Transcript Highlights:

• measure that would allow R.D. 108 the hydropower authorization to continue to seek opportunities to develop
• measure that would allow RD108 the hydropower authorization to continue to seek opportunities to develop
• our sponsor, Gerbach Sahota, president and CEO of the California Association for Local Economic Development
• We represent over 950 economic developers.
• These reforms will significantly improve the ability for local governments to support economic development

Summary: The Local Government Committee met on March 26 and heard four bills, beginning as a subcommittee until quorum was established. The chair opened with housekeeping rules, including that testimony would be in person only and that disruptive conduct would not be tolerated. AB 59 by Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry was heard first; it would remove the sunset on Reclamation District 108’s authority to participate in hydropower projects. The author, Colusa County representatives, and water district officials said the change would support long-term financing, lower energy costs, and help the district continue water stewardship. No opposition was presented, and the bill was later reported out 7-0. AB 417 by Assembly Member Carrillo was then presented as a measure to streamline and clarify laws governing enhanced infrastructure financing districts (EIFDs) and community revitalization and investment authorities (CRIAs). Supporters, including the sponsor and planning, city, and flood control representatives, said the bill would improve local governments’ ability to fund affordable housing, climate adaptation, transit, fire mitigation, and other infrastructure without raising taxes. One opponent objected to the CRIA provisions, arguing that CRIAs retain eminent domain authority and asked for an amendment to remove that authority. The bill was passed after quorum was established, with the chair noting it would improve functionality while preserving transparency and public participation. AB 533 by Assembly Member Flora reauthorized health care districts that own or operate hospitals or clinics to use the design-build process for construction projects after the prior authority sunset on January 1, 2025. The author and supporters from the Association of California Health Care Districts, the Design-Build Institute of America, and engineering and hospital groups said the measure would restore a useful financing and construction tool without changing public contracting requirements. There was no opposition, and the bill passed 7-0. The committee also approved AB 1030 on the consent calendar, and after roll calls on the remaining items, all measures were reported out of committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• stores and providing a civil penalty, referred to the Committee on Trade, Workforce and Economic Development
• connection with a residential lease, referred to the Committee on Trade, Workforce and Economic Development
• HB 3532 by Gates, relating to multi-family residential developments owned by public facility corporations
• HB 3533 by Gates, relating to multi-family residential developments financed, owned, or operated by public
• Gates relating to the multi-family residential developments financed, owned, or operated.

Summary: The House met briefly to read a large number of first-reading bills, joint resolutions, and concurrent resolutions and refer them to the appropriate committees. The measures covered a wide range of topics, including public health, education, criminal justice, taxation, transportation, water and natural resources, elections, housing, veterans issues, local government, and constitutional amendments. Several bills focused on school policy, health care regulation, property tax and sales tax changes, criminal penalties, and local or state agency authority. Among the notable items were proposals on name and sex changes on birth records, college admissions inquiries into criminal history, foster care contractor liability, school nutrition and assessment policy, election procedures, homestead and franchise tax exemptions, public retirement system reporting, and numerous transportation and infrastructure measures. The House also received resolutions designating local honors and observances, including Brownsville as the bicycling capital of the Rio Grande Valley, Port Aransas as the fishing capital of Texas, and Selena Quintanilla Perez Day. Some measures proposed constitutional amendments on legislative procedure, homestead taxation, and election-law enforcement authority. No debate or testimony occurred in this segment; the action was limited to first reading and referral. The session also referred several resolutions to the Local and Consent Calendars. At the end of the proceedings, the House adjourned without objection until 2 p.m. Tuesday.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I really think that my challenge is to figure out how to develop a net ...simulator below.
• We'll develop an additional 2,500 feet of modern drift underground.
• develops workforce across the state.
• And that is what Lunisand has developed. The United States.
• And that is what Lunisand has developed. We have a technology called geo-radio-tomography.

Committee: House House Science & Technology Committee of Reference

Summary: The Committee on Science and Technology heard Senate Bill 1046, which would prohibit critical telecommunications infrastructure in Arizona from using equipment manufactured or owned by a foreign adversary, require annual certification to the Corporation Commission, impose civil penalties for noncompliance, and bar violators from receiving certain public funds for telecom infrastructure. Marina Macklin testified in support, arguing the bill would reduce cybersecurity and national security risks tied to Chinese-linked telecom equipment and that states have an important role in procurement and infrastructure protection. Members asked about examples such as Huawei, the cost of compliance, whether the threat is current, and whether the bill duplicates federal efforts; Macklin said the measure targets public procurement, addresses existing risks, and complements rather than conflicts with federal action. The committee then voted 5-1 to return SB 1046 with a do pass recommendation, with one member citing concerns about timing and implementation. The committee also received a presentation from Craig Luxbacher of the University of Arizona on mining technology and the state’s role in critical minerals. He described Arizona as a hub for mining innovation and discussed university work on autonomous equipment, microgrids, pilot processing, tailings recovery, workforce training, and heat-stress monitoring. Members asked about microgrids, legal and policy changes needed to de-risk domestic mining, tariffs, workforce decline, and whether AI and automation would reduce jobs; Luxbacher said automation is driven by economics, not just regulation, and would likely create more skilled maintenance and technical jobs rather than eliminate the workforce. Jeremiah Pate of Lunisand then presented on subsurface imaging technology using geo-radio-tomography, which he said can image deep underground from airborne platforms and help locate critical minerals, aquifers, tunnels, and buried military infrastructure. Members asked about applications for archaeology, identifying mineral types, water detection, uniqueness of the technology, and possible defense uses. Pate said the company is working toward better mineral identification, can detect aquifers readily, and is currently the only company fielding this type of airborne subsurface imaging. The chair closed the meeting after thanking members and speakers, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• providers, and the state, enabling long-term planning, enhances child care quality, and improves development
• Child care quality and improves development of participating children, promotes parental choice, and
• It also strengthens requirements around professional development, services, and coordination for children
• It will require professional development related to identifying and It will require professional development
• In context, the Child Care Development Block Grant says you may use first-come, first-served.

Summary: The committee met late in the evening and announced that Senate Bill 132 would be rolled until the next day. The only bill heard was Senate Finance Committee substitute for Senate Bill 241, which would codify New Mexico’s Child Care Assistance Program in statute, establish eligibility, payment, wait-list, and co-payment rules, require reporting and transparency, and tie reimbursement rates to a cost-estimation model and wage scale/career lattice. The sponsor and administration described the bill as creating a durable framework for universal child care, with protections for program integrity, inclusion of children with developmental needs, and requirements to maximize state and federal child care tax benefits. Public testimony was largely supportive of the bill’s child care expansion goals, with endorsements from State Police, firefighters, early childhood advocates, and women’s policy groups, but many providers and educators said they could not support it without stronger wage and career-ladder protections and clearer guarantees that funding would reach staff salaries rather than owners or institutions. The committee adopted Vice Chair Dixon’s amendment, which lowered the proposed transfer from the Early Childhood Education and Care Trust Fund from $1 billion to $700 million and added reporting requirements on the wait list, consultation requirements for rate-setting, additional facility reporting, a prohibition on supplanting certain public education funds, tribal facility participation, and food program reporting. A separate amendment from Representative Duncan to require first-come, first-served enrollment was debated at length but was tabled by a 9-7 vote after the sponsor and secretary said it conflicted with federal prioritization rules and the bill’s targeted access goals. Members also questioned how the bill would affect public entities, nontraditional-hour providers, co-pay triggers, and whether the wage scale would adequately compensate educators. After debate, the committee voted 10-7 to give the amended bill a do-pass recommendation. Supporters said the bill would strengthen workforce stability, improve access for working families, and help sustain New Mexico’s universal child care system; opponents warned about the long-term fiscal impact, the potential growth of the program, and whether the bill sufficiently protected early childhood educators’ wages and other state priorities. The meeting adjourned with notice that the committee would reconvene at 8 a.m. the next day to hear the Senate’s actions on House Bill 2.

Transcript Highlights:

• of this goes towards the Housing Trust Fund, where $225 million in funding includes $81 million to develop
• On behalf of developers and advocates across Washington State, we respectfully urge the legislature to
• We're also developing the Seattle International Public Market in the Delridge neighborhood, which will
• We look forward to working with you as you develop your own budget. Thank you, Madam Chair.
• So we're signing as other that would have supported industrial and commercial development.

Bills: SB6003

Committee: Senate Ways & Means

Keywords: capital budget, funding, infrastructure, state projects, budget allocation, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• THE CITIZENS OF FLORIDA MADE IT CLEAR YOU DO NOT WANT TO SEE OUR STATE PARKS DEVELOPED.
• AT THE SAME TIME OVER 100 ACRES ARE BEING DEVELOPED EVERY DAY.
• THEY BELONG TO THE PEOPLE, NOT TO DEVELOPERS.
• GARY HUNTER AMERICAN RESORT DEVELOP AN ASSOCIATION IN SUPPORT. COLTON, MIGHT SAYING THAT RIGHT?
• IT IS NOT LOST ON ME THAT THERE ARE DEVELOPERS WHO SEE OPPORTUNITY.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Miami-Dade County, a quarter of the LBT goes to economic development.
• Through these economic development efforts, we support many small businesses.
• Through these economic development efforts, we support many small businesses.
• It's not a great place for development. Lots of things have been tried in the past and have failed.
• It's not a great place for development. Lots of things have been tried in the past and have failed.

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee met on March 13, 2025, for its first meeting of the session, with member and staff introductions followed by consideration of several tax-related bills. The committee first heard HJR 163 and its implementing bill HB 165, which would extend the homestead property tax exemption for quadriplegics to surviving spouses, similar to the treatment for surviving spouses of certain disabled veterans. Sponsor Rep. Tant and constituent J.R. Harding described the financial and caregiving burdens faced by spouses of quadriplegics. The committee heard supportive testimony from the Florida Association of Property Appraisers and members voted both measures favorably without opposition. The committee then considered HB 785 on heated tobacco products. Rep. Tramont said the bill would create a new tax/regulatory category for the product, and an amendment clarifying the definition was adopted. The James Madison Institute offered a resource on the issue, the Florida Retail Federation waived in support, and Ranking Member Eskamani said she had concerns about the excise tax treatment and would vote no. The bill passed 16-1. Next, HB 321, a property tax exemption clarification for homes for the aged, was presented by Rep. Smith as a technical “glitch bill” to align state law with IRS tax code and ease development of low-income senior housing. It drew supportive testimony and passed unanimously. The final bill, HB 503 by Rep. Botana, would cap local government revenue from local business taxes and require refunds if collections exceed the cap, with carve-outs for fiscally constrained areas. Local government and economic development groups, including the Florida League of Cities, the City of Winter Haven, the Miami-Dade Beacon Council, and the Florida Association of Counties, opposed the bill, arguing it would limit funding for public safety, inspections, economic development, and other services and create administrative refund problems. Several members supported the bill as a tax-cutting measure, while others warned of impacts on local services and revenue flexibility. The committee reported HB 503 favorably on a 14-5 vote, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 1530 is a research and development ecosystem bill.
• SB 1530 is a research and development ecosystem bill.
• This is to help a lot of our small towns with their biggest challenge when it comes to development, which
• Again, I think in a lot of our communities across the state, there is a need for new development and
• , by that municipality, and it is subject to a vote of 60... the state, there is a need for new development

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on economic development, infrastructure, and education policy. SB 1530, described as a research and development ecosystem bill, would encourage universities, businesses, and industry to partner to strengthen Oklahoma’s high-tech economy; it passed 29-0. SB 1847, a measure aimed at helping Oklahomans avoid nursing home placement and reduce costs, also passed 29-0. SB 1990 would require the Incentive Evaluation Commission to send its annual report to the Secretary of State and expand its review of incentives to include broader comparative analysis and strategic economic goals; it passed 28-0. The committee also considered SB 2060, the Build Act, which is intended to help small towns finance upfront infrastructure costs for development. Members raised concerns about independent boards, debt, assessments, zoning authority, and accountability, and the author said an adopted amendment was meant to preserve city and county control over planning and infrastructure protections. The bill passed 22-5. SB 1992, a Department of Commerce cleanup bill, passed 27-2. Later, the committee took up SB 1579, a taxpayer bill of rights, which passed 26-0. SB 1778, agreed-upon reading legislation language that cleans up formulas and clarifies the SRA formula and related reading provisions, also passed 28-0. The chair noted upcoming longer Appropriations and J-CAB meetings and then adjourned the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• Developing their annual population estimates.
• And so this is our MassBuilds development data, where we get pretty decent information about new developments
• These were developed in 2024. Okay, all right.
• So yeah, these scenarios were developed before January.
• So yeah, this, these scenarios were project, were developed before January.

Committee: Senate Senate Committee on the Census

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on the Census heard presentations on Massachusetts population trends and how they affect state housing planning. Susan Strait of the UMass Donahue Institute reviewed recent Census Bureau estimates, saying Massachusetts grew strongly over the last decade but that growth has slowed sharply in the newest estimates, largely because net international migration has fallen from a post-pandemic surge. She also described the four components of population change—births, deaths, domestic migration, and international migration—along with aging trends, declining fertility, the importance of the millennial cohort, and the role of foreign-born residents in births and the labor force. Committee members asked about college students in group quarters and about counting incarcerated people, and Strait explained the Census Bureau’s current methods and noted that some issues remain under discussion. Jesse Guerrero of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council then explained how MAPC uses UMass Donahue population projections to build household and local land-use forecasts for MassDOT and the statewide housing plan. He said the earlier transportation projections anticipated slower statewide growth and regional decline in western Massachusetts and on the Cape, with more growth in eastern Massachusetts. He also described how household formation, development patterns, zoning, and affordability are modeled, and noted that newer housing-plan scenarios use updated Census data and different assumptions about migration. Senator Miranda raised concerns about Cape Cod population loss and whether seasonal residents are being counted, and Guerrero and Strait said the projections focus on permanent residents, not seasonal populations. Tim Reardon of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities tied the demographic forecasts to the statewide housing plan, saying housing demand exists even under low-growth or slight-decline scenarios. He said the plan estimates about 115,000 homes are needed to address existing shortages, including doubled-up households, shelter families, seasonal conversion losses, and the need for healthier vacancy rates, plus additional units tied to future household formation. He added that the state’s total housing target is about 222,000 units, or as high as 262,000 under a higher-growth scenario. Senators pressed him on whether the scenarios are now too high given the recent drop in immigration, on affordability and out-migration, and on whether the housing plan adequately reflects homelessness and overcrowding in Boston and elsewhere. Reardon said the plan includes production, rental assistance, shelter prevention, and preservation strategies, and noted that HLC is also using grant programs and MBTA Communities-related infrastructure funding to support housing production statewide.

Transcript Highlights:

• And it spans development and training, building work ethic, technical skills, and career readiness that
• The CCC is not only an emergency response workforce; it is a youth development program established in
• And it preserves the training and development mission that produces real career pathways.
• Corps members receive the training and development they were promised.
• Space, watershed improvements, as well as workforce development.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• programming that can create development programming that can create an<00:20:46.400><c> opport</c><00
• It'll be dedicated funding not only for this program but other positive youth development programs in
• It'll be dedicated funding not only for this program but other positive youth development programs in
• It'll be dedicated funding not only for this program but other positive youth development programs in
• It'll be dedicated funding not only for this program but other positive youth development programs in

Committee: House Families & Children

Keywords: 00:00 - Call to Order/Roll Call 01:10 - Discussion of 26RS HB 669 08:25 - Roll Call Vote on 26RS HB 669 09:25 - Discussion of 26RS HCR 36 13:15 - Roll Call Vote on 26RS HCR 36 14:05 - Discussion of 26RS HB 686 29:20 - Roll Call Vote on 26RS HB 686 30:10 - Adjournment, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll hear from the Legislative Analyst's Office, the Department of Housing and Community Development
• and Community Development.
• Housing and Community Development.
• I was working on affordable housing development finance with HCD for a number of years.
• with developers.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The work of this administration over the past seven years has proven that record economic development
• Voluntary efforts to achieve net reductions may develop on tribal land and be certified.
• In Las Cruces, a 2,200-acre development dropped gas hookups entirely.
• That single decision saves the developer $3,000 per lot and gets healthier homes faster to market.
• For decades, the region has been heavily developed for oil and gas.

Summary: The committee first took up the proposed 2026 tax package, Senate Bill 151, and adopted a committee substitute after discussion of the package’s funding capacity and included measures. The substitute bundled five bills: a physician tax credit, a quantum facility infrastructure tax credit, a construction materials gross receipts deduction for affordable multifamily housing, a local journalist employment tax credit, and a health equipment gross receipts deduction. Members discussed amendments that raised the physician credit from $4,000 to $10,000, narrowed the housing deduction to project-based certification, and reduced the journalist credit threshold from four stories to three. Concerns were raised about the fiscal impact on municipalities, especially Albuquerque, and about the funding mechanism, but the committee voted 6-4 to give the substitute a do pass recommendation. Senator Sanchez explained his vote, saying he wished more could have been included in the package. The committee then heard Senate Bill 18, the Clear Horizons Act, which would codify statewide greenhouse gas reduction targets and direct the Environment Department and Environmental Improvement Board to develop plans and rules for emissions reductions. The sponsors said the bill builds on the governor’s 2019 executive order, includes a 10,000-metric-ton threshold for covered emitters, allows certified offsets, and is intended to protect public health, reduce climate-related costs, and provide regulatory certainty. Supporters argued the bill would help communities facing wildfire, drought, health harms, and rising insurance and utility costs, and that it would encourage clean-energy investment and long-term economic stability. Opposition testimony came from mining, oil and gas, rural electric cooperatives, construction, agriculture, auto dealers, chambers of commerce, banks, water recycling companies, and realtors. They argued the bill functions like a carbon tax or broad regulatory mandate, would raise energy and compliance costs, could reduce investment and jobs, and would disproportionately affect rural, tribal, agricultural, and low-income communities. Several witnesses warned of higher electricity and fuel bills, revenue losses for local governments, and uncertainty from delegating major policy decisions to rulemaking. Supporters included public health advocates, educators, local officials, clean-energy businesses, tribal and environmental advocates, and residents affected by wildfire and drought, who said the bill is necessary to address climate harms and protect public health and the economy. No final committee vote on SB 18 was reached in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• a model uh for a uh um developing a model uh for a uh launching<00:26:37.679><c> a</c><00:26:38.000>
• It is a process, but, yeah, I mean, we have admitted carriers all the time that develop new products
• HCR 158 and HR 153 request the Attorney General to convene a working group to develop landlord-tenant
• new products and you know start develop new products and you know start to<00:30:14.640><c> sell</c>
• working group to develop landlord tenant code<00:30:44.000><c> improvements</c><00:30:44.559><c> to<

Committee: House Consumer Protection & Commerce

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce heard three resolutions focused on condominium management, insurance, and landlord-tenant issues. For HCR 24/HR 23, which sought a follow-up Sunrise review of condominium association managers, Hawaii Realtors and the Real Estate Commission supported the measure, while several condo owners and advocates described alleged embezzlement, misconduct, and lack of accountability in association management. The Real Estate Commission suggested using a more current bill, HB 1312, as the basis for the review. In decision-making, the committee adopted an HD1 to direct the auditor to conduct a Sunrise analysis on HB 1312 instead of the older cited bills, and the measure passed with amendments by unanimous votes, with one member excused. For HCR 85/HR 79, which asked the Insurance Commissioner to study alternative insurance models for condominium associations and unit owners, the acting insurance commissioner said the division supported the concept but warned the study could be costly and time-sensitive, estimating roughly $1.5 million based on the breadth of the requested work. A committee member and the commissioner discussed whether the scope could be narrowed, and the commissioner said a narrower study could reduce costs. The committee ultimately deferred the measure for possible revision and future discussion. For HCR 158/HR 153, which proposed an Attorney General-led working group to improve landlord-tenant code provisions, the Attorney General’s office said another agency with housing expertise would be better suited to convene the group and suggested LRB for legal research support. Hawaii Realtors supported the idea but said the chairing agency could be changed, while Maui Tenants and Workers Association urged stronger tenant representation and warned against framing the effort in a way that favors investors over tenants. A mediator also noted procedural gaps in court filing requirements for tenants and landlords. In decision-making, the committee adopted an HD1 to shift the convening role from the Attorney General to the judiciary, narrow the scope, and make technical changes; the amended resolution passed unanimously, with one member excused.

Transcript Highlights:

• San Joaquin County has been lucky enough to receive over $200 million in B-CHIP funding to develop our
• Is this kind of a burnout, workforce development issue, or is it really because of the unpredictability
• You know, it was used to really develop and strengthen the importance of fatherhood.
• and layered it is to develop an effective program.
• and layered it is to develop an effective program.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So I think this is all in development. Operationalized all that yet.
• So I think this is all in development. And so this is our first time working on this.
• Counties are required to develop three-year plans.
• We'd be developing social media toolkits. Strategy to raise awareness.
• But the intent is to develop the full process and the... ...full process and the...

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have over 22,000 megawatts of contracts for resources that are in development.
• I guess so then how can we be assured that you're going to have a plan developed and in place in time
• And then we also have over 22,000 that are under contract in development.
• And then we also have over 22,000 that are under contract in development.
• And so the state of play about being behind on resources, contract in development.

Summary: The committee first heard Issue 1 on trailer bill language to redirect funding for emergency demand-response programs. The Department of Finance proposed using about $26.9 million in General Fund originally set aside for the Distributed Energy Backup Assets program to bolster the Demand-Side Grid Support Program for summer 2026, and using about $70 million in CalCHAP interest to support ratepayer-funded demand response in summers 2027 and 2028. The CEC and CPUC said they are working on a transition from DSGS to ELRP or a successor program, while the LAO noted the General Fund money would otherwise revert to savings. Members pressed the administration on whether demand response remains important, whether DSGS has been successful, and whether the state should keep funding it through the CEC rather than shifting to a ratepayer-funded CPUC program. The CEC and CPUC said the programs are not directly comparable, emphasized different cost structures and enrollment metrics, and said a CPUC rulemaking is underway with a proposed decision expected in Q3 2026. No vote was taken in the transcript. The committee then took up Issue 2, a budget proposal tied to SB 254 and the new transmission accelerator. GoBiz and the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank described a five-year, roughly $26 million request to staff and administer the accelerator and manage Proposition 4 and AB 1207 funds for transmission financing. Members asked about state liability, ownership of financed lines, FERC revenue requirements, and whether the program would help underserved regions and offshore wind development. Staff explained that the accelerator would only consider projects already identified through CAISO’s competitive transmission planning process, and that state financing would be a small portion of large projects intended to lower overall costs to ratepayers. The LAO said it had no specific concerns but urged the Legislature to ensure the final language matches its intent. The committee also heard Issue 3 on petroleum market oversight. The CEC and its Division of Petroleum Market Oversight requested additional positions and funding to implement ABX2-1 and continue work on supply stabilization, refinery monitoring, and transportation fuels analysis. Members questioned why the work was funded through the Energy Resources Programs Account, whether existing staff from the paused price-gouging work could be reassigned, and whether the program had produced evidence of price gouging or improved supply conditions. CEC and Finance said the new positions are needed because the workload has expanded, while some existing staff remain on related analysis and reporting duties. The discussion ended without a vote in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have over 22,000 megawatts of contracts for resources that are in development.
• And then we also have over 22,000 that are under contract in development.
• And then we also have over 22,000 that are under contract in development.
• And so the state of play about being behind on resources, contract in development.
• And that dictates what can go into the record and be developed in the record.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And without that public investment, these affordable homes would not be able to be developed.
• </c><00:06:42.160><c> And</c><00:06:42.400><c> so</c> not be able uh to be developed.
• And so not be able uh to be developed.
• <c> resides</c> that develop if that development resides that develop if that development resides in<
• Uh we took testimony on developments.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Agri-Business Development Corporation in support.
• </c><00:29:05.159><c> in</c> planning and sustainable development in planning and sustainable development
• </c> Vice my name is the office development Vice my name is the office development stand support<00:29
• </c> comments agre B Agri bus Development comments agre B Agri bus Development Corporation<00:29:37.960
• <00:30:59.799><c> Corporation</c><00:31:00.279><c> and</c> Development Corporation and Development Corporation

Committee: House Housing

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Housing held a public hearing on a wide range of housing-related bills. HB 295 on Hawaiian homelands drew support from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and individual testifiers who described long waits for DHHL housing, while the Department of Hawaiian Homelands offered comments noting that lowering the Native Hawaiian blood quantum from 50% to 25% would require multiple legal and federal review steps. The committee also heard testimony on several Hawaii Public Housing Authority measures, including HB 99, HB 1096, HB 1097, HB 1095, HB 1093, and HB 1094, which generally received agency support and little or no public opposition during the hearing. HB 1094 prompted questions about the handling and sale or donation of seized property, and the agency said it lacked capacity to manage that work directly and would need to consult the Attorney General on liability concerns. The committee then heard HB 1056 and HB 1467, both related to a proposed Hawaii Homes or housing resiliency program. DCCA, the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority, the Climate Advisory Team, and Hawaii Realtors supported HB 1056, while the Attorney General requested clarification on fund language. The Insurance Commissioner said DCCA was willing to run the program and that strengthening homes would help keep insurance available in Hawaii. For HB 1467, the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority and Climate Advisory Team also supported the measure, with the Attorney General raising concerns about delegation, the special fund, and extension authority. Testimony on both bills emphasized hurricane retrofits, with some witnesses urging harmonization of the two similar proposals and one witness warning that the bills could conflict with efforts to reduce building-code minimum standards. Other measures included HB 1013 on important agricultural lands, which received support from HHFDC, the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, DBEDT, the Agri-Business Development Corporation, and Purple Maiʻa Foundation, with some agencies offering comments. HB 1294 on agricultural workforce housing drew comments from the Attorney General, who said commissions may be established by law rather than by the department itself, along with support from OHA, a council member, and the Democratic Party of Hawaii Education Caucus. HB 89 on teacher housing received support from OHA and education groups, while the Attorney General said the bill may have constitutional issues and suggested amendments to set standards for voucher applications. HB 276 on condominiums and HB 528 on residential leases also drew support, with no testimony in opposition. HB 415 on public safety and fire sprinklers generated the most clear split in testimony: the State Fire Council, a fire department representative, and an individual supported the bill, arguing sprinklers improve safety and can prevent major losses, while BIA Hawaii, Pacific Home and Appliance Distribution, NAAP Hawaii, Gentry Holmes, and DR Horton Hawaii opposed it, saying the added cost would worsen housing affordability and that existing codes already address safety. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the hearing; the chair repeatedly closed each bill after testimony and questions, and the hearing moved through the agenda without recorded committee votes.