Transcript Highlights:

• You suggested that organized labor promotes unrest. You talked about labor peace.
• You suggested that organized labor promotes unrest. You talked about labor peace.
• </c> labor particularly when you have Labor labor particularly when you have Labor scarcity<00:25:40.200
• </c> from laborers the wages of the laborers from laborers the wages of the laborers who<00:50:10.079
• Whether it promoted labor peace or not, uh, it would promote labor freedom. Okay, thank you, Mr.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Curtin address some of the more labor issues.
• Does the bill include any other labor protections beyond the $28 floor?
• When in today's practices do the labor, the skills of those who are skilled and trained actually bid
• trades, the skilled workforce and these skilled professions that deserve those wages, that can't be
• trains, the skilled workforce and these skilled professions that deserve those wages, that can't be

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Where our issues come in is where the mandates come in on labor for us.
• For some crafts, the minimum skilled-and-trained percentage on a job site is 60%.
• poll and the opposition saying that it would preclude those not using skilled and trade.
• Skilled and trained, as we all know, is in California law, specifically skilled and trained as we all
• workforce through project labor agreements.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Bills: HB1853, HB1591, HB1961, HB1854, HB1965, HB1962, HB1959, HB2505, HB2576, HB1801, HB1804, HB1864, HB2319, HB2314, HB2115

Keywords: HB1853, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, cognitive impairment, memory care, memory clinic, Hanai Memory Network, Executive Office on Aging, aging services, kupuna, caregiver support, long-term care, elder care, geriatrics, public health, dementia screening, care coordination, referral network, neighbor islands, rural health

Summary: The committee heard testimony on SB 2047, relating to pharmacy benefit managers. The Insurance Division said the bill would require new enforcement resources and estimated an appropriation of about $1.5 million and five positions. Kaiser Permanente asked for an amendment to exclude HMOs from the definition of third-party PBMs, saying the bill should not interfere with integrated care models. PCMA and the Hawaii Pharmacist Association supported narrowing amendments, with pharmacists objecting to section 3 and warning the bill as amended could create major operational burdens and a significant general fund cost. No vote was taken in the portion provided, and the chair moved on to the next measure after questions. The committee then took up SB 2080, which would allow Hawaii to join the psychology interjurisdictional compact. Supporters, including DCR, the Hawaii Association of Health Plans, the Hawaii State Association of Counties, the Grassroot Institute, and others, said the compact would expand access to psychology services, especially for people in rural areas or those needing continuity of care while traveling. Opponents, including the Board of Psychology and a Shamanad University psychology professor, raised concerns about client safety, crisis-response procedures, enforcement costs, FBI background checks, and possible loss of state control over training and specialization standards. The board said Hawaii’s current 1,900-hour internship/postdoc requirement is higher than the compact’s standard and that the state is still implementing a separate provisional licensing law that may address some access issues. The discussion focused on whether the compact would meaningfully reduce shortages and whether Hawaii should instead pursue changes within its existing licensing system. Finally, the committee heard SB 2277 on hospital price transparency. The Office of Consumer Protection initially noted the bill could require significant staffing, but later testimony from SHIP suggested the measure could be handled more simply by working with the Healthcare Association of Hawaii and publicly posting violations. The Healthcare Association of Hawaii opposed the bill, arguing hospitals already must comply with federal CMS transparency rules and that adding state requirements would increase costs and legal exposure, especially if violations were treated as unfair or deceptive trade practices. Steve Fenberg testified in support, saying the bill would simply codify existing federal requirements in state law and that he was open to amendments removing state enforcement and the unfair trade practice language. No final action was taken in the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• And finally, I want to thank our labor and utility partners for all of the time and expertise they gave
• </c> And finally, I want to thank our labor And finally, I want to thank our labor and<00:02:32.040><
• As you know, we represent 14,000 construction laborers across Minnesota and North Dakota.
• And so, looking at laborers and operating engineers, plumbers and pipe fitters, sheet metal workers,
• 56.880><c> operating</c> looking at laborers and operating looking at laborers and operating engineers

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, I'm on the labor and pieces.
• It's a a was um around a youth skills.
• </c><00:10:29.839><c> And</c><00:10:30.399><c> um</c> Department of Labor and Industry.
• And um Department of Labor and Industry.
• ,</c><00:10:47.519><c> they're</c> but right now under you skills, they're but right now under you skills

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• committee for labor compliance.
• I've also been in the trades for 13 years and have a passion for the labor movement.
• I've also been in the trades for 13 years and have a passion for the labor movement.
• I've also been in the trades for 13 years and have a passion for the labor movement.
• Elmer Lozarty, on behalf of the California Federation of Labor Unions, in support.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So we'll kick this off, I believe, with the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency.
• So we will keep this off, I believe, with the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency.
• I'm Abby Snam, the Deputy Secretary for Workforce Strategy at the Labor and Labor.
• The Labor and Workforce Development Agency has focused Just.
• Some of them are labor-negotiated, right? Calendars are.

Summary: The committee heard an update on the administration’s Career Education Master Plan and the new California Education Interagency Council. Administration and agency staff described efforts to better connect K-12, higher education, workforce, and data systems, including the California Cradle to Career Data System, e-Transcript California, and a proposed career passport. They emphasized regional coordination with workforce boards and community colleges, and said the new council’s immediate tasks are to hold its first meeting by the end of June, enter into a data-sharing MOU, and complete a strategic plan by the end of November. Members asked about the council’s authority, reporting requirements, and how it would relate to the broader Master Plan for Higher Education; staff said the council will make recommendations but does not have implementation authority. The committee then took up the Governor’s proposed $100 million one-time expansion of dual enrollment grants and related changes to instructional minute requirements. Finance and the Department of Education said the proposal would support middle college, early college, and CCAP programs, add technical assistance, prioritize high-need LEAs, and reduce the minimum instructional day for certain dual enrollment students from 240 to 180 minutes to ease scheduling barriers. The Chancellor’s Office strongly supported the investment, citing access, acceleration, and equity benefits, while the LAO recommended rejecting the funding, arguing the state already provides ongoing support and that the proposal does not address major barriers. Members raised questions about adult learners, A-G alignment, reporting on outcomes and expenditures, rural access, transportation, staffing, and whether the funding would create lasting program capacity. The item was left open after discussion. The committee also considered trailer bill language to align the definition of long-term English learners across data systems. Finance and CDE said the change would simplify identification by defining LTELs as students who have not attained English proficiency within seven years and RTELs as students not proficient within six years, matching the dashboard and research-based timelines. CDE said the current mismatch between dashboard and assessment definitions creates confusion and delays, while some members and advocates worried the change could reduce earlier intervention or should be handled through policy committees rather than the budget process. The committee voted to reject the proposal and refer it to policy, though the administration said it still supports the budget language. Finally, the committee heard a proposal to extend the Supporting Inclusive Practices project by one year, through June 30, 2027. CDE said the project is promising but raised concerns about the contract structure and fiscal management, while Marysville Joint Unified School District testified that SIP had helped expand inclusive preschool and district-wide practices and reduce reliance on more restrictive placements. Members questioned why funds had not been fully encumbered and whether the remaining money should be redirected to areas with greater implementation need. The item was discussed but no final action was described in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we'll kick this off, I believe, with the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency.
• The skills required in the workforce will continue to change, and so we are creating structures to be
• The skills required in the workforce will continue to change, and so we are creating structures.
• The Labor and Workforce Development Agency has focused Just.
• Some of them are labor-negotiated, right?

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There are areas including economic development, housing, labor, workforce development, and technology
• And we're going to start off with Labor and Workforce Development.
• We want to make sure that individuals coming into the labor market are able to access skills that they
• But we also know that challenges that job seekers experience are beyond the skills training.
• We've spent a lot of work on that initiative through our Department of Labor Standards.

Summary: The hearing in Barnstable opened with remarks from the House and Senate co-chairs about the importance of holding Ways and Means budget hearings on the Cape, especially given the region’s seasonal economy and infrastructure needs. The committee then heard testimony from Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Lauren Jones on the governor’s FY27 budget proposal. She highlighted funding for workforce programs including the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund, Career Technical Initiative, registered apprenticeship, YouthWorks, reentry workforce programs, and services for young adults with disabilities. She also discussed MassHire career centers, the MassHire Innovation Project, and the Department of Unemployment Assistance modernization effort, noting improved call wait times and claims processing, but acknowledging continued challenges and federal funding uncertainty. Members asked about job-seeker barriers such as child care, housing, and transportation; domestic outmigration of young workers; youth work permits; unemployment insurance costs and the COVID assessment on employers; and the state’s unemployment rate and UI trust fund solvency. Jones and Undersecretary Josh Cutler explained the difference between workforce training funds and the unemployment trust fund, described the statewide trigger that extends unemployment benefits from 26 to 30 weeks when regional unemployment averages 5.2 percent, and said the administration is reviewing the trust fund with labor and business stakeholders. They also said the administration is trying to preserve front-line DUA staffing while shifting resources to customer service and adjudication, including a Friday adjudication pilot and seasonal hires. Senators and representatives also pressed the administration on regional equity in workforce funding, especially for Hampshire Franklin MassHire, which was described as serving a large rural area with fewer resources than other regions. Administration officials said they are reviewing MassHire funding formulas and modernizing the system with a policy committee and state workforce board input, but did not offer an immediate fix. The committee also heard that early childhood education apprenticeships are expanding quickly, with state funding leveraged to secure federal grants and support new Grow Awards. The hearing then moved to the Executive Office of Economic Development, where Secretary Eric Paley outlined House 2 proposals for economic development, including support for the Community One Stop for Growth, rural economic development, workforce partnerships, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, AI, small business assistance, tourism, and tax incentives. Undersecretary Leila D’Amilia followed with testimony on consumer affairs and business regulation, describing funding for consumer protection, banking oversight, occupational licensure, and public safety inspections.

Transcript Highlights:

• They have skills that a PA simply does not have. Um, now a PA could learn skills for sure.
• </c><00:23:17.520><c> they</c> labor and delivery nurses before. they labor and delivery nurses before
• Um, now a PA could learn skills have. Um, now a PA could learn skills for<00:23:23.039><c> sure.
• </c><00:23:32.000><c> And</c><00:23:32.159><c> a</c> because they have those skills.
• And a because they have those skills.

Bills: HB31, HB31

Keywords: absentee voting, disabled, blind, voter assistance, voting rights, SNAP, public assistance, nutritional standards, waiver, food regulation, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> proposes new funding to the labor proposes new funding to the labor standards<00:33:10.600><c> division
• </c><00:54:10.720><c> standards</c> people staff within our labor standards people staff within our labor
• </c> volunteers teaching our life skills volunteers teaching our life skills that's<01:36:05.719><c>
• </c><01:36:18.239><c> in</c> help supplement with the life skills in help supplement with the life skills
• </c><01:36:46.560><c> training</c> literacy trade skills training literacy trade skills training employment

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, this is a special skill and it is skilled labor just like many other types of skilled labor. me,
• and it is So, this is a special skill and it is skilled<03:08:51.600><c> labor</c><03:08:52.479><c>
• labor just like many other types skilled labor just like many other types of<03:08:54.080><c> skilled
• labor.
• Earlier this week, we of skilled labor.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Has the Department of Labor reviewed this legislation? Senator Bracey Davis.
• That doesn't mean they're in the same area or that they match the skill sets of people.
• Yet she finds it hard to get another job through her skill level.
• But please help us help you, because we do have a skill level on all of our trades.
• It's hard to grow that skilled workforce or keep that skilled workforce here in Florida.

Summary: The Commerce and Tourism Committee first heard SB 410, which would add current and former licensed private investigators, and their spouses and children, to the list of people whose home address, phone number, date of birth, photographs, and related family information are exempt from public records disclosure. Sponsor Senator Trunow said the exemption is meant to protect investigators who work on sensitive matters such as fraud, missing persons, human trafficking, and abuse cases and may face retaliation. After a technical amendment was adopted, the committee heard testimony from a private investigator describing threats and safety concerns, then voted to report the bill favorably as CS/SB 410. The committee then took up SB 216 on reemployment assistance eligibility verification. Senator McClain said the bill is intended to combat unemployment fraud by requiring claimants to contact five prospective employers per week, appear for scheduled interviews, and undergo regular identity, immigration, employment, and incarceration checks, with fraud information shared among agencies and published annually. Opponents, including labor advocates and representatives of construction and rural workers, argued the bill would add barriers for legitimate claimants, worsen Florida’s already low recipiency rate, and create problems for seasonal, rural, and transportation-limited workers. Supporters said the system needs stronger fraud controls and that employers and taxpayers bear real costs from noncompliance. The committee reported SB 216 favorably after debate. In routine open-government sunset review business, the committee approved two committee bills. SPB 7014 extends for five years a public records exemption tied to Department of Legal Affairs investigations of a social media standards law, with staff noting the exemption has not been used because of ongoing constitutional litigation. SPB 7016 preserves a public records exemption for certain financial information held by an economic development agency when administering state or federally funded small business loan programs; supporters said the exemption protects applicants from fraud and harassment, while Senator Smith said he would vote no to remain consistent with his prior opposition. Both measures were submitted as committee bills and reported favorably, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're making excellent progress on the new skilled nursing facility at our Yountville home.
• The overview will move to agenda item five, which relates to the Yountville skilled nursing facility
• [Speaker continues] Skilled nursing facility at the Veterans Home.
• This is a 240-bed skilled nursing facility, all one building, that...
• Patient hour per day, or the HPPD, that we're required to maintain within skilled nursing and RCFE.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We need to look at the skills that they have because their skills might not fit what the needs are in
• And the Department of Labor interviews, is that any of...
• Department of Labor interviews, is that any of their training programs?
• The skills for one or two of those opportunities is what looks like it's missing.
• The complaints were so great in this Labor Department compared to anywhere else.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> um there was less movement in the labor um there was less movement in the labor market<00:17:53.360
• <01:05:03.039><c> and</c> skills and skills and self-confidence<01:05:04.960><c> I</c><01:05:05.160><
• I did work-study and was given hands-on office skill training.
• ><c> as</c> computer skills truck driving skills as computer skills truck driving skills as well<01:35
• </c> well as leadership stewardship skills well as leadership stewardship skills during<01:35:59.920>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• will set the stage for the January budget proposal on career education with a presentation from our Labor
• Employers will be more easily able to hire skilled workers within their regions, and students will be
• However, they need more than that; they need a skilled person to be able to do the job.
• They will do that in concert with the Labor and Workforce Development Agency Secretary.
• I'm Abby Stamm, a Deputy Secretary of the Labor Agency for Workforce Strategy.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So it was my understanding the purpose of this grant, this program, is to develop a skilled labor force
• </c><00:32:57.960><c> are</c> so that because the needs for labor are so that because the needs for labor
• </c> skilled labor force in in this sector. skilled labor force in in this sector.
• </c><00:37:14.800><c> But</c><00:37:15.040><c> it</c> the incentive for new labor.
• But it the incentive for new labor.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We must be highly qualified with a college degree or skills testing by our districts.
• I teach essential skills like reading, math, and social skills.
• I teach essential skills like reading, math, and social skills.
• I teach essential skills like reading, math, and social skills.
• </c> Echoes those concerns around the labor Echoes those concerns around the labor protection<01:15:06.000

Bills: HF6, HF52, HF53

Keywords: education, literacy, science of reading, school performance, funding flexibility, innovation zones, equity and inclusion, HF52, New Germany, wastewater treatment, wastewater facility, sewer infrastructure, capital investment, bonding bill, state bonds, Public Facilities Authority, municipal infrastructure, water quality, sanitation, sewage treatment