Transcript Highlights:

• It also tightens restrictions on solicitation by bail bond agents and agencies.
• A local agency can't require the private provider contract as a permit condition.
• It's a challenge working with children with disabilities.
• And, you know, when you're teaching a regular classroom, we have challenges. But we have to...
• children with disabilities, it can be even more challenging.

Summary: The committee first confirmed six appointees on a single roll-call vote, then took up a series of bills, many of them on land use, housing, public safety, child welfare, education, and professional licensing. Early debate centered on CS/SB 208, which would require development fees to better reflect review costs and impose objective compatibility findings for residential projects. An amendment folded in additional housing-related provisions, including manufactured housing and a study of urban development boundaries, prompting extended discussion about Miami-Dade’s Everglades protection area and local control. A late-filed rural-boundary amendment was withdrawn. The bill was reported favorably after support from business, housing, and advocacy groups, with some senators voicing district-specific concerns. The committee then approved CS/CS/SB 686 on agricultural enclaves after amendments added conservation easement, wildlife corridor, and critical state concern protections, plus a further Everglades-related amendment. Members discussed balancing smart growth, infrastructure costs, and protecting environmentally sensitive areas. Other land-use and growth bills also advanced, including CS/SB 1434 on infill redevelopment, CS/SB 1138 on qualified contractor pre-application review, and SB 218 limiting the reach of prior hurricane recovery zoning protections in counties not affected by the 2024 storms. SB 1474 on biosolids management was amended to reduce the distance threshold for land application restrictions and delay the effective date, and SB 1708 on veterinary licensure by endorsement removed a three-year recent-practice requirement to address shortages. Several public safety, health, and family-related measures also passed. CS/CS/SB 436 expanded felony battery enhancement to include resisting an officer with violence and certain law-enforcement battery offenses. SB 830 extended public-records protections to county and city administrators and related family information. CS/CS/CS/SB 600 revised bail bond rules, and an amendment preserved the current treatment of charitable bail funds and nonprofits; the committee heard testimony from The Bail Project and others on both sides. CS/SB 914 expanded dry-needling supervision options for occupational therapists, CS/SB 1092 clarified podiatric use of certain cellular/tissue products, and SB 1504 and SB 1718 updated insurance licensing and educator certification pathways. On the education side, CS/CS/SB 7038 made broad postsecondary changes, including tuition waivers, residency clarification, and licensure rules, while CS/SB 186 required seizure-response training and action plans in schools. The committee also advanced multiple child welfare and health bills. CS/CS/CS/SB 560 streamlined psychotropic medication procedures for children in state custody and added youth-voice and insurance-review provisions. CS/CS/CS/SB 902 combined several Department of Health changes, including medical marijuana distance rules, autism microcredential eligibility, a neurofibromatosis grant program, and NICU nutrition information. SB 1002 expanded child welfare definitions to address parental drug abuse and neglect, and SB 1708 eased endorsement licensure for out-of-state veterinarians. Most bills were reported favorably on roll-call votes, with several amendments adopted along the way and limited opposition or abstentions noted on some measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:25:06.600><c> under</c> state and county agencies under state and county agencies under proclamations
• And that's a very challenging thing to figure out: what are the eligibility requirements.
• that prevent you monetary challenges that prevent you from<00:50:03.440><c> doing</c><00:50:03.760><
• that we can as a what are the challenges that we can as a legislature<00:50:13.960><c> and</c><00:50
• We have SCR 180 urgency<01:15:10.680><c> agencies</c><01:15:11.120><c> that</c><01:15:11.280><c> own<

Bills: SCR180

Committee: House Public Safety

Summary: The committee opened by noting it was likely its last hearing of the 2026 session, then took up several resolutions. SCR 54, on appointing a hydrogen fire safety expert and training on hydrogen-related protocols, and SCR 59, on allowing certain health care professionals to practice without a license during a state of emergency, drew no testimony. Members discussed SCR 59 as a response to past emergencies and the need for pre-approved, updated registries of professionals who could be deployed quickly in emergencies. SCR 62 SD1, which asks the 911 Board to form a working group with the disability community to address access issues in emergency and 911 responses, received testimony from disability advocates and the 911 Board. Testifiers said the measure should ensure an integrated system with EMS infrastructure, real-time access for dispatchers and field personnel, and public education about the system; they also noted that Smart911 is no longer being used on Oahu and Maui and that a statewide, integrated approach is needed. Members agreed to work the suggested language into the resolution. SCR 179, urging Maui County to enforce fire code provisions on brush clearance, fuel breaks, roadside vegetation clearing, and emergency access, was noted as having no testimony but continuing to raise important issues. SCR 74, calling for an audit of no-bid contracts issued under emergency proclamations from 2020 through 2025, drew strong support from a late testifier who tied the measure to emergency procurement concerns after the Lahaina wildfire and COVID-era contracting. The witness argued that procurement rules should not be waived in ways that compromise safety, and described concerns about unlicensed contractors and construction problems in a state housing project. Members asked about the scope of the audit and whether it would interfere with criminal investigations; the witness said the audit should cover a broad range of contracts, including nonprofit contracts, and should not be limited to the wildfire period. The committee also heard SCR 28 SD1 on creating a Hawaii Vietnam Veterans Medal, with support from the Department of Defense and veterans advocates, who said the resolution is intended to do the groundwork for a future appropriation and to determine eligibility and distribution procedures. Finally, SCR 60 SD1, requesting updates on the “Breaking Cycles” rehabilitation and restorative justice study, received support from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Correctional System Oversight Commission, and reform advocates. The department asked that reporting be annual rather than quarterly because of the complexity of the OCCC project, and supporters said the measure would promote transparency and help ensure the study’s recommendations are implemented. No votes were taken in the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• c> uses</c><00:19:43.919><c> our</c> The Farm Service Agency uses our The Farm Service Agency uses our
• ,</c><00:21:39.600><c> public</c> libraries, state agencies, public libraries, state agencies, public
• Higher education institutions understand the budget challenges facing the state.
• Higher education institutions understand the budget challenges facing the state.
• </c> the budget challenges facing the state. the budget challenges facing the state.

Committee: Senate Higher Education

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:18:52.960><c> in</c> historically faced challenges in historically faced challenges in engaging
• </c> child who may have some very challenging child who may have some very challenging behaviors<00:26
• of the internet crimes against agency of the internet crimes against children<00:49:03.480><c> task<
• </c><00:57:13.880><c> in</c><00:57:14.039><c> our</c> um one of the biggest challenges in our um one
• In 2021, a 10-year-old girl asked Amazon's Alexa for a challenge to do because she was bored.

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Farm Service Agency Farm Service Agency and<00:57:42.000><c> offers</c><00:57:42.320><c> financial
• It increases the those challenges.
• the agency can withhold payment.
• </c> verified by the agency head. verified by the agency head.
• It can stop the agencies.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the thermostat setting, a policy no one would ever think of as discriminatory could be challenged
• Child welfare agencies encourage individuals to seek guardianships of our children through probate law
• Agencies avoid ICWA and deny parents' and tribes' equal protections required by federal law by pushing
• Establishing a quorum is a challenge sometimes. I didn't want to miss the opportunity.
• This bill would be a meaningful step in solving that new challenge that we face regularly.

Summary: The Senate Judiciary Committee met without a quorum and proceeded as a subcommittee while hearing a long consent calendar and several Assembly bills. Early testimony focused on AB 1744, which would prohibit sunscreen products marketed as “reef safe” or similar from containing chemical UV filters; the author and student supporters said the bill is a truth-in-labeling measure to protect marine ecosystems, and there was no opposition. Committee members praised the student witnesses and the author asked for an aye vote, but no vote was taken because of the lack of quorum. The committee then heard AB 713, which would allow undocumented students at UC, CSU, and community colleges to access campus jobs. Supporters, including a UCLA law professor and a large coalition of student, labor, immigrant-rights, and education groups, argued the bill would reduce exploitation and improve affordability and retention; opponents argued it would conflict with federal law. Members expressed strong support, and the author closed by emphasizing that students simply want the chance to work, but again no vote occurred due to the subcommittee status. The committee also heard AB 1359, allowing people age 80 and older to opt out of jury service without a doctor’s note, with support from the Alzheimer’s Association and LeadingAge California and no opposition. Additional measures included AB 2563, which would standardize California’s definition of sex discrimination across state codes to align with equal-rights principles; it drew strong support from women’s rights and labor groups and strong opposition from anti-trans advocates. AB 1705 would require websites to verify consent before hosting sexually explicit images of people, with supporters framing it as a response to nonconsensual pornography and opponents warning it could sweep in sites that prohibit such content. AB 1940 would explicitly name menopause in workplace protections, with supporters citing workforce equity and opponents saying existing accommodation law already covers it. The committee also heard AB 1824 and AB 2115 on Native American child welfare and a formal legislative apology for historic harms, both backed by tribal representatives and allies, as well as AB 2076 on nitrous oxide sales to minors and AB 2783 on court reporter licensing and remote reporting; all drew support and no recorded opposition. Several members praised the bills and indicated they would move them when a quorum was available.

Transcript Highlights:

• The financial challenges have been significant, and not just to us personally, but to the community,
• As we navigate the increased cost and financial challenges of rebuilding our homes, we're dealing with
• We appreciate this dialogue to better understand any compliance challenges associated with AB 238 and
• So we can commit absolutely to talking to the federal agencies.
• We heard about the extension and forbearance, the balloon payment challenge as well.

Summary: The Assembly Banking and Finance Committee held an outcomes review of AB 238, the wildfire mortgage forbearance law, focused on how the law has worked for survivors of the Eaton and Palisades fires. Chair Valencia and Assemblymember Harabedian said the hearing was intended to hear directly from survivors, assess whether the law is being implemented as intended, and identify fixes. Several survivors described losing homes, facing long rebuild timelines, and struggling with insurers, housing costs, and mortgage servicers. Many said they encountered confusion, inconsistent information, requests for financial documentation, lump-sum repayment demands, credit reporting problems, or loan modifications that they viewed as undermining the law’s purpose. Some urged clearer consumer education, a consumer bill of rights, and an extension of forbearance relief; one witness specifically advocated for AB 1847 to extend forbearance to 36 months. DFPI Chief Deputy Commissioner Suzanne Martindale said the department had received about 300 wildfire-related consumer complaints, mostly about mortgage forbearance, and that more than 91% had been resolved in the consumer’s favor. She said the department works with both state-licensed and federally regulated institutions, but its authority is limited when national banks are involved, so it often uses outreach and direct contact with lenders and federal partners to resolve complaints. She also described recurring complaint themes such as difficulty obtaining forbearance, customer-service breakdowns, withholding of insurance funds, and non-interest-bearing impound accounts. Committee members pressed DFPI on which institutions were noncompliant, what enforcement tools were available, and how much data the state could collect and make public. Representatives of the California Bankers Association and California Mortgage Bankers Association said lenders had provided early disaster relief and were working to comply with AB 238, but emphasized that mortgage servicing is constrained by federal law, investor requirements, and secondary-market guidelines. They argued that forbearance is temporary relief, not forgiveness, and warned that extending it without a clear repayment path can create future payment shock or larger debt burdens. They also said many servicers use disaster protocols tied to federal declarations and that clearer communication is needed. In response to committee concerns, the mortgage bankers said they would continue working with the Legislature and federal agencies, but could not promise changes beyond investor and agency rules. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• You'll see a similar section like this for all of the agency compliance reports.
• It's a great challenge. They're up for it.
• Claire, are there a number of agencies where, like, for economy of scale, rather than agencies having
• On our administrative side, those folks are the backbone of our agency.
• And many times, those are the agencies calling us for assistance on sexual assaults.

Summary: The committee met to hear the Attorney General’s budget and related agency presentations. Legislative Council first reviewed the compliance with legislative intent report and the base budget worksheet, highlighting current and ongoing appropriations, FTE changes, one-time funding items, continuing appropriations, and major special and federal funds. Members asked about items such as the Missing Indigenous People Grant Fund, the Internet Crimes Investigation Fund, and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit grant funding, and staff explained the funding sources and status of those programs. Assistant Attorney General Clare Ness then outlined the Attorney General’s office structure, staffing, and budget pressures. She emphasized the office’s broad statutory duties, the value of its legal and investigative work for state and local governments, and concerns about attorney salary competitiveness, the new and vacant FTE pool, and the impact of the 3% operating budget reduction on BCI, IT, and the crime lab. Members also discussed AG opinions, boards and commissions training, and the office’s litigation and settlement recoveries. Ness and committee members raised the possibility of broader attorney salary benchmarking across state government. The crime lab director described severe space and infrastructure constraints, including overcrowding, shared workspaces, glycol leaks, air handling limits, and aging fire and burglar alarm systems. She said the 2024 study projected a much larger facility would be needed and that a new building on the current health department site would best address the lab’s needs. She also reported that backlogs have improved significantly in DNA, drug, fingerprint, and firearms work, though toxicology had a recent delay after an air compressor failure. The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit director described the unit’s fraud, abuse, and neglect work, noted federal-state funding and recent federal scrutiny, and said the unit needs more staff. The gaming division reviewed charitable gaming growth, e-tabs, trust accounts, and compliance issues, while BCI covered its caseload, cybercrime and child sexual abuse material investigations, the missing indigenous person task force, and the use of lottery funds for drug task forces. No formal votes or budget actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• So that's the challenge.
• MassHealth also will maintain strong partnerships with law enforcement agencies, including our Attorney
• The other agency I want to talk about is DTA.
• As constituents worried that federal chaos will halt meaningful progress to meet pressing challenges
• Despite fiscal challenges, this budget delivers full implementation, Despite fiscal challenges, this

Summary: The Senate opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, adopted two commendatory resolutions honoring the Plimpton Historical Society’s Deborah Sampson Day recognition and Megan’s Light’s Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month observance, and suspended Joint Rule 12 to refer several House petitions to committee. The chamber also briefly recognized Diane Talk of the South Shore Regional Emergency Communication Center on her retirement after 30 years of dispatch service. Later, the Senate passed two local bills to enactment: House No. 4006, authorizing Dartmouth to grant an additional all-alcoholic beverages license, and House No. 473, relating to the charter of Westwood. The main business was the Senate Ways and Means presentation of the fiscal year 2027 budget, totaling about $63.3 billion. The chair described the budget as balanced, with no new taxes or tax cuts, based on a consensus revenue estimate of $986 million in growth over FY26 (2.4%), and including about $15.8 billion in federal financial participation and roughly $2.7 billion from the Fair Share surtax. The budget emphasized record local aid, including $1.376 billion in unrestricted general government aid, $7.66 billion for Chapter 70 education aid, increased minimum school aid, higher regional school transportation reimbursement, rural aid, and the revival of the Foundation Budget Review Commission. It also highlighted major investments in MassEducate free community college, food security, housing, and support for vulnerable residents. Members then engaged in extended colloquy on the budget’s major cost drivers and policy choices. Questions focused on debt service, pension and OPEB liabilities, MassHealth caseload and rising per-enrollee costs, child care funding, and program integrity in DTA and other benefit programs. The chair said debt service would be about $2.67 billion, pension payments would be $5.1 billion, OPEB would receive a $150 million payment, and MassHealth enrollment was projected at about 2 million with costs driven by acuity and medical inflation. He also said the budget includes no collective bargaining agreements and no state tax changes. Senators supporting the budget praised its investments in education, local aid, homelessness prevention, public health, libraries, and housing, while minority leaders and others stressed the need for fiscal discipline, transparency, and further work on affordability and municipal support. The Senate also received a House message on House No. 5316, which the House had nonconcurred in, and a conference committee was appointed on the disagreement.

Transcript Highlights:

• The OIC may accept grants and funds for the program from any governmental agency or public or private
• What I would challenge you is to work with the insurance commissioner's office.
• Three, involve agencies already doing this work.
• That said, challenges remain.
• For the past two years, the Washington winery industry has been very much challenged.

Bills: SB6061 , SB5844 , SB6079 , SB6137 , SB5831 , SB6031 , SB6178

Committee: Senate Business, Trade & Economic Development

Keywords: tourism, self-supported assessment, funding, statewide promotion, economic development, storage rental, tenancy agreements, tenant rights, landlord obligations, termination notice, insurance, wildfire prevention, policy nonrenewal, cancellation, risk management, sports wagering, sports betting, sports gambling, bookmaking, gambling regulation

Transcript Highlights:

• Federal law requires behavioral health agencies that offer OTP services to be accredited by an approved
• Why don't you go ahead and provide us all the information you can on your agency request?
• First off, the department would like to thank Representative Lekanoff for supporting our agency request
• Manufacturers have challenged many of these state laws in court.
• This bill would challenge that settled law and risk plunging the state into complex litigation.

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 2437, which would put the Department of Health’s authority to accredit opioid treatment programs into statute and allow the department to set a fee to cover the cost of those services. The prime sponsor and DOH said the bill would preserve a service that is especially important to tribal and rural providers and would be self-sustaining rather than supported by the general fund. Members asked about the relationship between DOH and HCA and whether the bill would duplicate existing authority; staff and the department said DOH already performs the accrediting role and the bill mainly formalizes that authority and fee-setting power. Public testimony on the bill was then closed. The committee then held an extensive work session on the federal 340B drug pricing program and later opened public testimony on House Bill 2145, which would prohibit manufacturers, distributors, and third-party logistics providers from restricting 340B drug acquisition or delivery and from requiring claims or utilization data as a condition of access. Committee staff and NCSL gave background on how 340B works, recent growth in the program, contract pharmacy issues, and state efforts in other jurisdictions. Testimony on HB 2145 was sharply divided: hospitals, community health centers, tribal representatives, contract pharmacies, and labor groups said the bill would protect safety-net providers, rural access, HIV and behavioral health services, and tribal programs from manufacturer restrictions; business groups, pharmaceutical companies, and employer coalitions argued the program has expanded beyond its original intent, lacks transparency, shifts costs to employers and taxpayers, and should be addressed through federal reform instead. No vote was taken in the excerpt. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 2155, which would bar non-human entities from using nursing titles such as RN, APRN, or LPN or otherwise implying they are licensed nurses. The prime sponsor said the bill is intended to protect patients from being misled by AI systems and to preserve transparency and public safety as health care technology expands. The Washington State Nurses Association testified in support, saying AI can be useful but should not replace nurses or be presented as a licensed professional. A member asked about enforcement and liability, and staff said they would follow up on those details.

Transcript Highlights:

• Most important to the child, a CASA volunteer is by their side during traumatic, chaotic, challenging
• Residents, businesses, community organizations, local governments, fire agencies, and land management
• Travel patterns are changing, and now the finances are so bleak that many agencies are making cuts to
• We need to respond to these big challenges and find a way for operators to succeed.
• Through shared prayer, communities can find hope, resilience, and courage to face challenges together

Summary: The Senate opened with a quorum call, prayer, and the Pledge of Allegiance, then took up several floor items. AB 108, a budget bill, was presented as a one-time $25 million grant program through HCAI to help severely distressed nonprofit and public hospitals with less than 10 days cash on hand and limited other options, along with a technical fix for the property tax postponement program. Senators Laird and Jones spoke in support, and the bill passed 36-0 with immediate transmittal granted. The chamber then adopted a series of resolutions recognizing CASA Appreciation Day (SCR 162), California Wildfire Preparedness Week (SCR 165), California Rail Month (SCR 84), the National Day of Prayer (SCR 153), and Mother’s Day (SCR 167). Floor remarks highlighted the role of CASA volunteers, year-round wildfire risk and local preparedness efforts, rail’s importance to mobility and climate goals, faith and prayer as sources of guidance, and the contributions of mothers and mother figures. All of these resolutions passed, with SCR 153 receiving one no vote and the others passing unanimously or near-unanimously. The Senate also passed SB 1175, which moves lobbyist registration and related filings directly to the Secretary of State to improve timeliness and transparency; SB 949, designating the Santa Cruz Mountains as a landscape of statewide significance; SB 1038, strengthening CalPERS audit notice requirements for unions; and SB 965, making it easier for 16- and 17-year-olds to obtain library cards without a parent physically present. Each measure received supportive remarks and passed on strong roll calls. Later, the Senate adopted SR 106 marking Black April Memorial Month and honoring Vietnamese refugees and the Vietnamese American community, with members speaking about the fall of Saigon, refugee sacrifice, and the community’s contributions. The session concluded with committee announcements and an adjournment in memory of Dan Hughes, a former reserve officer, firefighter paramedic, and longtime parks district board member. The Senate announced it would reconvene on Monday, May 11, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• This body is going to have to get serious about the underlying challenges for the hospitals that got
• Most important to the child, a CASA is by their side during traumatic, chaotic, challenging, and often
• Residents, businesses, community organizations, local governments, fire agencies, and land management
• Travel patterns are changing, and now the finances are so bleak that many agencies are making cuts to
• We need to respond to these big challenges and find a way for operators to succeed.

Transcript Highlights:

• These young people are doing their best to succeed in school while facing challenges most of us cannot
• Oftentimes, as the McKinney-Vento homeless liaison, this was a challenge for me because when I wanted
• That was one of the challenges that we had when I spoke to higher ed.
• One of the challenges we get into sometimes when we know a bill is going to change is having to come
• But once I heard the stories, that person was on the phone 24 hours a day and the challenges that they

Committee: House Elementary and Secondary Education

Summary: The Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education met in executive session and public hearing, with a quorum present. It first voted House Bill 1767, described as the educator and parent bill of rights combination bill, due pass by a 14-1 vote with one present. The committee then considered House Bill 2918, which was amended by a substitute focused on defining school-sponsored media as a news source and distinguishing news from commentary or editorial content; the sponsor said the changes were intended to promote balanced, truth-in-labeling journalism and to protect only bona fide news sources. The substitute was adopted, and the House Committee Substitute for HB 2918 passed 11-3 with three present. The committee also voted House Bill 2304 due pass by a 10-4 vote with three present, though the transcript does not describe the bill’s subject. The committee then moved out of executive session and heard House Bill 2772, sponsored by Representative Melissa Douglas, which would create a postsecondary McKinney-Vento-style liaison for students experiencing homelessness. Douglas said the bill would help students transition from K-12 homelessness supports into higher education by giving them a designated point of contact in financial aid, and she noted that a substitute would remove earlier appointment and donation provisions and leave implementation to higher education institutions. Committee members asked about the liaison’s qualifications, duties, staffing, and fiscal impact, and Douglas said the substitute removed the most controversial appointment requirements and was intended to be a zero-fiscal-note approach. Supporters testified that the bill would improve coordination and help homeless and foster students persist in postsecondary education. An opponent argued the proposal duplicated existing services, would be costly, and was unnecessary given current state, federal, and nonprofit supports. No vote was taken on HB 2772 before the hearing ended and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> other um programs we have at the agency other um programs we have at the agency as<00:48:48.960>
• ,</c><01:17:16.400><c> you</c> back to the the federal agencies, you back to the the federal agencies
• ><c> may</c><01:18:29.360><c> be</c> affects other agencies who may be affects other agencies who may
• c> needs</c><01:20:21.360><c> the</c> The federal agency also needs the The federal agency also needs
• So we saw that under the agency.

Committee: House Science, Technology and Energy

Transcript Highlights:

• It's been a real challenge.
• classes of work within the state executive branch, and for the small staff that we have, it's a challenge
• It's been a real challenge.
• classes of work within the state executive branch, and for the small staff that we have, it's a challenge
• But a lot of jobs in the state, in our agencies, they're only found in state government, and so there

Committee: Senate Labor and Technology

Summary: The Committee on Labor and Technology heard several labor and personnel measures. Senate Bill 1567 would require the Department of Human Resources Development to conduct a comprehensive review of the executive branch classification and compensation system and allow it to contract with a third party outside normal procurement rules. Director Brana Hashimoto testified in support, saying the state has more than 1,400 classes of work and limited staff to keep the system current; she said outside vendor help and market data are needed to update class specifications, minimum qualifications, and pay structures. She noted the project scope and timeline would depend on funding, and said the governor had approved about $1 million for the effort. Members asked about vendor scope, comparisons to the private sector and other public employers, consolidation of obsolete classes, and whether the exemption from procurement rules would speed the work. The committee also heard Senate Bill 326 on defense of state employees, with testimony in support from HGEA, the Hawaii State AFL-CIO, and the Hawaii State Teachers Association. Senate Bill 337 would expand the pool of interest arbitrators used in collective bargaining disputes by allowing the Hawaii Labor Relations Board to request a list from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service and to use arbitrators from both FMCS and the American Arbitration Association; HGEA supported the bill, saying the broader pool would improve selection and address communication issues. Senate Bill 1233 would create a State Internship and Workforce Development Program within DeHerd. The University of Hawaiʻi, HGEA, the Hawaii Primary Care Association, and the Chamber of Commerce supported it. DeHerd said the program could help place interns into vacancies and convert them to civil service jobs, but said it would need about five FTE and roughly $330,000 in salaries to administer a program serving about 50 to 75 interns at a time; members questioned whether the positions could be filled and whether the program could proceed without added resources. The committee then heard Senate Bill 1359, which would increase the employer-based composite monthly contribution to the Hawaii EUTF Benefits Trust Fund beginning in January 2026 and then tie future increases to Medicare Part B premium changes with a lag. The EUTF administrator testified, and a member noted the measure resembled a bill that had died in conference the prior year. Senate Bill 1454 would give the Labor and Industrial Relations director authority to issue wage payment violation orders, establish penalties and appeals, and broaden the definition of wage; the department supported it, explaining it would align procedures under chapter 387 with existing chapter 388 enforcement and make investigations easier. Finally, the committee moved through a series of collective bargaining cost-item bills for various bargaining units and related entities, with testimony generally in support from Budget and Finance, HGEA, UH, HHSC, UPW, and other unions and associations. One amendment request was to include bargaining units 1 and 10 in the temporary hazard pay funding bill, and the Hawaii Fire Fighters Association noted its airport firefighters unit was still in arbitration and would provide final numbers later.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's to ask the insurance agencies, you guys have good intel on this.
• There's also another agency in our state, a nonprofit called ISRB, Idaho Survey and Rating Board.
• Just a comment, well, one, I want to rule 80, as I do own an insurance agency. All right.
• Is that recognized by any insurance agency in controlling our rates?
• There's a challenge there with what we wouldn't know was happening. Follow up. Thank you.

Committee: House Business

Transcript Highlights:

• To further support innovation, this bill establishes a... ...AI sandbox, a program where agencies and
• And finally, the legislation requires agencies to disclose AI use when the public is interacting with
• We've been working, obviously, with the agencies extensively in this regard with DIR.
• Income covers our overhead, our non-interest expenses, and that is being challenged every year.
• Legal challenges have never stopped the Senate from passing the law. We appreciate it.

Bills: SB231 , SB584 , SB600 , SB668 , SB841 , SB986 , SB1003 , SB1244 , SB1625 , SB1960 , SB1963 , SB1964 , SB2026 , SB2056 , SB2368

Committee: Senate Business & Commerce

Transcript Highlights:

• I think there's a lot of things we do to a lot of government agencies that we control even when we don't
• it more likely that the deck is stacked against families who simply don't have the resources to challenge
• Unfortunately, in this state, we don't have many consequences for those local education agencies, and
• provision of Title 17 relative to education service providers and vendors to prohibit education agencies
• One of the biggest challenges programs like ours has faced is that we do not fit neatly into existing

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, that individual right now does not have a recourse in the state of Minnesota to challenge ICE agents
• </c><00:09:06.240><c> uh,</c><00:09:06.560><c> ICE</c><00:09:06.959><c> agents</c> Minnesota to challenge
• ,</c><00:31:43.760><c> against</c><00:31:44.080><c> every</c><00:31:44.320><c> county,</c> state agency
• , against every county, state agency, against every county, against<00:31:45.039><c> every</c><00:31:
• Unconstitutional laws that were passed that were challenged under Section 1983.