Transcript Highlights:

• Educated students, regardless of status, become nurses, teachers, engineers, and entrepreneurs.

Keywords: 998, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If I'm pursuing an engineering degree, what types of courses do I need to take?

Transcript Highlights:

• 03:01:50.880> 50<03:01:51.520> 60 It used to be, I mean, I remember when I started engineering
• three are all like in the crosshairs regularly about how do you find water to support the economic engine
• about how do you find water to support the the the the<04:27:16.800> economic<04:27:17.440> engine
• <04:27:17.880> of<04:27:18.040> Colorado<04:27:18.640> that the economic engine
• of Colorado that the economic engine of Colorado that exists<04:27:19.200> on<04:27:19.320>

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• this bill makes one thing clear: we cannot wait any longer because right now we are not fixing the engine
• I pushed my engineering consultant to the brink.
• I I pushed my<02:14:31.280> engineering<02:14:31.760> consultant<02:14:32.320> to
• ><02:14:32.400> the<02:14:32.800> to<02:14:32.920> the my engineering consultant
• to the to the my engineering consultant to the to the brink.<02:14:34.000> Uh,<02:14:34.080><

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Because rent doesn't pause, corporate profits don't pause, and the economic engine of our state doesn't
• 05:31.040> retail<03:05:31.439> space<03:05:32.080> along This is an economic engine
• this<03:05:51.279> is<03:05:51.439> an<03:05:51.680> economic<03:05:52.319> engine
• ><03:05:52.880> for<03:05:53.120> the<03:05:53.359> city this is an economic engine
• for the city this is an economic engine for the city of<03:05:53.680> Minneapolis.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The hearing of the Minnesota Senate Select Subcommittee on Federal Impacts on Minnesotans and Economic Stability focused on federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota, especially ICE and CBP operations, and their alleged constitutional and civil-rights impacts. Opening remarks from both parties emphasized the need for calm, cooperation, and public safety, though they sharply differed on the causes of the current situation. Republican members argued that violent criminal undocumented immigrants should be removed and that state and local officials should cooperate with federal authorities. Senator McEwen and other Democrats described the federal presence as abusive and terrorizing, citing deaths, family separations, and community fear, and called for accountability and truth-telling. The chair also held a moment of silence for Renee Mlin Good and Alex Prey before testimony began. Testimony from the ACLU of Minnesota and the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota described what they said was a large-scale federal enforcement operation, including Operation Metro Surge, with widespread alleged violations of the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Tenth, and other constitutional amendments. Witnesses cited alleged racial profiling, warrantless arrests, excessive force, denial of counsel, detention out of state, and failure to comply with court orders. They referenced specific cases involving Susan Tinure, Abdi Khadir Nure, Victor Manuel Diaz, and others, as well as reports of journalists and community members being threatened or detained while documenting ICE activity. The witnesses also said the federal government’s lack of transparency makes it difficult to know how many people have been detained or deported and argued that the harm extends to both immigrants and citizens. Committee members asked questions about ICE entering homes without judicial warrants, federal claims about constitutional limits, and access to counsel for detainees moved out of state. The witnesses said that out-of-state detention, poor locator systems, paid phone access, and lack of privacy make legal representation difficult or impossible, and that civil-rights remedies often come too late because people are removed before cases are resolved. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the portion of the hearing provided; the committee moved from opening statements into testimony and member questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Response: I'm an engineer, not a lawyer, but I'm assuming whatever mechanism South Dakota used to get
• Response: I'm an engineer, not a lawyer, but I'm assuming whatever mechanism South Dakota used to get
• to<00:22:27.279> so<00:22:27.440> I'm<00:22:27.559> an<00:22:27.720> engineer
• <00:22:28.200> not<00:22:28.600> lawyer defer to so I'm an engineer not lawyer defer
• to so I'm an engineer not lawyer but<00:22:29.400> I<00:22:29.480> am<00:22:29.679>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on HB 135, introduced by Representative Michael Harrington. He said the bill would codify a portion of the New Hampshire Constitution to bar New Hampshire businesses from being required to collect sales or use taxes for other states unless Congress mandates it, arguing that the U.S. Supreme Court’s Wayfair decision created an onerous compliance burden for businesses. He described the patchwork of state and local sales tax rules, thresholds, and product exemptions as extremely complex and said the bill was intended to push the issue back toward Congress and the courts. Members questioned whether the bill’s reference to a “foreign government” would apply to other U.S. states, whether the proposal would conflict with the Supremacy Clause, and whether it would create standing for businesses to challenge Wayfair. Harrington responded that “foreign government” meant any government other than New Hampshire, that he believed the state could challenge the decision in court by passing a law contrary to Wayfair, and that businesses were already being harmed by compliance costs. Some members raised concerns about whether the bill was an unfunded mandate or simply a private compliance burden, and Harrington argued that the state itself would not be collecting the taxes, but businesses would still face recordkeeping and administrative costs. Sam Garland of the Department of Justice then testified. He said the department was not taking a formal position on the bill, but offered technical comments. Garland acknowledged that Wayfair created significant compliance burdens and noted that states have become somewhat more uniform, with all states now having a $100,000 economic nexus threshold, though not all use the 200-transaction threshold and local tax variation remains substantial. He said the department’s concerns were legal, describing the issue as uncharted constitutional territory involving both vertical and horizontal federalism. No vote or final action was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• So all of the engineering work is now done, and they were ready to start the project and realized they
• So, all of the<00:57:07.680> engineering<00:57:08.160> work<00:57:08.400> is<00:
• 57:08.640> now<00:57:08.799> done<00:57:08.960> and the engineering work is now
• done and the engineering work is now done and they<00:57:09.359> were<00:57:09.520> ready

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Micro bets, in-game wagers, push notifications, instant deposits, all deliberately engineered to keep
• instant deposits, instant deposits, all<01:43:01.520> deliberately<01:43:02.239> engineered
• <01:43:02.880> to<01:43:03.119> keep all deliberately engineered to keep all deliberately
• engineered to keep people<01:43:03.760> betting<01:43:04.159> longer,<01:43:04.960>

Bills: HB2118, HB2473

Keywords: business development, arts, cultural affairs, Hawaii, commissions, administrative transfer, funding appropriation, Hawaiian culture, sense of place, land management, environmental stewardship, cultural preservation, 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard several bills related to permitting and economic development. On HB 2603, relating to permits, the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development said it supported the measure with comments. Committee discussion focused on the fact that the state’s facilitated permit process appears to have been rarely or never used, the need to identify specific projects that would use it, and whether DBEDT would need dedicated staffing to administer it. DBEDT said it had found no projects under the current process, had no capacity to run the program as structured, and estimated it would need about 7 to 9 FTEs, including permitting, coordination, data, systems, and possibly legal support. The chair suggested exploring a staff assignment and comparing the concept to federal FAST-41-style expedited permitting. On HB 2140, relating to essential permitting positions, the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development again supported the bill with comments. Testimony and questioning centered on a pilot program to help counties pay competitively for permitting staff. A DBEDT representative said the issue of competitive pay affected both county and state permitting offices and that the bill was intended as a temporary pilot, though a more permanent solution would be preferable. When asked how counties would fund the salary support, the witness said that was not yet discussed with the counties and agreed to follow up. The committee also noted the bill applies to participating counties. On HB 2598, relating to the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation, the State Procurement Office and HTDC offered comments, and the Department of the Attorney General raised constitutional concerns. The AG said the bill’s residency-based certification requirements, when tied to procurement, could implicate the dormant Commerce Clause, and that the required 1% contribution tied to state contracts raised unconstitutional-conditions concerns. In questioning, the AG characterized these as legal risks rather than automatic lawsuits. The committee did not take a vote. The committee then heard HB 2141, relating to state enterprise zones. Taxation, DBEDT, HCDA, the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, and HTDC testified in support, while the Tax Foundation noted the program was intended to help economically depressed areas create jobs. HTDC said the bill would help preserve the Maui Research and Technology Center’s enterprise-zone status after rezoning. Committee discussion focused on whether the enterprise zone program is being used effectively, how the bill might attract businesses to areas where the state is investing, and whether the program’s labor requirements are too burdensome for new businesses. DBEDT explained that the program requires a 10% workforce increase in the first year, which must be sustained, and said it promotes the program through county coordinators and in-person outreach. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• loved it and was thriving in computer science, physical education, food and nutrition, discovering engineering
• education, food and nutrition, physical education, food and nutrition, discovering<01:07:57.440> engineering
• ,<01:07:58.400> innovation<01:07:58.880> lab, discovering engineering, innovation lab
• , discovering engineering, innovation lab, and<01:07:59.440> digital<01:07:59.760> art.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The idea being that if, as an engineer, I never design a system to 100 percent. Why?
• that<01:25:31.280> if<01:25:31.520> as<01:25:31.679> an<01:25:31.920> engineer
• ,<01:25:32.400> I<01:25:32.560> never being that if as an engineer, I never being that
• if as an engineer, I never design<01:25:33.040> a<01:25:33.280> system<01:25:33.520>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• is comprised of multidisciplinary professional expertise with accountants, attorneys, economists, engineers
• professional expertise with accountants, attorneys,<00:55:46.000> economists,<00:55:46.480> engineers
• , attorneys, economists, engineers, attorneys, economists, engineers, scientists<00:55:47.280>

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee held an informational briefing on the Public Utilities Commission’s performance-based regulation (PBR) framework and the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ whistleblower complaint process. Chair Jared Kohole opened the meeting, noted it was informational only with no public testimony, and explained that members would hear presentations and then have an opportunity for questions. The committee heard first from Ulupono Initiative, which provided background on why utilities are regulated, how Hawaii’s cost-of-service model and rate cases work, and why PBR was adopted to shift utility incentives away from a capital-investment bias and toward performance, efficiency, cost control, and policy goals such as renewable energy and reliability. Ulupono described Hawaii’s PBR structure as a five-year multi-year rate plan with annual revenue adjustments, a customer dividend, a Z factor for extraordinary exogenous events, and an exceptional project recovery mechanism for large projects. It also outlined performance incentive mechanisms tied to renewable portfolio standard progress, interconnection speed, reliability, and shared savings. The presentation said the current docket is evaluating a possible hybrid approach that would combine forward-looking forecasting with historical results, and Ulupono advocated for stronger incentives, arguing the current rewards are too small relative to utility revenues and should be more meaningful to better align utility behavior with legislative intent. The PUC then presented its own overview, emphasizing that the PBR docket is open and active and that the briefing was limited to the record to avoid ex parte concerns. The commission described the development of PBR in Hawaii through multiple phases beginning in 2018: an initial collaborative phase to set goals, a formal contested-case phase that produced the initial framework, later phases adding scorecards, reported metrics, and additional performance incentive mechanisms, and subsequent refinements including sunset of some mechanisms and adjustments after the August 2023 Maui wildfires. The PUC said the framework is intended to be customer-centric, administratively efficient, and protective of utility financial integrity, and that current work includes evaluating how to balance forward-looking and historical test-year approaches within the rebasing process. No votes or formal actions were taken at the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• They have had cases where erosion problems required an engineer to make sure the geotechnical work was
• 05.120> an problems, you know, you need to have an problems, you know, you need to have an engineer
• 06.240> make<00:20:06.320> sure<00:20:06.400> that<00:20:06.640> the engineer
• involved to make sure that the engineer involved to make sure that the geotechnical<00:20:07.679>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 110, as amended by the Senate, which would establish fees for alteration-of-terrain applications and direct the Department of Environmental Services to adopt rules for a permit-by-notification process for certain projects. Trisha Milo introduced the bill for Senator Lang and noted that the department had worked on the amended language. Matt Mayberry of the New Hampshire Homebuilders Association said the industry strongly supported the bill, describing it as a public-private partnership that would speed review for developers without affecting local control, with builders paying the costs rather than taxpayers. Members focused heavily on how the bill’s fee structure and permit thresholds would work, especially for projects near shoreland, wetlands, and protected water bodies. Representative Opel raised concerns about whether the bill reduced review of habitat and shoreland impacts or shifted costs unfairly; Philip Trobridge of DES explained that the bill does not eliminate those reviews and that shoreland projects still receive greater scrutiny. He said the bill creates different tiers, with the permit-by-notification process applying to certain projects between 100,000 and 150,000 square feet that are not in protected shoreland, while larger or shoreland-affected projects remain under the standard review process. He also said the proposed fees were based on sustaining the program, covering added habitat and species review responsibilities, and keeping reviews efficient. Trobridge said the new fee structure would generate about $1.2 million in additional revenue and help fund additional staff and related program costs. He stated that the department had worked with the regulated community and believed the fees were fair and reasonable, though he acknowledged the bill’s wording was confusing and that the threshold could be revisited later if the new process works well. Members also discussed how the state process interacts with local approvals, and Trobridge said both state and local approvals are required before a project can begin. No vote or final action was taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chamber of Commerce, that they're very concerned about that because obviously tourism is one of the big engines
• is one<04:54:05.558> of<04:54:05.680> the<04:54:05.798> big<04:54:05.958> engines
• /c><04:54:06.320> that<04:54:06.480> drives<04:54:06.760> our one of the big engines
• that drives our one of the big engines that drives our economy<04:54:09.520> yeah<04:54:10.520

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up a House Bill 2 amendment to remove a bail-related section that had already passed in another bill and was now considered duplicative. Members discussed the earlier change to how bail commissioners are reimbursed, concerns that the Judiciary was losing money collecting the fees, and whether the magistrate-related language would still be needed. They noted the bill had already crossed over to the Senate, that the section was obsolete, and that any remaining issue about magistrates’ five-year terms might need to be raised with the Criminal Justice Committee. Amendment 997H, deleting section one, was moved, seconded, and adopted unanimously. The committee then reviewed a package of HB 1 position transfers involving the Department of Environmental Services, Fish and Game, and the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Staff explained that several positions were being shuffled to correct position numbers and align permitting functions, including one Fish and Game position moving back to Fish and Game, one DEES position remaining funded after ARPA money ends, and adjustments to hours for permitting and environmental services positions. Members discussed whether the Fish and Game position had been intended to be temporary, but ultimately agreed to accept the first four Environmental Services items and the last two Natural and Cultural Resources items as a package; that motion passed unanimously. They then also accepted sections 2 through 8 of HB 1 with the related amendments and footnote language. The committee next turned to dredge-and-fill fee changes in section 11, where one member objected to a 50% fee increase for seasonal docks, arguing it could discourage permitted work and might apply to repairs that only require notification. Staff said the increase was intended to help cover the cost of additional positions in future biennia, but members decided to hold that section for more information, including how many seasonal dock repair fees are actually collected. Finally, the committee began discussing HB 215 and a proposed tipping-fee/surcharge structure to make a solid waste accounting unit self-funded, with members saying the fee could offset about $2.9 million in general fund costs and support the grant program, but no final action was taken on that item in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a system engineer for my professional background, but it's a system here with all these towns, and
• /c><00:16:36.880> I'm<00:16:37.000> a<00:16:37.120> system<00:16:37.800> engineer
• <00:16:38.800> um<00:16:39.399> for think of it I'm a system engineer um for think
• of it I'm a system engineer um for my<00:16:40.360> uh<00:16:40.839> professional<00:16

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our engineer has met with them on a regular basis.
• dredging project we're proposing a dredging project th<02:33:20.960> our<02:33:21.200> engineer
• 22.439> met<02:33:22.680> with<02:33:22.840> them<02:33:22.960> on th our engineer
• he has met with them on th our engineer he has met with them on a<02:33:23.319> regular<02:33

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several measures. On HB 211 relating to stream maintenance, DLNR supported the intent but requested amendments to clarify that responsibility for removing abandoned property rests with the entity that has jurisdiction or ownership of the stream, and asked for appropriations to help cover cleanup costs. Members discussed existing county authority to clean streams and then seek reimbursement from private owners, and the City and County of Honolulu’s written testimony was noted as arguing the bill conflicts with a federal court stipulation requiring notice and storage of personal property before disposal. On HB 502 relating to land use, OPSD and the Land Use Commission supported the bill’s intent but raised concerns about the short timeline and the need for rule changes, with OPSD recommending a more permanent county plan-based district boundary amendment process instead of a temporary one. The Department of Agriculture asked counties to make concurrent revisions to ordinances and rules affecting agricultural land partitioning. Testimony also noted the bill is aimed at legacy agricultural subdivisions and would require Land Use Commission rulemaking. On HB 510 relating to declaration of water shortage and emergency, DLNR and the Board of Water Supply strongly supported the measure, saying it would give CWRM a more timely tool to respond to emergencies outside designated water management areas and would require rulemaking, permit classifications, and criteria for declaring shortages. In response to opposition concerns from the Land Use Research Foundation and the Hawaii Farm Bureau, DLNR said the rulemaking process would allow public input and that permit classifications could help balance agricultural and other water uses. On HB 511 relating to public lands, DLNR, the Department of Agriculture, and Hawaii Farm Bureau supported removing the survey requirement before setting aside public lands between state agencies, saying it would speed Act 90 transfers and save time and money, though one testifier cautioned against misuse of agricultural lands. No votes were taken during the excerpted portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• think we've had a lot of revenue come into the state that was not particularly driven by our economic engines
• 10:17.840> economic particularly driven by are economic particularly driven by are economic engines
• <03:10:20.160> uh engines uh engines uh and<03:10:22.600> I<03:10:22.720> think<

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee received a Department of Revenue Administration update from Commissioner Lindsay Stepp focused on revenue estimates for fiscal years 2025, 2026, and 2027. She explained the department’s forecasting method, which uses five scenarios based on the first seven months of actual collections and different assumptions for the remaining months, then selects a reasonable high and low range for FY 25 and applies projected growth rates for FY 26 and FY 27. Members asked several clarifying questions about how the scenarios are chosen and how the estimates relate to economic growth and taxpayer behavior. For business taxes, Stepp reported FY 25 year-to-date collections of $110.3 million, 18.2% below plan and 17.2% below prior year. She said the shortfall reflects both economic conditions and a resetting of estimated payments after unusually strong pandemic-era profits, and noted that the department cannot fully separate changes in taxpayer liability from changes in estimated payment behavior. She said approximately just under $72 million was refunded in FY 24 due to the CCO cap, and that FY 25 year-to-date refunds are at 41.7%. For business taxes, the department’s FY 25 range was based on either continued underperformance versus plan or a return to prior-year levels, with FY 26 and FY 27 growth projected at 3% to 8%. The committee also reviewed meals and rooms tax, tobacco tax, and related trends. Meals and rooms revenue was $6.9 million, or 3.3%, ahead of plan and prior year; the FY 25 gross estimate was $475.894 million, with a net range of about $331.82 million to $335.259 million after municipal transfers and school building aid. Stepp said recent monthly results suggest some fluctuation tied to disposable income, weather, and travel patterns, but no clear sustained decline. Tobacco tax was $18.1 million, 14% below plan and 4.8% below prior year; she said cigarette stamp sales are declining while e-cigarettes and other tobacco products are growing, with FY 25 tobacco revenue projected at $182.5 million to $185.3 million and FY 26-FY 27 growth ranging from -5% to flat. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• I was in computer software engineering for 30 years, and now I'm learning about energy policy.
• out I'm not a business person I was in computer<02:01:32.400> software<02:01:33.400> engineering
• <02:01:33.920> for<02:01:34.199> 30 computer software engineering for 30 computer software
• engineering for 30 years<02:01:35.159> and<02:01:35.320> now<02:01:35.480> I'm<

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on House Bill 233, which would impose transparency and reporting requirements on the New Hampshire Vaccine Association. The prime sponsor, Representative Comto, said the bill and a proposed amendment were intended to increase public access by requiring a physical meeting location, making meetings available online, and publishing a complete list of vaccines and pharmaceutical products purchased. She argued the association should be more transparent because it is involved in vaccine purchasing and public trust is important, especially given controversy around vaccines. Committee members questioned the sponsor about the association’s legal status, who sets vaccine requirements, whether other private entities would be covered, and whether the proposal should instead apply more broadly to all meetings or include recordings. The sponsor said the association was created by the legislature, that childhood vaccine requirements come from DHHS and CDC-related processes, and that she would be open to broader recording requirements. Some members raised concerns about misinformation and whether requiring answers to public questions could be problematic in a contentious policy area. Patrick Miller, executive director of the Vaccine Association, and attorney Mark McHugh testified in opposition. They described the association as a not-for-profit voluntary corporation created by statute in 2002 to serve as a funding mechanism for the state’s universal childhood vaccine purchase program, with no policymaking role and no public funding. They said the association already posts notices, agendas, minutes, and allows public webinar access and comments, while also providing annual audits and reports and other statutory reporting. They argued HB 233 would impose unnecessary administrative costs on a private entity, interfere with its limited charitable purpose, and ultimately increase costs borne by insurers, employers, and consumers. No vote or final action was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• There are something in engineering that’s called unintended consequences, and what I’d like to avoid
• /c><02:03:40.360> in now there are something in the in now there are something in the in engineering
• <02:03:41.960> that's<02:03:42.159> called<02:03:42.440> unintended engineering
• that's called unintended engineering that's called unintended consequences<02:03:44.040> and<02

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So I was a computer engineering professor, and I got my job based on my degree, but I don't know that
• certified credential so I was a<01:14:16.960> u<01:14:17.159> Computer<01:14:17.560> Engineering
• /c><01:14:18.280> professor<01:14:18.800> and<01:14:18.960> I a u Computer Engineering
• professor and I a u Computer Engineering professor and I got<01:14:19.360> my<01:14:19.600>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard HB 295, which would make school building aid funds non-lapsing/non-APS. Representative Cahill said the bill was intended to keep any unused building aid money available for future projects, potentially helping move projects up the priority list or provide a little more funding for school construction. Members asked about how much money has lapsed in past years, whether the education trust fund and building aid are separate, and whether any lapsing dollars could be used to pay down debt. Department of Education official Jim Carney said about $29.1 million would be available if building aid is funded to the $50 million maximum in FY26, confirmed that the fund currently lapses, and said the department would gather historical lapse data. Committee members also discussed whether a dedicated fund structure could achieve the same goal, and the chair noted that the education trust fund statute includes school building aid as one of its uses. No vote was taken; the hearing was closed and the committee said it would later hold a work session after receiving more information. The committee then took up HB 237, introduced by Representative Dan McGuire, which would prohibit the use of special education state funds and differentiated aid for students not receiving special education services. The New Hampshire School Boards Association, through Becky Wilson, opposed the bill as written, saying it was unclear, potentially unnecessary, and difficult to implement because adequacy and differentiated aid are distributed as part of a districtwide lump sum rather than as student-specific dollars. She explained that special education costs are embedded across district budgets, including staffing, training, transportation, and instruction, and that some staff and services benefit both special education and general education students. Wilson also said differentiated aid is not tied to a specific pupil and is used at the district’s discretion, though it is intended to support students with greater needs. Committee members pressed on whether the bill would require districts to track money by individual student, whether it could conflict with federal special education law, and whether it would affect least restrictive environment requirements. Wilson said making the funds student-specific could create privacy and accounting problems and could make it difficult to staff inclusive classrooms, though she did not give a definitive legal opinion on federal compliance. She agreed that students who are not eligible for special education would not be included in the separate catastrophic/special education aid reimbursement program. The discussion continued into the second section of the bill, with members exploring how adequacy aid and differentiated aid are used in practice, but no action was taken during the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• two positions in the Clean Water Branch for enforcement; Wastewater Branch, we're asking for an engineer
• 10.960> um Wastewater Branch we're asking for a um Wastewater Branch we're asking for a um engineer
• 13.479> um<02:26:14.479> um<02:26:14.760> accountant<02:26:15.720> to engineer
• and a um um accountant to engineer and a um um accountant to assist<02:26:16.319> us<02:26:16.640

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint Ways and Means and Health and Human Services committees heard Hawaii Health Systems Corporation’s biennium budget request, with testimony from HHSC leadership on the Hilo/Big Island region (HTH 212) and the Oahu region (HTH 215), plus discussion of capital improvement projects and systemwide partnerships. HHSC described its role as the rural healthcare safety net, serving a high share of Medicare, Medicaid/Quest, and uninsured patients, and said its costs are elevated by state employee fringe benefits, which it said are about 64% compared with roughly 30% in the private sector. HHSC also said pandemic-era federal aid, including relief funds and PPP loans totaling about $100 million, reduced the need for general fund support in prior years. For HTH 212, HHSC said its general fund request for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 was higher than the governor’s recommendation because of rising insurance, pharmaceutical, and contractor labor costs, and because it includes $13.2 million in FY 2026 and $2.3 million in FY 2027 for Epic electronic medical record implementation in East Hawaii. For HTH 215, HHSC said the requested general funds were aligned with the governor’s recommendation, in part because of increased Medicaid reimbursement rates for long-term care facilities under prior legislation. HHSC also said it was restoring a special fund ceiling so the region could spend its cash collections on operations. Members asked about the 64% fringe rate, and HHSC explained the difference was mainly due to defined-benefit pension and retiree health insurance costs, which private hospitals generally do not bear at the same level. Members also asked about the Daniel K. Akaka State Veterans Home, and HHSC said operations would be funded through the general fund corporation for the home when it opens, with management by Ohana Pacific, but no additional legislative operating funds were being requested at that time. Other questions focused on staffing and vacancies, including an abolished procurement position and an ongoing IT help desk recruitment need. HHSC highlighted several capital and partnership projects, including a $25 million state CIP request matched by $25 million from the Benioff family for the Benioff Health Center, an ER expansion and reconfiguration at Corner Community Hospital, and $7.5 million in each fiscal year for Kauai EMR capital funds to join the Epic platform. Testimony also described collaborations with Queen’s, the University of California San Francisco, Hawaii Pacific Health, the Hawaii Cancer Consortium, the Department of Health, and the state hospital to improve specialty access, clinical trials, behavioral health, and patient placement across the system.