Transcript Highlights:

• digital entries of ownership, and depending on who has control of those digital book entries, that entity
• now has been given control... ...book entries, that entity now has been given control over those assets
• If that is the case, unless I'm wrong there, how do we enforce an Idaho statute on an out-of-state entity
• How do we enforce an Idaho statute on an out-of-state entity? Representative Vizhevsky.

Summary: The House Business Committee met with a quorum and took up House Bill 702 by Representative Viznevsky. No public testimony was taken because the bill had already been heard previously. The sponsor said the bill’s purpose is to restore full ownership rights in securities to the investor who purchased them, addressing concerns about digital book-entry ownership and intermediary control under current UCC-related rules, especially in insolvency situations. Members asked how Idaho could enforce the bill against out-of-state entities and whether it would apply retroactively. The sponsor responded that the bill would require Idaho law to govern relevant ownership disputes and that it would not affect existing transactions, only future ones. After discussion, Representative Harris moved to send House Bill 702 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. The committee approved the motion without objection and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• digital entries of ownership, and depending on who has control of those digital book entries, that entity
• now has been given control... ...book entries, that entity now has been given control over those assets
• If that is the case, unless I'm wrong there, how do we enforce an Idaho statute on an out-of-state entity
• How do we enforce an Idaho statute on an out-of-state entity? Representative Vizhevsky.

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So they want to make sure the regulator wants to make sure that the regulated entity is not just throwing
• In the case of an IOU, the entity that takes the first hit is the shareholders, and we’ve seen this in
• It's just setting up a different nonprofit entity.
• Nearly 40 load-serving entities, including community choice aggregators as well as the utilities, use
• It also enables entities who are litigating before us to obtain detailed data from each other, and we

Summary: The Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications held an oversight hearing focused on electric rates, utility regulation, affordability, reliability, and wildfire-related costs. The chair framed the discussion around the challenge of transitioning to a cleaner grid while keeping bills affordable and the system reliable, and noted the hearing also served as the annual update from the CPUC and Public Advocates Office. Professor Severin Borenstein gave a primer on utility regulation, explaining the split between deregulated generation and regulated transmission/distribution, the basics of cost-of-service regulation, and the role of return on equity. He argued that high allowed returns can encourage capital-intensive spending and that many public policy costs now embedded in rates would be better funded through the state budget, while warning that price caps or performance-based regulation are not silver bullets. CPUC President-designate Alice Reynolds described the commission’s role as economic regulator of investor-owned utilities and said affordability is being addressed through rate case scrutiny, reasonableness reviews, and legislative direction. She said wildfire mitigation and insurance costs have been major drivers of rate increases, but some wildfire-related costs are time-limited and will roll off rates over time. She also highlighted progress on clean energy procurement, battery storage growth, and integrated resource planning to meet climate goals while maintaining reliability. Reynolds said the CPUC is reviewing utility spending, disallowing imprudent costs where appropriate, and litigating at FERC to challenge transmission costs. Members pressed both witnesses on several issues, including whether rates are being inflated by legislative mandates and balancing accounts, whether utility returns are too high, and whether the state should shift more public-policy costs off electric bills and into the General Fund. Senators also raised concerns about load growth from data centers and ports, gas-system stranded assets as electrification advances, and whether the CPUC is over-regulating or discouraging innovation. Reynolds said the CPUC is working with the Energy Commission, CAISO, and the Air Resources Board on a holistic planning process, and pointed to tools such as interconnection reforms and demand flexibility. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational, with several follow-up requests for reports and data.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the case of an IOU, the entity that takes the first hit is the shareholders, and we’ve seen this in
• It's just setting up a different nonprofit entity.
• Nearly 40 load-serving entities, including community choice aggregators as well as the utilities, use
• Well, if you tell any regulated entity that when you spend a dollar, Well, if you tell any regulated
• It also enables entities who are litigating before us to obtain detailed data from each other, and we

Summary: The Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications held an oversight hearing focused on electric rates, utility regulation, affordability, wildfire costs, and the California Public Utilities Commission’s role. Chair and members framed the discussion around the challenge of transitioning to a cleaner grid while maintaining reliability and keeping bills affordable. The hearing also served as the annual update from the CPUC and the Public Advocates Office, with testimony from Professor Severin Borenstein and CPUC President-designate Alice Reynolds. Borenstein gave a primer on utility regulation, explaining that generation is largely deregulated while transmission and distribution remain regulated, and that most rate-setting follows cost-of-service regulation. He emphasized that the hardest issue is setting the allowed return on equity: too high can raise bills and encourage capital-heavy spending, while too low can deter investment and harm reliability. He argued there is no silver bullet, said performance-based regulation and price caps have limits, and suggested some costs now charged through electric bills—such as climate programs, low-income subsidies, and wildfire-related public policy costs—might more appropriately be paid through the state budget. Reynolds described the CPUC’s oversight role, saying the commission reviews utility spending through general rate cases, balancing accounts, and other proceedings, and that affordability is addressed through front-end scrutiny, post-spend accountability, and legislative direction. She highlighted wildfire mitigation as a major driver of rate increases, noted recent progress on clean energy procurement and battery storage, and said the CPUC is working on return-on-equity decisions, FERC advocacy on transmission costs, and implementation of SB 254 and other statutes. Members pressed on a range of issues, including wildfire securitization, load growth from EVs and data centers, gas-system stranded assets, balancing accounts, and a water-service dispute in Keene involving Union Pacific. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational, with several follow-up commitments from the CPUC to provide data and updates.

Transcript Highlights:

• Sections 22 and 23 are modeled entities.
• On page R3, Senate section 2 requires government entities to establish procedures to monitor access to
• </c><00:53:53.200><c> from</c> public and private entities from public and private entities from disseminating
• </c><00:54:32.319><c> The</c> county or other government entity.
• The county or other government entity.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So what would, I guess, the situation is you've got these three entities that are all owned by the same
• It's okay too if you— You're wondering what would prevent a company from setting up subsidiary entities
• that are each less than that entities that are each less than that but<00:12:53.600><c> are</c><00:12
• like this still owned separate entities like this still owned by<00:13:13.160><c> the</c><00:13:13.279
• They're not getting their gas supplies directly to your company or from a larger entity that might be

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• VOCA grants, like after the entity receives the money.
• These are entities that are dependent on government grants. So I would say.
• How do they know the grant exists, and what kind of entities, and what kind of?
• Those would not be state entities.
• And that's another entity.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, so just because they are entities and not um natural persons, the U.S.
• </c><00:50:20.240><c> that</c> social media platforms are entities that social media platforms are entities
• Second, we recommend clarifying that the tax will be calculated at an entity level.
• </c><02:34:04.720><c> selected</c> center or any successor entity selected center or any successor entity
• at uh and the police this entity at uh and the police departments. departments. departments.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 1790 HD1, which would require law enforcement and oversight agencies to collect and report data on stops, use of force, and complaints to the Hawaii Crime Lab, which would publish incident-level information and annual reports. Supporters, including the Office of the Public Defender, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the ACLU of Hawaii, Hawaii Justice Rising, and the Policing Project, said the bill would improve transparency, help identify disparities, and support better policy and accountability. OHA requested amendments to ensure Hawaiians are identified as a distinct category in the data, and the University of Hawaii’s Ashley Rubin said the Crime Lab would work with agencies to make implementation as seamless as possible. The Department of Law Enforcement supported the bill’s intent but asked for a longer timeline and culturally appropriate methodology, while HPD opposed the bill as written, saying it would require too many new data points, create a significant administrative burden, and rely on subjective perceptions of race and ethnicity; HPD also noted it is piloting an e-citation system that could help with data collection. Committee members questioned HPD about current manual processes and technology options. The chair reported 18 testimonies total: 15 in support, one in opposition, and two with comments, and no vote was taken in the excerpt. The committee then heard HB 1611 HD1, which would phase down the general excise tax on groceries and nonprescription drugs until a full exemption takes effect in 2034. The Department of Taxation offered technical recommendations, including clearer definitions for groceries and nonprescription drugs and a technical change regarding the county surcharge exemption. Supporters, including the Hawaii Public Health Institute and the Hawaii Food Industry Association, argued the GET on groceries is regressive and worsens food insecurity, especially for low-income households, and said the bill would provide needed relief. The Tax Foundation of Hawaii offered technical concerns, including a possible wholesale-tax enforcement issue once the exemption is fully phased in. The excerpt ends during testimony on HB 1611, with no final committee action shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we are working with a lot of these local entities.
• So we are working with a lot of these local entities.
• Four million homes in the woods. ...empower the local government entities to take action.
• So empower the local entities and back it up.
• My partner, make the local entities have a piece of the responsibility, a stake in the game.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Climate Crisis, Resources, Energy, and Transportation held an oversight hearing on home hardening and defensible space as wildfire mitigation strategies. The chair opened by stressing that California has reached a tipping point, with repeated community-scale wildfire losses, rising insurance costs, and growing utility wildfire mitigation expenses. The hearing was organized around four panels: what home hardening and defensible space are, community risk reduction and coordination, evaluation of current defensible space programs and proposed investments, and the future of home hardening and the California Wildfire Mitigation Program. The first panel featured IBHS, the Legislative Analyst’s Office, and local wildfire mitigation advocates. IBHS described wildfire spread through embers, flames, and radiant heat, emphasizing that structure separation, removing combustible materials within the first five feet of a home, and combining multiple mitigation measures significantly reduce loss. It highlighted its Wildfire Prepared Home and Wildfire Prepared Neighborhood standards, including an “essential” and “enhanced” level, and said California is ahead of other states but still needs scalable, standardized, and sustainably funded mitigation. The LAO outlined key policy questions for the Legislature, including the state’s role, intergovernmental coordination, cost-effectiveness, program design, measurement of success, long-term sustainability, and barriers to implementation. The chair and panelists discussed estimated costs, including roughly $15,000 for a basic retrofit and about $50,000 for more extensive ignition-resistant construction, and whether state funding should focus on the most cost-effective initial measures. The second panel focused on scaling adoption through local coordination, education, financing, and community-based programs. Megafire Action argued that home hardening is a market adoption problem and said the state should not try to pay for every home, but instead target high-leverage interventions across the “customer journey,” including education, financing, trusted certification, and neighborhood network effects. Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council described free home assessments, small retrofit grants, Firewise community support, and the importance of neighborhood-level action, local capacity, and cultural change. Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority described its locally funded model, grant program, public education efforts, and an Ember Ready program that helps residents navigate home hardening and Zone Zero compliance. The chair repeatedly emphasized the need for a coordinated statewide marketing campaign, stronger incentives, better insurance discounts, and more use of local, utility, federal, and private funding sources. The third and fourth panels addressed Cal Fire’s defensible space inspection program, the proposed defensible space financial assistance program, and broader state investments. Cal Fire said homes lacking compliant defensible space are far more likely to be damaged or destroyed and requested ongoing funding and staffing to stabilize inspections statewide; the LAO suggested the Legislature consider alternative funding sources such as GGRF or a reinstated SRA fee. Cal Fire and the State Fire Marshal explained that Zone Zero sets a minimum standard, local governments cannot go below it, and grant prioritization will favor jurisdictions that submit inspections. Cal Fire also said the new defensible space financial assistance program would focus on ember-resistant zone-zero work and, in the Southern California counties covered by the legislation, would assist about 3,125 homes at an estimated $8,000 per home. In the final panel, the State Fire Marshal described California’s layered strategy of parcel-level home hardening, defensible space, and neighborhood-scale mitigation, along with technical support, financial assistance, and incentives such as insurance discounts and builder marketing. The overall theme was that California must move from isolated efforts to a coordinated, science-based, and scalable statewide approach to reduce wildfire losses.

Transcript Highlights:

• So there's a function for more than just that one entity for that.
• So there's a function for more than just that one entity for that.
• So there's a function for more than just that one entity for that.
• So there's a function for more than just that one entity for that.
• So there's a function for more than just that one entity for that.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• On the next slide, I'll also discuss how Soil and Waters are a very unique entity.
• Very few entities across the U.S. have this authority.
• The NMRC and the New Mexico State University Research Center are two different entities.
• to be prioritization entities, to be on the ground, prioritization entities that knew what was going
• And when I see what looks like a consolidation of power to any one entity.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think it was surprising to some of our county-based purchasing entities, some of the barriers that
• and if uh and most would many entities and if uh and most would be<00:15:03.920><c> willing</c><00:15
• So, um the A1 ensures that when entities own or invest in health care practices, they don't control or
• So, um the A1 ensures that when<00:36:09.599><c> entities</c><00:36:10.240><c> own</c><00:36:10.480><
• c> or</c><00:36:10.720><c> invest</c><00:36:11.040><c> in</c> when entities own or invest in when entities

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It is an electronic credential that's issued by a public entity.
• Moving down to line 19, a public entity shall not require any person to obtain, maintain, present, or
• The public entity, line 33, shall not track individuals, retain identity data beyond the transaction,
• First issue is, is that a government entity?
• But that would be the first threshold question: is that a government entity in requiring access?

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a legislative proposal aimed at ensuring places of worship are treated as essential entities and
• But basically what this does, it prohibits any government entity from enforcing stricter restrictions
• Basically what this does, it prohibits any government entity from enforcing stricter restrictions on
• Because I believe if we start going down, if a government entity can tell us when and where we pray,
• And for the state or any governmental entity to tell us that we're not able to do that appears to me

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Normally, if one government entity sues another government entity, under Idaho Code Section 12-117, subparagraph
• 4, the prevailing governmental entity gets attorney…” Mr.
• Normally, if one government entity sues another government entity, under Idaho Code Section 12-117, subparagraph
• 4, the prevailing governmental entity gets attorney.
• The prevailing governmental entity gets attorney fees.

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And yet after that a civil suit is brought against the entity for whom the perpetrator was employed.
• Now, that entity, I don't know who or what it was, but I'm going to use an example that we have, and
• And I think we need to be more concerned about our children than some entity or institution.
• And I think we need to be more concerned about our children than some entity or institution.
• And I think we need to be more concerned about our children than some entity or institution.

Keywords: 920, all

Summary: The Alabama Senate convened with prayer, the pledge, and a roll call establishing a quorum of 29 senators present. The chamber adopted the previous day’s journal, allowed bill introductions throughout the day, and received multiple House messages referring local bills and proposed constitutional amendments to the Committee on Local Legislation, along with a lieutenant governor’s confirmation referral to the Committee on Confirmations. Committee reports were then received from several standing committees. The Senate confirmed a series of gubernatorial and other appointments, including Michael Kulovitz and Barbara Maul to the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind Board of Trustees, Logan Glass to the Educational Television Commission, Ed Croll and James Harris to the Alabama Committee on Monument Protection, Matt Barnes to the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission, Scott Moes and Jeffrey Wilson to the Alabama Electronic Security Board of Licensure, and Jeffrey L. Cameman to the Tuscaloosa County Civil Service Board. The Senate also received favorable committee reports on numerous bills from Judiciary, State Governmental Affairs, Education Policy, Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development, Health Care, Veterans and Military Affairs, and Local Legislation, with several bills amended or substituted and placed on the next day’s calendar. On the floor, the Senate adopted a special order calendar from the Rules Committee and passed several bills. Senate Bill 101 extended the Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors to October 1, 2028. Senate Bill 93, as amended, allowed certain municipalities with populations of 12,000 or more and even-numbered councils to authorize a mayoral tie-breaking vote by council resolution. Senate Bill 115 created a competitive-bidding exemption for certain expenditures of $15,000 or less involving rolling stock, with quote and approval requirements. Senate Bill 131 on county subdivisions was amended and passed. Senate Bill 30, known as “Trey’s Law,” would make certain nondisclosure provisions unenforceable in cases involving sexual abuse victims; the sponsor described it as protecting survivors from being silenced, while Senator Albritton cautioned about the broader effects on settlements and institutions. The Senate also adopted two resolutions: Senate Joint Resolution 19 honoring the life and legacy of Anna Smith Bedsole Holmes, and Senate Joint Resolution 20 commending the Alabama Birth Equity Initiative. The Rules Committee report setting the special order calendar was adopted, and the listed bills were taken up and passed or advanced by unanimous or near-unanimous votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• He said they understood the need for an executive branch entity such as the Office of Child Advocate
• </c><00:22:33.080><c> um</c> talking about contracted entities um talking about contracted entities um
• I'm sure that's not the The Entity I'm sure that's not the intent<00:23:00.799><c> uh</c><00:23:00.919
• </c><00:23:25.919><c> so</c><00:23:26.120><c> I</c> provided you know to this entity so I provided you
• know to this entity so I probably<00:23:26.760><c> more</c><00:23:26.960><c> than</c><00:23:27.120><

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And the second point is that anytime any entity comes to the state and says, “I want special treatment
• <00:37:28.480><c> that</c><00:37:28.880><c> anytime</c><00:37:29.839><c> any</c><00:37:30.240><c> entity
• ><00:37:30.720><c> comes</c><00:37:30.960><c> to</c><00:37:31.119><c> the</c> is that anytime any entity
• comes to the is that anytime any entity comes to the state<00:37:31.520><c> and</c><00:37:31.680><c>
• the chairman does, we have the way the current system works: if a new tariff comes into place, an entity

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee met on April 14 and began by welcoming a new member, Representative Samban Denier, who briefly described his background as a Clarkson University environmental engineering graduate and Air Force veteran. The committee then moved into a work session on five energy-related bills, starting with Senate Bill 65 on stormwater management for solar arrays. Representative McGee presented amendment 1594H, which would exclude projects in shoreland areas from the bill’s permit-by-notification process and require the standard alteration-of-terrain permit review instead. Members asked for clarification, and McGee explained the amendment was requested by the New Hampshire Lakes Association and others to preserve the fuller review process for shoreland projects. The committee appeared satisfied with the explanation and moved on. The committee next discussed Senate Bill 230 on electric utility restructuring and investment in distributed energy resources. Members concluded that section one was unnecessary because a better definition of advanced nuclear resources had already been added to House Bill 710, and that section two would allow investment in advanced nuclear resources in a way they had already rejected in another bill due to ratepayer risk. Several members agreed the bill was redundant and supported an ITL motion. They also discussed Senate Bill 232 on net metering terms and conditions, focusing first on whether hydroelectric generators could be listed in ISO New England while also taking net metering credits. Granite State Hydropower Association representative Heidi Kroll testified that generators are subject to checks and balances, that double-dipping is not occurring, and that rules and tariffs already require participation in one market arrangement or the other. Discussion on Senate Bill 232 then shifted to section two, which would bar retroactive changes to net metering tariffs in place as of January 1, 2025. Representative McGee proposed alternative language to protect existing customer generators, group hosts, and municipal hosts from retroactive changes, while others said the language was needed to provide stability for current participants operating on thin margins. Some members supported the clearer wording; others argued the committee should not tie the hands of the PUC and DOE, noting future circumstances could require regulatory flexibility and that conflicts could be resolved in court if necessary. The committee did not take a final vote in the portion of the meeting provided, and the discussion was still ongoing when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• But I think it's important to note that I think our different state agencies and entities have taken
• So if an entity is seeking to connect to our geothermal system, it depends in part where they're located
• So if an entity is seeking to connect to our geothermal system, it depends in part where they're located
• Our association represents irrigation delivery entities and municipalities in Basin 63 here in the Boise
• It's also our belief that just as irrigation delivery entities have the responsibility to safely and

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several water and energy-related measures. Senate Bill 1337, by Sen. Anthon, would allow landowners in irrigation districts of 15,000 acres or less to serve as directors from a division they own land in if they live in a county adjoining the district, with a two-thirds board vote required; the Idaho Water Users Association supported the change, and the committee sent it to the floor with a due pass recommendation. House Bill 737, presented by Sen. Den Hartog, would merge the Governor’s Office of Energy and Mineral Resources with the Office of Species Conservation to improve coordination and efficiency; Idaho Water Users Association supported it, while Sen. Taylor noted concern about conservation funding, and the bill was advanced on a due pass vote. Senate Bill 1303, by Sen. Woodward, would broaden support for the Office of Energy and Mineral Resources and expand the revenue language from renewable energy to renewable or sustainable energy sources, including discussion of hydro and nuclear; Renewable Northwest testified in support, and the committee moved it forward with a due pass recommendation. House Bill 503, by Sen. Harris, would transfer the Soil and Water Conservation Commission from the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Water Resources, with supporters citing efficiency and alignment with the commission’s mission; it also received a due pass recommendation. House Bill 676, by Sen. Cook, would allow municipal geothermal systems to be treated as a municipal purpose under future water-needs planning, while requiring non-consumptive use and reinjection; Boise officials, water users, and conservation advocates supported it, while a Boise-Warm Springs Water District representative raised concerns about statutory scope and aquifer impacts, and the committee still advanced the bill. Finally, House Joint Memorial 14, also by Sen. Cook, urged development of 750,000 acre-feet of new water storage in Idaho by 2100, using American Falls’ relocation and reservoir history as context for the need for future storage. The Idaho Water Users Association and Idaho Grain Producers Association supported the memorial, and the committee sent it to the floor with a recommendation that it be approved. All measures considered in the transcript were advanced, and the committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• But I think it's important to note that I think our different state agencies and entities have taken
• So if an entity is seeking to connect to our geothermal system, it depends in part where they're located
• Our association represents irrigation delivery entities and municipalities in Basin 63 here in the Boise
• It's also our belief that just as irrigation delivery entities have the responsibility to safely and
• It's also our belief that just as irrigation delivery entities have the responsibility to safely and

Keywords: 989, all