Transcript Highlights:

• Three vacancies, I guess. Two vacancies and one new seat. I'm sorry. Okay, it's another one.
• Three vacancies, I guess. Two vacancies and one new seat. I'm sorry. Okay, it's another one.
• One, two, three, four, five — five spots, three vacancies, two new seats. Come on up.
• I sit on a regular basis in Chesterfield County because of the vacancies that we have.
• We have one vacancy and one new seat. We have two seats, three names.

Keywords: House Committee Room C, General Assembly Building, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , when they're a new officeholder, when they were just elected to replace somebody else or fill a vacancy
• elected to replace somebody else or fill elected to replace somebody else or fill a<00:01:21.520> vacancy
• > whatever,<00:01:22.720> they<00:01:23.040> may<00:01:23.280> have a vacancy
• or whatever, they may have a vacancy or whatever, they may have some<00:01:24.000> transition

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And one thing I'll note is, while I know there's been conversations about looking at unfilled vacancies
• So, as you can see on that far left, we did ask them about vacancies.
• And one thing I'll note is, while I know there's been conversations about looking at unfilled vacancies
• So, as you can see on that far left, we did ask them about vacancies.
• operates nationwide, we see firsthand how licensure barriers prevent qualified teachers from filling vacancies

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• effectively a 0% vacancy rate and I'm effectively a 0% vacancy rate and I'm thinking<00:25:44.840>
• Let's assume that there was no vacancy rate, there was absolutely zero vacancy rate.
• Let's assume that there was no vacancy rate, there was absolutely zero vacancy rate.
• Let's assume that there was no vacancy rate, there was absolutely zero vacancy rate.
• is a 5% vacancy is a 5% vacancy record<02:27:11.600> vacancy<02:27:12.439> rate<02

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• An act providing for the filling of vacancies in the office of district council in the city of Boston
• An act providing for the filling of vacancies in the office of district council in the city of Boston
• An act providing for the filling of a vacancy in the office of Ward 7 councilor in the city of Marlborough

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate took up several final-passage matters, first adopting emergency preambles for H. 3388, establishing September 22 as Military Service Members’ and Veterans’ Suicide Awareness and Remembrance Day, and H. 4249, relative to vital statistics. It then enacted three bills: S. 23, authorizing alternate members to the Swampscott Conservation Commission; H. 1024, allowing the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority to provide sewer service to certain parcels in Sharon; and H. 1590, establishing a sick leave bank for a Trial Court employee. The Senate also advanced local bills concerning Boston district council vacancies, Arlington town clerk procedures, and a Marlborough Ward 7 council vacancy, ordering some to third reading and passing others to engrossment. The chamber considered several committee and House reports under suspension of rules, including Senate bills on public libraries and digital resource collections and on the Commission on LGBTQA+, both placed on the Orders of the Day for future consideration. It also advanced House bills on the continued employment of a Lancaster firefighter and alternate members for the Beckett Conservation Commission, and suspended Joint Rule 12 to refer several petitions to the appropriate committees. The Senate marked the 250th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps with remarks from Senator Collins and Senator Durant, a citation to the Boston Semper Fidelis Society, and brief comments from Tom Lyons on behalf of local Marines and veterans. The session concluded with an order to meet again on Thursday at 11:00 a.m., a motion to adjourn in memory of Wayne T. Laundrie of South Boston, a moment of silence, and final adjournment.

Bills: SB2054, SB2143, SB2145, SB2400, SB2447, SB2494, SB2723, SB2727, SB3131, HCR187, SCR177, SR172, SCR5, SCR85, SR75, SCR139, SR131, SCR146, SR138, SR84, SCR31, SR27, SCR46, SR45, SCR48, SR47, SCR9, SR11, SCR83, SR73, SCR20, SR17, SCR56, SR54, SCR87, SR79, SCR160, SR151, SCR28, SCR120, SCR129, SR121, SCR71, SR66, SCR147, SR139, SCR79, SCR179, SCR181, SCR182, SCR60, SR81, SR174, SR176, SR177, SCR89, SCR69, SCR74, SR68

Keywords: public safety, Hawaii National Guard, military deployment, governor authority, federal assistance, elections, chief election officer, vacancy, order of succession, election commission, law enforcement, recording rights, private action, civil rights, police accountability, SB2400, seaglider, wing-in-ground craft, wing in ground effect, WIG craft

Transcript Highlights:

• So, Board of Commissioners, the Eastern Regional has five active members and two vacancies.
• Northern Regional has four active members and three vacancies.
• Madam Chair, uh, Senator Gonzalez, um, the applicants our partners in the areas where there are vacancies
• We know now how many years and the time for vacancy rates.
• But how long those vacancies have been open as well.

Transcript Highlights:

• other standards, and so those can be updated as well by the legislature as to what constitutes a vacancy
• I want to address this question about vacancy, and I know that Chief Padilla mentioned that there are
• We support the vacancy proposal in your current draft.
• for instance, notes that a failure to become certified within the relevant time period creates a vacancy
• does the same, also explicitly stating that the revocation of a sheriff's certification creates a vacancy

Summary: The committee held a work session in Mill Creek focused first on the eviction process. Judge Michael Scott of King County Superior Court described historic highs in unlawful detainer filings across Washington, especially in urban counties, and said King County has reduced its backlog and average time to resolution to about 60 days by adding two dedicated eviction judges and using more judges when needed. He also described how King County and other counties are implementing the right to counsel for indigent tenants, and noted that additional housing commissioners may help. Office of Civil Legal Aid representatives Philippe Knapp and Jane Paxe said the statewide appointed counsel program has represented more than 30,000 tenants, referred clients to social services, and helped many remain housed, but they warned of a funding shortfall that could eliminate about 17 attorneys and leave roughly 2,000 tenants without representation. A landlord-side panel argued that eviction timelines remain too long and fragmented, creating unpaid rent, safety issues, and uncertainty for both landlords and tenants; they urged more uniform procedures, streamlined rental assistance, and procedural changes to reduce refiling and delays. The second work session addressed theft and vandalism of critical infrastructure, especially copper and telecom cable theft. Committee staff reviewed existing criminal and regulatory laws covering malicious mischief, theft, scrap metal businesses, and metal property deception. Comcast, Mason Public Utility District, and the Recycled Materials Association testified that theft of aerial cable and copper has become a crisis affecting power, internet, 911 service, schools, hospitals, and line-worker safety. Utility representatives described outages, hazards, and rising costs, and asked for stronger audits of scrapyards, tougher penalties for theft affecting critical infrastructure, and tighter rules on payment and identification. Recyclers said they oppose the thefts and already operate under heavy regulation, but acknowledged enforcement gaps and the need for better coordination; committee members discussed possible bill concepts and asked for written recommendations. The final work session covered standards for law enforcement personnel. Criminal Justice Training Commission Executive Director Monica Alexander and Assistant Director Kimberly Bliss explained current certification and decertification rules, including background checks, training requirements, mandatory and discretionary grounds for decertification, and the hearing process. They said elected sheriffs are not currently required to undergo the same pre-election background check as other applicants, though they can still be decertified if already certified, and they reported a backlog of more than 1,000 cases with about 70 to 80 new cases coming in each month. Retired Judge Ann Levinson then outlined ways the legislature could strengthen and align standards for chiefs, sheriffs, and marshals, including requiring certification within a set time, setting a minimum age, requiring recent state background checks, and making loss of certification a vacancy in office. Committee members asked questions about accountability for elected sheriffs, background-check administration, and decertification outcomes.

Transcript Highlights:

• With a 27.6% vacancy rate. We have a higher exempt position vacancy rate.
• We have a higher uh exempt vacancy rate.
• A number of those position vacancy rate.
• <00:23:24.640> Um a you know 27 28% vacancy rate. Um a you know 27 28% vacancy rate.
• about $8 million from vacancy savings. about $8 million from vacancy savings.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• One of the things I'm hearing from the judicial officers that I have contact with is that we have vacancy
• Court vacancies.
• It's 50 Superior Court vacancies, 60 if you count the appellate vacancies.
• The report should include the average vacancy rate of the added positions, a comparison of the change
• The report should include the vacancy rates for the added positions, the number of avoided referrals

Summary: Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 6 heard the Governor’s May Revision proposals for the judicial branch, the Board of State and Community Corrections, the Department of Justice, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The Legislative Analyst’s Office opened with a warning that the state budget remains structurally imbalanced and urged the Legislature to avoid new ongoing spending unless offset by reductions elsewhere. In the judicial branch discussion, the Judicial Council highlighted language access funding, appellate court security, a backfill for the state court facilities construction fund, and an extension of the lactation room mandate; Finance supported most items but suggested reporting language on interpreter costs and reducing the General Fund backfill. Members raised concerns about judicial vacancies, long-term salary freezes, remote hearings, and the lack of progress on court staffing in some counties. For the Board of State and Community Corrections, the administration proposed $10 million one-time each for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People grant program and a human trafficking vertical prosecution grant program. The LAO said both should be weighed against other priorities and suggested the Legislature consider whether the Tribal Nations Grant Fund could support MMIP work, while Finance said it preferred General Fund support and wanted more review before any fund swap. Members strongly supported MMIP funding and asked whether ongoing support would be considered. On the human trafficking grant, Finance said BSC was a good fit because of its grant administration experience and prior vertical prosecution work, while legislators asked why the program was not placed with the Office of Emergency Services as originally contemplated in prior legislation. The Department of Justice presented antitrust litigation funding, Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse staffing, completion of organized retail criminal enterprise cases, and trailer bill language for a continuous appropriation from the Victims of Consumer Fraud Restitution Fund. The LAO supported the antitrust account use but questioned the Unfair Competition Law Fund’s ability to cover the full request without General Fund repayment, and recommended against a continuous appropriation for the restitution fund in favor of a more limited mechanism with legislative oversight. Finance said the fund would remain solvent and defended the continuous appropriation as necessary to pay victims promptly. In the CDCR portion, the largest discussion centered on the Boston Consulting Group efficiency review and sharply reduced savings estimates; LAO said the department had not fully explained the proposed position eliminations or future $100 million savings target, while Finance said the work reflected deeper analysis and ongoing efforts to find savings. Members repeatedly pressed CDCR and Finance on the gap between earlier promised savings and the revised figures. CDCR also outlined population projections showing continued declines in prison and parole populations, while LAO again urged the state to close an additional prison to save ongoing costs. The department then walked through several May Revision items, including workers’ compensation funding, a Corcoran honor housing dorm, incarcerated firefighter pay implementation, an incarcerated menopause program, mental health receiver staffing, mental health resource teams and crisis intervention teams, medical classification staffing changes, and AI note-taking for the electronic health record. LAO generally recommended limiting-term funding and more reporting for many of these proposals, while Finance defended them as necessary ongoing investments or court-ordered obligations. Members questioned the cost of workers’ compensation, the need for more prison closures, the lack of funding for women’s facility violence prevention, and the timing and transparency of the BCG savings process. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• And for example, um long-term vacancies.
• And for example, um<00:12:33.440> long-term<00:12:33.960> vacancies.
• <00:12:34.920> We<00:12:35.080> have<00:12:35.360> 233 um long-term vacancies
• We have 233 um long-term vacancies.

Bills: HB389, HB469, HB1510, HB1573, HB1705, HB1858, HB1875, HB1946, HB1961, HB1962, HB2001, HB2093, HB2096, HB2097

Keywords: HB389, uncrewed aircraft, drone, drones, UAS, unmanned aerial vehicle, misuse of uncrewed aircraft, criminal offense, felony enhancement, drone crime, public safety, police, deputy sheriff, fire department, intoxicated operation, registration number tampering, property damage, bodily injury, Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Package, Hawaii Revised Statutes

Transcript Highlights:

• I GOT A REPORT YESTERDAY AND GOT AN UPDATE ON TEACHER VACANCIES.
• AS OF RIGHT NOW THE TEACHING POSITIONS WE HAVE A 5.5 PERCENT VACANCY RATE WHICH MEANS 94 PERCENT OF THE
• STILL CONTINUE TO LEVERAGE FLDS AND THE CONTENT ONLINE IF YOU HAVE A TEACHER WHO IS OUT OR TEACHER VACANCY
• THAT. >> YOU SAID BACK AND FORTH I APPRECIATE IT. >> ALMOST ANY TIME. >> THE 95 PERCENT 5 PERCENT VACANCY

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• PQ vacancies: the total vacancies within the department now, not considering the wonderful Act 44 positions
• , total vacancies we have 17 of the total 87 positions.
• We have three vacancies, and SR9, we have two vacancies now.
• um PQ vacancies the total vacancies<00:21:23.320> within<00:21:23.640> the<00:21:23.799
• <00:21:41.799> and fill sr11 we have three vacancies and fill sr11 we have three vacancies

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to have some kind of indication or plan over the next few years as to what your goals are in the vacancy
• So, the vacancy rate in and of itself isn't going to necessarily... ...immediately or fully reduce the
• cost, but I think we had some sense of what your plan was for getting the vacancy rate to what level
• , that's something that we're working on deliberately. >> Thank you. >> Commissioner, what's your vacancy
• The issue, I think, is with a 22% or plus vacancy rate in eligibility and or plus vacancy rate in eligibility

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Fiscal Committee opened by approving the May 15 minutes and then recognized Pam Ellis for her long service with the Legislative Budget Assistant’s office and upcoming retirement. The committee adopted the consent calendar with two items removed for separate consideration, then approved transfers for the Administrative Office of the Courts and the Department of Environmental Services after questions about court benefit costs and dam project funding. The Department of Health and Human Services also received approval for a general fund transfer item. A major portion of the meeting focused on the Youth Development Center settlement fund. New administrator Jared Boyle, joined by the Attorney General, described the fund’s remaining caseload, the payment matrix, and the need for additional funding to begin hearings in August. Members raised concerns about administrative costs, attorneys’ fees, payday loans, structured settlements, and the long-term fiscal impact on the state. Boyle requested $55 million, but the committee ultimately approved a reduced appropriation of $20 million, with members noting the possibility of returning for more funding later depending on revenues and the October revenue review. The Department of Corrections then received approval for a smaller shortfall transfer and a larger overtime-related transfer, with officials citing a 52% corrections officer vacancy rate, ongoing recruitment, academy classes, and efforts to use civilian staff in some non-security roles. A late item from the Veterans Home was also approved to cover overtime, holiday pay, and indirect cost shortfalls within its existing budget. The committee then heard an informational presentation on implementation of Senate Bill 134 and the new federal Medicaid work-requirement rule. DHHS said it plans to submit a state plan amendment, seek approval for hardship exceptions, start with one eligibility check cycle, and use existing federal grant funding to make system changes. Finally, the committee received a performance audit of the Doorway opioid treatment program, which found weak written procedures, incomplete data use, reimbursement delays, and problems with the Governor’s Commission on Addiction Treatment and Prevention. Members discussed follow-up reporting, and the next Fiscal Committee meeting was scheduled for August 21 at 11:00 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Section 40-7-0504, notifying Human Resource Management Services, we removed the requirement to submit vacancy
• We added the requirement to use the statewide approved applicant tracking system for vacancy announcements
• Section 40-7-0508, vacancy announcement contents, we updated the required content to include remote work
• We added the requirement to use the statewide approved applicant tracking system for vacancy announcements
• Section 407-0508, vacancy announcement contents, we updated the required content to include remote work

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You always have some vacancies. So I'll go through this little org chart that Emily put together.
• So you can see in our IT division, we have one vacancy that was an extra developer position given to
• Right now, she does have a vacancy.
• nice things in final form, proofreading, things like Haley right here is doing, we have a couple of vacancies
• We have a couple of vacancies there.

Summary: The committee met to organize upcoming legislative session arrangements and staffing, and to review several rule and security-related items. It first approved a Joint Rule 211 change, recommended by the Employee Benefits Committee, that clarifies the deadline and statutory references for introducing health insurance mandate bills so required cost-benefit materials can be completed in time. Members noted the change would streamline the process, though it would not solve all timing and mandate-determination issues. The committee then discussed a draft bill on confidentiality protections for certain public officials and candidates, but members raised concerns about the statute’s complexity, the practical difficulty of administering it, and whether it would meaningfully improve safety; no action was taken and the topic was set aside for further discussion. The committee received an update on the new NCSL Legislator Security Fund. Staff explained that North Dakota is in process to apply for grant funding that could reimburse up to about $200 per legislator for personal security-related expenses such as home cameras, locks, lighting, or monitoring services, with reimbursement handled through Legislative Council and subject to Emergency Commission approval. Members asked about eligible expenses, timing, and whether new legislators would be included, and staff said the program would likely cover current legislators only for this round. The committee also approved the 2027 joint session schedule for the State of the State, tribal-state message, and State of the Judiciary on January 5, with the tribal and judiciary addresses in the morning and the governor’s address later in the day. The committee next approved the statutory reporting schedule for the Commerce Commissioner and agricultural commodity groups, setting the Commerce report for January 13, 2027, and the agriculture reports and pesticide container disposal update for January 14, 2027. Members questioned the usefulness of some of these recurring reports, but agreed to follow the existing statutory requirements. The largest discussion centered on Legislative Council staffing for the 2027 session: the committee approved reducing session staff to 36 Senate and 41 House employees, eliminating procedural clerk positions in standing committees in favor of permanent policy analysts, while retaining quality assurance clerks and adding a House parking lot attendant. It also approved a 3% salary increase for those staff positions, matching the increase given to state employees. Finally, the committee reviewed a revised organizational session and new legislator training agenda. Staff proposed moving some orientation content into a separate pre-session training day for new legislators on November 30, including laptop setup, mock committee and floor sessions, parliamentary procedure, and HR/benefits training, while adding more security and budgeting instruction. Members strongly supported earlier and more practical training, including follow-up reinforcement during the first week of session, and suggested using experienced or term-limited former legislators as mentors. Staff also described efforts to expand training materials into podcasts, flowcharts, and other formats, and Legislative Council leadership outlined the office’s remaining vacancies and a proposed expansion of policy analysts, program evaluators, legal staff, and training support to better serve the legislature and improve oversight of state programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• So do you have any vacancies in these areas that you’re asking for in the College of Social Sciences?
• We have very few vacancies.
• Do you have any vacancies for this program? There are five faculty positions.
• But you have two vacancies, right? They’re on the way to search?
• we've had an increase in few vacancies we've had an increase in growth<01:19:58.880> in<01:19

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The hearing covered Senate Bill 426, which would create an early learning apprenticeship grant program. Testimony was overwhelmingly supportive from the City and County of Honolulu, the Department of Human Services, the Executive Office on Early Learning, the University of Hawaiʻi College of Education, the Attorney General’s office, the Early Childhood Action Strategy, Hawaii Children’s Action Network, the University of Hawaiʻi’s early childhood educator project, and a Zoom testifier who described the importance of investing in high-quality early childhood education. Committee discussion focused on the program’s estimated cost, with figures of about $14.5 million in 2025-26 and $15 million in 2026-27, and on whether the program would require ongoing base-budget funding. The committee recommended technical, non-substantive amendments, including a statewide-concern amendment and a deferred effective date, and both committees adopted the recommendation by vote. The committees then heard Senate Bill 1622, which would appropriate funds to establish the Aloha Intelligence Institute within the University of Hawaiʻi to support statewide artificial intelligence initiatives. University representatives described the proposal as the product of campus-wide input and outlined five pillars: governance and policy, outreach and engagement, research and development, workforce development, and AI tools for key sectors such as health care, creative industries, manufacturing, data science, astronomy, and climate change. Members questioned staffing distribution, tuition, enrollment timing, housing, campus placement, and whether positions would be permanent or temporary; the university said it planned about 10 positions across campuses, would start with internal resources, and would house the effort under the Vice President for Research and Innovation initially. The committees recommended an SD1 with the appropriation amounts blanked out, a July 31, 2050 effective date, and committee-report language on housing and West Oʻahu, and the higher education and labor/technology committees adopted the amended recommendation. Finally, the Higher Education Committee took up Senate Bill 1488, a housekeeping measure to consolidate existing University of Hawaiʻi conference center statutes into a single revolving fund structure, and Senate Bill 636, which would fund retention and internship coordinator positions and broader enrollment management efforts at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. SB 1488 drew university support and no opposition. SB 636 prompted substantial questioning about Hilo’s declining enrollment, current retention rate of 72.8 percent, and the scope of the request, which includes not only two named positions but also about $432,000 for enrollment management initiatives such as data analysis, IT support, and other student services. Hilo said it is targeting 3 to 5 percent annual enrollment growth and that the positions would support recruitment, retention, internships, and data-driven enrollment strategy. The committee pressed for a clearer broader plan, but the discussion in the transcript ended before a final vote on SB 636 was shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• The 1768 forms are vital for tracking when a funded position in state government has a vacancy.
• And at least as of December of 2025, there were 291 vacancies in AFSCME positions.
• now all but one of those positions has only been vacant since 2025, but, in fact, the number of vacancies
• has grown by, uh, six or seven vacancies has grown by, uh, six or seven people. people. people.
• staying<00:08:54.120> open<00:08:54.520> once<00:08:54.720> they're vacancies

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We dropped from a 17% vacancy rate statewide in health care positions down to 14% in the two years.
• We dropped from a 17% vacancy rate statewide in health care positions down to 14% in the two years.
• We dropped from a 17% vacancy rate statewide in health care positions down to 14% in the two years.
• We dropped from a 17% vacancy rate statewide in health care positions down to 14% in the two years.
• Okay. we talk about vacancies or we talk about we talk about vacancies or we talk about hard<00:22:42.520

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This became political when we had two vacancies for the highest court in Vermont and the governor chose
• had served under and defended the actions of the Trump administration to fill two of those five vacancies
• <00:43:33.200> for<00:43:33.520> the when we had two vacancies for the when we had
• two vacancies for the highest<00:43:34.319> court<00:43:35.040> in<00:43:35.359> Vermont
• They're with their families. vacancies at the same time. vacancies at the same time.

Keywords: 927, senate, all