Transcript Highlights:

• One is there's a flat rate, but then there's an additional so much per square foot.
• So when the fund gets to be some limit, like $400 million, then the rates go down, right?
• And then when the fund starts to drop, then the rates go back up.
• And then when the fund starts to drop, then the rates go back up.
• </c><04:33:49.320><c> represent</c> want to lease it to a vendor represent want to lease it to a vendor

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee met to continue work on House Bill 2, with the chair saying the goal was to finish the bill as given by the governor, though additional amendments were expected. Members first discussed the bail section and agreed to hold it for later because a separate House bail bill was expected on Thursday and could have significant county cost impacts. They also generally accepted the proposed reorganization of positions between Fish and Game, DNCR, and the Department of Environmental Services, but noted the need to review effective dates and funding details, including a possible double appropriation of $275,000 for a scientist position already funded in HB 1. A substantial portion of the meeting focused on environmental review and native plant-related sections moving functions from DNCR to DES. Members discussed changing the rulemaking timeline from 180 days to 90 days, and clarifying that “begin” means the public hearing stage. They also reviewed how fee revenue would shift between agencies in HB 1 so the budget impact would be net zero. The committee indicated it would prepare amendments reflecting these changes and revisit them at a later vote. The longest discussion concerned the boathouse provisions. Members debated whether the new definitions and construction standards were appropriate in a budget bill, with one member arguing they should be in a separate bill, while others said the provisions were urgent because of a lawsuit and the lack of clear guardrails. Concerns included the February 20, 2025 effective date, which some thought might be retroactive, the detailed limits on what may be stored in a boathouse, and a fee increase that some felt could discourage homeowners from seeking permits. The committee also questioned whether the fee structure should be tiered for smaller projects and whether permit-by-notification projects should be exempted. No final votes were taken on these sections during the discussion; instead, members agreed to seek legal and policy answers and to return with amendments and public hearing input before voting.

Transcript Highlights:

• third-party interactions, and this can be employee to employee, employee to constituent, lobbyist, vendor
• third-party interactions, and this can be employee to employee, employee to constituent, lobbyist, vendor
• employee, employee to constituent, employee, employee to constituent, lobbyist,<00:45:38.000><c> vendor

Keywords: 926, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• One vendor that I'm aware of does provide computers with the program so that the program could be offered
• Um</c><00:12:50.240><c> um</c><00:12:51.200><c> uh</c><00:12:51.440><c> one</c><00:12:51.680><c> vendor
• Um um uh one vendor various locations.
• Um um uh one vendor that<00:12:52.160><c> I'm</c><00:12:52.399><c> aware</c><00:12:52.639><c> of</c><
• </c> the commissioner appointed an EFA vendor the commissioner appointed an EFA vendor to<02:37:20.319

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee opened hearings on SB 69, including a germane amendment on school board votes to accept or reject gifts and donations, and a non-germane amendment creating a virtual early childhood readiness family engagement program for preschool children not yet in kindergarten. Prime sponsor Rep. Glenn Cordelli said the literacy program was modeled on earlier HB 671, would be funded through gifts and donations rather than state appropriations, and would include reporting requirements to the governor and legislature. Members questioned changes from the earlier bill, including the move away from center-based language, the lack of a dollar threshold for school board action on donations, anonymous gifts, and whether the amendment preserved enough evaluation data. Testimony on the donation provisions raised concerns about broad language, timing, and public-meeting requirements. Rep. Timothy Han and Becky Wilson of the New Hampshire School Boards Association both noted that school districts already have policies and asked how the bill would work for routine donations, anonymous gifts, and situations that might require non-public discussion under right-to-know law. Wilson cited examples such as field-trip scholarships, backpack drives, and sports uniforms, and said the association was not taking a position but wanted clearer guardrails. Rep. Han said school boards may need to discuss some gifts in non-public session and that the bill should better address those circumstances. On the early literacy amendment, Wilson and others questioned whether the program was sufficiently developed, whether it was appropriate to rely on a primarily online model for very young children, and how it would interact with special education services and IEPs. A representative from Waterford.org, Rob Riley, testified in support, saying the program would be supplementary, adaptive, and family-engagement based, and that Waterford could provide devices and internet access for families who need them. He said the program would work alongside school districts and IEP teams rather than replace existing services. No vote was taken during the hearing; the chair said the committee would later exec the bills and try to get reports in for the calendar.

Transcript Highlights:

• Great. 483 was where we ended up, relating to rate study for home health services, and the agenda begins
• Okay, next up we have SB 954, relating to a rate study for home health services.
• I think a rate study would be very beneficial, and with, of course, the appropriation of funds for the
• the committee had already done the rate study.
• Originally, it was SB 954 relating to a rate study, but we did great study, um, and hold on.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Health and Human Services Committee heard testimony on several measures related to child welfare, health care access, overdose response, disability services, and waste management. For SB 710 on child welfare, the Department of Human Services, the Office of Wellness and Resilience, the Attorney General’s office, and multiple advocacy groups testified in support, with the Governor’s office noting support but deferring to the Attorney General on implementation because of separation-of-powers concerns. For SB 952 on child welfare services, DHS, the Governor’s office, and child- and trauma-informed care advocates supported the bill, saying it would help families access services, provide basic material support, and reduce strain on the child welfare system. SB 954 on a home health services rate study also drew support, including from DHS, the Hawaii Healthcare Association, and a public testifier who said the study would help ensure funds reach low-income, disabled, and kupuna recipients. SB 957 on overdose prevention received support from the Department of Health and the Attorney General, who said overdose prevention centers are evidence-based but raised federal-law concerns and recommended amendments; the Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction Center and others also testified in support. The committee then moved to the 1:00 regular calendar and heard SB 850 on disability health disparity, which was supported by the Executive Office on Aging, the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Hawaii Disability Rights Center, self-advocates, and others. Testimony emphasized that a disparity study could improve workforce development, training, and services for people with disabilities. SB 838 on continuous glucose monitoring drew support from health agencies and advocates, with testimony stressing that monitors can be critical for some diabetes patients. SB 829 on health care was supported by the Department of Health and health care stakeholders, who said it would help rotating physicians serve neighbor islands without local hospital privileges and align with CMS rules. SB 446 on waste management drew mixed testimony: the Department of Health and several public entities provided comments, the County of Maui opposed, and environmental advocates urged stronger aquifer protections and limits on ash reuse. During decision making, the committee adopted recommendations to pass SB 298, SB 322, SB 299, SB 450, SB 451, SB 949, SB 710, SB 957, SB 69, and SD 952 with various amendments, including technical changes, blank appropriations, and defective dates. SB 323, SB 324, SB 712, SB 950, SB 954, and SB 959 were deferred, largely because companion House measures were moving or similar Senate measures had already passed. The chair also announced recesses to find quorum and noted that some bills from the earlier Monday calendar were being deferred to avoid duplication.

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, I think that the department agreed to extend that lapse extension after discussions with the vendor
• Well, I think that the department agreed to extend that lapse extension after discussions with the vendor
• The rating agencies look at debt as a percentage of unrestricted revenue, and when they say that, they
• 10% also, but that usually just works out, so we don't actually manage to that number. and what the rating
• agencies look at is and what the rating agencies look at is debt<01:38:38.040><c> as</c><01:38:38.199

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee met to review the lapse extensions in the back of House Bill 25, which governs capital budget appropriations and bonding. Members were walked through how the bill is structured: section 1 covers general, federal, and other funds; section 2 covers highway fund appropriations; later sections authorize borrowing, restrict spending to the stated purposes, and explain why community colleges and the university system operate through their boards of trustees. The chair also explained that lapse extensions are needed because capital projects can span multiple years, and that appropriations normally expire at the end of the biennium unless extended. A substantial portion of the discussion focused on how to identify unspent balances and whether they should be extended, repurposed, or allowed to lapse. Members discussed that if a project is complete or an agency confirms it no longer needs the money, the remaining balance can be reused for another project or, if not needed, lapse back. The committee also reviewed the meaning of bill references and chapter numbers, and how to read prior-year appropriations and extensions in the worksheet. One example discussed was a 2023 Department of Administrative Services courthouse generators item, and members noted that some agencies may rely on encumbered balances rather than explicit lapse extensions, though the chair said he prefers including the extension for flexibility. The committee identified at least one specific change: the Jeffrey Ringe CTE renovation was removed from the governor’s recommended budget because the required local match was not approved, freeing about $18.5 million for possible reuse. Later, the chair noted that lapse extension 49 on the worksheet was no longer needed and could be removed, leaving an unspent balance of $81,500 available for repurposing. The discussion also referenced a Department of Transportation item, Caroline Stratford Freight Rail Improvements, which the agency asked to keep alive through a lapse extension so the funds would not expire on June 30. No formal votes were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• If we identify it, meaning the division of pesticide control, we will contact that vendor and let them
• . rates. rates.
• </c> lowest rate there $140 per ton, right? lowest rate there $140 per ton, right?
• rates? rates?
• </c><04:28:42.399><c> and</c> So we have an annual depletion rate and So we have an annual depletion

Committee: House Environment and Agriculture

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• making developments, getting better and better at understanding mental health, lowering recidivism rates
• because it is not only unsanitary in our central kitchen, but our food is constantly handled by the vendors
• This underscores the important need to increase diagnosis rates and to ensure adequate support services
• the community, and we actually community shift in the corridor where there's a high incarceration rate
• Massachusetts has the lowest incarceration rate in its history, and we are at a critical turning point

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight held a hybrid hearing covering public construction, business regulations, and honorary designations, with most of the discussion focused on two matters: a five-year moratorium on new jail and prison construction (S. 2114/H. 3422) and a bill designating June 7 as Tourette Syndrome Awareness Day (S. 2152/H. 3305). The chair emphasized that the hearing was public, testimony would be recorded, and speakers should generally keep remarks to three minutes. Senator Comerford introduced the prison moratorium bill, saying it would pause new construction while allowing renovations, and Senator Friedman introduced the Tourette awareness bill and a separate Tuskegee Airmen commemoration measure, asking for favorable action on both honorary designations. A large portion of the hearing featured remote testimony from incarcerated people at MCI Framingham and MCI Shirley in support of the prison moratorium. Witnesses repeatedly argued that Massachusetts does not need a new women’s prison, that the incarcerated population is declining, and that funds would be better spent on mental health care, addiction treatment, vocational training, pre-release programming, housing, and repairs to existing facilities. Several speakers described poor conditions, limited programming, and the need to address trauma, domestic violence, and substance use as root causes of incarceration. One committee member responded to testimony by noting that incarceration numbers are going down, that the state is working on housing and workforce opportunities for people returning home, and that the committee wants to expand pathways to employment and reentry. The Tourette Syndrome Awareness Day bill drew testimony from the bill’s young sponsor, Owen Rosenthal, his parents, medical professionals, and advocates. They described Tourette syndrome as a misunderstood neurodevelopmental condition, said awareness would reduce stigma and improve diagnosis and support, and cited the need for education in schools, workplaces, and the medical community. The Tourette Association of America supported the bill, noting underdiagnosis, co-occurring conditions, pain, and mental health risks associated with Tourette syndrome. Committee members praised the youth advocates and asked that written testimony be submitted electronically. The hearing ended without any recorded votes or final committee action in the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• California, But it is very difficult to dismiss the fact that California around the country is not rated
• California's performing arts sector grew at twice the rate of the broader economy between 2009 and 2019
• There's historically been high unemployment rates in those communities.
• In recent years, Latino and immigrant entrepreneurs have started new businesses at twice the rate of
• We support immigrant entrepreneurs, small businesses, street vendors, and individuals who have a dream

Summary: The subcommittee heard an overview from Go-Biz Director D.D. Myers on the administration’s economic development strategy, centered on the California Jobs First framework. Myers described regional planning across 13 regions, the Jobs First Council, and pilot sectors including ag-tech, space and defense, life sciences, and semiconductors. She also outlined budget requests for CalCompetes, CalExport, the California Film Commission, innovation/emerging technologies, and the California Civic Media Fund, along with the new California brand campaign. Committee members raised questions about misinformation about California, regulatory burdens, tourism versus broader economic messaging, and how the brand campaign would highlight underrepresented communities. No vote was taken; the item was informational. The committee then reviewed CalOSBA’s work on small business support, including California RISE, the Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund, and TAP/SIP technical assistance and capital infusion programs. CalOSBA reported that California RISE’s first cohort awarded $16.9 million to 61 employment social enterprises, with growth in revenue, contracts, and jobs; the performing arts payroll fund paid all 100 recipients but was heavily oversubscribed; and TAP supported more than 112,000 businesses in the past year, helping leverage federal and local funds. Testimony from program partners emphasized the importance of small business counseling, community-based outreach, and support for arts organizations facing post-pandemic and AB 5-related cost pressures. Senators pressed for more data on long-term job retention, better outreach to smaller and ethnic media, and possible program changes to speed grants and stretch funding further. Finally, the committee heard Go-Biz’s request for additional staff and funding for the California Film and Television Tax Credit Program. Staff said the request would support application review, DEIA implementation, and data tracking. The Film Commission reported that about 147 productions had been approved and roughly 90% were opting into the new diversity provisions, with career pathways reporting to include demographic and participation data and a future report expected in 2027. Senators asked about accountability, apprenticeship and internship hours, and whether the program was producing real career pathways and inclusive hiring outcomes. The item remained informational, with no vote or action taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• So third-party businesses, vendors, people that could actually make a business out of this to some extent
• The project slowed the rate of spread and intensity of the fire and allowed firefighters to use Brom
• Yes, they're not going to solve or stop fires, but they do two things: they reduce the rate of spread
• California is at great risk, great risks economically if we don't get home insurance rates under control
• Great risks economically if we don't get home insurance rates under control and businesses.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• here to reflect that we have a large number of judges processing the same information and at the same rate
• Its civil jury trial rate tells a similar story.
• We need clarifications of several reporting areas so that judges, clerks, and CMS vendors can report
• So this standardizes the rate and gives some transparency in court costs that we need desperately.
• And so the per-page rate helps them to cover their costs.

Committee: House Judiciary

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and took up House Bill 911 by Rep. McMakin, which proposes a major restructuring of Orleans Parish courts into a single judicial district with one clerk of court and a consolidated system, while keeping current judges in place through the end of the year and allowing them to run in scheduled elections. The committee first adopted a three-minute debate rule, then later rejected a motion to suspend it. The bill was then amended with a large set of mostly technical changes, and the amendments were adopted without objection. Supporters argued the bill would modernize Orleans’ court structure, reduce duplication, and align Orleans with other judicial districts. They cited Supreme Court data, prior studies, declining population and caseloads, and the state’s direct funding of Orleans criminal court as reasons to consolidate and reduce judgeships. Opponents, including local legislators and attorneys, said Orleans is not comparable to other parishes because of complex litigation, multiple-defendant criminal cases, jury-trial volume, tourism-related cases, and the need for specialized dockets. They also criticized the process as rushed and said local judges, legislators, and practitioners were not adequately involved. Testimony from ACLU and defense-side witnesses emphasized that case counts are not uniform across parishes and that Orleans has a high number of jury trials and a large workload per judge. They warned that eliminating judgeships could increase delays and create transition costs, while supporters countered that other districts manage similar or heavier work with fewer judges. White-card witnesses from Orleans Civil District Court, including Judge Kernan Reese, Judge Sidney Cates, and Clerk Chelsea Richard Napoleon, testified that Orleans handles complex and time-sensitive matters, that the clerk’s office relies on self-generated funds, and that the bill’s funding and office references contain inaccuracies. No final vote on the bill was taken in the portion of the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• and insurance rates that are affordable for all of us.
• and insurance rates that are affordable for all of us.
• And insurance rates that are affordable for all of us. And I'm sympathetic to that.
• As you heard, screening rates are 70, 75 percent.
• The constitutionality has already... ...our health care coverage at an alarming rate.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Public Health

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Health heard testimony on a wide range of bills focused on children’s health, tobacco control, newborn screening, pediatric cancer, palliative care, and professional licensure. Early testimony highlighted Senate bills to expand newborn screening for pyruvate dehydrogenase complex deficiency, lysosomal storage disorders, and congenital CMV, with families and clinicians describing severe diagnostic delays, missed treatment windows, and the benefits of early detection. Speakers also supported a bill to improve pediatric cancer research through a dedicated trust fund, and a bill to extend pediatric palliative care services to age 22, with parents and providers emphasizing continuity of care for seriously ill young people. Several witnesses gave personal accounts in support of the newborn screening measures. Families described children who endured years of misdiagnosis before receiving diagnoses such as Gaucher disease, Fabry disease, Pompe disease, Niemann-Pick disease, and CMV, often after irreversible damage had already occurred. Medical and advocacy witnesses said Massachusetts already collects some of the relevant screening data and argued that results should be reported to families, while others urged the committee to add conditions to the state panel because effective treatments already exist. The committee also heard support for a bill to establish a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder program and training for providers. On tobacco and youth health, testimony supported bills to ban internet tobacco sales, strengthen youth protections, and reduce lung cancer deaths through point-of-sale information and quit-line access. A student testified about easily purchasing flavored nicotine products online without meaningful age verification, and public health advocates backed measures to keep tobacco out of children’s environments. The committee also heard testimony on a bill to ensure parents have access to their children’s medical records through age 16, with exceptions for sensitive services already protected by law. The committee additionally took testimony on an optometry licensure bill, where ophthalmologists opposed language they said could broaden scope of practice and allow optometrists to use the title “optometric physician,” while optometry educators and students supported the bill as a modernization measure with no scope expansion. No votes were taken during the hearing; the chair repeatedly reminded speakers of time limits and noted that written testimony could be submitted for additional comments.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> statements about um the regret rate statements about um the regret rate essentially<00:46:39.760
• The rates are really high.
• We don't know why those rates are so high.
• The rates are really high.
• We don't know why those rates are so high.

Committee: House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs heard testimony on HB 1875, which would expand Hawaii’s existing protections to include gender-affirming health care, clarify permitted disclosures of protected health information, and bar certain adverse actions by malpractice insurers and health carriers against providers of lawful reproductive or gender-affirming care. The Insurance Division of DCCA supported the bill with a technical amendment, suggesting language tied to actuarial analysis rather than the phrase “actuarially sound.” The Office of Information Practices also provided comments. Most testimony was strongly in support. State agencies and advocacy groups, including the Hawaii State Youth Commission, State Health Planning and Development Agency, Commission on the Status of Women, Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, Hawaii Public Health Institute, Stonewall Caucus, ACLU of Hawaii, PFLAG Oahu, Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said the bill would protect patient privacy, reduce chilling effects from out-of-state litigation, and help retain providers in a state already facing shortages. Several testifiers said gender-affirming care is medically necessary, evidence-based, and life-saving, and emphasized that Hawaii should protect its own health care decisions from outside political pressure. A few individuals testified in opposition, arguing the bill was unnecessary or that it protected providers more than opponents of the bill, but these views were not echoed by most of the testimony. The chair repeatedly reminded testifiers to keep comments brief and maintain decorum. The transcript provided does not include a final committee vote or disposition on the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• And premature death rate has worsened.
• Uh we're rates and things like this.
• Um their payment error rate exceeds 6%.
• </c><00:51:35.040><c> of</c> participants have higher rates of participants have higher rates of chronic
• So if you pay food insecurity rates.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The meeting opened with roll call and housekeeping, including moving standing attendees to an overflow room and asking the audience to avoid interruptions. The task force then heard testimony from Allison Adams of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, who presented statewide health trend data showing Kentucky ranked 41st overall and 44th in health outcomes, with especially poor performance on premature death, chronic disease, diabetes, and vaccination rates. She emphasized that Kentucky has the highest rates of residents with multiple chronic conditions, that diabetes remains above the national average, and that childhood immunization rates have worsened. She also highlighted major provider shortages in rural areas, noting that 43 of 120 counties meet shortage criteria and that more than half of primary care providers are concentrated in Fayette and Jefferson counties. Adams urged the task force to focus on prevention, early intervention, access to care, physical activity, and healthier school and community environments, and said the foundation is prepared to share results from its demonstration projects. Task force members asked follow-up questions about the age range for chronic-condition data and whether the diabetes figure reflected type 1 or type 2 diabetes; Adams said the chronic-condition measure spans all ages and that the diabetes figure likely reflects type 2, though she offered to provide the full report. The task force then approved the minutes from the prior meeting. The committee next turned to SNAP benefits and heard from Lisa Dennis, commissioner of the Department for Community Based Services, and Roger McCann, director of the Division of Family Support. They explained that SNAP is not only a food assistance program but also a public health and family stability tool, arguing that poor diet contributes to chronic disease and that food insecurity is linked to family stress, child welfare involvement, and neglect-related CPS referrals. They cited research showing that more generous SNAP policies are associated with fewer CPS reports, fewer substantiated reports, and fewer foster care placements, and said SNAP helps reduce risk and promote stability across vulnerable populations including children, older adults, people with disabilities, and pregnant women. They also described SNAP-Ed as the nutrition education component that teaches healthy eating, cooking on a budget, and how to use fresh produce, but warned that recent federal legislation eliminates federal funding for SNAP-Ed beginning in federal fiscal year 2026. McCann outlined the remaining SNAP outreach and employment-and-training components, noting that outreach is typically run by nonprofits with a 50% match and that employment and training funds job-skills programs to help recipients move toward better jobs and self-sufficiency. The discussion emphasized that access to nutritious food, education, and job supports are all part of improving health outcomes and reducing food insecurity.

Transcript Highlights:

• 2, the provision that requires the Commissioner of Administration to include a grantee fraud risk rating
• There are some vendor products out there. Sandy Hook is the largest one.

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This court has a great closure rate.
• incorporeal movable, it would have to be transferred by authentic act if it were donated, but software vendors

Committee: Senate Judiciary A

Summary: The Senate Judiciary A Committee met on May 5, 2026, with five members present and adopted the April 28 minutes. The committee then heard and favorably reported several measures, including HCR 31, which asks the Louisiana Law Institute to study replacing or clarifying the term “foreign” in state law; HB 263, allowing the 14th JDC magistrate judge to handle certain specialty court felony matters; HB 299, clarifying paper filing rules for jury bonds and related payment issues; HB 535, simplifying hospital-based acknowledgments of paternity by removing the two-witness requirement while keeping notarization; HB 571, codifying the 19th JDC’s complex litigation section program; and HB 538, increasing the East Baton Rouge Parish Juvenile Court fee cap from $15 to $75 to help offset court costs. The committee also reported HB 215, raising the small succession affidavit threshold from $125,000 to $200,000, and HB 226, adding a 10.1 conference requirement before requests for admissions are deemed admitted, with discussion about discovery fairness and default judgment exceptions. The committee also took up HB 324, which makes judicial stipend increases permanent and adds a 2.7% salary increase for judges effective July 1, 2027; an amendment restoring the second year of the COLA was adopted, and the bill was reported with amendments. HB 1043, raising the jurisdictional amount in Jefferson Parish first and second parish courts, was amended to increase the amount from $35,000 to $50,000 and then reported with amendments. HCR 6, directing the Law Institute to study forced heirship and disinherison issues, was amended to add reporting language and related Civil Code references and then reported with amendments. HB 1006, changing summary judgment deadlines to give opponents more time to respond, was amended and reported by a 3-2 vote after roll call. Two more substantive bills drew extended debate. HB 1239 would strengthen the presumption that parents share physical custody equally unless a court finds that arrangement infeasible or not in the child’s best interest; supporters framed it as a parental-rights measure, while an attorney in opposition warned it would increase litigation, reduce stability for children, and be used as leverage in child support disputes. Despite the opposition, the committee reported the bill favorably. HB 190, as amended, would create a duty of reasonable care for certain software/app providers toward minors and require expert testimony, while excluding manufacturers; supporters said it was aimed at protecting children from harmful platform design, but opponents argued the proposal was unnecessary because existing tort law already covers negligence and warned it could create new causes of action and uncertainty over whether software is a “product.” The committee heard testimony from the Louisiana State Law Institute, the sponsor, and outside witnesses, but the transcript ends before final action on HB 190 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• This court has a great closure rate.
• But software vendors and licensees probably would not allow transfer without permission.

Committee: Senate Judiciary A

Keywords: 974, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Today we pay $16 to $18 an hour, and even at that rate, we struggle to find good qualified applicants
• We are a national e-commerce kratom vendor.

Committee: Senate Agricultural Affairs

Summary: The committee first approved a motion to reorder the agenda, hearing a presentation from the Idaho Grape Growers and Wine Producers Commission before taking up Senate Bill 1282. Commission representatives reviewed the history and current size of Idaho’s wine industry, noting about 65 wineries, 1,300 acres of vineyards, and three AVAs. They described challenges including county land-use restrictions, water supply concerns in the Treasure Valley, and labor shortages, while also highlighting marketing, education, and specialty crop grant funding. A vineyard owner testified that the industry requires significant upfront investment and manual labor, but said commission-funded education has improved grape quality and supported growers. The committee then heard extensive testimony on S.B. 1282, which would create a kratom consumer protection framework. Senator Nichols and supporters said the bill would preserve access to natural kratom while banning adulterated or synthetically enhanced products, requiring testing, labeling, age restrictions, and clearer supply-chain accountability. Supporters included kratom users, business owners, and industry representatives who said the bill would protect consumers, distinguish natural leaf products from high-potency 7-OH derivatives, and provide needed standards without banning kratom outright. Several witnesses described personal benefits from kratom for pain, recovery, or avoiding opioids, and some said responsible regulation was preferable to prohibition. Opponents, including family members of people who died after using kratom, law enforcement, and addiction medicine professionals, argued that natural kratom itself can be dangerous and addictive and that the bill would not adequately protect the public. They urged either a full ban or broader restrictions, criticized the bill’s low civil penalties and prohibition on private causes of action, and said age limits and labeling would not be enough. Committee members questioned witnesses closely about deaths, testing, liability, and whether the bill should cover natural kratom as well as 7-OH. No vote was taken during the hearing, but Senator Nichols said the bill sponsor was open to amendments, including raising the purchase age, increasing penalties, and revisiting the private right of action provision.

Transcript Highlights:

• Today we pay $16 to $18 an hour, and even at that rate, we struggle to find good qualified applicants
• We are a national e-commerce kratom vendor.

Committee: Senate Agricultural Affairs

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I just wanted to—this issue of just continuing to put out notices to comply and not looking at vendors
• it should be noted that the department's 2025 enforcement summary shows a 99.7% retailer compliance rate

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit Committee heard an audit on the Department of Cannabis Control’s oversight of cannabis packaging and labeling, focused on whether products are attractive to children. The auditor said the department’s rules are often vague, enforcement is inconsistent, and licensees are left to interpret standards without prior review. In a review of 80 packaging cases, the audit team disagreed with the department’s conclusions in 13 instances, and the report highlighted examples involving cartoon imagery, colorful fonts, candy-like references, flavor names, and cannabis beverages that resembled ordinary drinks. The auditor recommended clearer statutory definitions, possible consideration of plain packaging or pre-approval models like Oregon’s, better internal guidance, and stronger tracking and escalation for repeat violators. Committee members and Assembly Member Irwin emphasized the rise in poison control calls involving children under five since legalization and argued that legal-market packaging can contribute to accidental ingestion, especially when products resemble candy or drinks. Several members pressed the department on why items such as root beer, strawberry lemonade, and cherry pie strain names should be allowed if they may appeal to children. The Department of Cannabis Control responded that it has already centralized label review, added staff and technology tools, improved compliance-history tracking, and is using progressive discipline tools such as notices to comply, citations, embargoes, abatements, and license actions. The department also argued that the illicit cannabis and intoxicating hemp markets are major drivers of youth exposure and that enforcement resources must be balanced across those markets. Public health witness Dr. Lynn Silver urged stronger restrictions, including plain packaging, bans on added flavors and child-appealing imagery, lower THC limits for edibles and beverages, and a dedicated pre-market review process. Industry representatives from the California Cannabis Industry Association and the California Cannabis Operators Association agreed that youth protections are essential, but argued that clearer, objective standards are needed so compliant businesses can know the rules and enforcement can be consistent. They said most licensed products are already compliant, that the most blatant youth-targeted packaging is concentrated in the illicit market, and that the Legislature should refine definitions and guidance rather than rely on subjective case-by-case judgments. No formal vote or bill action was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Finally, it adds to the pre-existing suspended vendor list to penalize contractors who fail to pay subcontractors
• Class B biosolids and loading rates are already restricted based on the annual testing and soil and treatment

Summary: The committee heard several bills and took favorable action on a number of them. CS/CS/SB 54 by Senator Sharif would require district medical examiners to perform toxicology screening for psychotropic drugs and intoxicating substances in autopsies of identified violent offenders, consult treating providers when available, document findings, and report results to state agencies; it passed after brief questions and one opponent waived against. CS/SB 176 by Senator Polsky would require public colleges and universities to publish clearer campus safety reporting and response procedures for threats to students, faculty, or staff; it also passed favorably with no opposition. CS/CS/CS/SB 290, the Florida Farm Bill by Senator Trumbull, was the longest item and drew extensive testimony. The bill covers fair association rules, preemption of local limits on gas- and diesel-powered farm equipment, surplus of certain state-owned lands for agricultural use, a food animal veterinarian loan repayment program, permanent funding for Farmers Feeding Florida, forest service training, signal jammer penalties, CDL exam cheating penalties, no-solicitation protections, inspector protections, biosolids rules, and contractor payment enforcement. Members adopted multiple amendments, including changes to contractor payment language, expanding vet loan repayment to equine vets, merging citrus research entities, technical updates to fair statutes and nonprofit definitions, and a late amendment removing the bill’s disparagement/free-speech section after significant public testimony and debate. A separate late amendment on biosolids delayed compliance timelines for Broward County, and the bill then passed favorably as amended. The committee also approved CS/CS/SB 834 on nonprofit religious organizations, which repeals a restriction on health care sharing ministries partnering with licensed insurance agents, while adding a disclaimer requirement through amendment; the bill passed with support from some faith-based and consumer groups and one waiver against. SB 936 on temporary door locking devices passed without opposition. CS/SB 50 would expand veterans’ courts statewide as an option in all judicial circuits for service-related issues such as PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and substance abuse; it received broad support from veterans and advocacy groups and passed favorably. CS/SB 1004, in strike-all form, would regulate dog and cat sales by requiring disclosure of medical records and financing terms, adding a three-day waiting period for financed purchases, and treating violations as unfair trade practices; an amendment removed an appropriation section, and the bill passed after questions about financing and pet retention. The committee then approved CS/CS/SB 178, which directs the Florida High School Athletic Association to adopt rules allowing coaches to provide good-faith support to student-athletes for basic needs like food, transportation, and recovery services, while requiring reporting and preserving anti-recruiting enforcement; members discussed possible parental-consent language, and the bill passed favorably. Finally, the committee began hearing CS/SB 198 on virtual currency kiosks, with Senator Rouson explaining that it would regulate crypto kiosks to combat fraud, require operator registration, fraud warnings, blockchain analytics policies, and transaction limits, but the transcript cuts off before further action on that bill.