Transcript Highlights:

• And their contracts and their letters that I've gotten were threatening.
• So to ensure that it's all new contracts or something.
• Aren't they free to contract now? Correct.
• I can't do that through contract.
• as private contracts.

Summary: The House Natural Resources Committee met on April 29, 2026, with a quorum present and took up several bills related to property rights, expropriation, renewable energy recycling, and local permitting. Representative Domangue first presented HCR 80 on private property rights, using it to highlight the 2025 landman code of conduct and the need for stronger guardrails in expropriation negotiations. She then deferred the resolution in order to allow Chairman Geymann to present HB 841, which was described as establishing a code of conduct for landmen and expropriation-related negotiations. The committee heard testimony and watched video examples from landowners describing intimidation, inadequate compensation offers, and the need for fair treatment. Amendments were adopted to broaden the bill to all certificate holders, prohibit threats about court costs and attorney fees, shorten response times, and add graduated fines and public posting for violations. HB 841 was reported favorably as amended, with no opposition cards recorded. The committee then considered HB 621 by Representative Coates, which would require recycling of decommissioned renewable energy infrastructure to the extent practical. After discussion with DEQ, the bill was amended to clarify that existing universal waste rules apply and to remove language that would have required the renewable facility owner to pay decommissioning costs in that section; the effective date was set for January 1, 2027. Testimony from renewable energy industry representatives supported the measure and explained that solar panels and related components can be recycled at high rates, with established markets for recovered materials. The committee adopted the amendments and reported HB 621 favorably. Next, Representative Jacob Landry presented HB 595, aimed at preventing local governments from unreasonably delaying or impeding energy projects through permit requirements, especially road permits affecting Haynesville Shale operations. After amendment, the bill required timely action on local road permits and deemed them approved if not acted on within 30 days. Supporters emphasized the economic importance of the Haynesville and the need for predictable permitting, while opponents argued the bill could further erode local authority, particularly regarding carbon capture and sequestration. The committee reported HB 595 favorably. Landry then presented HB 1191, creating a certificate of compliance process for oilfield and exploration and production sites to provide a cleaner path for cleanup, finality, and future investment. The bill drew technical and substantive amendments, including changes to definitions, confidentiality, and the role of DEQ; discussion continued over whether the bill should be deferred to allow more time to work through the remaining issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's no other contract I know of that at least I would enter into that I didn't know what I was getting
• for my contract.
• Representative Sauter: If you add another line, if you do this, if you do that, it is a contract that
• Compliance checks are contracted from the Department of Health and Welfare's tobacco project, usually
• I'm a contract lobbyist with the firm Westerberg Aston & Associates, and I'm here today on behalf of

Committee: House Business

Summary: The committee first approved the February 11 minutes, then unanimously sent House Bill 721 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. HB 721, sponsored by Representative Crane, expands an existing 30-day initial plan review timeline from public school projects to all public works projects. Crane and supporters from the Idaho Associated General Contractors said the bill would improve efficiency, reduce regulatory burden, and let projects go to bid sooner; no opposition testified. The committee then heard extensive testimony on House Bill 618, a wildfire insurance transparency bill sponsored by Representatives Sauter and Church. The bill would require insurers using wildfire or catastrophe models to disclose certain risk-model information and mitigation-related details to policyholders and to the Department of Insurance, with annual data collection and website posting. Sponsors and several homeowners and fire-related witnesses said the measure would help consumers understand nonrenewals, appeal ratings, and learn what mitigation steps matter; opponents, including the American Property Casualty Insurance Association and some committee members, argued it could expose proprietary information, increase compliance costs, and raise premiums. After debate, the committee rejected a motion to send the bill forward and instead voted to hold HB 618 in committee. House Bill 817, sponsored by Representative Petsky, was then advanced to the floor with a due pass recommendation. The bill would allow mobile cigar-event businesses and related “cigar garden” operations under tobacco permitting rules, with age restrictions and compliance checks still in place. Supporters described it as a small-business and entrepreneurship update, while opponents worried mobile retail would make tobacco compliance enforcement harder; the sponsor said the Department of Health and Welfare believed enforcement could still work. Finally, the committee began hearing House Bill 801 from Representative Redman, which would ease land-use barriers for faith-based organizations to develop housing and related uses on religious land. Redman said the bill is intended to help churches use underutilized land for attainable housing and services, while preserving guardrails such as setbacks from heavy industrial uses, airports, and military zones. Members raised concerns about parking, building height, setbacks, and airport rules, and Redman said he was open to amendments; the transcript ends during that discussion before any final action on HB 801.

Transcript Highlights:

• for my contract.
• You know going in what those costs are going to... ...my contract. Think about your phone.
• It is a contract that you understand and agree upon.
• Compliance checks are contracted from the Department of Health and Welfare's tobacco project, usually
• I'm a contract lobbyist with the firm Westerberg Aston & Associates, and I'm here today on behalf of

Committee: House Business

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If our contracts for Medicaid are based on actuarial costs under the MCO contracts, how does that compare
• So that's what I mean by contract work.
• Yes, it's an unfunded mandate, but Medicaid does get a federal match for contract costs.
• At the time of the loss, it's important to know that there were already contracts in place.
• West Ed, we lost a regional support contract with West Ed.

Committee: House Federal Funding Stabilization Subcommittee

Transcript Highlights:

• Transactions, how much money how much public money is being spent on marketing, PR, and private contracts
• I didn't see clear authority to contract the function out.
• It was not a forensic audit, but what it was, it was the first time we had actually used a contract that
• to contract, and that's one of the things that, um, we think is so important to be transparent to Texans
• Well, because that's who you contract.

Committee: House Delivery of Government Efficiency

Transcript Highlights:

• Myself and my staff either contracted COVID or remained free of the disease. ...Especially during the
• I believe that's why I never contracted COVID. ...and I would be susceptible to SARS-2, and indeed I
• Can you contract COVID repeatedly if you're not vaccinated?
• It's true, yes, you can contract it repeatedly, but with the robust natural immunity.
• Give up contract labor costs and lead to more employee absences.

Bills: SB227 , SB269 , SB407 , SB463 , SB527 , SB547 , SB1283 , SB1380 , SB1383 , SB1511 , SB1640 , SB1784 , SB2069

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Keywords: school funding, education reform, state budget, property taxes, equity in education, healthcare policy, vaccines, exemptions, religious beliefs, public health, workplace violence, healthcare facilities, definition expansion, safety regulations, health and safety code, health insurance, anesthesia, pediatric dental services, coverage, medical necessity

Transcript Highlights:

• Or, other remuneration under a contract of hire, written or oral, express or implied, including a person
• include many contract and temporary workers that we have in healthcare.
• So would this include the contract physicians and the contract nurses that we bring in from out-of-state
• It would be the employers and the nurses and physicians who have contracted with those outside agencies
• We're essentially that you have a hub that they all share a similar LLC, the same LLC, but they contract

Committee: House House Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• 01:33:46.960><c> contract.
• </c> for the contract. for the contract.
• into the price of that contract.
• </c> pavilion, say a wedding, would contract pavilion, say a wedding, would contract with<03:52:59.439
• </c><04:30:37.120><c> and</c><04:30:37.279><c> our</c> contracts tie up timberland and our contracts

Committee: House Resources, Recreation and Development

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The contract shall be awarded in a public meeting to the institution whose proposal provides the greatest
• It says that the contract shall be awarded in a public meeting.
• In the minute, it says that the contract shall be awarded in a public meeting, and I'm just wondering
• So I think it's more so just following a line with what would be common for counties to award contracts

Bills: SB2130 , SB2135

Committee: Senate Local and County Government

Keywords: municipal finance, audit exemption, biennial reporting, local government, transparency, county purchasing, purchase card, government accountability, emergency expenditures

Summary: The Senate Local and County Government Committee heard two bills. Senate Bill 2135, as amended, would let county purchasing agents obtain purchase cards through a local bank instead of only through the current state program, while keeping existing competitive-bidding and other guardrails. Senator Reinhart said the amendment was developed with the State Auditor’s Office to add protections, and committee questions focused on sealed bids, public award of contracts, spending limits, and how the bill aligns with current state P-card rules. The amendment was adopted by voice vote, and the bill then advanced on a 10-0 roll call vote. The committee also considered Senate Bill 2130, a constituent-request bill aimed at helping very small towns qualify for grants by easing pre-grant audit requirements. Senator Murdoch explained that towns of 500 people or fewer with $50,000 or less in total funds would be exempt from having to obtain an audit before applying for a grant, though customary audits would still apply otherwise. Members discussed whether the bill could weaken fiscal oversight, whether other audit requirements would still apply, and whether agreed-upon procedures engagements might be a cheaper alternative. The chair and several members supported the measure as a way to help struggling rural communities, and the bill advanced on a 9-1 roll call vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Sometimes, you know, somebody in the community might say, "What's up with this contract?"
• Sometimes, you know, somebody in the community might say, "What's up with this contract?"
• Sometimes, you know, somebody contracts.
• And it was an with this contract?"
• And under this, there could contract."

Committee: House Primary and Secondary Education

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• c), require the CISO, along with the state's chief information officer, to ensure that any state contract
• charge is only required to have a pre-need license if the establishment offers or sells pre-need contracts
• charge is only required to have a pre-need license if the establishment offers or sells pre-need contracts
• management services that the director of the Fleet Management Division is required to provide or contract
• services that the director of the division of the fleet management division is required to provide or contract

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The Committee on Government Organization met with a quorum present, approved the minutes, and then considered a series of House bills, most of them related to licensing, local government administration, and agency operations. House Bill 5063 would let county commissions appoint a county commissioner as a voting member of a convention and visitors bureau board, including for multi-county CVBs; it was reported to the full Senate. House Bill 5087 would join the interstate cosmetology licensure compact, allowing licensed cosmetologists to obtain multi-state practice privileges in compact states, and it was also reported. The committee then took up a strike-and-insert amendment for House Bill 4793, which combined provisions affecting barbering/cosmetology apprenticeships and lowered certain age and education requirements; after adopting a Jefferson amendment clarifying the salon training language, the bill was reported as amended. Members next approved a strike-and-insert for House Bill 5638, which clarifies the State Chief Information Security Officer’s duties, changes cyber risk review procedures, and updates references to the Office of Technology head as the chief information officer; it was reported as amended. House Bill 4483, dealing with the Board of Funeral Examiners, was amended to change the effective date for licensee-in-charge requirements and make technical corrections, then reported as amended. House Bill 5653, requested by the Department of Revenue, would expand confidentiality protections to cover audit manuals, guidelines, procedures, algorithms, and related materials to prevent taxpayers from gaming audit selection, and it was reported. House Bill 4452 repeals acreage limits on church property ownership, and House Bill 4801 expands permissible uses of hotel occupancy tax funds to include demolition of unsafe structures and planning or improvement of public property; both were reported. The committee also advanced House Bill 5622, which creates an expedited process for municipalities to conform local election terms and procedures to the state requirement that municipal elections be held with statewide primaries or general elections, and recognizes the Secretary of State as keeper of municipal charter rolls. House Bill 4546 would allow business entities to file reports biennially instead of annually, with higher biennial fees and updated enforcement provisions; its strike-and-insert amendment was adopted and the bill was reported as amended. House Bill 5613 would define and regulate telematics for state fleet vehicles, require reporting on unsafe driving and corrective actions, and include cost-benefit information in annual reports; it was reported. House Bill 5323 would let the Division of Natural Resources adjust license and stamp fees for inflation by removing a prior CPI-based restriction, and House Bill 4819 would revise criminal-record standards for certain non-Chapter 30 occupational licenses, shifting to a direct-relationship standard while preserving existing exclusions for violent sexual offenses; both were reported. The committee then adjourned after closing remarks from the chair and vice chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• So for these reasons, the commission and I contracted with the Langdon Group and Boardworks Ledgerwood
• We contracted with Langdon Group back in July, and then they subcontracted, I believe, with Ray Ledgerwood
• We split that contract 50-50 between the Department of Water Resources and the Soil and Water Conservation
• I don't know what the original contract amount was, but I did just look at a recent invoice, and we've
• billed out somewhere around $90,000 under that contract.

Committee: Senate Agricultural Affairs

Summary: The Senate Agricultural Committee approved the minutes from its February 17 and February 19, 2026 meetings and then heard a presentation from the Department of Water Resources and the Langdon Group on a proposed merger of the Soil and Water Conservation Commission into the Department of Water Resources. The presenters described an eight-to-ten month evaluation process that included stakeholder interviews, a broad survey, and a workshop, and said the goal was to preserve the commission’s non-regulatory identity while gaining administrative efficiencies and technical support. They recommended placing the merged commission within IDWR, retaining commission oversight of programs and funding, preserving branding and legislative reporting, and formalizing a conservation partnership framework to protect the voluntary nature of the commission’s work. Committee members asked about the cost of the study, which was reported at about $90,000 total, split between the two agencies, and about expected savings. Director Weaver said the current legislation and fiscal note anticipate about $110,000 in immediate personnel savings from eliminating the administrator position, with additional modest savings possible over time in operations, equipment, IT, and office space. He also explained that the bureau chief would be hired with commission participation in the selection process, similar to the existing relationship with the Idaho Water Resource Board. Weaver said the merger has received broad support from stakeholders, including the Idaho Association of Soil Conservation Districts, while the Idaho Farm Bureau had initially opposed it but later became neutral. He said the next steps are to complete the pending legislation, work through the executive agency legislative services process, and return with additional statutory changes and a combined budget in 2027. The meeting ended with a brief water supply update noting statewide snowpack at about 74% of normal and concerns about a warm forecast and possible drought conditions later in the year.

Transcript Highlights:

• Now we also have a contract with 3 armed security guards.
• The intent of this bill is prevent manufacturing contracting distribution with one dealer or dealer group
• Kind of contractual language is the expectation that this language would show up in a contract for a
• I guess why it's just it feels like we're engaging like contract agreements.
• I'm not a big fan of of getting a contract to agreements either in government, but I think this right

Transcript Highlights:

• other state funds column for the program support program, the three numbers there for personnel, contracts
• Representative, if I can direct your attention to the packet here and on the first page: roadway maintenance contracts
• So we have a current-year operating budget of $64.7 million in roadway maintenance contracts, and if
• The amendment that sits before you today would increase the amounts both for roadway maintenance contracts
• million for debt service payment in the P562 program, and then the rest of $39.9 million is going into contract

Keywords: 996, all

Summary: The committee met with quorum and took up only HB 3, the Department of Transportation Appropriation Act of 2026 for FY27. The bill was presented as an amended budget that would increase NMDOT’s operating budget by about $132.6 million, or 10.2%, using available cash balances, additional projected revenue, and contingent revenue tied to Senate Bill 2, the highway bond bill. Staff walked through the amendment section by section, explaining changes to project design and construction, highway operations, program support, modal programs, federal and interagency transfer lines, corrected performance-measure language, and added budget adjustment authority for the current and next fiscal years. Several members raised concerns about the late circulation of a revised amendment and the appearance of multiple bill versions, arguing the committee had not had enough time to review the changes and that the process may have violated the 24-hour rule. Others asked for clarification on how the budget distinguished between rehabilitation and maintenance, and DOT staff explained that major rehabilitation is generally tied to STIP projects while maintenance is handled through district-level plans and contracts. Members also discussed the use of cash balances for non-recurring spending, the impact of electric vehicles on road revenue, and the need for more maintenance, litter cleanup, fencing, and beautification funding. DOT and executive representatives noted the amendment includes a significant maintenance increase and said additional non-recurring funding could also come through House Bill 2 and the capital bill. The committee first rejected a substitute motion to delay action, then adopted the amendment and later voted due pass on HB 3 as amended. Public comment was opened, but no one spoke in support or opposition. After passage, members explained their votes, with some supporting the bill as a needed transportation investment and others objecting to the process and the compressed review timeline.

Transcript Highlights:

• At that time, in 1984, the only contract pharmacy that stores in Alabama had was with Alabama... ...stores
• Once the contract was signed, then everybody signed into the network, you began to have a contract with
• That was the beginning of the contract.
• Then the insurance company that contracted with the PBM saw their overall costs decrease.

Committee: Senate Banking and Insurance

Keywords: 923, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• To date, the agency has spent approximately $21.9 million of the fund to pay for their contract costs
• I would like to request, as referenced on page 12, an additional $600,000 per fiscal year to contract
• Commission Directive, OPUC conducted a cost-effectiveness study comparing hiring in-house experts versus contracting
• The other thing to keep in mind is that expert witness contracts must be fully encumbered up front.
• Historically, OPUC's budget for these contracts does not cover the full amount needed to secure essential

Bills: SB1 , SB 1

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• When we signed the final contract with the construction general contractor, that set the... general contractor
• Of course, the medical services are a consideration outside of the medical contract.
• They say it was one of the best things they've ever done—to contract out that food service.
• That's a 5-year contract, and that $38.8 million is the second payment on that. Thank you for that.
• That's a 5-year contract, and thank you for that.

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• a brief overview of our budget: our operating budget is $23.5 million, our ongoing construction contracts
• are about $93 million, contract maintenance is at $7 million, and field supplies are at $6.5 million
• These are some of the district's contract maintenance projects that we completed last fiscal year.
• Here are our fiscal year 24 contract maintenance projects, and the next table shows projects that we
• Preservation also includes, at the bottom of that table, striping, contract trucking, field supplies,

Transcript Highlights:

• contract period ends?
• enter into contracts with a two-year limit at the time.
• They can do a two-year contract and then renew that contract after two years. >> That's correct. >> Okay
• Portion, it would be allowed to enter into contracts with a two-year limit at the time.
• They can do a two-year contract and then renew that contract after two years. >> That's correct. >> That's

Bills: SB2190 , SB2338 , SB2424 , SB2356 , SB2981 , SB3028 , SB3187 , SB2378 , SB2398 , SB2192 , SB2155 , SB3219 , SB3218

Committee: House Housing

Keywords: affordable housing, employment contracts, salary caps, housing finance, public housing authority, executive compensation, parking minimums, off-street parking, transit-oriented development, TOD, housing supply, smart growth, redevelopment, adaptive reuse, micro units, rail transit, public transit stations, county zoning, land use, urban planning

Summary: The House Housing Committee heard testimony on a series of housing-related Senate bills. SB 2190 SD2 on inclusionary zoning drew support from HHFDC, Hawaii YIMBY, Grassroot Institute, Housing Hawaii’s Future, and Hako Seed Center, with opposition from OHA and Aloha Independent Living Hawaii. SB 2338 SD1, dealing with housing agency personnel authority, received comments from the Attorney General cautioning that the bill should be clarified to avoid conflicts with civil service and collective bargaining laws and recommending removal of a provision limiting employment contracts; HHFDC said its comments addressed those concerns and supported the measure. SB 2424 SD1, concerning HHFDC, received broad support from housing, business, and community groups, with one opposition. Testimony focused on changing the definition of “qualified resident” so people who already own an HHFDC-assisted unit could later purchase another if their housing needs change; HHFDC said the current rule forces people to sell before buying again and that the bill would help people move up the housing ladder and encourage more housing development. SB 2356 on parking also drew broad support from state agencies, housing advocates, business groups, and local officials, with Unite Here Local 5 in opposition. SB 2981 on land use had strong support from many organizations and 67 individuals, with Unite Here Local 5 opposing. SB 3028 SD2 on property conveyance generated the most detailed policy debate. Supporters, including Catholic Charities Hawaii, Hawaii Children’s Action Network, Indivisible Hawaii, and others, backed restructuring the conveyance tax into a marginal rate system and urged changes to revenue allocations, including dedicated funding for homeless services, DHHL, and the rental housing revolving fund. The Tax Foundation of Hawaii supported the marginal-rate concept but opposed dedicated special-fund allocations and criticized the bill’s blank sections. Committee members questioned the historical purpose of the conveyance tax, and the Tax Foundation explained it was originally a modest tax tied to property-value tracking when the state still ran the property tax system. The committee also heard SB 3187 SD2 on off-site construction, SB 2378 SD2 on housing permitting, and SB 2398 SD2 on residential housing utilities. OPSD supported SB 3187 but said it preferred the House version and wanted clarification that off-site certification should apply to factories in Hawaii, not out of state, to avoid outsourcing labor; it also suggested starting with a small scope. SB 2378 SD2 drew support from engineering, housing, and labor groups, with testimony that the House version included needed fixes to make the program insurable. On SB 2398 SD2, the Board of Water Supply opposed the bill, saying it could require disclosure of sensitive infrastructure information beyond ordinary water-availability assessments and raise critical-infrastructure and cybersecurity concerns; developers and housing groups supported the measure. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• So uh contract with our grantees.
• </c> working on finalizing contract language. working on finalizing contract language.
• There is are in all of these contracts.
• Um and guidelines within our contracts.
• We NTIA and how we're able to contract.

Bills: HF3508 , HF3548 , HF3549

Committee: House Agriculture Finance and Policy

Keywords: dairy assistance, agriculture, investment, relief initiative, farm support, farm assistance, down payment, state funding, loan modification, grain indemnity, financial security, crop insurance, Minnesota agriculture, 1183, house