Video & Transcript Research : 'foreign entity'
Page 227 of 500
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Legislative Health and Human Services Sep 10th, 2025
Legislative Health & Human Services Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- School food authorities, or an entity such as a local school district or charter school, are responsible
- We'll know a lot more at the end of this month when they designate accountable entities.
- we really can't have started yet because they're just now releasing the RFP for the accountable entities
- Getting the accountable entities, getting the decisions made, I don't know.
- We need something here and now to take care of the issues that exist in our community, and the entity
TX
Texas 89th Regular
Disaster Preparedness & Flooding, Select Aug 22nd, 2025
Disaster Preparedness & Flooding, Select
Transcript Highlights:
- Under the current statute we passed, grants may only be provided to governmental entities in counties
- It requires camps and youth activity entities to submit site-based emergency preparedness plans to TETM
- It defines the covered entities, including camps, especially encompassing day camps and camps licensed
- It also includes youth activity entities and high-risk activities, and it confirms that division means
- Calculated with this, we believe that indeed the affected entities is part of their already established
Keywords:
HB 48, Texas alert notification systems, emergency alerts, public warning systems, alert fatigue, notification fatigue, Texas Division of Emergency Management, Department of Public Safety, DPS alerts, emergency management, State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry, STEAR, disaster notifications, weather alerts, Amber Alert, Silver Alert, Blue Alert, missing persons alerts, accessible alerts, hearing impaired
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- However, some entities that use eminent domain to acquire real property don’t pay their property taxes
- owner or their family the opportunity to repurchase property they lost through eminent domain if the entity
- Specifically, HB 3788 allows these entities... Health and general welfare initiatives.
- Specifically, HB 3788 allows these entities to own, operate, or fund facilities such as administrative
- In addition, the bill clarifies the authority of these entities to be able to issue revenue bonds to
Bills:
SB2784, HB23, HB247, HB1533, HB2011, HB2013, HB2273, HB2421, HB2464, HB3120, HB3424, HB3575, HB3788, HB4370, HB4809, HB5057, HB5084, HB5534, HB5668, HJR34
Keywords:
Somervell County, hospital district, board of directors, elections, local governance, staggered terms, third-party review, property development, local government, permits, construction inspection, regulatory authority, land development, liability, occupancy certificate, border security, tax exemption, ad valorem, real property, infrastructure
Summary:
The committee heard and left pending several local government, property tax, development, and public safety measures before later voting some of them out. Senator Birdwell explained SB 2784 for the Somerville County Hospital District, which would move the board to staggered four-year terms after a transition and was requested to be held pending until the House companion could be acted on; no public testimony was offered. HB 5084 would allow local approval for fireworks sales tied to Lunar New Year celebrations, with testimony from Hutchinson County Judge Cindy Irwin emphasizing local fire risk and the need for county discretion. HB 5534 would let county commissioners post agendas electronically instead of on a physical bulletin board. HB 4370 would expand permissible projects for certain special districts to include geothermal water conveyance systems, and HB 312 would require residential child detention facilities to enter local MOUs, report health and safety information, and conduct background checks for state-funded facilities; both drew supportive testimony and were left pending. HB 5057 would give displaced solid waste providers time to wind down after a city grants an exclusive franchise, and HB 2421 would extend the life of the Save Historic Muni District to continue work on preserving Lions Municipal Golf Course; both were left pending after supportive testimony. HB 2011 would let former owners repurchase property taken by eminent domain if the acquiring entity fails to pay property taxes for two years, and the committee substitute to SB 3065 was also laid out and left pending after a technical correction to eminent-domain language. The committee then took up additional bills on development, appraisal, and local regulation, including HB 3575, HB 4809, HB 2273, HB 247/HJR 34, HB 2464, HB 3424, HB 2013, HB 5668, HB 3788, HB 1533, and HB 23, with testimony ranging from support to opposition on issues such as appraisal procedures, historic property valuation, Galveston emergency governance, border-security tax treatment, home-based businesses, chicken covenants in HOAs, municipal utility district authority, hospital authorities’ use of assets, and third-party building review. HB 23 drew the most extensive testimony, with builders, engineers, counties, and cities split over third-party plan review and inspection authority, liability, licensing, and local code enforcement; many witnesses said the House amendments created problems and the bill was left pending. In the end, the committee voted SB 2784, SB 3065, HB 5686, HB 247, HJR 34, and HB 2011 out of committee, with the first several receiving local and uncontested calendar recommendations where applicable.
FL
Florida 2026 5th Special Session
Fiscal Policy Apr 2nd, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- would be identified as vulnerable is what would be required to have an annual inspection by an MS4 entity
- Would an entity like FDOT be MS4? Sorry, it's been a long week.
- Would an entity like FDOT, ones that are responsible for this.
- And the MS4 entities and these permits are not designed for a 200-year flood event.
- Everyone expects everything to the amendment that's before us that reads: each MS4 entity shall conduct
Summary:
The committee took up a series of bills and amendments, reporting several measures favorably. Early in the meeting, CS for CS for SB 344 modernizing the Telecommunications Access System Act was approved without opposition. The committee then adopted amendments and passed CS for SB 714 on non-opioid advanced directives, CS for SB 738 updating child care and early learning provider regulation, CS for SB 756 revising health insurance coverage for individuals with developmental disabilities, and CS for CS for SB 1356 creating a Florida Institute for Pediatric Rare Diseases at FSU and a newborn genetic testing pilot. Later, the committee also approved CS for SB 1624 on higher education, CS for SB 1626 on child welfare, SB 178 on an agronomic study for emerging crops, SB 1162 on water access facilities and boat ramp parking, CS for CS for SB 958 creating a type 1 diabetes early detection program, CS for CS for SB 1402 expanding dropout retrieval eligibility, SB 774 requiring electronic transmission of certain court orders, SB 1516 creating an international aerospace innovation fund, and SB 994 revising driver education requirements. Most of these bills were reported favorably by roll call votes after brief explanations and, in several cases, amendments.
Several measures drew substantive discussion and public testimony. CS for CS for SB 1624 prompted questions about replacing “minority” with “underrepresented,” the role of the Florida Department of Education’s Commission for Independent Education in overseeing private religious postsecondary institutions, and whether the changes could affect access for students at institutions such as FAMU and FIU. CS for CS for SB 1070 on ECGs for student athletes received extensive emotional testimony from parents and advocates describing children lost to sudden cardiac arrest and urging mandatory screenings; the sponsor said the bill would be cost-neutral for districts by encouraging partnerships with screening groups. SB 994 on driver education was discussed as a vehicle to add distracted driving instruction, and the sponsor agreed to work on that issue. SB 774 was presented as a response to a fatal delay in transmitting an ex parte order, with support from clerks and sheriffs.
The most extended debate centered on SB 810 on stormwater management systems. The sponsor said the bill, as amended, would narrow annual inspections to infrastructure identified as vulnerable by MS4 entities, but the Florida League of Cities, Florida Association of Counties, and Florida Stormwater Association warned the proposal could impose major costs and duplicate existing MS4 permit requirements. Committee members questioned the fiscal impact, whether the bill would apply to FDOT or other entities, and whether annual inspections were feasible for large and small jurisdictions alike. Despite those concerns, the sponsor and several members emphasized flood prevention and public safety, and the bill remained under discussion with the sponsor indicating continued willingness to work with stakeholders.
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
February 4, 2025 - 12:30 PM
Transcript Highlights:
- supported by a structured framework created in statute that relies on longstanding and interrelated entities
- So these entities shown here are instrumental in promoting long-term market stability and oftentimes
- It's a state entity that provides reinsurance capacity to Florida residential property insurers, and
- Citizens is a legislatively created governmental entity.
- I think, Representative Henson, what you're referring to: we, as a state entity, as part of the reforms
Summary:
The Insurance and Banking Subcommittee received a lengthy presentation from Citizens Property Insurance Corporation CEO Tim Serio, with Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworski also answering questions. Serio reviewed Citizens’ role as Florida’s insurer of last resort, its statutory funding structure, eligibility rules, depopulation program, reinsurance obligations, and the surcharge/emergency assessment mechanisms that can be used if Citizens runs a deficit. He emphasized that recent legislative reforms, combined with lower litigation and improved market conditions, have helped the private market recover and reduced Citizens’ policy count from a peak of about 1.41 million in 2023 to 936,182 at the end of 2024, with a projected drop to about 771,000 by the end of 2025. He also said the reforms reduced Citizens’ rate need and helped avoid an emergency assessment after the 2024 storms.
Members asked about Citizens’ rate increases, why Citizens still seeks higher rates despite lower litigation, how the 20% eligibility threshold works, whether Citizens should be wind-only, and whether the state or federal government could help with deficits. Serio explained that Citizens is still charging below actuarially sound rates in most areas, that rate filings reflect reduced litigation and lower reinsurance exposure, and that assessments on all Florida property policyholders are the reason Citizens tries to build surplus and depopulate. He said the depopulation program is working better than in the past, with less than 2% of takeout policies returning to Citizens, and that the Office of Insurance Regulation has been vetting takeout companies more carefully.
A substantial portion of the discussion focused on claims handling after Debby, Helene, and Milton, including flood-versus-wind disputes and Citizens’ use of the Division of Administrative Hearings for some claim disputes. Serio said Citizens had received 76,625 claims from the three storms and had paid nearly $823 million in indemnity and expenses as of January 7, 2025. He said many closed-without-payment claims were either below deductible, withdrawn, duplicate, or flood-only, and that Citizens had asked its internal audit function to independently review the claims data and denials. He also described Citizens’ storm outreach, catastrophe response centers, managed-repair program, and claim review process, and said the corporation remains focused on paying valid claims while minimizing the risk of assessments on the broader Florida market.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Committee on Health and Human Services - 02/26/26
Health and Human Services
Transcript Highlights:
- If there is more than one entity that can meet the grant's purpose, an agency must use the competitive
- If there is more than one entity that can meet the grant's purpose, an agency must use the competitive
- <00:04:56.320>
that If there is more than one entity that If there is more than one entity - using the single multiple entities using the single source<00:05:22.880>
grant <00:05:23.199>< - could have provided grant entities could have provided grant related<00:05:31.039>
services.
NH
Transcript Highlights:
- office to partner with this new entity office to partner with this new entity that<01:14:00.000>
- either entity to start initiating action either entity to start initiating action that<01:17:29.760><
- that they would knew about that entity that they would report<01:17:47.040>
it <01:17:47.199>< - c> to<01:17:47.360>
that <01:17:47.520>entity <01:17:47.760>and <01:17:47.920 - >
that <01:17:48.159>the report it to that entity and that the report it to that entity
AR
Arkansas 2026 Regular Session
ALC-HOSPITAL, MEDICAID, & DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES STUDY SUBCOMMITTEE Jun 15th, 2026
ALC-HOSPITAL, MEDICAID, & DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES STUDY SUBCOMMITTEE
Transcript Highlights:
- Right now, we have 11 administrative entities.
- So other questions, the 11 administrative entities, do we have names of those?
- One question is: Were those administrative entities, did they go through legislative audits?
- Did legislative audit ever audit any of those administrative entities that you’re eliminating?
- I mean, the 11 administrative entities under your waiver package.
Summary:
The meeting focused on Arkansas’s proposed workforce system overhaul, including a combined WIOA/Perkins state plan and a package of federal waiver requests intended to consolidate workforce governance, reduce administrative costs, and redirect more funding to training and supportive services. Commerce officials said the plan would replace the current structure of 10 local workforce boards and more than 200 board members with a single statewide board and one administrative entity, while keeping local offices open and using regional business councils to preserve employer and local input. They said the state has already reduced Commerce headcount and operating costs, and that the changes would improve coordination with higher education, adult education, vocational rehabilitation, DHS, and Arkansas Industry Connect.
Much of the discussion centered on the waiver package, especially the proposal to make the state board function as the local board, allow more flexible movement of funds across regions, eliminate the WIOA “last dollar” requirement for training and supportive services, create affiliate sites instead of requiring every area to maintain a comprehensive center, and relax the 14 youth program element requirement. Officials said the State Board of Workforce Development approved the waiver package 11-3 before it was submitted to the U.S. Department of Labor, and that implementation would begin only after federal approval and a closeout process, likely taking up to a year. They also described plans to streamline referrals and data sharing, expand mobile and virtual services, and use a more centralized model to improve customer service and employer engagement.
Members raised repeated concerns about rural representation, local control, board composition, and whether jobs and relationships would be lost if local boards were eliminated. Commerce officials responded that local offices would remain open, some current staff could be rehired by the state, and regional business councils would help ensure local employer voice. Several members also questioned how the funding was being used, citing audit findings that only about $1.8 million to $1.9 million of roughly $14 million to $15 million in federal workforce funds had gone to training and supportive services. Officials said the reorganization could increase annual training spending to roughly $6 million to $7 million by reducing overhead, one-stop operator contracts, and board administration. The committee also discussed how the changes might support workforce training facilities, apprenticeships, child care and transportation assistance, and employer-driven training in fields such as manufacturing, health care, technology, and welding.
The Division of Higher Education also briefed members on Workforce Pell. Officials explained that the new federal program would extend Pell eligibility to short-term programs, but only within narrow limits, such as 150 to 599 clock hours and 8 to 15 weeks of instruction, with additional completion and employment benchmarks. They said Arkansas is working with colleges and universities to identify programs that fit the criteria and that the governor has designated the Division of Higher Education to lead implementation. No votes were taken by the committee during this portion of the meeting.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee May 12th, 2026
Energy, Utilities and Communications
Transcript Highlights:
- This would be something operated by a publicly governed entity to ensure trust, so that you don’t have
- Now, for the state roles for addressing catastrophic funding, California has created several entities
- Now, for the state roles for addressing catastrophic funding, California has created several entities
- Other examples of protection gap entities that also work for them are like Turkey, for example.
- Other examples of protection gap entities that also work for them are like Turkey, for example.
Summary:
The committee held the first of several informational hearings on the SB 254 Natural Catastrophe Resiliency Study, focused on wildfire risk, utility liability, and how to finance catastrophic losses. Chair Allen opened by describing California’s recent utility-ignited wildfires, the creation of the wildfire fund under AB 1054, and SB 254’s extension of that fund and requirement for a study. The California Earthquake Authority, as wildfire fund administrator, presented the report’s process and findings, emphasizing that the study was intended to be neutral and broad, based on extensive stakeholder outreach, and that the status quo is not working well for survivors, communities, ratepayers, insurers, or utilities.
CEA’s report organized recommendations into three policy pathways: continued mitigation investment, more equitable allocation of catastrophe burdens, and expanded state roles in catastrophe financing. For utilities, the report discussed options such as setting a binding risk-tolerance standard, preserving safety certificate accountability, tying executive compensation more directly to safety, creating confidential reporting with safe-harbor protections, reforming utility liability including possible changes to inverse condemnation, limiting damages, reducing insurance subrogation, and creating a fast-pay facility for survivors. The financing analysis compared a more durable wildfire fund, risk transfer/reinsurance, liability reforms, and state-backed mechanisms such as a state insurer, a state backstop, and broader funding for community wildfire mitigation.
The CPUC said wildfire mitigation oversight has improved, but wildfire-related costs are driving electricity bills higher and creating an affordability crisis. The Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety highlighted its wildfire mitigation plan review and field inspections, and recommended stronger safety reporting and more safety-weighted executive compensation. In member discussion, senators and assemblymembers focused on the cost of the status quo, whether the burden should be shared by ratepayers, utilities, the state, or other parties, and whether California should consider broader disaster-financing approaches. Several members raised concerns about inverse condemnation, the pace of survivor compensation, local land-use responsibility, and the need for a more comprehensive statewide solution rather than piecemeal bills. No votes or formal actions were taken; the hearing was informational only.
OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
Appropriations and Budget General Government Subcommittee 2nd Revision: Agenda Revised: 10:30 a.m. Ethics Commission
A&B General Government Subcommittee
Transcript Highlights:
- That's a constitutional structure and entity. Another const it's it's an entity. Excuse me.
- If there are any cities, municipalities, or other entities that want a piece of military equipment, I'll
- Even though they're volunteers, we're going to have good control over this entity as they would want
- The entities we're talking about are under the Constitution of the United States.
- Couple that with the fact that So many of these entities have received large amounts of federal funds
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Legislative Health and Human Services Oct 8th, 2025
Legislative Health & Human Services Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- We've actually been accredited by AAS and CARF for excellence, and we are the entity that manages the
- We wouldn't be here since 2013 if it weren't for those state entities. received from them over the years
- Approved entity, Vibrant, oversees the 988 across the country.
- As many of you may know, they collaborate very well with local entities and statewide state agencies,
- You are at the forefront, one of the many entities, and I'm glad that, not just for Bernalillo County
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services Apr 15th, 2025
Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services
Transcript Highlights:
- If you count all entities like Puerto Rico and Virgin...
- If you count all entities like Puerto Rico and Virgin I, Guam, and places like that, we’re 52 out of
- want to make sure these are really good preceptorships, and the Center for Nursing is really the entity
- We heard that again and again from so many different entities and various nursing schools that this will
- connected with the in-state entity. with the in-state entity.
Summary:
The committee took up a series of health and human services bills, beginning with CS/SB 1602, which would require emergency departments to have evidence-based pediatric care protocols, training, appropriate child-sized equipment and medications, a designated care coordinator, and participation in a pediatric readiness assessment. It was reported favorably. CS/SB 1224 followed, aligning Florida law with federal requirements so paramedics may administer controlled substances in the field under physician or nurse practitioner protocols; it also passed favorably after supportive testimony from fire chiefs. The committee then adopted a strike-all for SB 890, the Emily Adkins Family Protection Act, which addresses venous thromboembolism by creating a statewide registry, requiring screening and training in hospitals and long-term care settings, and adding assisted living facility response requirements. Assisted living representatives objected to the ALF provisions as unrealistic and potentially harmful, while supporters argued the bill would save lives; the bill was reported favorably. CS/SB 1182, requiring continuous glucose monitors to be covered as both durable medical equipment and a pharmacy benefit, also passed favorably with support from AARP.
The committee next considered CS/SB 12, a claim bill for a child severely injured after a DCF home visit allegedly failed to meet standards, and it was reported favorably without opposition. CS/CS/SB 954, dealing with substance abuse treatment centers and recovery residences, drew substantial debate. The bill would limit local zoning restrictions on treatment facilities and allow larger recovery residences if staffing ratios are increased; a late-filed amendment reduced the maximum active patients from 500 to 300. Municipal and county representatives warned that the bill could override local reasonable-accommodation efforts and create institutional-scale facilities, while supporters said housing is essential to recovery and that clustering concerns are overstated. The committee ultimately reported the bill favorably. CS/SB 1050, expanding the developmental disabilities pilot program statewide and creating a statewide family care council, also passed after extensive testimony from families and advocates. Supporters emphasized the long waitlist and the need for more services, while some speakers opposed managed care and warned about provider shortages and loss of individualized supports.
Later, CS/SB 614, requiring a public educational webpage about background screening clearinghouse and level two screening requirements, was reported favorably. CS/SB 1578, which would require coverage for mammograms and supplemental breast cancer screening in certain circumstances, was also reported favorably. CS/SB 1060 created a joint legislative oversight committee to review Medicaid operations and financing; members discussed the need for stronger oversight of large midyear spending adjustments, and the bill passed favorably. CS/SB 1240, a Department of Children and Families substance abuse and mental health bill, was amended to clarify Baker Act transfer timing and notification requirements after debate over whether facilities could hold patients too long; it was then reported favorably. Finally, Senator Harrell presented CS/SB 526, a major nursing education bill aimed at Florida’s low NCLEX passage rates. The bill would require nursing programs to use exit exams, remediation, reporting, and stricter oversight, and the strike-all would add graduate preceptorships for low-performing programs and temporary provisional licenses for graduates pending NCLEX passage. The transcript ended while that bill was still being explained, before final action was taken.
AL
Alabama 2025 Regular Session
Alabama Senate County and Municipal Government Committee Apr 8th, 2025
County and Municipal Government
Transcript Highlights:
- under the agency or is it going to be uh under the agency or is it going to be uh under the local uh entities
- Yes, it would be local uh entities? Yes, it would be local uh entities?
- Yes, it would be under the entities that join uh the under the entities that join uh the under the entities
- explanation so far as dealt with those explanation so far as dealt with those systems and and um entities
- that overlap systems and and um entities that overlap systems and and um entities that overlap between
Keywords:
primary election, election calendar, off-presidential year, May primary, second Tuesday in May, fourth Tuesday in May, runoff primary, special primary, presidential primary, election administration, candidate filing, ballot access, political parties, county election officials, state election law, Alabama elections, sheriffs, term of office, Alabama law, local government
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Health Committee Mar 18th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- We distributed air purifiers—nearly 4,000 of those—to various entities that were in need.
- To various entities that were in need. Let's go to the next slide. This is our website link here.
- These task forces include state and federal partners, as well as local agencies and local entities.
- These task forces include state and federal partners, as well as local agencies and local entities.
- There you'll see a listing of all the different entities that are performing testing, either on air,
Summary:
The Assembly Health Committee held an informational hearing on the health impacts of wildfires and the effects on health care systems and access to care. The first panel focused on public health consequences, with testimony from UCLA and UCSF physicians, a community organizer, and an Altadena recovery leader. Witnesses described acute and long-term physical harms from wildfire smoke and ash, including asthma and COPD exacerbations, cardiovascular and stroke risks, pregnancy impacts, infection risk, and possible added hazards from lithium-ion battery fires. They also emphasized mental health effects such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, “firebrain,” and the need for psychological first aid, trauma-informed community networks, and youth-focused resilience programs. Community advocates stressed that Latine, Indigenous, undocumented, and Black communities face disproportionate harm because of language barriers, unsafe work conditions, lack of insurance, and exclusion from disaster aid, and they called for stronger language access, worker protections, permanent disaster relief, and better outreach.
Committee members asked about air monitoring, masks, wind events, lithium-ion batteries, and how to reach communities with translation and emergency information. Panelists said AQI is useful but incomplete, that N95s help for smoke but P100 masks are needed for ash/asbestos exposure, and that communities should be warned to stay indoors and avoid windy dust-ups after fires. They also discussed the importance of building relationships during non-emergency periods, using text alerts and trusted community organizations, and providing culturally and linguistically appropriate information. Several members and witnesses highlighted the need for more research on long-term health effects, especially for people with chronic lung disease, workers who cannot stay indoors, and residents exposed to repeated disasters.
The second panel addressed health care system response and access to care. DHCS and DMHC described emergency flexibilities used during the Southern California fires, including federal waivers, extended Medi-Cal renewal deadlines, reinstated coverage for some disenrolled members, suspension of prior authorization and prescription refill barriers, out-of-network access at in-network cost-sharing, and communication through websites, toll-free numbers, and social media. Hospital and community health center leaders described major operational strain: emergency room surges, canceled surgeries, dialysis disruptions, staff displacement, temporary housing needs, and financial losses. Huntington Health and AltaMed reported using incident command systems, temporary care spaces, bilingual and culturally tailored services, mobile clinics, infection control measures, and community health workers to keep care going. Members and witnesses also discussed the need for better disaster staffing pools, more flexible facility rules, stronger mental health coverage, child care planning, and statewide coordination for future emergencies; no formal votes were taken.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Committee on Housing and Homelessness Prevention - 03/17/26
Housing and Homelessness Prevention
Transcript Highlights:
- ,<00:21:16.000>
national business, corporate entities, national business, corporate entities - Since that time, the entity that had been doing the data collecting on this was defunded.
- <00:51:02.600>
or <00:51:02.760>if out if we can find another entity or if out if we - can find another entity or if we<00:51:03.000>
can <00:51:03.160>find <00:51:03.400> - or some money to fund either an entity or some money to fund this this this before before before we<
AL
Transcript Highlights:
- personal information through a public record request from using that data to solicit individuals or entities
- Simply, that'll be the appropriation of funds and then the shared cost between these two entities to
- shared cost between these two entities shared cost between these two entities to<00:13:10.079>
- Generally, those two entities work in lockstep, is been my experience over the last 12 years.
- And right now, all of those entities get money before the victim does.” “Yeah.
HI
Hawaii 2025 Regular Session
AEN-WTL-EDT-EIG, WTL-AEN Public Hearings 03-19-2025
Agriculture and Environment
Transcript Highlights:
- inviting other entities into farming. inviting other entities into farming.
- And the intent of this bill as I read it is to help agricultural entities maintain a cash flow so you
- entities entities maintain<00:29:12.200>
a <00:29:12.280>cash <00:29:12.640>flow - a lot of it really kind of comes down to having the ability to case-by-case basis regulate these entities
- ,<00:39:44.720>
including regulate these entities, including regulate these entities, including
Summary:
The joint committees met on March 19, 2025, to hear HB 966 HD2, which would create statewide standards for agricultural tourism in counties that adopt ag-tourism ordinances. The bill would require registration with county planning departments, require ag-tourism to remain tied to an active farming operation, and end the activity when the agricultural use stops except in limited circumstances. Testimony from the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, the Agribusiness Development Corporation, the Department of Agriculture, the Hawaii Tourism Authority, Kualoa Ranch, and the Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council was generally supportive of the bill’s intent, with several witnesses emphasizing that agritourism can help farm viability, food security, and public education about agriculture.
The Hawaii Farm Bureau and several other testifiers supported agritourism but urged strong guardrails, minimal statewide standards, and deference to county home rule. They said agriculture should remain the primary activity, warned against adding burdens to farmers and ranchers, and suggested better enforcement and agricultural expertise within county planning departments. Phil Weber and others argued for objective standards, such as minimum revenue or work-performed thresholds, annual reporting, and clearer compliance tools, and cautioned that the bill’s termination exemption could be too broad if not tightened.
A substantial portion of the discussion focused on whether the bill should apply to Department of Agriculture lands, especially ag park lands, and to DLNR lands. Department of Agriculture staff explained that ag park lands currently do not allow agritourism, while non-ag park lands under Act 90 allow limited related activity tied to farm production, with revenue limits and other conditions. Members and witnesses debated how to define and measure agritourism, how to enforce county rules, and whether to exempt ag park parcels or otherwise clarify that existing DOA rules would control. No vote or final action was taken during the hearing, and the chair requested follow-up language from DOA to address possible exemptions and clarify the bill’s application.
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
Carbon Sequestration Programs Study Commission (11/18/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- <00:52:20.000>
over greenhouse gases and those entities over greenhouse gases and those entities - by other entities, which I'll mention<01:03:12.799>
in <01:03:13.040>a <01:03:13.200> <01:06:14.880>- New Hampshire on taxation, are you then allowed to also sell the carbon credits to a third-party entity
almost <01:06:16.079>double to a third party entity almost double to - And this uh entity, uh, which is based in Europe, uh, has developed core carbon principles, and while
Summary:
The meeting was called to order, the Pledge of Allegiance was led, and the clerk called the roll, establishing a quorum. The committee approved the prior minutes after correcting the date and changing a reference so that a draft-legislation note attributed to Representative Wlette was corrected. After that, the chair introduced a carbon presentation by Mr. Charlie Lebec and invited members and guests to move closer to view the slides.
Mr. Lebec’s presentation focused on forest carbon science and forest carbon offset markets, with emphasis on how forests store, sequester, and emit carbon. He explained greenhouse gases and the relationship between atmospheric CO2 and temperature, then defined key terms such as carbon storage, sequestration, flux, sinks, and sources. He also described forest carbon pools, noting that soils contain a large share of forest carbon, and discussed how forest age affects storage and sequestration, arguing that younger forests often sequester carbon faster while older forests store more carbon overall. He also addressed how harvested wood products can continue to store carbon, responding to a question from a member about mass timber and carbon sinks.
The presentation included regional comparisons showing New Hampshire’s forest density, carbon storage, and sequestration relative to other New England states, and noted that New Hampshire forests offset more than 30% of the state’s annual greenhouse gas emissions from nonforest sources, while Maine and Vermont offset even larger shares. Mr. Lebec said eastern forests are generally carbon sinks, unlike some western forests affected by wildfire, and stressed that forest management, soil protection, and forest age all influence carbon outcomes. No votes or substantive policy actions were taken beyond approving the minutes; the meeting was primarily informational.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Transportation Finance and Policy Committee 2/12/25
Transportation Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- been an element of the program where there's an open call for interested stakeholders and local entities
- And then local entities in the filtering and review process, area transportation partnerships or the
- And then local entities in the filtering and review process, area transportation partnerships or the
- <00:36:02.640>
uh <00:36:02.839>in submitted and then local entities uh in submitted - and then local entities uh in the<00:36:03.240>
in <00:36:03.359>the <00:36:03.480>
NH
Transcript Highlights:
- are going to take all of these entities are going to take any<01:01:01.680>
income <01:01:02.319 - uh entities are not necessarily<01:01:11.200>
going <01:01:11.359>to <01:01:11.480> - PSNH, or Urce, divested themselves of generation, and generation is now its own private entity.
- So we're going to move them like every other commercial entity in the state.
- rules that every other commercial property in the state is subjected to, and no other commercial entity