Transcript Highlights:

• Um, per this, they would then the governor and the council would appoint and confirm an unaffiliated
• <03:11:19.680> an would appoint and confirm an would appoint and confirm an unaffiliated<03
• seat, the governor and the council would be able to pick that person, and then the council could confirm
• You know, the mother and the father completely confirmed. Yes, this is here.
• and the father completely confirmed. and the father completely confirmed.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The letters submitted all confirm there is no opposition to the report, rather the confirmation that
• the one rather report the confirmation the one rather report the confirmation that<00:02:19.200>
• Publicly released data describing the type of call and hospital destination could effectively confirm
• Publicly released data describing the type of call and hospital destination could effectively confirm
• Huffman-Lichty, if you could confirm Huffman-Lichty, if you could confirm that<01:33:19.000>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• they tear up a street to replace a pipe, they can<00:33:05.279> visually<00:33:05.679> confirm
• what<00:33:06.320> they<00:33:06.480> have<00:33:06.559> and can visually confirm
• what they have and can visually confirm what they have and just<00:33:07.039> add<00:33:07.200
• It's to rely on records, visual confirmation when we can.
• We have looked into and confirmed that the state revolving funds can be used to pay for subscriptions

Bills: HB0078, SF0012, SF0013, SF0052, SF0069, SF0070

Keywords: forest health, grant program, state forester, wildfire prevention, environmental conservation, habitat improvement, military, national guard, reenlistment, extension bonus, funding, Wyoming, Wyoming National Guard, recruitment, referral bonus, military service, eligibility expansion, incentive program, wildlife management, environmental restoration

Transcript Highlights:

• They will be considered interim members and will come up for confirmation in the 2026 legislative session
• <00:13:30.240> by nominated, if you are not confirmed by nominated, if you are not confirmed
• <00:15:34.240> in<00:15:34.880> the<00:15:35.199> 2026 up for confirmation in
• the 2026 up for confirmation in the 2026 legislative<00:15:36.760> session.
• As earlier testifiers before me shared, confirming or advising and consenting to the Maui nominations

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Committee on Hawaiian Affairs heard multiple gubernatorial nominations to island burial councils, with testimony focused on the importance of filling vacancies so the councils can reach quorum and fulfill their kuleana to protect iwi kūpuna and burial sites. For GM 674, Kavuna Khalipi was introduced as OHA’s nominee for the Molokaʻi burial council, with OHA, SHPD, and several community members testifying in support and describing her cultural grounding, community service, and experience in mālama ʻāina. Testifiers also stressed that burial councils are essential for protecting ancestral remains and that prolonged vacancies have left sacred sites vulnerable. Khalipi herself said she was honored to serve but expressed concern about accepting the appointment without quorum, saying she did not want to waste a term if the council could not function effectively. The chair explained the Senate advice-and-consent process and the consequences of inaction, and after discussion Khalipi asked to pull her nomination from the committee. The chair then deferred decision-making on GM 674 until April 10 at 1 p.m. to clarify the process and avoid unintended rejection. The committee then heard testimony on GM 676, Dane Maxwell for the Maui and Lānaʻi burial council, GM 677, Noani Parisa, GM 678, Caroline Hartman, and GM 679, Benedict Duman. Supporters, including SHPD and OHA, highlighted each nominee’s cultural knowledge, preservation work, genealogy, and experience with burial or historic preservation matters. Testimony repeatedly linked the nominations to the need for functioning burial councils, especially in light of the 2023 Maui fires and long-standing vacancies. No votes were taken during the portion of the meeting provided; the chair indicated votes would be taken at the end of the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• which were to identify an enforcement agency, to require professionals who provide documentation confirming
• which were to identify an enforcement agency, to require professionals who provide documentation confirming
• confirming a someone's disability<00:27:29.000> for<00:27:29.200> an<00:27:29.360>
• bills okay all right well uh chairs bills okay all right well uh chairs having<00:33:38.360> confirmed
• why don't we go into having confirmed why don't we go into decision<00:33:39.919> making<00:33

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint Housing and Health and Human Services hearing began with Senate Bill 878, which would extend the sunset date for the state rent supplement program for kupuna to June 30, 2028. Testimony was uniformly supportive, including from the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions, Hawaii Public Housing Authority, Executive Office on Aging, Catholic Charities Hawaii, and others. Catholic Charities described a waitlist of seniors at imminent risk of homelessness and said the program helps seniors retain housing or secure units with landlord support. Members asked whether the bill would expand the number of households served; staff said the contract allows up to 127 households and that additional pending households could be funded, but applicants must still go through the program process. Both committees voted to pass SB 878 unamended. The committees then heard Senate Bill 1610 on Ohana Zones. The Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions supported the measure so long as it did not supplant existing funding, and described the funding as supporting homelessness services and wraparound supports. The Department of Human Services and Department of Land and Natural Resources offered comments, with DHS suggesting a definition of “kali” be added for clarity. The committee chair said the bill would receive technical amendments for clarity and consistency and accepted proposed amendments related to including “tales” in the program; the measure was advanced with amendments, with members voting in favor in both committees. In the joint Health and Human Services and Labor and Technology hearing, Senate Bill 1496 on civil rights and website accessibility drew support from disability advocates and organizations, including the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, the National Federation of the Blind, the Deaf and Blind Task Force, and the Disability and Communication Access Board. Testimony emphasized the need for stronger state protections amid concerns about federal enforcement, while one testifier raised concerns about jurisdiction, minimum contacts, the use of WCAG 2.1 standards, and the bill’s immediate effective date. The committees decided to pass SB 1496 with technical amendments, including adding a defective date to allow further work before conference, and the recommendation was adopted in both committees. Later, the joint Health, Human Services, and Commerce and Consumer Protection hearing took up Senate Bill 404 on service animals. The Attorney General’s office raised a possible constitutional issue and the lack of an enforcement mechanism, while DHS deferred to other agencies. DCAB supported the bill but recommended amendments to identify an enforcement agency and require notices from professionals and sellers of service-animal or emotional-support-animal paraphernalia. Several advocacy and real estate-related groups testified in support. After discussion, the chair recommended deferring SB 404 for further work because of the Attorney General’s concerns, and the hearing adjourned without a vote on the measure. The final joint Transportation, Culture and the Arts, and Health and Human Services agenda heard SB 1526 on a drug and alcohol toxicology testing laboratory and SB 1492 on mobility management; both measures were advanced with amendments or as-is, with SB 1526 sent forward with technical amendments and SB 1492 moved ahead after members noted blank dollar amounts and requested the Department of Transportation provide figures.

Transcript Highlights:

• account, they link it to their<00:24:17.039> own<00:24:17.279> and<00:24:17.520> confirm
• <00:24:17.840> they<00:24:18.080> are<00:24:18.159> the their own and confirm
• they are the their own and confirm they are the parent<00:24:18.559> and<00:24:18.799> confirm
• <00:24:20.159> They parent and confirm the teen's age.
• They parent and confirm the teen's age.

Bills: HB161

Keywords: building codes, standardization, commercial construction, architectural services, energy conservation, federal compliance, local governance, 923, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Their seat at the table confirms what many of us already suspect.
• Their seat at the table confirms what many of us already suspect.
• Their seat at the table confirms what many of us already suspect.
• Their seat at the table confirms<00:39:28.240> what<00:39:28.400> many<00:39:28.560>
• of<00:39:28.640> us<00:39:28.880> already confirms what many of us already confirms

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If confirmed as... Director of the NIH, Dr.
• Moving on to the Food and Drug Administration, they've confirmed, as FDA Commissioner Dr.

Keywords: public health, nominations, NIH, FDA, drug affordability, transparency, pharmaceutical industry, healthcare accessibility

Summary: The meeting focused on vital health-related nominations, primarily emphasizing the roles of Dr. Jay Bhattacharya for NIH Director and Dr. Monty McCary for FDA Commissioner. During the discussion, various senators expressed their support and concerns regarding these nominations. Senator Sanders voiced opposition to both candidates, highlighting issues related to drug affordability and public trust in health agencies. He emphasized the need for leaders committed to transparency and addressing the epidemic of high prescription drug prices, advocating for action against pharmaceutical industry greed. Overall, the conversation underscored the critical crossroads in public health leadership amidst ongoing challenges such as trust restoration and healthcare accessibility.

Transcript Highlights:

• There has to be what's called a judicial determination either approving or disproving that placement
• There has to be what's called a judicial determination either approving or disproving that placement
• There has to be what's called a judicial determination either approving or disproving that placement
• The member confirmed that they were.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: House Finance Division 3 met in work session and opened with procedural remarks from the chair about the committee’s schedule, deadlines, and recommendation options, noting the meeting was advisory and no votes were expected. The first bill discussed, House Bill 1569, concerned repealing the directive to sell the Anna Philbrook Center for Children property in Concord. Testimony from DHHS and New Hampshire Hospital focused on whether the property could be subdivided, the relationship to Senate Bill 572, the status of the city of Concord’s first right of refusal, and the practical effects of a sale. Witnesses said the $5 million sale estimate was a budget assumption, that moving staff and equipment would create some relocation costs, and that the center had required significant recent maintenance and renovation spending. Members also discussed the number of transitional housing beds at the site, the temporary nature of those beds, and whether the property should remain available given hospital workforce and service needs. The committee then turned to House Bill 661, which had been recommitted for further review after new information emerged. The chair summarized federal developments, including a December 2025 ACF letter and a related executive order, as well as a federal HHS press release about states diverting foster youths’ Social Security survivor benefits. Representative Walner explained that amendment 3055H had been drafted to move the bill forward in smaller steps, with a fiscal note requested on the amendment because the original bill was viewed as too large and expensive. Members discussed whether the committee had received copies of the amendment and whether federal guidance or funding had changed the policy landscape. The discussion also included broader questions about foster youth benefits and whether federal action would support state implementation. One member cited ACF language stating that only 11 states had enacted policies to stop interception of survivor benefits and that technical assistance would be available to the remaining states. The meeting remained in work-session mode throughout, with no votes taken and no final recommendations made during the portion provided. The chair indicated the committee could return to the bills later in the month.

Transcript Highlights:

• Just last week, we attended a hearing in the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee that was a confirmation
• We attended a hearing in the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee that was a confirmation hearing for
• Vicari's admission that he signed a contract written by his own employee is grounds for him to not be confirmed

Bills: HR243, HB939, SB56, SB72, SB129, SB171, SB252

Keywords: Tickfaw River, boating safety, warning signs, parish governing authorities, Livingston Parish, St. Tammany Parish, Tangipahoa Parish, Lake Maurepas, Natalbany River, boat collisions, vessel incidents, recreational boating, marine safety, public safety, navigation hazards, waterway signage, Louisiana House Resolution 243, HR 243, motor vehicle, licensing

Summary: The committee first adopted Amendment Set 527 without objection, then took up Senate Bill 56 concerning the Lafitte Area Independent Levee District and its possible transfer into the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West. Amendment Set 5327 was adopted to add a compliance officer with specified qualifications, described as a checks-and-balances measure separating that role from the chief of police. Testimony in support emphasized the district’s limited recurring revenues, the need for professional management, and the West Bank authority’s ability to provide administrative and operational support. A witness for affected landowners raised concerns about unpaid takings claims and urged amendments to preserve liability and avoid litigation, but the committee ultimately reported SB 56 favorably with amendments. The committee then received an update from DOTD Secretary Glenn Laude on the department’s transformation initiatives, including outsourcing operations and maintenance, construction process improvements, faster contractor payment times, quicker change-order approvals, and improved project delivery rates. After that, the committee reported favorably Senate Bill 171, which makes cleanup changes to the new water resources authority, and Senate Bill 252, which updates driver’s license organ-donor authorization to record both yes and no choices. Senate Bill 72, dealing with electronic titles and vehicle registration, was amended extensively to modernize OMV processes, support electronic lien and title transactions, and set standards for secure digital titles; it was then reported with amendments. House Bill 939, which would have created a Louisiana New and Used Motor Vehicle Commission, was converted into a substitute bill creating a Louisiana Vehicle Commission and consolidating the existing new and used vehicle commissions. After discussion of implementation, governance, funding, and employee-transition concerns, the committee adopted the substitute amendments and then deferred the bill. Senate Bill 129, creating a Master Combat Infantry Specialty license plate, was amended to add designated state officials for a related special plate request tied to security and parking around the Supreme Court in New Orleans, and it was reported with amendments. Finally, House Resolution 243, as amended, urged safety warning signage on the Tickfaw River after a fatal boating accident; the amendment shifted responsibility from DOTD to surrounding parish governing authorities, and the resolution was reported with amendments before the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Members of the committee, today we have the business of confirming an appointee to the State Parole Board
• Members of the committee, today we have the business of confirming an appointee to the State Parole Board
• Members of the committee, today we have the business of confirming an appointee to the State Parole Board

Keywords: Corrections - Room 210, 24 March, 2026; 10:30 AM, 925, all

Summary: The committee met to consider the confirmation of Donna Rogers Perkins of Brandon, Mississippi, to the State Parole Board, effective November 17, 2025. Early in the meeting, members exchanged remarks about Chairman Barnett’s recovery and noted that the committee could continue operating under the current provision until next year, when any needed statutory changes could be addressed. Ms. Perkins testified that she has 19 years of experience with the Department of Public Safety, where she maintained law enforcement records, vetted officers from other jurisdictions, and worked with the Attorney General’s Office and State Auditor’s Office on investigations. Members raised and resolved a question about whether she was still employed elsewhere; Perkins explained she had adjusted her last day of employment to avoid a conflict, and the committee indicated the issue had been rectified. A Rankin County supporter also spoke in her favor, saying her public safety background would make her effective on the board. Members questioned Perkins about the role of the parole board and whether she understood the need to balance public safety with reducing incarceration costs. Perkins said the board does not re-sentence offenders, but determines whether they are fit to return to society, and that she would carefully review background, psychological evaluations, and behavior while incarcerated. One member asked about statutory training requirements, and Perkins said she was scheduled to attend training for newly appointed parole board members in June. The committee then voted to advise and consent to the appointment, and the motion passed. A subsequent motion to advise and report was also made and approved, and Perkins was congratulated and thanked for her service.

Transcript Highlights:

• sorry, before we do that, just FYI, there is a supplemental calendar one that has SJ 209, which is confirming
• S.J. 209, which is confirming additional appointments by the governor.
• the item that was on the supplemental calendar, which was Senate Joint Resolution 209, one of the confirming

Keywords: March 13, 2026 - Regular Session Part 2, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Your Rules Committee will be meeting tomorrow morning to do our final report and first confirmations.
• Senators Wirth and Scott are going to be up for confirmations to the Small Business Investment Corporation
• Senator Stewart will be there for the confirmation to the PRC. So we will see folks tomorrow.

Transcript Highlights:

• As a final reminder to the members, please confirm that the clerk does have your voting sheets.
• As a final reminder to the members, please confirm that the clerk does have your voting sheets.

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Commerce, Economic Development, and Small Business held its first meeting of the 2006 legislative session, chaired by Senator April Baskin, with Senator Dean Murray and other members present. The committee took up six bills focused on small business, economic development, and related regulatory issues. Senators generally expressed support for the committee’s mission and for measures aimed at helping businesses grow and reducing red tape. The committee reported Senate Bill 1052, directing the Department of Economic Development to move the Central New York Welcome Center to the Equal Rights Heritage Center in Auburn, to the calendar, with one opposed. Senate Bill 1613A, directing plans for mixed-use development and redesign on part of the Haremont campus, was reported to finance. Senate Bill 2051, allowing bed and breakfast establishments to sell cider, liquor, beer, and wine, was reported to the calendar after members said it had passed the Senate in prior years and supported it as a small business measure. The committee also advanced Senate Bill 3561, which would require a study of kitchen incubators in New York State; Senator Borrello spoke in favor, citing a successful incubator example in his district, and Senator Zellner voted without recommendation, sending the bill to finance. Senate Bill 6010, creating more access to small business loans for micro-businesses, was reported to finance with broad support. Finally, Senate Bill 7332, establishing a small business regulatory nexus to provide regulatory information to small businesses, was reported to the calendar as a transparency and anti-red tape measure. The meeting concluded after all legislative items were acted on and members were reminded to submit voting sheets.

Transcript Highlights:

• Just real briefly and contextually, the Senate just confirmed Justin Berry to be on T.
• Just real briefly and contextually, the Senate just confirmed Justin Berry to be on T.

Summary: Senate Democratic Caucus leaders held a press availability to criticize Senate Bill 689, the DEI bill they said had passed and would roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in Texas government. Chair Carol Alvarado opened by saying colleagues had raised serious concerns and that the bill would set the state back. Senator Royce West argued Democrats had offered a better approach, including a complaint-review process through the Texas Workforce Commission and real penalties for discrimination, but said the majority rejected meaningful enforcement and left only “hollow words.” Senator José Menéndez said claims of a purely merit-based, color-blind system ignore systemic discrimination and the need for offices that support equity and inclusion. He said the bill sends a message that Texas does not care about diversity or inclusion and noted that an amendment to create real consequences for discrimination was defeated. Senator Borris Miles warned that DEI had been demonized without evidence that public hiring was based only on DEI rather than qualifications, and said minority- and women-owned business programs and protections for disabled veterans businesses could be put at risk. Senator Nathan Johnson added that the Senate had just confirmed Justin Berry to the T. Cole position while emphasizing merit, which he called contextually inconsistent. He described the debate as “misdirected passion,” saying lawmakers should focus on more serious problems rather than efforts to improve diversity and inclusion in government offices. No votes or other formal actions were taken during the remarks, which ended with questions from reporters.

Transcript Highlights:

• AB 2235, the Judicial Home Security Act, allows judges to use an alternate mailing address in public
• It would create a judicial home security act to allow judges to identify themselves and their family
• the TNC law…” “Other collective bargaining statutes administered by PERB and allow a party to seek judicial

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There are a series of processes involved in the judicial ordering of probation, check-ins, progress,
• AB 2636 prioritizes public safety while preserving judicial discretion and rehabilitative opportunities
• AB 2636 prioritizes public safety while preserving judicial discretion and rehabilitative opportunities

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There are a series of processes involved in the judicial ordering of probation, check-ins, progress,
• AB 2636 prioritizes public safety while preserving judicial discretion and rehabilitative opportunities
• AB 2636 prioritizes public safety while preserving judicial discretion and rehabilitative opportunities

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several public safety bills, with most of the discussion focused on AB 1650, AB 2014, AB 1886, AB 2126, AB 2624, and AB 2257. AB 1650 would require clearer identification on privately owned vehicles rented or leased to government agencies for enforcement operations; supporters framed it as a transparency and safety measure in response to ICE activity, while no opposition testified. AB 2014 would allow post-conviction habeas relief where gender bias or stereotypes were used at trial and may have affected the outcome; supporters described cases involving sexist and anti-LGBTQ stereotypes, while the California District Attorneys Association opposed the bill as overbroad and likely to restrict relevant evidence, though the author said recent amendments removed the evidence-code provisions and left only the habeas remedy. AB 1886 would extend a 12-month probation presumption to youth in out-of-home placements and those discharged from secure youth treatment facilities; youth advocates supported it as a fairness and rehabilitation measure, while judges, probation officials, and district attorneys opposed it as undoing a recent compromise and limiting individualized decisions. AB 2126 would speed hiring of peer partners in child welfare by creating a narrow exemption process for certain foster-youth-related offenses; it drew broad support and no opposition. AB 2624 would expand the Safe at Home address-confidentiality program to immigrant service providers, employees, and volunteers; supporters cited threats, doxing, and harassment, while one journalist opposed it over possible effects on reporting, and the author and committee members said the bill preserves press protections and is narrowly aimed at threats and harassment. AB 2257 would restore county authority to create a separate corrections department to run jails instead of the sheriff; supporters argued it would improve accountability and address jail deaths and fiscal problems, while sheriffs opposed it as unnecessary and said sheriffs are already subject to oversight. The committee also noted several bills pulled by their authors and adopted a consent calendar of unrelated measures. Votes were not always taken immediately because the committee was waiting for a quorum, but AB 2624 was moved on a do-pass-as-amended motion to Appropriations and left on call, and the chair indicated support or favorable recommendations on several of the other measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• The legislative, judicial, and executive branch.
• The legislative, judicial, and executive branch.
• The legislative, judicial, and executive branch.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint committees heard testimony on several measures. SB 2723, which would designate April 27 as State Sheriff’s Day, was supported by the Department of Law Enforcement and a long-serving sheriff, who described the historical roots of Hawaii’s sheriffs in the Kingdom of Hawaii and said the bill would recognize that legacy. HGA submitted written comments, and there was no opposition or vote taken on the measure during the excerpt. The committees then heard SB 17 on wildfire mitigation. The Public Utilities Commission, DLNR, the State Fire Council, OPSD, the Attorney General’s office, and Kamehameha Schools all testified, mostly in support of the bill’s intent but with suggested amendments. Several witnesses said the bill should better define the working group’s structure, staffing, and funding, and the Attorney General noted constitutional concerns about placing the group outside a principal department and pointed out possible overlap with Acts 302 and 303 from the prior year. Committee members questioned whether SB 17 duplicated earlier wildfire legislation, and witnesses generally said it did not directly conflict but overlapped with existing efforts. On SB 2358, which would require reimbursement for search-and-rescue costs when people leave trails and enter closed areas, the State Fire Council and the Hawaii SAR Alliance testified in opposition or caution, arguing that reimbursement could deter people from calling for help and that Hawaii’s SAR system still has structural and administrative gaps. A committee member asked whether other jurisdictions had used similar measures without discouraging rescues; the Fire Council said Kauai has a similar law but it has not resulted in invoices being sent. No action was taken in the excerpt. The final measure discussed was SB 2475 on Red Hill remediation funding and reimbursement from the Department of Defense. The Board of Water Supply, DLNR, and other testifiers supported the bill, emphasizing the need for long-term research, monitoring, and cleanup, while also noting the unique groundwater conditions and the importance of keeping the funds focused on Red Hill contamination response. Committee members asked about existing federal and state funding, whether the state had received any direct federal money, and what would happen if reimbursement is not obtained. DLNR said it was still working through the reimbursement mechanism and that some federal funding had gone to the Red Hill registry, but not directly to the state for this purpose.

Transcript Highlights:

• Stewart, I saw all All the life's, so we're gonna try to be judicious here. who started their, who lit
• I've had in my district claims made and you guys were judiciously to ensure that the correct information
• effective. of the folks that have come to testify during public testimony. for expediency and being judicious

Keywords: 1184, house, all