Transcript Highlights:

• :22.159> pays Basically, the certification fees pays Basically, the certification fees pays for
• Um, and we have had to raise fees over time.
• are where they need to be think the fees are where they need to be because<00:41:06.400> you're
• <00:41:25.920> Um, we have had to raise fees over time.
• Um, we have had to raise fees over time.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• in<00:27:31.840> order<00:27:32.040> to<00:27:32.800> be party to our fees
• are in order to be party to our fees are in order to be able<00:27:33.120> to<00:27:33.280>
• In states that a full refund is not required, we already refund victims their fees.
• vulnerable and then a fee refund for vulnerable and then a fee refund for anybody<00:48:38.720> who
• , but also of the not just of the fees, but also of the transaction<01:42:01.920> amount.

Bills: SB1166, SB888, SB2387, SB2471

Keywords: insurance, climate change, responsible parties, damages, Hawaii Property Insurance Association, Hurricane Relief Fund, civil action, climate disasters, extreme weather, SB888, Hawaii, consumer protection, smart home security, smart household security device, home security camera, video doorbell, Ring, Nest, connected devices, internet of things

Summary: The committee heard SB 1166 SD2, a bill on insurance and climate-related damages that would authorize the Hawaii Property Insurance Association and, in amended versions discussed during testimony, other public and private entities to pursue civil actions to recover losses tied to climate disasters and extreme weather. DCCA’s Insurance Division and the Department of the Attorney General raised legal concerns, saying the bill’s scope may not fit the insurance code section being amended, that it could create subject-matter and title issues, and that some subrogation language may be duplicative of existing rate-filing practice. Lawyers for Justice opposed the measure, arguing it conflicts with existing subrogation law and recent Hawaii Supreme Court rulings that treat the judicial lien process as the exclusive remedy. The American Petroleum Institute also opposed, warning the bill would add liability and litigation risk for companies operating under existing permits and could undermine energy reliability and investment. Supporters said the bill would help shift climate-related insurance costs away from residents and onto fossil fuel companies and other responsible parties. Testimony in support came from the Polluters Pay Hawaii Coalition, Center for Climate Integrity, Hawaii Island Council, Our Hawaii, Sierra Club of Hawaii, and others, who described recent flooding, storm damage, rising premiums, non-renewals, and underinsurance as evidence of a worsening climate-driven insurance crisis. Several supporters urged amendments to give the Attorney General explicit authority to recover insurance-related losses for the Hurricane Relief Fund, HPIA, and private insurers, and to ensure recovered amounts benefit policyholders. Committee members questioned whether HPIA is a private entity, whether the Attorney General could represent it, whether the bill could create double recovery or affect pending climate litigation, and whether insurers would have standing or damages if they are only paying contractual claims. The committee then took up SB 888 SD2, a consumer protection bill that would restrict smart household security device operators from sharing user data with law enforcement without consent or a judicial order, and would bar conditioning device use on such consent. The Office of Consumer Protection testified in support and said an Illinois law could serve as a useful template for exceptions to the warrant requirement. An individual supporter said the measure would protect immigrant communities, judges, and others from surveillance and misuse of private data. No vote was taken during the portion of the meeting provided, and the chair noted additional written testimony submitted in support of SB 1166.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill also creates a standard 5% fee cap for public adjusters.
• It's another fee. So this is a consumer protection measure as well.
• The standard fee cap for all claims will remove that perverse incentive.
• <01:57:01.679> We<01:57:01.920> require workers comp fee schedule.
• We require workers comp fee schedule.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, approved the journal, excused absent members, and suspended rules to allow co-sponsorship and vote modifications. The Senate reported passage of Senate Bills 52 and 124, and several House committees reported favorable action on bills including HB 1, HB 2, HB 94, HB 246, HB 282, HB 299, HB 307, HB 519, HB 613, and HB 648. Most of those measures were ordered to first reading and placed on the calendar; HB 1 and HB 307 were sent to the Rules Committee after having had two previous readings. The House then recessed briefly before returning to the orders of the day. The chamber took up HB 568, relating to public adjusters. The sponsor explained that the bill would prohibit new public adjuster licenses, allow current licensees to renew, impose conflict-of-interest and contract requirements, set a 5% fee cap, and bar public adjusters from negotiating claims, citing consumer protection concerns and legal opinions about the practice of law. After debate and a brief explanation of vote from a member citing local storm-related abuses, the House voted on roll call and passed HB 568 with one nay vote. The House then considered HB 1, which would opt Kentucky into the federal education freedom tax credit program. Supporters said it would allow private donations to scholarship-granting organizations to benefit Kentucky students without using state general funds, and argued it could help public, private, and homeschool families with education-related expenses. Opponents criticized the speed of the process, warned it could open the door to vouchers and charters, and argued it would mainly benefit wealthier donors while public schools remain underfunded. Members also questioned the bill’s waiver of 11th Amendment immunity and received explanations that the waiver was limited to federal-court jurisdiction over the federal program and would not create individual liability for state actors. A motion to table the bill failed with 19 votes in favor, and debate continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's supposed to be an administrative fee and it's, you know, to cover the cost of the transactions uh
• 00:17:26.079> and<00:17:26.400> it's<00:17:26.720> you to be an administrative fee
• and it's you to be an administrative fee and it's you know<00:17:26.959> to<00:17:27.199>
• , long-term rental or workforce fee, long-term rental or workforce fee, simple<00:56:41.280> ownership
• safety standards tariffs rates and fees safety standards tariffs rates and fees of<01:04:06.160>

Bills: HB1719, HB1742, HB1737, HB2049, HB1725, HB1726, HB1738, HB1799, HB1700

Keywords: housing crisis, manufactured homes, factory-built housing, zoning, relocatable housing units, farm employee housing, agriculture, Hawaii Revised Statutes, agricultural districts, land use, regulation, renewable energy, community development, housing, affordable housing, real estate, state regulation, building codes, construction, permitting

Summary: The joint public hearing covered several housing-related bills and one building-code measure. HB 1719 would make manufactured homes a permitted use by right on residentially zoned lots in the urban district, HB 1742 would authorize self-contained relocatable housing units with restrictions, and HB 1737 would clarify that a farm dwelling in an agricultural district may include an accessory employee housing structure. Testimony on these bills was overwhelmingly supportive from groups including Hawaii Realtors, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, Housing Hawaii’s Future, the Modular Building Institute, the Hawaii Farmers Union, and others, with a few agencies offering comments. No one testified in opposition on HB 1719 or HB 1742, while HB 1737 drew one opposition and one comment in addition to broad support. No votes were taken during the hearing segment provided. A major portion of the hearing focused on HB 2049, which restructures the conveyance tax into a marginal-rate system and changes how the revenue is allocated, including funding for the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the rental housing revolving fund, while also affecting the legacy land conservation fund. Supporters, including DHHL, Hawaii Appleseed, Aahu Youth Action Board, Hawaii YIMBY, and others, argued the bill would help Native Hawaiian housing and, for most transactions, function as a tax cut. Opponents, including NAP Hawaii, Hawaii Realtors, Hawaii Land Trust, Mhai Land Trust, and the Tax Foundation of Hawaii, objected to using conveyance tax as a revenue-generating tool and raised concerns about higher upfront costs and reduced funding for other housing uses. Committee members and staff discussed the bill’s revenue estimates, the reduced percentage but higher cap for the land conservation fund, the effect on rental housing funding, and the bill’s cost-of-living adjustment language; staff said a line-by-line comparison of the current and proposed tax structure would be provided before decision-making. The hearing also took up HB 1725, which would extend the state building code adoption cycle from two years to six years, apply the IRC to triplexes and fourplexes, allow counties to adopt more or less stringent amendments, and appropriate funds for code adoption work. Most testimony supported the bill, with advocates saying the current process is unmanageable, too resource-intensive, and creates confusion because state and county codes can diverge; supporters said a longer cycle would improve clarity and allow more focused review. The International Code Council and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers opposed the measure, warning that delaying adoption could have negative consequences and urging the committee to let an existing statewide code-adoption strategy proceed first. Members asked about sequencing, county implementation, and whether the longer cycle would create catch-up problems, but no action was taken in the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• These funds in the general welfare fund are revenue that was brought into the fund through program fees
• from Revenue that was brought into the fund through program fees from our residents, and those funds
• So individuals in our independent program pay a program fee, and that's based on a percentage of their

Keywords: 962, all

Summary: The Finance Advisory Committee approved the minutes of its April 2 meeting and then took up three budget transfers. The first, FAC 2026-6 for the Office of the State Treasurer, moved $75,000 from personal services to other expenses to pay for consultant help applying for federal energy credits under the Inflation Reduction Act’s direct pay provisions. Treasurer’s office staff said the agency had one open position and several others pending posting, and members discussed how the transfer related to vacant positions and the committee’s budget display. The second item, FAC 2026-7 for the Office of the State Controller, transferred $700,000 from personal services to other expenses to cover higher Core-CT software maintenance and licensing costs. Comptroller staff said the office had 21 open positions, most in Core-CT, and explained that the system, implemented in 2003, receives regular quarterly and monthly updates from Oracle. Members also discussed how the system serves payroll, HR, purchasing, accounting, and related functions for many state agencies, including UConn and the Board of Regents. The final item, FAC 2026-8 for the Department of Veterans Affairs, transferred $700,000 from personal services, the veterans opportunity pilot, and headstones accounts to other expenses for year-end operational needs. Commissioner Ron Welch said most vacancies were in the skilled nursing facility, food service, and physical plant, with staffing challenges especially for nurses and aides. He also explained that the veterans opportunity pilot never fully launched, that the Institutional General Welfare Fund has been depleted and the agency now relies more on general fund support, and that the department faces rising food, utility, and pharmaceutical costs, including a federal VA reimbursement change that will leave the state responsible for medication costs by 2027. All three transfers were approved, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, 3430 aims to make the collection process more efficient for the court costs and fines and fees
• Court costs, fines, and fees collection is actually down a few percent.
• judgment on fines and costs, what is the percentage that that individual or group would collect as their fee

Bills: HB2650, HB3277, HB3386, HB3419, HB3430, HB3742, HB3791, HB3835, HB3905, HB3968, HB4119, HB4153, HB4408

Keywords: probate, estate administration, summary administration, decedent, inheritance, vehicle inspection, title registration, salvage vehicles, ownership, Oklahoma Statutes, evictions, forcible entry, mediation, residency proof, children, housing law, corruption, nonpublic information, government accountability, criminal law

Transcript Highlights:

• are from Representative Harder's House File 467, which delays the elimination of the correctional fees
• Sections 9 through 12 are from Chair Moeller's House File 1082, which increases certain fees and creates
• three-year averaging of probation data, as well as the two-year delay in the sunset of supervision fees

Transcript Highlights:

• ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING OUT LATELY IS ALL RIGHT, WE NEED TO INCREASE OUR FEES, ONE OF
• THE THINGS WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING OUT LATELY IS ALL RIGHT, WE NEED TO INCREASE OUR FEES, WHICH WE HAVE
• WE INCREASED FEES TO MAKE WAY FOR THE NEW WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That's the tuition and fees, sales, and other revenue.
• When you were talking about the tuition and fees, it just reminded me of a question I've had the last
• sales and other Revenue I'll and fees sales and other Revenue I'll mention<01:30:18.400> a<01
• it just remind me a question and fees it just remind me a question I've<01:31:26.800> had<01:
• Um, it does impact those programs because those grants are key to student enrollments and fees.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• It almost forces them to either increase or use the water users' fees to run their operations.
• to run their use the water users fees to run their operations<00:22:28.919> we<00:22:29.279><
• specifically because they delivery fees specifically because they haven't<00:26:04.960> been<
• So the only option really is to adjust the delivery fees.
• My people are going to own their house and they're going to own their land in fee.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• land within the Pine Ridge Reservation into restricted fee status for the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the
• land within the Pine Ridge Reservation into restricted fee status for the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the
• land within the Pine Ridge Reservation into restricted fee status for the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the
• So this bill very simply places those 40 acres into restricted fee status, which is in essence putting
• <03:10:57.000> status Reservation into restricted fee status Reservation into restricted fee

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• um you know as provide services or fees um you know as part<01:03:24.480> of<01:03:24.640>
• The discussion was the annual license fee of $750 has not changed since 2015.
• There was some discussion about a tiered fee structure based on size of facility, and I brought that
• The discussion was that the annual license fee of $750 has not changed since 2015, and that this fee
• at this time then there was another fee at this time then there was another question<01:32:53.000>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first held a public hearing and then an executive session on HB 650, a housekeeping-style bill from the Joint Committee on Dedicated Funds. Testimony explained that the bill would remove references to two already-repealed dedicated funds, split the state parks dedicated fund so Cannon Mountain winter activities would be tracked separately from the rest of the parks system, and place a $1 million cap on the robotics education fund so excess money would revert to the general fund. Supporters said the changes were mainly administrative but would improve accounting and avoid timing issues; committee members asked about a typographical error in the bill text and whether the measure was more than housekeeping. The committee later voted 16-0 to recommend HB 650 ought to pass, and then placed it on the consent calendar. The committee also opened a public hearing on HB 585, which would revise the property tax exemption for religious organizations. Representative John Janigian, the sponsor, said the bill was intended to help small churches and other religious groups that own parsonages or worship buildings but no longer have a resident pastor, allowing them to rent space or use property for church purposes without losing the exemption so long as the money is used for church operations, maintenance, or outreach. He described his Salem church’s parsonage being taxed after it was no longer occupied by a pastor, and said the bill would prevent similar burdens on small congregations. Former Representative Betty Gay testified in support, describing prior assessor actions in Salem that taxed church land and buildings very aggressively, while a Municipal Association representative testified in opposition. Committee members raised questions about how terms such as “regularly recognized and constituted denomination” would be defined, whether the bill could be applied consistently to larger denominations with multiple parishes, and whether legislative research should review past treatment of similar cases.

Transcript Highlights:

• It limits administrative fees for market- and receipt-based services provided under the disability waivers
• It limits administrative fees for market- and receipt-based services provided under the disability waivers
• It limits administrative fees for market- and receipt-based services provided under the disability waivers
• It limits administrative fees for market- and receipt-based services provided under the disability waivers
• It limits administrative fees for market- and receipt-based services provided under the disability waivers

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They typically charge, like, a 10% fee, a 15% fee for the ticket sale, and they allow fans to resell
• No, because currently they charge 40% fees on their tickets.
• Those fees are then used for SEO to go out and buy every spot on Google.
• And it's why the bill explicitly allows for fees to be charged so that there is a business model.
• There's issues of fees and venues and their role with artists.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The committee heard AB 1988, which would require companion chatbots to respond to credible crisis expressions with a 988 lifeline notice, human review after repeated crisis signals, and a pause in the chat. The author and supporters said AI chatbots are increasingly used for emotional support but are not equipped to handle suicidal or violent ideation safely; they cited cases of harmful chatbot responses and argued the bill is a limited safety measure, not a ban. Support came from crisis, family medicine, and child/family service organizations, and there was no formal opposition testimony. Members praised the bill’s intent and the author’s work, and the bill was held pending quorum before later discussion moved on to the next item. The committee then took up AB 1709, which would set a minimum age of 16 for accounts on social media platforms with harmful addictive features and create an e-safety advisory commission. The author argued that social media product design—such as infinite scroll, autoplay, and algorithmic feeds—drives compulsive use and mental health harms, especially for children, and said the bill would still allow safer, non-addictive platforms and online spaces. Supporters, including a psychologist and the Organization for Social Media Safety, described cyberbullying, predation, addiction, and mental health harms; several organizations and advocates also supported the measure. Opponents, including EFF, privacy groups, civil liberties organizations, and youth and LGBTQ advocates, argued the bill is overbroad, raises privacy and First Amendment concerns, and could cut off young people from community, news, and support. They pointed to Australia’s experience as evidence that age restrictions are easy to circumvent and may shift harms elsewhere, and urged feature-level regulation instead of age-based exclusion. Committee members debated whether the bill is a “ban” or a delay, how age assurance would work, and whether the commission could meaningfully define and update harmful features; several members said they would support the bill while acknowledging it needs further work and ongoing oversight.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, it comes out roughly to be about a 5% fee, which is well below what you see in the private market
• for firms doing contingency fee work.
• fund to pay for the attorneys, the firm would be limited to what's in that fee fund.
• Which is to say, let's say that they were entitled to a 7% fee, but the fee fund is only going to cover
• fee contracts since<00:08:03.440> those<00:08:03.680> were<00:08:03.919> nationwide

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first established a quorum, approved the minutes from the November 10 meeting, and then approved a large agenda of contracts and related items, with the total agenda amount stated as $359,638,393.88. Most items were approved without objection, but two contracts were pulled for discussion: attorney general panel counsel contingency fee contracts and a Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission personal services contract. For the attorney general’s office, Chris Lewis explained that the contracts were panel counsel contingency fee agreements, with 14 qualified awards from 16 applicants. He said the contracts were contingency-based, so no money would be paid unless cases were successful, and that the fee structure worked out to roughly 5% under the statutory waterfall. Senators asked about the size of the contracts, whether the terms were uniform, why no Kentucky firms were among the awardees, and how the public should understand the large dollar figures. Lewis said one Kentucky firm applied but was disqualified for a late submission, other Kentucky firms had inquired but did not apply, and local firms could still work with national firms on cases. The committee then approved the contracts. The Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission contract drew more extensive questioning. Commission representatives said they had previously had a contract disapproved because the proper process was not followed, so they used an RFI process posted on the state and commission websites for at least three weeks. They received one applicant, a Kentucky firm, and set the rate at $125 per hour. Members questioned whether the commission was acting beyond its ethics mission, whether staff were helping draft complaints against legislators, and whether the commission was taking on a prosecutorial or human-resources role. The commission said its role is limited to enforcing the legislative code of ethics, providing advisory guidance, and following the formal complaint process; it does not pursue matters outside that code. Members also raised concerns about the earlier procurement misstep and the commission’s credibility, and the commission apologized, said it had corrected the process, and pledged to comply going forward. The committee then approved the contract.

Transcript Highlights:

• Unlike in fee-for-service, MCOs pay for additional wraparound services, which we'll cover shortly.
• Changing outpatient reimbursement from percent of billed charges to a fixed fee.
• . fee. fee.
• We're paid 80% of the fee schedule that's posted by DMS. What's that all about?
• We're paid 80% of the fee anybody else.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board received a presentation from Dr. Stack and Commissioner Langfeld on Kentucky’s application for a federal Medicaid-related funding opportunity tied to House Resolution 1. They described a compressed six-week stakeholder process that produced more than 50 responses and letters of support, and said the application was organized around five broad priorities: maternal health, behavioral health and substance use disorder, oral health, EMS/trauma response, and chronic disease. They emphasized that the proposal was designed to align with CMS goals, use allowable funding categories, and focus on sustainability rather than a short-term grant. Commissioner Langfeld outlined five core initiatives: rural community hubs for chronic care innovation, beginning with obesity and diabetes; a maternal and infant health effort called POWER; a behavioral health and substance use model called IMPATH; an oral health initiative called Rooted in Health; and an integrated crisis-to-care EMS and trauma response effort. He said the chronic disease work would include prevention, food-as-medicine concepts, and technology tools, while the maternal health effort would expand team-based care around mothers and infants using community health workers and doulas. The behavioral health proposal would build on existing crisis intervention models, oral health would address workforce and access gaps through training, mobile vans, and telehealth, and the EMS proposal would better connect emergency response with home-based and community care. Several senators questioned whether the proposal would meaningfully address rural hospital closures or the broader rural health care crisis. Senator Meredith said the plan was not transformational and would not save rural hospitals, while Senator Berg asked how success would be measured. In response, the presenters said they would use both lagging and leading indicators, with an emphasis on rapid-cycle feedback and data use that is more actionable in real time. They also said the work could help existing models that already show promise, such as behavioral health units and dental workforce expansion, even if it would not solve the larger funding gap created by HR1. Senator Douglas asked how the proposals would motivate patients to participate in their own health care. The presenters responded that the chronic disease prevention work would focus on obesity, diabetes prevention, nutrition, and consumer-facing technology tools to help people engage in their own care, and that EMS-community health worker partnerships could identify unmet needs in the home and reduce preventable problems. The board then moved on to its next agenda item, Medicaid managed care delivery models, with Tom Stevens, Katherine North, and Dr. Patel scheduled to present.

Transcript Highlights:

• There would be an increase in the license fee and the appropriation while independent of that licensing
• fee revenue increase. is December 2025. there would be an is December 2025. there would be an increase
• <01:38:58.080> in<01:38:58.320> the<01:38:58.480> license<01:38:58.960> fee
• <01:38:59.679> and increase in the in the license fee and increase in the in the license fee
• 01:39:04.239> revenue<01:39:05.080> increase<01:39:06.080> well that licensing fee

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• commissioner for the fee for registration.
• I think that the one concern that remains has to do with the fees.
• Initially, the bill had a fee of $5,000.
• Most of the fees for other industries are $500 or $600.
• So I think the fee will, I don't think agency will take advantage here.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There is also a small number of people receiving fee-for-service, mostly just waiting to enroll in a
• Those services are delivered through fee-for-service.
• So, we're going to move on from managed care back to the fee-for-service system, which is addressed on
• One of the things we do in medical transportation for fee-for-service and managed care is ensure that
• What would have happened in the old fee-for-service system?

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• by requiring local governments to use a plan-based methodology for calculating impact fees, defining
• This amendment would simply be a fee waiver for students, allowing it to be easier for them to get the
• Yes, so this would be a fee waiver for students. Further questions of the sponsor?
• in a democratic process with voting and not have a poll tax, essentially, with having to pay fees for
• I think that waiving a fee so that someone can get the proper documentation that is needed and that's

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a quorum present, then moved into returning messages from the Senate. Early action focused on CS/CS/HB 1503 on computer science education and certification, which would add computer science and artificial intelligence content in high school and create a K-12 teacher certificate program; after adopting a House amendment restoring certificate language and adjusting implementation timing, the House concurred in the Senate amendment and passed the bill 105-0. The chamber then took up CS/CS/HB 1085 on local government cybersecurity, adopting a House amendment to allow local governments to buy into the cyber grant program and add a five-year sunset, then concurring in the Senate amendment shifting grant administration back to the Florida Digital Service; the bill passed 104-1. The House refused to concur in Senate amendments to CS/HB 351 on concurrent legislative jurisdiction over U.S. military installations and HB 6011 on reporting gifts or honoraria, sending both back to the Senate. It also refused to concur in the Senate amendment to CS/HB 851 on professional learning for instructional and school administrative personnel, saying the Senate version expanded the bill beyond its original autism-focused scope. After a recess, the House unveiled Speaker Daniel Perez’s portrait and heard extended remarks praising his leadership, institutional reforms, and the work of House staff and members. In the second returning-message list, the House debated CS/CS/HB 1471 on systems of law and terrorist organizations. The Senate amendment clarified the definition of “promote,” refined notice and timeline provisions for terrorist organization designations, and kept references to Sharia law as an example in the foreign religious law section. Supporters argued the bill was aimed at conduct beyond speech and was intended to protect the Constitution and public safety; opponents warned it would chill free speech, target Muslim Floridians, and give the governor and cabinet unprecedented power without adequate due process. After lengthy debate, the House concurred and passed the bill 80-25. The House then took up CS/CS/HB 1473, a public records bill tied to HB 1471, and moved to concur in a technical Senate amendment aligning the records exemption with the revised structure of HB 1471.