Transcript Highlights:

• And I had a good visit with the assistant attorney general, and she looked at it and said, we're fine

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The conference committee on Senate Bill 2330 met to consider a new conference committee amendment, 25.0551.0603. Members reviewed changes that narrowed the grade levels covered from 4-12 to 6th, 10th, and 12th grades, replaced “evidence-based” with “best practices,” and retained language striking the appropriation because funding is already included in the Attorney General’s budget. Representatives also noted that the bill applies to public and tribal schools, with non-public schools removed from the proposal. Testimony from Representative Jonas reported follow-up with the Department of Public Instruction and the Attorney General’s office. DPI said it was prepared to work with the Attorney General’s office and the eventual grant recipient if the bill passes, and the Attorney General’s office indicated it was comfortable with the statutory guidance in the bill. Committee members discussed the importance of maintaining quality standards and the role of stakeholders in implementation. The committee first voted on the amendment and it passed by voice vote, then voted to adopt the conference committee amendment in place of the House amendment 0601. That motion also passed unanimously by voice vote. Senator Bain was designated to carry the bill on the Senate side and Representative Jonas on the House side, and the committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• my overall point to you is that insulin, diabetes medications, blood glucose monitoring, physician visits
• Identifying the Medicare annual wellness visits, we found that they were being underutilized for cognitive
• > um identifying the Medicare annual um identifying the Medicare annual wellness<01:18:21.440><c> visits
• c> we</c><01:18:23.440><c> found</c><01:18:23.600><c> that</c><01:18:23.840><c> they</c> wellness visits
• um be we found that they wellness visits um be we found that they were<01:18:24.239><c> being</c><01

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But the purpose of my visit is to first introduce myself, but also to voice very clearly our agency's
• Anyone who visits one of our overflowing, joyous Shabbat dinners, which you're all welcome to do, will
• Anyone who visits one of our overflowing, joyous Shabbat dinners, which you're all welcome to do, will
• In the 1990s, there was major campus upheaval over the visit of Farrakhan to the Fine Arts Center.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The meeting opened with approval of the July 9, 2025 minutes and a roll call confirming quorum. DESE Commissioner Pedro Martinez gave his first official testimony, affirming the department’s commitment to preventing antisemitism and societal bias in schools, saying DESE supports the commission’s recommendations and will add staff resources to help develop and disseminate guidance and instructional materials. He said DESE’s rubric and guidance for identifying effective curricula and resources should be finalized in late fall, and commissioners welcomed the partnership and asked about the ongoing Section 98A work. The commission then heard from Professor Eitan Hirsch of Tufts, who presented research on antisemitism and campus climate. He described survey findings showing sharply different Jewish and non-Jewish views on Israel, increasing social pressure on Jewish students, and a growing tendency for Jewish students to hide their identity or feel penalized for participating in Jewish life. He argued that colleges need to do more to teach students how to handle dissent and build cultures of viewpoint diversity, and commissioners asked about best practices, regional differences, and the role of campus climate surveys. Rabbi Fine of UMass Amherst Hillel and student Sky Landau testified about antisemitism at UMass, especially since October 7. Fine described both a thriving Jewish student community and serious incidents including harassment, vandalism, classroom issues, protests, and students hiding Jewish identity; he said the university is working with Hillel and DEI leadership on goals and strategy for Jewish inclusion, and he urged more training and structured dialogue. Landau described antisemitic incidents she experienced or witnessed, including hostile BDS meetings, exclusion of Zionist students, Holocaust denial, threats, and social ostracism, and said Hillel was the only consistently safe space for her. Commissioners discussed reporting pathways, affinity groups, mental health supports, and ways to distinguish criticism of Israel from antisemitism. Later, the commission moved to its recommendations and made several edits before voting, including deleting offensive wording in a footnote, adding a citation to recent FBI hate crime data, and restoring language tied to an existing DESE regulation, 603 CMR 26.05, on classroom neutrality and fact-based instruction. Commissioners also reiterated that criticism of Israel’s government is not inherently antisemitic. The meeting included a brief interruption by a protester, after which the commission recessed and then resumed its work on the draft recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• We believe this increased reimbursement rate will appropriately cover funeral costs, visitation, flowers
• If you visited the Boston Globe website, speaking of weather-related issues, that heat and cold impact
• Studies have shown increases in mental health-related emergency department visits during periods of extreme
• supervisors are trying to unalive me and stage a suicide, as I'm getting unauthorized and intimidating visits

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development held a lengthy hearing on June 18 focused on workers’ compensation, independent contractor and classification issues, workplace safety, warehouse worker protections, extreme temperature protections, retaliation against injured workers, and workplace bullying. Committee chairs outlined procedures for the hybrid hearing and noted that members would be leaving intermittently for floor votes. Testimony also touched on a bill to expand workers’ compensation disfigurement benefits by removing the current $15,000 cap and extending coverage beyond scars on the hands, neck, and face. A major theme was workplace safety in warehouses and in extreme heat or cold. Teamsters, warehouse workers, and labor advocates described high injury rates, strict quotas, lack of water, inadequate ventilation, frozen or missing safety equipment, and pressure to work through heat waves and snowstorms. Supporters urged favorable reports on bills protecting warehouse workers and requiring employers to adopt heat- and cold-safety plans, while the NFIB opposed the temperature bill as overly prescriptive and burdensome for small businesses. Sen. Edwards, Sen. Roche, Rep. O’Day, and others argued that the measures are needed to prevent heat illness, provide shade, water, rest breaks, training, and emergency plans, and to cover all workers regardless of immigration status. Another major subject was the “Act to Protect Injured Workers,” backed by labor groups, immigrant worker centers, legal services organizations, and individual workers. Witnesses said employers often retaliate after injuries by threatening deportation, lying about how injuries occurred, delaying care, or firing workers, and they supported stronger anti-retaliation enforcement, multilingual notices, and a rebuttable presumption of retaliation within 90 days of protected activity. The Mass AFL-CIO and immigrant advocacy groups supported the bill and opposed measures they said would weaken employee classification standards. Testimony also supported a funeral-benefits bill to raise workers’ compensation death-benefit reimbursement for burial and funeral costs, based on a family’s experience after a workplace fatality. The committee heard additional testimony on workplace bullying bills, with some witnesses urging a new legal duty for employers to prevent and respond to bullying, while others described the harms of toxic workplaces and the lack of effective remedies.

Transcript Highlights:

• And thank you folks for being online to visit about it as well. Thank you. Thank you. All right.
• So when you visit the library this summer, you'll see native plants that NDSU had a hand in making sure
• Poole come up, and we are going to be visiting now about our economic analysis study.
• But, you know, I had an opportunity... ...to visit with the state engineer a couple days ago in Devil

Committee: Joint Agriculture and Water Management Committee

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That's why I was trying to visit with you before. No, I'm just saying. I'm just saying.
• House Bill 897 is brought by Mandy Landry to ensure the protection of health care data when people visit
• volunteers who come and share encouragement from the Word and pray with the mothers when they come to visit
• volunteers who come and share encouragement from the word and pray with the mothers when they come to visit

Bills: SB237

Committee: Senate Health and Welfare

Keywords: child welfare, Department of Children and Family Services, mandatory reporting, abuse prevention, investigative teams, child ombudsman, forensic interviews, confidentiality

Summary: The Senate Committee on Health and Welfare met on May 20, 2026, with eight members present and approved the May 13 minutes. The committee quickly reported several bills favorably, including SB 1224, which requires DCFS review when a pregnancy involves a child under 17 and makes children under 12 a child in need of care; SB 1100, which repeals an old statute on unenriched bread; HB 1220, a continuation of prior work to codify certain provisions related to the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners; HB 1231, clarifying that continuous glucose monitoring is covered through Medicaid for any insulin-dependent diabetic, including gestational diabetes; and HB 198, setting reimbursement rates for ambulatory surgery centers for certain Medicaid procedures. The committee also adopted a personal privilege welcome for physicians on White Coat Day and repeatedly noted that several bills were being advanced with the understanding that further work might continue before floor debate. A major portion of the meeting focused on HB 1160, which would create a streamlined restricted license pathway for qualified international medical school graduates, especially for rural and shortage areas. Committee members pressed the Board of Medical Examiners about delays in promulgating rules under an earlier 2024 law and objected to rule language they said went beyond the statute. Board representatives acknowledged a misunderstanding about the original bill’s intent and said the program had been operating, but members warned against agencies writing rules that contradict enacted law. Despite the criticism, HB 1160 was reported favorably. The committee also reported favorably HCR 67, which creates a task force to study gaps in acute care for special-needs adults and children, following emotional testimony from the sponsor about her son’s death and the lack of appropriate care options. The committee then approved HCR 27, calling for a coordinated statewide evaluation of autism services by the Department of Health and Department of Education, with testimony emphasizing rising diagnosis rates, rural provider shortages, and the need for better data and coordination between medical and school-based services. HCR 28, which would study school nurse orientation and training, was also reported favorably after school nurses described the lack of standardized onboarding for new graduates and the risks of placing them alone in schools without adequate supervision. HB 469, which would have allowed pharmacy license renewal fees to be directed to Xavier University’s pharmacy school as well as public schools, was deferred after concerns about diverting funds from public institutions and the absence of testimony from affected schools. The committee also took up HB 223, which recreates DCFS, and adopted an amendment shortening the sunset date and requiring law enforcement reports to be accepted through a secure web-based platform; the bill was then reported favorably as amended. Another major discussion centered on HB 457 and HB 616, both tied to homelessness. HB 457, establishing minimum standards for shelters and related facilities, was reported favorably as amended after sponsor testimony and support cards. HB 616, which would allow the legislative auditor and local officials access to records and databases for audits of homelessness initiatives, drew extensive debate over privacy, federal funding, and accountability. Supporters cited a 2025 audit showing more than $216 million in federal homelessness spending in New Orleans and argued that auditors need access to performance data to detect waste and abuse; opponents warned about client privacy and the impact of funding cutoffs. The committee adopted an amendment changing permissive language to mandatory language for enforcement and then continued hearing testimony, with the discussion still centered on balancing oversight with confidentiality.

Transcript Highlights:

• A lot of schools come to visit us, and we appreciate that.
• A lot of folks from our districts come help here and visit us.
• I remember seeing the Christmas windows set up and going in and visiting their candy counter.
• I remember seeing the Christmas windows set up and going in and visiting their candy counter.

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then approved the House Journal for the prior day by a vote of 118-1. The bulk of the meeting consisted of lengthy points of personal privilege, including farewell remarks from several outgoing members who thanked family, staff, colleagues, and constituents, reflected on their service, and spoke about issues such as law enforcement, veterans, rural schools, unborn life, kindness, and the influence of money and lobbyists in the legislative process. The chamber also recognized several special guests, including schoolchildren, interns, a law school graduate, family members, and a former representative. The House then took up committee reports and several bills. It granted further conference on Senate Bill 1020. Senate Bill 1019, dealing with hospital finance and related health-care provisions, was amended and passed 110-31 after debate over an amendment on prior authorization reform, physician licensure, telehealth, workplace violence language, and Lyme disease fixes. Senate Bill 1572, a pensions measure affecting MOSERS, EMPERS, the St. Louis police retirement system, and Kansas City police retirement timing, was amended on several technical and policy points and passed 129-14 after discussion of overpayment recoupment rules and retirement system compliance concerns. The House also passed House Committee Substitute for Senate Substitute for Senate Bill 1196, which removed the sunset from the workforce diploma program, expanded Fast Track Workforce Incentive Grants, added workforce Pell Grant language, and established a future higher-education funding model subject to later legislative approval. It passed 115-20-4, but the emergency clause failed 2-132-2 after the sponsor said it was included only to speed Pell Grant implementation and was being handled “tongue in cheek.” Finally, the House began consideration of House Bill 2508 with Senate amendments, an LLC-related bill addressing certificates of good standing, court dissolution of LLCs in limited cases, and a St. Louis County property-management affidavit requirement for unresolved ordinance violations.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I also want to invite any of you to come visit our school, meet our students, look into their bright
• In that visit, they share every struggle, they share every frustration, and most impactfully, they share
• In fact, we visited out in the hall. We caught up on a lot of the same stuff. Yeah.
• You need to, yeah, visit that one day. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: 974, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I think that with tours like this and people coming to visit, and like Glenn said, you know, 14,000
• I appreciate you coming in to visit, and have a safe travel home. All right. Next up we have David.
• I appreciate all of your time and hope you enjoy the rest of your visit. Thank you. Yeah.
• You've had visits out to the site, and we're able to see some of those things firsthand.

Committee: Joint Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I think that with tours like this and people coming to visit, and like Glenn said, you know, 14,000
• I appreciate you coming to visit, and have a safe travel home. All right. Next up we have David.
• I appreciate all of your time and hope you enjoy the rest of your visit. Thank you. Yeah.
• You've had visits out to the site, and we're able to see some of those things firsthand.

Summary: The meeting opened with remarks about the value of public engagement and the availability of presentation materials, then moved into a series of technical briefings from Idaho National Laboratory staff. Joe Renovitz described recent federal and DOE efforts to streamline nuclear regulation for advanced reactors, including NRC Part 53 and upcoming Part 57 rulemaking, DOE authorization updates, crosswalks between DOE and NRC requirements, and use of AI to speed licensing communications and document review. He emphasized that the goal is to align safety standards for advanced technologies, reduce rework for developers, and support deployment for commercial, defense, and research uses. In response to questions, he said there is no current plan to merge agencies, but there is more information-sharing and embedded NRC staff at DOE facilities; he also noted public outreach is supported through groups like GAIN and NEI. David Tolman then discussed the nuclear fuel cycle, covering uranium mining, conversion, enrichment, fuel fabrication, spent fuel storage, transportation, disposal, and recycling. He explained high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), DOE’s HALEU Availability Program, and the need to expand domestic enrichment, deconversion, and transportation capacity to support advanced reactors and the 2050 nuclear growth goal. He also reviewed used fuel management, including on-site storage at operating and shutdown reactors, the Center for Used Fuel Research at INL, a high-burnup research cask project, and the long-term repository question, which he said is ultimately political as well as technical. He outlined reprocessing approaches—aqueous/Purex, pyrochemical, and fluoride volatility—describing INL’s work on electrochemical processing of EBR-II fuel and noting industry interest from several companies in recycling technologies. Ashley Shields presented on AI for nuclear applications, describing INL’s use of generative AI, high-performance computing, and digital-twin tools to accelerate reactor design, licensing, operations, and materials development. She highlighted the Prometheus effort to pursue highly automated reactor design and operation, the large documentation burden for reactor licensing, and ongoing work on autonomous control, remote operation, and AI-assisted materials qualification through the Vulcan challenge and related data platforms. In questions, she said AI tools are used under data-governance and security controls, with different models chosen for different tasks, and argued that software engineers and human oversight remain necessary. The session ended with a brief recess announcement and a transition to a later presentation on critical minerals and materials.

Transcript Highlights:

• should have it—is a letter that the parent received when she took her daughter in for a well-child visit
• And at that well-child visit, the nurse or whoever presented the state's vaccine schedule as a matter
• I was able to go and visit.
• Every new administrative layer, every mandate, every unannounced visit requires an investment of precious

Bills: HCR47 , HB628 , HB737 , HB1008 , HB1062 , HB1079 , HB1112

Committee: House Education

Keywords: mandatory reporter, child abuse training, online training, Department of Children and Family Services, Department of Education, educator requirements, early childhood education, microcenter, school board, cooperative endeavor, economic disadvantage, vaccination, meningococcal disease, school entry, immunization requirements, public health, academic freedom, free speech, retaliation, faculty rights

Transcript Highlights:

• Gallery today we have, with Heartfield Academy’s cultural and worldview exchange program, students visiting
• My last question is, as our chairman and also a conferee on this bill, did you get a chance to visit
• Did you get a chance to visit the OnlyFans page to see the effect, you know, as you do your work as a
• >> Sorry, I don't make it a habit to visit the OnlyFans page.

Keywords: MS Senate Floor - 1 April, 2026; 10:00 AM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, it's quite a nice place to visit if you're ever in northeast Alabama.
• </c><00:29:29.200><c> nice</c><00:29:29.440><c> place</c><00:29:29.679><c> to</c><00:29:29.919><c> visit
• </c><00:29:30.240><c> if</c><00:29:30.480><c> you're</c> quite a a nice place to visit if you're quite
• a a nice place to visit if you're ever<00:29:30.880><c> in</c><00:29:31.039><c> northeast</c><00:29:

Bills: HB527 , HB563 , HB580 , HB579 , SB190 , HB15 , HB390 , HB527 , HB563 , HB580 , HB579 , SB190 , HB15 , HB390

Committee: House Ways and Means Education

Keywords: liability, off-roading, parks, participant safety, risk management, SNAP, food assistance, public assistance, income standards, Department of Human Resources, eligibility, HB580, Alabama Healthy Schools Act, public schools, K-12, school nutrition, school meals, cafeteria, vending machines, fundraising sales

Transcript Highlights:

• And then we will pretty quickly spin and ask for our visit for initial accreditation.
• and</c><00:42:32.160><c> ask</c><00:42:32.400><c> for</c><00:42:32.640><c> our</c><00:42:32.960><c> visit
• </c><00:42:33.359><c> for</c><00:42:33.599><c> initial</c> spin and ask for our visit for initial spin
• and ask for our visit for initial accreditation.<00:42:35.280><c> Should</c><00:42:35.520><c> that</

Keywords: 916, all

Summary: The committee met to consider amendments to House Bill 111. It first adopted amendment number one without objection. Members then discussed a Senate amendment related to a $750,000 state match for the Central Wyoming College Jackson project, with Senator Laursen explaining the request as a way to leverage local fundraising for the final phase of the project. He said the project had been underway since 2018, that the building was nearing completion, and that the amendment was intended to encourage a local fundraising campaign rather than wait for a later appropriation. Representative Lien questioned whether the funding had gone through the usual approval process, and other members raised concerns about bypassing standard procedures, while Laursen argued the request was consistent with prior late-stage project adjustments and reflected local skin in the game. The discussion also covered a Senate amendment concerning University of Wyoming land use, specifically whether language should remain requiring open space or allow trustees more flexibility to decide between open space and parking. One member moved to delete the Senate amendment and reinsert the stricken language, but after discussion the motion was withdrawn so the committee could consider all amendments together. Members noted that the university had already been discussing the plan and that the language change would not necessarily alter the trustees’ authority, though it might protect the university. The committee then turned to a Gillette College/Enzi building amendment. Senator Driscoll said the proposal was his own and not requested by the college, and Janelle Overberlander, founding president of Gillette Community College District, testified about the history of the project, including the 2021 separation from the Northern Wyoming Community College District, prior planning for a STEM building, and the later decision to revive the project as an academic building honoring Senator Enzi. She said the building is intended to address lab space needs and support industry partners, including companies expected to bring jobs to Campbell County. Driscoll explained that the amendment would provide a dollar-for-dollar match for non-state money and require Gillette College to move to a four-mill levy, which he said would eventually make the college a net contributor to the system. The committee continued discussing the amendment and its long-term fiscal effects, but no final vote on the later amendments is shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, if I look back, say, 8, 10 years, there were a much smaller level of missed things like site visits
• level of missed uh uh uh things<00:27:39.960><c> like</c><00:27:40.160><c> site</c><00:27:40.520><c> visits
• </c><00:27:41.240><c> and</c><00:27:41.440><c> other</c> things like site visits and other things like
• site visits and other documentation. documentation. documentation.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I made a couple of visits with clinicians along with Representative Caden, and I think one of the things
• And really many of us in this room have made many visits to Children's Mercy Hospital.
• When a senior visits the website and fills out a form, the organization collects information and then
• we're just giving families and seniors back their choice to choose their own representation when visiting

Committee: House Health and Mental Health

Summary: The House Committee on Health and Mental Health met in executive session and advanced several bills. HB 1881 was voted do pass without discussion. HB 3010 was amended with a committee substitute that removed a subsection allowing payers to remove “gold carding” based on procedure volume changes, then passed 10-0. HB 2355, the “Food is Medicine” bill, received a committee amendment to align terminology with other partnerships and then passed 11-0. HB 1855, dealing with alpha-gal reporting, was substantially revised: the substitute narrowed the bill to alpha-gal, removed Lyme disease, changed a department duty from mandatory to discretionary in one section, and delayed reporting implementation; it then passed 14-0 after members discussed the need for better disease tracking and the department’s workload. The committee then heard testimony on HB 2034, which would require insurance coverage for activity-based prostheses, orthotics, and high-performance or mobility-supportive wheelchairs. Sponsor Representative Carolyn Caton said the bill is intended to cover devices that help people live, exercise, and avoid secondary health problems, while preserving prior authorization and medical-necessity review. Supporters included clinicians, parents, amputees, and athletes who described being denied running blades, water-safe prostheses, or durable wheelchairs and said the devices are essential for health, independence, mental well-being, and participation in school, work, and sports. Several witnesses said the bill would reduce long-term costs and reliance on charity. Opponents, including the Missouri Insurance Coalition and America’s Health Insurance Plans, argued the bill is an expansion of coverage with unclear definitions and potentially significant costs, especially for Medicaid and other state-regulated plans. They cited the fiscal note, warned about possible federal ACA rule changes that could shift costs to states, and questioned whether the bill’s language on Medicare supplemental coverage and “perceived disability” was workable or preempted. Committee members pressed both sides on cost savings, definitions of “normal” activity, and whether the bill could be narrowed or otherwise revised, and several said they were willing to keep working on the issue. The hearing on HB 2034 was left open and then recessed after testimony, with no vote taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• And when I visited the great state of Iowa just a few weeks ago, I even saw $1.85 a gallon for gasoline
• </c><00:48:11.040><c> And</c><00:48:11.200><c> when</c><00:48:11.440><c> I</c><00:48:11.599><c> visited
• And when I visited the great a gallon.
• And when I visited the great state<00:48:13.119><c> of</c><00:48:13.440><c> Iowa</c><00:48:13.839><c>

Keywords: Presidential address to the Joint Session of the United States Congress on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• sections of the bill, including definitions, that the free ride is for resident youth, not youth visiting
• 00:59:22.319><c> youth,</c><00:59:23.040><c> not</c><00:59:23.200><c> youth</c><00:59:23.520><c> visiting
• </c> resident youth, not youth visiting resident youth, not youth visiting Hawaii.<00:59:25.359><c> Um

Bills: HB2116 , HB1879 , HB2214 , HB2310 , HB2168 , HB2427 , HB2560 , HB1596 , HB2197 , HB2498 , HB2167

Committee: House Human Services & Homelessness

Keywords: grants, community engagement, nonprofit organizations, federal assistance, volunteering, youth transit, public transportation, subsidized transit, environment, energy independence, affordable transportation, Hawaii, diaper tax credit, families, low-income, childcare, health, Hawaii Department of Human Services, DHS, emergency appropriation

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several measures related to human services, homelessness, transit, and family supports. HB 2116 HD1, concerning grants from the Office of Community Services to nonprofits providing training and volunteerism opportunities, drew strong support from Catholic Charities Hawaii, Hawaii Children’s Action Network Speaks, and multiple organizations in written testimony. Supporters said the bill would help vulnerable people affected by federal program changes and cuts by connecting them to reintegration and support services. HB 1879 HD1, establishing a subsidized youth transit program coordinated with counties, received extensive testimony in support from the Department of Health, Department of Taxation, Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, Aloha United Way, Hawaii Bicycling League, Hawaii Appleseed, Hawaii State Youth Commission, Hawaii Public Health Institute, Greenpeace Hawaii, Hawaii Youth Transportation Council, and others. Testifiers emphasized equity, school attendance, reduced transportation costs, climate benefits, and broader access for youth. Several witnesses urged amendments to make the program universal rather than means-tested, and committee discussion noted implementation questions for neighbor islands and rural areas. HB 2214, creating a refundable diaper tax credit for low-income families with children age four and under, was supported by the Hawaii Diaper Bank, Hawaii Children’s Action Network Speaks, and several other organizations. The Department of Taxation recommended making the credit non-refundable and clarifying definitions to aid administration, while supporters argued refundability was important for low-income families who may owe little or no income tax. HB 2310, an emergency appropriation to replenish DHS funds used to provide SNAP benefits during a federal shutdown, also drew broad support from DHS, Catholic Charities, Hawaii Public Health Institute, Hawaii Children’s Action Network Speaks, Hawaii Food Industry Association, Aloha United Way, and others; witnesses praised the state’s rapid response and said the appropriation would prepare DHS for future emergencies. The committee also heard HB 2168 HD1 and HB 2427 HD1 on education for students experiencing homelessness and unaccompanied homeless youth; the Attorney General recommended technical amendments to avoid conflicts with existing law and to clarify McKinney-Vento-related definitions, while advocates stressed the need for school access, transportation, meals, and other supports for homeless and runaway youth.

Transcript Highlights:

• Everybody wants to visit Branson. We need homes built now.
• Everybody wants to visit Branson. We need homes built now.
• Always a pleasure to visit with you. Mr. Cooper. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
• Always a pleasure to visit with you. Thank you, Mr. Cooper.

Committee: House Commerce

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I would say that if you visit our fiscal note from last year on Act 73, you'll see that JFO could
• say</c><00:41:10.400><c> that</c><00:41:11.599><c> if</c><00:41:11.839><c> you</c><00:41:12.640><c> visit
• </c><00:41:13.040><c> our</c> And I would say that if you visit our And I would say that if you visit

Keywords: 926, house, all