Transcript Highlights:

• Please be aware that any personal information you give on this card may be subject to public disclosure
• Please be aware that any personal information you give on this card may be subject to public disclosure

Bills: SB25 , SB250 , HB22 , HB27 , HB33 , HB47 , HB233 , HB290 , HB308 , HB324 , HB382 , HB533 , HB559 , HB575 , HB980 , HB1157 , HB1207 , HB1236 , HCR45

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: registrar of voters, parish registrar, chief deputy registrar, confidential assistant, election administration, elections, salary schedule, compensation, merit evaluation, population-based pay, census-based pay, Department of State, Secretary of State, State Board of Election Supervisors, redistricting, senate districts, Senate District 33, Senate District 34, Senate District 35, precincts

Transcript Highlights:

• This amendment fixes what we see as an oversight by making sure that these employment contract disclosure
• that the reason why the same We see as an oversight by making sure that these employment contract disclosure

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, guest introductions, and a light April Fools proclamation directing the sergeant-at-arms to wear a silk top hat for the day. The chamber then agreed to the House request to adjourn from April 2 to April 7, and messages from the House were received, including transmission of some bills to the Governor. The body also briefly recognized visitors from the Arizona Psychiatric Society and the nominee to lead the Department of Emergency and Military Affairs. In Committee of the Whole, the Senate considered several bills. On the first calendar, it advanced HB 2120 on property tax exemptions and disability determinations, HB 2174 on insurance business and modeling data, HB 2289 on truth-in-taxation bond notices, HB 2861 on marital/postnuptial agreements, and HB 2903 on banks and financial institutions. On the second calendar, it advanced HB 208 on school libraries, HB 2040 on public educational institutions and adoption information, HB 2075 on school employee contracts, HB 2203 on public school reporting requirements, HB 2255 on school employee training, HB 2383 on school property leases and housing development, and HB 2903 again as amended. Several floor amendments were debated, including a successful hostile amendment to HB 2075 that was later rejected, and committee amendments to other bills were adopted. The Senate then took third-reading votes on multiple bills. HB 257, HB 2131, HB 2223, HB 2264, HB 2857, HB 2120, HB 2174, HB 2289, HB 2861, HB 2903, HB 2008, HB 2040, HB 2075, HB 2203, HB 2255, and HB 2383 all passed, with recorded roll-call votes and several members explaining their opposition or support. HB 2255 passed with the required three-quarters vote. The chamber also adopted the Committee of the Whole reports and transmitted the bills as appropriate. Before adjournment, Senator Miranda read a proclamation recognizing Farm Workers Day, and Senator Tothley offered a statement and moment of silence in memory of Passion Swartz, urging review of turquoise alert practices. The Senate then voted to adjourn until Thursday, April 2, 2026 at 10 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Monthly reporting during the operational period provides ongoing disclosure rather than a single annual
• If required reporting or disclosure is not provided, authorization will be suspended until compliance

Summary: The committee first confirmed Michael Lyndon of Post Falls to the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and then heard several water-related bills. Senate Bill 1304 would clarify ditch easement rights by allowing ditch owners to inspect, maintain, and relocate diversion structures within an existing easement without written landowner permission, while still requiring permission to move anything outside the easement. Senate Bill 1306 would fix a timing issue in irrigation district exclusion petitions by replacing an automatic approval trigger after 150 days with a more structured hearing and appeal timeline. Senate Bill 1305 would let water districts, if authorized by a patron resolution, charge specific property owners for costs tied to updating water-right ownership records instead of spreading those costs across all users. Senate Bill 1307 would repeal and consolidate overlapping code chapters on lateral ditch management into one chapter, adding definitions and clarifying election, appointment, and maintenance rules for lateral users associations and water delivery entities. All four bills received do-pass recommendations, though one senator reserved judgment on SB 1304 to consult local property-rights concerns. The committee also considered House Bill 511, which would raise the cap on the Idaho Department of Lands’ improved-parcel wildfire preparedness surcharge from $40 to $100 per year. The sponsor and department said the fee supports wildfire readiness, equipment, training, and rapid initial attack in growing wildland-urban interface areas, and industry witnesses supported the increase as modest and necessary. The bill passed the committee on a do-pass motion, with Senators Cole and Hart voting no. Finally, Senate Bill 1269 would update Idaho’s cloud seeding statute by adding definitions, formal reporting and public meeting requirements, accountability provisions, and clarification that state standards govern the program. Supporters said the bill would improve transparency and preserve the existing program without expanding it, while one virtual witness testified against it. Several members said they wanted more transparency and further discussion, but the committee still sent the bill to the floor with a do-pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• It exempts from public disclosure the names and addresses of affected employees provided to ESD in the
• It exempts from public disclosure the names and addresses of affected employees provided to ESD in the

Bills: SB6134 , SB6136 , SB6188

Committee: House Labor & Workplace Standards

Keywords: unemployment insurance, UI benefits, striking workers, strike, labor dispute, retroactive wages, overpayment assessment, overpayment recovery, Employment Security Department, ESD, claimant notice, benefit recoupment, Washington unemployment law, worker notice, federal unemployment tax credit, state unemployment fund, workers' compensation, industrial insurance, premium rates, rate transparency

Transcript Highlights:

• One is in financial oversight, which happens to be in my district, which, full disclosure, happens to
• One is in financial oversight, which happens to be in my district, which, full disclosure, happens to

Committee: House Education

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• One is in financial oversight, which happens to be in my district, which, full disclosure, happens to
• One is in financial oversight, which happens to be in my district, which all full disclosure happens

Summary: The House Education Committee heard several bills focused on school district operations, student access, and special education. Substitute Senate Bill 6222 would allow school districts and educational service districts to sell or grant surplus technology hardware, such as laptops and tablets, directly to public school students, with priority for low-income students and documentation of the transfer. Testimony from the sponsor, district staff, and advocates emphasized helping students keep familiar devices, reducing waste, and extending the public investment in technology. The committee also heard Second Substitute Senate Bill 5969, which would better integrate IEP transition plans with the statewide online IEP system and the universal high school and beyond plan platform to reduce duplication; staff noted a fiscal note had been requested, and there were no public testifiers on the bill. The committee spent substantial time on Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6247, a school district financial management bill. The bill would require additional ESD oversight and support for districts showing signs of financial distress, create mandatory school director training on funding and finance, strengthen penalties for knowing violations of budget expenditure limits, and require disclosure authorizations before hiring certain budget or accounting personnel. Senator Dozier said the bill was prompted by district financial problems, declining enrollment, failed levies, and reserve fund declines. ESD, WSSDA, WASA, WOSBO, and OSPI testified in support overall, though some witnesses raised concerns about mandatory training, funding for implementation, and whether training should extend beyond school directors. Committee members asked about the bill’s scope, the undefined term “significantly,” the $750,000 reimbursement cap, and how it compared with House Bill 2593. The committee also heard Substitute Senate Bill 622, which would exempt school districts and ESDs from certain surplus-property notice requirements when selling or granting surplus technology hardware to students at depreciated cost or no cost to low-income students. Senator Hunt said the bill came from constituent concerns about unused laptops and tablets and would help students transition to work, college, or technical school. Zero Waste Washington and an Issaquah School District official supported the measure, citing environmental benefits and practical student access to technology. The committee closed public hearings on the bills, noted sign-in counts for pro and con positions, and announced amendment deadlines and upcoming executive sessions.

Transcript Highlights:

• We removed duplicative language and disclosure of rating practices in 1.110 or dot 10 on page 24.
• We removed duplicative language and disclosure of rating practices in 1.110 or dot 10 on page 24.

Committee: House Business

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• dating violence, ensuring that they can protect their home, school, and work addresses from public disclosure
• dating violence, ensuring that they can protect their home, school, and work addresses from public disclosure

Committee: Senate Rules

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Rules met with a quorum present and heard a long agenda of bills, beginning with CS/SB 62 on candidate qualification, which would create an enforcement mechanism for party-affiliation qualification requirements and allow challenges by qualified candidates or political parties. The bill was reported favorably. The committee then heard CS/SB 156, the Officer Jason Raynor Act, which would clarify resistance-to-officer language and impose a mandatory life sentence for manslaughter committed against a law enforcement officer; the sponsor and local law enforcement supporters emphasized the Raynor case, while criminal defense lawyers objected to deleting existing force-limit language and to the mandatory life penalty. Despite the opposition, the bill was reported favorably. The committee also approved several open-government sunset review bills extending or preserving public records exemptions, including CS/SB 7014 on social media platform investigations, SB 7016 on small business loan program records, CS/SB 7012 on Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles investigations, CS/SB 7000 on emergency shelter recipient information, CS/SB 7002 on Department of Military Affairs records, SB 7004 on conviction integrity unit reinvestigation materials, SB 7006 on Florida Public Service Commission records and meetings, and SB 7008 on Florida Gaming Control Commission records and meetings. Other measures reported favorably included SB 624 allowing optional faith-based activities in batterers’ intervention programs, HB 167 protecting former phosphate mining lands from certain strict-liability claims, CS/SB 48 on accessory dwelling units and housing supply, SB 288 on rural electric cooperatives, CS/SB 364 modernizing CPA licensure, SB 292 creating a records exemption for appellate court clerks and families, CS/SB 296 expanding domestic violence safety tools and address confidentiality protections, CS/SB 298 as the public-records companion, SB 386 on farm equipment lemon-law style protections, and SB 168 expanding public nuisance law to include gambling houses. Several bills drew supportive testimony from local governments, advocacy groups, industry groups, and affected families, with some opposition on SB 156 and SB 290. For CS/SB 48, the committee adopted two amendments before reporting the bill favorably. SB 290 on the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services was temporarily postponed after the chair allowed public testimony but no final action was taken. At the end of the meeting, senators recorded their votes on selected bills, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• for domestic violence, stalking, and sexual violence, when the petitions are dismissed or when disclosure
• of public necessity explaining why these records must be temporarily or permanently exempt from disclosure

Committee: Senate Criminal Justice

Summary: The Criminal Justice Committee met with a quorum present and temporarily postponed SB 156. The committee first considered the confirmation of Matthew Walsh as Secretary of the Department of Juvenile Justice. Walsh described his background in law enforcement, social work, and juvenile justice, and outlined DJJ priorities including recruitment and retention, staff wellness, collaboration with DCF and other agencies, aging facilities, and expanding educational and vocational opportunities for youth. Members asked about his social work training, lockout youth, bed space, recidivism, and the Florida Scholars Academy. The committee voted unanimously to favorably report his confirmation. The committee then took up SPB 704, a committee bill extending the public records exemption for conviction integrity unit reinvestigation information. Senator Martin explained that the exemption was originally created to protect active innocence reviews and should continue past its current sunset date. With no opposition or debate, the committee voted unanimously to report the bill favorably as a committee bill. Next, the committee considered CS for SB 32, as amended, which creates an injunction for protection against serious violence by a known person and adds it to the statewide injunction verification system and related enforcement provisions. Senator Sharif said the bill is intended to give judges a faster tool to protect victims who have reported serious violence to law enforcement, while supporters said it addresses cases where victims are harmed before a repeat-violence injunction can be granted. Eric Friday of Florida Carry opposed the bill, warning it could be misused against self-defense situations and create problems in cases already covered by existing injunction laws. After debate, the committee voted unanimously to report the bill favorably. The committee then considered SB 210, which extends public records protections to petitions for injunctions for protection against serious violence by a known person, including dismissed petitions and identifying information before service. There was no opposition, and the committee voted unanimously to report SB 210 favorably before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• Current law requires disclosure of intentionally added ingredients, a very good, excellent step in ensuring
• relevant and validated testing protocols, and strike the advanced testing cost and mandatory public disclosure

Summary: The Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee heard three bills after beginning without a quorum and later establishing one. SB 328 would cap DTSC hazardous waste generation and handling fees for infill housing and master development projects and set response timelines for cleanup reviews. Supporters said the current fee structure has made some housing and remediation projects infeasible, while opponents warned that capping fees for one sector could shift costs to other hazardous waste generators. The committee discussed the need for broader DTSC fee reform, and SB 328 was approved on a 7-0 vote and sent to the Committee on Revenue and Taxation. SB 754 would require manufacturers of disposable menstrual products to test for and disclose concentrations of certain contaminants, with DTSC able to verify results and publish them. Supporters framed the bill as a transparency and public health measure, citing recent studies finding toxic metals in tampons and emphasizing consumer right-to-know. Opponents, including manufacturers and hygiene product groups, argued the bill adds duplicative testing, vague requirements, and public disclosure that could be misinterpreted, and urged amendments. The committee members generally supported the goal of transparency, and the bill passed 5-2 with not voting members, moving to Appropriations. SB 466 would provide temporary legal protections for public water systems that are complying with approved chromium-6 compliance plans while they work toward the new drinking water standard. Supporters from Los Banos, Coachella Valley Water District, and other water agencies said the measure would help avoid costly litigation during a lengthy and expensive compliance period, especially for systems dealing with naturally occurring chromium-6. Committee members raised concerns about limiting recourse for harmed individuals and discussed possible alternative language, but the author said the bill would not affect state enforcement authority. SB 466 passed 7-0 and was sent to the Committee on Judiciary. The committee also adopted a consent calendar of additional measures by voice vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• I have a disclosure to make on Senate Bill 157 because we are considering proposed legislation which
• I'd like to refer to my earlier disclosure on Senate Bill 157, and I will again be abstaining on this

Keywords: 909, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill also mandates clear, upfront disclosure of total ticket costs from the start, guarding against
• The required disclosures would also help prevent blind reliance on these recommendations by...

Bills: HB2226 , HB2269 , HB2343 , HB2760 , HB3621 , HB4079 , HB4204 , HB4518 , HB4531 , HB4555 , HB4850 , HB4876 , HB4903 , HB4996 , HB5122

Committee: House Trade, Workforce & Economic Development

Keywords: construction trust funds, Property Code, Chapter 162, construction payments, mechanics lien, contractors, subcontractors, laborers, material suppliers, materialmen, real property improvement, assignment of payment rights, unpaid trust funds, trust fund beneficiaries, construction industry, payment protection, Texas construction law, property owners association, landscaping, grass maintenance

Transcript Highlights:

• trauma and the abuse through a civil lawsuit, which, while settled, included a... restrictive non-disclosure
• Disclosure Agreement, prohibiting her from ever being able to speak out about her abuse that allegedly

Bills: HB10 , HB 12 , HB147 , HB1522 , HB422 , HB675 , HB204 , HB748 , HB912

Keywords: regulatory reform, government efficiency, administrative law, rulemaking, agency deference, judicial review, de novo review, Texas Government Code, Administrative Procedure Act, state agencies, plain language, regulatory burden, regulatory reduction, cost-benefit analysis, fiscal note, public benefits and costs, contested case, rule challenge, Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office, advisory panel

Transcript Highlights:

• seeks to mandate registration of foreign agents, open foreign-supported political organizations to disclosure
• This bill saves from repeal the public records and public meetings exemptions that protect the disclosure

Summary: The Government Operations Subcommittee met and took up a long agenda of policy bills, local bills, and open government sunset review measures. The committee first heard HB 433 on administrative procedures, as amended by a strike-all that would create a five-year repromulgation process for agency rules, require review of guidance documents, add cost-benefit analysis requirements, and tighten licensing reporting. Members questioned whether the bill duplicated existing JAPC review functions and raised concerns about costs and the scope of agency authority, but the amendment was adopted and the bill was reported favorably 12-3. The committee then approved HB 699, which increases penalties for certain traffic infractions when they result in a crash; CS/HB 404, a local bill updating the City of Tampa firefighters’ and police officers’ pension plan; HB 711, creating a statewide Spectrum Alert and law-enforcement training for missing children with autism; HB 4023, a local ethics-related charter change for the North Springs Improvement District; HB 583, requiring registration and disclosure for agents and organizations associated with foreign principals and foreign-supported political organizations; HB 251, recognizing International Holocaust Remembrance Day in Florida; and HB 749, extending medical benefits for firefighters who suffer catastrophic injuries during training. Most of these bills drew supportive testimony and were reported favorably by unanimous or near-unanimous votes. The committee also considered several OGSR/open-records measures. PCB GOS-25-04 preserved exemptions for public safety communications system infrastructure records, PCB GOS-25-05 aligned cybersecurity-records sunset dates to October 2, 2026, and PCB GOS-25-06 narrowed exemptions for certain records held by the Department of Financial Services as receiver for insolvent insurers, making more information public. All three were reported favorably on 17-0 votes. The meeting adjourned after the final roll call.

Transcript Highlights:

• Energy and Environment Cabinet shall compile a report of all of the state and federal incentives disclosures
• Energy and Environment Cabinet shall compile a report of all of the state and federal incentives disclosures

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:04 Introduction of Guests 00:54 HB 640 Discussion 01:15 HB 640 Roll Call Vote 05:16 HB 641 Discussion 06:11 HB 641 Roll Call Vote 11:49 HB 790 Discussion 12:47 HB 790 Roll Call Vote 14:23 Chair Comments regarding SB 89 16:04, 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and took up House Bills 640, 641, and 790. HB 640 would authorize the Energy and Environment Cabinet to adopt regulations to control invasive non-native plant species, with testimony focusing on the threat posed by species such as callery pear/Bradford pear to native plants, forest health, and the economy. Members asked whether the bill itself would ban Bradford pears; the sponsor clarified that it would not directly ban them, but would give the cabinet regulatory authority. The bill received a favorable expression by roll call. HB 641 addressed coal combustion byproducts, explaining that the bill would help preserve landfill space by allowing these materials to be reused as special waste in places such as abandoned strip mines or underground mines, and would clarify that reclaimed land could qualify for agricultural use such as pasture, hay, or crop production. Members raised concerns about groundwater and runoff; the sponsor and another member argued that placing the material under cover would reduce exposure compared with open piles currently sitting at power plants. After discussion, the bill passed with favorable expression, with a few members passing on the vote. HB 790, as amended by committee substitute, was described as substantially narrowed from its original form. The substitute removed setback requirements and instead required construction certificate holders for solar merchant electric generating facilities to report federal and state incentives used for siting, construction, and operation, with the cabinet compiling and submitting an annual report to the General Assembly. The committee approved the substitute and the bill passed with favorable expression. At the end of the meeting, members were also reminded of a later TVA energy update meeting and the chair noted ongoing work on Senate Bill 89, with possible future action and a special meeting if revised language is ready.

Transcript Highlights:

• for sharing information that may be classified, private, non-public, or proprietary and force a disclosure
• for sharing information that may be classified, private, non-public, or proprietary and force a disclosure

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House File 23, authored by Representative Robbins, was heard on a motion to advance it to the next committee. The bill, as amended by the A1 author’s amendment, would clarify the statutory definition of abuse, fraud, and waste and expand whistleblower protections for state employees who report those issues to legislators, the legislative auditor, or constitutional officers. Robbins said the measure is intended to protect state workers and align whistleblower language with existing Inspector General definitions; he also cited recent fraud investigations as the backdrop for the bill and noted a Senate companion, SF 475, with bipartisan support. Devon Bruce of the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees testified in support of the bill’s protective intent but raised concerns that it only covers classified state employees, creating uneven treatment between classified and unclassified workers and between state and local public employees. Bruce also warned that the bill does not fully address data practices issues, including the handling of nonpublic, private, or proprietary information, and suggested broader privacy protections for whistleblowers’ identities. In response to questions, Robbins said the bill was not meant to change data practices law and that those issues should be addressed separately. Members debated whether the bill was ready for further consideration and whether it should also go to the fraud oversight committee or Judiciary. Motions to lay the bill over and to re-refer it to the fraud prevention and state oversight committee both failed. After a roll call vote, the committee approved the bill 7-6 and sent House File 23 to Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 8877 by Senator Janaris: an act to amend the labor law in relation to certain mandatory disclosures

Committee: Senate Labor

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Labor, chaired by Senator Jessica Ramos, met for its sixth meeting of the 2026 session and considered seven bills. The committee advanced bills on the minimum wage for employees with disabilities (S-28C), modular construction work (S.2225), COVID-19-related workers’ compensation death benefits (S.6078), withholding of workers’ compensation benefits based on attachment to the labor market (S.6376), paid sick leave eligibility (S.8677), mandatory disclosures in job advertisements (S.8877), and construction reporting pay-up (S.9843). Several members voiced support for the bills, and Senator Rhoads gave extended remarks in favor of S.6078, describing it as a needed reopening of the filing period for families who missed the deadline during the pandemic. Most measures were reported out of committee with little opposition. S-28C was reported to the Disabilities Committee, S.6078 and S.6376 were reported to Finance, and S.8677, S.8877, and S.9843 were reported to the calendar. The committee took voice votes on each bill, with some recorded abstentions or absent-without-recommendation responses noted, but no roll-call vote was taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• requiring publishers of books created with the use of generative artificial intelligence to contain a disclosure

Committee: Senate Internet And Technology

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The committee met at 9:34 a.m. on April 1 with a quorum present and considered several Internet and technology-related bills. The first, S.1815 (Fernandez), would require books created with generative AI to include a disclosure; one member raised concern that the language could unintentionally cover ordinary software like Microsoft Word, and the chair said she would relay that concern to the sponsor. The bill was reported to the Consumer Protection Committee with five in favor, one opposed, and one without recommendation. The committee then advanced S.4609A (Gounardes), establishing a stop-online-creditors measure, to the Finance Committee, with one opposed. S.7713A (Krueger), restricting the use of automatic license plate reader information, was reported to the floor with five in favor and two opposed. S.7974, the chair’s bill on recovery of online accounts for mobile telephones, also moved to the floor with two opposed. Two additional bills passed unanimously or near-unanimously: S.8641 (May), giving website and mobile app users the right to refuse non-essential cookies, and S.9097 (May), concerning social referral services, both were reported to the floor with seven in favor. The meeting concluded after a motion to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• 48:17.599><c> would</c><00:48:17.760><c> require</c><00:48:18.000><c> that</c><00:48:18.240><c> disclosure
• </c> that would require that disclosure. that would require that disclosure. for<00:48:20.160><c> the
• It is a broad disclosure of water availability for broad geographic areas. this morning does um raised
• It is a broad disclosure<02:06:22.480><c> of</c><02:06:22.719><c> w</c><02:06:23.040><c> water</c><02
• :06:23.360><c> availability</c><02:06:23.920><c> for</c> disclosure of w water availability for disclosure

Bills: SB2190 , SB2338 , SB2424 , SB2356 , SB2981 , SB3028 , SB3187 , SB2378 , SB2398 , SB2192 , SB2155 , SB3219 , SB3218

Committee: House Housing

Keywords: affordable housing, employment contracts, salary caps, housing finance, public housing authority, executive compensation, parking minimums, off-street parking, transit-oriented development, TOD, housing supply, smart growth, redevelopment, adaptive reuse, micro units, rail transit, public transit stations, county zoning, land use, urban planning

Summary: The House Housing Committee heard testimony on a series of housing-related Senate bills. SB 2190 SD2 on inclusionary zoning drew support from HHFDC, Hawaii YIMBY, Grassroot Institute, Housing Hawaii’s Future, and Hako Seed Center, with opposition from OHA and Aloha Independent Living Hawaii. SB 2338 SD1, dealing with housing agency personnel authority, received comments from the Attorney General cautioning that the bill should be clarified to avoid conflicts with civil service and collective bargaining laws and recommending removal of a provision limiting employment contracts; HHFDC said its comments addressed those concerns and supported the measure. SB 2424 SD1, concerning HHFDC, received broad support from housing, business, and community groups, with one opposition. Testimony focused on changing the definition of “qualified resident” so people who already own an HHFDC-assisted unit could later purchase another if their housing needs change; HHFDC said the current rule forces people to sell before buying again and that the bill would help people move up the housing ladder and encourage more housing development. SB 2356 on parking also drew broad support from state agencies, housing advocates, business groups, and local officials, with Unite Here Local 5 in opposition. SB 2981 on land use had strong support from many organizations and 67 individuals, with Unite Here Local 5 opposing. SB 3028 SD2 on property conveyance generated the most detailed policy debate. Supporters, including Catholic Charities Hawaii, Hawaii Children’s Action Network, Indivisible Hawaii, and others, backed restructuring the conveyance tax into a marginal rate system and urged changes to revenue allocations, including dedicated funding for homeless services, DHHL, and the rental housing revolving fund. The Tax Foundation of Hawaii supported the marginal-rate concept but opposed dedicated special-fund allocations and criticized the bill’s blank sections. Committee members questioned the historical purpose of the conveyance tax, and the Tax Foundation explained it was originally a modest tax tied to property-value tracking when the state still ran the property tax system. The committee also heard SB 3187 SD2 on off-site construction, SB 2378 SD2 on housing permitting, and SB 2398 SD2 on residential housing utilities. OPSD supported SB 3187 but said it preferred the House version and wanted clarification that off-site certification should apply to factories in Hawaii, not out of state, to avoid outsourcing labor; it also suggested starting with a small scope. SB 2378 SD2 drew support from engineering, housing, and labor groups, with testimony that the House version included needed fixes to make the program insurable. On SB 2398 SD2, the Board of Water Supply opposed the bill, saying it could require disclosure of sensitive infrastructure information beyond ordinary water-availability assessments and raise critical-infrastructure and cybersecurity concerns; developers and housing groups supported the measure. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, in spite of the law requiring disclosure in that case, many of the files remain hidden, including
• Um, in spite of the law requiring disclosure in that case, many of the files remain hidden, including
• Um in spite of the law a law requiring<01:29:42.159><c> disclosure</c><01:29:42.719><c> in</c><01:29:
• 42.880><c> that</c><01:29:43.040><c> case</c><01:29:43.440><c> many</c> requiring disclosure in that
• case many requiring disclosure in that case many of<01:29:43.840><c> the</c><01:29:44.000><c> files</

Bills: HF3874 , HF3875 , HF3378

Committee: House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law

Keywords: judicial funding, Chief Justice security, fiscal year 2028, court system, judicial branch, judiciary, court notices, restitution, child protection, publication process, human services, Optum reports, data privacy, transparency, legislative oversight, 1183, house