Video & Transcript Research : 'catastrophe'
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TX
Transcript Highlights:
- honest answer is that, based on the data we had at the time, there was no clear indicator that a catastrophic
- Rialt County was not catastrophically impacted by the July 4th and July 11th floods as our neighbor Kerr
- As I said earlier, our population is less than 3,000 and definitely a catastrophic flood would probably
- In addition to the rain, the level of damage was catastrophic. Whose job is it to monitor that?
- Those of us impacted by this catastrophe are not asking for handouts.
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Finance Division II (02/19/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- trust fund for things like you education trust fund for things like you know<03:16:22.359>
catastrophic - Aid at the time I know catastrophic Aid at the time I think<03:16:23.880>
was <03:16:24.080>- Yeah, so it was like the old catastrophic aid, whatever they call it—special ed aid funding.
- House Bill 1 does have a higher-than-traditional level of funding, at least for catastrophic aid, special
- Yeah, so it was like the old catastrophic aid, whatever they call it—special ed aid funding.
Summary:
The committee first took up HB 129, which would redefine “evidence-based” in public education. The Department of Education testified that the bill’s definition would conflict with federal definitions and be very restrictive, potentially affecting a wide range of instructional methods, curriculum materials, teacher training, civics requirements, suicide prevention training, and other programs. The department said the bill could force a broad overhaul of school practices, create local implementation burdens, and require at least one new state position, with a fiscal note estimating roughly $118,000 in FY 2026 rising in later years. Members also raised concerns about possible impacts on federal pass-through funding and whether the bill was workable. Representative Papovich moved to retain HB 129, and the motion passed 7-0.
The committee then heard HB 133, a Department of Safety/DMV bill involving follow-up when a person votes using an out-of-state license or non-driver ID and then does not obtain a New Hampshire credential within the statutory timeframe. DMV officials said the bill would require a $40,000 technology upgrade plus a new full-time position, and that the fiscal note did not include postage or fully account for the manual work needed to match records, send notices, and review responses. They said the proposal also raised broader tracking issues because it would apply not only to voters but to anyone who had not obtained a New Hampshire license within 60 days, and they questioned whether DMV was the proper agency to make those inquiries.
Committee members pressed the department on how the 60-day clock would be determined, whether the bill could amount to a kind of poll tax or raise privacy concerns, and whether voter ID cards or other exceptions would avoid that problem. The department explained that New Hampshire offers a free voter identification card through town clerks for people without a license or state ID, but said the bill did not exempt those cards and that the DMV would still be asked to investigate status after voting. Officials also said the bill would be difficult to enforce, that some cases would be ambiguous, and that any response from the DMV would likely amount to a request for information rather than an enforceable consequence. No vote on HB 133 was taken in the portion provided.
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
US House Floor Proceedings (Wednesday, February 25, 2026)
US Federal House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- 03:19:48.160>
prevent wildfire risk that would prevent wildfire risk that would prevent catastrophic - <03:19:49.920>
utility <03:19:50.239>failures, <03:19:51.120>lowering Catastrophic - rateayers are not trapped in a<03:34:34.479>
cycle <03:34:35.040>of <03:34:35.439>catastrophic - <03:34:37.520>
And <03:34:37.760>we a cycle of catastrophic costs. - And we a cycle of catastrophic costs.
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Ways and Means (02/10/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- Well, we have been hearing a lot about catastrophic fires and cyclones and things like that, and how
- Orleans um but we've we've had Orleans um but we've we've had catastrophic<04:39:28.639>
floods - ><04:39:29.119>
over <04:39:29.561>twice <04:39:30.080>three catastrophic floods- over twice three catastrophic floods over twice three times<04:39:30.879>
in times in times in- increase in catastrophes this year inside<04:51:36.558>
the <04:51:36.718>United inside - ><04:39:29.119>
Summary:
The committee received a Department of Revenue Administration update from Commissioner Lindsay Stepp focused on revenue estimates for fiscal years 2025, 2026, and 2027. She explained the department’s forecasting method, which uses five scenarios based on the first seven months of actual collections and different assumptions for the remaining months, then selects a reasonable high and low range for FY 25 and applies projected growth rates for FY 26 and FY 27. Members asked several clarifying questions about how the scenarios are chosen and how the estimates relate to economic growth and taxpayer behavior.
For business taxes, Stepp reported FY 25 year-to-date collections of $110.3 million, 18.2% below plan and 17.2% below prior year. She said the shortfall reflects both economic conditions and a resetting of estimated payments after unusually strong pandemic-era profits, and noted that the department cannot fully separate changes in taxpayer liability from changes in estimated payment behavior. She said approximately just under $72 million was refunded in FY 24 due to the CCO cap, and that FY 25 year-to-date refunds are at 41.7%. For business taxes, the department’s FY 25 range was based on either continued underperformance versus plan or a return to prior-year levels, with FY 26 and FY 27 growth projected at 3% to 8%.
The committee also reviewed meals and rooms tax, tobacco tax, and related trends. Meals and rooms revenue was $6.9 million, or 3.3%, ahead of plan and prior year; the FY 25 gross estimate was $475.894 million, with a net range of about $331.82 million to $335.259 million after municipal transfers and school building aid. Stepp said recent monthly results suggest some fluctuation tied to disposable income, weather, and travel patterns, but no clear sustained decline. Tobacco tax was $18.1 million, 14% below plan and 4.8% below prior year; she said cigarette stamp sales are declining while e-cigarettes and other tobacco products are growing, with FY 25 tobacco revenue projected at $182.5 million to $185.3 million and FY 26-FY 27 growth ranging from -5% to flat. No votes or formal actions were taken.
NH
New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session
House Commerce and Consumer Affairs (02/04/2026)
Commerce and Consumer Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- Without reinsurance, many insurance companies could not survive a single catastrophic event.
- Their research demonstrated a clear link between rising global temperatures and catastrophic losses.
- “Global catastrophe reinsurance prices have increased by approximately 76% just since 2017.
- Reinsurers also are covering a shrinking portion of catastrophe losses.
- Los<01:58:08.560>
Angeles <01:58:09.040>burns <01:58:09.599>or Major catastrophes
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
US House Floor Proceedings (Monday, December 15, 2025)
US Federal House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- managers, producing peer-reviewed research, improving forest health, and helping reduce the risk of catastrophic
- <04:24:31.040>
reduce improve forest health and reduce improve forest health and reduce catastrophic - <04:24:33.199>
I <04:24:33.439>urge <04:24:33.600>my catastrophic wildfires. - I urge my catastrophic wildfires.
- hazards are difficult to estimate on a year-to-year basis, but when they occur, the results can be catastrophic
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
US House Floor Proceedings (Tuesday, April 21, 2026)
US Federal House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Speaker, the best way to protect air quality is to stop catastrophic wildfires.
- Speaker, the best way to protect air quality is to stop catastrophic wildfires.
- <04:00:58.479>
The increasingly catastrophic wildfires. - The increasingly catastrophic wildfires.
- <04:01:57.279>
wildfire <04:01:57.920>smoke result from catastrophic wildfire smoke
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Science, Technology and Energy (02/11/2025)
Science, Technology and Energy
Transcript Highlights:
- drought as you can see um catastrophic drought as you can see um that<05:08:18.558>
would <05: - For example, there's a catastrophic drought.
- So the state of emergency for a catastrophic drought and saying that the governor believes that cloud
- For example, there's a catastrophic drought.
- So the state of emergency for a catastrophic drought and saying that the governor believes that cloud
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Environment and Agriculture (01/28/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- For those catastrophes, or when they do happen, how does the department handle that?
- Because, as you know, 2023 was a catastrophic year."
- or and when or when they do catastrophes or and when or when they do happen<01:09:43.080>
what - year so sure Lee 2023 was a catastrophic year so sure Lee management<01:10:02.320>
plan <01:10- Let's just suppose there is a catastrophic failure.
- year so sure Lee 2023 was a catastrophic year so sure Lee management<01:10:02.320>
Summary:
The Environment and Agriculture Committee held a hearing on HB 566, which would require permit applications for new landfills to include a detailed leachate management plan. Representative German introduced the bill and explained that it was prompted by recent reporting on leachate management problems at New Hampshire landfills, including alleged violations and deficiency letters from DES. He said the bill was intended to address public health concerns, PFAS contamination, and increased leachate volumes tied to more severe rainstorms, while still allowing innovation in treatment and transportation methods. He also described a set of proposed amendments developed after discussions with DES and a landfill operator, including changing “permit for construction” to “operating approval,” applying the bill to landfill expansions, moving contract-related language into the planning section, and removing a proposed new subparagraph.
Committee members asked whether the bill would limit operator flexibility or duplicate existing DES rules. Representative German said the bill would not dictate specific treatment methods or lock operators into long-term contracts, but would require a plan showing how leachate will be managed, transported, and disposed of, with later contract changes reported to DES. Several members and the BIA representative questioned whether the bill was necessary given existing Env 806 rules and DES enforcement authority. The Business and Industry Association opposed the bill as introduced, arguing that DES already has rules and technical expertise, that the issue is better handled through rulemaking, and that moving requirements into statute could freeze the framework and make future adjustments harder. Supporters countered that a statute would provide a stronger, more durable policy commitment in response to ongoing problems.
No vote or final committee action was taken during the hearing. The discussion ended with the bill still under consideration and with the sponsor indicating that a revised amendment would likely be brought forward for later work session or executive session review.
NM
Transcript Highlights:
- Association in the state and runs our food bank here in Santa Fe, has described the current situation as catastrophic
NH
Transcript Highlights:
- because there was a gap in the current law that didn't permit a teenager and family to sue after a catastrophic
- teenager and family to sue<00:53:32.320>
after <00:53:32.600>a <00:53:32.640>catastrophic - sue after a catastrophic injury. sue after a catastrophic injury.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- monolithic industry, and when that industry disappeared in the 1960s and 70s, it had a pretty catastrophic
- pretty,<00:04:57.040>
uh, 70s, uh, it had a pretty, uh, 70s, uh, it had a pretty, uh, catastrophic - 58.320>
on <00:04:58.600>our <00:04:58.840>property <00:04:59.240>tax catastrophic - effect on our property tax catastrophic effect on our property tax base<00:05:00.160>
such <00
KY
Kentucky 2026 Regular Session
House Legislative Session Day 43 (3-10-26)
Kentucky House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- I think it's a good idea to have a certain amount on hand in case of a natural disaster, catastrophe,
- /c> hand in case of a hand in case of a natural<00:54:04.560>
disaster, <00:54:05.160>catastrophe - ,<00:54:06.080>
something natural disaster, catastrophe, something natural disaster, catastrophe
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee 3/2/26
Agriculture Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- And I want to reassure the committee, we learned our lesson from last week's near catastrophe with the
- >
near learned our lesson from last week's near learned our lesson from last week's near catastrophe - catastrophe with the ice cream bars. catastrophe with the ice cream bars.
Keywords:
agriculture, livestock, depredation, crop damage, wolf compensation, elk damage, state funding, agricultural protection, trespass, criminal penalties, farm equipment, agricultural land, 1183, house
Summary:
The committee first approved the minutes from the previous meeting and then heard from Minnesota FFA officers, who described FFA as a student-led agricultural education organization focused on leadership, personal growth, and career success. The students explained the three-part model of agricultural education, the size and reach of FFA in Minnesota, and upcoming events at the Capitol, including an agricultural policy experience conference and FFA Day at the Capitol. Members asked about FFA’s role in encouraging the next generation of farmers, the organization’s broader focus beyond farming to include wildlife and other natural resources careers, and the mix of rural, metro, and urban chapters. The students emphasized that FFA and agricultural educators help students discover career paths and that urban chapters are active and thriving alongside rural ones.
The committee then received a presentation from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture on the Agri program. The department described Agri as a legislature-created program that uses producer-payment funds to support roughly 15 grant and cost-share programs, including newer efforts such as Protect and Prepare. Testimony stressed transparency and fraud prevention: Agri is reimbursement-based, requires detailed documentation, conducts site visits on grants over $25,000, and has identified and stopped more than a dozen fraudulent applications in the past year. The department also noted a prior legislative auditor review of two larger Agri programs and said only about one-tenth of 1% of reviewed expenditures were recommended for recovery.
The department highlighted the Make It Minnesota cost-share program, which helps Minnesota food and agriculture companies attend national trade shows such as Natural Products Expo West. Testifiers then described how Agri has supported their businesses: Mark Schiller of Lon Liquor in Northfield said the program helped his microdistillery expand into milling organic flour and adding food service, while Pete Gangler of Snowpack Foods in Caledonia said Agri grants supported food safety improvements, processing capacity, and a new freezer warehouse project. The department said additional grantees would testify as well, and members asked whether the department’s fraud-prevention practices could be shared with other state agencies; staff said they already are being shared through interagency best-practice efforts.
HI
Hawaii 2025 Regular Session
WTL Public Hearing 03-17-2025
Transcript Highlights:
- If we continue to wait, this will become a catastrophic problem.
- 01:12:23.840>
a continue to wait this will become a continue to wait this will become a catastrophic - <01:12:24.800>
problem catastrophic problem catastrophic problem the<01:12:25.880>only
Summary:
The Committee on Water and Land heard SR 18, which asks DLNR to transfer active agricultural land leases to the Department of Agriculture to support agriculture. DLNR, through Don Chang, opposed the resolution, saying the department has already been transferring parcels by mutual agreement and should not be required to transfer lands it does not consent to. Ranchers and agricultural advocates strongly supported the measure, arguing that the lands are active production areas, that partial transfers would undermine ranching operations, and that water infrastructure built by ranchers must be protected. Testimony from the Hawaii Farm Bureau and others emphasized the importance of preserving agricultural land for food production, wildfire management, and long-term ranch viability. Committee members pressed both sides on acreage, specific parcels, and whether negotiations were still ongoing, with DLNR later clarifying that some parcels remain under negotiation and that some proposed transfers have been narrowed or adjusted.
Several specific ranches and parcels were discussed, including Batello, Diamond B, Delo, Nobriga, and Kapala Ranch. Witnesses described the operational importance of water systems, grazing areas, and access routes, and said that losing productive acreage would threaten business viability. Some members expressed concern that the proposal appeared to transfer productive land while leaving less useful land with ranchers, and urged the department to continue transparent negotiations and consider the practical impact on agriculture and conservation. A DLNR representative said some transfers were tied to other needs, such as transportation mitigation, and not to a broader effort to take more land. The Department of Agriculture later stated it supports the intent of the measure, but suggested its concerns would likely be addressed if the resolution were narrowed to the specific parcels at issue.
The chair also announced that the related House bill on the same subject remains alive and will be heard by Water and Land on Thursday. After concluding SR 18, the committee moved on to SCR 51 and SR 33, which seek a working group to evaluate establishing and administratively placing an Office of Resilience and Recovery. The Office of Planning and Sustainable Development indicated support for the concept, noting the office’s value in Maui wildfire recovery efforts.
WY
Transcript Highlights:
- mitigation, lost revenues associated, tens of millions of dollars of fencing and infrastructure with catastrophic
- What we would call a large catastrophic wildfire burned right up to there and was able to stop it.
- That's just on the firefighting side, typically four to one until you see the catastrophic fires come
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm
Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security
Transcript Highlights:
- enforcement officers has proven to be detrimental for communities across the nation, resulting in catastrophic
- Minutes later, they were caught in a catastrophic flashover rollover incident.
- Minutes later, they were caught in a catastrophic flashover rollover incident.
Summary:
The hearing focused on a range of public safety bills, with especially emotional testimony on the Maggie Hubbard Rental Safety Act, which would require short-term rentals to be inspected for smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and require platforms or agents to verify compliance before listing. Rep. Hadley Luddy, Sen. Julian Cyr, and the Hubbard and Waldron families described the fatal Airbnb fire that killed Shannon Hubbard and her daughter Maggie in New York, saying the deaths were preventable and that the bill would save lives. Committee members expressed sympathy and support for the families’ efforts to turn their loss into legislation.
The committee also heard testimony on a proposed peace officer oath (S. 1680), described by Sen. Lydia Edwards as a binding ethical standard tied to certification and recertification, with discipline and annual reporting to promote accountability and de-escalation. Rep. Tom Walsh testified for a bill requiring hotel and motel workers to be trained to recognize human trafficking and to post hotline signage, and later testimony supported a school safety data grant program to provide first responders with standardized, up-to-date school maps for emergencies. Another major topic was a bill to allow temporary door-locking devices in public buildings; supporters said the devices are removable, do not alter fire code, and could improve lockdown response during active shooter events.
Additional bills discussed included measures to transfer the Office of Emergency Medical Services to EOPSS, increase penalties for unlicensed hood-system cleaning, expand membership on the Massachusetts Fire Training Council, and strengthen confidentiality for peer support and critical incident stress debriefings. Firefighters and fire chiefs also supported a bill to tighten penalties for violations of hot-work regulations, citing the 2014 Beacon Street fire that killed Lt. Walsh and Firefighter Kennedy. Law enforcement groups backed a package including a Blue Star plate and Blue Alert system for fallen officers’ families, stronger move-over penalties, and a memorial fund, while the State Police Association supported the move-over provisions but asked for further work on the special state police officer bill before final action. No votes were taken during the hearing.
LA
Transcript Highlights:
- “HB 1101 is unnecessary and catastrophic to the injured workers in Louisiana.
- So this is a large catastrophic bill.
- doctors is simply tying their hands behind their back, and it's going to potentially lead to some catastrophic
Keywords:
employment discrimination, criminal history, rehabilitation, hiring process, human rights, gender identity, sexual orientation, workplace equality, labor rights, domestic abuse, unpaid leave, employee rights, workplace protection, mental health, survivor support, workers' compensation, employment benefits, claims process, fraud prevention, legal petition
LA
Louisiana 2026 Regular Session
Labor and Industrial Apr 28th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- HB 1101 is unnecessary and catastrophic to the injured workers in Louisiana.
- So this is a large, catastrophic bill.
- doctors is simply tying their hands behind their back, and it's going to potentially lead to some catastrophic
Summary:
The committee first voluntarily deferred House Bills 460 and 561, then took up House Bill 1101 on workers’ compensation. The sponsor said the bill would define maximum medical improvement, adjust fraud provisions, shorten temporary total disability and supplemental earnings benefit periods, and revise vocational rehabilitation rules; an amendment removed proposed age-based termination language for benefits. Business groups including LABI supported the bill as a way to reduce Louisiana’s comparatively high indemnity costs and align the state with regional norms, while injured-worker advocates and attorneys strongly opposed it, arguing it would cut benefits, shift medical and disability decisions away from treating physicians and judges, broaden fraud too far, and potentially push costs onto public programs. After debate, the committee voted to report HB 1101 with amendments.
House Bill 282 was voluntarily deferred. House Bill 293, which would add sexual orientation and gender identity to Louisiana employment discrimination protections, drew generally supportive testimony from the sponsor and supporters, with some members raising questions about religious exemptions and federal law. The committee ultimately voted against reporting HB 293 favorably. House Bill 390, providing unpaid leave protections for domestic abuse survivors at larger employers, was presented as a tool for survivors, but the committee split 6-6 on a motion to report it favorably; the tie resulted in the bill being voluntarily deferred.
The committee then heard House Bill 456, which would expand workers’ compensation petition requirements and allow employers or payers broader access to file disputed claims and seek discovery. Supporters argued employers currently lack a practical way to obtain records and challenge claims without first cutting off benefits, while opponents said the bill would revive a rejected 2012 approach, increase litigation, and undermine the no-fault workers’ compensation bargain. The discussion centered on whether the bill would preserve benefits while allowing discovery or instead encourage more disputes and penalties. The transcript ends with testimony still underway on HB 456, with no final vote shown.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Local Government Committee Apr 22nd, 2026
Local Government
Transcript Highlights:
- In 1991, there was a catastrophic wildfire—up until the last decade, probably the most catastrophic wildfire
- So we still have issues with folks whose homes have burned in previous catastrophic wildfires, where
Summary:
The committee heard several bills focused on wildfire resilience, land use, and local government transparency. SB 911 by Senator Becker would require notification to fire enforcement agencies when a home in a high fire severity zone is sold with an agreement for the buyer to bring the property into defensible-space compliance; the California Association of Realtors said it would drop opposition if the bill is amended to use the preliminary change of ownership report, and the bill passed 4-0 to Appropriations. SB 994 by Senator Cabaldon would bar local officials from signing nondisclosure agreements that prevent them from sharing information with the elected decision-makers of their jurisdiction; supporters framed it as a transparency measure, and it also passed 4-0 to Appropriations. SB 1041 by Senator Riggins would expand PACE financing for wildfire home-hardening improvements and add consumer protections, but it drew strong opposition from homeowner advocates, county treasurers, bankers, and others over predatory lending and lien concerns; it passed 3-2 and remained on call.
The committee also considered SB 1075 by Senator Reyes, which would require local governments in AB 617 communities to consider air-quality reduction measures in land-use approvals for industrial and commercial projects. Environmental justice groups supported the bill as a way to implement community air plans, while counties, cities, business groups, builders, trucking interests, and others opposed it as duplicative of CEQA and a barrier to investment and jobs. After debate over local control and environmental justice, the bill passed 3-2 and remained on call. SB 958 by Senator Cabaldon would advance the Midway Rising redevelopment project in San Diego, replacing a former arena and parking lots with housing, affordable units, parks, and a new entertainment venue; with no opposition voiced, it passed 3-0 to Appropriations.
Another wildfire-related measure, SB 1182 by Senator Allen, would require local governments to consider insurance availability in safety planning for development in high fire hazard areas and direct state technical guidance on the issue. Supporters said insurance access is now a key indicator of risk, while some members questioned whether the bill would add useful information or burden local governments; the bill received a 1-1 vote and remained on call. The committee then began hearing SB 1116 by Senator Caballero, a starter-home/infill housing bill creating a streamlined ministerial path for small projects up to 10 units, but the transcript cuts off before testimony or a vote on that measure.