Transcript Highlights:

• hours for unindentured and/or 1,000 hours plus approved training, along with education, exams, and fees
• It requires 1,500 journeyman hours, a 24-hour course, exam, background check, and fees for master plumber
• Page 3, line 4, under penalties, it authorizes administrative fees between $500 and $5,000 per violation

Summary: The Senate Commerce Committee met on May 6, 2026, with five members present and approved the prior meeting minutes. The committee first heard HB 750, a “click-to-cancel” consumer protection bill requiring subscription cancellations to be as easy as sign-up and to be available through the same method used to subscribe. An amendment was adopted, testimony included support from labor and consumer advocates and opposition from some business groups, and the bill was reported favorably as amended. The committee then took up SB 414, which was narrowed to cap interest on medical debt at 3%. After reconsidering and replacing prior amendments, the committee adopted the new amendment set and reported the bill favorably as amended. HB 799, concerning inspection licensing for elevators, escalators, and boilers, was presented by the State Fire Marshal and reported favorably with little discussion. The longest discussion centered on HB 953, a major plumbing workforce and licensing reform bill. The bill was amended substantially: the original proposal to move plumbing oversight to the Contractors Board was removed, the plumbing board remained in place, apprenticeship and journeyman/master plumber hour requirements were revised, penalties and reporting requirements were added, and language was included to support workforce development and reentry training. The committee heard both support and opposition, including clarification from the State Plumbing Board that it already has an appeals process through the courts, and HB 953 was reported favorably as amended. Finally, HB 220, the “PROTECT Act,” was heard to require covered online platforms to maintain a clear and usable mechanism for reporting child sexual abuse material and exploitation. An amendment was adopted to account for platforms that require registration to access content, testimony was supportive, and the bill was reported favorably as amended. HB 952 was deferred, and HB 827, a related plumbing workforce bill, was amended to align more closely with HB 953 but then failed a motion to defer by roll call vote, allowing it to remain pending. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• employee credentialing and training requirements, third-party vendor standards, and land reclamation fees
• On my second one, has OMMA thought about And working with METRIC or paying the fee to get the records
• Can we pay a state fee to get that so that you know it could be it could be to the public so that we

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• diverted for areas of operation outside of supporting the building code, which is what the building fees
• Some building departments, the City of Orlando, discount the permit fee 80% because a private provider
• Gulf County charges a $500 administrative fee.

Summary: The Legislative Auditing Committee heard several local-government audit requests and unanimously approved each one. The first item was Baker County, where county commissioners asked for an operational and financial audit because of repeated late audits, concerns about the finance office, and lack of confidence in county financial reporting. The county clerk supported an audit but argued it should be countywide and include all constitutional officers; she also described a dispute over access to the county finance system and pending litigation. After brief questions, the committee adopted a 9-0 motion directing the Auditor General to perform an operational audit of Baker County’s financial operations and records, with scope to be finalized during the audit. The committee then approved an audit request for the Concord Estates Community Development District in Osceola County. Senator Arrington said residents alleged excessive board compensation, large unexplained spending, missing financial reports, and refusal to provide records or hold open meetings. Residents and a board member testified about rising assessments, deteriorating amenities, and lack of transparency. The committee voted 10-0 to direct an operational audit of the CDD. It also approved, by 10-0 votes, operational audits of the town of Melbourne Beach, based on allegations of fiscal and operational improprieties and lawsuits that had cost the town more than $150,000, and the city of Apalachicola, where Senator Simon said longstanding water utility failures, grant issues, and consent-order problems warranted review. The final request was for a financial and operational audit of Cape Coral’s Building Department. Representative G. Lombardo said building-fee revenues appeared to be transferred for non-building purposes, permit processing was inconsistent, and the department relied heavily on a private firm while the building official had prior ties to that firm. Industry representatives testified that building funds were being diverted, service levels were suffering, and private-provider inspections were not always reflected in fee reductions. The committee adopted the motion 10-0. After completing all agenda items, the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• attorneys, be careful which case you take because we might make you liable for the other side's attorneys' fees
• Just to highlight a couple of the things that go on here, we do have this attorney's fees shift is rigged
• attorneys to represent us without fear that they're going to have to pay the other side's attorneys' fees

Transcript Highlights:

• exception that would be the amendment to the amendment is an exception that would allow for moving fees
• allow for moving fees and a and a regime allow for moving fees and a and a regime that<00:03:18.239><
• repay oftentimes completely at the discretion of their employers, high interest rates, attorneys’ fees
• ,<00:08:19.199> and high interest rates, attorneys fees, and high interest rates, attorneys
• Immigration and visa fees lost profits.

Bills: HF3889, HF2567, HF3878

Keywords: workforce development, grant program, employment, economic development, funding, employment contract, labor policy, employee rights, unconscionable provisions, public policy, legal enforcement, airport workers, wage standards, labor rights, minimum wage, economic equity, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• to their members for union services, but they're mandated to provide the fees.
• c><01:28:32.080> to<01:28:32.320> their<01:28:32.480> members cannot um apply fees
• to their members cannot um apply fees to their members for<01:28:33.040> union<01:28:33.440><
• Uh with that if you to provide the fees.
• ,<01:49:38.239> contributions, from paying dues, fees, contributions, from paying dues, fees

Bills: HB0083, HB0102, HB0178

Keywords: subpoena, legislative authority, penalty, compliance, law enforcement, artificial intelligence, synthetic sexual material, child protection, self-harm, criminal liability, public employment, labor organization, dues withdrawal, collective bargaining, public funding, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• increases and $16 million in fee increases and $16 million in fee increases,<00:22:34.400> AIS
• AIS fees of $6.5 million for the biennium, as well as groundwater appropriation fees in the neighborhood
• We did not need to increase the fees right now.
• We did not need to increase the fees<00:31:29.600> right<00:31:29.919> now.
• fees right now. fees right now.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a percentage-based fee, so as soon as the Maui operators do... making sure that money goes from
• fee fee so<01:41:34.920> as<01:41:35.040> soon<01:41:35.199> as<01:41:35.800>
• A lot of people go, oh, they see the cost advertised and then they pay the fees and you just think, oh
• Um, so yeah, I mean, I think there’s, you know, people add fees whether it’s, you know, service fees
• whether it's you know service add fees whether it's you know service fees<01:45:29.960> through

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Water and Land heard testimony on several measures, beginning with HB 347 relating to goats. The Department of Land and Natural Resources offered comments and said its Division of Forestry and Wildlife was available to answer questions. Testimony on the bill was largely opposed, with speakers arguing it would amount to a “free-for-all” rather than game management and urging deferral. DLNR responded that bag limits can be adjusted by area and game management unit under adaptive management rules, and that hunters typically take out their catch. No vote was taken in the portion provided. The committee then took up HB 1278, on which DLNR testified in support. The record in the excerpt does not include discussion of the bill’s substance beyond the department’s support, and no action or vote is shown. A substantial portion of the hearing focused on HB 144, relating to the Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority and proposed exemptions from Sunshine Law requirements during the transition period. The authority’s vice chair testified that the body is a startup agency with a complex transition from the University and needs to be able to discuss strategic planning, operational formation, and other day-to-day matters with more than two members present. Opponents, including the Public First Law Center, Hawaiʻi Environmental Alliance, and community members, argued the bill would cut the public out of the deliberative process, allow decisions to be hashed out in private, and set a poor transparency precedent. One testifier also raised cultural and environmental concerns about Mauna Kea. Committee members questioned whether existing law and narrower guardrails could address the authority’s concerns, and the authority said it had already proposed a narrower alternative but the bill returned in similar form. The excerpt ends before any final committee action on HB 144 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the past, trailer lots, RV parks, and similar locations are charged one flat fee for the whole lot
• Charged one flat fee for the whole lot, while individual homeowners have to pay the full amount.

Bills: SB221, SB224, HB440

Keywords: Mobile County, judge of probate, compensation, salary, expense allowance, electronic monitoring, pretrial defendants, criminal justice, court programs, supervision fees, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Of course, we also now have out-of-control car registration fees.
• out of control car registration fees. out of control car registration fees.
• So, House Bill 212 creates a $7 per day fee on your car for not obeying.
• , because while our registration fees, because while our registration fees<01:58:04.800> might
• But this program has a $25 million to $50 million administrative fee attached to it.

Keywords: House streaming session for Wednesday, March 11, 2026, 957, house, all

Summary: The House of Delegates met on February 27, 2026, with a prayer, roll call showing 130 members present, and the reading of the previous day’s journal. The chamber then took up several House resolutions recognizing guests and honorees, including Harold Futch Sr. II and his daughter R.V. for their collaboration on the album “Harmony” and R.V.’s status as the youngest Grammy winner; Michelle Eberle for her leadership of the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange; and the Boys & Girls Club of Washington County on its 85th anniversary. Each resolution was read and adopted with applause and congratulations. The House also received Senate Bill 108 from the Senate consent calendar and, by unanimous consent, had it read the first time and referred to committee. In the Economic Matters Committee report, the House adopted favorable reports and sent multiple bills to third reading, including HB 306 on dealer website price transparency, HB 461 on rural readiness and capacity building, HB 573 on fair housing discrimination standards, HB 798 on small minority- and women-owned business capital access, HB 850 on open house disclosure requirements, HB 951 on land records revisions, HB 996 on corporations and associations revisions, HB 1026 on rounding cash transactions, and HB 1312 on legal tender species establishment. HB 306 drew the most debate over its title, which included the “Jack Fitzgerald Price Transparency Act.” One delegate argued the title improperly referenced a private business and should be removed; the floor leader responded that the bill honored consumer advocate Jack Fitzgerald and that the dealership was employee-owned. A motion to special order the bill failed on a roll call vote of 95 no to 38 yes, and the bill was then ordered printed for third reading. HB 691 on permitting efficiency for housing development projects was also special ordered until the next day after members sought more time to review possible amendments. The House adopted amendments and favorable reports on several bills, including HB 243 on comprehensive and general plans, HB 343 on housing counseling services, HB 483 on charitable organization audit thresholds, HB 523 on residential foreclosure restrictions, and HB 243’s amendments clarifying prospective application. Members asked questions about HB 243’s planning requirements and about HB 523’s “zombie mortgage” protections; the floor leader explained that HB 523 would protect homeowners from surprise foreclosures on old debts without forgiving the underlying debt, while HB 243 would modernize comprehensive planning standards without changing local subdivision review processes.

Transcript Highlights:

• We were told that each firearm would require first a $10 fee and then on top of that another $40 fee
• and finally a third $15 fee.
• third $15 fee. third $15 fee.
• And, of course, there's fees.
• We have the increase of gun storage fees, the increase in renewal fees, fees for ATF Form 4473 and background

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ensures that those who are doing the transaction are aware that they are receiving that processing fee
• customer to have choice if they want to use the debit card or cash they would Not receive this processing fee

Bills: SB1623, SB2067, SB2132

Keywords: credit union, Oklahoma State Credit Union Board, membership, loans, investments, board compensation, financial regulations, financial exploitation, protected adults, financial institution, notification, temporary hold, credit card, surcharge, discounts, consumer protection, payment methods, 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• that we assess to that incurs fees that we assess to that organization<00:13:45.800> and<00:13
• <00:13:48.040> as<00:13:48.240> they<00:13:48.399> incur<00:13:48.880> fees
• <00:13:49.880> then<00:13:50.120> and rebate so as they incur fees then and rebate
• so as they incur fees then and use<00:13:50.519> the<00:13:50.720> system<00:13:51.279>
• <00:15:58.560> on ensure that um when we assess one fee on ensure that um when we assess one

Bills: HF2103, HF2793

Keywords: energy, renewable energy, ammonia, hydrogen, certificate tracking, funding, environment, community solar, energy policy, sustainability, solar garden program, regulation sunset, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• This proposal would create a single administrator model with a per member per month fee rather than via
• an individual fee-for-service.
• This proposal would create a single administrator model with a per member per month fee rather than via
• an individual fee-for-service.
• <01:09:39.159> for people on disabilities on fee for people on disabilities on fee for service

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 05:13.320> to<00:05:13.560> assess<00:05:14.199> appropriate<00:05:14.800> fees
• <00:05:15.800> three<00:05:16.400> to and to assess appropriate fees three to and to
• assess appropriate fees three to provide<00:05:17.039> sufficient<00:05:17.600> capacity
• Just one question: you folks collect admin fees and you collect penalties and fees.
• Do you use some of that for some of the work that you need to have done for fees?

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• An administrative fee unrelated to their retained administrative function results in dollars that would
• that are not delegated, nothing currently precludes them from retaining an admin fee far in excess of
• I have seen it suggested that subcontract administrative fees are often minimal. I would disagree.
• County, every 1% of administrative fee that is retained is $19 million. That is not minimal.
• Further, the primary plan may also apply the administrative fee on certain pass-through payments for

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• which people pay for tickets can result in different prices, as in the case of a dreaded convenience fee
• convenience as in the case of a dreaded convenience as in the case of a dreaded convenience fee
• . fee. fee.
• They collect fees from the buyer and the seller, and those fees increase as prices go up.
• They collect fees from the buyer and the seller, and those fees increase as prices go up.

Bills: SB2603, SB3007, SB3019, SB3022, SB2795, SB2256, SB3250, SB2147

Keywords: Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, state funding, public performances, educational programs, cultural arts funding, culture and arts, arts policy, cultural preservation, community development, economic revitalization, place-based planning, public spaces, historic preservation, adaptive reuse, mixed-use development, business improvement district, Honolulu Chinatown, DBEDT, Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, state foundation on culture and the arts

Summary: The committee heard testimony on SB 2603 SD1, which would designate the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra as the state symphony orchestra, require annual reports to the legislature, and appropriate funds. Testimony was overwhelmingly in support from the orchestra, the Hawaii Youth Symphony, the Hawaii Arts Alliance, business and arts groups, and many individuals. Supporters emphasized the orchestra’s cultural value, its role in inspiring youth and supporting arts education, and its broader community impact. No opposition or questions were raised, and the chair offered praise for the level of public engagement around the measure. The committee then took up SB 3007 SD2, relating to culture and the arts, which would create an Office of Community Culture and Innovation within the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, require annual reporting, appropriate funds, and establish a Community and Cultural Partnerships Program. The Attorney General’s office warned that section four, which separately funds preservation and relocation of artwork from Aloha Stadium, may be non-germane and should be moved to a separate bill; it also suggested the office would be more properly placed under DAGS rather than SFCA. SFCA Director Karen Ewald testified with concerns about added costs, staffing burdens, and the need for earlier communication, while also saying the agency could support the work if properly coordinated. Opposition testimony argued the bill was duplicative or unnecessary, while supporters, including Governor Abercrombie and Dean Sakamoto, said it would help communities, especially Chinatown, and could support planning and cultural revitalization. The chair noted roughly eight opposition testimonies and five in support, and questioned witnesses about coordination and the cost of relocating the Aloha Stadium artwork, which Ewald estimated could cost at least $1.2 million. The AG’s office said removing section four would substantially reduce legal risk. Finally, the committee heard SB 3019 SD2, a consumer protection measure that would cap ticket resale prices at no more than $3 above the original price for events in Hawaii and authorize DCCA to adopt enforcement rules and fines. The Office of Consumer Protection opposed the bill, arguing it would strain limited enforcement resources, push sales to less regulated channels, and likely eliminate the protections offered by established secondary platforms. Chamber of Progress also opposed the bill, saying price caps would encourage black-market sales, scams, and fraud, and that resale markets serve legitimate consumer needs. In support, the National Independent Venue Association backed the measure, though the remainder of its testimony was not fully captured in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:02:34.879> Hatfield<00:02:35.599> McCoy<00:02:36.239> Tra<00:02:36.640> fee
• 00:02:36.959> trail,<00:02:37.440> one<00:02:37.599> of the Hatfield McCoy Tra fee
• trail, one of the Hatfield McCoy Tra fee trail, one of the<00:02:37.840> most<00:02:38.080>
• So, when Fee Hedrick was building that, they came to Bob Scott and the tourism commission and wanted
• a hard time affording registration fees a hard time affording registration fees for<00:54:34.319

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Call to Order and Roll Call 00:00:19 Signage Value & Tourism Growth Along the Hatfield-McCoy Feud Trail 00:03:12 Building a Stronger Community Through Sports 00:32:03, 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from the prior meeting and then heard a presentation from Pike County/Pikeville tourism officials about improving signage for the Hatfield-McCoy historic sites. Bob Scott, Tony Tacket, and Jay Shepard said visitors increasingly come to the area but often cannot find the sites because cell service and GPS are unreliable in the mountains. They argued that clearer signage along routes 119, 319, and 1056 would help visitors navigate the historic loop, strengthen branding, and increase dwell time and local spending. The Pike County presenters emphasized the economic importance of tourism, citing growth in tourist spending from $72.93 million in 2017 to $103.2 million in 2023 and $114.6 million in 2024. They said tourism helps offset the decline of coal, supports local mom-and-pop businesses, and benefits from partnerships with nearby West Virginia sites such as Matewan and other Hatfield-McCoy-related locations. Members asked about cross-state promotion, lodging capacity, and the possibility of a dinner show in Kentucky; the presenters said lodging is up 33% but more is needed, a new Crown Plaza hotel is planned in Pikeville, and a dinner show would require local investment and community buy-in. Committee members from the region spoke in support of the tourism effort and the need to preserve and teach local history. The chair and others said signage would help visitors and noted that a business without signs is no business. The committee then moved on to a separate presentation from the Louisville Sports Commission, introduced by Senator Jason Howell, which began with an overview of the commission’s role in sports tourism and economic development in Louisville.

Transcript Highlights:

• This would be a voluntary program with no mandatory fees.
• This would be a voluntary program with no mandatory fees, so this flexibility would only be used when
• I mentioned very briefly that, you know, it might be tempting that, well, if you had a lower fee, this
• But actually, I think without an appropriate fee, then... ...it would be cheaper.
• But we think that's, you know, part of the reason why, you know, an appropriate fee is both good for

Summary: The joint informational hearing of the Assembly Committees on Utilities and Energy, Transportation, and Natural Resources focused on California’s transportation fuels sector, especially the state’s response to refinery closures and the broader transition away from fossil fuels. Opening remarks emphasized the tension between climate and air-quality goals, fuel affordability, refinery jobs and local tax bases, and the need to avoid crisis-driven responses as Phillips 66 and Valero consider shutting refineries in Wilmington and Benicia. Professor Emily Grubert framed the issue as a long-term managed transition in which the public already bears much of the risk and should also capture benefits from a well-planned shift. CARB Chair Leanne Randolph reviewed the state’s emissions and fuel policies, including AB 32, the low-carbon fuel standard, clean vehicle programs, and the at-berth regulation for ocean-going vessels. She said California’s transportation sector remains the largest source of greenhouse gases and a major source of smog-forming pollution, but that the state has made substantial progress and still needs to reduce demand for fossil fuels while maintaining compliance with federal air-quality standards. Randolph also said CARB’s recent LCFS amendments had not caused the predicted spike in gas prices and explained that compliance pathways for the at-berth rule include emissions-reduction technologies or payments into a remediation fund. CEC Vice Chair Gunda described declining gasoline demand, shrinking in-state refining capacity, and growing dependence on imports, arguing that the state is in a “mid-transition” period that requires both support for legacy infrastructure and continued investment in cleaner alternatives. He outlined the administration’s petroleum market stabilization proposal, which aims to return California crude production to 125 million barrels a year through four components: codifying the ban on fracking, validating the Kern County oil-and-gas permitting ordinance, creating a temporary CEQA exemption paired with a two-for-one plug-and-drill framework, and strengthening pipeline and spill-safety requirements. Department of Conservation Director Jennifer Lucasey said the proposal is intended to stabilize crude supply and pipeline throughput while preserving health and environmental protections, and noted that CalGEM would still review permits and enforce other requirements. Mayor Steve Young of Benicia testified that a Valero closure would significantly reduce city revenue and leave the community facing years of cleanup and redevelopment challenges. He said the city supports environmental protection but is worried about the economic hit, the possibility that Benicia becomes a fuel-import terminal, and the lack of local influence over refinery decisions. Members pressed the panel on the CEQA exemption, tribal and habitat review, disclosure of closure liabilities, fuel-demand projections, and whether the proposal should include more demand-side measures. No formal votes were taken; the hearing was informational, and officials said some proposals, including a margin-cap pause and further transition planning, would be taken up later in the process.

Transcript Highlights:

• For every mitigation fee, prices go up.
• For every mitigation fee, prices go up.
• We're also concerned about the impact fee issue.
• Less than a year later, they adopted a new public art fee on housing projects, up to 1% of total value
• Relief and attorney's fees for members who successfully challenge these violations.

Summary: The committee first heard AB 1157, the Affordable Rent Act, which would lower California’s annual rent cap, remove the single-family home exemption, and eliminate the sunset on existing tenant protections. The author and supporters argued that renters are facing severe affordability pressures, especially in single-family rentals, and that stronger statewide rent stabilization is needed to prevent displacement and homelessness. Opponents, including apartment, building, and property-owner groups, said the bill would discourage housing production, harm small landlords, and override a deal they said was intended to be temporary while the state focused on building more housing. Public testimony on AB 1157 was extensive, with many renters, tenant advocates, labor groups, and community organizations speaking in support, while many landlords, business groups, and property-owner representatives spoke in opposition. Committee members were split: some praised the bill as a necessary response to the rent crisis, while others warned it could reduce investment and worsen the housing shortage. The committee ultimately voted 7-5 to pass AB 1157 to the Assembly Judiciary Committee. The committee then approved the consent calendar, including AB 413, AB 1152, and AB 1275, on a 9-0 vote. It also heard ACA 3, which would require the University of California to make available a limited number of down payment loans for eligible long-term support staff who are first-time homebuyers. Supporters said the measure would help lower-wage UC workers afford homeownership and improve retention, while UC and other opponents argued the proposal was duplicative of existing state programs, unnecessary, and potentially harmful to UC finances. The discussion focused on financing mechanics and the relationship to CalHFA, but no final vote on ACA 3 was included in the portion provided.