Transcript Highlights:

• CBHCs offer extended 24/7 crisis response, including mobile crisis intervention services, short-term
• It has been showing... ...as the leading evidence-based intervention for first-episode psychosis, and
• And the early intervention leads to the best outcomes.
• We know that when we act early, that early intervention leads to the best outcomes.
• Well, early evidence shows that CBHCs are effective in promoting intervention.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held a hearing on a large group of behavioral health and insurance-related bills. Topics included expanding access to mental health services by allowing physician assistants to authorize Section 12 emergency holds and be recognized as licensed mental health professionals (H. 1131/S. 773); improving coverage for community behavioral health centers so commercial insurance matches MassHealth’s bundled outpatient and crisis services (H. 1276/S. 703); eliminating cost sharing for certain behavioral health services (S. 718); extending detox and clinical stabilization coverage from 14 to 30 days and adding transitional support services (H. 1319/S. 772); requiring coverage for dual-diagnosis treatment in psychiatric facilities (H. 1277/S. 771); and preserving access to treatment for serious mental illness through coverage of coordinated specialty care and assertive community treatment (H. 1135/S. 709). The committee also heard bills on preventive behavioral health services for children (H. 1228/S. 802) and post-pregnancy mental health care, including postpartum depression and pregnancy loss-related care (H. 1314/S. 823).

Transcript Highlights:

• , including positive behavior interventions and supports, and de-escalation.
• Yet we know these interventions are happening more often than they should.
• Reinforcement and interventions that teach and replace behavior—not merely suppress it—are essential.
• We strongly support the bill's emphasis on de-escalation, positive behavior interventions, and prevention
• Currently, there are requirements to do the crisis prevention intervention training, correct? Mr.

Bills: SB106, SB171, SB179

Keywords: graduate scholarship, higher education funding, New Mexico, appropriation, financial aid, education, documentary, historical figure, Padre Antonio Jose Martinez, Northern New Mexico State School, SB179, Senate Bill 179, UNM, University of New Mexico, medical Spanish, Spanish-language curriculum, health sciences, health professions education, language access, bilingual healthcare

Transcript Highlights:

• I am here to strongly oppose any effort to pull back community violence intervention funding.
• Community violence intervention programs save lives.
• Our violence intervention team stepped in and stopped the situation from escalating.
• Community violence intervention, or CVI programs, are crucial.
• Prevention and intervention is to prevent or intervene if a violent altercation is about to happen.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> target, and supportive interventions. target, and supportive interventions.
• </c><01:09:41.880><c> that</c> break is an efficient intervention that break is an efficient intervention
• </c><01:53:59.040><c> that</c> under supportive interventions that under supportive interventions that
• We need to interventions effectively.
• </c> with the supportive interventions with the supportive interventions outlined<01:55:38.000><c> in

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think the multi-level systems of support, which used to be called response intervention, as well as
• But there are students who need those interventions in secondary schools.
• K-3rd shall be used in Intervention.
• We specifically reference positive behavior intervention supports, right, Mr. Chairman? And John.
• When we're talking about positive behavior intervention supports.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Crisis intervention is key.
• The more opportunity for intervention.
• ,</c> skills, sort of crisis intervention, skills, sort of crisis intervention, deescalation<00:54:56.319
• </c><01:07:56.960><c> and</c> we're looking at crisis intervention and we're looking at crisis intervention
• </c> intervention, suicide prevention. intervention, suicide prevention.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• These departments encompass everything from prevention and education through crisis intervention.
• We discuss risk mitigation, interventions for individual students, and then evaluate community impacts
• We report... ...intervention with these collaborative efforts and accountability.
• Some of those funds going to pay for co-pays for medicine and therapeutic intervention.
• We also have our suicide intervention program.

Summary: The committee spent much of the meeting hearing presentations on student mental health supports at Central Washington University, Washington State University, the University of Washington, and the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges. CWU described high levels of student distress, loneliness, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and basic-needs insecurity, along with a campus-wide holistic well-being model that includes behavioral intervention teams, emergency aid, peer outreach, community partnerships, and a collegiate recovery community. WSU emphasized loneliness, common presenting concerns such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, and relationship distress, and the role of housing and residence life, resident advisors, living-learning communities, and coordinated crisis response in identifying and supporting students. UW highlighted prevention and support programs through LiveWell, including alcohol and other drug consultations, confidential advocacy, suicide intervention, student needs navigation, peer health educators, and peer wellness coaches. The community and technical college system reported persistent access barriers, especially for students ages 18 to 24 and those facing housing or food insecurity, and said the legislature-funded mental health pilot at four colleges expanded counseling access, telehealth, and referral pathways, while broader system efforts focus on awareness, telehealth, basic-needs supports, and workforce training in behavioral health fields. Members asked each panel how they gather student feedback, and the institutions said they use surveys, evaluations, and ongoing outreach to students in services. Questions also focused on substance-use and recovery resources, Greek life outreach, and whether colleges have enough licensed mental health staff versus academic advisors; the community college board said not all colleges have licensed mental health providers on staff, and some rely on community contracts or telehealth. The committee also discussed whether counseling services are increasing because of post-pandemic effects or because students are more willing to seek help, with presenters saying both factors likely play a role. The committee then shifted to artificial intelligence in higher education. Washington State University, the University of Washington, Western Washington University, and the community and technical college system described campus AI task forces, governance structures, and efforts to set policies for students, faculty, and staff. Presenters said institutions are requiring course-level AI use statements, promoting ethical and transparent use, expanding access to approved tools such as Microsoft Copilot, and using AI for teaching, research, advising, and administrative support while guarding privacy, equity, and academic integrity. Members raised concerns about deepfakes, bias, student monitoring, and whether AI should be used to screen applications or evaluate student work; presenters said human review remains essential and that some institutions prohibit AI use in hiring or admissions screening. The final presentation, from OSPI, described the statewide rollout of the School Links high school and beyond plan platform under 2023 legislation, saying it will standardize career and college planning across K-12, provide better data and student guidance, and connect students to postsecondary pathways and employers; OSPI said the rollout is underway but current funding only extends through June 30, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• in the classroom, but the impact of this monitoring isn't limited to those classroom interventions.
• This bill ensures teachers receive specialized training and students receive early interventions rooted
• Second, proactive targeted intervention.
• Interventions will help students identified as at risk to get caught up by fourth grade.
• Targeted intervention. monitoring and teacher training.

Bills: SB451, SB762, SB1490, SB1262, SB1459, SB1750, SB1962, SB2252, SB2253, SB2365

Keywords: instructional materials, public schools, Education Code, adoption, rejected materials, local funds, open educational resources, Texas Education Code, school districts, open enrollment charter schools, funding restrictions, environmental regulation, business compliance, local authority, economic development, state preemption, local control, open education resources, SB 762, Texas public schools

Transcript Highlights:

• To operate either LEA-level, district-level, or school-level interventions.
• The next item is academic interventions and supports.
• Structured literacy instruction, parent notification, and student interventions.
• We set up all these early interventions, but they're all voluntary.
• that are heavy on phonetic interventions.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are for House Bill 231, as it will help us target interventions to reduce hunger in Texas, thereby
• to rolling out our Make Texas Healthy Again agenda so we can demonstrate the impact of our new interventions
• Uh, the Texas Department of Agricultural did a food study, um, covered access, income intervention, low
• income areas, grocery store access, transportation issues, agency interventions and interventions, and
• systemic interventions.

Bills: HB231

Keywords: HB 231, Texas Water Code, TCEQ, permit exemption, dam, reservoir, erosion control, flood control, floodwater control, sediment control, watershed protection, Natural Resources Conservation Service, NRCS, Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act, local sponsor, water appropriation, small dam, water diversion, maintenance, rehabilitation

Transcript Highlights:

• We have to plan interventions once we get the data, and you have to do things above and beyond what is
• If there's anything that we know, the sooner we can identify and provide intervention, the outcomes of
• They started working with families, they started intervention, they started tutoring.
• In fact, I remember talking to a principal not... ...intervention. They started tutoring.
• So schools, like if a student's taking assessment, they're already doing intervention.

Summary: The committee approved the March 9 and 10 minutes and then heard a presentation from the Arkansas Department of Education on the Arkansas Excellence in Teaching Fellowship, featuring three third-grade teachers from Cabot, Poyen, and Drew Central who are also teacher merit pay recipients. The teachers described the fellowship as a year-long Zoom-based collaboration with about 23 educators statewide, focused on sharing classroom strategies, data use, and professional support. Members asked about the teachers’ experience, how they share what they learn with their districts, the range of grades represented in the fellowship, and the relationship between the fellowship and merit pay. The teachers emphasized building relationships with students, using data to drive instruction, early intervention, and collaboration across grade levels, while the secretary said the program is intended to identify and elevate high-performing teachers and spread their practices. A major portion of the discussion focused on third-grade reading, retention, and the new ATLAS testing system. Teachers and the secretary said students are screened and progress monitored throughout the year, families are notified early if students are at risk, and schools are using interventions, tutoring, and individualized reading plans. They said ATLAS results are now available much faster than in the past, often within 24 hours or a few days, allowing teachers and parents to respond quickly. Members asked about the impact of poverty, trauma, foster care, DHS involvement, IEPs, and critical shortage areas; teachers said relationship-building, small-group instruction, and coordination with counselors and special education staff are key. The secretary said the fellowship is a small subset of a broader merit pay program, that participation was voluntary, and that the state is trying to build a coherent system with literacy coaches, high-impact tutoring, and clearer standards rather than teaching to the test. Members also discussed broader policy issues, including the need for more positive public messaging about public education, teacher input in decision-making, and support for early childhood education. Several legislators asked whether the state should expand funding for early learning and whether more literacy or academic coaches are needed in districts that improve and then lose eligibility for state support. The secretary said the state has committed literacy coaches to D and F schools and is still working through how to sustain support as schools improve. He also said the administration would look at data and return on investment before supporting additional funding, and he encouraged legislators to help recruit eligible teachers into future fellowship cohorts. After the teacher panel concluded, the committee moved on to the adequacy resource allocation study, where Bureau of Legislative Research staff began a presentation on state and local education funding sources, categorical funds, and district spending patterns.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's often an important intervention for helping people with significant and complex needs become and
• Projects are the interventions that COCs operate to address homelessness in their community.
• But with these changes, so will we be able to distinguish programmatic interventions in the dashboard
• Did you mean, like, what policy interventions are leading to it? Yeah, or other explanations.
• County, maintaining shelter beds and homeless intervention programs.

Summary: The Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee 4 met to hear an oversight discussion focused on homelessness, including the state of homelessness in California, state data systems, and the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention (HAP) program. In opening remarks, the chair emphasized accountability and the need to focus on families and people at the bottom rung, while the vice chair argued that homelessness and affordability problems stem from policy choices and the state should give counties more flexibility rather than top-down mandates. The committee also announced that the one scheduled vote would be postponed and public comment would be taken later. Dr. Ryan Finnegan of UC Berkeley’s Turner Center presented recent homelessness data, saying California’s homelessness remains high at about 187,000 people in the 2024 point-in-time count, with most still unsheltered, though the unsheltered share has declined somewhat. He explained differences between point-in-time counts and the state’s Homeless Data Integration System (HDIS), noted progress in shelter, permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, and interim housing capacity, and highlighted declines in youth and veteran homelessness. He also described persistent racial disparities, the large number of chronically homeless people, and risks from federal changes and possible reductions to programs such as Emergency Housing Vouchers and Continuum of Care funding. Members questioned the causes of recent trends, the role of Housing First, Proposition 47, Martin v. Boise, and how funding streams such as HAP and CalAIM are layered together. The California Interagency Council on Homelessness then outlined its data systems and AB 799 implementation. Staff explained that HDIS aggregates HMIS data from all 44 continuums of care and is used to measure outcomes, disparities, and program effectiveness statewide. They said HAP 4 was cost-effective under the State Auditor’s methodology, and that new AB 799 dashboards will provide more public-facing fiscal and outcome reporting by June 2027. Members asked whether the system can better distinguish which interventions work, how self-sufficiency will be measured, how fraud is detected, and whether the council can meet the auditor’s concerns on time. Cal ICH said it has met prior statutory deadlines, that program outcome data already exist, and that fiscal reporting will be built through a web-based tool and aligned with existing departmental reporting systems.

Transcript Highlights:

• There were various types of interventions that were funded.
• For example, interventions included partnerships with tribal and superior courts as well as schools.
• For example, interventions included partnerships with tribal and superior courts as well as schools to
• To show the importance of intervention dollars at the tribal government.
• How many tribes were able to partake in those intervention dollars?

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Public Safety heard several items focused on youth safety and law enforcement resources. The committee first took up tribal youth diversion programs, with the Legislative Analyst’s Office describing the Tribal Youth Diversion Grant Program and its two cohorts of grantees funded through the Board of State and Community Corrections. Tribal representatives from the Yurok Tribe and San Pasqual Band of Indians testified that diversion, tribal courts, school partnerships, mentoring, and culturally grounded services helped reduce truancy and justice-system involvement, but that short-term funding interruptions and limited capacity prevented them from serving all youth in need. Committee members discussed the importance of early intervention, tribal-state court collaboration, and possible misidentification of Native youth in the justice system. The committee then heard the California Highway Patrol’s overview of surge operations supporting local crime suppression, including organized retail theft. CHP reported that its surge teams have been used in response to mutual aid requests and cited arrests, stolen vehicle recoveries, and firearm seizures in Oakland, Bakersfield, and San Bernardino. Members asked about demand for these operations and whether CHP could meet requests without affecting other duties; CHP said requests have increased and are accepted when resources allow. The committee also heard CHP’s request for a $5 million General Fund augmentation and 12 positions for its Computer Crimes Investigation Unit to make child sexual abuse material and human trafficking investigations a higher priority. CHP cited rising cybertip volumes, a case involving AI-generated CSAM, and the need for more investigators and forensic capacity. A larger portion of the hearing focused on the Internet Crimes Against Children task forces and a separate $5 million ongoing General Fund proposal for Cal OES to continue the program. Task force commanders from Sacramento, San Diego, Silicon Valley, and Fresno described rapidly growing cybertip volumes, heavy caseloads, forensic backlogs, and the need for training and equipment for affiliate agencies statewide. They emphasized that the ICAC model relies on local partnerships, deconfliction, and subject-matter expertise to identify victims, execute warrants, and rescue children, and they gave examples of cases that led to arrests and child rescues. Members generally supported the work but raised questions about overlap between CHP and ICAC efforts, the need for broader statewide collaboration, and whether more resources should be directed to task forces and victim services. A public commenter also urged expansion of homeless youth exploitation services and the California Youth Crisis Line.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> &gt;&gt; That's an early intervention. &gt;&gt; That's an early intervention.
• So, I think intervention, we all agree, intervention's needed, and intervention is a key to, I think,
• </c> and I brought in a sample intervention and I brought in a sample intervention policy<01:38:10.719
• and</c><01:39:38.800><c> intervention</c> intervention's needed and intervention intervention's needed
• And by the intervention stuff MTSSB.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The commission met to approve the May 18, 2026 minutes and then focused on how SB 57’s special education cost study should inform HB 1099, which creates a separate study committee on residential placements and related education costs. Members discussed sending the commission’s minutes and findings to that new committee, noting the short timeline for its work and the need to be specific about unresolved issues so the new group does not duplicate the same questions. A major topic was the cost and responsibility for students placed at Spalding and similar residential programs, especially transportation and whether costs are paid through the Department of Education’s episode-of-treatment (EOT) fund, local districts, DHS, or Medicaid. Staff explained that for students with disabilities, EOT funds cover special education and transportation costs tied to the placement, while students without disabilities are handled through DHS care-management and best-interest meetings. Members raised concerns about whether some students at Spalding are receiving no schooling, whether transportation costs are substantial, and whether Medicaid reimbursement could offset some expenses. The commission also discussed confusion over district responsibility when students placed in residential programs attend school in another district, using Winnisquam as an example. Several members said the receiving district was not notified that DHHS-approved programs could bring in additional students and costs, and they suggested DHHS or its care-management entity should notify both the district of residence and the receiving district when a program is approved. The group agreed this notification issue, along with transportation funding, privacy concerns in Medicaid-to-schools billing, and the distinction between special education placements, EOT placements, and other voluntary residential placements, should be passed to the HB 1099 study committee for further work.

Transcript Highlights:

• And the focus and effort there is to have efforts around skill and training and proper use of interventions
• When I say intervention, seclusion and restraint use is a common intervention in any inpatient psychiatric
• safety of patients or others when there are clinical determinants that necessitate that use of intervention
• and release them from these interventions.
• It is a legal intervention by the state. The state is saying, 'We must interfere in your life.'

Keywords: 907, all

Summary: The joint Senate and House Behavioral Health committee met for informational presentations on the Oregon State Hospital and civil commitment, followed by a planned tour of the hospital. Oregon Health Authority and Oregon State Hospital leaders reported that Sean Murphy will become the next permanent superintendent on July 13, with Sarah Castle to follow as permanent chief nursing officer on July 20. They described recent leadership turnover, a major organizational restructure, and efforts to build a culture of safety, transparency, and accountability. Officials said the hospital regained Joint Commission accreditation and CMS compliance, and they highlighted daily safety huddles, incident review processes, stronger escalation procedures, and improved management of seclusion and restraint. Committee members pressed hospital leaders on past prolonged seclusion practices, falls, staffing, and the need for better public reporting; OHA said it is building a public dashboard of key safety and workforce metrics. The committee then heard a civil commitment overview from the Oregon Judicial Department. The presenter explained that civil commitment is a separate legal process from criminal cases, usually beginning with a hospital hold, investigation, court review, appointed counsel, and a hearing within five days. She summarized changes made in House Bill 2005, including revised standards for danger to self, danger to others, and basic-needs commitments, plus a second 14-day diversion option. She cautioned that the new law has only been in effect since January and that it is too early to draw firm conclusions from the data, though there has been a recent uptick in commitments and a decrease in diversions. Testimony from NAMI Oregon and a forensic psychiatrist emphasized that Oregon still relies too heavily on jails and state hospitals because community services, housing, and outpatient supports are insufficient. They argued that the state needs more less-restrictive alternatives, including better use of assisted outpatient treatment or outpatient civil commitment, and more supported housing so people do not cycle between homelessness, incarceration, and hospitalization. A family member described a relative remaining psychotic in jail for more than 120 days before ending up back at the state hospital, urging faster intervention and better collaboration among courts, counties, hospitals, and state agencies. Committee members and witnesses also discussed workforce shortages, the expansion of secure residential treatment beds, and the need for broader system reforms beyond the hospital itself.

Transcript Highlights:

• This flat funding and count estimate is important because the effectiveness of interventions changes
• I can go on and on with the number of recommendations and interventions we have to allow states to get
• I can go on and on with the number of recommendations and interventions we have to allow states to get
• a better number of recommendations and interventions we have to allow states to get a better handle
• Support law enforcement interventions and diversion programs.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But there is nothing in it that's prohibitive of early intervention.
• Research shows that early and repeated screening supports timely intervention and states with strong
• Screening supports timely intervention, and states with strong literacy outcomes such as Mississippi
• Delaying screening compresses the window to identify students and provide intervention. As Dr.
• Just-in-time interventions are very important to avoid more costly interventions later on in a student's

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education heard the Governor’s proposals on dual enrollment, reading difficulty screeners, special education, school facilities, and Commission on Teacher Credentialing programs. On dual enrollment, the Department of Finance described a $100 million one-time Proposition 98 investment to expand the Dual Enrollment Opportunities Grant Program, along with changes to make regional occupational centers eligible, add funding for justice-involved youth, prioritize higher-need LEAs, support teacher professional development, and reduce daily instructional minute requirements for some dual enrollment students. The LAO recommended rejecting the new funding as not clearly addressing implementation barriers, while CDE supported the proposal and suggested reserving $10 million for technical assistance. Committee members and public commenters generally supported the expansion, with some asking for technical assistance and broader access, including adult dual enrollment. The committee also reviewed a $40 million one-time Proposition 98 proposal for reading difficulty screener implementation and related trailer bill language that would require screening after 91 school days for kindergarten and 46 school days for grades 1-2. Finance said the timing was intended to reduce over-identification and align with evidence from preliminary data; the LAO recommended rejecting the funding and redirecting it to a discretionary block grant. CDE supported the funding and the general approach but acknowledged the need for local support and training. Several committee members and public witnesses raised concerns that the proposed timing restrictions were too rigid and could delay early intervention, while others supported the delay as a way to improve accuracy and avoid misidentification. For special education, Finance proposed ongoing Proposition 98 increases to adjust for COLA and enrollment changes and to raise the statewide special education base rate to $99 per ADA, equalizing rates across SELPAs. The LAO said the proposal should be adopted but estimated it could be funded for less than the Governor’s figure. CDE and multiple local education representatives strongly supported the increase, citing rising special education enrollment, cost pressures, and large local funding gaps. The committee also heard a brief overview of the school facilities proposal, which continues $1.5 billion in Proposition 2 bond funding for the School Facility Program; OPSC reported significant remaining bond authority but also substantial pending demand, and explained that natural disaster school rebuilding draws from the broader new construction and modernization pools. Finally, the committee reviewed Commission on Teacher Credentialing proposals, including the already-funded $300 million Student Teacher Stipend Program, new state operations resources for misconduct investigations and grant administration, and a $250 million one-time continuation of the Teacher Residency Grant Program. CTC said its grants management system is ready and that it expects better data tracking; public testimony broadly supported the educator workforce investments and urged continued funding for the Golden State Teacher Grant Program and additional support for rural and leadership pipeline programs. No votes were taken, and the hearing adjourned after public testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• I am a math intervention teacher and a parent at Cottonwood Classical.
• When I was in 8th grade, I attended math intervention at Cottonwood.
• Programs like math intervention exist because of at-risk funding.
• Our small class sizes, our IB prep, and our reading and math interventions.
• She just finished out math intervention as well as some other interventions.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to kind of talk about the intervention part of this piece of the bill.
• So in regards to the interventions and all that, that would be something totally different. Mr.
• When do you start interventions for third grades?
• When do you normally start interventions for third grade? So that starts quarter one.
• At our school, we're even required to have teachers reserve weekly intervention time in our tech labs

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There is a mechanism to allow Family Court intervention, and the acknowledgement is, as you've heard
• There is a mechanism to allow Family Court intervention, and the acknowledgement is, as you've heard
• There is a mechanism to allow Family Court intervention, and the acknowledgement is, as you've heard
• There is a mechanism to allow Family Court intervention, and the acknowledgement is, as you've heard
• There is a mechanism to allow Family Court intervention, and the acknowledgement is, as you've heard

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard several measures, beginning with Senate Bill 869 on community outreach boards. The Office of Information Practices said the bill was now clear and raised no concerns after clarification that it applies to Hawaii County community development action plan committees under the Sunshine Law. Written support was received from several individuals, and one testifier initially opposed the bill but withdrew opposition after hearing OIP’s explanation. No vote was taken in the excerpt. The committee then heard Senate Bill 405 on neighborhood board meetings, which would let boards receive and discuss reports from government officials that were not on a noticed agenda, with final action deferred to a later noticed meeting. OIP said the bill was a policy choice but warned it would give boards more flexibility at the cost of less public notice. Support came from the Wke neighborhood board and Jacob Weinek, while Natalie Iwasa and Greg Mian opposed it, arguing it could lead to unclear agenda items and deeper discussion without adequate public notice. No vote was taken. The committee also heard Senate Bill 903 on a claims review working group in the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands asking for the measure to be deferred because it believed a complete inventory and audit of the public lands trust should come first. Members asked about the status of related House Bill 1358. The committee then heard tax measures: Senate Bill 1469, which would suspend the collection statute of limitations while tax assessments are on appeal, and Senate Bill 1467, which would clarify that county tax appeals do not need to be served on the Director of Taxation. The Tax Department supported both bills, and the Tax Foundation’s witness generally agreed but suggested a possible amendment to SB 1469 regarding insurance premium tax language. The committee then moved to Senate Bill 544 on sentencing of minor defendants, which would require courts to consider youth-related factors and allow departures from mandatory minimums; OHA, the Public Defender, Human Rights for Kids, and others supported it, citing trauma, diminished culpability, and national trends, and no opposition was noted in the excerpt. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 691 on family courts, which would set a minimum age of 12 for adjudication of law violations. The Public Defender and Human Rights for Kids supported the bill, saying very young children should not be treated as law violators and can still receive services through other family court mechanisms. The Attorney General’s office and the Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office opposed the measure, arguing it could limit court jurisdiction and services for younger children and might have unintended consequences, including recruitment of children into criminal activity. Members asked whether amendments could preserve the bill’s intent while addressing those concerns; no final action is shown in the excerpt.