Transcript Highlights:

• As expected with any new legislative or regulatory program, a number of operational procedural conflicts
• 37:14.240><c> uh</c> Um as expected with any new legis- uh Um as expected with any new legis- uh regulatory
• 14.920><c> program,</c><01:37:15.920><c> a</c><01:37:16.000><c> number</c><01:37:16.360><c> of</c> regulatory
• program, a number of regulatory program, a number of operational<01:37:17.120><c> procedural</c><01:

Keywords: 928, house, all

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

Transcript Highlights:

• New Hampshire or to relocate to New Hampshire are the lower cost of available real estate and low regulatory
• available real estate lower cost of available real estate and<01:04:25.400><c> low</c><01:04:25.680><c> regulatory
• </c> and low regulatory burden for research. and low regulatory burden for research.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Sera, also Senator Bridges, concerning a supplemental appropriation to the Department of Regulatory
• appropriation to the supplemental appropriation to the Department<02:47:31.920><c> of</c><02:47:32.080><c> Regulatory
• </c> Department of Regulatory Agencies. Department of Regulatory Agencies.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, we support this bill as it aligns with our business climate priority by providing clear regulatory
• by with our business climate priority by providing<01:09:29.480><c> clear</c><01:09:29.799><c> regulatory
• </c><01:09:30.520><c> certainty</c> providing clear regulatory certainty providing clear regulatory certainty

Bills: HB0098, HB0075, HB0041, HB0101

Keywords: gun control, Second Amendment, constitutional rights, misdemeanor, law enforcement, virtual currency, kiosk, financial institutions, regulation, Wyoming Money Transmitters Act, penalties, death benefits, retirement, survivor support, public safety, guardianship, monitoring, ward protection, financial independence, case management

Transcript Highlights:

• structure for us to take into consideration the mechanisms that will be necessary and any statutory regulatory
• 06:51.680><c> statutory</c> be ne necessary and any statutory be ne necessary and any statutory regulatory
• </c><01:06:54.480><c> I</c> regulatory adjustments that may come.
• I regulatory adjustments that may come.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Transportation Committee met on February 5 and heard testimony on a long agenda of transportation-related bills. Early measures included HB 2392, which would create an employer tax credit for transportation demand management benefits; HB 2462, which would bar auto manufacturers and dealers from charging post-sale fees for already-installed hardware; and HB 2423, which would require diesel sold for on-road use to contain at least 5% biodiesel. HB 2392 drew support from the Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization and one individual, with the Department of Taxation and the Tax Foundation offering comments. HB 2462 drew support from DCCA and one individual, while the Alliance for Automotive Innovation opposed it. HB 2423 drew comments from the Hawaii State Energy Office and Hawaii Farm Bureau, support from Pacific Biodiesel and the Hawaii Transportation Association, and a question from the chair about whether biodiesel is exported; the witness said production stays local. The committee also heard HB 1771 on voluntary carbon offsets for air travel, HB 2081 on requiring firefighters exempt from CDL rules to follow equivalent alcohol and substance abuse policies, HB 2334 on allowing the Department of Transportation to assume NEPA responsibilities for certain projects, and HB 2336 on DOT agreements with the Department of Defense for work at military installations using federal funds. HB 1771 drew comments from Life of the Land warning that carbon offsets are often unreliable and could create liability, while Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines offered comments. HB 2081 received support from DOT, county human resources offices, fire departments, and county officials, with the Hawaii Firefighters Association in opposition. HB 2334 was supported by DOT, and the director said other states using NEPA assignment can complete projects in about half the time. HB 2336 was supported by DOT, HIEMA, DBEDT’s military relations office, and the Hawaii Military Affairs Council; the committee discussed the administrative fee as a way to recover costs under an intergovernmental agreement. The most extensive testimony centered on HB 1666, which would limit new motor vehicle markups above 5% of MSRP and require recordkeeping. Multiple dealer groups and the Hawaii Automobile Dealers Association opposed it, arguing it would threaten dealership operations, especially in Hawaii’s high-cost market and for vehicles without an MSRP. The committee also heard HB 2375 on uniform towing and parking enforcement standards on state and leased lands, including notice, disability protections, payment safeguards, and public reporting; DLNR, DAGS, and several advocacy groups testified, with strong public support and concerns about towing practices and ADA compliance. HB 2415, which would appropriate funds for crosswalks near school properties, drew support from DOT, DOE, and the Hawaii Bicycling League, and the committee discussed how counties would request projects and how funding would be allocated. Finally, HB 2451, which would move Hawaii toward fare-free public transit beginning in 2027 and create a dedicated funding source through a petroleum tax increase, received broad support from DOT, the Energy Office, public health and advocacy groups, and many individuals; DOE testified that it currently uses about $2.1 million for student bus passes and that the program is tied to savings from inactive school bus routes.

Transcript Highlights:

• They have, uh, bear increased responsibility to ensure regulatory compliance, maintaining governance
• bear increased responsibility<01:33:48.239><c> to</c><01:33:48.480><c> ensure</c><01:33:48.880><c> regulatory
• </c> responsibility to ensure regulatory responsibility to ensure regulatory compliance, compliance,

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It combines statutory, regulatory, and constitutional law, and the constant shift makes it complex even
• It combines<00:55:12.880><c> statutory,</c><00:55:13.760><c> regulatory,</c><00:55:14.559><c> and</c>
• combines statutory, regulatory, and combines statutory, regulatory, and constitutional<00:55:15.760>

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Judiciary Committee held an informational briefing on the impact and legality of federal immigration enforcement efforts in Hawaii, with Chair Carl Rhodes framing it as the sixth and final interim briefing in a series on the rule of law and local effects of federal actions. He said the discussion would focus on due process concerns, questioning and detention of citizens and lawful immigrants, free speech issues, and pressure on state and local law enforcement, and noted the issues may be revisited in the 2026 regular session. There was no public testimony or committee vote; only invited speakers presented. Dr. Amy Agayani opened by arguing that immigrants are integral to Hawaii’s history, economy, and communities, and contrasted that with what she described as harmful narratives portraying immigrants as criminals. She cited figures that one in five Hawaii residents is foreign-born, that immigrants make up about 20% of the labor force and over 27% of entrepreneurs, and that roughly 40,000 people in Hawaii are undocumented, many of whom may have pathways to legal status but face language, information, and court barriers. She also said federal enforcement has expanded beyond undocumented immigrants to include citizens and lawful residents, and warned that attacks on birthright citizenship and visa categories could affect many families. Matina Mock of the legal clinic emphasized the complexity of immigration law and the severe lack of legal representation, noting a nationwide backlog of 11.3 million immigration-related applications and 3.4 million court cases, plus about 1,400 pending immigration cases in Honolulu with only two immigration judges. She said Hawaii has only six or seven nonprofit immigration legal service providers, and that represented clients are far more likely to obtain relief. Mock described a recent case involving a lawful student visa holder who was transferred among multiple federal facilities before being brought to Honolulu without clear notice, which she said illustrated due process violations. She also said ICE activity in Hawaii has sharply increased, with about 150 arrests from January to July 2025, a 380% increase over the same period in 2024, and that many detainees have no criminal record. Stephanie Haro Sevilla and another clinic fellow described 2025 enforcement as a major shift driven by a January executive order, the end of prior limits on arrests in sensitive locations, and arrest quotas they said require 3,000 arrests per day nationwide. They said this has led to arrests without warrants or probable cause, broader targeting of people with minor offenses or no criminal history, and the use of resources from other federal agencies and local law enforcement for civilian immigration enforcement. They also said the federal detention center in Honolulu is holding roughly 40 to 80 civilian detainees on any given day, often in conditions they characterized as prison-like, and warned that the current escalation could eventually affect lawful permanent residents and naturalized citizens. The speakers urged the public to support immigrant-rights advocates and local protective policies and funding measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• issue of equity and access, and our organization is here to make sure that our state insurance regulatory
• 04:24.400><c> state</c><00:04:24.720><c> insurance</c><00:04:25.840><c> uh</c><00:04:26.000><c> regulatory
• </c><00:04:26.639><c> system</c> our state insurance uh regulatory system our state insurance uh regulatory

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• important to make sure they can admit people safely to their programs without putting themselves under regulatory
• under</c><00:24:48.440><c> um</c> and not put ourselves under um and not put ourselves under um regulatory
• 50.440><c> well</c><00:24:50.559><c> as</c><00:24:50.720><c> create</c><00:24:50.960><c> unsafe</c> regulatory
• risk as well as create unsafe regulatory risk as well as create unsafe conditions<00:24:51.880><c> for

Bills: HF2196, HF2586, HF2187, HF2037

Keywords: mental health, emotional disturbance, terminology update, statutory cleanup, conforming amendments, children's mental health, serious mental illness, severe emotional disturbance, case management, residential treatment, outpatient services, crisis services, health plan coverage, antipsychotic drugs, medical assistance, Medicaid, foster care, juvenile court, school discipline, county board

Transcript Highlights:

• have health care-specific merger review laws because of how that sort of, you know, fits into the regulatory
• 04.240><c> the</c> that sort of uh you know fits into the that sort of uh you know fits into the regulatory
• </c><00:55:05.599><c> But</c><00:55:05.760><c> there</c><00:55:05.920><c> are</c> regulatory environment
• But there are regulatory environment.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Establishing the commission to study the creation of regulatory framework for stable tokens and tokenization
• the establishing the commission to study the creation<00:19:34.799><c> of</c><00:19:35.000><c> regulatory
• </c><00:19:35.400><c> framework</c><00:19:35.799><c> for</c> creation of regulatory framework for creation
• of regulatory framework for stable<00:19:36.280><c> tokens</c><00:19:36.720><c> and</c><00:19:37.039

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 167, a PFAS-related measure expanding the state’s restrictions to include ski wax and related fluorocarbons. The sponsor said the bill was a follow-up to last year’s PFAS law and largely targeted products already off the market, describing it as a reaffirmation of the state’s intent to keep PFAS out of water. The committee voted unanimously to recommend the bill ought to pass and then placed it on the consent calendar. Next, the committee considered House Bill 275 on health career credentialing requirements. The discussion centered on a proposal that would have required insurance companies to pay for training mandated by federal requirements. Members concluded that approach was not appropriate and voted unanimously to make the bill inexpedient to legislate, then placed it on the consent calendar. House Bill 276, dealing with on-premise beverage license requirements, was then reconsidered after an initial ITL vote. The committee adopted an amendment creating a tavern license for establishments limited to patrons over 21, with a higher fee and no food requirement, and then voted 15-0 to recommend the bill ought to pass as amended; it was also placed on the consent calendar. The committee then took up House Bill 310, which would establish a commission to study a regulatory framework for stable tokens and tokenization of real-world assets. The sponsor said the amendment added blockchain-based trusts and discussion of privacy and environmental concerns. The committee approved the amendment 16-0 and then voted 16-0 to recommend the bill ought to pass as amended, placing it on the consent calendar. House Bill 312, concerning intercollegiate student athletes’ right to earn compensation from name, image, and likeness, was retained because members said the issue was not ready and the NCAA had not resolved how to handle it. Finally, the committee began discussion of House Bill 316 on ground ambulance reimbursement, with an amendment that would replace the bill’s reimbursement provisions with a study commission; members debated how it related to another bill, HB 725, and whether the amendment would delay immediate relief for ambulance providers.

Transcript Highlights:

• that that's at least one example of a situation where the fundamental concept is that if you are a regulatory
• <00:47:21.839><c> a</c> fundamental concept is if you are a fundamental concept is if you are a regulatory
• 24.079><c> and</c><00:47:24.200><c> you're</c><00:47:24.480><c> entitled</c><00:47:25.040><c> to</c> regulatory
• agency and you're entitled to regulatory agency and you're entitled to conduct<00:47:26.240><c> enforc

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 313 and, on motion by Representative Perez, voted to retain the bill because members felt it needed further work and was not ready for final action. The motion passed 18-0, and no further action was taken on the bill. House Bill 391, an anti-SLAPP measure, was then discussed; supporters said it addressed a real problem and should move forward, while opponents raised concerns that it was too broad, could affect criminal cases, and might create procedural complications. The committee voted 18-0 to retain HB 391 as well, and it was placed on consent. The committee next considered House Bill 462, establishing a cause of action for unwarranted video imaging of residential properties. Representative McFarland moved OTP, saying the bill raised First Amendment and property-rights concerns. The motion passed 18-0, and the bill was also placed on consent. The committee then turned to House Bill 509, which would require reporting on forfeitures. Supporters argued the information was useful for future legislation, while opponents said the reporting would be costly, duplicative, and potentially split data across fiscal years. The committee voted 11-7 to recommend OTP, with a minority of members opposed. House Bill 520, authorizing Department of Education hearing officers to issue subpoenas, drew the most extended debate. Supporters argued DOE needed the same tools other agencies have, while opponents said DOE already had access to needed information, the Attorney General could handle subpoenas, and the bill would create an unbalanced process and raise due process and student-record concerns. Representative Tur offered Amendment 0842H to shift subpoena power from DOE hearing officers to the Attorney General; after debate, the amendment failed 10-8. The transcript cuts off as the committee begins the roll call on the underlying bill after rejecting the amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• This proposed regulatory regime will send development capital to other opportunities where their project
• rental rental housing<01:05:44.079><c> this</c><01:05:44.319><c> proposed</c><01:05:44.839><c> regulatory
• </c><01:05:45.480><c> regime</c> housing this proposed regulatory regime housing this proposed regulatory

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Limiting the power of any regulatory body is essential. We don't need another rulemaking process.
• democracy limiting the power<00:33:11.559><c> of</c><00:33:11.720><c> any</c><00:33:11.960><c> regulatory
• </c><00:33:12.519><c> body</c><00:33:12.919><c> is</c> power of any regulatory body is power of any regulatory

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Water and Land Committee heard several measures related to DLNR, coastal management, and public lands. SB 561, which appropriates funds for conservation enforcement equipment for the Oʻahu branch of DOCARE, drew broad support from DLNR and multiple organizations, with the chair noting 18 supporters and no opposition. SB 465 would require DLNR to study the carrying capacity of Kīkiʻola Small Boat Harbor on Kauaʻi and report to the Legislature; DLNR supported the intent but suggested the study be timed with an ongoing $41 million capital improvement project. Senator Kouchi explained the bill was meant to close a permit loophole that has allowed operators to increase passenger capacity without additional approval, while one testifier opposed the measure as unnecessary and late. Supporters included county and community representatives, while some written testimony opposed it. The committee also heard SB 1456, which broadens the definition of beach restoration to include work on eroded beaches and degraded dune systems, including sand management, native vegetation, and removal of abandoned materials. DLNR, the University of Hawaiʻi, and other testifiers supported the measure as an administrative update. SB 1460 would require BLNR lease extensions to use updated forms reflecting current leasing practices; DLNR supported it as an administrative bill. SB 1517 would authorize public land leases for recreational residential use by public lottery limited to county residents. DLNR supported the bill, and Chipper Wiman and others testified that it would help preserve Kauaʻi’s historic recreational cabins and create fairness for local families; the committee also heard concerns about older cabins, market-based auction prices, and the need to keep these leases affordable for residents. The committee then heard SB 1511, which would prohibit vessels longer than 75 feet from entering Honoliʻi Bay, with an exemption for government vessels; DLNR and at least one additional testifier supported it. SB 1019 would allow the Ocean Stewardship Special Fund to be used for beach restoration planning and grants to nonprofits for cleanup, but DLNR said that purpose fit better under the separate Beach Restoration Special Fund, and the Ocean Tourism Coalition opposed the bill on that basis. Finally, SB 1457 would authorize DLNR to issue interim rules on commercial and recreational water sports equipment use for up to two years; DLNR described it as an adaptive-management tool for changing conditions, while multiple water-sports operators and residents opposed it, arguing it would reduce public participation, expand agency power, and target the foiling community. The hearing closed with the chair noting heavy opposition to SB 1457, including 88 written testimonies against it and only a few in support.

Transcript Highlights:

• :14:31.760><c> employees,</c><00:14:32.560><c> you</c> efficiencies out of your employees, you efficiencies
• and helping state workers do their job effectively and efficiently.
• Modernizing our systems efficiently.
• We are<00:18:50.320><c> being</c><00:18:50.559><c> efficient.
• But above all, this are being efficient.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Which of our buildings are the least energy efficient? What can we do to plan?
• </c><00:25:00.640><c> What</c><00:25:00.799><c> can</c> are the least energy efficient?
• What can are the least energy efficient?
• SCALE stands for Scott County Association for Leadership and Efficiency.
• and effective with our tax efficient and effective with our tax dollar<00:35:43.599><c> at</c><00:35

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , and so it is and can be very efficient because you end up having a single source and you don't have
• So it is a very efficient model, and it works well when the time is right for it. we just um we we we
• and so it is and can be very efficiently and so it is and can be very efficient<00:53:22.400><c> because
• So it is a very efficient crossfire.
• So it is a very efficient model, and it works well when the time is right for it.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• data, cost savings, and efficiency, to show some information about the positive return on investment
• . >> We have done that too— that has some cost efficiencies, but also the return on investments done
• by third parties, SBER, but I think you really wanted to see the cost efficiencies now too, right. >>
• </c> addition to providing the efficiencies addition to providing the efficiencies data<00:52:37.520>
• </c> cost efficiencies now too right. cost efficiencies now too right.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee met for its fifth and final Interim Joint Budget Review Subcommittee on Education meeting, but did not initially have a quorum and approved the minutes later when enough members were present. The Council on Postsecondary Education, represented by President Aaron Thompson and Vice President Bill Payne, opened with condolences for the UPS crash victims and then presented higher education budget recommendations for the 2026-2028 biennium. Thompson emphasized the return on investment from state support for higher education, citing gains in retention, enrollment, persistence, graduation, reduced time to degree, lower student debt, and expanded dual credit participation, while noting that affordability and access remain priorities. Payne outlined CPE’s operating funds request, including $43.3 million in the first year and $86.6 million in the second year for inflation adjustments, plus $30 million and $45 million for performance funding. He said the inflation request would apply across the board to institutions to offset rising costs, and that the KSU land grant match would not need additional funding because the state has already met the matching requirement. He also explained that state support for educating students has not kept pace with inflation over time, creating pressure on institutional budgets and tuition, though tuition increases have been held to historic lows in recent years. A major portion of the discussion focused on the performance funding model and how it affects smaller institutions. CPE proposed two approaches to address institutions that have received little or no performance funding, especially Kentucky State University and Morehead State University. The first approach would create a $20 million minimum distribution pool, providing $1.95 million to each university and $4.4 million to KCTCS, with the goal of giving smaller and rural institutions a base level of support. The second approach would provide direct appropriations totaling a little over $5.6 million to Kentucky State, Morehead State, and five community colleges that have not been receiving performance funding. Members, especially Representative Tipton and Senator West, questioned how the model had treated small schools over time, and CPE officials explained that the original small school adjustment was not large enough to prevent KSU and Morehead from effectively being left out of the distribution. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is new to me, and so I'm just looking at it, and it says that there's efficiencies gained.
• I wish I had my notes here because there were quite a few efficiencies in the line of communication mostly
• And so they felt like the efficiencies were there and that it would just work better there.
• Woodward, just to final add, I think to Senator Galloway's question, I think that the idea, the efficiency
• And so if all of that is happening under the supervision of one office, the efficiency, I think, is that

Summary: The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee first approved a trailer appropriation for House Bill 730, adding $351,000 one-time General Fund to the Department of Health and Welfare’s Division of Welfare for SNAP eligibility system changes. One member argued the change was unnecessary because Idaho already has a low error rate and the current eligibility systems work well, but the motion passed with a due pass recommendation. The committee then considered House Bill 898, which moves the State Historic Preservation Office from the Idaho State Historical Society to the Office of Species, Minerals, and Energy Coordination. Members discussed whether the move was requested by the governor and whether it would create efficiencies in permitting and federal coordination. The committee approved both the reduction from the Historical Society budget and the corresponding addition to SMEC, along with language exempting SMEC from certain transfer restrictions. The State Historical Society director was said to support the move. Next, the committee approved trailer funding for Senate Bill 128, creating the Idaho High Need Students Fund. The committee added $5 million one-time dedicated funding and approved transfers of $1 million from the Idaho Career Ready Students Program Fund and $4 million from the driver training account. Analysts explained that while the funding is one-time, it could increase the state’s ongoing maintenance-of-effort obligation under federal special education rules if other funding remains unchanged. Members described the measure as a partial, temporary response to a larger special education funding gap. Finally, the committee revisited the Department of Fish and Game budget after it had failed on the House floor earlier. Members discussed multiple enhancement requests, including habitat projects, Good Neighbor Authority work, fisheries inflation, wolf depredation, communications, and replacement items. A substitute motion that included additional funding for temporary employees failed in the House vote, and the committee then approved a revised motion with a due pass recommendation. The committee also adopted language directing $200,000 of wolf depredation funds to wolf trapping. The meeting ended with discussion of pending items for the next day, including rural health transformation and state police-related budget actions.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a thing that's going to happen, and let's make it as efficient and as good for Idahoans as possible
• And I've applied a lot of the efficiencies that I've learned and a lot of the strategic planning to my
• These developments use land efficiently and are often more cost-effective, making them attractive.
• These developments use land efficiently and often include parking and are more cost-effective, making
• either to perform the blower door test or follow the prescriptive path while maintaining energy efficiency

Keywords: 989, all