Video & Transcript : 'federal shutdown' :
Page 24 of 500
LA
Transcript Highlights:
- It adds that we're urging and requesting the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to work with the Federal
- We have Rick Owens here from the Louisiana Wildlife Federation, who is in support but not wishing to
- We have Rick Owens here again, Louisiana Wildlife Federation, in support but not wishing to speak.
- We had Rick Owens here with the Louisiana Wildlife Federation in support, and Mr.
- We had Rick Owens here with Louisiana Wildlife Federation in support, and Mrs.
Committee:
Senate Natural Resources
Keywords:
migratory waterfowl, hunting regulations, flooded crops, wildlife management, environmental impact, hunting, Kisatchie National Forest, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, deer hunting, dogs, conservation, hunting heritage, federal regulations, Senator Kennedy, wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, legislative support, environment, protective measures, boating safety
Summary:
The Senate Natural Resources Committee met on March 27 with a quorum present, approved prior minutes, and then took up several resolutions and one bill related to wildlife, water resources, and conservation. H.C.R. 79, as amended, urged the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to work together to allow the use of dogs for hunting in Kisatchie National Forest; supporters described it as a traditional hunting practice that has been restricted for years and could benefit local hunters and businesses. H.C.R. 104, as amended, asked the Department of Conservation and Energy and the Louisiana Geological Survey to study and modernize the collection, retention, and access to subsurface data, with members emphasizing the need to avoid sharing company-specific information. H.C.R. 87 was reported favorably to support correspondence from U.S. Sen. Kennedy regarding duck flyway management, H.C.R. 54 was reported favorably to study the impact of flooded corn on migratory waterfowl and restore an enforcement mechanism related to hunting over intentionally flooded crops, and H.C.R. 94 was reported favorably to require annual boating safety reports to legislative committees.
The committee then heard HB 1209, which would have paused new cooperative endeavor agreements for surface water withdrawals while allowing existing agreements to continue and be renewed through December 31, 2036. The author said the bill was intended to give the state time to develop a more comprehensive, data-driven surface water strategy and to address invasive species such as giant salvinia, which he said has severely affected waterways in his district. Members and witnesses acknowledged the seriousness of the issue, but there was concern that the bill was too complex to move quickly in the session. The committee discussed converting it into a study resolution instead, and the bill was deferred without objection. The meeting then adjourned.
LA
Transcript Highlights:
- power, alien, or corporation that is designated or considered a foreign adversary, and it cites the federal
- And what it does is it allows, in a case where the defendant waives the jury, it adopts the federal system
- Where the defendant waives the jury, it adopts the federal system where the prosecutor can consent to
- legislation is it applies only to entities that hold a valid FAA license, experimental permit, or other federal
- legislation is it applies only to entities that hold a valid FAA license, experimental permit, or other federal
Committee:
House Civil Law and Procedure
Keywords:
liability, regional transit, streetcars, trolley cars, motor vehicles, HB986, vehicular homicide, child support, surviving child, minor child, parent killed in crash, criminal restitution, family law, Louisiana child support schedule, R.S. 9:315.48, R.S. 14:32.1, victim compensation, traffic fatality, wrongful death, sentencing enhancement
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Transportation Finance and Policy Committee 4/13/26
Transportation Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- <c> high-quality</c> federal investment supports high-quality federal investment supports high-quality
- Simply put, federal preemption in aviation dictates that federal law preempts state law regarding aviation
- Simply put, federal preemption in aviation dictates that federal law preempts state law regarding aviation
- </c> communities from ICE and from federal communities from ICE and from federal actions.<01:39:39.960
- </c><01:41:58.160><c> agents</c> because they don't trust federal agents because they don't trust federal
Committee:
House Transportation Finance and Policy
Keywords:
transportation, interchange, funding, bonds, St. Paul Park, transit, Metropolitan Council, Twin Cities, metro area, high-frequency transit, bus rapid transit, busway, guideway, transportation policy plan, transit performance measures, regional transit benchmarks, transit-oriented development, TOD, zoning, land use
AZ
Arizona 2026 Regular Session
03/17/2026 - House Natural Resources, Energy & Water
Natural Resources, Energy & Water
Committee:
House Natural Resources, Energy & Water
Keywords:
underground utilities, utility locating, dig safe, call before you dig, 811, excavation safety, damage prevention, one-call center, locate request, white lining, large project coordination, buried infrastructure, subsurface utilities, utility marking, locator wire, locator strip, interactive positive response system, landlord duties, apartment community, mobile home park
FL
Transcript Highlights:
- We have some concerns on how that might interplay with NFIP and federal requirements that cities have
- in the bill analysis about where, you know, we may be not requiring a permit that may run foul of federal
Committee:
Senate Community Affairs
Keywords:
land use, disaster recovery, local government, federal assistance, Hurricane relief, legal notices, public accessibility, government transparency, digital publication, government agencies, temporary door locking device, emergency safety, building code, training programs, fire exit security, affordable housing, land development, starter homes, local government regulations, housing shortage
Summary:
The committee took up a series of land use, housing, local government, and public notice bills, along with a firefighter cancer bill and a bill on temporary door locking devices. SB 984 on firefighter cancer benefits and prevention was explained as clarifying access to death benefits and a one-time cancer payment for firefighters; it was reported favorably. SB 1612 required local governments to accept electronic payments online; it also passed favorably. SB 1180 created a recall framework for elected community development district board members and, through a strike-all amendment, also addressed synthetic turf enforcement and expanded compact urban mixed-use district definitions; the amendment was adopted and the bill was reported favorably. SB 936 allowed temporary door locking devices above the finished floor and directed the Building Commission to add standards to the Florida Building Code; it passed favorably.
The committee also considered SB 380 on legal notices, which would let certain local government entities publish notices on their own websites or other designated sites instead of relying on newspapers in more cases. The Florida Press Association, Common Cause, and newspaper representatives opposed the bill, arguing it would fragment public notice access and make notices harder to find and verify, while supporters said it would modernize and reduce costs. The bill’s amendment clarified which agencies were covered, and the committee reported the bill favorably. SB 962 on affordable housing narrowed prior zoning preemption language so working farms and farm operations would not be unintentionally captured by Live Local-style rules; it passed favorably. SB 1444 on state preemption and religious expression, private clubs, and minor home construction drew support from religious freedom advocates and opposition from cities and counties, which warned of vague terms and overbroad preemption; it was reported favorably.
The committee then approved SB 218, which would limit the reach of last session’s hurricane recovery land-use preemption to counties actually damaged by hurricanes and restore normal local land-use authority in unaffected counties. SB 1434 on infill redevelopment would streamline zoning and subdivision approvals for environmentally impacted parcels in certain urban counties to encourage housing on contaminated or underused land; counties and local-government groups opposed it as an overbroad preemption and raised concerns about the environmental threshold and density provisions, but the bill was reported favorably. SB 1020 on chickees prohibited local ordinances from blocking chickee construction if setback requirements are met and made unauthorized attempts to circumvent the building code a misdemeanor; it passed favorably. Finally, SB 948 on local government land development regulations and orders, as amended, proposed a statewide starter-home framework with lot-split and zoning changes to increase housing supply; local-government and planning groups warned it would function as a rigid statewide zoning code and could drive overdevelopment, while housing advocates supported it as necessary state action. The committee reported the bill favorably after extensive debate.
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Labor & Commerce Jan 26th, 2026 at 10:30 am
Labor & Commerce
Transcript Highlights:
- Agency has actually identified kratom as a drug of concern, yet it remains totally unregulated at the federal
- session with a bad budget, and so I do wonder how other states are managing to do the labeling if the federal
- Sunday following the first day of the strike, provided the strike is not found to be prohibited by federal
- In the past, we have talked about pausing them until federal legalization occurs.
Committee:
Senate Labor & Commerce
Keywords:
kratom, taxation, regulated substances, health safety, state revenue, cannabis, marijuana, home grow, home cultivation, personal cultivation, adult use cannabis, recreational marijuana, 21 and older, controlled substances, RCW 69.50, Liquor and Cannabis Board, LCB, plant limits, cannabis possession, cannabis concentrates
AL
Alabama 2026 Regular Session
Alabama House Ways and Means Education Committee Jan 21st, 2026
Ways and Means Education
Transcript Highlights:
- receipts, federal funds appropriated, and plans for operating the agency if the federal funding is reduced
- :51.040><c> plans</c> federal funds appropriated, and plans federal funds appropriated, and plans for
- </c> for operating the agency if the federal for operating the agency if the federal funding<00:14:53.600
- </c><00:15:05.680><c> funding</c> amount of state and federal funding amount of state and federal funding
- </c> amount of state and federal amount of state and federal appropriations<00:15:11.680><c> by</c><00
Committee:
House Ways and Means Education
Keywords:
illegal alien, enhanced sentencing, criminal offenses, minor victims, felonies, Alabama legislature, HB116, Alabama Sunset Law, sunset bill, sunset review, Alabama Professional Bail Bonding Board, bail bonding, bail bonds, bail bond industry, professional bail bondsman, licensing board, state agency continuation, agency reauthorization, regulatory board, criminal justice
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Recently, on March 26th of this year, a federal court judge found that the conditions in TDCJ are plainly
- On March 26, 2025, Federal District Judge Robert Pittman issued a 91-page order, also known as Doctrine
- It costs an inmate only $405 to file a federal lawsuit, and it costs the state between $7,000 and $10,000
Committee:
House Corrections
Keywords:
mental health, women's health, county jail, depression screening, criminal justice, HB 2854, Pokuaa-Flowers Act, parole, mandatory supervision, electronic monitoring, releasee, parole officer, hospital visit approval, general hospital, law enforcement notification, DSHS, Department of State Health Services, corrections, public safety, liability immunity
TX
Committee:
House S/C on State-Federal Relations
Keywords:
tax, ad valorem, voter-approval, local government finance, property tax, repeal, tax rates, school finance, tax reduction, compressed tax rate, education, funding, HB 176, Texas border security, interstate compact, Government Code Chapter 794, Texas-Mexico border, border enforcement, immigration enforcement, ICE 287(g)
TX
Committee:
Senate Economic Development
Keywords:
regulatory reform, state agencies, efficiency, rulemaking, judicial review, SB 217, Historic Texas Freedmen's Cemetery Designation Program, Texas Historical Commission, Freedmen's cemetery, freed slave burial site, cemetery designation, historic cemetery, African American history, Black cemetery, burial grounds, cemetery preservation, historical marker, medallion, property owner notice, adjacent landowners
AZ
Arizona 2026 Regular Session
02/03/2026 - Senate Natural Resources
Senate Natural Resources Committee of Reference
Transcript Highlights:
- But during the last government shutdown, there was not one tic-tac-toed stripe in the sky for 45 days
- So you can't tell me that there was no commercial aviation during the government shutdown, and it's semi-shutdown
- And we should be encouraging our federal regulators, like the Environmental Protection Agency, to be
- It's going to require the collective states to force a really sluggish federal government to move.
- federal law going through.
Summary:
The Natural Resources Committee approved the minutes from January 20 and January 27, 2026, and then heard several bills dealing with water policy, environmental regulation, wildlife management, and cosmetics testing. SB 1278 would ban intentional solar radiation management activities in Arizona and bar public entities and recipients of public funds from supporting such technologies; supporters argued it was needed to stop geoengineering, while opponents said it would block research and distract from real pollution problems. The committee voted 5-2 to give SB 1278 a do pass recommendation.
The committee then considered SB 1279, which updates Arizona’s weather modification/cloud seeding permitting process by adding ADWR and ADEQ review, public notice and meetings, and a licensing database. A nine-page amendment shifted complaint enforcement to ADWR, added cease-and-desist and fine authority, and changed rulemaking timelines; the amendment was adopted, and the bill passed 5-2. Testimony was mixed: supporters emphasized transparency and safety, Salt River Project was neutral after stakeholder work, and ADEQ said it was neutral but warned it lacked standards, resources, and time to develop the required chemical limits and rules.
SB 1005, which would prohibit the sale of cosmetics developed with animal testing beginning in 2027, received a do pass recommendation 4-2 after supporters cited cruelty concerns and the availability of non-animal testing methods. SB 1202, requiring ADWR to include outline data in five-year groundwater supply-and-demand assessments, also passed 4-2 despite agency concerns that the bill would require extensive hydrologic modeling, significant resources, and could produce misleading conclusions about available water. SB 1280, barring state transport or use of public resources to move Mexican gray wolf pups into Arizona, passed 4-2 after testimony split between conservation advocates, who said it would hinder recovery, and supporters concerned about livestock impacts; Game and Fish was neutral. Finally, SB 1287, with a conforming amendment, passed 5-1 to extend a groundwater-use provision for irrigation grandfathered rights from initial AMAs to subsequent AMAs, which ADWR said would reduce burden and create parity across management areas.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Minnesota Management and Budget Press Conference 12/4/25
Transcript Highlights:
- In it, they assumed the federal shutdown would last six weeks, so they were only off by one day.
- They assume further easing of monetary conditions, with the Federal Reserve lowering the Federal Funds
- Disruptions from federal agency closures and contract suspensions and the effects of the recent shutdown
- The recent federal shutdown disrupted the usual collection and dissemination of federal statistical data
- </c> The missing data due to the shutdown The missing data due to the shutdown also<00:14:35.920><c>
Summary:
Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Aaron Campbell, State Economist Dr. Tony Becker, and State Budget Director Anna Mingi presented the November 2025 budget and economic forecast. Campbell said the state now projects a nearly $2.5 billion surplus at the end of the 2026-27 biennium, about $575 million better than the end-of-session estimate, but also a projected negative balance of about $2.9 billion in FY 2028-29, reflecting a worsening structural imbalance. He said the budget reserve stands at $3.4 billion, with cash flow and budget reserves totaling $3.8 billion after a $244 million addition, and emphasized that Minnesota’s AAA bond rating and reserve policy remain strengths even as future sessions will need to address the long-term gap.
Becker said the national economic outlook has changed only modestly since February, but growth remains below trend through the forecast horizon. He cited slower consumer spending, weak private investment, continued tariff uncertainty, lower projected immigration, and modest inflation that stays near 3% through 2026 before easing. Revenue forecasts for the next biennium were revised up to $66.3 billion, driven mainly by higher individual income tax receipts and other revenue, partly offset by lower sales and corporate tax forecasts. He also noted risks from federal policy changes, the recent shutdown’s effect on data availability, and possible equity market volatility.
Mingi said general fund spending is projected to rise sharply, with current biennium spending up $3.4 billion from end-of-session estimates and planning-year spending up $1.9 billion. She attributed much of the increase to carryforward from prior one-time appropriations, discretionary inflation, and especially Medical Assistance. MA costs are projected to be about $2.5 billion higher over 2025-29, largely because managed care rates rose more than expected due to higher utilization and higher-cost services, including pharmacy costs, while long-term care and disability waiver costs also increased. In response to questions, officials said the federal reconciliation bill had only a relatively small effect on the health care changes, and that the carryforward amounts reflect unspent prior appropriations that now show up in later years rather than new spending.
MS
Mississippi 2026 Regular Session
Appropriations - Room 409, 28 January, 2026; 10:30 A.M.
Appropriations
Transcript Highlights:
- I do want to let y'all know we're likely 70% to 80% likely to be facing another federal shutdown the
- </c> likely to be facing another federal likely to be facing another federal shutdown<00:15:05.600><c
- ><c> the</c><00:15:17.519><c> majority</c> federal funding, which is the majority federal funding, which
- </c> of state law, not just the federal of state law, not just the federal guidelines<00:21:52.640><c
- </c><00:38:27.520><c> regulatory</c> them on all the federal regulatory them on all the federal regulatory
Committee:
Joint Appropriations
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Securing Human Services / Strengthening Election Integrity / Legislating Legacy Jun 8th, 2025
Minnesota Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- government, which by the by the federal government, which by the way<00:05:10.160><c> has</c><00:05:
- </c><00:05:22.000><c> um,</c><00:05:22.160><c> with</c><00:05:22.320><c> the</c><00:05:22.560><c> federal
- Anyway, so, um, with the federal funding, the billion 90 million becomes $2 billion of impact on the
- shutdown, but I have experienced life out there and seen how devastating it is during a government shutdown
- Any government shutdown, and I wasn't here when, you know, our state faced a government shutdown, but
AR
Transcript Highlights:
- It has been bumpy with government shutdown and potential shutdown, and then the flow of federal funds
- timely after the shutdown.
- Is that your federal revenue grants?
- A great example is when the federal shutdown went... ...contingencies.
- A great example is when the federal shutdown went for 44 days.
Committee:
All JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE
Summary:
The committee heard budget presentations and took executive recommendations on several Department of Human Services divisions, including Aging, Adult and Behavioral Health Services; Children and Family Services; County Operations; Developmental Disability Services; and Medical Services, with most divisions showing little or no significant change in total appropriations. Staff and agency witnesses repeatedly explained that many large appropriations are maintained for flexibility, federal matching requirements, or contingency needs, even when actual spending is much lower than the authorized amount. Members also raised concerns about staffing vacancies, long-vacant budgeted positions, and the use of excess appropriation authority across DHS.
In Aging, Adult and Behavioral Health, members questioned federal funding levels for mental health and substance abuse grants, the status of senior centers and Meals on Wheels, the Medicaid tobacco settlement program, community alcohol safety grants, and the veterans mental health grant. Agency officials said federal block grants are largely committed, that senior center funding had been delayed by shutdown timing but was now back on track, that the tobacco settlement program had been moved internally within DHS, and that the veterans mental health appropriation remains unfunded. Senators also criticized the adequacy of support for seniors and asked for more detail on how transportation, meal services, and local contributions are funded.
In Children and Family Services, members asked about rising appropriation levels, foster care and adoption subsidies, professional fees, the number of children in foster care, and the Children’s Trust Fund. DHS said increases reflect added flexibility for residential treatment, adoption subsidies, and prevention services, while the foster care population has remained fairly steady at about 3,400 children. The Children’s Trust Fund was described as supporting primary prevention programs such as Baby and Me and community schools, and members asked whether it could be administratively combined with other efforts. Questions also covered TANF subgrants, with DHS explaining that it had reduced outside subgrants after discovering over-obligation and was rebuilding reserves.
In County Operations, members focused on the summer EBT program, SNAP employment and training, the farmer’s market program, and the state’s TANF reserve position. DHS said summer EBT is still being funded through temporary appropriations because it is a newer program, SNAP employment and training is largely federally funded and may expand under a pending policy change, and TANF reserves were drawn down after prior over-obligation but are now being stabilized. In Developmental Disability Services, members asked about vacancies, human development center staffing, facility construction funds, and the Booneville work program, and DHS said the program has reopened and staffing recruitment continues. In Medical Services, members asked about FMAP, the Our Kids B CHIP program, school-based Medicaid reimbursements, nursing home distress funds, and several large appropriation lines that far exceed actual spending; DHS said these are maintained for claims payment, nursing home receivership contingencies, and other flexibility needs. Each division reviewed was adopted by executive recommendation after questions concluded.
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Veterans’ & Military Affairs Dec 3rd, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- While our operations continued during the federal government shutdown, that’s not to say it was an easy
- federal workforce.
- And as the federal government is talking about unifying into a single firefighting force at the federal
- And as the federal government is talking about unifying into a single firefighting force at the federal
- So the VA, the federal VA, provides two adaptive housing grants.
Summary:
The committee heard updates from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Navy Region Northwest, Fairchild Air Force Base, the Coast Guard, state licensing agencies, the Professional Educator Standards Board, the Washington National Guard, and a veterans behavioral health presenter. Across the military briefings, common themes were readiness, infrastructure, and quality-of-life issues for service members and families, especially child care, housing, food insecurity, medical and dental access, and military spouse employment. JBLM highlighted its role in Indo-Pacific readiness, ongoing PFAS cleanup, 212 new family housing units under construction, efforts to expand child care, and continued work to keep the Lewis Army Museum open. Navy Region Northwest discussed its major installations and economic impact, the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Plan, future carrier and submarine homeporting needs, and asked the legislature to continue support for licensure compacts, educational stability for military children, housing, and medical access. Fairchild emphasized its tanker and survival missions, child care shortages, food insecurity, aging housing, and concerns about wind turbine development near flight paths, while the Coast Guard focused on rebuilding Base Seattle for new icebreakers and on rural access to housing, medical care, and child care at dispersed stations like Neah Bay.
Members repeatedly raised food insecurity and asked for follow-up on solutions. JBLM and Fairchild both described increased demand for food assistance during the shutdown, and committee members noted progress in getting mobile food vans onto JBLM. The presenters also praised state action on military spouse licensure and child care, including Senate Bill 5545 and related compact and portability efforts. The Department of Licensing reported about 9,000 self-identified military members or spouses licensed, with average time-to-license just under nine days, and said applications are prioritized when military status is self-identified. The Department of Health said its military-to-civilian crosswalk now covers more than 35 health professions, that temporary practice permits and expedited processing are in place, and that 1,300 credentials were issued to military spouses and domestic partners and 129 to military-trained health professionals in the last fiscal year, all within 30 days.
The Professional Educator Standards Board explained that military spouses and service members can receive expedited teacher certification with reduced documentation, and that they are moved to the front of the review queue when they self-identify. Members asked about verification, and staff said the process relies on attestation with investigatory safeguards if needed. The Washington National Guard briefed on its dual state and federal mission, the impact of the recent shutdown on nearly 700 employees who worked without pay, and policy and budget requests including youth academy protections, alignment of the Washington Code of Military Justice with the UCMJ, making Civil Air Patrol a division of the Military Department, 911 funding, disaster assistance, and capital funding for headquarters and readiness facilities. The Guard also warned about drone threats and said it wants authority to identify, track, and monitor suspicious drones.
A veterans behavioral health presenter, an Army combat veteran and clinical social worker, described high suicide risk, barriers to care, and the need for more culturally competent services, especially for women veterans and caregivers. He said Washington veterans’ suicide rate remains above the national average and emphasized that childcare, transportation, and provider shortages can prevent timely treatment. Members generally responded supportively throughout, asked for follow-up on food security and other issues, and encouraged agencies to bring forward legislative ideas for future sessions.
AR
Transcript Highlights:
- for 56.7 in federal funding, so are we expecting a jump in federal funding to that amount?
- It was, it has been bumpy with government shutdown and potential shutdown, and then the flow of federal
- Yeah, most of it's federal.
- It's 100% federal.
- “A great example is when the federal shutdown went for 44 days.”
Committee:
All JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Advancing Education in Minnesota – Senator Julia Coleman Apr 7th, 2025
Minnesota Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- I know that when we talk about ending the Department of Education federally, we know that that's getting
- department when we talk about ending the department of<00:09:34.839><c> Ed</c><00:09:35.040><c> federally
- we know that that's of Ed federally we know that that's getting<00:09:36.240><c> moved</c><00:09:36.480
- 25.600><c> a</c> and you know take this all the way to a and you know take this all the way to a shutdown
- or we have the opportunity to shutdown or we have the opportunity to to<00:10:28.560><c> really</c><
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- The recent federal shutdown disrupted the usual collection and dissemination of federal statistical data
- The recent federal shutdown disrupted the usual collection and dissemination of federal statistical data
- The recent federal shutdown disrupted the usual collection and dissemination of federal statistical data
- The recent federal shutdown disrupted the usual collection and dissemination of federal statistical data
- The recent federal shutdown disrupted the usual collection and dissemination of federal statistical data
Bills:
HF3425
Committee:
House Ways and Means
HI
Hawaii 2025 Regular Session
HSH Public Hearing - Thu Apr 10, 2025 @ 11:30 AM HST
Human Services & Homelessness
Transcript Highlights:
- I believe that many of our children were affected physically and mentally during the COVID-19 shutdowns
- and caused from the harmful policies of our state government, federal government.
- </c> and mentally during the CO 19 shutdowns and mentally during the CO 19 shutdowns and<00:19:31.840
- 19:34.000><c> our</c><00:19:34.320><c> state</c><00:19:34.640><c> government,</c><00:19:35.120><c> federal
- </c> of our state government, federal of our state government, federal government.<00:19:36.480><c> support
Committee:
House Human Services & Homelessness
Summary:
The committee heard STR 73 SD1, which requests the Office of Wellness and Resilience to develop a report on the developmental needs of children born during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Office of Wellness and Resilience testified in support, saying it was eager to work with local researchers on evidence-based, community-informed recommendations. Support also came from a Zoom testifier, the Department of Education, and the Hawaii Community Foundation. The testifier emphasized the need for trauma-informed supports for children who were ages zero to five during COVID, especially in communities also affected by the Kilauea eruption and the Maui wildfires. Members discussed the long-term impacts of the pandemic and natural disasters on children, and one member said they would support the measure but vote with reservations because they wanted the phrase “climate crisis” changed to “natural disasters.” The committee adopted the chair’s recommendation to pass the resolution as is, with some members noting reservations.
The committee then took up SCR 239 SD1, which asks DAGS, DLNR, and the City and County of Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation to provide universal changing accommodations in state and county facilities and parks. DAGS submitted comments, DLNR State Parks testified that it supported the intent but raised concerns about the cost and feasibility of retrofitting existing facilities, noting it has 73 comfort stations statewide, ongoing vandalism and maintenance issues, and possible ADA space conflicts. The Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities and the Hawaii Disability Rights Center supported the measure, with testimony stressing that accessible changing facilities are important for independence and equity for people with disabilities. In response to questions, DLNR said it had not received complaints about the lack of such infrastructure and that any future installations should be considered in new designs rather than existing facilities. After discussion, the chair moved to defer the resolution, citing budget and implementation concerns and suggesting the issue be revisited in the future with a revised approach and possible needs assessment. The committee agreed to defer SCR 239 SD1 and then adjourned.