Transcript Highlights:

• We foc focus on storm readiness and we focus on drainage and that's really full admitting mitigation
• So how do we mitigate impacts of storm surge?
• The second coordination effort is the interagency coordination on resilience and mitigation that was
• And they've got a mitigation float.
• Mitigate Florida working group right now are part of it's part of that.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think one of the big ones we would start with is the top row, the wildfire mitigation grant program
• I'm the Assistant Director for Hazard Mitigation at Cal OES.
• If we wanted to prioritize structure risk mitigation as compared to watershed.
• I want to ask, how does the wildfire mitigation grant program for home hardening work?
• is in a good location, but how the wind is going to affect that base.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, I apologize for a little bit of the long-winded introduction, but I really wanted to set the stage
• <00:07:58.720> introduction,<00:07:59.120> but bit of the long-winded introduction,
• but bit of the long-winded introduction, but I<00:07:59.440> really<00:07:59.599> wanted
• Hubs, in addition to providing that immediate response, are also investing in hazard mitigation.
• rain and wind event that impacted<00:13:54.000> communities.

Bills: HB2437, HB1815, HB1614, HB1613, HB1612, HB2411, HB2597, HB2583, HB2474, HB1863, HB2590, HB1813, HB1838, HB2138, HB1967, HB1576, HB2139, HB1605, HB2113, HB812, HB1831, HB1707, HB2561, HB1805, HB2469, HB2472, HB2387, HB1658, HB1661, HB1664, HB1859, HB2276, HB2335, HB1656, HB2116, HB2272, HB2273, HB2340, HB2158, HB2339, HB2489, HB2159, HB2171, HB2338, HB2005, HB1952, HB1872, HB1676, HB2384, HB2614, HB20, HB1776, HB1565, HB2310, HB1975, HB1801, HB1668, HB2114, HB1972, HB1546, HB1518, HB1131, HB2208, HB2156, HB2268, HB2622, HB2581, HB2498, HB2443, HB1577, HB2033, HB2031, HB2023, HB1969, HB1973, HB1974, HB2315, HB2343, HB2501, HB2505, HB816, HB1562, HB1591, HB1853, HB1854, HB1871, HB1965, HB1966, HB1537, HB1541, HB276, HB2606, HB2270, HB1920, HB1756, HB1727, HB1718, HB1715, HB1713, HB1711

Keywords: arts education, student engagement, cultural literacy, public schools, funding, State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, SFCA, Performing Arts Grants Program, arts grants, culture and the arts, history and the humanities, King Kamehameha Celebration Commission, Works of Art Special Fund, one percent for art, public art, art in public places, relocatable works of art, DBEDT, Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, DAGS

Transcript Highlights:

• Customers for wildfire mitigation spending.
• costs, wildfire mitigation plans, and related matters.
• The money was spent, and it was spent on wildfire risk mitigation. All right.
• The money was spent and it was spent on wildfire risk mitigation. All right.
• The winds become windier.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy held a hearing on the California Earthquake Authority’s SB 254 report and broader options for reforming California’s utility wildfire recovery system. The chair framed the discussion around the Palisades and Eaton fires, the scale of wildfire-related costs on utility bills, and the need to weigh trade-offs among survivors, ratepayers, utilities, insurers, and taxpayers. The first panel featured wildfire survivors William Abrams and Joy Chen, who described long delays in compensation, housing insecurity, and what they viewed as a system that protects utility shareholders more than victims. They urged greater transparency, clearer accountability for utility spending and safety performance, faster and fuller compensation for survivors, and reforms such as independent audits and better alignment of utility incentives with wildfire prevention and restitution. The second panel began with Tom Welsh of the California Earthquake Authority, who explained that the SB 254 report was intended as a broad inventory of policy pathways rather than recommendations. He described the report’s process, including stakeholder submissions, workstreams, and a convergence process, and outlined the current wildfire fund structure: utilities remain liable, the fund reimburses eligible claims after a covered wildfire, and the CPUC later determines prudency and possible reimbursement back to the fund. RAND’s Lloyd Dixon summarized compensation data, saying utilities paid about $38 billion between 2017 and 2024, with major shares going to injured parties, insurers, and public entities, while litigation costs and survivors’ own losses remain substantial. He noted that legal fees and delays reduce the amount survivors ultimately receive. Utility and public-interest witnesses offered differing views on the report’s pathways. PG&E’s Tyson Smith said the report shows inaction is the worst outcome and argued for community wildfire risk reduction, equitable allocation of catastrophe costs, and state-led resilience tools. LADWP’s Fernando Valero emphasized the vulnerability of municipal utilities and cities, and supported inverse condemnation reform, a state-sponsored liability insurance framework, damages and subrogation limits, and stronger insurance access. Consumer Attorneys of California’s John Fisk argued that IOU-caused fires are not natural disasters but the result of negligence and sometimes criminal conduct, and opposed reducing utility liability while supporting stronger oversight and audits. The Public Advocates Office’s Nathaniel Skinner focused on affordability, saying ratepayers already bear large and growing wildfire costs and warning against shifting more costs onto bills without measurable risk reduction and tighter accountability. Committee members then began questioning witnesses about what counts as measurable mitigation, how to define full and fair compensation, and how any fast-pay process should work.

Transcript Highlights:

• The only way you're going to fix that problem with the wind pool policyholders is through a mitigation
• <00:30:44.320> pools on the Gulf Coast, um the wind pools on the Gulf Coast, um the wind pools
• holders is through a mitigation program. holders is through a mitigation program.
• <00:31:15.279> We've mitigation program. I hope we do. We've mitigation program.
• The windstorm mitigation council there.

Keywords: Government Structure - Room 409, 12 January, 2026; 2:00 P.M., 925, all

Summary: The committee held its first meeting under its new Government Structure Committee name and began by electing Senator Chris Johnson as secretary. The chair explained the committee’s purpose as improving efficiency, effectiveness, and stewardship of taxpayer dollars, and said members had asked statewide officials and agencies for ideas on streamlining government and reducing costs. Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gibson testified at length about ways his agency has found efficiencies, especially after the COVID-era consolidation of three agencies into one. He said state procurement and construction rules can add major time and cost to projects, citing a proposed $300,000 building that grew to about $1 million through the state process. He recommended raising repair and quote thresholds, streamlining construction procedures, reconsidering restrictions on payments between state agencies, and allowing more flexibility for agencies to help one another when authorized. Members questioned Gibson about the repair caps, the construction cost increase, Ticketmaster and other technology/vendor arrangements, and whether agencies should have more decentralized control over contracts. The chair and several senators agreed the committee should examine red tape, vendor relationships, and procurement rules, and Gibson said he would provide more information and work with the committee. No formal legislation was acted on in the portion provided. The transcript then shifted to testimony from the Insurance Commissioner, who said his department is heavily affected by IT and board structure issues and oversees 17 boards. He urged consolidation of some boards, criticized the effects of SB 2362 on special-fund agencies, and said the State Fire Academy and other operations have been constrained by general-fund treatment and limited authority. He also discussed insurance-rate pressures, including projected premium increases, wind pool rate concerns on the Gulf Coast, and the need for mitigation to stabilize costs.

Transcript Highlights:

• These mitigation measures are targeted to reduce wildfire risk.
• Wildfire mitigation across the West has evolved rapidly.
• In wildfire mitigation activities, projects, and planning.
• It really dives deep into current best practices for wildfire mitigation.
• Santa Ana winds blowing across the entire Southern California region.

Summary: The committee first heard updates on the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) and related funding. Department of Ecology staff explained how MTCA and the hazardous substance tax support cleanup, prevention, stormwater, and local assistance programs, but said forecasted revenues have declined while appropriations and transfers have outpaced incoming funds. Ecology said the operating account will require underspending to stay balanced this biennium and that the problem is ongoing, with further reductions possible if forecasts worsen. Ecology also reviewed the state cleanup program, noting there are more than 14,500 cleanup sites in Washington and that new sites continue to be discovered faster than they are cleaned up. A question from Representative Lee raised the long-term issue of declining fossil-fuel-based revenue, and Ecology agreed that this is a future structural concern even though the current shortfall is driven more by forecasts and transfers than by fuel-use decline. The Pollution Liability Insurance Agency described its underground storage tank and heating oil programs, saying it has modernized from a reinsurance model to a financial assurance model with stronger state oversight and cleanup milestones. Russ Olson said the agency’s dedicated petroleum tax account is in strong financial condition, but emphasized the importance of preserving that funding source. He also discussed the loan and grant program for historic commercial releases and a new heating oil loan/grant program, while noting the agency is working on equity concerns where liens can be disproportionate to property values in smaller communities. Practitioners and advocates then offered differing views on MTCA’s performance: one attorney urged a collaborative review process to make cleanups faster, less expensive, and more certain, while another consultant argued the program is too conservative and process-heavy and should focus more narrowly on actual exposure and realistic cleanup standards. Environmental and community groups countered that MTCA is essential for cleanup, pollution prevention, stormwater control, and public participation, and that it is especially important for environmental justice communities such as the Duwamish Valley. Port and city representatives stressed that MTCA grants and cleanup funding are critical for large redevelopment projects, but said long timelines, permitting delays, and funding uncertainty can slow projects and jeopardize commitments. The committee then shifted to utility wildfire risk. Staff summarized recent legislation, including requirements for utility wildfire mitigation plans, creation of a wildfire mitigation standards work group, authorization for captive insurance by local governments and PUDs, securitization authority for disaster costs, and the existing wildfire response and resilience account. Chelan County PUD and Puget Sound Energy described extensive mitigation efforts such as vegetation management, grid hardening, undergrounding, AI smoke cameras, weather stations, enhanced operating settings, public safety power shutoffs, and community outreach. Both said wildfire risk is rising and insurance costs are increasing, and Chelan PUD asked the Legislature to restore funding to the wildfire response and resilience account. The Office of the Insurance Commissioner said a 2022 utility liability market study found insurance availability is tightening as perceived risk rises, and reported that a 2025 work group recommended restoring community resilience funding, requiring insurers to share wildfire risk scores and mitigation steps with property owners, and creating a grant program based on insurance industry wildfire standards. A PNNL scientist added that wildfire probability is increasing in parts of Washington and that mitigation requires long-term, landscape-scale coordination. The final speaker began describing California’s approach to wildfire risk, but the transcript cuts off before that presentation concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• has shown a willingness to color outside the lines, and I think we need to do everything we can to mitigate
• the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, ordering an unprecedented stop work order to Equinor's Empire Wind
• We have a lot of wind energy there.
• that had already been granted is the chilling effect that has on developers generally. whether it's wind
• Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act to improve water infrastructure and to mitigate

Transcript Highlights:

• For example, power plants, oil wells, and wind and solar facilities.
• the cost of making a plan, just like other energy industries, including nuclear, coal mining, and wind
• This is done for nuclear power plants, for coal mining, coal ash ponds, wind and solar industry.
• actually out of step with other parts of our energy sector, specifically power plants, oil wells, and wind
• will be able to deploy the resources that are available to us, and we will do it effectively to mitigate

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• An estimated $45 million is available in resiliency or mitigation grant funding.
• I'm going to use those two words synonymously: mitigation and resiliency.
• The new EOC is also engineered to withstand wind speeds of up to 200 miles per hour, far higher than
• The Florida Division of Emergency Management office is also being built out to endure wind speeds of
• We rolled that program out: $400 million in mitigation monies that we have available.

Summary: The Economic Development Budget Subcommittee received a lengthy presentation from Kevin Guthrie, Executive Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, on disaster costs, recovery operations, sheltering, and major capital projects. He reviewed the 2024 hurricane season impacts from Debby, Helene, and Milton, explaining how FEMA public assistance and state reimbursement work, how cost shares can shift from 75/25 to 90/10 after a federal threshold is reached, and how Florida uses prior storm data and inflation to estimate recovery costs. He also described the state’s faster reimbursement timelines, crediting legislative investments in technology and digital field documentation, and said the division is working to reduce disaster closeout timelines from decades to about seven years. Members asked about debris removal, FEMA de-obligations, local preparedness, and whether regional shelters or co-located emergency operations centers could be used more efficiently. Guthrie said debris assistance is complicated and should generally remain tied to local contracts and planning, though the state will help fiscally constrained communities when needed. He explained de-obligations as FEMA clawing back previously approved funds after later review, and said Florida’s FROC program is helping local governments reduce those risks through standardized documentation, procurement review, and training. He also urged more mandatory emergency-management training for local and state officials and cautioned against weakening the FEMA 50% rule for rebuilding damaged structures. Guthrie provided updates on the new central Florida warehouse in Auburndale and the new State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee. He said the warehouse will improve logistics, include cold and ultra-cold storage, and be run by a private vendor with virtual inventory tracking, while the new EOC is designed for Category 5 conditions and expanded partner capacity. He acknowledged budget pressures that reduced the size of the EOC project and said an additional IT request was needed because those costs were not originally included. The meeting ended with praise for FDEM’s work and no votes or formal actions beyond adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Berfield: IT'S NOT SOMETHING SPECIFIC YOU PUT IN YOUR PRESENTATION AND I APPRECIATE THE WIND SPANNED
• IN THE GENERAL ACT WE ARE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THE UPDATES, WIND SPANNED OF WHAT IS COVERED IN YOUR
• THERE WOULD BE SIGNIFICANT CHANGE THAT WE WANT TO MITIGATE DIMENSION OF ROLLOUT GO SMOOTHLY WILL INTRODUCE
• WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS AS AN AGENCY WE HAVE TO TARGET OUR RESOURCES TO MITIGATING THAT FRICTION AS MUCH
• FIRST OF ALL THAT NATURAL FRICTION FOR US IS OUR ACTION STEPS ARE HOW WE MITIGATE THAT.

Transcript Highlights:

• If we really want to meet our goals of renewable energy, wind doesn't work, and solar doesn't work unless
• we have storage for the times when the sun doesn't shine and the wind doesn't blow.
• on lithium batteries, or lithium, widely recognized as the most comprehensive safety and storage mitigation
• code, including the fire code and the electrical code, and will ensure that steps can be taken to mitigate
• Certainly I'm a fan of wind and solar and making sure we're getting to our goals, but, you know, this

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy met without a quorum at first and began as a subcommittee, then later established quorum and heard several measures. The main policy bills discussed were SB 24, which would restrict investor-owned utilities from using ratepayer funds for political advertising, lobbying, and efforts against municipal utilities, and SB 283, the Clean Energy Safety Act of 2025, which would strengthen safety standards for battery energy storage facilities after the Moss Landing fire. The consent calendar also included SB 80, SB 491, SB 593, SB 804, and SCR 25, which were taken up without debate. SB 24 drew strong support from consumer and environmental advocates, who argued that ratepayer money should not be used for political or promotional activity and that current rules lack meaningful consequences. Opponents from the utilities and business community said the bill was too broad, could interfere with shareholder-funded advocacy and legal work, and might unintentionally affect public service communications and expert consulting. Several committee members shared support for the bill’s goal but raised concerns about its breadth, especially around legal fees and communications; the author said he was willing to work on amendments, including on consultant fees, and accepted committee amendments. SB 283 received broad support from firefighters, local governments, utilities, labor, and business groups. Supporters said the bill would improve fire safety, require fire authority consultation and inspections, and prevent battery storage from being sited in unsafe indoor combustible facilities. The author described the Moss Landing fire and said the bill would add standards based on NFPA guidance while preserving local governments’ ability to adopt stricter rules. No opposition testimony was presented. The committee voted SB 283 out 16-0, and SB 24 was also approved after a roll was held open and later closed, ultimately passing 11-1. The consent calendar passed 16-0, and the meeting adjourned after the final roll calls were completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• emergency siren protocols in our state, reestablished the state fire marshal, deployed wildfire and wind
• 40:44.400> deployed<00:40:44.800> wildfire<00:40:45.359> and<00:40:45.520> wind
• marshall, deployed wildfire and wind marshall, deployed wildfire and wind sensors<00:40:46.160><
• <00:51:41.680> fires<00:51:42.000> never fire mitigation so these fires never fire
• mitigation so these fires never happen<00:51:42.559> again,<00:51:43.280> including<00:

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It puts mitigation obligations on the contractor.
• of this committee and the legislature over the past two sessions to deal with the imposed cost of wind
• The free fuel from wind and solar is great, but we should not pay full price for those units any more
• So again, as we mitigate these risks, we also have to consider that this device is not currently on the
• We are cautious about the things we attach to the grid because in mitigating one risk, we don't want

Bills: SB75, SB715, SB776, SB1299, SB1405, SB1968, SB2021, SB2077, SB2148, SB2321, SB2330, SB2411

Keywords: electric generation, reliability, ERCOT, Public Utility Commission, penalties, performance requirements, energy policy, construction contracts, compensatory damages, government delays, contractor, legislation, nonprofit donor privacy, membership lists, supporter confidentiality, volunteer privacy, association rights, public records exemption, Texas Public Information Act, government transparency

Transcript Highlights:

• I saw blue tarps blowing in the wind loose next to a storm drain.
• I saw blue tarps blowing in the wind loose next to a storm drain.
• I saw blue tarps blowing in the wind loose next to a storm drain.
• I saw blue tarps blowing in the wind loose next to a storm drain.
• that can be used to mitigate that can be used to mitigate almost<02:24:26.319> any<02:24:

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It also can dive in and kind of give us a synopsis of what the key risks and some of the mitigations
• I think that will definitely help us understand the risks, the mitigation, and the funding that you're
• You wind up with nothing if they walk away at that point. That's really dangerous.
• Otherwise, you wind up with these zombie projects that are completing what you thought you needed a few
• those contracts renewed, the more concerned I am about the danger of lock-in, that you're going to wind

Transcript Highlights:

• and I'm sorry for the long-winded and I'm sorry for the long-winded discussion<01:27:10.360>
• Now Washington has the biggest wind in... do they have a lot of people living up there?
• Now Washington has the biggest wind in... do they have a lot of people living up there?
• Now Washington has the biggest wind in... do they have a lot of people living up there?
• Now Washington has the biggest wind in... do they have a lot of people living up there?

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee met in executive session and first discussed scheduling, noting that Town Meeting Day would cancel the next Tuesday meeting, that they would meet Wednesday instead, and that remaining bills would be handled through subcommittees and a likely final executive session on the 19th to meet the deadline for committee action on the 20th. The committee then took up several bills, with repeated roll calls and votes, often placing measures on the consent calendar after committee approval. House Bill 185 on ambulance reimbursement rates was described as a perennial issue and was voted inexpedient to legislate, with members noting concerns that an any-willing-provider approach would make premium impacts hard to evaluate. House Bill 186 on cannabis legalization was retained for further work, with members saying the bill addressed stopping marijuana arrests but that the sales and implementation details still needed more development. House Bill 241 on treatment alternatives to opioids was also retained because the sponsor could not attend and the committee wanted more time to continue work. The committee then considered House Bill 302 on state treasury investments in digital assets and precious metals. The amendment narrowed the proposal, removing more complicated provisions like stable tokens and staking, lowering the authorized allocation from 10% to 5%, and limiting eligible digital assets to those with very high market capitalization; members discussed volatility, the treasurer’s discretion, and oversight through bond-rating concerns. The amendment and the bill as amended both passed, and the bill was placed on the consent calendar. Other measures moved quickly: House Bill 451 on a paint product stewardship program was amended to remove direct funding and framed as manufacturer-run enabling legislation, then passed and was placed on consent; House Bill 499 made technical corrections to insurance laws and passed unanimously; House Bill 538 on relocating Liquor Commission positions passed unanimously; House Bill 552 on children covered under the state retirement insurance plan was cleaned up to remove a student requirement and passed unanimously; and a blockchain/digital currencies bill was amended to address noise and local regulation concerns for data mining operations, with supporters emphasizing energy-use issues, municipal authority, and a separate commission studying regulation. That bill also passed and was sent to consent.

Transcript Highlights:

• We advocate for the development of wind and solar projects, offshore wind, energy storage, decarbonization
• Same thing with offshore wind. You know, the offshore wind...
• And they're only... ...those wind turbine blades.
• He didn’t like the local wind turbines.
• The minority of the money has anything to do with wind and solar.

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Standing Committee on Energy and Telecommunications met under Chair Senator Kevin Parker and considered several bills related to clean energy, transmission, storage, schools, and microgrids. Bill 1456, which would require certain watercraft, aircraft, and trains to be zero-emissions and direct NYSERDA studies and incentives, was discussed as technology-neutral and advanced with one no vote to the Finance Committee. Bill 286, increasing statewide energy storage capacity, drew concerns about battery safety, fire risk, and volunteer fire department training, but was advanced to the floor with two no votes. Bill 2482, the Go Green Schools Act, would let schools convert to renewable energy and keep savings for school operations; it advanced to the floor despite concerns about siting solar on school grounds. Bill 2485 on expanding electric transmission lines and Bill 5510 directing NYSERDA to develop microgrid recommendations were both advanced to the Finance Committee, each with one no vote. The committee then heard testimony from Marguerite Wells, executive director of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York. She argued that wind, solar, storage, and transmission have made New York a leader in clean energy and said renewable energy is increasingly cost-competitive, with much of recent bill increases driven by grid upgrades and gas prices rather than renewables. She also said clean energy helps hedge against volatile fossil fuel prices, pointed to community solar and offshore wind as savings and reliability tools, and said the state’s permitting and interconnection processes have improved. Members questioned Wells about farmland use, decommissioning, recycling of solar and wind equipment, battery storage safety, local control, and misinformation. Wells said utility-scale projects require decommissioning plans and financial assurances, farmland must be restored under agricultural guidelines, and recycling capacity is developing. On battery storage, she said New York has rigorous codes and monitoring requirements, that not all storage is lithium-ion, and that state-level permitting is appropriate for large facilities. Several senators raised concerns about fires, contamination, winter performance, and siting projects in densely populated areas or on farmland, while others emphasized farmland protections and the value of renewable projects to host communities.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we're having a really good high wind energy day.
• It's not based on the wind or the sunshine or anything like that.
• You know, I'm still fine with wind. I'm fine with solar.
• <00:09:06.480> I'm know I'm still I'm fine with wind I'm know I'm still I'm fine with wind
• more wind and solar mixed in it gives more wind and solar mixed in it gives them<00:10:24.200> more

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Bills: SCR48, SCR28, SCR74, SCR62, SCR60, SCR89, SCR147, SCR179, SCR182, SCR59, SCR54, SCR180

Keywords: affordable housing, housing credits, perpetual credits, development, Hawaii Housing Finance, Vietnam veterans, commemorative medal, recognition, working group, Hawaii, no-bid contracts, emergency procurement, audit, state agencies, public funds, accountability, emergency response, disability access, 911 systems, life-saving measures

Bills: SCR48, SCR28, SCR74, SCR62, SCR60, SCR89, SCR147, SCR179, SCR182, SCR59, SCR54, SCR180

Keywords: affordable housing, housing credits, perpetual credits, development, Hawaii Housing Finance, Vietnam veterans, commemorative medal, recognition, working group, Hawaii, no-bid contracts, emergency procurement, audit, state agencies, public funds, accountability, emergency response, disability access, 911 systems, life-saving measures