Transcript Highlights:

• >> Chair Wright: GOOD AFTERNOON THE COMMITTEE ON MILITARY VETERANS AFFAIRS, SPACE AND DOMESTIC SECURITY
• IN THE UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIP FOR TRAINING, PROVIDING STIPENDS FOR VETERANS SPOUSES, THERE ARE SOME FEE
• DRIVERS LICENSE AND OUR NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS AND SPOUSES AS WELL AS BUSINESS FINALLY, AS WELL AS A $120 FEE
• FOR VETERANS STARTING BUSINESSES WELL AS A $120 FEE FOR VETERANS STARTING BUSINESSES AND IN ITS FORMAT

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• No, so our fees are remaining the same.
• paying you you're not changing fees paying you you're not changing fees you're<00:17:02.759>
• The cost of that moving forward is that fee?
• anymore because of cyber security anymore because of cyber security concern<03:23:46.439> concerns
• salary benefits um supervisory fees salary benefits um supervisory fees assessed<05:29:05.718>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard the Banking Department’s fiscal year 2026-2027 budget presentation from Commissioner Amelia Galeri. She described the department as a self-funded consumer protection regulator overseeing two main areas: the Banking Trust Division, which supervises state-chartered banks, credit unions, and trust companies, and the Consumer Credit Division, which oversees more than 7,000 licensees including mortgage and money transmitter businesses. She said the department’s budget is about 86% salaries and benefits, with 53 positions all filled, and explained that the agency funds itself through fees, fines, and end-of-year assessments on regulated entities. Galeri said the department is facing workload growth from several directions: continued growth in the trust industry, increased fintech supervision, and a new requirement to regularly examine auto dealers that take finance applications, which adds about 300 exams over two fiscal years. She said the department was directed to flat-fund its budget based on 2025 levels but was allowed to increase travel and training. To stay within that limit, she said the department reduced office space, went paperless, converted administrative and licensing positions into examiner positions, and expects to defund an embedded DOJ database administrator position once a new SharePoint system is fully implemented. Members asked about how the department’s revenue and assessments work, including whether fees were increasing and how much existing banks would pay. Galeri said fees are not being raised, most banks pay little or no fines, and assessments are based largely on asset size, with trust companies paying the bulk. She also explained that fines are set by statute, generally capped at $2,500 per violation for consumer credit entities, and said she would not recommend increasing that cap. The committee then voted to accept the Banking Department’s budget proposal as presented in HQ1, with a motion and second and no discussion. The transcript then moved to the Department of Energy budget. Commissioner Jared Chakin and Chief of Operations Lenny Radio discussed federal program funding, including LIHEAP fuel assistance and weatherization. They said the apparent drop in fuel assistance funding from FY 2024 actuals to the budgeted amount is due to the loss of ARPA and CARES Act supplemental funds, while weatherization remains a federally constrained program with a waiting list and limited flexibility. Members also asked about a proposed transfer from the renewable energy fund; staff said the transfer would still allow the department to carry out its statutory duties for the year, though the committee deferred deeper discussion until House Bill 2.

Transcript Highlights:

• The American people know it's in our best interest and our national security to secure the border.
• It's designed to strengthen our national security, fortify our Now secure border, which was turned into
• It's in this bill, and this bill secures the border.
• President Trump promised no taxes on Social Security.
• They said, can we secure America's border?

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• These communities need professionals on the ground who know how to secure funding and turn ideas into
• In addition, scholarship funding organizations charge an administrative fee of 3% on over $4 billion.
• instead of the money remaining with that organization, and the bill reduces the SFO administrative fee
• The bill, if it passes, lowers the SFO administrative fee from 3% to 2%.
• National security is jets and ships, yes.

Summary: The Senate Appropriations Committee met with a quorum present and took up two bills. The first, SB 250 on rural communities by Senator Simon, was described as a broad rural development package creating an Office of Rural Prosperity, a Renaissance grant program, housing and transportation investments, added funding for rural education consortiums, and health care initiatives for rural areas. Senator Harrell asked about overlap between road funding programs, and the sponsor explained that eligible counties could receive both SCRAP and FARM funding. Several organizations waived in support or spoke in support, and the bill was reported favorably by unanimous vote. The committee then heard SB 318, the committee substitute for educational scholarship programs by President Gates. The bill was presented as a response to Auditor General findings about the rapid growth and administration of Florida’s school choice and scholarship programs. It would separate Family Empowerment Scholarship funding from the FEFP, require more frequent student enrollment verification, lower scholarship funding organization administrative fees, require return of overpayments, create a student ID system, establish a $250 million stabilization fund, require annual audits, and direct DOE to recommend future program administration through competitive procurement. Gates also offered five amendments, including technical changes to eligibility documentation and a substantive amendment requiring a DOE report on future administration and competitive selection; all five amendments were adopted. During debate and public testimony, senators and witnesses discussed accountability, software solutions, reimbursement delays, monthly attestations, and impacts on public schools and families. Supporters and opponents alike raised concerns about bureaucracy, fraud prevention, special education services, and whether the bill would help or burden parents. Gates said the bill aimed to fix tracking and payment problems without capping the program, and he noted the IEP timeline would be aligned with public school timelines. After debate, the committee reported CS for SB 318 favorably by unanimous vote, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's important to go back and think about the fact that Medicaid used on on a fee for service model.
• So it's the point that I'm trying to make is that it's more than just the fees schedule.
• For this reason, especially we also reconcile that to the Medicare fee schedule because it's publicly
• You're recognized. >> So we of course, it here to cause state fee schedule.
• She began rebuilding her life step by step over time she secure and stable housing, obtain full-time

Transcript Highlights:

• and it's really designed to create opportunities for individuals to gain 100% of their tuition and fees
• And it's really decided to create opportunities for individuals to gain 100% of their tuition and fees
• Again, it also provides 100% of tuition and fees, and it can also provide an additional scholarship of
• It also provides 100% of tuition and fees, and it can also provide an additional scholarship of $1,000
• Most recently, our LPN program's success helped us secure the Pipeline Grant, which enabled us to hire

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education received an overview of Florida’s career and technical education (CTE) system from Chancellor Kevin O’Farrell, who described the state’s CTE pathways, program types, enrollment and completion growth, quality audit metrics, and the Master Credentials List used to identify credentials of value. He highlighted record postsecondary CTE enrollment and completions, strong statewide performance in talent attraction, and several funding tools supporting expansion, including Open Door, the Florida First Responder Scholarship, Workforce Development Capitalization grants, Perkins funding, CAPE performance incentives, and apprenticeship grants. Senators asked about eligibility for Open Door and first responder aid, top industry certifications, and the teacher apprenticeship initiative. A panel of college and technical school leaders then described how state and federal funding has supported local program growth and facility expansion. Santa Fe College, Palm Beach State College, North Florida Technical College, Lake Technical College, Florida Gateway College, and Manatee Technical College each cited increases in enrollment, high placement or licensure pass rates, and new or expanded programs in nursing, welding, CDL, automotive, manufacturing, public safety, and apprenticeship. Several speakers emphasized partnerships with hospitals, employers, school districts, and local governments, and noted that grants helped fund equipment, renovations, and new training hubs. Palm Beach State also raised a request to broaden line funding beyond nursing to other health science fields, and multiple presenters asked for more flexibility, multi-year support, and continued or increased funding to sustain growth. Members discussed broader challenges, including the difficulty of sustaining grant-funded growth after initial awards, the lag between enrollment growth and funding formulas, and alignment problems for dual enrollment and technical programs with high school schedules. Senators also noted the need to balance support for high-demand core programs like nursing and welding with the ability to respond quickly to emerging industries such as AI and space. The meeting ended with no formal action beyond adjournment after Senator Davis moved to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• It also makes it unlawful for an attorney representing a person under a contingency fee agreement to
• It also makes it unlawful for an attorney to receive a kickback or a fee split for referring a client
• It also makes it unlawful for an attorney to receive a kickback or a fee split.
• Finally, it prohibits attorneys from charging an additional contingency fee or an administrative fee,
• management fee, or similar fee based on reducing or resolving a client's medical lien.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Yes, the committee substitute clarifies that the recycling fund will not be requiring any fees, taxes
• It does not impose government mandates, there are no fees on consumers or producers, and this is not
• bill incentivizes increased investment in the recycling infrastructure of Texas without creating a fee
• So we tried to find a workable solution that didn't have any government mandates, didn't have any fees
• It's not so much the tariff aspect that I'm concentrating on; it's more the national security strategy

Bills: SB410, SB795, SB2510, SB728, SB2689, HB143, HB143

Keywords: Gulf Coast Protection District, navigation safety, special districts, state governance, Texas legislation, Gulf Coast, flood protection, storm risk management, coastal restoration, natural resources, prescribed burns, self-insurance, fire management, liability protection, rural land management, beverage container recycling, deposit return system, container deposit, bottle bill, recycling refund

Transcript Highlights:

• appear to make the largest impact on feasibility in all of the scenarios: not zoning, not parking, not fee
• Cities would still retain authority over zoning, design review, planning approval, fees, occupancy, and
• A developer would pay the fees for the third-party plan checkers to perform their roles, and that would
• When a construction loan is secured, it sets everything else in motion.
• Because, again, up front, a lot of people forget that it's not just securing the loan, it's getting,

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several housing-related proposals and policy ideas. One speaker urged changes to the welfare property tax exemption for affordable housing, arguing that annual income recertifications are outdated and burdensome, and proposing a one-time qualification at move-in, streamlined monitoring through TCAC or HCD, and continued exemption protection for projects that remain in compliance. The witness said rising insurance costs and administrative burdens are hurting cash flow and threatening the viability of affordable housing operations. A major portion of the meeting focused on social housing and the SB 555 study. HCD described its ongoing study process, including public engagement with residents, practitioners, and experts, and noted that California already has many building blocks for social housing, such as public land tools, long-term affordability mechanisms, community land trusts, and tenant protections. Community land trust and housing policy witnesses argued that social housing will require legislative action, expanded public subsidy, tax abatements, public land, and simplified financing, and they emphasized the need to reframe the concept for the “missing middle” and middle-class households to build broader political support. Committee members discussed stigma around “social housing,” the need for a rebrand, and the possibility of a pilot program, especially on excess public land. The committee also heard a proposal for a certified professional plan-check system modeled on Vancouver, Canada. The presenter said California’s permitting delays, inconsistent reviews, and staffing shortages add cost and uncertainty even for streamlined projects, and proposed allowing state-certified private professionals to perform plan checks and inspections under state oversight while local governments retain zoning and enforcement authority. Members discussed local control concerns, infrastructure costs, and the need to reduce delays and uncertainty in the entitlement process. Finally, the committee heard testimony supporting changes to HCD loan disbursement so funds can be used during construction rather than only after completion. Witnesses said this would reduce interest costs, improve feasibility, and could produce additional affordable homes with existing funding. The discussion also referenced AB 1053 as the vehicle for implementing that approach.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh finally, the racing commission ADW fee increase is the same between the two bodies.
• :04:30.800> racing<00:04:31.199> commission<00:04:31.600> ADW<00:04:32.160> fee
• finally, the racing commission ADW fee finally, the racing commission ADW fee increase<00:04:32.880
• Together with the technology advisory council, we've made incredible progress strengthening the security
• of state systems, partnering security of state systems, partnering with<00:26:30.960> local<00

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• agency for the mainly what that means is we don't use general revenue dollars, we we pay our own way, fee
• officials, assists with evacuation and shelter needs, and assists producers with biosecurity and secure
• It's supported by farmers, not necessarily taxpayers, but there's a five dollar fee, it's optional, on
• After three straight years. producers are struggling to secure financing for their 2025 crop year. and
• So, from a food security standpoint, and especially protecting Texans... That's critical.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:11:00.000> for integration, increased food security for integration, increased food security
• It deletes previous language that was in statute to fees.
• Um and that's in statute to um to fees.
• fee fee revenue.<02:30:55.600> Local<02:30:56.080> media<02:30:56.399> such<02:
• Chair, the added fee on Finally, Mr.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We were lucky to secure an additional position two years ago.
• employees at the Swanee District we've held that number for a few years we were we were lucky to secure
• We were lucky to secure an additional position two years ago.
• We have 461,000 acres that we either own in fee or through conservation easements.
• We have 461,000 acres that we either own in fee or through conservation easements.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government heard budget presentations from all five water management districts for FY 2026-2027: Northwest Florida, Suwannee River, St. Johns River, Southwest Florida, and South Florida. Each district described its preliminary budget, major funding sources, staffing levels, and how most of its spending is tied to the four core missions of water supply, water quality, natural systems, and flood protection. Several directors noted budget reductions from the prior year largely because major projects were completed or because grant/appropriation funding is not yet fully reflected in preliminary budgets. Committee members repeatedly asked how districts project operations and maintenance costs, how projects are selected, and what share of staff and spending is devoted to core missions versus administration or regulatory work. Northwest Florida Water Management District said its preliminary budget is $93.4 million, down about 15%, with 97% of spending tied to core responsibilities and a request for additional regulatory services funding. Suwannee River Water Management District presented a $70.4 million budget, emphasized its rural/agricultural character and spring protection work, and highlighted the Water First North Florida reclaimed-water recharge project; members also discussed its need for an additional FTE to handle consumptive use permit reviews tied to a new lower Santa Fe rule. St. Johns River Water Management District presented a $181 million budget, highlighted major water supply, water quality, flood protection, and land management projects such as Taylor Creek Reservoir, Water First North Florida, Black Creek, Crane Creek, and Lake Jessup restoration, and said about 93% of its budget supports core missions. Southwest Florida Water Management District presented a $227.6 million budget, with major spending on alternative water supply, water control structure repairs, watershed projects, and land management; officials said 93.4% of the budget supports core missions and discussed rising construction costs for aging infrastructure. South Florida Water Management District presented the largest budget at $1.05 billion, focused on Everglades restoration, flood control, water supply, and ecosystem recovery; the director described major reservoirs and treatment projects, the EAA Reservoir, and ongoing efforts to improve water quality and restore flows to the Everglades and Florida Bay. The committee took no formal votes on the district budgets and adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• it was possible, because why would we pass a fee bill when we had this huge budget?
• The fee has not been reduced. So it was a proposal. It has been. Oh, it has been reduced. Okay.
• This includes server racks, network ingress points, and secure cloud connectivity points.
• Okay, let's get to the fee question.
• And then that would be where the fee would step in and pay for what is left, to your point, Ms.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Specifically, the bill makes changes to subscriber contributions, the fee charged to policyholders on
• We moved into a CCRC for the same things other people do: security, stability, and a sense of community
• in Florida and other states have resulted in CCRC residents like us losing our substantial entrance fees
• and facing subsequent... ...our substantial entrance fees and facing subsequent eviction, which can
• And when our management goes to secure those loans, those banks want to look at the proposed structure

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several insurance, financial regulation, and public safety bills. SB 1656, a large Office of Insurance Regulation bill, was taken up with a delete-all amendment and extensive discussion. The bill would increase transparency in insurance rates and mitigation data, update reciprocal insurer rules, limit use-and-file rate filings, expand cybersecurity breach notification, and strengthen oversight of continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs). Residents and senior advocates generally supported stronger oversight to prevent bankruptcies like the Unison case, while CCRC operators and industry groups warned that lien authority, reserve requirements, and other provisions could raise borrowing costs and burden well-run communities. The committee adopted the delete-all amendment and then reported the bill favorably after debate and public testimony. The committee also passed SB 1658 on the public records database for uniform mitigation verification forms, with a clarifying amendment protecting policyholders’ personal information. SB 1612 on financial institutions was reported favorably after an amendment and substitute amendment dealing with credit union investment limits and reimbursement rules for board members. SB 1740, an insurance bill aimed at reducing premiums and insolvency risk, was amended to prioritize rate-decrease filings and prohibit AI as the sole basis for claim denials; it was then reported favorably. SB 1212 on firefighter health and safety was amended to add occupational disease language and other firefighter protections, including safer gear, cancer prevention, and possible telehealth mental health services, and was also reported favorably. Finally, SB 1184 on residual market insurers was amended to preserve existing excess-and-surplus line standards, strengthen consumer disclosures, and clarify Citizens-related appointment rules before being reported favorably. Throughout the meeting, committee members repeatedly noted that several bills were still being refined with stakeholders, and multiple public witnesses testified in support of or opposition to the CCRC and insurance provisions, focusing on resident protection, financial stability, and unintended cost impacts.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:08:33.399> we<00:08:33.640> sustained jury and cyber security we sustained jury
• and cyber security we sustained four<00:08:35.320> recently<00:08:35.839> launched<00:
• <00:24:45.440> is important the issue of cyber security is important the issue of cyber security
• Second question here: cyber security challenges.
• <00:51:33.200> um the appet level expert witness fees um the appet level expert witness fees

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee met to approve the January 16 minutes and then heard a budget presentation from State Court Administrator Jeff Shorba on behalf of the Minnesota judicial branch. Shorba described the courts’ structure, mission, and workload, noting 322 judges, about 2,800 staff, roughly 1 million district court filings annually, and a current budget of about $479 million. He emphasized the branch’s constitutional obligation to provide fair and timely access to justice and said the courts are funded almost entirely through legislative appropriations. He also highlighted recent accomplishments made possible by prior legislative funding, including eliminating the pandemic felony and gross misdemeanor backlog, expanding remote and hybrid hearings, improving courtroom technology, sustaining treatment courts, and increasing pay for interpreters and psychological examiners. Shorba outlined the judicial branch’s 2026–27 budget request, which he said totals a 12% increase over the starting biennial base. Major requests included $77.3 million in 2026–27 and $104 million in 2028–29 for a 6% judicial salary increase and related compensation costs; $5.1 million in 2026–27 and $1.76 million in 2028–29 for digital accessibility compliance with new federal ADA rules; $4 million in 2026–27 and $800,000 in 2028–29 to modernize justice partner access to court records; $7.2 million in 2026–27 to raise pay for contract psychological examiners; and $18 million in 2026–27 to increase juror pay from $20 to $100 per day and align mileage rates with federal rates. He also discussed ongoing funding needs for interpreter services, jury costs, cybersecurity, and other statutorily required court services, saying temporary funding provided in the prior session will expire and that permanent support is needed. Members asked questions about treatment courts, employee bargaining, and mental health competency issues. Representative Eric requested more detail on funding for newly launched and existing treatment courts, and Shorba said many treatment courts begin with federal grants before transitioning to state support after about three years. He confirmed the judicial branch negotiates its own employee contracts rather than the executive branch doing so, and said the branch has three unions plus many unrepresented employees. On mental health and competency, Shorba said the branch is focused on obtaining timely psychological evaluations and is not responsible for treatment services themselves, but acknowledged a shortage of examiners and treatment beds and said a related competency board would be testifying the following week. No votes or formal actions were taken beyond adoption of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• He serves as the founding executive director of our new Global National Security Institute.
• They're designed to provide the security for networks.
• You struggle to find a way to teach cyber and cyber security in the K through 12 curriculum.
• And we will also able as a result of this to do some work on election security.
• Because election security is certainly something we're all very familiar with.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That's something the state of Arizona did some time ago, so we don't tax Social Security.
• That's something the state of Arizona did some time ago, so we don't tax Social Security.
• Social Security benefits in Arizona are tax-free.
• There are not penalties or late fees... I'm glad that Senator Epstein brought it up.
• There are not penalties or late fees. I'm glad that Senator Epstein brought it up.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The joint House Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees met to hear identical conformity bills, HB 2153 and SB 1106, which would align Arizona tax law with the federal Internal Revenue Code as of Jan. 1, 2026, including some retroactive provisions for tax year 2025. Staff explained that the bills would exclude three federal provisions: the higher federal SALT deduction, the new senior deduction as written in H.R. 1, and the deduction for interest on new car loans. They would instead include a $6,000 retirement-income deduction for taxpayers age 60 and older, a $6,000 Roth IRA contribution deduction, a higher dependent tax credit, and a deduction for child and dependent care expenses above the federal credit. JLBC estimated the package would reduce general fund income tax revenue by about $441.3 million in FY 2026. Members also discussed that the Department of Revenue’s forms had been issued assuming full conformity, and staff and supporters argued the bills were needed quickly to avoid confusion and amended returns during filing season. Committee members and sponsors largely framed the bills as tax relief and a way to provide certainty for taxpayers and preparers. Supporters said the package would help families, seniors, and workers, and noted that the Arizona version was negotiated to keep the overall tax relief roughly comparable to full conformity while shifting benefits away from the SALT deduction and toward child credits, retirement income, and child care. The sponsors also criticized the governor’s executive action and urged prompt passage so taxpayers would know how to file. Opponents argued the bills would reduce state revenue, worsen the budget outlook, and disproportionately benefit higher-income taxpayers and corporations. Several witnesses and members also raised concerns about the child care deduction, the retirement-income deduction, and the business expensing provisions, while supporters responded that the bill was designed to help working families and encourage saving and investment. Public testimony was mixed. The Arizona Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Arizona Free Enterprise Club supported the bills, emphasizing early conformity, filing certainty, and reduced confusion for taxpayers and software providers. Opponents included Save Our Schools Arizona, the Arizona Center for Economic Progress, Opportunity Arizona, and several individuals, who argued the package would deepen budget problems and favor the wealthy. One witness objected to a federal school-choice-related provision she said was being tied to the bill, though committee members said the measure before them was a tax conformity bill and not a school finance bill. The hearing included extended debate over the fiscal impact, the governor’s prior requests for some of the same tax changes, and whether taxpayers would need to file amended returns if the legislature later changed course. The transcript ends during testimony from NFIB, with no final committee vote or action shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, current law governing fee schedules for court-appointed attorneys in child protection cases
• asked them to submit their family protection representation fee schedules.
• Criminal fee schedules do not match the work that is done in child protection cases.
• So anyway, I won and I got my fees paid.
• We need to be paid a reasonable fee. I can tell you in Galveston County, we're paid $100 an hour.

Bills: SB387, SB1650, SB1838, SB1839, SB1923, SB1940, SB2052

Keywords: judicial bond, guardianship, probate law, county judge, statutory county court, attorney general, criminal prosecution, public order, law enforcement, jurisdiction, attorney ad litem, parent-child relationship, compensation, legal representation, government entity, probate, court proceedings, record delivery, wills, legal documentation

Summary: The Senate Committee on Jurisprudence heard several family-law and probate bills. Senate Bill 2052 would codify a rebuttable presumption that a parent acts in the best interest of a child and require clear and convincing evidence to overcome that presumption in disputes involving non-parents; the author and several witnesses supported the bill as a clarification of existing case law, while one witness suggested refining the modification language. Public testimony was closed and the bill was left pending. The committee also heard Senate Bill 1923, which would allow child support to follow a child placed temporarily with kin or fictive kin under a parental child safety placement or authorization agreement; the bill’s author and a grandparent caregiver testified in support, while one witness suggested the Attorney General could handle the change administratively. That bill was also left pending. Senate Bill 1838 would standardize fee schedules and compensation rules for attorneys ad litem and related court-appointed counsel in DFPS child-protection cases. The author said the bill would clarify unclear current law, and witnesses from the Texas Indigent Defense Commission and family-defense bar supported it, though one asked that expert-witness expenses be expressly included. Senate Bill 387 would raise the bond requirement for county judges handling guardianship proceedings to at least $500,000; the author described it as a refiling of a prior bill that passed unanimously but was vetoed, and a statutory probate judge testified in support. Senate Bill 1839 would require original or paper wills to be delivered to the transferee court when probate proceedings are transferred; the committee substitute broadened the delivery methods, and the district clerk witness supported the change. All three bills were left pending. The committee also took up Senate Bill 1536, which had previously been voted out with the wrong committee substitute; members reconsidered the vote, adopted the corrected substitute, and then voted 3-0 to report the bill favorably to the full Senate, with local and contested calendar certification. Finally, Senate Bill 1940 would create a transfer-on-death mechanism for manufactured homes classified as personal property, similar to existing tools for real property and vehicles; the author and an estate-planning attorney testified that it would streamline transfers and reduce probate costs. A non-substantive committee substitute was still being prepared, and the bill was left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh which allows fees and fines.
• and fees together have been and fines and fees together have been shown<01:15:17.840> through
• <01:17:33.679> and co-drafted to repeal youth fees and co-drafted to repeal youth fees and
• <01:43:35.760> and 1028 SD1 relating to youth fees and 1028 SD1 relating to youth fees and
• substitute community service for fees substitute community service for fees and<01:44:01.840>

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on SB 281 SD1, which would define and prohibit torture as a Class A felony. The Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office, HPD investigators, and other supporters said the bill is needed because existing laws do not adequately capture torture, especially cases involving children and vulnerable persons. Several testifiers emphasized that starvation is a common method of torture that often leaves little visible evidence, and they urged the committee to restore the original starvation language removed from the measure. The Office of the Public Defender said it did not oppose the bill’s purpose but raised concerns that the language was too broad and could create trial issues, particularly around minors and vulnerable people, and suggested narrowing amendments. The chair indicated the testimony had made a strong impression and said the committee would try to move the bill forward. The committee then heard SB 292 SD1, relating to sexual exploitation and safe harbor protections for survivors seeking medical or law enforcement help. The Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office supported the measure, noting that a prior version raised equal protection concerns that were no longer present, and said survivors should be able to seek help without fear of prosecution. Written support was also noted from several advocacy and state groups. Testimony in support focused on retaliation fears, trafficking, and the need for manpower and resources to address exploitation and related crimes. Finally, the committee took up SB 295 SD1, which would increase penalties for violating temporary restraining orders and orders for protection and treat a violation of one as a second offense for the other. The Public Defender’s Office objected to the mandatory jail component, arguing judges should retain discretion and that there was no clear evidence mandatory jail deters violations. The transcript cuts off before any final committee action or vote on SB 295 was recorded.