Transcript Highlights:

• That is exactly how the legislative process works.
• The governor promised a more transparent process.
• We don't need to reinvent the budget process.
• a long process to get to and build a budget. ...a long process to get to and build a budget.
• The budget process.

Keywords: 1146, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, Vice Chair Lara, just— we are currently actively ongoing right-of-way acquisition and utility
• They are about 90% design and just ready to begin the right-of-way acquisition.
• Our district's unfunded projects are prioritized using our transportation asset management plan process
• That's a process that helps us to identify and to be an objective method of measuring the benefits of
• RPOs. obviously have a role in how some of their projects get put into our SIPP through our ZIPPER process

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In practice, many agricultural leases are awarded through sealed bidding processes where the lease goes
• I think changing the bidding process, but that would require, I think, a lot more work.
• interface with our state land use, our state land acquisition, and market opportunities for producers
• Happy to answer any questions, and mahalo for the opportunity to testify. how these planning processes
• In your thought process, will ...

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee first considered three gubernatorial nominations. GM510, Faith Tui Pulotu to the Molokai Irrigation System Water Users Advisory Board, received strong support from the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, and the Hawaii Farm Bureau, though the nominee was not present online. GM614, Mark Gordon to the Environmental Advisory Council, also drew unanimous support from state and private testifiers; Gordon described his environmental health and safety background and said he could commit the time needed. GM696, James Falconer to the Advisory Board on Pesticides, was supported by the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity and the Hawaii Farm Bureau; Falconer discussed his long experience in coffee and sugar, including work responding to coffee leaf rust and the need for timely pesticide tools. All three nominations were recommended for advise and consent and were adopted by four-member votes. The committee then heard several agriculture bills. HB 1603 HD1 would allow the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to extend agricultural park leases without the current county-population restriction; supporters called it an equity measure and asked that it apply to all ag park leases, while the department gave standard testimony. HB 1707 HD1 would create a local agricultural transportation cost reimbursement program; supporters said transportation is a major production cost and suggested amendments to define “necessary supplies” and explicitly include honey. HB 2155 HD1 would establish an agricultural statistics program, with supporters emphasizing the need for better data to guide planning. HB 2594 HD1 would direct a study on insurance coverage for small producers, which supporters linked to recent storm damage and the lack of tailored insurance products. HB 2595 HD1 would create a regional agricultural feasibility and food systems production working group; supporters said it should consider markets as well as crop suitability and regional conditions. Members asked questions about lease competition, transportation reimbursement amounts and anti-double-dipping safeguards, the usefulness of agricultural data, and whether state or federal insurance models could be used as templates. Testifiers generally said the bills would help reduce costs, improve planning, and support small and neighbor-island producers, while noting that implementation details and funding levels would need further work. The committee then voted to pass all five bills with amendments, generally including a deferred effective date of July 1, 2050, and in the case of HB 1707, the committee adopted the suggested amendments to define necessary supplies and add honey to the covered commodities.

Transcript Highlights:

• I know there's a process to do that.
• I know there's a process to do that.
• <01:14:28.880> if Administration the assessment process if Administration the assessment process
• following year and then the process following year and then the process begins<01:15:47.679>
• assessors are not alone in this process assessors are not alone in this process<01:31:50.760> we<

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So now, through this complicated process, the constituent goes to a specialty pharmacy and now has a
• Through our program, we were able to support her medication management process, and I am happy to report
• We are encouraged that some action was taken last session to begin the process of regulating PBMs, but
• actions by a drug manufacturer or distributor, such as denying, restricting, or prohibiting the acquisition
• requiring a 340B entity to submit any claims or utilization data as a condition for allowing the acquisition

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held a lengthy hearing on a large docket of pharmacy and drug-pricing bills, with most testimony focused on PBM reform, 340B drug discount program protections, specialty medication access, and medication adherence. Chair James Murphy and Senator Paul Feeney opened the hearing and took testimony from legislators, patient advocates, pharmacists, health center leaders, industry representatives, and policy groups. Several speakers described delays, denials, high out-of-pocket costs, and pharmacy closures tied to PBM practices, while others emphasized the importance of community health centers and independent pharmacies in serving patients. On the 340B program, supporters including Senator Eldridge, Senator Payano, Community Care Cooperative, Fenway Health, the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, and several community health center leaders argued that bills such as H. 1107 and S. 819 would stop discriminatory PBM and manufacturer practices, preserve contract pharmacy access, and protect safety-net providers that say they reinvest savings into care, pharmacy expansion, interpreter services, behavioral health, and other services. Opponents including PhRMA, the Community Liver Alliance, and a public policy analyst argued the program lacks transparency and accountability, has grown beyond its original purpose, and may benefit large hospitals and for-profit entities more than low-income patients. They urged more reporting and oversight rather than expanding protections. On PBM reform, testimony supported bills including H. 1157, H. 1234, S. 724, S. 831, and related measures that would require rebate pass-through, ban spread pricing, limit steering to PBM-owned pharmacies, and improve reimbursement for community pharmacies. Independent pharmacists and patients said current PBM practices raise costs, create administrative burdens, and threaten access to local pharmacies. PCMA, representing PBMs, opposed the reforms, arguing PBMs lower costs, that plan sponsors choose to contract with them, and that the Health Policy Commission and CHIA should complete their ongoing study before new mandates are adopted. The committee also heard support for H. 1322 and S. 734 on specialty medications, and for H. 781 and H. 1305 on medication synchronization to improve adherence. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• We also do property acquisitions.
• How can we move it faster through the entire approval process?
• It is a very detailed process that many do not know the intricacies of.
• So there's a whole process, as you can see here, that top line is approximately about a one-year process
• So there's a whole process, as you can see here, that top line is approximately about a one-year process

Summary: The Committee on Community Affairs met with a quorum present and heard two hurricane-recovery presentations focused on Florida’s response and long-term recovery efforts. Kevin Guthrie, Executive Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, reviewed response and recovery operations for Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton, including meals, water, sheltering, search and rescue deployments, power restoration, debris removal, flood-control efforts, and generator distribution. He also described ongoing public assistance and mitigation funding, the state’s FROC system for standardizing and speeding reimbursement documentation, and the Elevate Florida residential mitigation program, which will use about $400 million to elevate or reconstruct eligible flood-insurance properties and may expand to county-run programs. Senators asked about manufactured homes, school shelter hardening, mobile home tie-downs, reimbursement for USAR teams, debris hauling, regional sheltering, and FEMA review delays; Guthrie said the state is trying to move recovery faster and more proactively, while acknowledging some limits and federal bottlenecks. The committee then heard from Justin Domer, Deputy Secretary of Community Development at Florida Commerce, on HUD Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery programs. He explained that Commerce administers long-term recovery funds through its Office of Long-Term Resiliency for housing, infrastructure, and economic development, with funds used as a last resort after FEMA and insurance. Domer outlined the process for the most recent $925 million allocation covering multiple disasters, including Idalia, Debby, Helene, Milton, Broward flooding, and North Florida tornadoes, and said the state currently manages about $3.4 billion in DR funds, rising to over $4 billion with the new allocation. He highlighted completed and ongoing housing programs for Hurricane Irma, Michael, and Ian, plus workforce recovery programs and subrecipient infrastructure grants. Senators asked about Broward and Fort Lauderdale funding, homeowner turnaround times, and mobile home eligibility; Domer said Broward and Fort Lauderdale will have separate HUD-directed programs, and the committee adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• As of June this year, 22 state contracts have been issued to vendors to begin the acquisition process
• be a process to.
• and plan review process has been.
• do not participate in the local building process, permitting process, local officials are no longer
• and plan review process has been.

Summary: The committee first received a general fund and revenue update from the Office of Management and Budget. Staff reported that the state started the biennium about $176 million above prior estimates, but year-to-date revenues were now running below legislative forecast, mainly due to lower individual income tax and sales tax collections. The budget stabilization fund was above its cap, the legacy fund continued to grow, and oil revenues were slightly above forecast overall. Members also asked about federal funding uncertainty and mineral leasing variability, and OMB said agencies would be asked to address potential federal reductions case by case during budget preparation. The committee then reviewed compliance reports and trust fund analysis materials, followed by a bill draft for a fixed-route city transportation grant program. Testimony from transit officials in Fargo and Minot supported the proposal, saying state aid would help match federal transit funds and support operations, but members raised questions about the funding source, fare structures, and whether the program should be limited to the current four fixed-route cities or allow future eligible cities. Several members asked for more time to study the formula and possible funding options before moving the bill forward. Next, the committee approved a bill draft repealing obsolete language related to a proposed North Dakota-South Dakota bi-state authority. Staff explained the provision had been unused for about 30 years and that existing law likely already allowed joint powers agreements without the specific language. The committee voted to adopt the repeal bill draft. The Department of Commerce and the Northern Plains UAS Test Site then provided an update on uncrewed aircraft system initiatives, including the Vantis radar data enclave, the drone replacement program, and future revenue models. Officials said North Dakota had received FAA approval to operate the radar data pathfinder, had begun replacing non-compliant drones from restricted foreign sources, and was working on phased procurement and cost-recovery plans. Members asked about deadlines, funding, supply-chain issues, and how the system would be used; staff said the federal restrictions were already in effect and that Vantis was being positioned as infrastructure for future beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations. Finally, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation presented on the design of a new minimum-security prison and on a reentry housing task force. The new facility is planned for the penitentiary grounds, with a reduced estimated cost of about $263 million, 600 beds initially, possible expansion to 732 beds, and completion projected around 2031 if funded in 2027. The reentry housing task force described a data-driven effort to identify housing needs for people leaving incarceration, with the goal of reducing homelessness and recidivism through targeted housing support and possible subsidies. Members asked about staffing, site selection, housing duration, and whether employment and transportation needs would be included in the assessment.

Transcript Highlights:

• I believe there was a request, um, for an appropriation to fund the acquisition and maintenance of software
• and maintenance of software acquisition and maintenance of software licensing<00:02:35.599> or
• You know, it seems as though there was a working process that had been in place in the past and, uh,
• So we wanted to make sure that a bill was put in place that, as Judge mentioned, there's a process in
• in place currently but we're not process in place currently but we're not familiar<00:08:51.120>

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committees heard and then took action on several measures. Senate Bill 3048, relating to the State Building Code Council and the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, received support from OPSD and the Chamber of Commerce, with OPSD requesting amendments tied to software licensing and a public permitting dashboard. The committees ultimately recommended passing the bill with amendments, including an effective date, and later adopted that recommendation by vote. Senate Bill 3083, relating to protective orders, drew support from the U.S. Defense State Liaison Office, the Military and Community Relations Office, and a member of the public, while the Judiciary asked that the bill be deferred or amended because a prior notification process had lapsed and a new mandate could be difficult to implement. The committees nevertheless recommended passage with amendments and an effective date, noting implementation concerns in the report, and that recommendation was adopted. The committees also considered Senate Bill 3010, which would allow law enforcement, animal control officers, and firefighters to enter unattended vehicles to rescue animals in distress. The Animal Legal Defense Fund supported the measure as a common-sense good Samaritan protection, and the Hawaii Association for Justice recommended a small amendment. The bill was recommended for passage with amendments and later adopted. Senate Bill 3187, relating to off-site construction and SPEED Task Force recommendations, received OPSD testimony in support with comments; the committees recommended passing it with amendments, deleting the dollar amount and adding an effective date, and adopted that recommendation. In a later joint hearing with the Committee on Education, Senate Bill 2138, which would expand the Hawaii National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program to graduate study, received support from the University of Hawaii, the Department of Defense, the Hawaii Army National Guard, and the U.S. Defense State Liaison Office. Members asked whether the current law limited assistance to undergraduate degrees and whether the program would require new funding; witnesses said the bill would simply expand authority and could be implemented within the current budget. Senate Bill 2614, authorizing high school diplomas for certain veterans whose schooling was interrupted by military service or wartime practices, also drew support from DOE and the U.S. Defense State Liaison Office, with DOE explaining it had previously issued diplomas under an earlier version of the law and would verify eligibility through an application process. Senate Bill 2687, requiring a 100th Infantry Battalion history curriculum plan and pilot program, drew mixed testimony: DOE said the topic is already covered in existing social studies standards and the bill was unnecessary, while supporters argued the history is not being consistently taught and should be mandated. The transcript cuts off before final action on the education bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's our education in general budget, and so through the appropriation process, I believe that it is
• , through the appropriation process, through the appropriation process, I<00:10:36.880> believe
• of beginning right-of-way um the process of beginning right-of-way acquisition<00:23:29.560> for<
• /c><00:23:30.040> that<00:23:30.200> roadway<00:23:30.520> widening acquisition
• for that roadway widening acquisition for that roadway widening work. work. work.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from its January 13 meeting and then moved through a large agenda of contracts and agreements, with members repeatedly voting to review items without objection. The chair noted the agenda included 227 contracts totaling about $89.5 million, all with vendors registered with the Secretary of State. Most items were approved after brief discussion and roll-call votes. Several contracts drew questions. Kentucky State University explained two four-month contracts tied to its online academic program: one for continued implementation support and one for marketing. University officials said the program is in a transition year under a management improvement plan, that the university owns the intellectual property, and that the marketing effort is aimed at growing enrollment in targeted programs such as business and social work. They reported online enrollment had grown from 74 students to 612, with an overall university enrollment of 2,872, and said the goal is to reach about 1,000 online students by fall. The committee approved both items, though Senator Douglas said he would keep watching university spending. The Department of Education presented a contract cancellation for administrative reviews of the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program. Officials said USDA changed the review requirement from every three years to every five years, making the outside contract unnecessary because internal staff can now handle the work. The committee approved the cancellation. The Transportation Cabinet also explained an increase to a professional services contract for engineering work on a section of KY 54 in Owensboro, describing it as preliminary design and commissioning work for a multi-section roadway project; the committee approved that item as well. The Kentucky Lottery Corporation sought approval for an amendment tied to its iLottery platform. Officials said the increase reflected higher sales volume, since the contract structure causes prize and platform-related expenses to rise as sales grow. The committee approved the amendment. The Department of Public Health also discussed a perinatal psychiatry consultation program funded by a five-year federal HRSA grant; members raised concerns about what would happen if federal support changes, but no action beyond discussion was noted in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• process.
• And then as a budget process.
• um through a separate process.
• There's a separate process that's allowed and I believe that LBB has to be involved in that process,
• There's a separate process.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Then your second question is really going to what is the process for adopting ordinances, and this is
• There is more work to be done, and this request would allow us to continue acquisition of documents,
• <01:08:04.480> to deliberate in bringing our process to deliberate in bringing our process
• In that process, that survey crew had to go out five miles to pick up a monument and come back.
• familiar with the term it's the process familiar with the term it's the process of<01:47:14.599>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They're not starting the process and receiving this education mid-process; they are getting this education
• midterm mid process they are getting midterm mid process they are getting this<00:16:36.959>
• One of the best decisions we made was having you involved in our house process.
• <01:19:17.000> Land<01:19:17.280> Development acquisition Land Development acquisition
• <01:24:00.239> is um and our application process is um and our application process is currently

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> Appears on page 123, unit 1355, title 3, English language acquisition. >> Are there any amendments
• into a tricky situation between the Game and Fish Fund and the state legislature's appropriations process
• I guess I'm a little confused on the whole process as we look at all these things going.
• c> I'm I'm a little confused on on the I'm I'm a little confused on on the whole<04:15:23.439> process
• of as we look at all these whole process of as we look at all these things<04:15:25.920> going,

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• creating efficiencies and processing creating efficiencies and processing these<00:08:54.959>
• facilitated your process of responding. facilitated your process of responding.
• To give you a sense of what the overall governance acquisition process looks like, take a look at the
• So to give you a sense of what the overall governance acquisition process looks like, take a look at
• When data is withheld or process.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:20:44.400> of<00:20:44.640> smaller to prioritize the acquisition of smaller to
• prioritize the acquisition of smaller practices<00:20:46.000> like<00:20:46.200> the<00
• I think the transparency issue or the rules created this process, and I don't think this fixes it.
• the uh the rules created this process the uh the rules created this process and<00:26:05.159>
• When you do that, this bill in front of you does not create a new process.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Are we trying to put science into the process, or do we want students to serve?
• the authorization of the Florida Keys set-aside in the state's Florida Forever Program for land acquisition
• Florida Forever Program for land acquisition to Florida Keys for another 10 years.

Summary: The Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Subcommittee met and first took up CS/HB 973, a broad special districts bill focused heavily on soil and water conservation districts. The bill would dissolve 35 soil and water districts effective December 31, 2025, based on an OPAGA review that found widespread problems such as lack of revenue, inactive boards, poor notice practices, public records issues, and late financial reporting. It also would let special districts use state contracts, authorize FDLE background checks for district employees, preserve fire district taxing/service authority after annexation, extend liability protections for outdoor recreation on certain district lands, tighten eligibility for soil and water supervisors, and shift complaint review to the Commission on Ethics. Supporters argued the districts are often inactive, duplicative, and costly to review, while opponents said many districts provide local conservation, water quality, outreach, and volunteer services and should be given more time to remediate. Public testimony on HB 973 was mixed. Several soil and water district chairs and related advocates opposed the bill, saying their districts provide local conservation, flood, invasive species, education, and coordination services at little or no taxpayer cost, and that abolishing them would remove local representation and collaboration. The bill’s proponent, the Florida Association of Special Districts, supported the measure as a limited-government and accountability reform, arguing that districts with no revenue or contracts should not continue. Members debated whether the bill was relying on the OPAGA report while also eliminating future performance reviews, whether the Department of Agriculture could absorb the added responsibilities, and whether the districts should have been given more time to correct deficiencies. The committee ultimately voted the bill favorably, with one no vote from Representative Hinson. The committee then considered CS/HB 995, which applies to Monroe County and the Florida Keys. The bill would exempt Habitat for Humanity in the Keys from construction performance bond requirements for affordable housing, extend the Florida Keys land acquisition/set-aside authority in Florida Forever for 10 more years, and extend the hurricane evacuation time frame from 24 hours to 24.5 hours to allow up to 825 additional residential permit allocations, phased in over 10 years and directed largely toward vacant buildable lots and workforce housing. An amendment was adopted to codify the 825-unit allocation and the distribution framework. With no opposition offered on the bill, the committee reported HB 995 favorably by unanimous vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• emergency medical services in communities like ours, where financial constraints often hinder the acquisition
• Fire Department Assistance Program provides funding to rural volunteer fire departments for the acquisition
• Senate Bill 2065 would clarify the process for participating departments to make benefit enhancements

Bills: SB868, SB1337, SB1371, SB1377, SB1426, SB1620, SB2064, SB2065, SJR4, SJR 4

Keywords: SB 868, rural volunteer fire department assistance program, volunteer fire department assistance fund, Texas Government Code, wildfire, wildland fire, high-risk wildfire area, fire suppression, rural fire departments, volunteer firefighters, emergency response, public safety, grant allocation, appropriations, disaster preparedness, tax penalties, interest calculation, overpayment, tax law, refund process

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the same process as if you had refused the breathalyzer.
• It's the same process. Thank you so much, and thank you for that clarification.
• Are there indicators of impairment in any part of that process?
• Madam Chair, we wouldn't be in that process quite yet.
• So if there is a margin between acquisition costs and the.

Transcript Highlights:

• They're in the process of being executed, so they're being implemented.
• And we worked through that, and that's in process.
• And we worked through that, and that's in process.
• So did the process... We had 97 cities reporting, and now we have two.
• And then how does that process work?

Summary: The Information Technology Committee approved the March 26 minutes and received a series of reports from NDIT on major IT projects, the annual report, mainframe modernization, and cybersecurity services. The project portfolio was reported at 116 major projects with a baseline cost of $546 million, overall under budget but modestly behind schedule. Several projects that had been in variance status last quarter were said to have closed, including HHS bed management, vital records modernization, and DOT roadway capital planning. New startup reports were mostly HHS efforts tied to refugee data management, technical debt cleanup, and legacy application decommissioning, while closeouts included HHS, OMB, DPI, and DOT projects with mixed budget and schedule results. In the annual report discussion, NDIT described its service-fund financials, peer-state rate comparisons, records management reporting, and customer satisfaction efforts. Members asked about how revenues and grants flow through the service fund, how NDIT charges agencies for services, and whether customer satisfaction or CSAT scores are tracked and could be reported more regularly. NDIT said it does track service-team CSAT and survey data, and committee members encouraged more regular reporting of those metrics. The committee also discussed application portfolio management, statewide IT planning, and whether agencies should slow new system replacements while the state pursues an ERP system. The mainframe update focused on the state’s ongoing effort to retire legacy systems by about 2030. NDIT and HHS said the work is being managed as a tech-debt program, but progress is slowed by data cleanup, integration complexity, staff retirements, vendor capacity, and federal requirements. Members asked whether there is a coordinated commitment and whether additional vendor support or consultants are needed; NDIT said it is working jointly with HHS and is seeking an RFP to help accelerate modernization. The cybersecurity presentation then shifted to statewide maturity assessments and services. NDIT said it provides endpoint protection, vulnerability scanning, security awareness training, threat briefings, and penetration testing, and that assessments are based on CIS controls. Members raised concerns about low participation in the self-assessment process, the lack of mandatory reporting or audit authority, and whether insurance incentives through Enderf or possible State Auditor involvement could improve compliance. No formal votes were taken beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, what is the process that LCCMR followed to develop these appropriations?
• <00:26:07.720> go uh the we like to have the process go uh the we like to have the process
• If there is someone here from DNR. >> Yes. process. If there is someone here from process.
• That application process is open through April 10th.
• :58.600> through application process is open through application process is open through April

Keywords: 1187, senate, all