Transcript Highlights:

• </c> A property tax cut. A property tax cut.
• And too much state revenue is being lost to unneeded vouchers, tax credits, tax loopholes, and a tax
• . taxes. taxes.
• </c><03:41:22.240><c> credits,</c><03:41:22.760><c> tax</c> to unneeded vouchers, tax credits, tax to
• district taxes.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then you'll see in double tax.
• </c> as how much is incurring the double tax as how much is incurring the double tax as<00:58:18.880>
• </c> contracts, they will be double taxed. contracts, they will be double taxed.
• </c> property taxes. property taxes.
• </c> property taxes come down. property taxes come down.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> is really trying to be smarter with tax is really trying to be smarter with tax dollars<00:23:00.640
• </c> dollars and save tax dollars in the end. dollars and save tax dollars in the end.
• </c> increases in taxes would be um advised. increases in taxes would be um advised.
• </c> Means. and Ways and Means had the uh tax Means. and Ways and Means had the uh tax credit<01:51:27.480
• So I'm in favor of the EFA program. taxes. However, the wealthy people are taxes.

Summary: The Education Funding Committee met in executive session on a bill concerning school meal access and reimbursement. The bill would address local school districts’ responsibility to provide meals during school hours, reimburse schools for meals served at no cost, and make an appropriation. The committee first moved to retain the bill, with supporters saying it was complex, had uncertain fiscal impacts, and should be considered alongside other related meals bills. Opponents argued the committee already had enough information, that the bill served a small number of students at relatively low cost, and that delaying action would harm children who need food to learn. The committee also heard from Tim Roar, a Keene school business administrator and co-designer of the bill, who explained that the proposal was intended to be an opt-in program for districts, with rulemaking to set participation requirements. He said the bill was meant to target aid to students between 175% and 200% of poverty, reduce bad meal debt, and avoid spending taxpayer money on families who could afford to pay. He estimated the state cost at about $250,000 in year one, with local taxpayer costs around $8,500 for Keene, and said some districts already have systems for online applications while others do not. Committee members questioned him about meal debt, online application software costs, and how districts handle students who reach debt limits. Roar said districts still feed students who are hungry, but use other resources and family outreach when meal debt is capped, and he argued that parents should be responsible for providing lunch when they can afford it. Other members pushed back, saying they had seen students go hungry and that teachers sometimes pay for lunches themselves. One member noted the bill would increase eligibility, make it easier to apply, strengthen personal responsibility, and was not a mandate. The discussion ended without a recorded final vote in the excerpt, though the retain motion remained the central action under debate.

Transcript Highlights:

• The property tax is the one tax where a government sets the amount or the value upon which the rate applies
• That 800 licensed property tax assessor—the property tax is the one tax where a government sets the amount
• That’s too important with taxes.
• </c> capability would be to file your taxes capability would be to file your taxes that's<01:07:08.000
• </c><01:08:54.759><c> Act</c> Tax is a good example of that Tax Act Tax is a good example of that Tax

Committee: House State Government Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> process to go through for owners for tax process to go through for owners for tax assessors<00:48
• to 'tax.'
• to 'tax.'
• to 'tax.'
• </c> these properties we allocate the tax these properties we allocate the tax credits<01:00:04.319><

Committee: Senate Commerce

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> generate a significant amount of tax generate a significant amount of tax revenue<00:18:02.080><
• specific taxes not County General<00:22:26.960><c> income</c><00:22:27.360><c> taxes</c><00:22:28.120
• </c> whole County just with cannabis tax whole County just with cannabis tax revenue<00:22:56.640><c>
• </c> uh adjusting for its population and tax uh adjusting for its population and tax rate<00:23:06.480
• We talk a lot about tax. Some legislators believe that there is no tax to be made.

Transcript Highlights:

• The occupancy tax continues to increase. You know, from 2018 to now, it's increased over 60%.
• It really, it's the number three driver in our state in terms of revenue and tax revenue.
• It really, it's the number three driver in our state in terms of revenue and tax revenue.
• With a tax rate of over $8,000 per year per lot, our family had four such lots.
• Just recently, we're able to have the tax value corrected on some of these parcels, but the back taxes

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development

Summary: The Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development held a hearing on October 21, opening with a moment of silence for former committee chair Senator Edward Kennedy. Chairs Senator Paul Mark and Representative Sean Garballey then heard testimony on several bills related to tourism funding, arts infrastructure, public art, Native heritage, and a choreographer laureate. A major focus was legislation to require earlier distribution of regional tourism council grants from the Tourism Trust Fund, with testimony from regional tourism leaders from North of Boston, Metro West, Cape Cod, and Senator Joan Lovely. Witnesses said delayed grant allocations make it difficult to plan fall, winter, and shoulder-season marketing, and they argued that an October 1 or September 1 deadline would help preserve tourism’s economic impact without increasing appropriations. They cited tourism’s role in jobs, tax revenue, and regional economic development, especially for smaller and less prominent tourism regions. The committee also heard strong support for the Creative Space Act and the PLACE Act, which would help municipalities preserve affordable creative workspace and create a public art funding mechanism tied to state construction projects. Testimony from MassCreative, MAPC, arts organizations, muralists, and local arts leaders emphasized loss of workspace, displacement of artists, and the economic and community benefits of public art. Additional testimony supported bills to protect Native American heritage by preventing the sale of funerary and sacred objects in public or nonprofit collections, and a bill to establish a first-in-the-nation choreographer laureate of the Commonwealth. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the committee adjourned after public testimony concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• I've added Senator Rust and Senator Marty, the chairs of taxes and finance as ex officio members.
• More importantly, it provides significant tax cuts to people. $1 trillion of tax cuts go to the 1% richest
• c> the</c><00:07:25.840><c> 1%</c> trillion of tax cuts go to the 1% trillion of tax cuts go to the 1%
• There is, you know, questions about taxing tips or not taxing tips, things like that, that people might
• </c><00:15:48.240><c> tips</c> is you know questions about taxing tips is you know questions about taxing

Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> and</c> transfer tax between the general and transfer tax between the general and education<00:12
• for both the tobacco tax and the um real for both the tobacco tax and the um real estate<00:14:24.800
• </c><00:14:27.759><c> um</c> transfer tax um transfer tax um so<00:14:30.199><c> we</c><00:14:30.320>
• </c> profit tax and business Enterprise tax profit tax and business Enterprise tax distribution<00:18
• </c> business Enterprise tax business Enterprise tax distribution<00:19:25.640><c> from</c><00:19:26.000

Summary: The committee first considered an amendment to add a new “Lakes” license plate to HB 2, with proceeds directed to the cyanobacteria fund for lake cleanup. Representative McGuire said the bill had already passed on consent and asked that it be included in HB 2; members discussed that it had also gone to the Senate. The motion to adopt the amendment failed on a 7-8 vote. The committee then took up an amendment imposing a 5% administrative fee on certain dedicated funds, with several exemptions for funds that could not legally or appropriately be charged, such as those involving federal money or bequests. Supporters said it would make the treatment of dedicated funds more consistent and raise roughly $31 million over the biennium for the general fund, while opponents questioned the number of carve-outs and who currently pays the administrative costs. The amendment failed on a 4-5 vote. Next, the committee reconsidered and then adopted an amendment changing the distribution of business profits tax and business enterprise tax revenue, reducing the share going to the Education Trust Fund from 41% to 30% and increasing the General Fund share. Supporters argued the Senate had overfunded the Education Trust Fund and that the change would help balance the budget without changing education spending levels; opponents said they could not support taking money from the Education Trust Fund. The amendment passed 5-3. The committee also adopted, by the same 5-3 margin, an amendment incorporating HB 741 language on open enrollment and student attendance in public schools, with supporters calling it House policy and opponents noting it had been a close, partly partisan vote in the House. Finally, the committee considered a change to the University System of New Hampshire budget that would reduce general fund appropriations by $40 million per year, offset in part by $15 million in previously approved unique dollars for a net reduction of $25 million per year. Supporters said the cut was necessary to balance the budget and that other options had been exhausted; opponents called it harmful to the university system and argued the committee should instead look to other areas, including education freedom accounts, for savings. The discussion continued, but the transcript excerpt ends before a final vote on the UNH item.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> what is being taxed and when? what is being taxed and when?
• based</c> the severance tax or timber taxes based the severance tax or timber taxes based on<00:54:54.640
• At what you on the tax in a tax, okay?
• Where would you tax it? Can you tax do. Where would you tax it? Can you tax it?
• . tax. tax.

Summary: The meeting began with introductions, approval of the March 6 minutes as amended to add an attendee list, and a brief overview of the day’s agenda. The committee heard two presentations from carbon project developers, with the first from Dylan Jenkins of Finite Carbon. He described Finite Carbon’s work in improved forest management projects, its role in developing carbon methodologies and protocols, and its experience with projects in New England, Appalachia, Alaska, and Canada. He also outlined the difference between compliance and voluntary carbon markets, the role of registries and intermediaries, and the types of buyers in the market, including large corporate buyers and long-term off-take partners. A major focus of the presentation was how forest carbon projects are structured and how credits are monetized. Jenkins distinguished between removals and reductions, explaining that removals come from new forest growth while reductions are tied more closely to baseline assumptions and standing stock. He said improved forest management projects can generate both types of credits, and that removals generally command higher prices because they are easier for buyers to understand and verify. He also emphasized that carbon project commercialization can occur before, during, or after credit issuance, and that landowners may be paid through a variety of structures, including leases, advance fees, per-unit payments, or off-take agreements. Jenkins then addressed the committee’s tax-related questions, saying House Bill 123 appeared intended to treat carbon credit sales similarly to timber sales for local tax purposes. He argued that carbon credits are a forest product and that taxing them can be reasonable in principle, but he stressed that lawmakers should distinguish between commoditization and commercialization when deciding what event to tax. He noted that credits may be created but never sold, and that in some programs landowners retain timber and carbon rights while in others the developer has deeper control over those rights. In response to questions, he said the industry uses protocols, verification, and third-party oversight to address baseline and quality concerns, but acknowledged that baseline setting remains a major point of debate in the market.

Transcript Highlights:

• c><00:35:00.880><c> two</c><00:35:01.079><c> fees</c> or pay state tax so one tax and two fees or pay
• state tax so one tax and two fees three<00:35:01.960><c> charges</c><00:35:02.640><c> one</c> three
• They did 1.64 billion in sales in 2024, and the excise tax, or the tax that they recognized from that
• /c> 24 and uh the excise tax or the tax that 24 and uh the excise tax or the tax that they<03:30:38.560
• We have beer tax and permits.

Summary: The Department of Safety presented an overview of highway fund and unrestricted revenue collections, focusing on the Division of Administration, the Road Toll Bureau, and the Division of Motor Vehicles. Amy Newbery explained that the main unrestricted funding sources are highway funds and general funds, with highway fund revenue of about $263 million in FY 2024 and a FY 2025 projection of $261.2 million. She said revenue growth has been modest and has not kept pace with costs, creating structural deficits that required general fund transfers of $50 million in FY 2022-23 and another $10 million in FY 2024-25 to balance the fund. Jennifer Hall described Road Toll operations, including motor fuel tax collection at the distributor level, compliance enforcement, and licensing for fuel distributors, transporters, IFTA carriers, and oil discharge/pollution control. Members asked about IFTA, dyed-fuel enforcement, the possibility of using the state forensic lab for dyed-fuel testing, and whether audit positions had been filled; the department said it recently hired a part-time fuel enforcement officer, still uses IRS testing, could explore lab testing, and had no audit vacancies. Hall also discussed factors affecting fuel-tax revenue, including gas prices, crude oil forecasts, weather, tourism, GDP, and inflation, and said FY 2024 road toll revenue was $127.5 million, above plan, with FY 2025 projected at $127.71 million. The committee then turned to DMV-related revenues. Newbery said motor vehicle registration revenue was $93.1 million in FY 2024 and is projected at $90.4 million in FY 2025, with the state share going directly to the highway fund. Members asked about the state/town fee split, the five-year registration cycle dip, the distribution of registration revenue by vehicle weight category, and the impact of electric-vehicle surcharges; the department said the five-year dip is still occurring and will fade over time, and it would follow up on the weight-category breakdown. The presentation also noted that driver-license revenues have stabilized, inspection revenues remain steady, plea-by-mail revenue was added to the highway fund in FY 2024, and general fund revenues tied to the department are relatively small and have declined as some functions moved to OPLC. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Lee, so at least in the Metro there's the new sales tax.
• the 75% sales tax?
• Lee, so at least in the Metro there's the new sales tax.
• Paul in the form of new taxes.
• </c> uh we're trying to be responsible tax uh we're trying to be responsible tax dollars<01:41:25.719

Bills: HF192 , HF268 , HF1214 , HF494

Committee: House Transportation Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:24:09.480><c> and</c> includes all delivery charges taxes and includes all delivery charges taxes
• ><c> structure</c> taxes this structure taxes this structure is<00:53:27.400><c> not</c><00:53:28.160
• So this is a new tax, but people are already paying tax on their capital gains when they sell property
• </c> this be properly under conveyance tax this be properly under conveyance tax search<00:54:13.440>
• Oh, capital gains tax instead of a conveyance tax. Okay, thank you. I think, like Mr.

Committee: House Water & Land

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several agriculture, water, invasive species, and land-use bills. HB 299 and HB 1220, both relating to invasive species, drew broad support from the Hawaii Invasive Species Council, DLNR, the Department of Agriculture, C-GAPS, Sierra Club, Hawaii Farm Bureau, Hawaii Farmers Union, and others. Testifiers said HISC funding fills gaps between agency mandates, supports research and technology, and helps respond to both terrestrial and marine invasive threats. On HB 1220, C-GAPS described a marine anemone infestation in Kāneʻohe linked to aquarium release and said control and restoration would be difficult without the bill’s funding. A committee member asked for tracking information on the species, and the Division of Aquatic Resources said it maintains monitoring data and annual reports. No opposition was noted on either measure. HB 506, relating to conservation enforcement, also received support from DLNR and Malama Pu‘u Ma. Committee discussion focused on the bill’s scope and how the funding would be used. Members asked about a prior boat purchase mentioned in opposition testimony and about whether mainland vendors were being used; the department said it did not buy that boat and that procurement follows the normal state process, with total bid price including delivery, taxes, and other fees. The department explained that the bill’s funding is primarily for marine enforcement work in nearshore fisheries, including herbivore protection around O‘ahu. HB 915, relating to water use, had mixed testimony. DLNR supported alternative water sources and amendments to the water code, while the Department of Agriculture opposed the bill as drafted, saying its irrigation program is designed for non-potable agricultural use and is not structured for residential or mixed-use development. The Department of Health said it needed more information on its reuse guidelines and noted concern about removing the recycled water manager requirement, which it said helps ensure safe operation and maintenance of reuse systems. Members questioned the bill’s preemption language and whether county or state rules would be displaced, and Agriculture suggested county water agencies might be better suited for some of the proposed uses. HB 502, concerning land use, drew support from the Attorney General’s office, the Land Use Commission, Hawaii Realtors, Hawaii Farm Bureau, and Hawaii Farmers Union, with the Department of Agriculture standing on its written testimony. The Attorney General warned that allowing important agricultural lands to be redistricted through a declaratory ruling process could conflict with the state constitution and recommended excluding IAL from the bill. The Land Use Commission said it has an inventory of IAL lands and did not believe the bill would affect them, and it agreed to the suggested protection. Supporters said the bill could help move lands with limited agricultural value into the rural district, reduce pressure on productive farmland, and better align land use with actual farming potential. HB 929, relating to the agricultural land conveyance tax, received comments from the Department of Taxation and opposition from Hawaii Farm Bureau and Hawaii Realtors; Farm Bureau said it supports preserving agricultural land but was concerned about unintended consequences and questioned whether speculative flipping of ag land is a current problem.

Transcript Highlights:

• vehicle, and as everyone in the House knows, tax policy has to start in the House.
• Senate bill was a tax vehicle, and as Senate bill was a tax vehicle, and as everyone<00:00:50.760><c>
• </c> tax policy has to start in the house. tax policy has to start in the house.
• </c> tax forfeiture case whole. tax forfeiture case whole.
• ,</c><00:24:13.360><c> higher</c> with high high higher taxes, higher with high high higher taxes, higher

Transcript Highlights:

• We allocate federal and state tax credits and tax-exempt bonds that support the financing of affordable
• One of the programs has historically always been a competitive program: the 9% tax credit program.
• of the project needed to be financed using tax-exempt bonds, which are allocated by CDLAC.
• The other biggest hurdle is tax credit schedules. You know, a client gets a tax credit award.
• Note that we did ask interviewees about potential funding or tax incentives to directly...

Transcript Highlights:

• So existing property tax law already provides that the property tax base-year value of real property
• I think it's time for the Legislature to consider allowing the local land and tax use authorities make
• January 1, 2026, until January 1, 2031... ...to extend the five-year time period to transfer property tax
• SB 888 simply extends that same principle to property tax relief for disabled veterans.
• veterans in their homes and reduce the risk of homelessness or housing instability by ensuring the tax

Committee: Senate Revenue and Taxation

Transcript Highlights:

• South L.A., yet many residents rarely have access to these good union jobs and the productions that our tax
• done so much work, many around this table, to ensure that we have the strongest film and television tax
• need this data, and as you know through our budget subcommittee, we heard quite a bit about the film tax
• the film commission responsible for monitoring, you know, what was essentially $330 million worth of tax
• Again, as you talked about taxes. We all pay taxes.

Summary: The committee heard SB 756, authored by Senator Skinner, which would expand reporting and accountability for California’s film and television tax credit program. The senator said the bill is intended to improve equity and transparency by requiring the California Film Commission to collect better demographic and geographic data, including workers’ zip codes and veteran status, using existing payroll and third-party systems without adding new mandates. Supporters said the information is needed to evaluate whether the state’s film incentive benefits California workers and communities, especially in areas like South Los Angeles. Public testimony was limited. Dylan Hoffman, on behalf of California Arts Advocates, testified in support. No opposition testimony was presented. Committee members, including Assembly Member Quirk-Silva and Assembly Member McKinnor, voiced support and emphasized the need for standardized data collection and stronger oversight of the tax credit program. The author also noted recent staffing increases at the Film Commission to help monitor the program. The committee moved the bill on a motion and second, and SB 756 passed out of committee with a due pass recommendation to the Appropriations Committee. The roll call was recorded as 8-0, with one member not present in voting.

Transcript Highlights:

• When the State Tax Commission began to prepare implementation of this legislation, they realized there
• When the taxes are paid, but a couple of counties decided to keep those fees and interest funds.
• When the taxes are paid and the fees and interest are collected, they proportionally go... ...taxes are
• House Bill 594 codifies that decision, removing all doubt about to whom the fees and taxes are due.
• It divides it up into the taxes and the late fees, so there's no...

Committee: Senate Local Government and Taxation

Transcript Highlights:

• relief by lowering school taxes for New Castle County residents.
• Tax relief by lowering school taxes for New Castle County residents.
• However, that tax relief was only authorized for one year.
• would see their taxes decrease.
• would see their taxes decrease.

Summary: The House received a series of Senate communications and committee reports, then took up a long consent calendar and several individual measures. Early actions included passing consent calendar items, recognizing Freedom of Speech Week and Juneteenth, and hearing numerous introductions and tributes, including remarks honoring House fellows, Father’s Day, and Representative Mara Gorman. The chamber also adopted several procedural motions and recesses, with roll calls recorded throughout. Among the bills considered, the House passed House Bill 134 on animal cruelty, increasing penalties for repeat offenses; House Bill 131 with Senate Amendment 1 on pet stores and animal welfare; House Substitute 1 for House Bill 320 on technical corrections to the Delaware Constitution; House Substitute 1 for House Bill 407 on technical updates to the Hazardous Substance Control Act; House Substitute 1 for House Bill 425 on salary supplements for certain school employees; House Substitute 1 for House Bill 450, the Road Delaware Act, on land use and permitting reform; House Bill 459 on restricting energy drink sales in schools; House Substitute 1 for House Bill 439 on electric moped and motorcycle disclosures; and House Bill 444, the Delaware John Lewis Voting Rights Act, after amendment delaying its effective date to July 1, 2027. House Amendment 1 to House Bill 459 was adopted, and House Amendment 1 to House Bill 444 was adopted before final passage. The House also rejected House Amendment 1 to House Substitute 1 for House Bill 425 after debate over salary supplement policy for school-related certifications, then passed the substitute bill itself. House Bill 407 prompted questions about the increase in civil penalties, which DENREC said was intended to update outdated fines and align the penalty structure with other laws. House Bill 444 drew floor speeches emphasizing voting rights protections and concerns about voter suppression and dilution. The session ended with the House moving to recess after continuing consideration of House Bill 355, the Speaker Truth Act, which had just adopted an amendment changing damages language to attorney’s fees and costs.

Transcript Highlights:

• So then could a project receive both the tax credit funding as well...”
• Yeah, that's a contribution tax credit.
• So it is one of two tax credit programs that we administer by statute.
• The way that works, we refer to it as a contributory tax credit program.
• That is the low-income housing tax credit program. You sure? Yes.

Committee: House Budget