sex trafficking, child sexual abuse material, child pornography, position of authority, school employee, school administrator, license revocation, license suspension

Transcript Highlights:

• This is relating to an early learning apprenticeship grant program.
• This bill establishes an early learning apprenticeship grant program.
• <00:25:05.960> establishes grant program um this bill establishes grant program um this bill
• Up next is House Bill 549, relating to an Early Learning apprenticeship grant program.
• The legislature declares that the establishment of an early learning apprenticeship grant program is

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Higher Education met on January 31 and heard six bills. The chair opened by outlining committee practices, including giving at least 72 hours’ notice for hearings, releasing testimony by 5:00 p.m. the day before hearings, and deferring bills needing substantive HT1 changes so members would not vote “blind.” Members briefly thanked the chair for the transparency approach before moving to the agenda. HB 223 would create a Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy special fund and workforce assessment fee to support a pharmacy center. Testimony from the Board of Pharmacy, the Hawaii Pharmacists Association, the University of Hawaiʻi Hilo College of Pharmacy, Mokai Drugs, and others generally supported the measure, emphasizing workforce data, rural access, student loan repayment, and retention. The committee later advanced HB 223 with amendments, including leaving fee amounts blank for further discussion and inserting a defective date, and the motion passed unanimously. HB 940 would appropriate funds for the rat lungworm lab at UH Hilo; HB 546 would establish the Aloha Intelligence Institute at UH to advance AI; HB 549 would create an early learning apprenticeship grant program; HB 1172 would add the Department of Taxation to the Statewide Longitudinal Data System for wage-data sharing; and HB 1320 would require UH to collect and publicly report graduate outcome data and create a dashboard. Testimony on these bills was largely supportive, with some privacy concerns raised on HB 1172 and a request to protect taxpayer confidentiality. In decision-making, the committee passed all five bills with amendments, generally deleting or blanking appropriations and FTEs for Finance Committee review, adding defective dates for further discussion, and in HB 549 adding a statement that the program is a matter of statewide concern. The committee recessed briefly for decision-making and then adopted the chair’s recommendations on each bill.