Transcript Highlights:

• one, the parent or guardian personally used a force of Number one, the parent or guardian personally
• I am speaking to you today because I am a formerly incarcerated parent who lost my rights as a parent
• This doesn't give parents a free shot at getting their children.
• We represent parents and children in nine counties in California.
• Family separation inflicts profound damage on children and parents.

Summary: The committee heard several bills, with the most detailed discussion focused on AB 316, AB 251, AB 474, AB 1201, AB 464, and AB 614. AB 316 would prevent AI developers or deployers from arguing in civil cases that an AI system’s alleged autonomy absolves them of responsibility. Supporters framed it as a narrow guardrail to protect families, especially children, from harms like dangerous chatbots and deepfakes; opponents, including TechNet and the Chamber of Progress, raised concerns about possible strict-liability implications. The bill was moved out of committee to Privacy and Consumer Protection. AB 251 would let judges lower the burden of proof in elder abuse cases when a skilled nursing facility or RCFE intentionally destroys evidence. Supporters said the measure is needed because elder abuse victims are often unable to testify and records are vulnerable to spoliation, while opponents argued existing sanctions are sufficient and warned of more litigation. The bill passed, with committee members emphasizing the vulnerability of elder abuse victims. AB 474 sought to expand nonprofit home-sharing programs, including tax incentives for low-income homeowners and changes to housing law and lodger rules. Supporters said it would help older adults and low-income Californians avoid homelessness, but several members and the California Apartment Association raised concerns about removing lodger-law protections for homeowners; the author committed to keep working on the issue. The bill passed to Human Services. AB 1201 would give courts discretion to provide family reunification services to parents with certain violent felony convictions, rather than applying an automatic bypass. Supporters from Starting Over Inc. described personal experiences with permanent family separation and argued the bill would give parents a fair chance when the conviction is unrelated to child safety. Some members supported the measure but questioned whether domestic violence histories should be treated differently; the author said the bill still allows courts to deny services when reunification would endanger a child. The bill passed to Human Services. AB 464 addressed sexual abuse and retaliation in state prisons by extending reporting time after release, adding 90-day monitoring after reports, barring rehiring of confirmed abusers, and strengthening reporting and anti-retaliation rules. Survivors testified about abuse, retaliation, and failures in CDCR’s response; the bill passed to Appropriations. AB 614 would standardize the Government Claims Act filing deadline at one year for all claims. The author and supporters argued the current six-month deadline for injury and wrongful death claims is too short for victims to learn the process, find counsel, and gather evidence, while businesses often get a full year. A civil rights attorney and a family member of a deceased jail detainee testified in support, describing how the current deadline can block meritorious claims. The bill was presented for committee consideration as the hearing continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• THIS BILL PROVIDES THAT THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION DEEMS PROPERTY TO BE SURPLUS IT CAN BE USED FOR
• WE HAVE SEEN IT BEFORE PARENTS AND DUVAL COUNTY ONE NONE OF IT.
• THAT IS BEST FLORIDA'S EDUCATION SYSTEM IS BUILT ON STRONG PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN STUDENTS, PARENTS AND
• ONE THAT AFFECTS NOT JUST EDUCATION BUT CAREERS, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES DOESN'T SEEM FAIR OR RIGHT.
• I ASKED YOU TO CONSIDER WHAT IT MEANS TO SUPPORT OUR EDUCATORS. VOTE NO TODAY.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And as you look up there, you're seeing some outstanding student athletes, parents, volunteers, tremendous
• communities; through the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, Reverend Jackson championed voter registration, educational
• whereas, Reverend Jackson's lifelong dedication to youth empowerment, leadership development, and educational
• women, this legislation would help me sleep better at night, as I'm sure that it would help other parents
• THIS LEGISLATION WOULD HELP ME SLEEP BETTER AT NIGHT, AS I'M SURE THAT IT WOULD HELP OTHER PARENTS.

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened, approved the prior Journal, and began with ceremonial recognitions before moving to legislative business. Members honored the Schenectady Belmont Pop Warner football team for winning the Eastern Regional Championship and being a top-ranked national team, with Senators Parker and Tedisco praising the players, coaches, and volunteers. The chamber then adopted Senate Resolution 1636, mourning the death of Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson and recognizing his lifetime of civil rights, labor, voting rights, and social justice advocacy. Multiple senators spoke in support, reflecting on his influence on politics, the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, and the message that “I am somebody.” After the resolution, the Senate took up the calendar and passed a series of bills, largely focused on health care, insurance, and public health. These included measures on municipal law, mental hygiene, correction law, executive law, and several insurance and public health bills addressing prescription drug pricing, pharmacy benefit managers, rebates, and anti-competitive drug practices. Senators Myrie, Borrello, Jackson, Fernandez, and others explained votes in support of transparency, patient access, and lowering drug costs; some members noted concerns about pharmacy deserts and corporate consolidation. Most bills passed with broad margins, though a few drew more opposition, including Calendar 304 on anti-competitive drug agreements. On Calendar 289, an amendment concerning domestic violence was ruled non-germane by the chair. Senator Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick appealed, arguing the amendment would create a public registry for persistent domestic violence offenders to help protect potential victims. The Senate voted on the appeal, the ruling of the chair stood, and the bill was then restored to the non-controversial calendar and passed. The Senate then completed the calendar, had no further business, and adjourned until Wednesday, February 25 at 3:00 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, this language is just adding disagreement alone over the amount of parenting time, parenting time
• schedule</c> parenting time, parenting time schedule parenting time, parenting time schedule or<01:42
• </c> of parents to cooperate, etc. of parents to cooperate, etc.
• </c><01:42:43.400><c> So,</c> parenting time discussion. So, parenting time discussion.
• </c> parents fully present in their lives. parents fully present in their lives.

Bills: HF3951 , HF4005 , HF962 , HF4585 , HF3870 , HF4542 , HF3893 , HF4293 , HF4075 , HF4057 , HF3809

Committee: House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law

Keywords: submetered utility service, tenant rights, digital payment, eviction protection, housing policy, biometric data, consent, data protection, civil penalties, privacy laws, HF4585, Minnesota, harassment restraining order, HRO, restraining order, temporary restraining order, petitioner notice, service of process, law enforcement notification, sheriff

Transcript Highlights:

• Let's look at the adopted parent applicants.
• Page 2, line 42 says adoptive parent applicants under this chapter and code.
• She's over in education right now, but I appreciate her willingness to carry this on the floor.
• We're first and foremost educators.
• We're first and foremost educators.

Committee: Senate Health and Welfare

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• About 70% of students who take courses at either of the two centers continue their education.
• Launched by the National Education Association and guided by educators throughout the country, this day
• Members, please join me and educators across the state of California in recognizing today as Read Across
• Please join me in welcoming our educators representing the state of California educators.
• And his sisters, Sherry, Angie, his parents, Gwen and Jim.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:01:36.960><c> Nutrition</c> was nut nutrition education.
• Nutrition was nut nutrition education.
• 38.559><c> the</c><01:01:38.799><c> supportive</c> education is not just the supportive education is
• </c> The importance of nutrition education when it comes to health care.
• </c> educational workers official authority. educational workers official authority.

Bills: HB1546

Committee: House Human Services & Homelessness

Keywords: Medicaid, health insurance, healthcare access, insurance subsidies, pilot program, affordable care, preventive services, low-income, community engagement, 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 2083, which would add homeless shelters to Hawaii’s drug-free/safe-zone protections. The City and County prosecutor’s office strongly supported the bill, saying service providers asked for the change because drug activity near shelters can undermine recovery efforts. The Office of the Public Defender opposed the measure, focusing on a possible notice problem because many shelters are not readily identifiable and the bill’s 750-foot distance requirement could be difficult to apply. The Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii also opposed the bill, arguing it would expand criminalization of poverty and drug use and that drug-free zone laws are ineffective and disproportionately harmful. The prosecutor’s office said it would do more research on the notice concern. The committee then moved on without taking a vote in the transcript provided. The committee next discussed HB 2087, which would change the treatment of abuse of family or household member cases by ending the deferred-acceptance pilot and returning to the prior statute. The prosecutor’s office supported the bill, saying the pilot had not reduced backlog as intended and that domestic violence cases should remain petty misdemeanors without deferral. The Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Public Defender’s Office both opposed HB 2087, instead urging extension of the pilot for another five years so the legislature can better evaluate how deferred acceptance is working. They said deferrals can be a useful incentive for behavior change and that more data is needed before ending the program. Committee members questioned the prosecutor about why Hawaii should differ from other counties and whether repeat offenders could keep receiving deferrals; the prosecutor said the deferral is available only once and reiterated support for returning to the old statute. The committee then heard HB 2096 on aggravated circumstances in child protective proceedings. The family court and Attorney General’s Office supported the bill, saying current law limits aggravated-circumstances findings to the early return hearing, which can prevent findings in the most serious abuse cases when key evidence is not yet available. They said the bill would allow such findings later in the case and, with proposed amendments, would let the court consolidate aggravated-circumstances and termination-of-parental-rights hearings to reduce delay and appeals. The Libertarian Party of Hawaii opposed the measure, arguing it would expand state power in family matters and could worsen outcomes for parents and children. Committee questions focused on the amended language, including what “another court of competent jurisdiction” means and whether a charge alone would be enough; the judiciary responded that criminal courts are included, but a hearing and opportunity to defend would still be required. Finally, the committee took up HB 1959, another domestic violence measure. The Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Public Defender’s Office, the Crime Victim Compensation Commission, the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, and county prosecuting offices testified in support. Supporters said the bill would extend the pilot program while keeping deferred acceptance of guilty pleas in place, giving more time to evaluate whether the program is working and whether a more formal diversion model should be developed. The coalition also suggested technical fixes to ensure judiciary data reporting continues and that the deferred-acceptance statute is not inadvertently repealed. No vote or final action was taken in the transcript before the committee moved on to the next bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is it because the kid didn't tell the parent, and the parent didn't tell the association, or which way
• Is it because the kid didn't tell the parent, and the parent didn't tell the association, or which way
• Is it because the kid didn't tell the parent, and the parent didn't tell the association, or which way
• Is it because the kid didn't tell the parent, and the parent didn't tell the association, or which way
• Is it because the kid didn't tell the parent, and the parent didn't tell the association, or which way

Committee: House Housing Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• E-CAP not only is an education for our three- and four-year-olds, but also for our families.
• and need child care while they're getting their university education and making their lives better.
• Quality child care options open up not just educational opportunities for parents, economic opportunities
• for parents, but help children, especially in the early stages, to become kindergarten-ready.
• And this budget rips $250 million out of K-12 education.

Bills: HB2720 , HB2073 , HB2487 , SB5816 , SB5919 , SB5995 , SB5831 , SB6134 , SB6136 , SB6137 , HB2689 , SB5922 , SB5944 , SB5957 , SB5988 , SB5994 , SB6011 , SB6065 , SB6103 , SB6151 , SB6244 , SB5420 , SB5868 , SB6044 , SB6132 , SJM8002

Keywords: behavioral health, emergency services, health insurance, provider access, mental health funding, premium assistance, funding, healthcare, subsidies, insurance tax, state regulation, insurers, taxation, budget impact, juice grapes, agriculture, commerce, market access, fire safety, insurance incentives

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, recited the Pledge of Allegiance, and heard a prayer from Tammy Stamphley, a Presbyterian minister and hospital chaplain. After approving the previous day’s minutes and receiving a Senate message, the chamber moved to second and third reading of several bills, with multiple measures advanced under suspended rules. The first major vote was on Engrossed Senate Bill 5872, which establishes a pre-K-related account to support up to 10,000 additional early learning slots for three- and four-year-olds. Supporters emphasized the Balmer Group’s private funding commitment and the value of early learning and family support; the bill passed 97-0. Substitute Senate Bill 5834, a Department of Retirement Systems request bill changing the fund source for legal, medical, administrative, and fraud-prevention expenses using interest earnings from pension funds, also passed 97-0. Substitute House Bill 2689, dealing with the Working Connections Child Care program, drew the most debate. Supporters said it aligned attendance policy with federal rules, adjusted reimbursement rates, and helped balance the budget while preserving child care resources. Opponents argued it cut support in rural and underserved counties, would worsen child care deserts, and placed budget savings on the child care industry; it passed 53-44. The House then passed Senate Bill 5922, allowing school districts to transfer vehicle depreciation funds with OSPI approval, by 59-38, and Senate Bill 6065, a narrower bill for districts under enhanced financial oversight such as Prescott, by 97-0. The session ended with announcements that both caucuses would meet later in the day.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> chairing the Early Childhood Education chairing the Early Childhood Education Committee<00:05:04.920
• ,</c> providers, parents, providers, parents, um<00:05:13.960><c> advocates,</c><00:05:14.520><c> as<
• There is a poster that is required to be publicly available in child care centers so that parents can
• um can real uh recognize the parents um can real uh recognize the um um um symptoms<00:07:37.640><c>
• </c><00:08:11.560><c> who</c> foster care simply because parents who foster care simply because parents

Committee: House Ways and Means

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So, parents who come to sit there and So, parents who come to sit there and watch<00:53:25.200><c> their
• </c> students and educators are put at risk. students and educators are put at risk.
• Thank you. parent at the basketball game an offduty parent at the basketball game an offduty police<01
• And then there's the parent.
• </c> resources necessary to support parents resources necessary to support parents that<03:56:20.000>

Committee: House Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Getting early education on this stuff. Great. Representative Bowen.
• Now parents are remotely at every meeting.
• One of the most difficult things is to educate when we are being erased.
• One of the most difficult things is to educate when we are being erased.
• It is a whole system of education that needs to be retooled. It is not.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills related to open meeting law, municipal meetings, town meetings, and remote participation. Senator Rausch supported S. 2205 and S. 2206, and House companion H. 3382, saying they would make remote participation in public bodies permanent and streamline open meeting law and public records complaint processes to reduce burdens on local officials. Committee members and the senator discussed concerns about complaints being weaponized, the role of the Attorney General, and whether public testimony should be presumed allowed unless a chair limits it with justification. The senator said the bills do not change public records fees and are meant to improve process and transparency. A large portion of the hearing focused on H. 3342 and S. 2197, which would modernize municipal meetings, town meetings, and local elections by allowing permanent remote or hybrid participation. Supporters included Wayland officials, the Massachusetts Municipal Association, Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, MAPC, MACC, and others, who argued that hybrid and remote options increase participation, help parents, caregivers, people with disabilities, and residents with travel or work constraints, and have worked well during the pandemic-era extensions. Municipal officials emphasized that a mandate would be costly and difficult for smaller communities because of staffing, technology, room design, cybersecurity, and uneven internet access, especially in western Massachusetts. Committee members asked about equal access, funding, and whether local discretion should remain; the chair said the committee wants a permanent solution beyond emergency rules but must balance access with local capacity. The committee also heard testimony on H. 3328, which would allow remote participation to count toward quorum for statewide appointed bodies such as commissions on women and LGBTQ issues. Supporters argued this would improve regional equity and make it easier for people outside Greater Boston to serve, while committee members noted it is a separate issue from municipal meetings and may be easier to address than broader local-government changes. Another bill, H. 4351, was supported by Rep. Brandy Fluker Reed, who described it as creating an Office of Freedmen Affairs to address longstanding racial wealth disparities affecting descendants of enslaved Americans. The hearing also included testimony on H. 3299 from Common Cause and MASSPIRG in favor of guaranteed hybrid access for public meetings with public participation components, with advocates saying it would improve transparency, accessibility, and civic engagement.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is the section titled Parent Barred from Inheriting in Certain Circumstances.
• The idea being that a minor who has an estranged parent, if they died, the estranged parent would not
• the minor dies, then that estranged parent is disinherited.
• The idea being that a minor who has an estranged parent, if they died, the estranged parent would not
• the minor dies, then that estranged parent is disinherited.

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So those included the delegation of parental rights, 15-5-128, testimony appointment of guardians, minors
• And we also provide education about legislation that is affecting the rights of people with disabilities
• This often results in a recommendation to parents to pursue legal guardianship.
• This often results in a recommendation to parents to pursue legal guardianship.
• of their parents' right to make decisions for the minor.

Summary: The committee first approved the January 21, 2026 minutes, then took up Senate Bill 1240, a major rewrite of Idaho’s guardianship and conservatorship laws. Sponsor Sen. Ruchti and witnesses from TEPI, Disability Rights Idaho, AARP Idaho, the Idaho Council on Developmental Disabilities, the courts, and professional fiduciaries said the bill modernizes outdated statutes, strengthens least-restrictive alternatives, clarifies notice and hearing rights, adds a new short-term protective proceeding, and improves oversight and protections against isolation and abuse. One public witness raised concerns about ambiguity, agency authority, and possible overreach, but no formal opposition was presented by stakeholder groups. The committee voted unanimously to send SB 1240 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. The committee then considered three cleanup or clarification bills from Sen. Lakey. Senate Bill 1248 repeals the obsolete capital crimes defense fund now that the state has taken over public defense; it passed without testimony and was sent to the floor with a due pass recommendation. Senate Bill 1249 updates a statutory reference to current time-zone terminology; it also passed without opposition and was sent to the floor with a due pass recommendation. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 1251, which clarifies that the Idaho Attorney General has statutory authority to civilly enforce state laws through declaratory or injunctive relief when no specific enforcement mechanism is provided. Sen. Lakey said the bill is meant as a catch-all and does not mandate action in every case. One public witness opposed the bill over concerns about broad authority and potential conflicts with local control, while Sen. Wintrow also raised separation-of-powers concerns during debate. Despite those objections, the committee voted to send SB 1251 to the floor with a due pass recommendation, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Most of us in this parent group are privileged, middle-class, highly educated, English-speaking, American-born
• Most of us in this parent group are privileged, middle-class, highly educated, English-speaking, American-born
• Parents would call us.
• Parents would call us.
• Parents would call us.

Committee: Senate Human Services

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then the Department of Education— And then Department of Education—I'm trying to think of, we have
• </c><00:45:27.839><c> don't</c> there are situation where parents don't there are situation where parents
• , um, and not just educating our workers but educating our community.
• Parenting and family strengthening training provided specifically by mental health professionals.
• our parents to get to work, so thank you so much.

Committee: House Human Services & Homelessness

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard several Human Services measures focused on Medicaid access, long-term care benefits, home health reimbursement, SNAP administration, trauma-informed child welfare, and child abuse reporting. HP 702 would increase funding for Medicaid in-home services if federal matching funds are secured, and testimony from disability advocates supported the measure as needed to help people with disabilities cover medical expenses. HB 1477, described as a correction to a prior session’s mistake, would clarify that the monthly needs allowance for certain long-term care residents does not replace state supplemental payments and would raise the ceiling by $25 to fix the prior issue and by an additional $20 as a new benefit; DHS supported it with amendments, and the committee indicated it would amend accordingly. HB 713 would fund a DHS rate study for home health services, with the Healthcare Association of Hawaii strongly supporting it and describing rising labor costs, losses on Medicaid patients, and access concerns if agencies cannot keep serving Medicaid clients. HB 1099 would appropriate emergency funds to DHS after a USDA penalty tied to SNAP response times, with supporters including Catholic Charities Hawaii, Hawaii Public Health Institute, and others arguing the money should be reinvested in staffing and systems to improve access and avoid further penalties. HB 1079 would direct the Office of Wellness and Resilience and DHS to create trauma-informed assessments and training for Child Welfare Services staff; testimony from state offices and advocacy groups supported it, citing the Mālama ʻOhana Working Group, staff burnout, and the need for a sustainable train-the-trainer model. Finally, HB 239 would narrow when failure to provide a child’s needs constitutes abuse or neglect, but DHS raised concerns that the current wording could broaden abuse findings and leave families in poverty without a clear safety net, while the Honolulu prosecutor’s office opposed it, warning it could weaken mandatory reporting and hinder investigations of child abuse. No formal votes were taken in the portion provided, though the chair said HB 1477 would be amended and several measures were left open for further questions and testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• Do you know how much those parents can do with that? Right?
• Basically, we talk a little bit about political education.
• Like you are a parent to your 16-year-old sister, that's real.
• Johnson, I want to add one more thing for educational purposes.
• I want to add one more thing for educational purposes.

Summary: The Assembly Select Committee on the Status of Boys and Men of Color held its first meeting of the session at the Youth Justice Coalition’s former courthouse space in Los Angeles, after members spent the morning visiting Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall. Chair Isaac Bryan framed the hearing around hope and healing, youth justice reimagined, youth perspectives, and multisector supports for boys and men of color. Several members, including Assembly Members Mike Fong, Mia Bonta, and Jasmeet Bains, emphasized the need to repair harms from mass incarceration, reverse underinvestment, and expand education, apprenticeship, and community-based opportunities. The first panel featured advocates from the Young Women’s Freedom Center, Students Deserve, the Social Justice Learning Institute, the California Youth Justice Project, and the Youth Justice Coalition. They argued that probation and incarceration are harmful, costly, and ineffective, and pointed to alternatives such as the Liberation Fund, Beloved Village, the Department of Youth Development, Measure J-funded community programs, and the Black Student Achievement Plan. Speakers described successful efforts to divert money from policing to restorative justice, counseling, mentorship, ethnic studies, and other supports, while warning that these gains are under attack or slow-walked by county systems. Committee members asked for concrete examples of cost-effective alternatives and implementation models that could be replicated statewide. The second panel was made up entirely of youth and young adults with lived experience. They described how Hoops for Justice, the Young Women’s Freedom Center, and the Youth Justice Coalition provided safety, mentorship, sponsorship, counseling, internships, education, and leadership opportunities that probation did not. Testimony focused on the need for youth-centered spaces, long-term jobs, mental health care, family support, and staff who understand lived experience. Speakers also criticized probation’s training and conditions in juvenile facilities, and several said the state should invest more in community-based organizations and put youth in leadership roles. Committee members responded that the testimony underscored the need to divest from probation and elevate youth voices in policymaking. The hearing then moved toward a third panel on supporting boys and men of color across sectors.

Transcript Highlights:

• Courts, parents, federal investigators, all of them blocked.
• SB 107 led a non-custodial parent, absconding... ...all of them blocked.
• For low-income parents, that penalty can be self-defeating.
• Jalen Woodard with the Alameda County Office of Education in support. Thank you.
• And it does so across employment, housing, education, and public accommodations.

Committee: House Judiciary

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A child tax credit bonus for newborn babies can reduce financial strain on parents and help maintain
• These early years are essential for a child's development, but parents' incomes tend to be lower when
• </c><00:10:46.440><c> incomes</c> child's development but parents incomes child's development but parents
• My name is Alicia Donahue, and I'm here today both as a new parent and an expecting one.
• Mike is an organization of 17 of... be better educating folks about the be better educating folks about

Bills: HF2254 , HF2302 , HF2502 , HF2315 , HF2475 , HF2086

Committee: House Taxes

Keywords: HF2254, Minnesota child credit, baby bonus, child tax credit, income tax, individual income tax, tax relief, newborn, birth credit, family tax credit, tax refund, advance payment, Department of Revenue, taxable year, parenting, families with children, child credit, state regulations, families, taxation

Transcript Highlights:

• :14.480><c> provides</c> and parenting leave uh provides and parenting leave uh provides employees<00
• Uh educating employers about resolution.
• But then also parenting leave rights.
• </c> Uh supporting pregnant and new parents Uh supporting pregnant and new parents in<00:58:46.319><c
• parent, will also have ability to take 12 weeks of unpaid leave. >> Okay.

Bills: HF3707 , HF3732 , HF2581 , HF3731

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

Keywords: unemployment insurance, judicial officials, paid leave, economic development, worker protections, workforce development, unemployment benefits, youth training, grants, job creation, grant funding, revolving loan, underserved communities, disadvantaged groups, electrical licensing, installation, Class A installer, regulations, labor and industry, 1183

Summary: The committee first adopted the minutes from February 26 and then heard House File 2581, authored by Representative Frazier, which sought $1 million for Fortis Capital, a nonprofit economic development lender. Frazier and Fortis CEO Brian Smith described Fortis as a gap-financing lender that helps underserved entrepreneurs who cannot meet traditional bank underwriting standards. They said the organization has made 37 loans totaling more than $4 million since 2021, leveraged another $29.5 million, and created 314 jobs. Smith said Fortis typically charges around 6.5% interest, has had two defaults, and uses a revolving loan fund model that recycles repayments; members discussed how the proposal fits with other state economic development programs and whether Fortis should instead be part of a competitive grant process. The chair laid HF 2581 over for possible inclusion in a budget bill. The committee then heard House File 3707, brought by Representative Berg, which would extend confidentiality protections to unemployment insurance and paid leave judges and related staff by adding them to the definition of judges for purposes of protecting personal information. Berg and testifiers from the Department of Economic Development and MAPE said the bill responds to harassment and safety concerns, including threats, doxxing, and an attack near an office, and is intended to protect people making sensitive determinations. MAPE supported the bill as an update to existing protections for similar workers. Members raised concerns that the bill’s language was too broad, especially the reference to the paid leave division, and questioned whether it should cover only judges or also call-center and other staff. Department and committee members agreed the language likely needed narrowing and discussed possible amendments and whether to move the bill to Judiciary and then revisit it. No final vote was taken on HF 3707 during the discussion, and the bill remained under consideration for further language work.