Transcript Highlights:

• But the items in the catalog have a lot more detail behind them than what you actually see in the catalog
• capital budget and some of the items capital budget and some of the items related<00:22:09.360><
• It is a way of a stress test that we do to see how our debt is going to perform compared to the median
• goes through that pretty intently to make sure that there are items that should be there, items that
• that are there should be there items that are there should be there items<01:00:39.599> that<

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The Public Works and Highways committee held a capital budget orientation led by Legislative Budget Assistant Office staff, who walked members through the budget materials, the capital budget process, and the committee’s compare sheet. The presentation explained that agencies begin developing capital requests nearly a year in advance, submit them by May 1, and that the governor’s recommended capital budget is a reduced version of the much larger agency wish list. Members were told the agencies initially requested about $1.1 billion in projects, the catalog was trimmed to just over $400 million in general fund projects, and the governor’s recommendation in the pink book totals about $143 million in general fund capital appropriations. The committee also reviewed the prior capital budget and related statutes and committee procedures. Several specific projects drew discussion. The Department of Education’s CTE projects were explained as having been shifted into the operating budget in the prior cycle and now returning to the capital budget recommendation; members asked whether there was a backup CTE project and whether local approval had been secured for the named project. The Cannon Mountain tramway request was highlighted as a $20 million recommendation, with the presenter explaining that an earlier $18 million appropriation would be lapsed back to the general fund to help balance the budget. The Department of Corrections’ new prison project was also discussed; members were told the state has already appropriated $50 million for planning and site evaluation, but the governor’s current capital budget does not include a new prison construction appropriation because the project is not yet ready for that phase and may need to be funded differently, possibly through a separate, staggered appropriation. State Treasurer Monica Mezzapelli then presented on debt affordability and the state’s borrowing capacity. She said the state’s credit position has improved, with the debt-to-revenue ratio falling from 8.2% in 2015 to 3.8% in 2024, and explained that RSA 6-C limits debt authorization to 10% of unrestricted prior-year revenue. She noted that the Treasury’s planning assumes $60 million in annual bond issuance, with the prison-related $40 million now expected to be issued in 2026 rather than 2025 because the project is not ready to spend the funds. She said the state can still borrow more, but additional debt service must be paid from operating funds, and recommended keeping capital bonding in the $120 million to $130 million range to preserve affordability and the state’s credit rating. Members asked for clarification on the CTE funding shift, the prison schedule, and the meaning of the large agency request totals. The chair and treasurer discussed the governor’s $143 million recommendation versus the committee’s usual target range, and the treasurer said $130 million would be more comfortable than $140 million, with $135 million described as a possible compromise. No formal votes or committee actions were taken in the portion provided; the meeting was informational and ended with the presenters offering to answer follow-up questions as agencies come before the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• Page 48 is the new decision item for equitable compensation request.
• So any inquiries on this item? Representative DeVos, we'll start with you.
• And then with regard to your item on page 173, that additional amount— Yes, sir.
• The department's first new decision item...
• The department's first new decision item can be found on page 92 of the budget book.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I believe it's on page one, item, uh, line 21 and 22, where basically...
• I'll save my test. Are we >> Thank you. I'll save my test.
• >> Is this an item that normally comes through the 10-year plan?
• From my knowledge, this is not an item that typically comes through the 10-year plan.
• And that then a GNC item for approval.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Item<00:40:49.200> number<00:40:49.440> three,<00:40:49.760> Senate Item number
• Item number four, introduction of bills.
• Item number five, introduction carried.
• <01:52:10.639> Members, Item number six, announcements.
• Members, Item number six, announcements.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The functional test is simple.
• The functional test is simple.
• The functional test is simple.
• The functional test is simple.
• The functional test is simple.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And the last is community supports, which includes free or low-cost clothing and household items provided
• 40:00.280> clothing<00:40:00.960> and<00:40:01.119> household<00:40:01.560> items
• or lowcost clothing and household items or lowcost clothing and household items provided<00:40:02.760
• testifiers<00:45:52.400> for<00:45:52.520> Senator<00:45:52.839> file is test
• testifiers for Senator file is test testifiers for Senator file number number number 1300<00:45:55.960

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:07:18.160> our shattering lives and testing our shattering lives and testing our nation's
• Extending these vital tax subsidies is but one of many critical items on the table.
• We ought to bring these important items to the floor.
• We have a items to the floor.
• Want to bring to vote on these items.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This would include the cost of water testing, informative programs for residents who impact rivers.
• , would include the cost of water testing, would include the cost of water testing, um<01:28:25.600
• The two lowest are Utah and Idaho, and those states have just as good test scores as we do. Right?
• just as good um test scores as we do. just as good um test scores as we do. Right?
• So this amendment removes those items that were already addressed in the budget, takes them out, and

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Finance Committee met on October 30 to act on a series of House bills that had been moved during the budget process and, in many cases, were already addressed in the state budget. The chair explained that bills covered by the budget would generally be reported inexpedient to legislate, while some others would be placed on the consent calendar or handled separately. Early votes were largely unanimous, including House Bill 54, which would allow alternate treatment centers to operate for profit; the committee voted 25-0 ought to pass and sent it to the consent calendar. The committee then recommended inexpedient to legislate on House Bill 97, a wastewater and infrastructure appropriation bill, because the funding had been replaced in House Bill 2 with $2.5 million in each of fiscal years 2026 and 2027. Representative Rum opposed the ITL motion, arguing the projects would otherwise burden local property taxpayers and that the funding was important for housing and municipal infrastructure, but the motion passed 14-11. House Bill 111, dealing with the right-to-know ombudsman, was also reported ITL 14-11 on the grounds that the budget already made significant reforms and separate action could create conflicting statutory language. House Bill 164, creating funding for a local government records manager position in the Secretary of State’s office, received a unanimous amendment appropriating $150,000 for fiscal year 2027 and then passed 25-0 ought to pass as amended, moving to the regular calendar. House Bill 197, the Property Tax Relief Act, drew extended debate over whether restoring a state contribution to retirement system costs would reduce local property taxes; supporters framed it as tax relief for municipalities and school districts, while opponents said the effect would be minimal or offset by other retirement-system changes. The committee ultimately voted 14-11 ITL, with a minority report requested. House Bill 215, requiring landfill permit applicants to submit a report on potential harms and benefits, was amended and then passed 25-0 ought to pass as amended. House Bill 216, which would remove a workers’ compensation-related service-credit limit for certain disability retirement cases, was voted ITL 25-0 after the sponsor said the fiscal impact was too uncertain. Finally, House Bill 219, which would redirect renewable portfolio standard funds and was amended to delay its effective date to July 1, 2027, advanced after debate over electricity costs and renewable energy policy; the committee adopted the amendment unanimously and then voted on the bill as amended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Are there any items that come off the consent agenda?
• is a citation to 9 CFR, but that is a very large CFR chapter, and the rule is very specific to the testing
• Um, the next two items, Department of Energy 219 and 220.
• Leon to postpone items E and F, 219 and 220, until next month.
• Representative Leon to postpone uh items Representative Leon to postpone uh items E<00:31:20.000>

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes and adopted the consent calendar without objection. It then took up Department of Safety Rule 25161 on administrative license suspension forms. After discussion of a staff concern that the rule text should expressly require a defendant’s signature or refusal to sign, and the officer’s witness signature, the agency agreed to revised language. The committee voted to grant conditional approval with those edits. The committee next considered Department of Agriculture rule 192, concerning importation of bovines and domestic animals. Staff identified several issues, including an overly broad federal citation, an unclear definition of infection, a possible conflict between provisions on telephone-issued permits and documents that must be carried, and missing struck-through repeal language. Because the department had not proposed written fixes, members moved to postpone the item until next month, and the motion passed. A second Agriculture item, 25207, was discussed as a long-expired set of rules that the agency said were still needed to run its programs; the committee granted conditional approval. The Public Utilities Commission’s competitive natural gas supplier and aggregator rules prompted the most extensive debate. Staff argued the cited statutes did not clearly authorize the commission to impose fines on natural gas suppliers, while the agency responded that authority could be read from related Department of Energy transition language and general rulemaking provisions. Members discussed whether the issue reflected a statutory gap created when responsibilities were split between the Department of Energy and the commission. The committee ultimately voted to waive and postpone the item to next month so the attorneys could work out the authority question. The committee also postponed Department of Energy items 219 and 220 at the agency’s request, and it noted that the Liquor Commission’s emergency rule had been revised to reduce reporting from monthly to quarterly before being reissued, with the item also postponed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Along with the development for those tax credits, there was a 50% test which required that for the total
• Even during the discussion of the development of the code, we saw a lot more duplex and triplex items
• Once again, you're going to see an additional line item for gross receipts tax.
• Really, the upshot of that was that we felt if we just had to pick one item, what's the one item we could
• Next item is workforce.

Transcript Highlights:

• Test on what purpose? Parliamentary inquiry. State your inquiry.
• light item.
• My question to you, is it not true if you put a no by an item on the resolution, that member is saying
• that that member is saying no to that line item. Yes or no?
• I put no in the journal that that member is saying no to that line item.

Bills: HB630, HB420, HB767, HB1708, HB2842, HB1404, HB2457, HB140, HB333, HB227, HB913, HB201, HB2198, HB 109, HB2763, HB519, HB 1261, HB 1135, HB1318, HB2358, HB2415, HB2765, HB2735, HB3307, HB1373, HB694, HB 1242, HB272, HB1437, HB1888, HCR78, HCR12, HCR128, HR7, HR11, HR37, HR69, HR83, HR89, HR100, HR123, HR129, HR137, HR254, HR258, HR289, HR293, HR318, HR324, HR350, HR368, HR370, HR372, HR379, HR406, HR407, HR432, HR445, HR471, HR504, HR506, HR507, HR528, HR567, HR572, HR591, HR592, HR593, HR603, HR614, HR621, HR673, HR684, HR685, HR687, HR700, HR701, HR711, HR712, HR754, HR757, HR758, HR760, HR764, HR765, HR766, HR767, HR768, HR769, HR770, HR771, HR772, HR774, HR776, HR777, HR778, HR779, HR780, HR783, HR784, HR784, HR6, HR6, HR17, HR17, HR18, HR18, HR49, HR49, HR170, HR170, HR236, HR236, HR247, HR275, HR355, HR356, HR364, HR672, HR690, HR690, HR755, HR755, HR756, HR756, HR759, HR759, HR762, HR762, HR763, HR763, HR781, HR781, HR785, HR785, SB2, SB260, SB569, HB2, HB2000, HB213, HB222, HB645, HB1458, HB 1022, HB141, HB643, HB3093, HB1700, HB 117

Keywords: outboard motors, certificate of title, vessel regulation, Texas Parks and Wildlife Code, marine documentation, HB 420, Texas Water Code, special district, water district, board meetings, meeting location, teleconference, videoconference, remote meeting, public hearing, tax rate hearing, special districts, Cedar Creek Reservoir, county boundary, local government

Transcript Highlights:

• Yes, I mean, that was, that was, you know, we had decades of the federal government saying these items
• against the ATF over their reclassification as, uh, pistol stabilizing braces, uh, as now being an NFA item
• can be to a short barrel rifle, there are oftentimes where folks are charged for having a prohibited item
• that is not a prohibited item.
• OK, Leslie Barlow. not be tested. OK, show her registered against the bill but not testifying.

Bills: HB259

Keywords: redistricting, Independent Citizen Redistricting Commission, Texas Legislature, elections, district boundaries, voter representation

Transcript Highlights:

• We actually would love to see this as a just regular budget item.
• <01:42:18.800> So this as a just regular budget item.
• So this as a just regular budget item.
• <01:51:05.040> This covers nearly all grocery items.
• This covers nearly all grocery items.

Bills: HB2488, HB2456

Keywords: disability, communication access, deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind, healthcare, sign language interpreters, auxiliary aids, weight loss, GLP-1 drugs, obesity, Medicaid, healthcare costs, 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HP 1972, which would create a nonrefundable family caregiver tax credit, and on a related tax measure to increase the existing dependent care tax credit. Supporters of HP 1972, including AARP, the Executive Office on Aging, the Hawaii Public Health Institute, Hawaii Children’s Action Network, and others, said unpaid caregivers are essential to keeping kūpuna and other loved ones at home and described significant out-of-pocket costs. The Department of Taxation and the Tax Foundation raised technical concerns, including the need to avoid overlap with existing credits and to prevent double-dipping. The department said taxpayers can claim credits to the extent allowed, but recommended explicit language barring the same costs from being claimed under more than one credit. No vote was taken in the excerpt, and the chair moved the bill along after questions. The committee then heard HP 1975, which would repeal the sunset on the state rent supplement program for kūpuna. AARP, Catholic Charities Hawaii, the Executive Office on Aging, and others supported making the program permanent, saying it helps low-income older adults avoid eviction and homelessness and allows them to remain in affordable housing. Catholic Charities described clients who were paying unsustainable shares of income for rent before receiving the supplement. Members also shared a constituent example of an elderly retiree who needed the subsidy to stay housed. Written support was noted from additional organizations and individuals. Next, the committee took up HB 1706, which would expand Medicaid prospective payment reimbursement to include mental health services furnished in federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics by mental health professionals under supervision. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs supported the bill, and DHS said it appreciated the intent to address workforce shortages and expand training, but cautioned that unlicensed professionals cannot currently bill Medicaid and that a state plan amendment would be needed, with limited precedent for approval. Members asked about the likelihood and timing of federal approval and whether the bill could help rural areas; DHS said approval is uncertain and the process can take time, though it saw possible alignment with the state’s rural health transformation efforts. The committee also discussed HB 546, a three-year health coverage continuity pilot program for people losing Medicaid coverage. DHS, the Attorney General’s office, DCCA, Catholic Charities, the University of Hawaii, and others testified, with DHS warning that federal changes could increase uninsured rates and that the state may need to act quickly. Catholic Charities and others emphasized the risk to Medicaid recipients, including homeless and near-elderly residents, while DHS explained the state’s existing premium assistance program for certain immigrants and compared it to the proposed pilot. The excerpt ends during discussion of that comparison, with no vote shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• like colonoscopies and other tests.
• That's the highest cost item out of all these things.
• That's the highest cost item out of all these things.
• That's the highest cost item out of all these things.
• No, I want to take the amendment item, so. Representative Tarver. I think I'll wait. Thank you, Mr.

Summary: The House Appropriations Committee met on April 27 and first took up House Bill 175 and its companion House Bill 165, both dealing with lottery proceeds for veterans. HB 175 was amended to create a Veterans Service Grant Board within the Department of Veterans Affairs and direct $500,000 annually from Louisiana Lottery net proceeds into a Veterans Service Grant Fund, with unused money returned to the lottery proceeds fund that supports the MFP. Supporters, including the bill sponsor, The Boot Louisiana, LDVA Secretary Charlton McGinley, and Bastion Veterans Organization, argued the grants would help veteran services, workforce placement, mental health, housing, entrepreneurship, and retention of veterans in Louisiana. Members raised concerns about drawing from lottery proceeds that traditionally support education, but the committee adopted amendments and reported HB 175 favorably as amended. HB 165, the constitutional amendment companion, was also amended for technical and ballot-language changes and then reported favorably as amended for voter consideration. The committee then considered House Bill 457, which would authorize the Louisiana Department of Health and the State Fire Marshal to set minimum housing standards for homeless shelters, group homes, and halfway homes. The sponsor said the bill responded to a state auditor recommendation and to unsafe conditions in some facilities; he also explained an amendment changing the Fire Marshal’s duties from mandatory to permissive to reduce fiscal impact and allow agencies flexibility. Some members questioned whether local standards already existed and how enforcement and funding would work, while others supported the need for statewide minimum standards for human housing. The committee adopted the amendment and reported HB 457 favorably as amended. House Bill 488, by Representative Brough, sought to create a Belle Chasse Bridge Merit-Based Special Fund using recurring severance tax revenues from Plaquemines Parish to help buy out the Belle Chasse toll bridge and end what the sponsor described as excessive tolls and fees. He and several local witnesses, including business owners, a YMCA representative, and a parish council member, testified that the tolling arrangement had harmed access, businesses, and quality of life. The committee adopted a technical amendment clarifying the revenue source and then reported HB 488 favorably as amended. House Bill 566, which would prohibit state funds from supporting net-zero greenhouse gas initiatives tied to the 2022 Louisiana Climate Action Plan, drew significant debate over whether it would interfere with agency funding and economic development efforts; the sponsor argued the plan lacked legislative approval and should be repudiated, while members urged caution and suggested hearing from affected agencies. The sponsor agreed to consider deferring the bill, and the committee did not advance it at that time. House Bill 603, a constitutional amendment authorizing investment of state funds in digital assets and precious metals, was discussed as a way to hedge inflation and preserve value; members asked about limits and safeguards, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee then began hearing House Bill 763, a transparency measure creating a public database for settlement agreements involving state agencies.

Transcript Highlights:

• and labeling minor to impose testing and labeling minor to impose testing and labeling requirements
• So there's three items that define B C. So there's three items that define B C.
• So item eight, definition number eight, So item eight, definition number eight, an operating system.
• Item three requires app stores parent.
• the machines, opening the testing the machines, opening the testing the machines, opening the machines

Keywords: 920, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Next item, House Bill 1177 by Representative Zeringue, public records exemption for private information
• , 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
• 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:

• 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:

• committee report that certification training should utilize existing, well-developed, nationally tested
• training should utilize existing well-developed<00:56:48.079> nationally<00:56:48.640> tested
• well-developed nationally tested well-developed nationally tested curricula.<00:56:49.839> The
• item we're taking testimony on today. item we're taking testimony on today.
• curriculum to include provisions tested curriculum to include provisions to<02:27:03.040> include

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on House Bill 1768, which would prohibit state and county law enforcement agencies and officials from entering into federal immigration-enforcement agreements under 8 U.S.C. 1357(g) and from assisting in certain immigration enforcement actions except in limited circumstances. The Office of the Public Defender, Hawaii Coalition for Immigrant Rights, the Legal Clinic, and the ACLU of Hawaiʻi all testified in strong support, arguing the bill would protect due process, reduce fear in immigrant communities, preserve trust in local police, and keep local resources focused on public safety. Testifiers said cooperation with immigration enforcement can chill court attendance, crime reporting, and cooperation with police, and they emphasized that the bill would not stop federal enforcement or affect other deputization agreements for environmental or other criminal matters. Committee members asked whether any 287(g) agreements currently exist in Hawaiʻi; testifiers said they were unaware of any and believed the bill would maintain the status quo. No vote was taken in the portion provided. The committee then took up House Bill 1548, which would reduce the maximum sentence for misdemeanors from one year to 364 days and allow people previously sentenced to one year to seek sentence modification. The Office of the Public Defender, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Legal Clinic, the Hawaii Coalition for Immigrant Rights, the ACLU of Hawaiʻi, and the William S. Richardson School of Law immigration clinic all supported the measure, saying the one-day change could prevent severe immigration consequences such as detention, removal, and bars to relief that can be triggered by a sentence of 365 days or more. Testifiers stressed that the bill would not change criminal liability or public safety, but would align Hawaiʻi law with similar reforms adopted in other states. Members questioned whether the change would affect citizens or create an automatic immigration process; witnesses responded that the issue is the federal immigration consequence tied to the maximum sentence, not actual time served, and that citizens would not face that consequence. The transcript ends during continued discussion of HB 1548, with no final vote shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• This would include the cost of water testing, informative programs for residents who impact rivers.
• This would include the cost of water testing, informative programs for residents who impact rivers.
• , would include the cost of water testing, would include the cost of water testing, um<01:28:25.600
• The two lowest are Utah and Idaho, and those states have just as good test scores as we do, right?
• just as good um test scores as we do. just as good um test scores as we do. Right?

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Finance Committee met on October 30 to act on a series of bills that had been considered during the budget process, with many being recommended for inexpedient to legislate because their funding or policy language had already been handled in House Bill 2. Early actions were largely unanimous. House Bill 54, allowing alternate treatment centers to operate for profit, was recommended ought to pass and was approved 25-0, then placed on the consent calendar because it carried no appropriation. House Bill 97, a wastewater and infrastructure appropriation, was recommended inexpedient to legislate because its funding had been replaced in HB 2; Representative Rum opposed the motion and argued the grant funding helps local taxpayers and housing development, but the committee adopted ITL 14-11, with a minority report to follow. House Bill 111, dealing with the right-to-know ombudsman, was also unanimously recommended ITL because the budget had already made related reforms. The committee then took up House Bill 164, and adopted Amendment 225-2979H, which appropriates $150,000 in FY 2027 to the Secretary of State’s Division of Archives and Records Management for a local government records manager position. The amended bill was then recommended ought to pass as amended and approved 25-0. House Bill 197, the Property Tax Relief Act, drew the most extended debate. Supporters said it would restore a state contribution to retirement costs for local employers and provide property tax relief, while opponents argued the earlier change was largely offset by employee contribution increases and other retirement-system adjustments. The committee ultimately adopted ITL 14-11, and a minority report was requested. The committee also acted on House Bill 215, a landfill-related bill. Members explained that most of its language had been included in HB 2 but was removed in conference, so the bill was retained and amended to apply more narrowly to new landfills. Amendment 2025-2970H was adopted unanimously, and the bill was then recommended ought to pass as amended by a 25-0 vote. House Bill 216, which would change retirement eligibility rules for certain workers injured on the job, was recommended inexpedient to legislate after its sponsor said the fiscal impact was too uncertain to support. Finally, House Bill 219 received Amendment 2025-2988H to change its effective date to July 1, 2027, and discussion began on the bill’s broader purpose of returning about $5.7 million annually from RPS funds to ratepayers.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've got three items today on consent. Can I get a motion? A second. All right.
• Item number two, AB 61; the motion is due pass as amended to appropriations.
• Item number five, AB 406; the motion is due pass to appropriations. AB 406.
• Okay, moving to our next and final item, file item number three, AB 99.
• We could utilize this as a live exercise to test and demonstrate a new model.

Summary: The committee first heard AB 13, which would restructure the CPUC to increase legislative oversight, add legislative liaisons, require more detailed and timely reporting on rate-setting decisions, and add a public advocate member. The author and supporters argued the bill would improve transparency, accountability, and geographic diversity in CPUC decision-making amid rising utility rates. Witnesses from TURN, San Joaquin County, SDG&E, and former CPUC Commissioner Loretta Lynch offered support or support-in-principle, while no opposition testimony was presented. Members generally praised the bill’s transparency goals, and AB 13 passed 10-0 to Appropriations, with the roll left open for absent members. The committee then adopted the 2025-2026 committee rules and approved three consent items: AB 61, AB 365, and AB 406. The next bill, AB 99, would cap investor-owned utility rate increases above inflation except for specified costs such as safety, modernization, and fuel/commodity costs. The author and supporters, including a representative of the California Senior Legislature, said the bill was needed to protect ratepayers, especially seniors and low-income customers, from repeated rate hikes. Opposition came from utility labor, utilities, the Chamber of Commerce, and others, who argued the bill was too simplistic, could suppress labor costs, and did not account for major cost drivers such as wildfire mitigation, mandates, and net metering. Several members supported moving the bill forward as a starting point on affordability, while others criticized it as overly blunt. AB 99 passed 11-0 to Appropriations, with the roll left open. The hearing then shifted to an informational panel on strategies to reduce California transmission costs. A Public Advocates Office staffer described a growing backlog of approved-but-unbuilt transmission projects, rising transmission access charges, and long project timelines driven largely by utility pre-application and construction periods. Panelists from Net Zero California and consulting firms presented research suggesting that public financing or public-private partnership lease models could reduce transmission costs by lowering financing, tax, and capital costs, with estimated savings of up to 57% and as much as $123 billion over 40 years. PG&E’s representative said the utility is already pursuing federal loan guarantees, grants, and a public-private partnership with Citizens Energy, but warned that state ownership could create tax, wildfire-liability, and governance risks. Members asked about the CPUC’s role, the causes of delays, and whether public financing could complement existing competitive solicitation processes.