Transcript Highlights:

• It assigns responsibilities, timelines, and testing requirements for that system.
• ><01:25:24.080> that<01:25:24.320> amends<01:25:24.800> the<01:25:25.280> testing
• public notice uh that amends the testing public notice uh that amends the testing public<01:25:26.560
• > test<01:25:26.960> public<01:25:27.199> accuracy<01:25:27.760> testing<
• 01:25:28.880> uh public test public accuracy testing uh public test public accuracy testing uh

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Transportation, Motor Vehicle Safety Office: Right now, you do need to take your written knowledge test
• It's not a requirement to take the class if you can learn on your own and then go take the road test,
• and you pass then you're given road test and you pass then you're given your your your endorsement<00
• Thank you. we indicated in our written test Tony we indicated in our written test Tony there<00:23:28.960
• <01:20:56.760> and string ENT um balancing test and string ENT um balancing test and Analysis

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard a series of transportation and public safety bills, beginning with HB 706, which would require skateboard users under age 16 to wear helmets. The Department of Transportation supported the measure, and the chair noted written support from AAA Hawaii, Kulani Medical Center for Women and Children, and several individuals. No opposition was mentioned, and the bill appeared to draw no questions. Members then heard HB 860, which would grant immunity to the state or county that repairs or maintains a street when ownership or jurisdiction is disputed. DOT and DLNR supported the bill, with county support from Maui and a Hawaii Island county representative, while the Hawaii Association for Justice opposed it. The committee also heard HB 1162, requiring applicants for a motorcycle instruction permit to complete an approved basic rider course, with DOT support and a recommended amendment to exempt motorcycles used for training; the Public Defender asked about the current process, and DOT explained the bill was intended to improve safety given motorcycle fatalities. HB 1259, allowing speed-limit reductions within 10 mph of the current limit without an engineering study, also drew DOT support and support from the AAHU Metropolitan Planning Organization and individuals. The committee next considered HB 1158, a governor’s package bill limiting civil liability for people who provide firefighting services with vessels at commercial harbors or roadsteads to gross negligence or wanton conduct. DOT Harbors said the bill was prompted by lessons from the Lahaina fires and was intended to encourage privately owned firefighting-equipped vessels to assist without hesitation; the Hawaii Harbor Users Group and an individual supported it. HB 54, which would make a third or subsequent excessive speeding offense a Class C felony and allow vehicle forfeiture, drew DOT support but strong opposition from the Public Defender, who argued the bill was overly harsh, would force jury trials, and could create sentencing problems; the Public Defender also said existing penalties were already significant. The committee then heard HB 1334, which would exempt donations of wild game meat, including axis deer, to charitable and nonprofit organizations from certain meat inspection and transportation laws; DLNR and multiple community and food-related groups supported it, and no opposition was noted. Finally, the committee took up HB 698 on animal cruelty, which would increase criminal penalties for various offenses. The Public Defender opposed the bill, arguing the cases are rare, enforcement is limited, and the proposed penalties—up to Class A felony treatment in some cases—were too severe; animal welfare advocates strongly supported the measure, saying cruelty cases are widespread, underreported, and under-enforced, and that stronger penalties are needed as a deterrent. No votes or final actions were taken on any of the bills in the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Good thing we've brought back the presidential fitness test, thanks to the representative from District
• We moved from paper testing to online testing so that there was much less chance of cheating, and this
• because right now all the tests are online.
• because right now all the tests are online.
• It just hasn't been tested. There's no white papers on it.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• "We're having to teach to the test. "We're having to teach to the test.
• Does We're having to teach to the test."
• So, the test is pretty utilize that.
• And all this does is require propane testing.
• Are they just testing the installation of<03:19:45.080> it?

Keywords: MS Senate Floor - 10 February, 2026; 10:00 AM, 925, all

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum present, received an invocation from Dr. Denise Pope, and led the pledge of allegiance. The body then dispensed with the reading of the journal, committee reports, and bill titles. Several guests were introduced, including the doctor of the day, student pages, Carthage Christian Academy, Mississippi Valley State University visitors, the University of Southern Mississippi’s DuBard School and related programs, and members of the Mississippi Association of Nurse Anesthetists. The Senate took up Senate Bill 2896, which revises the Department of Public Safety salary schedule for MHP and MBN officers. Senator Hopson explained it as the vehicle for possible pay raises for troopers, NBI, and MBN officers, and the chamber adopted the committee substitute and passed the bill by morning roll call. The Senate also passed Senate Bill 2917, a recurring appropriations cleanup measure; its main change would allow Mississippi Valley State University to use previously designated dormitory funds for repair and renovation instead. A reverse repealer amendment was adopted before final passage by morning roll call. Senate Bill 2825, the Mississippi Health Care Industry Zone Act, was then considered. Senator Harkins said the bill extends the repealer for the health care industry zone incentive program to 2028 and noted the program has generated significant investment and jobs statewide. An amendment requested by the Mississippi Development Authority was adopted to revise eligibility language, including replacing a CON requirement with a requirement that a hospital have at least 25 acute care beds and deleting a section under current law. The bill then passed by morning roll call. Finally, the Senate considered Senate Bill 2894 on local improvement projects and the return of unexpended funds and earned interest. Senator Harkins explained that the bill would require older local improvement project funds to be returned if projects were not moving forward, require reporting to DFA and the Legislative Budget Office, allow audits, and permit limited extensions, while also withholding a portion of other state distributions for noncompliance. Senators raised concerns about projects that are already obligated or delayed by workforce and engineering constraints, and Harkins said the bill would be refined with a reverse repealer to work with LBO and avoid disrupting active projects. The bill was discussed but not finally disposed of in the portion of the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• I was telling you I didn't know. test, which if this happened to them test, which if this happened to
• changing the seasonal employee definition from 150 days to 180 days, matching the six-month receipts test
• Under current law, a seasonal employee is capped at 150 days even though the employer-side receipts test
• <01:40:13.120> Thank<01:40:13.320> you<01:40:13.400> so unique test.
• Thank you so unique test. Thank you. Thank you so much,<01:40:13.760> Mr.

Bills: HF4110, HF2113, HF4569, HF4414

Keywords: workplace regulations, employee rights, meal breaks, rest breaks, exemptions, paid leave, small employers, employment law, Minnesota Statutes, workforce development, HF4569, Minnesota Paid Leave Law, protected leave, seasonal employee, seasonal worker, hospitality, hospitality industry, DEED, Department of Employment and Economic Development, employer certification

Transcript Highlights:

• It's taking the ability for, say, a whole committee to read the work as a whole, which is a time-tested
• It's taking all of these checks and balances that have been built into time-tested policies out of the
• > of<00:29:12.320> meeting<00:29:12.640> the<00:29:12.880> First time-tested
• way of meeting the First time-tested way of meeting the First Amendment<00:29:14.399> concerns
• <00:29:26.000> policies<00:29:26.480> out<00:29:26.640> of built into time-t tested

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• sure have more risk and you want to make sure you<00:33:30.159> thoroughly<00:33:30.640> test
• so<00:33:31.519> that<00:33:31.760> you<00:33:32.080> don't you thoroughly test
• that uh to make sure that you testing that uh to make sure that you got<01:16:41.760> it<01:16
• But we don't have an asset test.
• people on their you're not means testing people on their rent<01:28:32.800> or<01:28:33.040><

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But I think dismissing some of the solutions that we've put out, means testing, universal lunch, I get
• Now, Representative Mueller does not do well with paper-and-pencil tests.
• In Mississippi, they required all their teachers to take a four-hour paper-and-pencil test. Okay?
• Now, Representative Mueller does not do well with paper-and-pencil tests.
• ,<01:14:12.159> every has been in almost every test, every has been in almost every test,

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• nebulous concepts like racial balancing and diversity are not compelling interests that would meet that test
• We, um, I'm sorry, in the next year it also disconnects the funding formula from standardized test scores
• Year after year, they outperform peers from similar backgrounds on standardized tests and graduate from
• And by January of 2025, she was testing at an early third grade level, which is two years of growth in
• Not only was she testing well, she was excitedly reading independently at home.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:29:04.600> for<00:29:04.880> or cannot be measured tested for or cannot be measured
• tested for or objectively<00:29:05.600> determined<00:29:06.279> and<00:29:06.399>
• <01:22:20.520> to<01:22:20.679> play sort of similar genetic testing to play sort of
• similar genetic testing to play youth<01:22:21.199> sports<01:22:21.880> so<01:22:22.159
• girls to different different testing girls to different different testing requirements<01:22:26.159

Bills: HF1233

Keywords: women's athletics, gender, sports competition, Human Rights Act, biological sex, participation limits, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• After testing, At once, within the same three-minute allotment. Thank you.
• For those who might have seen the Consumer Reports study in January 2024, very recently, They tested
• Someone else will pronounce it correctly for me, and bisphenols in almost everything that they tested
• Also, we pioneered PFAS testing that we’ve seen percolate throughout the states, and we think compostables
• critical that if we want to allow those products into our compost, those products should also be tested

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources held a heavily attended hybrid hearing focused primarily on plastics reduction bills, along with a few local and related waste-management measures. Chair Rauch and Chair Barber outlined strict testimony rules because of the large number of speakers. Before the plastics docket, the committee heard support for a local Sharon sewer-extension bill for a Sunrise Senior Living project, and the bill’s proponents said the project would help address senior housing needs and would still require MWRA and local approvals. The chairs also noted a separate local matter involving Sharon and the MWRA. A major portion of the hearing centered on the Plastics Reduction Act and related bills addressing single-use plastics, including plastic bags, polystyrene, black plastic, plastic beverage bottles, non-flushable wipes, skip-the-stuff provisions, and truth-in-labeling. Sponsors and supporters said the bills would reduce litter, microplastics, greenhouse gas emissions, and municipal waste costs, while creating statewide consistency and supporting environmental justice communities. Several speakers cited local bans already adopted by many Massachusetts cities and towns, and many urged the committee to advance comprehensive statewide action. The committee also heard testimony on a boat wrap recycling bill, a mattress recycling bill, and a bill to prohibit hotels from providing small plastic toiletries. Municipal officials and waste professionals supported extended producer responsibility for paint and labeling for non-flushable wipes, saying these measures would shift costs away from cities and towns and reduce strain on wastewater systems. The Massachusetts Municipal Association, Mayor Ruth Ann Fuller of Newton, and a Franklin County waste official all backed paint EPR and wipes labeling. Fire Chief Brian Nardelli testified for the Fire Chiefs Association in support of lithium-ion battery legislation, citing fire safety and disposal concerns. Other speakers, including environmental groups, local activists, and business representatives, supported bag and polystyrene bans, though the Retailers Association of Massachusetts urged any bag policy to be truly statewide and said any bag fee should be retained by retailers. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• , they don't have to wonder or guess if their captain is qualified with CPR, qualified with a drug test
• I don't agree, because if you're not taking random drug tests and you're not taking CPR and you're not
• I don't agree because if you're not taking random drug tests and you're not taking CPR and you're not
• could have a qualified captain that’s certified in CPR, that has insurance, that has to take drug tests
• you’re going to advertise as a captain and say that you’re a captain, you have to go and take the test

Bills: HR179, HR180, HR181, HR182, HR183, HR184, HR185, HR186, HR187, HCR75, HCR76, HCR77, HCR78, HCR79, HR165, HR166, HR168, HR169, HR170, HR171, HR172, HR173, HR174, HR175, HR176, HR177, HR178, HCR65, HCR66, HCR67, HCR68, HCR69, HCR70, HCR71, HCR72, HCR73, HCR74, SCR34, SB34, SB43, SB52, SB56, SB165, SB173, SB189, SB190, SB260, SB322, SB345, SB374, SB387, SB401, SB448, SB449, SB455, SB487, SB496, SB502, SB505, HB362, HB893, HB990, HB1007, HB1153, HB1243, HR1, HR17, HCR5, HCR4, HCR47, HB55, HB385, HB394, HB396, HB406, HB608, HB622, HB676, HB772, HB897, HB1030, HB1035, HB1038, HB1045, HB1049, HB1056, HB1058, HB1059, HB1092, HB1100, HB1117, HB1160, HB1161, HB1162, HB1177, HB1180, HB1189, HB1216, HB1239, HB1240, HB59, HB74, HB159, HB330, HB364, HB414, HB458, HB525, HB568, HB786, HB1008, HB1033, HB1034, HB1041, HB1062, HB1070, HB1079, HB1112, HB1118, HB1139, HB1151, HB1176, HB1182, HB1196, HB1214, HB1241, HB87, HB115, HB162, HB368, HB433, HB441, HB447, HB466, HB481, HB741, HB1242, SB162, SB349, SB350, SB382, SB383, SB127, SB244, HB977, HB181, HB31, HB664, HB9, HB192, HB225, HB306, HB310, HB366, HB635, HB911, HB1230, HB1236, HB615, HB864, HB1103, HB1175, HB901, HR20, HR74, HB284, HB393, HB459, HB577, HB582, HB605, HB614, HB682, HB733, HB773, HB996, HB1003, HB1082, HB1113, HB1234

Keywords: neighborhood, crime prevention, security districts, law enforcement, community safety, funding, Counseling Day, mental health, Louisiana Counseling Association, community support, mental wellness, Louisiana State University, athletics, NAIA, sports achievements, recognition, success, competition, education, higher education

Summary: The House opened with a prayer, pledge, quorum call, and several personal privileges recognizing guests and special observances, including Junior League Day, Renewable Energy Day, Wholesalers Day, and Sin Law Day. Members also introduced and adopted a number of commemorative resolutions, including condolences, recognitions of schools and community figures, and resolutions related to LSU, ALS Awareness Month, and local festivals. Several Senate and House measures were referred or laid over, and the chamber announced upcoming scheduling changes for House and Senate bills. The most extensive debate centered on House Bill 385, which would require certain TOPS scholarship recipients to repay one semester of aid if they fail to meet academic requirements, subject to listed exemptions and an option to avoid repayment by entering certain high-demand career and technical programs. Opponents questioned the bill’s impact on students, its possible constitutional issues, administrative costs, lack of a fiscal note and implementation details, and whether it would worsen brain drain or convert a merit scholarship into a loan. The motion to recommit the bill to Appropriations failed 34-16, but after continued questioning and criticism, the author later moved to return the bill to the calendar, and that was agreed to. The House then passed House Bill 55, which restricts public disclosure of juror information, after adopting an amendment clarifying that juror interviews are still allowed if jurors choose to participate. The chamber also passed House Bill 394 extending the conditional parole programming period from nine months to 24 months, House Bill 396 making autopsy photographs admissible in criminal proceedings, House Bill 406 directing the Department of Education to study whether it should supervise interscholastic high school athletics, House Bill 622 aligning state criminal history record handling with federal requirements, and House Bill 676 creating the crime of fraudulent patient referrals, or body brokering, with amendments clarifying lawful marketing arrangements. House Bill 1030, concerning reimbursement for non-emergency medical transportation for certain mental health-related services, was taken up with amendments and then temporarily returned to the calendar.

Transcript Highlights:

• This includes the expansion of Medicaid coverage for biomarker testing and other testing to provide more
• expansion of Medicaid coverage for expansion of Medicaid coverage for biomarker<00:25:50.600> testing
• biomarker testing biomarker testing and<00:25:52.280> uh and uh and uh testing<00:25:53.240
• provide<00:25:53.720> more<00:25:54.120> equitable<00:25:54.640> health testing
• to provide more equitable health testing to provide more equitable health care<00:25:55.360> access

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Monday, March 16, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened on Monday, March 16th, with an invocation focused on safety during storms, support for first responders, and recognition of Women’s History Month. A quorum was present, and the President noted the chamber was preparing for a very busy week, with possible double sessions and a Saturday session if needed. The House message on House Bill 297, concerning adult education and high school diploma pathways, was received and referred to the appropriate standing committees. The chamber then took up several committee reports, mostly adopting committee amendments and favorable reports without objection. Among the bills advanced to third reading were SB 85 on use of Information Technology Investment Fund revenues, SB 520 on public safety spending flexibility in charter counties, SB 558 creating a Chesapeake Bay Enhancement Program, SB 641 on procurement exceptions for historic preservation services, SB 647 establishing a catastrophic disability benefit tier for certain law enforcement retirement members, SB 654 raising the State Police mandatory retirement age to 62 and adjusting DROP rules, and SB 668 on Children’s Cabinet funding for local management boards. SB 756, a Baltimore City PILOT/tax exemption bill for a Downtown Rise District project, was also advanced. Several bills were special ordered to allow time for amendments or further discussion. SB 334 on machine gun convertible pistols was special ordered to the next day after members said amendments were not ready. SB 309, concerning a statewide sales and use tax exemption for precious metal bullion or coins, was also special ordered for the next day so members could add co-sponsors. SB 818 on State Center development contract requirements and an advisory group was special ordered to the appropriate time the next day after discussion of its community input and federal-law compliance provisions. The Budget and Taxation Committee then reported on the fiscal 2027 operating budget, SB 282, and the budget reconciliation and financing act, SB 284. The committee chair said the budget left a $250 million cash surplus and $2.2 billion in the rainy day fund, kept general fund spending below the current year, imposed no tax or fee increases, and funded priorities including behavioral health in schools, child care scholarships, local government disparity grants, nursing homes, developmental disabilities services, public schools, Medicaid, energy assistance, and economic development. Both SB 282 and SB 284, along with their committee amendments, were laid over until the next day for second reading debate.

Transcript Highlights:

• It provides no robust test for any other activity being caught, and it places the registered agents in
• It provides no robust test<00:05:28.800> for<00:05:28.960> any<00:05:29.199> other
• c><00:05:29.520> activity<00:05:29.919> being<00:05:30.240> caught test for any
• That's a definition that's been around for some time, one that's been tried and tested in court.
• time, one that's been tried and tested time, one that's been tried and tested in<00:38:06.000>

Bills: HB0086

Keywords: county officials, election code, misconduct, removal, government accountability, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We are going to be testing those workflows, those integrations, and that community engagement in real-world
• We are going<00:04:45.919> to<00:04:46.000> be<00:04:46.160> testing<00:04:46.479
• > those<00:04:46.800> workflows, going to be testing those workflows, going to be testing
• We're testing the integration on how it's going to work.
• the integration on how it's testing the integration on how it's going<00:14:04.959> going<00:

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The meeting opened without a quorum, so approval of the prior draft minutes was deferred until later. The committee then heard a DHS update from Commissioner Lori Weaver and COO David Weers, who described the recent flood at the Brown building and the relocation of nearly 400 DHS staff while operations are restored. They also outlined New Hampshire Care Connections, a privacy- and consent-focused closed-loop referral platform intended to improve referrals among providers, reduce duplication, and support continuity of care, with an Upper Valley implementation partnered with Dartmouth Health and an Epic integration already underway. Members asked whether the system would merge medical records or simply track referrals. DHS said it is not intended to store or transmit full medical records, but to integrate with providers’ electronic health record systems so referrals can be sent, received, and tracked, with consent controls limiting what information can be shared. Officials said the project will be tested over the coming months, with metrics, governance, and advisory committee oversight, and that it is tied to broader rural health transformation efforts and statewide implementation after the regional pilot. The committee also received the annual report from the Child Care Advisory Council. Maryanne Barter and Jessica Carver said the council worked with licensing to streamline the child care licensing rules, reducing the handbook by about 30%, and is now helping develop an informal dispute resolution process, revising the Granite Steps for Quality system, and creating a clearer handbook for providers handling state scholarship audits. They reported ongoing concern about child care closures and workforce shortages, said there is currently no wait list for child care assistance, and discussed questions about federal CCDF immunization requirements, which DHS said it would follow up on with federal technical assistance partners. After quorum was established, the committee moved to approve the minutes from the prior meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Test, test audio, test audio, testing. 1, 2, 3. Hello, members.
• by Representatives Gil, Christrist, and Bac, also Senator Ball, concerning calorimetric field drug tests
• :05.920> calorometric<02:12:06.560> field<02:12:06.800> drug<02:12:07.040> tests
• concerning calorometric field drug tests concerning calorometric field drug tests in<02:12:07.679

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• that children who participated in child care assistance were not any more likely to have improved test
• So when I say screened, hearing, vision tests—are they colorblind?
• Let me, Charles, I want you to do a study, a stress test on the early childhood program with the $9.2
• early childhood program with the $9.2 billion or $9.8 billion that we're going to have and stress test
• But the stress test will... ...occurring action happen. Or you have to tap the trust fund.

Summary: The committee heard first from LFC staff on a brief about New Mexico’s universal child care expansion. Staff said child care assistance has clear benefits for parents and families, but LFC has not found evidence in New Mexico that it improves children’s educational outcomes; they argued pre-K is the better tool for that goal. The brief highlighted four concerns with universal access: an estimated annual cost of about $849.7 million, a sharp decline in registered homes, possible crowding out of lower-income families, and reduced access for children under age two. Staff also suggested possible mitigations such as prioritizing slots for low-income and at-risk families, reinstating sliding-scale co-pays, and tying quality improvements to workforce wages. Members raised questions about the cost estimate, funding sources, provider quality, and whether the data showed actual crowding out. Several lawmakers expressed support for child care generally but concern about the fiscal impact and whether universal access would divert resources from the families most in need. Others emphasized the importance of child care for workforce participation, rural communities, and family stability, and questioned how registered homes are counted and regulated. LFC staff clarified that the cost estimate was for child care assistance only, not the entire ECECD budget, and that the data showed declines in the share of lowest-income children and infants/toddlers served, though not causation. The ECECD secretary then presented the department’s response, saying universal child care is intended to complete a cradle-to-career system and that the department has already seen strong uptake, increased capacity, and rising workforce participation. She said 6,206 families were found eligible in the first month, the share of infants and toddlers served rose, and new provider applications and licensed slots increased after the November rollout. The department also emphasized wage increases, quality improvements, and a new wage scale/career lattice, while projecting a lower near-term cost than LFC’s estimate and requesting additional funding for child care, early pre-K, home visiting, workforce systems, and capacity-building. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion provided; the discussion was informational and focused on questions and testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• MEDICAL RECORDS AND THEN THERE IS INSURANCE COMPANIES WERE BILLED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR TESTS
• LEAST OUR HEALTHCARE WHICH OFTEN TIMES IS US THROUGH MEDICARE ARE PICKING UP THE TAB FOR UNNECESSARY TESTS
• WHEN MY BEST FRIEND AT HER FIRST STI TEST SHE WASN'T COMFORTABLE GOING TO HER PARENTS, SHE CONFIDED IN
• TO THE COURT'S PREVIOUS FINDINGS AS RELATES TO THESE ISSUES, DO YOU THINK THIS WILL PASS THE SMELL TEST
• CAN MY SON GET A BLOOD PRESSURE TESTING? WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT SICK PATIENTS HERE.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• asked me it sounds weird uh but they did asked me to<00:27:58.760> submit<00:27:59.120> test
• > to<00:27:59.720> testify<00:28:00.200> on<00:28:00.320> their to submit test
• or to testify on their to submit test or to testify on their behalf<00:28:00.960> they<00:28:
• <01:06:08.200> scores performance including higher test scores performance including higher
• test scores and<01:06:09.400> less<01:06:09.680> stress<01:06:10.079> overall<01

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard several education-related bills, with testimony largely in support. SB 1388 and SB 1393, both concerning the School Facilities Authority and Department of Education representation and land conveyances, received support from DOE and the School Facilities Authority, with no questions or action taken. SB 423, which would add Head Start representation to the Early Learning Board, was supported by the Early Learning Board and the Executive Office on Early Learning, which explained the bill would realign the board with federal Head Start Act requirements after the board was restructured in Act 170; EEL also requested an effective-date amendment. SB 422, allowing DOE to award diplomas to students whose education was disrupted by war, drew support from DOE, the Chamber of Commerce, the Military Council, and the Special Education Advisory Council, but also significant opposition from the Hawaii Patriot Republicans and many individuals; members asked questions about the bill, and DOE explained the measure’s purpose, but no vote was taken. The committee also took testimony on SB 532, which would expand who may administer certain medications in schools. DOE, the Department of Health, and the University of Hawaii supported the bill. Members asked detailed questions about oral, nasal, and topical medications and the process for prescription review and administration; DOE explained that parents request the medication, a school form is completed, a nurse reviews it, and either a trained school health assistant or a contracted nurse administers the medication. DOE said the measure could improve attendance and learning, especially for students with ADHD, asthma, and other chronic conditions. The committee then heard SB 659 on locally sourced food products and school meals, where DOE’s procurement office opposed the higher small-purchase threshold and DOE exemption from procurement rules, while Ulupono Initiative, Hawaii Farm Bureau, Hawaii Public Health Institute, and others supported the bill as a way to advance farm-to-school goals and the 30% local food target by 2030. Testimony and questioning focused on the proposed threshold increase, transparency, and whether an online bidding system would be preferable. Finally, the committee heard SB 1300 on subsidies for ALICE families’ school meals. DOE supported the bill but requested amendments: defining eligibility at 250% of the federal poverty level, delaying implementation until the 2026-2027 school year, and covering reduced-price lunch students in full for 2025-2026. HSTA, Hawaii Appleseed, Catholic Charities Hawaii, Pride at Work Hawaii, Hawaii Youth Services Network, and others supported the measure, emphasizing food insecurity, the burden of meal paperwork, and the educational importance of free meals. Hawaii Appleseed suggested replacing ALICE with a federal poverty level standard and removing a rulemaking requirement that could delay implementation. No votes or final committee actions were reported in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• There could be thousands of more lead lines unaccounted for, but additional testing is necessary.
• :29:24.880> for,<00:29:25.279> but<00:29:25.520> additional<00:29:26.000> testing
• unaccounted for, but additional testing unaccounted for, but additional testing is is is necessary
• :54:18.960> also ventilation systems while while also ventilation systems while while also testing
• , adjusting, and balancing these testing, adjusting, and balancing these same same same systems.<00:54

Keywords: 1187, senate, all