Bills: SB251, SB150, SB154, SB73, SB111, SB172, SB76, SB181, SB235

Keywords: horse racing, program training, program owning, state licensing, racehorses, regulation, local news, newspaper printing, journalism, media tax credit, print media, digital news, news publisher, newsprint, press operator, printing industry, local journalism, tax credit, income tax, corporate income tax

Bills: SB251, SB150, SB154, SB73, SB111, SB172, SB76, SB181, SB235

Keywords: horse racing, program training, program owning, state licensing, racehorses, regulation, local news, newspaper printing, journalism, media tax credit, print media, digital news, news publisher, newsprint, press operator, printing industry, local journalism, tax credit, income tax, corporate income tax

Transcript Highlights:

• Plans must address at least 12 specific emergency scenarios, with natural disasters being just one of
• Make no mistake, this is not just for floods, not even for just natural disasters, but for any unforeseen
• It is clear that natural disasters and severe weather events are becoming more frequent, causing more
• This includes drone interdiction during a natural disaster.
• that we would typically use following a disaster to enhance the disaster response.

Bills: HB1, HB 2, HB 3, HB 5, HB20, HB 22, HB 1, HB 2, HB 3, HB 5, HB 20, HB 22

Keywords: youth camps, emergency preparedness, safety standards, health regulations, camp licensing, disaster preparedness, emergency management, flooding, mass fatality, mass casualty, fatality tracking, body recovery, autopsy, justice of the peace, medical examiner, county judge, sheriff, mayor, emergency coordinator, emergency manager license

Transcript Highlights:

• potentially going to be a big tariff tomorrow on two of our biggest business partners, whether we're buying natural

Bills: HB8, HB9, HJR1, HB22, HB8, HB9, HJR1, HB22

Keywords: HB 8, school finance, compressed tax rate, maximum compressed tax rate, MCR, PYMCR, property tax, school district taxes, Education Code, Tax Code, state aid, school funding formula, local school taxes, Texas school finance, tax rate compression, public education funding, ad valorem tax, tangible personal property, income-producing property, business personal property

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the Natural Resources Committee of the Senate. Madam Secretary, please call the roll.

Bills: HCR54, HCR79, HCR87, HCR94, HCR104, HB1209

Keywords: migratory waterfowl, hunting regulations, flooded crops, wildlife management, environmental impact, hunting, Kisatchie National Forest, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, deer hunting, dogs, conservation, hunting heritage, federal regulations, Senator Kennedy, wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, legislative support, environment, protective measures, boating safety

Summary: The Senate Natural Resources Committee met on March 27 with a quorum present, approved prior minutes, and then took up several resolutions and one bill related to wildlife, water resources, and conservation. H.C.R. 79, as amended, urged the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to work together to allow the use of dogs for hunting in Kisatchie National Forest; supporters described it as a traditional hunting practice that has been restricted for years and could benefit local hunters and businesses. H.C.R. 104, as amended, asked the Department of Conservation and Energy and the Louisiana Geological Survey to study and modernize the collection, retention, and access to subsurface data, with members emphasizing the need to avoid sharing company-specific information. H.C.R. 87 was reported favorably to support correspondence from U.S. Sen. Kennedy regarding duck flyway management, H.C.R. 54 was reported favorably to study the impact of flooded corn on migratory waterfowl and restore an enforcement mechanism related to hunting over intentionally flooded crops, and H.C.R. 94 was reported favorably to require annual boating safety reports to legislative committees. The committee then heard HB 1209, which would have paused new cooperative endeavor agreements for surface water withdrawals while allowing existing agreements to continue and be renewed through December 31, 2036. The author said the bill was intended to give the state time to develop a more comprehensive, data-driven surface water strategy and to address invasive species such as giant salvinia, which he said has severely affected waterways in his district. Members and witnesses acknowledged the seriousness of the issue, but there was concern that the bill was too complex to move quickly in the session. The committee discussed converting it into a study resolution instead, and the bill was deferred without objection. The meeting then adjourned.

Bills: HF4261, HF4263, HF4264, HF4787

Keywords: natural resources, motorboat, boating safety, personal watercraft, PWC, watercraft operator permit, boater safety exam, off-road vehicle, ORV, ATV, snowmobile, state trail pass, cross-country ski pass, horse pass, state park permit, game and fish, hunting license, fishing license, wildlife permit, invasive species

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:05:50.160><c> Resources</c> Department of Land and Natural Resources Department of Land and Natural
• We've got farmers here that can tell you natural disasters, pests, death, different things can impact
• </c><00:16:10.959><c> disasters,</c><00:16:11.600><c> pests,</c> can tell you natural disasters, pests
• , can tell you natural disasters, pests, death,<00:16:12.480><c> different</c><00:16:12.800><c> things
• </c> hog farming even with Korean natural hog farming even with Korean natural farming<00:37:28.640><

Bills: HB1601, HB1828, HB1616, HB1603, HB1606, HB1604, HB1605

Keywords: biosecurity, invasive species, Hawaii Invasive Species Council, Department of Land and Natural Resources, appropriation, agriculture, land use, farm dwelling, renewable energy, income qualification, solar energy, geothermal resources, hydropower, agricultural tourism, aquaculture, commercial activity, swine production, Korean natural farming, land leases, Hawaii

Transcript Highlights:

• Up first is Senate Bill 20003 relating to natural resource management, which requires the auditor's report
• where the authority will assume control from the University of Hawaii and the Department of Land and Natural
• Where the authority will assume control from the University of Hawaii and the Department of Land and Natural
• our 1:00 p.m. agenda here at State Capitol, Conference Room 229, on Senate Bill 20003 relating to natural
• Would you like to share some of the comments considering the nature of all of this? >> Okay.

Bills: SB2003

Keywords: Mauna Kea, land management, University of Hawaii, astronomical observatories, leasable lands, natural resource management, stewardship authority, 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint committees on Water, Land, Culture, and the Arts and Education heard testimony and discussed SB 20003, which would require the auditor’s report under Act 255 to include a recommendation on whether the Monarch Stewardship and Oversight Authority is fit to continue managing Monaca lands. Testimony focused on the bill’s reversion language, the role of the auditor, and whether the measure gave the auditor too much discretion without clear criteria. The Office of the Auditor’s position, read into the record, was that it had strong reservations because the bill did not provide standards for assessing fitness and asked that the requirement be held or amended. Other testimony suggested a work group with relevant agencies and Hawaiian practitioners to manage the transition and reduce conflict. Committee members debated whether the bill should simply restore the original reversion language or also require an audit-based fitness determination. Several members questioned the need for a 2031 audit when Act 255 already provides for a performance and financial audit in 2031 and noted that the bill could shift authority away from the legislature. In response, the committee chair explained that the measure was intended to restore language removed during conference and to address the transition back to the University of Hawaii if the authority was not meeting the act’s purpose. The committees ultimately recommended SB 20003 be passed with amendments. The amendments would strike the auditor/audit section, add language addressing timelines by providing a 10-year lease extension and sublease extension, and make technical changes including a defective date. The committees voted to adopt the amended measure and send it forward as an SD1. The transcript also included a separate Education Committee hearing on SB 3286, which would require the University of Hawaii to develop a facilities and student housing master plan and report to the legislature. University of Hawaii testimony said the system supports the intent but that the bill’s requirements are a heavy lift across 10 campuses and should follow development of a broader academic strategy. Members raised concerns about deferred maintenance, shifting priorities, and the lack of a systemwide plan, while the university said it already has a six-year capital improvement plan but acknowledged it does not fully incorporate the broader academic and housing strategy the bill contemplates.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the Natural Resources Committee of the Senate. Madam Secretary, please call the roll.

Bills: HCR54, HCR79, HCR87, HCR94, HCR104, HB1209

Keywords: migratory waterfowl, hunting regulations, flooded crops, wildlife management, environmental impact, hunting, Kisatchie National Forest, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, deer hunting, dogs, conservation, hunting heritage, federal regulations, Senator Kennedy, wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, legislative support, environment, protective measures, boating safety

Bills: HB2592

Keywords: Mauna Kea, MKSOA, Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority, University of Hawaii, UH, Board of Land and Natural Resources, BLNR, Department of Land and Natural Resources, DLNR, Hawaii Revised Statutes chapter 195H, land management, transition period, management plan, administrative rules, rulemaking, lease extension, sublease, public lands, Native Hawaiian rights, cultural stewardship

Summary: The Judiciary Committee met on several decision-making agendas and first considered HB 1696, which would lower the minimum age for commercial driving in-state from 19 to 18 and adjust qualifying criteria. The committee agreed to accept amendments, including changes suggested by the Operating Engineers Union, and voted unanimously to pass the bill with amendments. HB 2333, which would authorize airport special districts and increase penalties for certain aeronautics violations, was deferred after concerns were raised about treatment of people outside airport security perimeters. On the next agenda, the committee passed HB 1710 with technical amendments only. That bill would allow the State Historic Preservation Division to conduct phase reviews of certain private-property projects and revise concurrence deadlines. HB 1737, clarifying allowable agricultural district uses related to farm dwellings and farm employee housing, also passed with technical amendments only. HB 1823, dealing with coastal zone management and excluding certain state- or county-funded infrastructure projects in Lahaina from the definition of development, passed with amendments from the Attorney General’s office. The committee then took up HB 1897, an alternative dispute resolution measure for condominium-related disputes, including facilitated mediation, evaluative mediation, and binding arbitration. Despite noting broad opposition and a reservation from Senator Buenaventura, the committee adopted the measure and moved it forward as is. Finally, HB 2576, which streamlines background check requirements for health care facilities and workers, passed with amendments reflecting input from OHA, HAH, and DOH. The meeting concluded with notice of a later joint agenda and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• I call this meeting of the Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Finance Committee to order.
• does not only affect how much water is in the aquifer; it can also change quality by mobilizing naturally
• example, according to documents obtained through a data practices act request to the Department of Natural
• c><00:35:47.599><c> Resources,</c><00:35:48.400><c> Amazon's</c><00:35:48.960><c> proposed</c> of Natural
• Resources, Amazon's proposed of Natural Resources, Amazon's proposed facility<00:35:49.599><c> in</c

Bills: HF3793, HF3699, HF793, HF3322, HF3426

Keywords: groundwater, water use permit, data centers, public health, environmental regulations, municipalities, state park license plate, specialty license plate, Minnesota DNR, Department of Natural Resources, license plate design contest, North Shore, Lake Superior Agate, AI-generated art, artificial intelligence, Minnesota resident, state parks, specialty plates, vehicle registration, contest requirements

Bills: HB1601, HB1616, HB1603, HB1604, HB1605, HB1606, HB1802, HB1569, HB1619, HB1730, HB1749, HB644, HB1620

Keywords: biosecurity, invasive species, Hawaii Invasive Species Council, Department of Land and Natural Resources, appropriation, agriculture, aquaculture, commercial activity, swine production, Korean natural farming, land leases, Hawaii, extension, Department of Agriculture, housing, workforce, land use, zoning, public-private partnerships, tax credit

Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome to the Senate Ag and Natural Resources Committee.
• must also identify opportunities to address state policy and regulatory barriers, support enhanced disaster
• Chair of the House Ag and Natural Resource Committee, Representative Reeves, welcome. ...about what the
• So, you know, this seems a natural thing that let’s put together a group.
• disasters.

Bills: HB2104, HB2554, HB2619

Keywords: aviation, wildland fires, funding, disaster relief, emergency response, tribal rights, fishing rights, salmon management, state-tribal agreements, natural resources, agriculture, regulations, farming, compliance, economic impact, 904, all

Summary: The committee took up six House bills for public hearing, with staff explaining each measure and sponsors describing their purposes. ESHB 2238 on statewide food security was presented as a broad strategy for WSDA to coordinate food access, agricultural viability, and supply chain resilience, including annual data monitoring and reporting on regulatory costs; supporters from agriculture, food banks, school nutrition, counties, and advocacy groups said it would improve coordination and strengthen the food system, while some asked for broader representation in the advisory process. HB 2199 would expand the derelict vessel removal program by broadening the definition of derelict vessel and allowing earlier intervention on unregistered or hazardous vessels; ports, local officials, and environmental advocates supported it as a way to reduce pollution, safety risks, and cleanup costs. HB 2104 would remove the sunset from the Aviation Assurance Funding Program for wildland fire response, and the sponsor and fire officials said the program has been effective at enabling rapid initial attack and preventing more expensive state mobilization. HB 2554 would repeal statutory language from Initiative 456 relating to treaty fishing rights; the sponsor, Attorney General’s Office, and Department of Fish and Wildlife supported repeal as removing unconstitutional and unenforceable provisions and correcting a historical wrong. HB 2619 would create a legislative task force to review regulatory stressors in agriculture and recommend changes, with the sponsor tying it to agricultural mental health and suicide prevention; no public testimony was offered. HB 2343 would require permits and water-quality controls for publicly owned game farms, with staff noting it appears to apply to a Fish and Wildlife facility and that the fiscal note estimates about $13,000 annually for compliance. Public testimony was overwhelmingly supportive on the bills that drew testimony, and the chair announced all six bills would be listed for possible executive session at the committee’s next meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• So that job will naturally be split as part of this process that we're doing.
• We're going to pass a bill. >> That's just the nature of it, right?
• &gt;&gt; That's<01:10:35.199><c> just</c><01:10:35.360><c> the</c><01:10:35.600><c> nature</c><01:10:
• </c><01:10:36.800><c> So</c> &gt;&gt; That's just the nature of it, right?
• So &gt;&gt; That's just the nature of it, right?

Bills: SB2613, SB2147

Keywords: public school land transfer, Department of Education, DOE, land conveyance, fee simple title, tax map key, TMK, Act 307, Session Laws of Hawaii 2022, Act 139, Board of Land and Natural Resources, BLNR, Department of Land and Natural Resources, DLNR, Kauai, Maui, Honolulu, Kaimuki Middle School, Wilcox Elementary School, school property

Summary: The committee heard SB 2613, a cleanup bill relating to public school land transfers under Act 307 (2022), which revises tax map key references and the conveyance process for properties transferred to the Department of Education. The Hawaii State Public Library System supported the measure, saying it would complete the long-unfinished separation of the library system from DOE property control and make future building projects more efficient and cost-effective. DOE also supported the bill and requested an amendment to remove TMK 43-62 parcel 10, the Wilcox Elementary School parcel, so that it could instead be transferred to the county for use with the adjacent park and tennis courts. Members focused heavily on why land transfers and construction approvals have been slow, especially the need for right-of-entry documents and an MOA for a library construction project. Library and DOE witnesses said the delays stemmed from site-control issues and confusion over property status, and that the bill would clarify which parcels are transferred by operation of law and remove the need for additional transactional documents in many cases. Several members questioned whether the bill actually changes authority or simply clarifies existing practice, and DOE said it wanted legislative clarity so the transfers are unmistakably effective on a date certain. The committee also discussed a separate section of the bill dealing with public use of school facilities after hours, including parking fees on property under DOE jurisdiction. DOE explained that any parking charges would apply only to property it controls, not county roads, and that fees are set through existing facility-use procedures. Members raised concerns about the pace of land transfers generally and urged DOE to move more expeditiously on pending parcels. The hearing then moved on to SB 2147, which would designate the first Friday in February as Love My Library Day; the library system testified in support as the committee began that measure.

Bills: SF2077, HF2439, HF841

Keywords: environmental protection, natural resources, wildlife management, public funding, community grants, pollution reduction, waste management, climate change, funding allocations, food support, emergency funding, shelf programs, Minnesota statutes, appropriation, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, I'm going to call the Environment and Natural Resources Policy Finance Committee to order.
• Under Minnesota law, companies are required to offer the Department of Natural Resources a portion of
• pumping is reduced or eliminated,<01:05:22.319><c> this</c><01:05:22.559><c> vital</c><01:05:22.880><c> natural
• </c><01:05:23.280><c> resource</c> eliminated, this vital natural resource eliminated, this vital natural
• sorts of things, or at least know what that would actually look like and how that might strain our natural

Bills: HF1531, HF4017, HF3399, HF4146, HF4019, HF3677

Keywords: crossbow, crossbow hunting, archery season, deer hunting, bear hunting, turkey hunting, fishing, common carp, rough fish, game and fish, wildlife management, hunting license, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, DNR, sunset clause, expiration removal, archery equipment, outdoor recreation, infectious waste, pathological waste

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, I call the Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Finance Committee to order.
• </c><00:52:09.440><c> of</c><00:52:09.680><c> that</c> specific trade secret nature of that specific
• trade secret nature of that particular<00:52:10.480><c> chemical.
• </c><01:37:26.560><c> Irrigation</c><01:37:27.119><c> also</c> our natural resources.
• Irrigation also our natural resources.

Bills: HF4253, HF4257, HF3236, HF4264, HF4149, HF4019

Keywords: boat storage structures, public waters, natural resources, rule amendments, watercraft canopy, PFAS, environmental regulation, manufacturers, public health, product safety, groundwater, water appropriation, water-use permit, water permit, aquifer test, aquifer, well construction, groundwater permit, Department of Natural Resources, DNR

Transcript Highlights:

• Has nothing to do with CO2 capture or anything of that nature.
• This has nothing to do with CO2 or any other gas of that nature.
• :04:44.479><c> that</c> with CO2 capture or anything of that with CO2 capture or anything of that nature
• There's no under this bill or nature.
• This is dealing with mostly nature.

Bills: SB174, SB174

Keywords: business taxes, annual reports, Alabama Tax Tribunal, tax appeals, local government, SB174, alternative energy, alternative energy wells, alternative energy facility, geothermal, geothermal energy, subsurface energy, energy storage, energy capture, energy generation, hydropower, solar energy, oil and gas well conversion, well conversion, plugging and abandonment

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> natural gas. natural gas.
• And that's basically what that says in the first one. raw natural resources. raw natural resources.
• </c> In the past, they wanted Wyoming natural In the past, they wanted Wyoming natural gas<00:03:24.080
• </c><00:04:51.440><c> gas</c> doing is we're inciting natural gas doing is we're inciting natural gas
• </c> by converting natural gas or coal. by converting natural gas or coal.

Bills: HB0120, HB0043, HB0128

Keywords: energy production, natural gas, industrial sovereignty, manufacturing, tax exemptions, money laundering, illegal investment, financial institutions, criminal activity, Wyoming legislation, severance tax, oil production, tax exemption, energy sector, economic impact, 916, all

Bills: HB0120, HB0043, HB0128

Keywords: energy production, natural gas, industrial sovereignty, manufacturing, tax exemptions, money laundering, illegal investment, financial institutions, criminal activity, Wyoming legislation, severance tax, oil production, tax exemption, energy sector, economic impact, 916, all