Transcript Highlights:

• These IOTA dollars help Floridians take care of our own Floridians while keeping our economy healthy

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Summary: The Judiciary Committee met with a quorum present and considered several bills. SB 106 on exploitation of vulnerable adults would allow service of process on scammers through the same nontraditional communication methods they use; it passed 8-0. CS/SB 280 on candidate qualification would create an enforceable party-affiliation requirement and a private right of action to disqualify noncompliant candidates; it passed unanimously. CS/SB 948 on flood disclosures was amended to extend disclosure requirements to residential leases, condo developer leases, and mobile homes, with tenant remedies if disclosures are not provided and flooding causes major losses; it passed 8-0. The committee also advanced CS/SB 498 on IOTA interest rates after a lengthy debate over legal aid funding and bank regulation. Supporters argued the bill would restore sustainability and fairness to the program by setting alternative interest-rate benchmarks, while opponents said it would cut funding for civil legal aid and that banks participate voluntarily. After testimony from legal aid leaders and bankers, the bill passed 7-2. SB 774, requiring clerks to electronically transmit certain mental health, substance abuse, and risk protection orders to sheriffs within six hours, was presented in response to a fatal Volusia County incident and passed 11-0. CS/SB 752 on defamation and online publication was amended to require removal from a website rather than the internet, then passed 8-2 after testimony from the media, a private attorney, and supporters who said it would help people harmed by false online reports. The committee also heard SB 832 on former phosphate mining lands, which would create a narrow defense against strict liability claims if notice and gamma radiation survey requirements are met. The bill was amended to clarify notice provisions and received support from industry and technical witnesses describing radiation surveys and reclamation practices. The transcript cuts off before the final vote on SB 832, so no committee action on that bill is shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• And gas production, and that air quality is not healthy. Sure, thank you, Mr. Chair and Ms. Evans.

Committee: House House Energy, Environment & Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• Can you characterize the market in terms of healthy, profitable?
• 24:01.280><c> um</c> characterize the market in terms of um characterize the market in terms of um healthy
• :24:04.960><c> Do</c><00:24:05.120><c> you</c><00:24:05.280><c> have</c><00:24:05.360><c> any</c> healthy
• Do you have any healthy um profitable?

Committee: House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services

Transcript Highlights:

• Is there anything that, you know, the Ag Department or anybody can recommend that we can do?
• Many of them are too close. to retirement age to make that even worth it.
• But Kelly, I just want to say, we've got four kids, our two youngest, right in that same age group, and
• For the guys my age, two quick questions. The TVA analogy is a good one.
• And judge, I think this is your age. represented in the Senate by Senator Campbell and but you have an

Transcript Highlights:

• We bring together women of all ages and abilities to get more women on bikes and to build a community
• Representative Hill: I’ll just quickly say I just can’t believe in this day and age that someone is refusing
• Which this is clearly a healthy House position. Representative Veilleux. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Committee: House Transportation

Summary: House Transportation opened public hearings on three Senate bills and discussed a fourth scheduling issue. On SB 499, which would change Traffic Safety Commission reporting requirements, the sponsor’s representative said the bill would require annual aggregated data on the causes of traffic collisions in New Hampshire and recommendations to address them. Members asked about the added Trauma Medical Review Committee seat, and a representative explained that it is a longstanding state board of emergency and trauma professionals; the bill had already been amended and passed unanimously earlier in the process. On SB 500, concerning restroom access for certain commercial motor vehicle operators, the sponsor and trucking-industry supporters said the measure arose from concerns raised by female truck drivers and was intended to require larger commercial facilities with available public or employee restrooms to allow truck drivers to use them when there are no public safety concerns. Supporters from the New Hampshire Motor Transport Association said driver shortages make it important to recruit and retain women, and that lack of bathroom access is a significant barrier. Committee members asked about the scope of the problem and whether the issue affected male and female drivers differently. The committee then heard SB 559, which would reduce the minimum allowable speed limit on locally controlled roads. Supporters, including bicyclists and the Bike-Walk Alliance, testified that lower speeds improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers, citing personal crash experiences and national guidance supporting lower urban speed limits where warranted by traffic or engineering studies. They emphasized the bill would not mandate lower limits statewide but would give towns local discretion. Members questioned whether the group would support 15 mph limits and how congestion and travel-time concerns were weighed. A Department of Transportation official testified neutrally, saying the agency had no formal position but had concerns about public perception and possible spillover to unnumbered state roads. The chair also noted an earlier scheduling problem that prevented immediate executive action on a bill until later in the day.

Transcript Highlights:

• can spread that over into the herd, maybe they won't be first responders anymore, but they'll be healthy
• Two of those that did retire did so because of age, not because of other job-related stressors.
• Two of those that did retire did so because of age, not because of other job-related stressors.

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Hopefully everyone's healthy, wealthy, and wise.
• struggling with some of the things that are going around the House chamber, but grateful that you're healthy

Bills: HB0075 , HB0128

Committee: House Minerals, Business & Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, we are financially healthy. Okay. Okay.
• You know, we are financially healthy. Okay. Again, as I point out, we had audits every year.

Transcript Highlights:

• upland, and those three ingredients together, already squeezed between 89 and 103, are a remarkably healthy
• upland, and those three ingredients together, already squeezed between 89 and 103, are a remarkably healthy

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• DRA received a $3,160,000 capital appropriation to replace our aging TIMS system, or Tax Information
• </c> appropriation um to replace our aging appropriation um to replace our aging Tims<01:10:24.239><c
• They do have an aging vehicle in there, so we made shifts within.
• We got about $2.3 million, so we're able to renovate four of our aging fire towers.
• </c><04:46:42.958><c> fir</c><04:46:43.280><c> Towers</c> of our fire Towers our aging fir Towers of

Summary: New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority officials, led by Executive Director Rob Dapice, briefed legislators on the agency’s structure and funding. They explained that the authority is created by state law but is not a state agency, its debt is not state debt, and it is governed by a board appointed by the governor and approved by the Executive Council. The discussion focused on the Affordable Housing Fund and the lead paint hazard remediation fund, including how state appropriations and federal resources are combined to finance affordable rental housing and lead abatement work. Dapice said the Affordable Housing Fund is used as gap financing for multifamily affordable housing projects, typically alongside federal tax credits and tax-exempt bonds, and that state dollars leverage roughly 2:1 to 10:1 in additional federal and private investment, averaging about 4:1. He said the fund has received historic appropriations in recent budgets, including $30 million over the last two biennial budgets and an annual $5 million set-aside from the real estate transfer tax. He also said the fund is usually structured as 0% interest, deferred loans rather than grants, with repayments returning to the fund if projects generate cash flow. Members asked about rents, oversight, staffing, revenues, and whether the programs had added positions. Dapice said affordability restrictions generally last 30 to 99 years, rents are tied to income limits and capped so tenants pay no more than 30% of income, and compliance staff inspect properties regularly to verify income eligibility and rent limits. He said the organization has about 130 to 135 employees, down from about 145, with no new positions added because of the appropriations. He estimated total revenues at roughly $300 million, with administrative budget around $22 million, much of it pass-through grant money. On lead paint remediation, he said the state first appropriated $6 million in 2019, plus $1 million in ARPA funds, and that the program has cleared more than 500 units. He said the federal grant program is not annual or predictable, with a recent award of about $7.75 million, and that the maximum federal grant per unit is $177,000, typically paired with up to $100,000 in state loan support. He also noted that the program can address homes before a child is poisoned if lead hazards are identified, but that cases involving an already exposed child are a higher priority. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is contrary to how we Republicans respect the aged and the vulnerable.
• This is contrary to how we Republicans respect the aged and the vulnerable.
• </c><00:18:30.000><c> Deep</c> the aged and the vulnerable. Deep the aged and the vulnerable.
• </c> economies and the rapidly growing aging economies and the rapidly growing aging population<00:19
• was just really quite striking young age was just really quite striking and<00:26:20.000><c> amazing

Transcript Highlights:

• The population’s still aging, so we would expect crime to be decreasing, right?
• as a junior enlisted member; you don't wait for that 20-year retirement that you're going to get at age
• :52:42.000><c> at</c> retirement that you're going to get at retirement that you're going to get at age
• As a veteran population ages, do we need as many veteran service officers?
• One of the reasons we try to keep a healthy park fund is for that reason, right?

Summary: The committee reviewed the Department of Corrections budget, with the chair initially noting that the overall numbers looked close to fiscal year 2024 spending, except for federal funds. Department officials explained that prior ARPA expenditures and delayed revenue recognition had distorted the comparison, and that the corrected general fund spend was about $169.7 million. Members then focused on whether the budget’s staffing assumptions were realistic, especially the shift from overtime to full-time lines and the use of vacant positions to offset overtime costs. The department said it is leaning on vacancy savings, but would return for additional appropriations if unforeseen staffing problems arise. A major portion of the discussion centered on recruitment, retention, and staffing levels. Officials reported a 42% vacancy rate in enforcement ranks, down from 51% in January 2023, with 28 new officers headed to the next academy and 33 new hires already tracked. They said overtime is more expensive than regular staffing because of benefits and that it takes about 11 months for a new hire to break even. Members also asked about the split between incarcerated and supervised populations; the department said it oversees about 1,970 inmates in facilities and just over 4,000 people in the community, with 77 positions supervising the community population and the inmate population remaining the most expensive area. The committee also discussed how sentencing and statutory changes affect incarceration levels, including misdemeanor/felony thresholds and theft thresholds, with the department agreeing that such changes can significantly affect prison and jail populations. Members asked about education and recidivism, and the department said base education is the most important foundation, followed by vocational training, while noting that many incarcerated men lack a high school diploma. The department also described a $1.3 million reduction in contracted forensic evaluation services, explaining that these evaluations are court-ordered competency assessments and are not statutorily required to be provided by DOC. Finally, members reviewed victim services funding and staffing, including VOCA-supported positions, and the department explained that a new victim witness specialist would help support survivors at parole hearings and safety planning.

Transcript Highlights:

• be</c><01:40:15.920><c> in</c><01:40:16.159><c> a</c><01:40:16.400><c> very</c><01:40:16.639><c> healthy
• </c><01:40:17.360><c> financial</c> HHRF to be in a very healthy financial position in terms of its own
• govern the amount of risk those reinsurers can take and the amount of capital they need to be deemed healthy

Summary: The joint committees held an informational briefing on efforts to expand insurance capacity in Hawaii’s property market, especially for condominium and homeowners coverage. The Insurance Commissioner reviewed the background: a legislative task force, the governor’s emergency proclamation in August 2024, and Senate Bill 1044 in May 2025 led to new condo insurance products. He said the work over the past two and a half years was producing positive results and introduced representatives from HPIA and HHRF/HHR to provide updates. HPIA’s board chair and its administrator described the organization’s history, structure, and current products. HPIA said it was created in 1991 as a residual market for homeowners insurance, now writing four residential products: HO2 homeowners, renters, HO6 condo unit owners, and dwelling fire. They reported policy counts have grown again as admitted-market carriers tightened underwriting, and they discussed financial pressure from reinsurance costs, though those costs had declined in 2025 after different purchasing decisions. They also said the market has become more favorable overall, with some capacity returning and deductibles beginning to ease. Members focused much of their questioning on HPIA’s proposed higher dwelling limits. HPIA explained that the current $450,000 limit for homeowners and dwelling fire was set in 2023, but agents are now asking for a higher limit in the $650,000 to $750,000 range because construction costs have risen and many policies are not being submitted when the limit is too low. HPIA said it has the authority to raise the limit through a filing with the Insurance Division and expects more submissions if the cap increases. They also discussed the shift in the book of business from roughly 70% lava-zone coverage to closer to a 50/50 split between lava and non-lava risks. HPIA outlined strategic initiatives: a new policy administration system that went live October 1 and now allows online payments, online claims reporting, and electronic notices; a filed request to raise the homeowners and dwelling fire limit to $650,000 effective March 1 for new business and April 1 for renewals; an increase in the HO6 condo unit owners limit from $5,000 to $100,000; and a planned commercial property all-other-perils-excluding-hurricane condo product targeted for filing by January 31. No votes were taken, and the meeting was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• often early mornings, late evenings, and weekends to ensure that athletes and weekend warriors remain healthy
• It left her paralyzed in one leg, and as she has aged, the challenges of getting older combined with

Transcript Highlights:

• I'll focus on the importance of libraries in support of the health care workforce and in fostering healthy
• statewide library services support education, workforce preparation, and inform decision-making across all ages

Committee: Senate Higher Education

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm state policy director with Health Professionals for Healthy Climate.
• <c> transit,</c><00:37:54.880><c> biking,</c><00:37:55.280><c> and</c> Transit gives people of all ages

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> rulemaking and have a healthy rulemaking and have a healthy debate,<02:31:56.319><c> but</c><02:
• So, while the AG has got an increase of $5.7 million, there's places like the hockey museum that might
• So, while the<04:13:44.399><c> AG</c><04:13:44.880><c> has</c><04:13:45.120><c> got</c><04:13:45.359>
• <c> an</c><04:13:45.680><c> increase</c><04:13:45.920><c> of</c><04:13:46.239><c> $5.7</c> the AG has
• got an increase of $5.7 the AG has got an increase of $5.7 million,<04:13:47.680><c> there's</c><04:

Transcript Highlights:

• I will tell you through the chair that it presumes healthy family relationships, and you have great,

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Summary: The Senate Judiciary Committee heard several bills focused on health care planning, mental health court participation, homeowners association governance, groundwater enforcement, pet-policy disclosure in rentals, and post-disaster property speculation. SB 1088 would update California’s POLST and DNR laws by renaming POLST to Portable Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment, allowing electronic signatures, clarifying who may sign on a patient’s behalf, and making clear that these forms are voluntary; it drew support from the Coalition for Compassionate Care and no opposition. SB 1242 would let original family petitioners participate in CARE Court for care coordination and information-sharing, while preserving judicial discretion to exclude them if harmful; supporters said it would improve treatment coordination, while Disability Rights California opposed it as coercive and a removal of patient consent. The committee advanced SB 1242 on a 7-0 vote, with the bill placed on call. The committee also considered SB 1007, which would require more HOA budget transparency, disclosure of evidence for violations, and a lower cap on regular assessment increases without a homeowner vote. Supporters argued it would improve accountability and protect homeowners from steep fee hikes, while HOA industry groups warned it could undermine funding for insurance, maintenance, and other operating costs. Members raised concerns about the cap and the need for flexibility for large expenses; the bill passed 6-1 and was placed on call. SB 1364, as amended, would prevent a person convicted of sexual assault from obtaining custody or visitation of a child conceived from that assault, while preserving the possibility of voluntary co-parenting and aiming to qualify California for federal grant funding; it passed 8-0 and was placed on call. Later, SB 997 would give the North Fork Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency lien authority to enforce fees and its groundwater sustainability plan, addressing an enforcement gap for a GSA created by special legislation rather than a joint powers agreement. It drew support from agricultural and county groups and passed 9-0, placed on call. SB 1296 would require landlords to disclose pet policies up front on applications, websites, and ads, and allow refund of an application fee if disclosure was not provided before payment; supporters said it would reduce wasted application costs and pet relinquishment, while rental housing groups said the ad disclosure requirements were impractical. The bill passed 8-0 and was placed on call. The final bill, SB 1090, was introduced to prohibit large property owners from making unsolicited purchase offers for five years in wildfire-disaster areas, responding to investor activity after the Eaton and Palisades fires; the author and a SAGE witness described it as a protection against disaster capitalism and predatory low offers to displaced residents.

Transcript Highlights:

• I will tell you through the chair that it presumes healthy family relationships, and you have great,

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• to make the world less stressful for our children, but we still can build their capacity to live healthy

Summary: The hearing opened with several procedural announcements and then took up AB 2148, which would prohibit artificial intelligence from replacing education workers. The author and supporters from the California Federation of Teachers and California School Employees Association argued the bill was a modest first step to protect human educators, students’ social-emotional development, and teacher agency in classroom technology decisions. Public support came from labor and education groups, while some school administrator and county office representatives said they were moving to neutral or awaiting the printed amendments. The committee discussed teacher shortages and the role of AI as a supplement rather than a replacement, then passed AB 2148 as amended to Higher Education on a 5-0 vote. The committee then heard AB 2202, which would create a Closing the Achievement Gap Commission to advise the State Board of Education. The author and sponsors said the commission would improve coordination between state and local education leaders and help the state better support local efforts to close achievement gaps. Support came from CSBA, CFT, charter schools, and many district leaders. Members raised questions about early childhood representation on the commission, and the author said he would discuss that with the sponsor. The bill passed as amended to Appropriations on a 5-0 vote. The consent calendar, including AB 1569, AB 2071, AB 2206, AB 2298, AB 2467, AB 2580, AB 2652, and AB 2726, was also approved. AB 2555 was then heard as a special order bill to reform English learner reclassification. The author said the current system is outdated, inconsistent, and too subjective, and proposed a more automatic, transparent process with stronger parent involvement and post-reclassification monitoring. Testimony in support emphasized personal experiences of delayed reclassification and the need to recognize biliteracy; there was no opposition. The bill passed as amended to Appropriations on a 6-0 vote. The committee also approved AB 1860, which would extend design-build authority to county offices of education while preserving prevailing wage, apprenticeship, and skilled workforce requirements; opposition from county superintendent and facilities groups was removed after amendments, and the bill passed 6-0 to Appropriations. Later, the committee passed AB 2514, which would create a State of Achievement Gap Dashboard to track state-level progress in closing achievement gaps, and AB 2149, which would require the Legislative Analyst’s Office to publicly assess the state’s progress and recommend actions. Both bills were presented as part of a broader package to improve state accountability for student outcomes, and both passed as amended to Appropriations on 7-0 votes. Finally, AB 2490 was heard, proposing to allow longer-term substitute assignments with added training, mentorship, and parent notification to address teacher shortages and classroom instability. Supporters said it would reduce “subchurn” and help maintain continuity, especially in special education; opponents, including CTA, Public Advocates, and CTC staff, argued the bill was unnecessary given existing rulemaking and could create legal and training concerns. The transcript cuts off during committee discussion of AB 2490, so no final vote is shown for that bill.