Transcript Highlights:

• Its first store opened on the city's south side in 1946, and 18 of its 22 employees were Purple Heart
• , as we know, our oil and gas industry in Texas is the cornerstone of our state's economy and the primary
• , as we know, our oil and gas industry in Texas is the cornerstone of our state's economy and the primary
• It opens it up to all kinder through third grade age Texans in our state, something that we should have
• Maddox, the Texas Supreme Court held that the primary purpose of an impeachment is to protect the state

Summary: The Senate opened with an invocation by Pastor Jim Harris of Tilden Baptist Church, followed by remarks from Senator Zaffirini recognizing his service and retirement as an agricultural teacher. The chamber also received a message from the governor on appointments to the Coastal Water Authority Board of Directors. Senators then adopted SR 434 honoring Goodwill Industries of San Antonio’s 80th anniversary, with Senators Gutierrez, Menendez, and Zaffirini praising its workforce training and second-chance employment mission; SR 435 recognizing Dr. Christine Ramos Camacho as Doctor of the Day; and a group of additional resolutions adopted by voice vote. Senator Zaffirini also introduced the McMullen County Day delegation, and Senator Gutierrez introduced the Doctor of the Day. The Senate then took up and passed several bills. SB 1951 addressed penalties for late property rendition filings and removed a financial incentive for appraisal districts; SB 1261 related to financing water supply projects in the state water plan; SB 1620 created a Texas Forensic Analyst Apprenticeship Pilot Program; SB 530 updated higher-education accreditation rules; SB 2183 standardized fireworks sales periods statewide; SB 2368 strengthened the Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act and added foreign-affiliation safeguards for electricity market participants; SB 1398 limited children without placement (CWOP) practices and added community-based care transparency; and SB 1960 established digital replication rights for voice and visual likenesses. Each of these bills advanced through suspension of the regular order, passage to engrossment, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage, with recorded votes generally showing strong support and some opposition on a few measures. The chamber also debated SB 825, which would require an annual study of the economic, environmental, and financial impacts of illegal immigration. Senators Middleton, Hinojosa, Gutierrez, and Eckhardt debated whether the study should include positive as well as negative impacts; an amendment to require that broader analysis failed, and the bill was left pending after passage to engrossment. Other measures passed included SB 2010, prohibiting political subdivisions from operating guaranteed income programs; SB 546, requiring reporting and continued implementation of school bus seat belts; SB 586, establishing the Historical Texas Cemetery designation program; SB 1150, requiring inactive oil and gas wells to be plugged or returned to production under a compliance plan; SB 1184, lowering the minimum age of wine eligible for sale by wine collection sellers; SB 2185, clarifying bilingual education allotment funding; SB 1923, making child support follow the child in certain temporary placements; SB 2252, expanding early literacy and numeracy supports and screening tools; SB 1870, barring local decriminalization of drugs; and SB 2405, the major TDCJ sunset bill, which included facility planning, parole and rehabilitation reforms, and an amendment protecting parole board discretion. Most of these bills were adopted after floor amendments and passed with recorded votes, often along party-line or near-party-line divisions.

Transcript Highlights:

• So let's open up Tab one, which is a presentation by the Department of Transportation on World Arterial
• Alright, thank thank you for the opportunity to present open any questions on the there.
• What I want to tell you, as my office, my door is literally open whatever here in the capital you can
• You can meet with us and I want to hear all these things go and I would actually open that up to any
• And so we need to have that that open forum for discussion concur.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, if you were still open to potentially laying the bill over just so we could work on some of these
• It did sound like you were open to it earlier. >> Uh, the chair is intent on next week, or as soon as
• So, if you were still open as possible.
• It did sound like you were<00:57:44.400><c> open</c><00:57:44.559><c> to</c><00:57:44.720><c> it</c><
• 00:57:44.880><c> earlier</c> were open to it earlier were open to it earlier &gt;&gt; to<00:57:46.559

Bills: HF1667 , HF2526 , HF68

Committee: House Elections Finance and Government Operations

Keywords: correctional fees, supervision fees, probation, Department of Corrections, criminal justice funding, electronic home monitoring, drug testing, restitution collection, community service work, postprison supervision, court-ordered services, fee sunset, fee phaseout, offender fees, community corrections, supervised individuals, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So with that, we're going to open the Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs Committee, and in lieu
• Um, so we'll open the public hearing on House Bill 92. Go ahead, Representative.
• During the election primary, the law.
• I would be open to that. Yes.
• the boxes were open, the seals broken. broken. broken.

Committee: Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is just me open an hour late, then I think that precinct needs to stay open an hour later.
• We should be kept open another hour.
• If it's open 2 hours late, should stay open another 2 hours.
• And the argument is to keep it open another hour or two because it was opened an hour or two late.
• Would you just be open to that?

Bills: HB304

Committee: House Elections

Keywords: franchise tax credit, food desert, grocery store, healthy corner store, nutrition assistance, economic development, public health

Transcript Highlights:

• No open discussion about the enormous consequences, the bond debt, shared assets, funding curriculum,
• We are not here to talk about Open Meetings Act violations.
• And you know what the primary reason for the 7,000+ school districts was?
• The, the primary central factor that was focused on was racial division in every one of these, whether
• As I said, the, the bill the way it's presented to you today is open so we can discuss this.

Bills: HB4 , HB54 , SB 10 , SB 24

Committee: House Public Education

Keywords: district composition, congressional election, Texas, legislature, voting districts, citizenship, U.S. citizen, non-citizen, public office, advisory board, task force, state government, local government, political subdivision, commission board, appointment eligibility, officeholder qualifications, public service, naturalization, Texas Government Code

Transcript Highlights:

• So, the primary holding is the, well, I shouldn't say the primary holding, but in part of the ruling,
• My concern is I don't know if the bill leaves open a window.
• That's the premise of the Supreme Court Open Fields Doctrine.
• However, the Open Fields Doctrine was expanded to...
• We're only talking about the open fields.

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have an open-door policy.
• We have an open-door policy.
• I think we're open to all options.
• I'm going to open it up to the other committee members. Senator Menjivar?
• We are very open to what that could look like.

Summary: The committee heard several energy, environmental, recycling, and land-use bills, beginning with SB 925 by Senator McNerney, which would direct the California Energy Commission to develop a statewide roadmap for fusion energy. Supporters said the bill would help California retain leadership in fusion research and commercialization, attract investment, and create jobs, while some members emphasized the need to avoid overregulation and keep the state competitive. No opposition testified, and the bill was later approved on a 4-0 vote and held on call. The committee also heard SB 1350, another McNerney bill, to expand the use of green hydrogen in the power sector by allowing renewable portfolio standard credit for turbines using renewable hydrogen. Supporters framed it as a way to support clean energy reliability, preserve tax credits, and create jobs, while opponents including TURN and Earthjustice warned about greenwashing, resource shuffling, and increased NOx emissions. The author and chair described committee amendments as adding guardrails, and the bill passed 4-0 and was held on call. Senator Grayson presented SB 1145, which would streamline CEQA and related review for qualifying projects in the Concord Reuse Project Area, part of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station. The bill is intended to speed a long-planned transit-oriented development with housing, commercial space, parks, and open space; supporters included local officials, labor groups, and business organizations, while a housing group raised concerns about affordable housing guarantees but still supported the CEQA exemption. The committee described the bill as balancing streamlining with retained environmental review and approved it 4-0, held on call. Senator Cabaldon’s SB 1341, dealing with CalRecycle processing fees for bag-in-a-box wine and spirits containers, also drew support from the wine industry and some environmental groups that wanted a workable recycling market, while glass packaging and other opponents objected to giving CalRecycle too much discretion; it too passed 4-0 and was held on call. The committee then heard SJR 13 by Senator Padilla, urging the U.S. to seek enforceable commitments to eliminate transboundary sewage pollution at the 2026 USMCA review. Supporters described severe public health and environmental harms from sewage and runoff in the Tijuana River and New River watersheds, especially for border and farmworker communities, and the resolution passed 4-0. Padilla’s SB 1033, requiring protein product manufacturers to test for and disclose heavy metals, drew support from consumer and public health groups citing Consumer Reports findings, while industry groups argued for narrower scope, QR-code options, and thresholds tied to health standards; the bill passed 3-0 and was held on call. Senator Ashby’s SB 1010, creating a manufacturer-funded system for refrigerant recovery from discarded appliances, was supported as a climate and enforcement measure but opposed by appliance manufacturers and recyclers who said existing law already regulates refrigerants and that the bill could raise costs and reduce recycling; it passed 4-0 and was held on call. Finally, Senator Caballero presented SB 1183, requiring a state study of the environmental, land-use, and economic impacts of industrial solar in the Central Valley. Supporters said the bill would help ensure solar development benefits local communities and farmland, while solar industry groups argued it duplicated existing work and should better reflect solar’s benefits; the bill was heard but no vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• There has not been an open investigation. I want to make sure we address that in the bill.
• THERE HAS NOT BEEN OPEN INVESTIGATION I WANT&nbsp; TO MAKE SURE WE ARE JUST THAT IN THE BILL SO MY&nbsp
• Parents carry the primary responsibility for every part of their child's upbringing, including medical
• oftentimes they don't happen at all because I started a sexual health organization, and even I didn't have open
• In 2023, STI rates for youth age 13 to 17 reached a 15-year high, with one of the primary accelerants

Summary: The committee first heard HB 245, which would replace references in Florida law to “child pornography” with “child sexual abuse material.” The sponsor said the change was overdue and more accurately reflects the criminal nature of the material. There was brief supportive public testimony, no debate, and the bill was reported favorably on a unanimous vote. The committee then took up HB 237 on the use of professional nursing titles. The sponsor said advanced practice registered nurses should be able to use earned academic titles such as DNP or PhD. Supporters testified in favor, there was no opposition or debate, and the bill passed unanimously and was reported favorably. The longest discussion centered on HB 173, which would expand parental consent and access requirements for minors’ medical care, medical records, certain school surveys, and biomedical devices. Supporters argued it restores parental rights and keeps parents involved in children’s health decisions, while opponents—many from medical, mental health, LGBTQ, and youth advocacy groups—warned it could block access to STI treatment, mental health care, crisis hotlines, and confidential services for vulnerable youth, including those in abusive homes. After extensive testimony and debate, the bill was reported favorably on a 19-7 vote. Finally, the committee began HB 327 on uterine fibroid research. The sponsor explained the bill would require health care providers to submit identified data so the Department of Health can build a usable de-identified research database, after prior implementation problems with duplicate or unverified data. A supportive local official testified, and members indicated support as the meeting moved toward a vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll bring it back to the committee, and I'll just make a few opening comments.
• There were a couple of things, since you opened the door with your indulgence, that I'd like to correct
• And Senator, you know, the opening of your response to my question were on things that have nothing to
• Now, I agree, this bill, and I opened with, this bill is not the solution to all the problems.
• Now, India gets its oil to make gasoline that comes to California from Russia as their primary source

Committee: Senate Environmental Quality

Summary: The committee first heard SB 872 by Senator McNerney, which would dedicate $150 million annually each for Central Valley subsidence repairs and Delta levee improvements. The author and supporters, including Restore the Delta and State Water Contractors, described the bill as an urgent, bipartisan effort to protect State Water Project conveyance serving 27 million people, prevent levee failure, and safeguard billions in state assets. Support came from a broad coalition of water agencies, labor, environmental groups, and local governments; there was no opposition testimony. Because the committee was operating without a quorum at the time, the bill was heard as a subcommittee item and no final vote was taken then. The committee then took up SB 981 by Senator Niello, which would require CARB to include cost-of-living impacts in its existing economic analysis for major regulations. The author argued the bill would improve transparency by showing effects on gasoline, electricity, food, housing, and business costs, while supporters from agriculture, manufacturing, business, propane, and restaurant interests said it would help lawmakers understand affordability impacts. Opponents, including the Coalition for Clean Air and the Union of Concerned Scientists, argued it would add red tape, delay rulemaking, and require CARB to make speculative predictions. The chair and other members expressed concern that the bill was redundant, burdensome, and too narrow because it singled out CARB rather than addressing affordability across state government; no vote was taken in the excerpt. SB 887 by Senator Padilla would require large data center projects to undergo CEQA review, but offer streamlined treatment for projects meeting strong environmental, labor, and community-benefit standards. Supporters, including TURN, IBEW Local 569, and several environmental and local-government groups, said the bill would protect communities from high energy and water use, cost shifting, and pollution while still allowing responsible development. Opponents from the Data Center Coalition, Silicon Valley Leadership Group, Bay Area Council, and others argued the standards were overly prescriptive, potentially unattainable, and would drive investment out of California. After a quorum was established, the committee voted 3-1 to pass SB 887 as amended to the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee, with the bill kept on call. Finally, SB 1008 by Senator Ochoa Bog would renew the CEQA exemption for California Public Utilities Commission-ordered closure of at-grade rail crossings, which had expired at the start of 2025. Union Pacific and other supporters said the measure would restore a long-standing safety tool and help eliminate redundant crossings more quickly. With no opposition testimony, the committee approved the bill unanimously, 4-0, and kept it on call.

Transcript Highlights:

• Rural, agricultural, conservation, open space, mixed use, industrial, or commercial use; applications
• And certainly my door is always open.
• If you're asking me if I'm open to adding windows and doors, the answer is yes. Okay, thank you.
• But that being said, the door is open.
• But that being said, the door is open.

Committee: Senate Rules

Summary: The committee first confirmed six appointees in a single vote, then took up a series of bills, most of them reported favorably. The early debate centered on SB 208, a land-use bill by Sen. McLean that would require development fees to reflect review costs and create more objective compatibility standards for residential development denials. An amendment adding housing-related provisions, including an OPAGA study of urban development boundaries, drew extended discussion over the Everglades and local control; it was adopted, while a late-filed amendment on rural boundaries was withdrawn. The bill was then reported favorably after supporters and opponents, including Miami-Dade and housing groups, weighed in. The committee also favorably reported SB 686 on agricultural enclaves after amendments adding conservation, wildlife corridor, and Everglades-related protections, with one amendment specifically preserving stronger protections in counties covered by the Northern Everglades/Indian River Lagoon plan. Several criminal justice and public records measures also advanced. SB 436 would add resisting an officer with violence as a qualifying prior offense for battery enhancement and include certain felony battery offenses in prison release reoffender status. SB 830 would extend public-records protections to county and city administrators and related family information. SB 990 would authorize protected cell captive insurers in Florida. SB 600, on bail bonds, drew the most debate: an amendment by Sen. Rouson preserved the current treatment of charitable bail organizations’ deposits, with supporters arguing nonprofits help low-income defendants and critics saying the bill should distinguish commercial and nonprofit bonding; the amendment was adopted and the bill reported favorably. SB 914 on dry needling and SB 1434 on infill redevelopment also passed, the latter with an amendment removing a 10% markup requirement for buyback provisions. The committee then moved through a large education and health agenda. SB 1504 would let high school students who complete an insurance/personal finance elective qualify later for a customer service representative license. SB 1718 would expand educator preparation and temporary certification options. SB 7038 was a broad education package covering tuition waivers for Florida State Guard members, residency rules, consumer protections, dual enrollment, grading, and college funding; amendments clarified workforce licensure and exempted certain dental training from new licensure rules. SB 1092 on podiatric medicine added definitions and restrictions for cellular/tissue-based products. SB 1138 on qualified contractors created a pre-application review program for certain local governments, with historic-preservation carveouts. SB 186 on student health and safety required seizure-training and action plans in schools, and SB 560 on child welfare streamlined psychotropic-medication procedures for children in state care while adding youth advisory meetings and insurance-data review. SB 902, a broad Department of Health bill, addressed medical marijuana facility setbacks, practitioner discipline, autism microcredentials, marriage and family therapy licensure, a neurofibromatosis grant program, and family home health aide delegation; it passed after two amendments. Finally, SB 218 on land-use regulations limited hurricane-recovery restrictions to affected counties, SB 1002 expanded child-neglect definitions tied to parental drug abuse, SB 1474 tightened biosolids land-application rules, SB 1708 eased out-of-state veterinary licensure by endorsement, and SB 314 established a Florida regulatory framework for payment stablecoins aligned with federal law. Most measures were reported favorably by committee vote after brief testimony or no debate.

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, open to having conversations about this.
• The primary objective section contains a delayed repeal date of January 1, 2030.
• to that possibility. ...would you be open to that possibility?
• And I'm open to take any questions. Any questions for the sponsor?
• Is the sponsor open to the amendments, the friendly amendments from the industry?

Committee: House House Natural Resources, Energy & Water Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee took up several energy, transportation, and land-use bills. HB 2428, dealing with county and ADEQ authority to issue voluntary permits certifying emission reduction credits for mobile and non-road sources, received neutral testimony from ADEQ and support from Maricopa County; the committee adopted the Griffin amendment and passed the bill 10-0 with a due pass recommendation. HB 2145, which expands who may request certain gasoline fuel reformulation actions and is contingent on EPA approval, also passed on a 5-4 vote after brief staff explanation and no amendment. The committee then considered HB 2331, a strike-everything amendment requiring electric utilities to ensure 85% of generating capacity serving retail load comes from “reliable resources” by 2030. Supporters, including the sponsor and Arizona Free Enterprise Club, argued it would protect affordability and grid reliability by favoring dispatchable power; opponents, including the Sierra Club and Rural Arizona Action, said it would effectively favor fossil fuels, raise costs, and limit cleaner resources. The committee adopted the amendment and passed the bill 6-4. HB 2795, which would bar counties from using zoning to block small modular reactors once federal permitting conditions are met, drew strong support from the sponsor and industry advocates who framed it as pro-property-rights and pro-nuclear, and opposition from county, city, and environmental groups who raised preemption, local control, safety, waste, and siting concerns; it passed 6-4. The committee also passed HB 2340, which allows the Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee to evaluate proposed generating facilities along with transmission lines, on a 5-4 vote. HB 2400, an emergency measure to suspend the motor vehicle fuel tax in Areas A and C during part of the year and replace the lost revenue through state highway funding, drew opposition from cities and counties over transportation funding impacts but support from the sponsor and some members focused on gas affordability; the Griffin amendment was adopted and the bill passed 6-4. Finally, HB 2401 was introduced as a requirement for ADEQ to conduct a biennial review of available fuel formulations and their air-quality impacts in Areas A and C, but the transcript ends before testimony or action on that bill is completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• for most of our cities, our school boards, our townships, any of those offices that don't have a primary
• signature envelopes and ballot opening signature envelopes and ballot envelopes<00:09:57.000><c> um<
• Representative Greenman: I do think we've opened multiple rabbit holes, but ...
• Representative Greenman: I do think we've opened multiple rabbit holes, but ...
• Representative Greenman: I do think we've opened multiple rabbit holes, but ...

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 1378, an elections administration bill, and first adopted the DE5 amendment. The author described DE5 as a negotiated package combining provisions from several bills on election administration, including notice of temporary polling locations, residence standards for people under civil commitment orders, polling place closure/change notices, absentee voting provisions, special election filing periods, and timelines for filing statements of economic interest. The committee then adopted two additional amendments, A6 and A8, both presented as technical or corrective changes; A8 restored language on off-reservation temporary polling that had been inadvertently left out. Testimony from county election officials and the Secretary of State’s office was generally supportive of the bill’s election-administration changes. Blue Earth County’s Michael Stalberger said the bill would streamline election-day work, improve absentee ballot deadlines, clarify ballot correction procedures, formalize chain-of-custody plans, and speed out-of-court remedies for ballot errors. He also raised concerns about implementation details, including the timing for first chain-of-custody plans, applying candidate filing changes to townships and school districts as well as cities, the short turnaround for college student housing lists, and whether the statewide system could handle new absentee-ballot data fields. Nicole Freeman of the Secretary of State’s office echoed support for the technical cleanup and several policy changes, including removing the permanent absentee application box from voter registration forms, clarifying ballot-board procedures, chain-of-custody planning, and the out-of-court remedy, while also flagging concerns about the absentee application cutoff, city opt-outs from absentee voting, and staffing requirements for absentee locations. Later in the hearing, members discussed a separate proposed amendment, A4/A3, dealing with prohibitions on inducements to vote or register, including lotteries or other chances to win money or goods. The author explained it was intended to clarify existing law and respond to recent examples of large-money election-related giveaways, but after discussion the chair declined to offer the amendment in committee, saying it would likely not have enough support and could be taken up later on the floor. The hearing ended with the technical amendments adopted and the bill advanced with the committee continuing broader discussions on the remaining issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• Seagull, the primary health consultant, did their own analysis, and then we tailored things.
• Seagull, the primary health consultant, did their own analysis, and then we tailored things.
• Seagull, the primary health consultant, did their own analysis, and then we tailored things.
• Seagull, the primary health consultant, did their own analysis, and then we tailored things.
• I was around when PLT was primary liability coverage.

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• uh the market is New Hampshire is open uh the market is open<00:06:03.000><c> to</c><00:06:03.280><c
• the state is open to having some form of clean nuclear energy come into the state.
• Thank you. community one of my primary concerns is community one of my primary concerns is the<01:20:
• </c><04:06:38.720><c> the</c> the first option is we could open the the first option is we could open
• </c> need Primary need Primary Care<05:01:55.760><c> it</c><05:01:56.080><c> provides</c><05:01:56.520

Committee: House Science, Technology and Energy

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The private practice that's open operates on a cash basis only.
• </c><02:34:50.240><c> and</c> would help us keep our doors open and would help us keep our doors open
• primary care to keep us healthy.
• primary care to keep us healthy.
• primary care to keep us healthy.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: This joint informational briefing on Act 310 grants and aid focused on organizations describing how federal funding cuts, Medicaid/SNAP changes, and related policy shifts are affecting their services and budgets. Committee members explained there would be no Q&A, testimony would be limited to one minute, and in-person participants would be heard before Zoom callers. Members repeatedly asked testifiers to identify the amount of federal funding lost or at risk. Testimony came from a wide range of nonprofits and community providers, including Aloha Care, Hawaii Bicycling League, Hawaii Literacy, Hawaii Youth Symphony, Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii, the Tsunami Museum, The Kohala Center, West Hawaii Community Health Center, West Hawaii Region Hospital Foundation, Sounding Joy Music Therapy, Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawaii, Dynamic Community Solutions, Feeding Hawaii Together, Girl Scouts of Hawaii, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, Hawaii Youth Services Network, Hawaiian Lending and Investments, Homana, Honolulu Theatre for the Youth, Kids Hurt Too Hawaii, and Kokua Kalihi Valley. Most described reduced or threatened federal support and requested state funding to maintain services such as health care access, food security, disaster preparedness, literacy and digital inclusion, youth mentoring, arts education, housing, and climate or agricultural resilience. Several speakers emphasized direct impacts on vulnerable populations, including kūpuna, low-income families, immigrants, homeless youth, and people with disabilities. Requests ranged from relatively small planning or program grants to multi-million-dollar stabilization asks, with some organizations citing specific losses such as reduced Medicaid or USDA funding, canceled EPA or FEMA support, or expiring federal grants. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:44:13.560><c> or</c> that's involved would be the primary or that's involved would be the primary
• HCCC is the primary correctional facility that houses pre-trial inmates on Hawaiʻi Island.
• He then, in less than two weeks, opened fire on a crowd of people.
• He then, in less than two weeks, opened fire on a crowd of people.
• </c><02:08:48.800><c> a</c> concrete legal standards this opens a concrete legal standards this opens

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The joint Commerce and Consumer Protection and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs committees heard HB 756 HD1, a measure on flavored tobacco products. Supporters included the Attorney General, Department of Health, Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, youth advocates, public health groups, and Kaiser Permanente. They argued flavored tobacco and menthol are used to attract and addict young people, cited rising youth and young adult vaping rates, and pointed to public health harms and evidence from other states that flavor restrictions reduced e-cigarette sales. The Attorney General requested oral amendments to correct a statutory reference, repeal a county preemption provision so counties could enact stricter flavor bans, and restore appropriations, positions, and the original effective date. Opponents, including retail and wholesale businesses, argued the bill would hurt small businesses and state tax revenue, push sales to the black market, and remove a harm-reduction option for adult smokers; they urged stronger enforcement instead of a ban. After testimony, the committees took up amendments and recommendations. The chair proposed correcting the statutory citation to HRS 26-38, adopting a Department of Health amendment on disposal of electronic smoking devices and e-liquids as hazardous waste, and noting the appropriations, FTE, and effective date in the committee report. Members then voted to pass HB 756 HD1 with amendments in both committees, with the Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs committee recording one member as supporting with reservations. The transcript then moved to HB 806, relating to fireworks, which would appropriate funds for the Department of Law Enforcement to conduct sting operations on Oʻahu to enforce fireworks laws. The Department of Law Enforcement and Honolulu Police Department supported the bill, saying undercover enforcement is costly and additional funding is needed. A community testifier also supported stronger enforcement, citing illegal aerial fireworks, noise, and impacts on pets and kupuna. No final vote on HB 806 was shown in the excerpt. The Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs committee also heard HB 438, which would create a Due Process in Immigration Proceedings Program to provide legal representation in immigration court for income-qualified individuals. Support came from civil rights, legal aid, ACLU, and law school clinic representatives, who said counsel is needed to ensure due process and fair access to justice, especially because immigration proceedings can lead to deportation and family separation. Opposition testifiers argued taxpayer-funded counsel for people in immigration proceedings is inappropriate, unlawful, or unfair to citizens and legal residents. One law school representative suggested a technical amendment to broaden language about training and education. The excerpt ends before a final vote on HB 438 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Lauren Skidmore, CEO of the Open Door Network Victim Advocacy Organization.
• When I opened the In 2022, I came across a website called Mr. Deepfakes.
• When I opened the site, what I saw was something I will never forget.
• We'll keep that bill open for absent members. Thank you. To our witnesses. Okay.
• So, for a primary opposition witness, are you just going to do it from there?

Committee: Senate Public Safety

Summary: The committee met without a quorum and operated as a subcommittee while hearing several bills on public safety, parole, criminal justice oversight, Proposition 36 implementation, behavioral health, gang database reform, cargo theft, and nonconsensual intimate images. The chair explained hearing procedures and noted that SB 906 was pulled from the agenda. Several measures were heard but not voted on because quorum was lacking. SB 1446, a committee bill, would expand discretion in en banc parole review, make en banc votes public record, and allow CDCR referrals for sexually violent predator evaluation of certain incarcerated people serving determinate or indeterminate terms. Support came from the California District Attorneys Association; opposition came from the Ella Baker Center, Uncommon Law, public defenders, and others who argued it would add confusion, litigation risk, and unnecessary duplication. The author said the bill was intended to clarify review standards and improve transparency. SB 1278 would exclude certain sex offenses and habitual/one-strike offenders from elderly parole eligibility. The San Diego District Attorney’s Office and California District Attorneys Association supported it, citing cases such as Gregory Vogelsang and David Funston; opponents from Uncommon Law, the Ella Baker Center, and others argued elderly parole is already highly restrictive, evidence-based, and cost-effective. Vice Chair Seyarto strongly supported SB 1278, emphasizing victim justice and public safety. SB 1354 would bar out-of-state military personnel not operating under Title 10 from entering California to perform military or law enforcement functions without the governor’s permission; a committee amendment removed a criminal penalty and left enforcement to the Attorney General. SB 926 would provide funding for Proposition 36 implementation, with committee amendments deleting a specific appropriation and shifting funding decisions to the budget process; supporters said counties need resources for treatment, probation, and administration, while opponents criticized the bill as fiscally reckless and duplicative. SB 874 would require background checks and clearer statewide standards for Medi-Cal behavioral health treatment services, especially ABA services for children; supporters said it would improve patient safety and program integrity. SB 1210 would extend CalGang-style oversight, notice, appeal, and DOJ regulation to all gang databases, not just shared ones; supporters described harms from inaccurate, unregulated local databases, while police chiefs opposed applying the CalGang framework to all local investigative files. The committee also heard SB 1019, which would create a DOJ cargo theft task force and add reporting requirements; supporters from BNSF, trucking, shipping, ports, and law enforcement said organized cargo theft is harming supply chains and worker safety, and no opposition was presented. Finally, SB 1217 would create a DOJ clearinghouse to help victims remove nonconsensual intimate images, including AI-generated deepfakes, from covered platforms; amendments narrowed the bill’s scope and clarified law enforcement’s role. The author and survivor witnesses described ongoing trauma from repeated reposting of exploitative images and argued the bill would provide a centralized removal process. The transcript ends during testimony on SB 1217, with no final votes taken on the measures heard.

Transcript Highlights:

• I will now open the agenda item on hand.
• I will open it up for accessible online.
• </c><00:35:19.200><c> and</c> The entire approach was open and The entire approach was open and inclusionary
• </c> um is one of the primary constraints. um is one of the primary constraints. we<00:55:12.960><c>
• </c><01:21:24.239><c> and</c> very sight specific and DO is open and very sight specific and DO is open

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Speed Task Force met on December 15, 2025, with members participating in person and via Zoom. After roll call and introductions, the chair filed the previous meeting minutes without objection. The chair then gave a report on outreach presentations statewide about the task force’s permitting-simplification work, noting appearances before groups such as the Chinese Chamber, Small Business Regulatory Review Board, General Contractors Association of Hawaii, Hawaii Chamber, and the Land Use Commission. He also introduced the new task force coordinator, Reginald K. T. King, and outlined a January 6, 2026 process for member-submitted recommendations, including first-come consideration and structured debate. No public testimony or member questions were offered on these items. The task force heard a presentation from the Building Permit PIG. The presenter said the group reviewed 79 SWAT recommendation forms over seven meetings, with participation from 15 disciplines and about 270 hours of work. The group’s findings emphasized workforce shortages, inconsistent plan quality, limited departmental resources, and a lack of centralized tools for applicants to self-resolve issues. Recommendations focused on building a workforce pipeline, expanding training on codes and technology, and developing a universal platform, including AI-assisted review tools. The presenter also raised offsite construction, including factory-built, modular, tiny homes, and ADUs, as an area needing clearer state and county alignment to speed permit review and support housing needs. No public testimony or Q&A followed, and discussion and voting were deferred to the January 6, 2026 meeting. The task force then began the Chapter 6E Historic Preservation PIG presentation. The chair described historic preservation as a broad process covering research, protection, restoration, rehabilitation, and interpretation of significant properties, including burial sites and iwi kūpuna, and said Chapter 6E is intended to guide responsible development rather than stop it. The presentation explained SHPD’s role and the complexity of 6E review, including archaeological surveys, monitoring, and preservation plans. Early findings highlighted uncertainty in sensitivity determinations for iwi kūpuna and subsurface resources, repeated review of the same projects, and staffing and technical capacity shortages among SHPD and consultants. Public testimony was closed and no immediate Q&A was allowed; further discussion and voting on recommendations were scheduled for January 6, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are the primary coverage entity for people with long-term care needs in New Mexico.
• If we want to keep rural hospitals open, we've got to find every way we can to help support them.
• Those are the primary programs that we use in Medicaid to support school-based services.
• I apologize for speaking so quickly, but I am open to any questions that you might have.
• To me, this is the most open and engaged and detailed back and forth I've seen.

Keywords: 996, all