Transcript Highlights:

• I've also visited and fished and hunted in now going on 40-something countries worldwide.
• We thank you for your ability to come and visit with us, and we compliment you, and we would welcome
• here in Idaho. our schools and the people here in Idaho, we thank you for your ability to come and visit

Committee: Senate Resources and Environment

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• annually, but the vast majority of our providers are private child care providers, and they actually are visited
• However, the coalitions and their teams are out and in and visiting with providers at various times throughout
• annual program assessments and observations, and they are also ...out there doing technical assistance visits

Summary: The Pre-K through 12 Budget Subcommittee met with a quorum and first heard House Bill 731, which would address coach and extracurricular sponsor compensation and change how student-athlete transfer eligibility is determined. The bill would allow local school boards to adopt policies letting booster clubs or similar associations support coaches and activity sponsors, and it would let superintendents treat certain coaches and athletic leaders as administrative personnel for compensation purposes. It would also shift eligibility decisions for transferred student-athletes to the governing athletic association and require clearer bylaws and timelines for those determinations. Members raised questions about booster club oversight, pay equity, the new athletic administrator language, and safeguards against abuse or unequal treatment, while supporters argued the bill would help retain coaches and better support student athletics. The bill was debated and then reported favorably by roll call vote. The committee then received presentations from the Department of Education’s Division of Early Learning and the Florida Association of Early Learning Coalitions on school readiness fraud prevention and mitigation. Speakers explained that Florida’s school readiness program pays providers based on verified attendance rather than enrollment, requires daily parent sign-in/sign-out records, and uses multiple layers of oversight including coalition anti-fraud plans, annual audits, programmatic monitoring, DCF inspections, and referrals to state fraud investigators when needed. They emphasized that Florida delayed implementation of a federal rule that would have required prospective enrollment-based payments, and said the state’s current system makes fraud difficult. Members asked about military and grandparent guardianship situations, audit findings, and the number of fraud referrals; presenters said fraud cases are relatively limited and that the existing controls and public enforcement act as deterrents. The meeting ended after members thanked the presenters and the committee adjourned without further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• We also handle doctor’s visits and vaccinations and annual visits and dentists.
• My question is, have you had a chance to visit with ASU and, to prevent reinventing the wheel, kind of

Committee: All TASK FORCE ON AUTISM

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from November 17 by motion and voice vote. It then heard a presentation from Arkansas State University on its inclusive postsecondary education programs, HOWL and ATLAS, led by Dr. Kristen Johnson and Shane Broadway. The programs serve students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism, by providing on-campus living, academic support, life-skills training, financial literacy, internships, employment support, and community integration. Johnson explained that HOWL is a comprehensive transition program that does not lead to a degree but is eligible for financial aid, while ATLAS is degree-seeking and provides additional supports. She reported strong outcomes, including high goal attainment and a majority of graduates working full time, and emphasized that the programs are designed to help students build autonomous adult lives. Members asked about recruitment, eligibility, costs, school outreach, business partnerships, and transition planning. Johnson said the programs have done extensive outreach through IEP meetings, transition symposia, email blasts, and school visits, but that awareness remains a challenge. She identified major roadblocks as business concerns about liability, fragmented collaboration, and difficulty navigating funding streams such as vocational rehabilitation and Medicaid. She also said more coordinated statewide communication and coalition-building are needed, and noted that ASU is helping launch a state alliance for similar programs, with new programs opening at ASU Mountain Home and the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff. The committee then heard from the University of Central Arkansas about Project Ascend, a new low-sensory living-learning community for neurodiverse students in Hughes Hall. Dr. Debbie Daly and Jeremy Gillum described it as a voluntary, self-identified program focused on community building, belonging, and retention rather than remediation or degree planning. The program has hosted a few low-sensory social events and plans to expand outreach through campus tours, orientation, and targeted communications. Members asked about recruitment, participation, success measures, and how to avoid duplicating ASU’s efforts; UCA said it is still in its infancy and will measure success mainly through participation, retention, and student engagement. The meeting ended with general support from members, discussion of collaboration across institutions and agencies, and adjournment of the task force.

Transcript Highlights:

• He also has some coins for fallen veterans for their graves that you could visit with him about as well
• But the other one, which I have been visiting with several of the members, seems to be the one that has
• the most interest, and also did visit with the chairman of the political subdivisions.

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 2025, the Department of Veterans Affairs appropriation. Representative O’Brien explained the House changes, including funding for a restored Veterans Benefits Specialist FTE, salary equity adjustments for the commissioner and veterans service officers, one-time funding for veteran homelessness services, carryover authority for the Fargo Fisher House, and a highly rural transportation grants program. Members also discussed the commissioner’s prior salary increase and the use of transportation grant funds for administrative costs, as well as the status of the Fisher House project. The committee adopted amendment 25.092.0203 and then gave SB 2025 a do pass recommendation as amended, with Representative O’Brien as carrier. The committee then considered Senate Bill 2307, the library bill. Members debated a proposed amendment that would have removed the fiscal note, but several members objected on policy and process grounds, citing constitutional concerns, potential costs to counties and state’s attorneys, and the fact that the bill had not been heard as a full policy hearing. The amendment failed 4-19. The committee then voted do not pass on SB 2307 as introduced, and Representative Murphy was named carrier. The committee also briefly discussed House Bill 2188 on the Clean Sustainable Energy Authority. Representative Bosch described the program’s grant and low-interest loan authority and the Senate’s reduced funding levels. The committee amended the bill to restore the Senate funding amounts in Section 3, then passed the bill as amended, with Representative Kempenich carrying it. Finally, the committee considered two rural development bills and chose Senate Bill 2097, the rural endowment fund bill, for do not pass while advancing House Bill 2390, which uses regional councils to distribute rural development grants. The committee amended HB 2390 to lower the population threshold from 4,500 to 3,000, kept the 50% set-aside for communities under 1,500, and then passed the bill as amended, with Representative Mitskog as carrier.

Transcript Highlights:

• also speaking on behalf of various other education organizations. ...that work closely here and often visit
• Direct admissions funding has allowed our district to offer more college visits to direct admission schools
• And now students like Isaiah can travel together, visit campuses, and meet alumni who look like them.

Committee: House Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Eleanor Roosevelt visited Kennedy Field and flew with Chief Alfred Anderson, an African-American instructor
• You visited last year, sir, and it took some time, I would think.
• With all due respect, we actually came out to the site and visited our veterans in San Antonio, and so

Bills: HCR92 , HB 114 , HB561 , HB 1171 , HB1894 , HB2026 , HB2143 , HB2337 , HB2564 , HB114

Committee: House S/C on Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Keywords: Tuskegee Airmen, commemoration, African American history, civil rights, military recognition, veterans, mental health, Texas Veterans Commission, peer support, suicide prevention, community mental health, grant program, defense, grants, local government, economic support, community development, health and wellness, outdoor recreation, state land use

Transcript Highlights:

• return on investment for lactation care is significant for most families, who typically require two visits
• She said there are approximately 100 IBCLCs, and that there are... often often one visit sometimes more
• and often often one visit sometimes more and the<00:16:31.839><c> cost</c><00:16:32.279><c> return</

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Health and Human Services committee heard several resolutions focused on health care access, Medicaid services, and regulatory reform. SR 6 urged the Director of Health to create a working group on health insurance reform to reduce prior authorization delays; testimony was generally supportive, with DHS, SHIPA, the Hawaii Association of Health Plans, the Hawaii Primary Care Association, the Hawaii Medical Association, and HMSA all offering comments or support. SHIPA said House Bill 250 would provide a better mechanism for the same goal, but the committee still moved forward with the resolution. SR 7 asked DHS Med-QUEST to cover behavioral health services for children in school-based settings, and SR 9 sought a program to incentivize community care foster family homes to accept people eligible under the Medicaid IDD waiver program. DHS supported the intent of both measures but raised concerns about regulatory limits. Testifiers on SR 9, including the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities and the Hawaii Disability Rights Center, argued the state should be more creative in expanding residential capacity, especially on the neighbor islands, while the chair questioned whether the barriers were state administrative rules or federal requirements. The committee also heard SC 14/SR 10 on a sunrise analysis for lactation consultant licensure. Supporters said lactation services can improve health outcomes and save costs, and that Medicaid coverage remains limited. After discussion, the committee adopted the chair’s recommendations: SR 6 and SC 14/SR 10 were passed with technical, non-substantive amendments; SR 7 was deferred; and SR 9 was deferred for further work. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so having the opportunity to visit some of these properties, many times it's taken my breath away
• You can go and visit us. We give tours all the time.
• It's been my pleasure, and you can come visit us at any time.

Committee: Senate Agriculture

Summary: The Committee on Agriculture heard two informational presentations before taking up legislation. Tracy Dean of Conservation Florida described the organization’s work protecting wild and working lands, especially ranch and timber lands within the Florida Wildlife Corridor, and argued that agricultural conservation easements are essential to preserving habitat, water resources, family farms, and the corridor itself. Senators discussed how conservation easements can help family operations remain viable across generations, and Dean emphasized strong demand for the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program and Florida Forever funding. Dr. Jamie Ellis of the University of Florida then gave a detailed presentation on honeybees, their role in pollination and Florida agriculture, and major threats such as Varroa mites, queen quality, nutrition issues, hurricanes, and the yellow-legged hornet; senators asked about colony losses, pollination alternatives, and the economic importance of beekeeping in Florida. The committee then considered SB 210 on animal cremation, sponsored by Senator Harrell. The bill was described as a response to a case involving mishandled pet cremation and would require crematories to provide clear disclosures about services, prohibit false or misleading information, and authorize civil penalties enforced by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The bill was reported favorably after a roll call vote. Next, the committee took up SJR 318, a joint resolution by Chair Truenow creating a proposed ad valorem tax exemption for tangible personal property used in agricultural production or agritourism on agricultural land and owned by the landowner or leaseholder. Several industry and agency representatives appeared in support, and the resolution was also reported favorably by unanimous vote. The meeting concluded with no further business and adjournment motioned by Senator Rouson.

Transcript Highlights:

• WE ARE ALSO SEEKING INNOVATION WITH THE USE OF BEST PRACTICES SUCH AS ACCLAMATION VISITS AND TELE DENTISTRY
• TELE DENTISTRY CONSULTATIONS ARE HEALTHY FOR DEVELOPING TREATMENT PLANS AND IN OFFICE VISITS AS WELL
• THE ACCLAMATION VISITS ARE REALLY HELPFUL FOR SOMEONE WHO IS UNCOMFORTABLE AND NOT USED TO THE DENTAL

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Today we visited nearly a quarter of the Title I eligible schools, as one Waiʻanae Elementary student
• Today we visited nearly a quarter of the Title I eligible schools, as one Waiʻanae Elementary student
• Today we visited nearly a quarter of the Title I eligible schools, as one Waiʻanae Elementary student
• Today we visited nearly a quarter of the Title I eligible schools, as one Waiʻanae Elementary student
• The second is our family visitation centers, located on Oʻahu and Kauaʻi.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The first item in this proposal is expanding the use of electronic visit verification, or EVV.
• This proposal also requires electronic visit verification, adds requirements for service authorization
• <00:47:56.000><c> verification,</c> visit verification, visit verification, adds<00:47:57.800><c> requirements
• I've spent a lot of time actually visiting the homes that utilize these technology supports.
• I've spent a lot of time actually visiting the homes that utilize these technology supports.

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• open enrollment ended, they received a second letter saying HealthPartners would now cover only 120 visits
• 53.800><c> 120</c> HealthPartners would now cover only 120 HealthPartners would now cover only 120 visits
• </c> visits for the entire year. visits for the entire year.
• If it's capped at 120 visits, best case scenario, Medica or medical assistance matches.
• ,</c> If it's capped at 120 visits, If it's capped at 120 visits, best<00:31:36.000><c> case</c><00:31

Bills: HF3794 , HF4472 , HF4410 , HF4347 , HF4412 , HF4398 , HF4397 , HF4201 , HF4199 , HF4203 , HF3706 , HF4071 , HF4120 , HF4175 , HF4188

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Keywords: surveillance, price discrimination, wage discrimination, automated decision systems, consumer protections, data privacy, biometrics, school district health insurance, charter school health benefits, employee benefits, public sector health insurance, health insurance survey, Legislative Budget Office, LBO report, premium costs, retiree coverage, broker commissions, third-party administrator, health plan transparency, health reimbursement arrangement

Transcript Highlights:

• , completing prenatal visits, diabetic screening, weight coaching, and doula services, et cetera. care
• , including doctor's visits, care, including doctor's visits, hospital<00:28:43.880><c> care,</c> hospital
• ,</c> completing well child care visits, completing well child care visits, completing<00:29:51.200><
• c> prenatal</c><00:29:51.640><c> visits,</c><00:29:52.640><c> diabetic</c> completing prenatal visits
• , diabetic completing prenatal visits, diabetic screening,<00:29:54.200><c> weight</c><00:29:54.440><

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board received a presentation from Dr. Stack and Commissioner Langfeld on Kentucky’s application for a federal Medicaid-related funding opportunity tied to House Resolution 1. They described a compressed six-week stakeholder process that produced more than 50 responses and letters of support, and said the application was organized around five broad priorities: maternal health, behavioral health and substance use disorder, oral health, EMS/trauma response, and chronic disease. They emphasized that the proposal was designed to align with CMS goals, use allowable funding categories, and focus on sustainability rather than a short-term grant. Commissioner Langfeld outlined five core initiatives: rural community hubs for chronic care innovation, beginning with obesity and diabetes; a maternal and infant health effort called POWER; a behavioral health and substance use model called IMPATH; an oral health initiative called Rooted in Health; and an integrated crisis-to-care EMS and trauma response effort. He said the chronic disease work would include prevention, food-as-medicine concepts, and technology tools, while the maternal health effort would expand team-based care around mothers and infants using community health workers and doulas. The behavioral health proposal would build on existing crisis intervention models, oral health would address workforce and access gaps through training, mobile vans, and telehealth, and the EMS proposal would better connect emergency response with home-based and community care. Several senators questioned whether the proposal would meaningfully address rural hospital closures or the broader rural health care crisis. Senator Meredith said the plan was not transformational and would not save rural hospitals, while Senator Berg asked how success would be measured. In response, the presenters said they would use both lagging and leading indicators, with an emphasis on rapid-cycle feedback and data use that is more actionable in real time. They also said the work could help existing models that already show promise, such as behavioral health units and dental workforce expansion, even if it would not solve the larger funding gap created by HR1. Senator Douglas asked how the proposals would motivate patients to participate in their own health care. The presenters responded that the chronic disease prevention work would focus on obesity, diabetes prevention, nutrition, and consumer-facing technology tools to help people engage in their own care, and that EMS-community health worker partnerships could identify unmet needs in the home and reduce preventable problems. The board then moved on to its next agenda item, Medicaid managed care delivery models, with Tom Stevens, Katherine North, and Dr. Patel scheduled to present.

Transcript Highlights:

• People, when they have experienced these, if they visited other states, every state is a little different
• </c> they have experien these if they visited they have experien these if they visited other<00:10:09.440
• I have visited the social district.
• Just a couple weeks ago, it was 50 degrees, and a couple of the places where I visited over that time
• I can give you a better indication after your team and our team visit later this afternoon about what

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I would like to bring in some subject matter experts to visit with you. Good. Thank you.
• We've enjoyed having you visiting with us this afternoon. Thank you.
• Are your prisons today located geographically strategically so that families can visit?
• I'll be happy to come visit with you.
• They were visiting, Madam Chair.

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee heard the Legislative Budget Board’s overview of the Texas Department of Public Safety’s 2026-27 budget, followed by extensive testimony from DPS leadership. The LBB presentation covered funding and staffing changes across driver license services, facilities, troopers and recruit schools, crime labs, vehicle and aircraft operations, and border security. The recommendations included added support for customer service staffing and trooper hiring, but did not include several DPS exceptional items such as major driver license staffing and technology requests, new regional headquarters in El Paso and San Antonio, and other capital projects. Members also discussed proposed rider changes, including a new rider to lapse unused trooper funding and require reporting after recruit schools. Much of the committee’s questioning focused on driver license operations, where senators criticized long call wait times, low call-answer rates, appointment delays, and what they viewed as an overreliance on adding staff rather than improving processes. DPS and LBB witnesses said the agency is pursuing some technology upgrades, including automation, online pre-population of applications, and appointment-system improvements, but acknowledged that the driver license division remains a major problem area. Senators also raised concerns about whether the 2019 efficiency study led to meaningful changes and whether the agency should consider broader process redesign or even a different administrative structure. Colonel Freeman and other DPS officials then defended the agency’s broader law enforcement and border-security work, emphasizing the need for the Williamson County training academy, the 500 additional troopers funded in prior sessions, and continued support for Operation Lone Star. They described DPS’s role in border interdiction, threat-to-life investigations, oilfield theft cases, Capitol and Alamo security, and highway safety, and said the agency is stretched thin by deployments and overtime. Members asked about border reimbursement possibilities, regional staffing differences, pursuit safety, fleet and aircraft replacement needs, and the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame museum. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• :38.880><c> the</c> Maybe there could be some sort of more percentage of following up on the site visits
• on the on uh percentage of following up on the on the<01:25:59.440><c> site</c><01:25:59.679><c> visits
• </c> the site visits. the site visits.
• </c><01:26:28.239><c> um</c><01:26:28.480><c> that</c> increase your follow-up visits?
• um that increase your follow-up visits?

Bills: HF3217 , HF2252

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Keywords: bioindustrial facilities, economic development, renewable energy, advanced biofuels, state funding, HF2252, Minnesota bonding, volume cap, private activity bonds, tax-exempt bonds, public facility bonds, public facilities pool, unified pool, bond allocation, municipal finance, bond cap, housing bonds, residential rental projects, manufacturing bonds, enterprise zone bonds

Transcript Highlights:

• So, these numbers will go up, but we averaged well over 2,000 visits a month last year from students
• So, these numbers will go up, but we averaged well over 2,000 visits a month last year from students
• We host districts every year for teaching and learning visits, for safety visits, and we would be glad
• or</c><00:56:17.359><c> you</c><00:56:17.520><c> want</c><00:56:17.599><c> to</c><00:56:17.760><c> visit
• ,</c> questions or you want to visit, questions or you want to visit, please<00:56:19.680><c> contact

Keywords: 1. Call to Order and Roll Call – 00:00:00 2. Approval of Minutes – 00:01:32 3. Getting to Know the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky – 00:02:26 4. Healthy Kids Clinic – 00:26:58 5. Pharmacy Payment Parity – 00:56:36 6. Ibogaine – 01:17:37 7. Consideration of Referred Administrative Regulations – 01:53:05 8. Adjournment – 01:53:19, 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the prior meeting minutes and recognized Eric Clark for his service, noting this may be his last meeting before he leaves state government. The main presentation was from Allison Adams, president and CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, who described the organization’s history, nonpartisan mission, and focus on health equity, prevention, and upstream policy solutions. She said Kentucky’s poor rankings in chronic disease, preventable hospitalizations, and life expectancy show the need to shift resources toward prevention and community-driven strategies rather than relying mainly on treatment after people become sick. Adams emphasized leading health indicators, arguing that lawmakers should track actionable measures such as quit attempts and smoke-free policies instead of only lagging indicators like disease rates and mortality. In response to questions, she said accountability should be shared across communities and systems, with possible incentives and disincentives tied to outcomes, and she supported creating a public data utility or dashboard, ideally with university partners, to help legislators and communities monitor progress. She also cited examples of accountable health community models and said Kentucky could adapt similar approaches. The committee then heard from Meade County Schools Superintendent Mark Martin and district health coordinator Karen Kotche about the Healthy Kids Clinic partnership with Cumberland Health. They described a seven-year effort that led to full implementation in the district, which now has a nurse in every school and a nurse practitioner, allowing services such as sports physicals and other clinic functions to be provided on campus. They said the program has been a strong investment for students and the community and began explaining how the district built the partnership after earlier efforts and delays, including the pandemic.

Transcript Highlights:

• , generating places to live and visit, generating economic<00:30:52.080><c> activity</c><00:30:52.480
• It ensures that the planning and design and decision-making includes a personal visit to the site of
• And we heard the testimony about those of us who visited our peer nations and have had the good fortune
• And we heard the testimony about those of us who visited our peer nations and have had the good fortune
• And we heard the testimony about those of us who visited our peer nations and have had the good fortune

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• purview of the director and the commission, and if that's the case, it'll be another thing that we will visit
• Senate and<01:26:04.239><c> they</c><01:26:04.320><c> can</c><01:26:04.920><c> re</c><01:26:05.440><c> visit
• that</c><01:26:05.840><c> with</c><01:26:06.000><c> them</c><01:26:06.880><c> so</c> and they can re visit
• that with them so and they can re visit that with them so the<01:26:07.159><c> next</c><01:26:07.400
• Yes, so I'm just looking at my notes from the visit we had with Police Standards and Training, and it

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Finance Division II work session focused on Fish and Game’s budget-revenue proposals and several statutory changes the department said it needs to support its operations. The department recommended raising the fisheries habitat fee and wildlife habitat fee to $5 each, estimating additional annual revenue of about $640,000 and $144,000 respectively. Members clarified that these are habitat fees added on top of licenses, not reduced by senior or youth license categories, and discussed the need for RSA changes to allow the revenue to be transferred into the Fish and Game Fund. The department also said it would work internally on any broader license fee increases through the commission process. The committee then reviewed proposals to cap several dedicated accounts and transfer excess balances to the unrestricted Fish and Game Fund. Those accounts included the fisheries and wildlife habitat funds and the game management account, with the department proposing a $750,000 cap on each and transfer of amounts above that threshold. The department said the cap was based on several years of expenditures and the fact that dedicated funds are often used as match for federal funds. Members asked for reports on fund activity and questioned whether the cap and mandatory transfer language should be “shall” or “may,” with the department indicating it would prefer “may” for flexibility. The committee also discussed a Pheasant Management Program account, where the department said current law limits use of the money to buying and propagating pheasants and it wants authority to use it for broader program management. A substantial portion of the meeting addressed Fish and Game’s environmental review unit and the transfer of ARPA-funded positions to DEES under the governor’s initiative. The department said four positions are currently ARPA-funded, that DEES supports keeping them in place through the end of the year, and that the transition will require time because environmental review work is intertwined across the agency. The department explained that before the ARPA positions, biologists handled the work and that current staffing has helped eliminate a backlog and meet deadlines. Members also discussed a proposal to expand environmental review fees beyond private developers to state, federal, municipal, and local governments, with the department saying it would need rulemaking and stakeholder input. Additional requests included authority to conduct raffles to raise funds, creation of a revolving account for donations and raffle proceeds, and repeal of the obsolete fish food sales statute because the vending machines are no longer functional and the account generates no revenue.

Transcript Highlights:

• In 2016, after the Veterans Administration Inspector General did site visits for all cemeteries in Hawaii
• <00:54:36.400><c> General</c><00:54:37.400><c> did</c><00:54:37.760><c> site</c><00:54:38.079><c> visits
• </c><00:54:38.440><c> for</c> Inspector General did site visits for Inspector General did site visits
• The speaker then invited the committee to visit a facility, talk to the inmates, talk to the staff, and
• </c> H so I would invite the commune to visit H so I would invite the commune to visit for<01:54:31.760

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: At the joint hearing on SB 951 SD2, the committees heard testimony on a child protection measure requiring mandatory child abuse and neglect reports to include military status and to improve communication between DHS and the Department of Defense. The U.S. Department of Defense testified in support and described its coordinated community response process for abuse reports, saying the bill would help ensure child safety and better coordination with DHS. DHS was initially absent, later appeared, and said it supported the measure but was still working with DOD on implementation details and staff training. Members asked about how DHS becomes involved and whether there were gaps in the current process. The chair recommended passage with technical amendments, including changing the effective date to 7/1/25 and conforming related language, and both committees adopted the recommendation by vote. The Public Safety committee then heard SB 1377 SD2, which would create a Veterans Cemeteries Board within the Office of Veterans Services in the Department of Defense to provide guidance, education, and technical assistance to state veteran cemeteries. DOD supported the bill and explained that county-run cemeteries must meet National Cemetery Administration standards to remain eligible for federal reimbursements and grants; witnesses described past compliance problems at several cemeteries, including one still not compliant in Hilo, and said the board would help counties prepare for future site visits and improve oversight without taking over operations. Members asked about costs, reimbursement amounts, and whether the state would assume cemetery operations; DOD said the current reimbursement process runs through the state to the counties and that direct takeover would be costly. The committee adopted the chair’s recommendation to pass the bill with amendments. The committee also heard SB 1382, which would make intentionally or knowingly causing bodily injury to a National Guard member performing duty a class C felony. The Hawaii National Guard and HPD supported the bill, citing incidents during the Maui response where Guard members encountered noncompliant and sometimes physically confrontational individuals while assisting police and protecting impacted areas. Testimony emphasized that Guard members are often unarmed and should receive protections similar to first responders. One witness opposed the bill, but the committee moved forward and adopted the chair’s recommendation to pass with amendments. Finally, the committee took up SB 1379 SD2 on emergency preparedness and Community Readiness Centers. Hawaii Emergency Management supported the bill, and supporters said it would create a statewide framework for resilience hubs that can provide supplies, action plans, and refuge during disasters. Testimony highlighted recent hurricanes, wildfires, and other hazards, and argued the measure would complement existing county efforts rather than replace them. County of Hawaii testimony opposed the bill, raising concerns about overlap and cost, while members asked about estimated expenses and implementation. The discussion ended with questions about planning and whether the bill would enhance existing programs; no final vote was captured in the excerpt.