Transcript Highlights:

• The answer to that is we've always been able to recruit students at any age.
• No, and in fact, it's not just that age.
• That's why I mean, yeah, exactly, no matter what grade, exactly what age.
• My husband sees this as a teacher, and I see it as a mother of school-aged children.
• And if you said years of age, yeah, that's amazing.

Bills: HB322 , HB126 , HB3062 , HB1481 , HB2310 , HB2674 , HB121 , HB2243 , HB3627 , HB1178 , HB367 , HB5515 , HB126 , HB121

Committees: Senate Education , Senate Education K-16

Keywords: JET Grant Program, career education, technical education, community colleges, technology solutions, high demand jobs, student athletes, name image likeness, compensation, intercollegiate athletics, representation, fentanyl prevention, drug poisoning awareness, higher education, mental health resources, substance abuse education, student policy, communication devices, school regulations, disciplinary measures

Transcript Highlights:

• She's the ag teacher out of Pilot Grove.
• She's the ag teacher out of Pilot Grove.
• 21—to pick up at age 21.
• If you live in Columbia and you're close to Goodwill, you can use their facility.
• I got him at the age of two, and he's now 19.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Currently, surviving spouses lose their benefit if they remarry before age 55.
• The Love Lives On Act would allow surviving spouses to remarry at any age.
• The Love Lives On Act would allow surviving spouses to remarry at any age.
• The Love Lives On Act would allow surviving spouses to remarry at any age.
• </c> be equipped with proper facilities. be equipped with proper facilities.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, July 16, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• adults<00:05:02.000><c> um</c><00:05:02.160><c> between</c><00:05:02.400><c> the</c><00:05:02.560><c> ages
• </c> adults um between the ages of 19 and 64. adults um between the ages of 19 and 64.
• </c><00:46:50.640><c> technology</c><00:46:51.280><c> system</c> for an aging technology system for an
• aging technology system workarounds<00:46:52.800><c> equal</c><00:46:53.920><c> um</c><00:46:54.319>
• Um, and so it's foster care, at age 18, and it goes down, um, parent guardians of caretakers, veterans

Bills: HF3439 , HF3763

Committee: House Health Finance and Policy

Keywords: Medical Assistance, Medicaid, MNsure, MinnesotaCare, disability determination, expedited eligibility, state medical review team, compassionate allowance, rare disease, home and community-based services, long-term care, managed care, county-based purchasing, eligibility redetermination, periodic data matching, death master file, Social Security Administration, program integrity, income eligibility, asset test

Transcript Highlights:

• 18 to age 14.
• So roughly 2.7 million adults age 18 to 64 receive CalFresh.
• category of ages 3 through 17, 18% are from ages 18 to 22, and 38% are from ages 23 to 54, with 2% in
• I mean, my age, right? Thank you. Anyway, thank you for listening.
• I have an age of 18 years with autism, disability, intellectual.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Human Services heard testimony on Department of Developmental Services (DDS) and related budget and trailer bill proposals, with a major focus on the impacts of H.R. 1 on people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). DDS and the Department of Social Services (DSS) said H.R. 1 could affect Medi-Cal and CalFresh access, but that people with disabilities and caregivers are exempt from the work requirements; the administration is working on data matching and automation through the statewide eligibility system to identify exemptions, with June 1, 2026 as the implementation date for CalFresh changes. Witnesses and advocates warned that any loss of Medi-Cal could create fiscal pressure on regional centers and households, while public commenters described the real-life consequences of losing services. Committee members repeatedly expressed concern about cost shifts to counties and asked for harm-mitigation strategies before the May Revision. The committee also reviewed the governor’s IHSS-related proposals. DSS said the budget would set a baseline for authorized hours, align IHSS disenrollment/reinstatement with Medi-Cal eligibility processes, and eliminate the IHSS backup provider system, while emphasizing that individual service hours would still be based on assessed need. DDS said if a person loses IHSS or Medi-Cal, regional centers may have to step in as payer of last resort for some services, potentially at higher state cost. Members and the Legislative Analyst’s Office questioned whether counties could absorb the proposed shifts without reducing services, and asked for more detail on implementation, data quality controls, and how regional centers could help families navigate disruptions. A separate trailer bill on DDS rate reform and the Quality Incentive Program drew mixed reactions. DDS proposed extending a contract exemption and delaying final rate reform regulations to 2030, saying the changes are budget-neutral and needed for implementation. DDS reported that about 81% of providers had completed the current Quality Incentive Program requirements, but providers and advocates argued the 90-10 structure can function like a penalty and may destabilize services if providers lose 10% of funding. Committee members asked for clearer assistance to providers, possible flexibility for good-faith efforts, and a redlined version of the language before the May Revision. The committee also heard DDS’s proposed trailer bill on regional center governance and provider capacity. DDS said the language would consolidate regional center contracts and performance measures, strengthen board training and oversight, require consumer advisory committees, expand independent legal support, raise the threshold for board approval of contracts, and remove barriers such as physical-office requirements and duplicate vendorization. DDS said the goal is to improve accountability and efficiency while preserving person-centered services, and members indicated they wanted further refinement and stakeholder input before moving forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• and so as the needs um on our facilities and so as as<00:03:29.560><c> you</c><00:03:29.799><c> brought
• We'll continue to work together with them and with Facilities Development Branch.
• </c><00:59:41.839><c> development</c> them and um with facilities development them and um with facilities
• Do you guys have positions for extra positions for facilities, or is it just Deputy Superintendent?
• 10 minutes so that it can set up, and then she's the AG is going to present her budgets.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• One to look at an age at which students are provided developmental delay services.
• > to</c><00:48:08.160><c> look</c><00:48:08.240><c> at</c><00:48:08.400><c> an</c><00:48:08.560><c> age
• 00:48:08.880><c> which</c><00:48:09.119><c> students</c><00:48:09.520><c> are</c> One to look at an age
• which students are One to look at an age which students are provided<00:48:10.240><c> developmental<
• just want to call out as we go in a little bit further is the importance of bringing the long-term facilities

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The demographic reality of Minnesota's baby boomers aging out of the workforce and the assumed limits
• out</c><00:16:02.920><c> of</c><00:16:03.079><c> the</c><00:16:03.199><c> workforce</c> Baby Boomers aging
• out of the workforce Baby Boomers aging out of the workforce and<00:16:04.319><c> the</c><00:16:04.480
• that were determined to be facilities that were determined to be that's<01:10:10.400><c> s</c><01:10
• because they have you know 16 facilities because they have you know 16 or<01:10:28.880><c> more</c><

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:26:26.840><c> ratios</c><00:26:27.840><c> Ure</c><00:26:28.480><c> ing</c><00:26:28.720><c> facilities
• </c> capacity and ratios Ure ing facilities capacity and ratios Ure ing facilities have<00:26:29.840>
• </c><00:29:58.559><c> with</c><00:29:58.720><c> the</c> doors to access the facility with the doors to
• access the facility with the reporter<00:30:00.679><c> Madam</c><00:30:00.960><c> chair</c><00:30:01.840
• study is conducted. ...cases, then we need explicit authorizing language in our statutes to allow our AG

Committee: House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We have the H-POWER waste-to-energy facility, and we have the Waimanalo Gulch landfill for disposal.
• We have the H-POWER waste-to-energy facility, and we have the Waimanalo Gulch landfill for disposal.
• The function of that facility is to reduce the volume of municipal solid waste that goes to the landfill
• Going back to the no-pass zone, Ernie, you said here that the proposed waste disposal facility in the
• This is made from a facility in Pennsylvania that we're building the same, you know, facility like it

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The informational briefing focused on the City and County of Honolulu’s effort to site a replacement landfill for Oahu before Waimanalo Gulch landfill closes in 2028. Department of Environmental Services officials outlined the solid waste system, including curbside collection, convenience centers, transfer stations, H-POWER, and the existing landfill, and explained that H-POWER reduces the volume of waste going to the landfill by about 90%. They reviewed the siting history, including the 2019 Land Use Commission deadline, the 2020 enactment of Act 73 with landfill setback and conservation-district restrictions, and the 2021-2022 landfill advisory committee that evaluated six sites but recommended none because they were within the Board of Water Supply’s no-pass zone. The city said it ultimately selected a site in central Oahu, on agricultural land near Wahiawa and the Dole Plantation, as the best legally permissible option and described it as requiring about 150 acres, with 90 acres for the landfill itself. City officials also described the proposed landfill design and safeguards, emphasizing a modern sanitary landfill with double liners, leachate collection, groundwater monitoring wells, and post-closure monitoring. They said the ash from H-POWER is dry and that leachate would be pumped to a wastewater treatment plant. They stated the site is away from residences and groundwater wells, accessible by highway, and can be permitted under state and federal rules, though they acknowledged that a full environmental review, public hearings, and multiple permits would still be required. When asked whether the new landfill could be operating before the 2028 closure date, the city said it did not yet know and that an extension of Waimanalo Gulch might be needed if the new site is not ready in time. The Board of Water Supply strongly opposed the city’s decision to site a landfill above Oahu’s freshwater resources. Its representative said the agency’s mission is to protect safe, dependable water for the future and that it had disapproved all six previously proposed sites because they were located over freshwater aquifers. In response to questions from legislators, the Board said it could not guarantee the liner system would remain impermeable forever and warned that leachate can contain hazardous chemicals, including so-called forever chemicals. The Board characterized the proposal as a long-term risk to the island’s drinking water supply and compared the decision to past infrastructure choices that later proved problematic. No votes or formal actions were taken during the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• , mental health facility, or services.
• And many more people have reported instances of being offered drugs in the facilities.
• , just to get them into a treatment facility, right?
• They're hired by the facilities.
• They then recruit others to come back to that same facility.

Bills: HB343 , HB378 , HB394 , HB396 , HB426 , HB439 , HB491 , HB523 , HB622 , HB676 , HB772 , HB1025 , HB1038

Committee: House Administration of Criminal Justice

Keywords: parole eligibility, juvenile offenders, rehabilitation, first-time offenders, reentry programs, substance abuse treatment, education programs, emergency responders, law enforcement, obstructing traffic, public safety, penalties, parole, criminal justice, release extension, prison reform, autopsy, criminal evidence, photographs, court proceedings

Transcript Highlights:

• Shoreline Master Program update, because of course these things all relate to each other, capital facilities
• other school districts in the state where the population is really flat and all of their capital facility
• So cities and counties can use this data to help inform the public facilities needed to facilitate growth
• a county or city is updating its comprehensive plan, it incorporates the school district capital facility
• a county or city is updating its comprehensive plan, it incorporates the school district capital facility

Summary: The committee heard a series of presentations on comprehensive plan updates, permitting reform, special purpose district coordination, and subdivision reform. Pierce County and the City of Redmond described their recent comprehensive plan updates, emphasizing housing production, transit-oriented development, middle housing, preservation of affordable housing, and the need for technical assistance and clearer state guidance. Both jurisdictions said the planning process took years and was complicated by overlapping state requirements, changing legislative mandates, and multiple review authorities. Redmond in particular said mid-course legislative changes forced supplemental environmental review and added significant cost and delay, and both local governments asked for more stability, clearer statutes, and better-aligned timelines. Presenters from the architecture, building official, and development sectors focused on permitting delays and proposed ways to speed housing delivery. Dave Boucher of AIA Washington argued for a provisional construction permit process for projects stamped by licensed professionals, along with mandatory deadlines and fewer stalled review cycles. Tim Woodard of WABO described existing tools such as pre-application meetings and phased approvals, noting they can improve certainty but also require staff time and careful coordination. Representatives from Master Builders and D.R. Horton said permit and subdivision delays add substantial cost to housing, citing studies showing months of delay and tens of thousands of dollars added per home, and urged administrative approvals, concurrent review, self-certification, and limits on repeated review cycles. The committee also reviewed a Commerce-led task force report on integrating special purpose districts into Growth Management Act planning. The task force recommended early invitation and notice to water, sewer, school, port, and other service providers during countywide planning policy and comprehensive plan updates, better coordination on grants and capital projects, updated water system coordination plans, and improved school siting and funding alignment in fast-growing areas. Speakers stressed that the recommendations were intended to be light-touch and focused on better communication rather than major statutory overhaul, while also noting that rural and slow-growing areas should not be burdened with the same requirements as rapidly growing jurisdictions. On subdivision reform, FutureWise and the City of Spokane discussed making more subdivision decisions administrative, preserving vesting, clarifying exemptions, and reducing unnecessary notice and appeal steps. Spokane described local reforms such as smaller minimum lot sizes, unit lot subdivisions, and reduced-process “minor engineering review” for simple plats, while raising concerns about new notice requirements and appeals to city councils for technical plat decisions. Across the hearing, members repeatedly returned to the theme that local governments, builders, and state agencies need clearer, more coordinated rules to reduce delay and uncertainty while still protecting safety and planning goals.

Transcript Highlights:

• many working age Kuckians simply don't<00:20:32.080><c> have</c><00:20:32.240><c> a</c><00:20:32.400
• For adults, it's usually somewhere over the age of 21.
• It's when they've aged out of being able to go back to their school district and finish high school.
• For adults, it's usually somewhere over the age of 21.
• There are online GED programs, facility.

Committee: House Primary and Secondary Education

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This gets us through a year ...till next session, and the parties, both the AG, trial lawyers, and the
• and so those covenants would disallow, if a store is going out of business or if there's adjacent facilities
• Washington retailers, and we agreed to do so, in particular because we understood that the Washington AG

Committee: Senate Business, Trade & Economic Development

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Across Oklahoma, scouts my age and younger are helping stock food pantries, clean up parks, honor veterans
• the Air National Guard or the Army National Guard, you can't draw your pension until 59.5 years of age
• constituent issue and it would make Oklahoma veterans who are 100% disabled due to negligent care at a VA facility

Summary: The House convened, completed the roll call, prayer, and Pledge of Allegiance, and then seated Dylan Travis as the new member from House District 35 after adopting the certification motion. The chamber also received several recognitions and presentations, including the Sand Springs Charles Page Sandites for winning the Class 6A football state championship, the Mustang Lady Broncos cheer team for their 2025 state title, and visiting scouting groups for Scout Day at the Capitol. House Resolution 1033, declaring February 18, 2026, Scout Day at the Oklahoma Capitol, was adopted without objection. Members then considered and advanced several bills, mostly on veterans, military, public administration, mental health, children, and agency transparency. House Bill 3043 would let the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs hire seasonal employees during peak periods; House Bill 3078 created a voluntary donation option for ODVA through license, registration, hunting/fishing, and tax forms; House Bill 3940 made extensive changes to National Guard law, including retention funding language, benefits, discipline, and related administrative provisions; House Bill 3257 expanded state disabled-veteran benefits for certain veterans harmed by negligent VA care; House Bill 3281 required agencies to publish guidance documents and note they do not have the force of law; House Bill 417 adopted a federal definition of family resource centers while adding faith-based organizations and workforce development; House Bill 4275 allowed case managers and peer support specialists to work for cities and counties without losing certification; and House Bill 4298 allowed DHS child-care rule changes to be communicated by mail or electronically. Most measures passed with little or no debate, and several were adopted by unanimous or near-unanimous votes. Recorded votes included 97-0 for HB 3043 and HB 3078, 90-5 for HB 3940, 96-0 for HB 3257 and HB 3281, 94-0 for HB 417, 91-5 for HB 4275, and 95-0 for HB 4298. The House adjourned until Thursday, February 19, 2026, at 9:30 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• But if they give their address or age, their citizenship status, or resident, But if they give their
• address or age, their citizenship status, or residency, they fill out all the criteria that's necessary
• Representative West, I have a sober living facility and every one of them I've spent time in incarceration

Bills: HB2938 , HB2939 , HB3306 , HB3722 , HB4113 , HB4123

Committee: House Elections and Ethics

Keywords: elections, national elections, state elections, voter intent, election reform, absentee voting, electronic communication, facsimile device, voting materials, military voters, campaign finance, ethics, political contributions, candidate committee, Oklahoma legislation, voter registration, political party affiliation, Independent designation, Oklahoma, voter eligibility

Summary: The Ethics and Elections Committee heard several election-related bills. HB 2938, as amended by PCS, would restrict certain overseas voters who are not military or dependents from voting in Oklahoma state and local elections unless they were bona fide residents with an intent to return, while still preserving federal voting rights where applicable. The Secretary of the State Election Board explained the measure as a tightening of existing law and said counties would flag affected voters for federal-only absentee ballots. After questions about how intent would be determined and how ballots would be administered, the committee passed the bill 5-1. HB 2939 would remove outdated references to fax machines from election law at the request of the State Election Board. Testimony noted fax returns are now rare, limited to a very small number of military and overseas voters, and are less secure than current electronic and mail options. The committee passed the bill 6-0. HB 3306, as amended, lowers the threshold for requiring a candidate committee filing from $1,000 to $400, with the author describing it as a transparency measure to ensure more candidates disclose fundraising and spending. The committee passed that bill 6-0. The committee also passed HB 3722, with a PCS clarifying that voter registration applicants must actively choose a party affiliation rather than being defaulted to unaffiliated if they leave the field blank. The bill passed 5-1. HB 413, with an amendment, clarified that people with felony convictions regain voting rights once all incarceration, parole, supervision, probation, and related obligations, including fines and fees, are completed; the committee passed it 6-0. Finally, HB 4123, which would bar former school employees terminated for cause from running for school board in the same district, drew concerns about fairness and the breadth of “for cause.” The author said the bill was aimed at serious misconduct cases and agreed to work on clarifying language, and the bill was laid over until the next week.

Transcript Highlights:

• As Senator Cole noted, things such as insurance, retirement benefits, retired employees, facilities,
• I believe it's important to note that it really starts at home in the very early ages.
• mechanical, and if there’s an area of the Coastal Bend that can have that focus, it’s, you know, an ag

Committee: Senate Education K-16

Summary: The Senate Committee on K-16 met with 14 bills on the agenda and announced it would recess around 9:45 to attend the floor session, then resume afterward. The committee first took up Senate Bill 2361, which would transfer governance of the University of Houston-Victoria from the University of Houston System to the Texas A&M University System and rename it Texas A&M University-Victoria. Senator Cole explained that the committee substitute added transition language for employee health benefits and ERS contributions. Supporters, including Texas A&M System officials, Victoria’s mayor, regional economic development leaders, a Formosa Plastics representative, a Victoria College trustee, and a local business owner, said the move would better align the university with regional industry needs, especially engineering, agriculture, and workforce development, while helping retain local students and support economic growth. A Texas A&M official also noted accreditation, data-system, and other transition challenges, but said the change was manageable. Because there was no quorum, the committee could not adopt the substitute, and SB 2361 was left pending subject to the call of the chair after public testimony closed. The committee then heard Senate Bill 530 from Senator Sparks, which would update Texas higher education law to match federal rules allowing institutions to use any nationally recognized accreditor rather than only a regional accreditor. Sparks said the bill was a cleanup measure responding to a 2019 federal rule change and prior concerns had been addressed over the interim. Testimony in support came from a Texas Public Policy Foundation fellow, who said the bill would give universities flexibility, preserve quality standards, and simplify credit transfer and costs for students. With no opposition and no questions, public testimony closed and SB 530 was left pending. The committee then recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our military children embody service, pride, and commitment at a young age.
• These Explorers are aged 14 to 21.
• OUR MILITARY CHILDREN EMBODY SERVICE, PRIDE AND COMMITMENT AT A YOUNG AGE.
• THESE EXPLORERS ARE AGED 14-21.
• Electricity is currently generated by fossil fuel-burning facilities.

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several guest introductions, including students from Brooklyn and St. John’s University, followed by adoption of the resolution calendar with exceptions for two items. The chamber then took up a series of previously adopted resolutions recognizing Black Maternal Health Week, Workplace Violence Prevention Month, the one-year anniversary of the Jet Set nightclub tragedy in the Dominican Republic, New York Constitution Day, and the Month of the Military Child. Senators speaking on the maternal health resolution emphasized racial disparities in maternal mortality and the need for culturally competent care; the workplace violence resolution highlighted hospital safety programs; the Jet Set resolution was adopted in memory of the victims; and the Constitution Day speech reviewed New York’s delayed but eventual support for independence in 1776. The military child resolution stressed the sacrifices of military families and support for children of service members. All of these resolutions were adopted, and the resolutions were opened to co-sponsorship. The Senate then moved through the third reading calendar, passing several bills and laying others aside. Measures passed included bills on public health, environmental conservation, executive law, public authorities, and consumer protection. One notable debate involved a bill to require transparency from private arbitration organizations handling consumer cases; supporters argued it would provide basic public data and guard against conflicts of interest, while opponents said it would burden a useful dispute-resolution process and intrude on privacy. The bill passed after debate. Another debated bill would phase out number 4 heating oil statewide; supporters said cleaner alternatives exist and the fuel is harmful to public health, while opponents raised cost and transition concerns, especially for colder regions. That bill also passed. The chamber also considered a bill to create a rebate program for battery-powered landscaping equipment, funded through utility-related mechanisms administered by NYSERDA. Supporters said it would reduce air and noise pollution and help companies transition, while opponents argued ratepayers should not subsidize landscaping equipment. The bill passed after being restored to the non-controversial calendar. Finally, the Senate began discussion of a housing-related bill aimed at preserving manufactured home parks by enabling nonprofits or municipalities to acquire development rights and keep the land dedicated to that use, with the sponsor explaining that the goal is to protect affordable housing and help residents remain in their homes.

Transcript Highlights:

• What we do is not only do we look for lands that are close to educational facilities, that are close
• to healthcare facilities, it's also close to existing infrastructure.
• </c><00:55:21.760><c> So</c> to build these facilities for them.
• So to build these facilities for them.
• </c> actually kuna age. actually kuna age.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Act 279 working group met for an informational briefing with DHHL on its use of the $600 million appropriation and progress on the department’s implementation plan. The chair reviewed the working group’s oversight role, noting that it was created to monitor expenditures, project development, and progress toward reducing the Hawaiian Homes waitlist, and that the group must submit a progress report before the 2026 session and a final report before the 2027 session. DHHL said it had provided an updated booklet reflecting the Hawaiian Homes Commission’s February 2024 recommendations and a detailed accounting of encumbrances and project progress across the islands. DHHL highlighted several implementation themes: innovative financing and construction methods, land acquisitions and exchanges, technology, beneficiary services, and partnerships with counties and private entities. The department described a “project lease” model that gives beneficiaries access to a project rather than a specific lot, with options such as turnkey homes, owner-builder, self-help, or rent-to-purchase arrangements depending on financial qualification. Officials said this approach is intended to serve lower-income beneficiaries, expand access for people on the waitlist, and allow beneficiaries to receive support services such as financial literacy and down payment assistance. The department reported that roughly $511 million had been encumbered for infrastructure, about $152.8 million for acquisitions, financing, and beneficiary services, and about $36 million in other covered costs, with about $588.9 million encumbered as of December 31 and about $120 million expected to be spent by that date. Officials said the original implementation plan covered about 2,722 units, while the updated plan projects roughly 6,000 to 7,000 leases and 2,472 lots to be occupied. They also described phase-two needs for additional funding, including projects on Hawaiʻi, Maui, Kauaʻi, and Oʻahu, and said they would need continued legislative support, including possible bonding and private activity bond set-asides, to complete remaining projects. Members discussed the distinction between encumbered and spent funds, and DHHL explained that encumbrances reserve money for specific contracts while construction spending occurs over time through progress payments. The department also showcased examples of innovative projects, including a high-rise project in urban Honolulu financed through a mix of private activity bonds, tax credits, and state funds, and an acquisition-based project in Kapaʻa, Kauaʻi using multiple funding sources. DHHL emphasized partnerships with the City and County of Honolulu and Maui County, and said it is still assessing future projects to keep infrastructure costs manageable and ensure homes are safe and affordable for beneficiaries.

Transcript Highlights:

• Actually, in person, the AG would comment this time. Got it.
• actually<00:18:56.480><c> in</c><00:18:56.679><c> person</c><00:18:57.320><c> the</c><00:18:57.440><c> AG
• What's the intention of creating a special fund, as the AG mentioned it does not meet the criteria?
• So it sounds like right now your department is being funded by the Diamond Head facility?
• oh it's by us the state no okay facility oh it's by us the state no okay then<00:48:49.839><c> the</

Committee: House Economic Development & Technology

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee on Economic Development and Technology heard testimony on several measures, beginning with SB 1343, which would amend quorum requirements for the Small Business Regulatory Review Board. The board chair testified in support, saying it has been difficult to fill all seats and that using active seats for quorum would help the board function more effectively. No opposition or questions were raised, and the committee moved on. The committee then heard SB 1578, which drew mixed testimony. DBEDT supported the measure and the Attorney General suggested inserting preamble language from HB 1025 to provide historical context on the East-West Center. Austin Martin of the Libertarian Party of Hawaiʻi opposed the bill, arguing it could invite improper behavior, create loosely regulated satellite offices, increase foreign influence, and add competition for land ownership. The committee took no vote during the hearing. The bulk of the meeting focused on SB 1641, a measure to establish a Hawaiʻi film commission/authority and related funding and governance structure. DBEDT supported the intent and offered friendly amendments to clarify the distinction between film and media industries, while the Honolulu Film Office and labor representatives from IATSE, Teamsters, and Pride at Work supported the bill but urged changes. Their concerns centered on conflicts of interest, especially having producers on the commission, and they asked for more labor representation and clearer oversight rules. The Attorney General raised constitutional and special-fund concerns, saying the grant standards and special-fund language needed work. Committee members discussed renaming the entity as a Hawaiʻi Film Authority, broadening its scope beyond cultural production, adjusting the commission makeup, and clarifying funding sources, including the existing film and creative industries fund and the 0.2% rebate contribution. No final vote was taken in the portion provided, but members indicated the bill would need substantial revisions and an HD1.