Transcript Highlights:

• Do not register until they hear the bell. The House will now proceed to register.
• Hearing none, so ordered.
• Hearing none, so ordered.
• Do not vote until you hear the bell. The House will now proceed to vote.
• Do not vote until you hear the bell.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Calling the 1:00 hearing for the Committee on Health and Human Services regarding Governor's measures
• In the unlikely event that we must abruptly end this hearing due to technical difficulties, the committee
• To facilitate this hearing in a timely manner, we'll be enforcing a 1-minute limit on testimony for those
• Lewin had informed me prior to hearing that Jamie Gagnon may not have been given notice of this hearing
• </c> give been given notice of this hearing give been given notice of this hearing and<00:01:59.880><

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Committee on Health and Human Services held a hearing on several Governor’s Message nominations. The chair opened with instructions about live streaming, testimony limits, and the possibility of reconvening if technical problems occurred. One nomination, GM 542 for Jamie Gagnon to the West O‘ahu subarea of the Hawaii Health Planning Council, was initially deferred because he was not present and there was concern he may not have received notice; when recalled later in the hearing, he testified that he wanted to help address limited provider resources and improve coordination of care. The committee also heard from Christine Cabingao Ting Kang for GM 541, but she was not present and her nomination was deferred to Wednesday, March 11 at 1:00 p.m. in Room 225. The committee then heard strong support testimony for GM 688, Raelynn Tenno for the Pa‘ala Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs. Tenno said she wanted another term because of her experience caring for elderly family members and her work on emergency preparedness for older adults and condominium/HOA communities. Supporters from the Office of Aging, the PABEA chair, the Hawaii Family Caregiver Coalition, and others praised her knowledge of housing, elder issues, and community service. GM 712, Kathleen Merriam for the State Council on Mental Health, also drew support; Merriam described over 40 years in mental health work, including managing a community mental health center in Kaneohe and supporting clubhouse programs. The committee also considered GM 560, Jeffrey Hicks for the Juvenile Justice State Advisory Council. Hicks said his career in justice and juvenile work motivated him to continue contributing to rehabilitation efforts for youth. The chair and members discussed the importance of prevention and rehabilitation in juvenile justice. After testimony, the committee moved to decision-making and voted to advise and consent on GM 542, GM 688, GM 712, and GM 560, while GM 541 was deferred to a later date and time. The hearing then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Could you hear us okay? Yes, I can. Thank you.
• I really appreciate hearing from you.
• When I speak with these parents, I hear the regret.
• A lot of times we don't hear what happens with it.
• A lot of times we don't hear what happens with it.

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 723, which Representative Erickson said was developed in response to a state oversight report on children’s residential care and testimony about abuse and neglect in licensed youth treatment facilities. The bill would codify and strengthen oversight standards, require individualized service planning, create a youth bill of rights for residents and parents, and require critical incident reporting to parents or guardians within one business day. Erickson said the bill largely mirrors existing department rules, was drafted with the Department of Health and Welfare to avoid a fiscal note, and includes enforcement tools such as corrective action plans, sanctions, payment withholding, and law-enforcement referral for crimes. Several senators raised concerns about whether the bill was strong enough, whether unannounced inspections could raise Fourth Amendment issues, whether faith-based facilities would be affected, and whether the department would have too much discretion. Erickson responded that the inspections apply only to licensed facilities, not private homes, and that the bill is intended to improve transparency and oversight without changing existing rights or imposing new costs. Survivors and advocates testified in strong support, describing seclusion, restraints, forced medication, medical neglect, lack of private communication, humiliation, and retaliation in Idaho and out-of-state residential programs. They argued the bill would improve accountability, transparency, and safety for children and families. After testimony, the committee discussed the bill further. Some members said the bill was a meaningful step but wanted stronger consequences, while others noted the seriousness of the abuse described and the need for oversight of Medicaid-funded facilities. Senator Wintrow moved to send H723 to the floor with a do pass recommendation, and the motion passed by voice vote. The committee then received a presentation from Teligen on its role as Idaho Medicaid’s quality improvement organization. Nancy Johnson explained that Teligen handles prior authorization, quality oversight, fraud and abuse reporting, and a small case management program for complex Medicaid participants. She said the case management team of five Idaho-based nurses reached out to just over 1,000 participants in 2025, fully engaged 160, and reported about $850,000 in cost savings through reduced readmissions and better care coordination. Members asked about contract costs, staffing, the scope of services, and how suspected fraud is reported to the Medicaid program integrity unit. The committee adjourned after the presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you don't have that, I'm happy to give it to you after the committee hearing.
• Gonzati, I do not, but I'd love to hear and learn.
• I want to see us have a hearing.
• Doe, which was a 5-4 decision and ruled that all children to... hearing.
• And I believe not only do we need a hearing once again, but this Taxpayer.

Committee: House Education

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You may have done this, but I didn't hear it. Oh, I'm sorry.
• Yeah, I want to hear more about that. So thank you. Further questions?
• I didn't hear the first part, but say they owe $5,000, they sell the house for $100.
• Can you guys hear me? All right. My name is Tamara Rucker.
• That concludes our hearing on House Bill 2234. Up next...

Committee: House Special Committee on Tax Reform

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Hearing and seeing none, staff will announce the vote. Mr.
• Hearing and seeing none, staff will announce the vote. Mr.
• Hearing and seeing none, staff will announce the vote. Mr.
• Thank you for hearing 2685, and I'm asking for a yes vote.
• Hearing and seeing none staff will announce the vote. Mr.

Bills: HB2402 , HB2555 , HB2599 , HB2685

Committee: House Health Care & Wellness

Keywords: phthalates, medical equipment, healthcare regulation, intravenous therapy, toxic substances, Medicaid, healthcare, traditional practices, health insurance, coverage expansion, therapy, psychotherapy, mental health, regulation, professional standards, tribal data, data protection, privacy, sharing of information, Indigenous rights

Transcript Highlights:

• But whenever she’s ready, we will definitely hear this bill again.
• Well, I'm so glad to hear the expansion in the workforce.
• Next, we will hear from Dr.
• She's put up with a lot, as you can soon hear. I have three children.
• We hear your passion. We absolutely hear your passion. And are there any questions?

Bills: S0720 , S1246

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Higher Education

Keywords: tuition, resident status, incarceration, education, equal access, nursing shortage, health care, education funding, workforce development, LINE Fund, monetary contributions, nonmonetary contributions

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education met to consider one bill, a postponed bill, and a slate of trustee confirmations. The committee first took up CS/SB 1246, which expands the Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE) fund to support health science workforce shortages beyond nursing, including allied health programs. The bill also broadens eligible uses of funds, revises matching requirements and grant criteria, and updates reporting requirements. A strike-all amendment was adopted without objection, and the committee then reported the bill favorably after supportive testimony from Florida State College at Jacksonville, the Florida Hospital Association, the College of Central Florida, and the Florida Chamber of Commerce. Senator Davis also noted a favorable vote on the bill for the record. The committee then temporarily postponed SB 720 at the sponsor’s request. Chair Harrell explained that the bill had been incorporated into a larger committee measure and would likely be heard later in another form. Public witnesses who had come to speak on the bill were not heard because of the postponement. The remainder of the meeting focused on confirmations for trustees at several state colleges, including Chipola College, Tallahassee State College, Pensacola State College, Palm Beach State College, Pasco-Hernando State College, and St. Petersburg College. The appointees emphasized themes of affordability, workforce training, nursing and allied health success, dual enrollment, community partnerships, and local economic development. After hearing from the appointees, the committee approved a block motion to recommend confirmation of all appointees on tabs 2 through 25. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Today is our first formal agenda for hearings, for public hearings.
• And then we will jump into the public hearing and executive session.
• That means TVW can hear you. And welcome to those of you in TVW land.
• We want to make sure everybody can hear you.
• All right, seeing none, we will now hear from the prime sponsor.

Bills: HB2238 , HB1311 , HB1608 , HB1735 , HB1825 , HB1976 , HB2062

Committee: House Agriculture & Natural Resources

Keywords: HB 2238, HB2238, statewide food security, food security strategy, hunger, food insecurity, food access, food assistance, anti-hunger, nutrition education, food system literacy, agricultural viability, supply chain resilience, Washington Department of Agriculture, food policy forum, BIPOC, tribal consultation, small farmers, diet-related health disparities, food affordability

Transcript Highlights:

• I feel like I'm ready to hear from our prime sponsor and I feel like I'm ready to hear from our prime
• And with that, we'll close the public hearing on House Bill 2185.
• And with that, we'll close the public hearing on House Bill 2185.
• Now that's going to close our hearing on House Bill 2230, and we'll open the public hearing on House
• You'll hear these referred to as SOLAs.

Bills: HB2185 , HB2200 , HB2230 , HB2319

Committee: House Early Learning & Human Services

Keywords: homelessness, youth programs, advisory committee, prevention, protection, developmental disabilities, residential settings, data access, safety, stability, community oversight, residential services, regulation, service providers, monitoring, HB 2319, residential habilitation center, state school renaming, Rainier School, Firecrest School

Transcript Highlights:

• Hearing as well, and provide feedback. Okay. Thank you, Madam Chair.
• It's always good to hear from you. I'm not going to repeat anything.
• So I just want to put that out there because you keep hearing this debate, and I've been hearing this
• What I'm hearing here, we heard there also.
• I don't know what the formula is like, based on what we're hearing.

Committee: House House Government, Elections & Indian Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• The chair hears none, and the bill is left pending.
• The chair hears none. The bill is left pending. The chair lays out House Bill 1535.
• The chair hears none, and the bill is left pending. Thank you. Thank you.
• Chairman and committee. members for taking time to hear House Bill 2091 today.
• The chair hears none and the bill is left pending.

Bills: HB1520 , HB1525 , HB1530 , HB1535 , HB2068 , HB2091 , HB2347 , HB2372 , HB2805 , HB2815 , HB2867 , HB3154 , HB3482 , HB3483 , HB3663 , HB3781 , HB3901 , HB3915 , HB4135 , HB4153 , HB4158 , HB4329 , HB4331

Committee: House Natural Resources

Keywords: Angelina and Neches River Authority, river authority, Sunset Advisory Commission, Texas Sunset Act, Special District Local Laws Code, local government, natural resources, board of directors, director training, board governance, public testimony, open meetings, public information, conflict of interest, ethics, complaint system, general manager, board president, staggered terms, removal of director

Transcript Highlights:

• That's good to hear because oftentimes we don't hear good reports. coming out of some of these Tribal
• This is what I hear in my state.
• What I was hearing, what we were hearing, the chairwoman is working. with me on that as well, she understands
• And so we need... to hear from you on that.
• Certainly public safety, we hear over and over and over again.

Committee: Senate Indian Affairs Committee

Keywords: tribal sovereignty, healthcare, education, public safety, Economic Development, Tax Parity Act, PROTECT Act, trust obligations, bipartisan support, Indian Health Services

Summary: The committee meeting focused on crucial issues facing tribal nations, particularly emphasizing the federal government's trust and treaty obligations. The discussions highlighted ongoing challenges such as disparities in healthcare, education, and public safety within Native communities. Chair Murkowski underscored the importance of listening to Native leaders and aligning congressional efforts with community needs, advocating for legislative actions that support tribal sovereignty and economic development. Various initiatives, including the Tax Parity Act and the PROTECT Act, aimed at addressing jurisdictional and financial disparities, were discussed in detail. A call for bipartisan support to alleviate the funding shortages affecting Indian Health Services was made several times during the meeting. Testimonies from tribal leaders and representatives emphasized the dire need for legislative support to enhance infrastructure, healthcare access, and public safety initiatives in tribal communities.

Transcript Highlights:

• The chair hears none.
• The chair hears none.
• The Chair hears none.
• The Chair hears none, and the rules are suspended.
• The Chair hears none. The rules...

Keywords: 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Is there objection, hearing 9 is so ordered.
• Is there objection hearing none is so ordered.
• Is there objection hearing done? It is so ordered.
• Is there objection hearing 9 is so ordered.
• Hearing none is so ordered. I'm going to let you do this one.

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• And I've heard from families directly, some of whom you'll hear from today.
• And so. committee so that we could digest ahead of this hearing.
• And so I would have hoped to see and hear something different.
• I wish we had gotten data more than 30 minutes before the hearing there.
• And that’s what we’re hearing with Bright Life Kids and Soluna.

Summary: The hearing focused first on behavioral health, especially serious mental illness and anosognosia, a condition described by witnesses as a neurological symptom that prevents people from recognizing they are ill. The chair framed the issue around families cycling through emergency rooms, jails, conservatorships, and short-term stabilization without lasting treatment, and warned that federal changes under H.R. 1 could reduce Medi-Cal funding and worsen access. Dawn Marie Anderson gave a personal account of her son’s long history of psychosis, homelessness, arrests, repeated jail and state hospital stays, and eventual stability when he received sustained medication and coordinated support. She argued that the system often treats the problem as criminal rather than medical and that voluntary programs and short-term services are not enough for people who lack insight into their illness. Other panelists, including representatives from the California Behavioral Health Association, Santa Barbara County Behavioral Health, and the County Behavioral Health Directors Association, agreed that anosognosia is not denial or noncompliance and said the system needs long-term, coordinated care, including assertive community treatment, mobile crisis, supportive housing, medication support, and stronger handoffs between county and managed care systems. They said CalAIM and other reforms have improved some coordination, but significant gaps remain, especially for people with serious mental illness, for those in jail or locked settings, and for people with private insurance, which witnesses said often offers little meaningful coverage for early psychosis or intensive behavioral health services. Several witnesses urged the Legislature to protect Medi-Cal, shore up county safety-net services, and invest in training and family engagement. The committee then turned to the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative, with a focus on the virtual services platforms BrightLife Kids and Soluna and the CYBHI fee schedule. DHCS reported strong growth in app registrations, coaching sessions, referrals, and positive user outcomes, saying the platforms provide free, culturally responsive, early-intervention support statewide and help connect users to higher levels of care when needed. On the fee schedule, DHCS said more than 500 LEAs, colleges, universities, and school-linked providers are participating, 181 LEAs have submitted claims, and $9.6 million has been reimbursed to date, with 41,556 students represented in claims. The chair and several members criticized the pace of implementation and the amount of money spent relative to reimbursement levels, saying the Legislature had requested data earlier and that the return on investment still appeared low. DHCS responded that many claims are still being submitted, that 70% of denials are correctable, that $400 million in capacity grants has been distributed locally, and that reimbursement is increasing rapidly as more districts come online. Public comment included a rural county behavioral health director who said private insurance denials leave counties with significant uncompensated work, especially for unlicensed staff providing case management and mobile crisis services.

Transcript Highlights:

• I know that I was hearing this bill currently. A lot of the Midwestern states are hearing it.
• That will conclude our public hearing on House Bill 2844.
• And thank you all for just hearing me today.
• House Committee hearing, so that's good.
• The Senate has a confirmation and holds a public hearing.

Committee: House General Laws

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Can you hear me? Yeah, go ahead. Just start up.
• I'm going by the... and I'm hearing disabled.
• I'm going by the... and I'm hearing disability.
• disable I'm a the and I'm hearing disable I'm a hearing<01:00:53.760><c> I</c><01:00:53.839><c> have
• ><c> so</c><01:00:55.119><c> I</c> hearing I have a hearing disability so I hearing I have a hearing

Committee: Senate Government Operations

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee met on February 4, 2025, for decision making on previously heard measures, then later held hearings on additional bills. Early action focused on several measures that were amended and advanced, including SB 161 on state project exemptions from county permitting, which was heavily revised to allow programmatic or project-specific agreements with counties, require public reporting of exempted projects, and create a working group to study broader permitting and construction coordination issues. The committee also advanced SB 635 on energy efficiency with changes shifting survey leadership to the Hawaii State Energy Office, SB 700 on resilience hubs after narrowing it to focus on emergency-service-capable hubs and removing distributed energy language, SB 869 on community outreach boards with a technical amendment, SB 1081 on a legislative budget office by converting it to a feasibility study, SB 711 on gubernatorial appointments with a salary threshold change, SB 405 on neighborhood board agendas with a committee-report note about OIP concerns, SB 381 with privacy issues deferred to Judiciary, SB 2 as a two-year pilot for fruit tree planting in selected districts, SB 239 on disaster preparedness with sheltering revisions, and SB 998 as introduced with a cost estimate for site selection work. Several measures were deferred or not advanced, including SB 615, which was deferred indefinitely, SB 1132, which the chair said would be set aside in favor of another childcare bill, and SB 111, which was not taken up further because of confusion during an earlier hearing. During the later hearing portion, SB 1175 on procurement drew testimony from the State Procurement Office, which supported the bill but corrected its estimated database revision cost from $7,500 to $30,000; the Department of Transportation also appeared, while the General Contractors Association submitted opposition. Committee members questioned whether the past-performance database should include more detailed quality information and whether a one-year post-completion review would be useful, but no amendment was adopted at that time. SB 1587 on retainage received written support from the Subcontractors Association of Hawaii and no opposition in the room. SB 1543 on government accountability, which would require justification for outside consultants and cap consultant spending, drew opposition from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Hawaii, which argued it could slow procurement, reduce flexibility, and worsen delays given existing vacancies and limited in-house expertise. The Public First Law Center supported the related transparency bill discussed in the hearing, arguing it would close a loophole by making contractor-created records used in government functions subject to disclosure under UIPA, while the Attorney General’s office opposed it. The transcript ends with that testimony still underway, and no final vote is shown for the later hearing bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for hearing this bill. Thank you, members.
• Chair, for hearing the bill today.
• Thank you for hearing Senate File 211.
• Thank you for hearing Senate File 211.
• </c> week make sure you get your bill hearing week make sure you get your bill hearing requests<01:01

Committee: Senate Taxes

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But you are hearing, I think, if I may, Madam Chair, what you're hearing is many of the same paths, not
• But you are hearing, I think, if I may, Madam Chair, what you're hearing is many of the same paths, not
• I'd love to hear your response.
• It's just like the hearing device.
• We hear about anecdotal situations. We also hear about anecdotal situations in the other direction.

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on artificial intelligence, child safety, mental health, and privacy. SB 574 by Senator Umberg would require transparency and human oversight when attorneys, judges, and court neutrals use AI; it drew support from privacy advocates and committee members, with no opposition. SB 1276, the End Child Exploitation Act, would update child sexual exploitation laws to cover live-streamed and AI-generated abuse material and clarify that viewing such content can be criminally punishable; prosecutors, child advocacy groups, and others supported it, while no one appeared in opposition despite opposition on file. SB 813 would create a California AI standards and safety commission and a voluntary two-tier certification framework for AI safety standards; supporters said it would create scalable, independent oversight, while TechNet and CalChamber opposed it as duplicative, under-defined, and likely to create a de facto mandate. The committee discussed market pressure, federal preemption concerns, and the role of voluntary standards, but no final vote was taken in the excerpt. Senator Padilla also presented SB 300, which would strengthen protections for minors from sexually explicit chatbot content by moving from a reasonableness standard to an affirmative duty to prevent such exposure and to prohibit facilitation. Supporters said new evidence showed greater risks and that companies can and should build stronger safeguards; opponents, including TechNet and CCIA, argued the bill was premature because SB 243 had only recently taken effect and warned it could create strict-liability-like exposure. Padilla then presented SB 903, which would bar AI chatbots from being advertised as therapists, require licensed clinician oversight and informed consent for AI use in psychotherapy, and protect patient confidentiality; it received broad support from mental health professionals and labor groups, while industry and health associations were opposed unless amended over triage and crisis-detection language. The committee members emphasized the need for human judgment in mental health care and noted ongoing negotiations on amendments. The committee also heard SB 1119, a companion to AB 2020, which would require annual risk assessments, crisis-response protocols, default child settings, parental controls, limits on data use, public incident reporting, and third-party audits for chatbots used by children. Supporters argued the bill would address documented harms and improve transparency, while industry groups objected to ambiguous standards, liability exposure, and the private right of action. A roll call vote was taken on SB 1119 after quorum was established; the motion to pass to Appropriations succeeded on a 5-1 vote, with one no vote and the measure left on call for absent members. Finally, SB 354, a privacy bill for insurance consumers, would modernize outdated insurance privacy rules, bar sale of personal information, and expand consumer rights to know, correct, and delete data. Supporters said it would implement Proposition 24’s privacy mandate, while a large coalition of insurers, agents, brokers, and related businesses opposed unless amended, mainly seeking a small-business exemption and narrower treatment of publicly available information; members and the author said negotiations were ongoing and the bill had already been substantially revised.

Transcript Highlights:

• The budget presents the culmination of months of work, department hearings, public hearings, committee
• What is especially disappointing is that at most of those hearings, the hearing room was packed with
• looked her in the eye hearings that I was watching.
• Sometimes what our children need to hear from us, sometimes what they want to hear from us, is one simple
• What is disappointing is hearing from the opposition this bill being characterized as pork, or hearing

Keywords: 1146, all