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• e e e Calling to order the House Committee on Labor. It is Tuesday, February 11, 2025, at 9:00 a.m.
• I'm Jade Bai, Director of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.
• </c><00:23:17.159><c> and</c> of the Department of Labor and of the Department of Labor and Industrial
• Okay, we'll be reconvening the House Committee on Labor for decision-making on today's agenda.
• </c> adopting uh Department of Labor adopting uh Department of Labor industrial<01:26:46.679><c> relations

Keywords: 910, house, all

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• the forefront of this conversation and recognize that, if we don't give these students the trade skills
• the forefront of this conversation and recognize that, if we don't give these students the trade skills

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Higher Education Conference Committee met to discuss budget priorities for SUNY, CUNY, community colleges, TAP, student aid, and capital funding. Chair Toby Ann Stavisky emphasized the need for increased operating and capital support, protection against enrollment-based funding losses, no tuition increases, a review of TAP because it has not kept pace with living costs, and action on student loan access and research funding cuts. Assembly Chair Alicia Hyndman outlined the Assembly’s higher education proposal, including $475.7 million to expand TAP eligibility, raising income thresholds for TAP and the Excelsior Scholarship, creating a graduate tuition assistance program, adding community college operating aid, expanding the Opportunity Promise Scholarship, forgiving SUNY hospital debt service, increasing CUNY operating support, restoring opportunity program funding, creating a $110 million student loan support program called New York Rises, and funding five-year capital plans for SUNY and CUNY plus additional ECAP grants. Members broadly supported making higher education more affordable and accessible, while highlighting district-specific needs. Senator May praised SUNY Reconnect, community college workforce programs, hospital debt service relief, and a five-year SUNY capital plan. Senator Gonzalez framed the budget as an investment in economic mobility. Senator Griffo supported affordability, operating and capital aid, and additional support for medical schools and hospitals. Assembly Members Walker, Colton, and Fall backed TAP expansion, opportunity programs, disability supports, SUNY Downstate’s transformation, and capital needs at CUNY and SUNY campuses. Assembly Member Smullen, speaking for the minority conference, urged a five-way budget process, said TAP has not kept pace with inflation, and called for a more stable long-term funding model for community colleges. He also stressed aligning higher education with workforce needs. Assembly Member Pirozzolo pointed to the College of Staten Island as an example of the benefits of investment and warned that employers recruiting students directly from high school could weaken higher education unless colleges continue strengthening trade and career training. The meeting ended with no vote on the budget items, and the chairs adjourned the conference committee after concluding remarks.

Transcript Highlights:

• Scouting also gives young people something that's harder to find today: real-world skills and real confidence
• Those skills don't just help us in scouting.

Summary: The House convened, completed the roll call, prayer, and Pledge of Allegiance, and then seated Dylan Travis as the new member from House District 35 after adopting the certification motion. The chamber also received several recognitions and presentations, including the Sand Springs Charles Page Sandites for winning the Class 6A football state championship, the Mustang Lady Broncos cheer team for their 2025 state title, and visiting scouting groups for Scout Day at the Capitol. House Resolution 1033, declaring February 18, 2026, Scout Day at the Oklahoma Capitol, was adopted without objection. Members then considered and advanced several bills, mostly on veterans, military, public administration, mental health, children, and agency transparency. House Bill 3043 would let the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs hire seasonal employees during peak periods; House Bill 3078 created a voluntary donation option for ODVA through license, registration, hunting/fishing, and tax forms; House Bill 3940 made extensive changes to National Guard law, including retention funding language, benefits, discipline, and related administrative provisions; House Bill 3257 expanded state disabled-veteran benefits for certain veterans harmed by negligent VA care; House Bill 3281 required agencies to publish guidance documents and note they do not have the force of law; House Bill 417 adopted a federal definition of family resource centers while adding faith-based organizations and workforce development; House Bill 4275 allowed case managers and peer support specialists to work for cities and counties without losing certification; and House Bill 4298 allowed DHS child-care rule changes to be communicated by mail or electronically. Most measures passed with little or no debate, and several were adopted by unanimous or near-unanimous votes. Recorded votes included 97-0 for HB 3043 and HB 3078, 90-5 for HB 3940, 96-0 for HB 3257 and HB 3281, 94-0 for HB 417, 91-5 for HB 4275, and 95-0 for HB 4298. The House adjourned until Thursday, February 19, 2026, at 9:30 a.m.

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• For over a century, students have learned real skills that they use to better themselves, For over a
• century, students have learned real skills that they use to better themselves, their careers, and their

Keywords: 988, house, all

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• a resume, resume writing, you know, what jobs are available, how you should convey your military skills
• into civilian skills, those kinds of things, but those are very broad subjects.

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• together a resume—resume writing, what jobs are available, and how you should... convey your military skills
• into civilian skills, those kinds of things.

Bills: HB4458, SB651, SB1227, SB1931

Keywords: veterans, service members, military transition, Texas Veterans Commission, pilot program, self-reliance, employment assistance, housing assistance, mental health services, career training, veterans service organizations, spouses and dependents, military families, Texas military forces, post-separation support, reentry services, workforce development, benefits navigation, transition assistance, SB 651

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• have, you know, facility visits, guest speakers, presentations, career fairs, interview training, skill
• I believe that it's important that our students are in school learning new skills and socializing with

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• Labor Labor issued<01:18:58.880><c> the</c><01:18:59.440><c> first</c><01:19:00.000><c> annual</c><01
• We happen to have the commissioner of labor with us.
• We happen to have the commissioner of labor with us.
• So, commissioner, if of labor with us.
• </c> commissioner of the Department of Labor. commissioner of the Department of Labor.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard Senate Bill 254, which Senator David Roford described as a technical correction to controlled substance inventory law for pharmacies. He said the bill would remove outdated language requiring inventories to be done in an odd-numbered year, while keeping the existing requirement that pharmacies conduct a full controlled substance inventory every two years in line with federal law. Members asked several clarifying questions about whether the requirement is pharmacy-by-pharmacy, whether new pharmacies would be affected, and whether the change would alter scope or compliance; the sponsor and a representative of the New Hampshire Pharmacist Association said it would not, and that it mainly provides clarity for pharmacies and inspectors. The public hearing on SB 254 was then closed, and the committee also heard support from a representative of the pharmacist community, who said the association supports the bill. The committee then discussed a non-germane amendment to SB 254 dealing with FBI background checks for educational surrogate parents under the Department of Education. Representative Leyon explained that the amendment was requested by the Department of Education after the FBI rejected prior statutory language, and that the goal was to allow people serving as educational surrogate parents to complete FBI fingerprint-based background checks so they can perform their duties. Department of Education and Department of Safety staff testified that the amendment mirrors language that has worked in other education-related background check statutes, including provisions with specific disqualifying offenses tied to child safety, and that the FBI requires precise statutory language and direct transmission of records through the Department of Safety. Members questioned why the FBI’s approval was needed, whether individuals could simply provide their own records, and whether changing federal leadership could require future changes; witnesses said the state needs both state and national records, that records must come directly from the FBI through the Department of Safety, and that the language is intended to satisfy current federal requirements. During the discussion, some members expressed skepticism about the need for the amendment and about placing it on a bill about controlled substance inventories, but no vote was taken during the portion of the transcript provided. The committee also briefly discussed a separate bill on physician assistants/physician associates, with members noting that the proposed name change would not alter scope of practice and that some outside groups had raised concerns about transparency, but that discussion was interrupted and not concluded in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 1055 authorizes the flood management agency to use four additional construction labor procurement
• , the lack of clean drinking water, portable restrooms, and basic protections for the people whose labor
• feeds our state and our nation. ...and basic protections for the people whose labor feeds our state
• We met while he was working with the Central Labor Council, and over time he became a close friend and
• He was a devoted father, husband, grandfather, labor leader, public servant, and a champion for working

Summary: The Assembly met in Sacramento with a quorum eventually established after the roll call. The day began with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several procedural actions, including rereferrals, consent motions, and requests to remove or return bills. The chamber then moved through a long series of concurrence votes, with many Senate amendments adopted on largely unanimous roll calls. Among the measures approved were bills on Pierce’s disease control in wine grapes (AB 230), mortgage-related matters (AB 1278), a Cerritos College seamless enrollment pilot (AB 1636), alcohol and local government cleanup measures, school district employee issues, and a bill creating a “Penny’s Act” framework for local agencies to round cash transactions if penny shortages continue (SB 105). The Assembly also adopted several Senate bills dealing with CalPERS audit notices, community college reporting, tax-sharing consultant fees, AI-related public comment abuse, juvenile dismissals, industrial cities, library access for teens, and clean energy accounting for water agencies, with most passing by wide margins and a few drawing limited opposition. The chamber also took up several resolutions and special items. HR 112, designating Black Music Month, drew extended remarks celebrating Black artists and their influence on American music; it was adopted by voice vote after 62 coauthors were added. HR 132, declaring September as Young Women’s Reproductive Health Awareness Month, was also adopted after testimony about menstrual health, reproductive education, and disparities in care. SJR 8, calling on Congress to modernize the federal immigration registry and create a clearer path to lawful permanent residency, passed 45-2. SCR 7, supporting permanent standard time, generated notable debate over health effects, daylight hours, and voter intent; after a roll call the resolution was adopted 41-3. The Assembly also adopted a consent calendar of additional resolutions and bills, including items related to awareness days and several Senate bills. Several bills were discussed with substantive policy explanations. SB 928 would add guardrails on AI use in CSU classrooms and preserve human faculty roles; SB 1159 would clarify that autonomous AI systems are not “persons” for purposes of public comment and transparency laws; SB 1375 created a narrow CEQA exemption for certain transit and rail projects with prior environmental review; and SB 952 allowed water agencies to carry forward clean-energy procurement credits. SB 917 expanded farmers market sales opportunities for more wineries by removing an estate-grown grape requirement. Most of these measures passed with strong support, though SB 952 and SB 965 on teen library cards drew some opposition or concern, and SB 1055 on flood-management procurement passed with a small number of no votes. The session concluded with multiple adjournment-in-memory tributes honoring community leaders and residents, including Eric Washington Jr., Ivan Garza, Darryl Preston Jackson, Richard “Dick” Oliphant, and Santos Garcia, with members and family offering remarks about their service, advocacy, and local impact.

Transcript Highlights:

• Food costs are up, labor costs are up, utilities are up, insurance is up, and nearly every transaction
• Labor costs: $38,000. Merchant processing fees in one month...
• Every major cost—labor, insurance, food, rent, utilities—continues to go up, and layered quietly on top
• For mom-and-pop shops, this is not the relief if the savings are swallowed by the labor needed to comply
• Thank you. by the labor needed to comply.

Summary: The Special Legislative Commission on the Future of Payments and Sales Transactions by Credit Card and the Impacts for Small Businesses held a public hearing chaired by Senator Paul Feeney and Representative Jamie Murphy. The commission reviewed its charge to gather input on payment trends, cashless transactions, credit card fees, mobile payments, buy now/pay later, and related issues affecting small businesses. Representative Sean Garballey testified in support of maintaining the current card system, emphasizing tourism’s importance to Massachusetts and arguing that universal card acceptance and interchange stability are especially important with major upcoming events and visitors. A large portion of the hearing focused on independent restaurants and small businesses arguing that credit card processing fees are burdensome and unfair when applied to sales tax and gratuities that are not business revenue. Testifiers including Jen Ziskin, Kristen Canty, Nancy Cushman, Kerry Colzer, and others described razor-thin margins and said restaurants pay fees on money passed through to the state or employees. Ryan Lotz also urged reforms to chargebacks, including refunding chargeback fees when merchants prevail, requiring consumers to contact businesses first, and making fees proportional. In response, credit union and banking representatives, including Alex Vereen, Brad Popolado, Deb Peters, and Keely McEwen, argued that interchange funds fraud protection, card infrastructure, and consumer protections, and warned that state-specific changes could create compliance burdens, higher costs, or reduced access to services. Several witnesses addressed legal and policy questions. Dan Swanson and David Montero said states have authority to regulate aspects of the payment system, but Montero warned that state-specific rules could create uncertainty and conflict with federal banking law. Julian Morris and other industry witnesses argued that card payments benefit consumers and merchants by reducing cash-handling costs and increasing spending, while critics of reform said changes could shift costs into bank fees or reduced rewards. Commission members questioned whether sales tax could be separated from card transactions, whether surcharging should be considered, and whether vendor compensation or other state-level relief might be more workable. The chairs said they were exploring a narrower, targeted approach rather than a broad overhaul, and announced plans for one additional public hearing to allow further testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• last several months, Governor Healey and our team have been engaging with stakeholders, including our labor
• I'm just wondering if you had the chance to meet with any employee organizations, whether labor unions
• So did the administration sit down with labor unions or employee organizations to discuss the details
• filing the bill, we have done extensive stakeholder outreach both with business groups as well as labor
• What we can afford is to keep all these apprentices, all those unions, without the trained labor they

Summary: The Joint Committee on Revenue held a public hearing on H. 4975, Governor Healey’s bill to manage the impact of federal tax changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OB3) on Massachusetts. Secretary of Administration and Finance Matt Gorowitz said the bill would phase in selected corporate tax changes over time, avoid a $442 million FY26 revenue hit, preserve the current-year budget, and add a few related changes, including expanding the pass-through entity excise to income subject to the 4% surtax, delaying large federal tax changes over $20 million by one year, limiting opportunity zone benefits to Massachusetts investments, adjusting DFML contributions to match IRS guidance, and aligning casino slot-winnings reporting thresholds with federal law. Committee members questioned the administration about why it chose phased conformity rather than full decoupling, the effect on the budget if the bill does not pass, the purpose of the pass-through entity change, opportunity zones, and the slot-machine threshold and family leave provisions. Public testimony was sharply divided. MassBudget, Progressive Massachusetts, and Don Griswold of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities urged the committee to go further and permanently decouple from the five most costly OB3 corporate tax provisions, arguing that automatic conformity is fiscally risky, rewards investment outside Massachusetts, and has already caused or could cause large revenue losses. Labor and public-sector witnesses, including leaders from the Massachusetts Teachers Association, AFT Massachusetts, SEIU 509, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, and building trades unions, also called for permanent decoupling, warning that the federal law will deepen state budget pressures, harm schools, health care, human services, and infrastructure, and shift costs onto workers and public programs. Several speakers said Massachusetts should not adopt federal corporate tax cuts that mainly benefit wealthy individuals and corporations. Other testimony focused on specific provisions. Unite Here Local 26 asked the committee to strike the casino slot-winnings threshold change from $1,200 to $2,000, saying the current limit helps identify problem gambling, creates an opportunity for intervention, and supports union jobs. The Massachusetts Society of CPAs supported the administration’s phased approach, especially the research and experimental expense deduction, citing the importance of certainty for business filers and Massachusetts’ strong R&D economy. Greater Boston Legal Services testified on the paid family and medical leave sections, explaining that the bill’s changes would align PFML payroll contributions with new IRS guidance and, if paired with administrative action, would be cost-neutral for workers and employers. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• And here we're showing that the native-born labor force has grown only 6% since 1990.
• That's this gray line here, where the foreign-born labor force has grown significantly.
• Thank you. ...where the foreign-born labor force has grown significantly.
• Labor force growth indexed to 1990. Okay, that's what that is. I also borrowed this slide, so.
• have a profound interest in trying to increase that domestic in-migration so that we can maintain our labor

Summary: The Senate Committee on the Census, chaired by Senator Will Brownsberger with Senator Liz Miranda and other members participating, held a hearing on mid-decade population estimates and projections for Massachusetts. Susan Strait of the UMass Donahue Institute presented the latest Census Bureau estimates and explained the main components of population change: births, deaths, domestic migration, and international migration. She said Massachusetts has continued to grow, but much more slowly than in the immediate post-2020 period, largely because net international migration has fallen sharply after a pandemic-era surge. She also reviewed fertility and aging trends, noting that births are concentrated among women in their 30s, that the state’s population is aging, and that the share of residents 65 and older is projected to rise substantially, increasing the dependency ratio. Strait and committee members discussed the role of immigration in Massachusetts’ population growth, the concentration of immigrants in Greater Boston and other regions, and the effect of immigration on births and the labor force. They also discussed domestic out-migration, especially among young adults, and the possibility that housing affordability is a major driver. Senators raised questions about how the Census counts people in group quarters such as prisons and dormitories, and Strait explained that the Census counts incarcerated people where they are housed and generally does not treat dormitory residents as migrants in the same way as household residents. She said the Census Bureau is still working on methodological issues such as extending a “college fix” to more areas. Jesse Partridge Guerrero of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council described how MAPC uses Donahue Institute population projections, household headship rates, and UrbanSim to allocate projected households down to regional, municipal, and sub-municipal levels. He said the projections used for MassDOT’s long-range transportation plan anticipated slower statewide growth and regional decline in the Cape and parts of western and central Massachusetts. Tim Reardon of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities then explained how those projections feed into the statewide housing plan, including three population scenarios and associated housing needs. He said the plan estimates a need for about 115,000 homes to address existing shortages and another 73,000 households even under a low-growth scenario, with total housing needs rising to roughly 222,000 units under the middle scenario and 262,000 under the high scenario. Members pressed him on whether the scenarios may understate future need given the recent drop in immigration and ongoing affordability problems, and he said the state is also pursuing housing production, rental assistance, shelter response, seasonal conversion prevention, and infrastructure support for communities. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Federal law allows covered entities to charge a reasonable cost-based fee that considers the cost of labor
• I'm a family doctor in Seattle who provides abortion care, prenatal care, and hospital-based labor and
• Fulfilling medical records requests for third parties is complex and labor-intensive.
• This bill suggests that labor should be provided for next to nothing.
• Please oppose this bill that would shift the cost of this labor back onto the patients.

Summary: The committee heard testimony on three health care bills. HB 1496 would cap charges for electronically stored medical records at $50 for patients and certain authorized recipients, while removing a free-copy provision tied to SSI/SSDI appeals and changing attorney fee language to “prevailing patient.” Supporters, including patient advocates, attorneys, and injured workers, said current record fees can reach thousands of dollars and block access to justice; opponents, including hospitals, home care providers, and records vendors, argued the bill would not cover the labor and HIPAA compliance work involved in large third-party requests and could shift costs to providers and patients. The bill remained in hearing with testimony continuing after the committee moved through other bills. HB 2182 would change how the Department of Corrections distributes its stockpile of mifepristone and misoprostol, removing the requirement that the medications be sold at cost plus a $5 fee and instead allowing, but not requiring, payment while directing DOC and the Department of Health to coordinate distribution to providers and facilities. The prime sponsor and supporters said the bill is needed so the state’s stockpile does not go unused or expire and to remove barriers to access for abortion and miscarriage care; opponents argued the bill subsidizes abortion, raises legal and taxpayer concerns, and should be rejected. Public testimony on HB 2182 was closed after hearing from both supporters and opponents. HB 2196 would require certain fully insured health plans to cover IVIG for PANS and PANDAS, with initial and medically necessary follow-up courses, and would bar denials based on prior treatment, age, out-of-state care when unavailable in Washington, or treatment guidelines that only address psychiatric symptoms. The sponsor, families, and physicians described severe, sudden-onset symptoms in children and said IVIG can be life-changing after other treatments fail, while insurers warned the mandate could add to already rising premiums and noted the treatment can be very expensive. HB 2242 would shift vaccine and preventive-service recommendation authority from federal bodies to the Department of Health, while preserving no-cost coverage for preventive services and updating the reference date for protected services; the governor, insurance commissioner, public health officials, and many physicians supported it as a way to preserve access amid federal instability and rising vaccine-preventable disease, while questions focused on whether the bill would change school or daycare requirements, which staff said it would not.

Transcript Highlights:

• Here's my biggest question of what I've seen in the Northeast in some places: what about labor materials
• I mean, material costs have actually exceeded some labor costs, some soft costs.
• difficult it is to make the numbers work, even on a subsidized development, with a combination of labor
• Labor, construction materials, and their insurance costs, property insurance costs, are making it much
• The construction costs go, and look, we might have labor concerns, we’re going to have lumber concerns

Summary: The Committee on Community Affairs met with a quorum present and first took up SB 122, which would repeal Chapter 205 governing local business taxes while allowing municipalities that already levy a gross-receipts-based business tax to continue doing so, with limits on changing the tax rate. The sponsor’s proxy and committee members discussed whether local business taxes fund identifiable services, with supporters saying the bill would reduce burdens on businesses and opponents arguing it would remove a capped home-rule revenue source used for general services, economic development, inspections, fire and police support, and business regulation. The Florida Association of Counties and the Florida League of Cities opposed the bill, citing a statewide revenue loss and concern that costs would shift to residential taxpayers, while one member noted the bill should be considered in the context of broader property tax changes. SB 122 was reported favorably by a roll call vote, with Senators Leek, Passidomo, Pizzo, Trumbull, and Chair McClain voting yes and Senator Sharief voting no. The committee then held an extended informational panel on Florida’s housing shortage and affordability challenges. Dr. Samuel Staley said Florida is in a housing crisis driven primarily by insufficient supply, arguing that the state needs far more units each year, that local comprehensive plans and zoning often fail to prioritize housing, and that the state should focus more on measurable impacts, density, accessory dwelling units, smaller lot sizes, and other ways to let the market respond. Ann Ray of the Shimberg Center presented data showing increased single-family and multifamily construction but limited condo growth, highly concentrated new development in a handful of counties, and continued high cost burdens for renters, especially lower-income and older households. Leslie Deutsch of John Burns Research and Consulting said the national housing market is slow, Florida prices are easing but remain well above pre-pandemic levels, and affordability problems are being driven by land, construction, financing, and insurance costs; she urged more product diversity, including build-to-rent, townhomes, manufactured housing, and higher-density redevelopment tailored to local demographics. Members questioned the panel about density, vertical development, impact fees, construction costs, and incentives for local governments. Several senators said local governments need clearer direction or incentives to approve more housing, while others emphasized preserving local character and avoiding overdevelopment. The panel generally agreed that no single policy will solve the problem, but that Florida needs more housing types, more density in appropriate places, updated zoning and building codes, and a more market-responsive regulatory framework. After the presentations and discussion, the committee adjourned with no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• Labor costs go up, material costs go up, permitting costs go up, and that means more expensive homes
• </c><00:04:17.199><c> costs</c><00:04:17.519><c> go</c> light the price T goes up labor costs go light
• the price T goes up labor costs go up<00:04:18.280><c> material</c><00:04:18.840><c> costs</c><00:04
• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over half of the inflation amount that we are seeing is
• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over half of the inflation amount that we are seeing is

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I look at New England as a kind of a labor radius. We need to...
• And I look at New England as a kind of a labor radius.
• Under current law, manufacturers pay the dealer that dealer's same hourly labor rate that it charges
• Under current law, manufacturers pay the dealer that dealer's same hourly labor rate that it charges
• The average dealer in this country today earns a gross profit margin of roughly 78% on that labor paid

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure held a hearing on late-filed bills and home rule petitions, with both in-person and remote testimony. Committee chairs reviewed logistics for public testimony and then heard a series of bill presentations on topics including nitrous oxide sales, liquor license extensions and alcohol license density, cosmetology licensure compacts, electronic textbooks, HVAC supervisor licensing, and automotive warranty reimbursement rates. Several members asked questions about the public health, consumer protection, economic mobility, and regulatory impacts of the proposals. Representative John Barrett testified in support of H. 4907, which would regulate the sale of nitrous oxide, arguing it is a public health measure aimed at reducing recreational misuse by young people while preserving legitimate culinary, medical, dental, and industrial uses. Southbridge officials Peg Dean and David Adams supported a local liquor license extension bill, saying delayed revitalization and staffing disruptions from the pandemic-era “Great Resignation” had slowed development and postponed demand for the licenses. MassPack supported H. 4597 to limit new alcohol retail licenses near existing stores after 2026, citing oversaturation and public health concerns, while the committee also heard testimony on a cosmetology compact bill from industry and state-government representatives who said it would improve workforce mobility, especially for military spouses, though members questioned its fee structure and interaction with existing reciprocity rules. Representative Mindy Domb testified for H. 559, which would create a commission to study electronic textbooks and automatic textbook billing, arguing that digital course materials can limit consumer choice, raise costs, and reduce students’ ability to share or resell materials. Student testimony echoed those concerns. The committee also heard strong support for H. 4719, a bill to create HVAC construction supervisor licensing, from industry witnesses who said it would improve consumer protection, accountability, and clean-energy implementation; and opposition testimony on H. 4019, which would change how auto dealers are reimbursed for warranty work, with dealers supporting a fix to manufacturer reimbursement practices and manufacturers warning the bill would raise costs and allow overpayment. At the end of the hearing, the chairs read the agenda items and the committee adjourned by unanimous voice vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• May we labor toward what Dr.
• King spoke powerfully about poverty, labor rights, and exploitation, calling for fair wages, the right
• to fight for justice today: movements for women's rights, immigrants' rights, disability justice, labor
• of Korean immigrants across the Pacific, not just in search of opportunity, but carrying language, labor
• of Korean immigrants across the Pacific, not just in search of opportunity, but carrying language, labor

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a Department of Labor and Industries request bill that gives more flexibility in managing wage
• This simply aligns the right to collectively bargain for language access providers in Labor and Industries
• This is a Labor and Industries request bill, allowing them to adopt additional asbestos training rules
• So this is a very straightforward bill that requires the Department of Labor and Industries to publish

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• May the labor of this Senate help make possible joy, equality, safety, and mutual care, and let us say
• vulnerable neighbors especially the most vulnerable May<00:03:53.799><c> the</c><00:03:53.920><c> labor
• > this</c><00:03:54.560><c> Senate</c><00:03:54.879><c> help</c><00:03:55.120><c> make</c> May the labor
• of this Senate help make May the labor of this Senate help make possible<00:03:55.799><c> Joy</c><00

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So we just got word that it labor has requested for it to go back to labor. Um I'm not sure.
• </c> go back to labor. Um I'm not sure. go back to labor. Um I'm not sure.
• </c> we will be sending it back to labor. we will be sending it back to labor.
• </c><02:04:03.480><c> All</c> labor. All those in favor say I. I. All labor.
• </c> referred to labor. referred to labor.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all