Transcript Highlights:

• We'll now move into executive session, and I move that House Bill 1768 be voted due pass.
• I move that House Bill 2415 be voted due pass. Any discussion? 2415 be voted due pass.
• I move that House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2415 be voted do pass.
• With 14 yeses and two noes, you have voted do pass. Fourteen yeses and two noes.
• You have voted do pass House Bill, or Committee Substitute for House Bill 2415.

Committee: House Special Committee on Property Tax Reform

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The substitute would also add 10 non-voting members to the commission, and they would represent various
• By your vote, we advance second substitute Senate Bill 6066, the version that is S-4840.2, to the Rules
• By your vote, we advance second substitute Senate Bill 6066, the version that is S-4840.2, to the Rules
• By your vote, we've advanced Substitute Senate Joint Memorial 8016 with the do-pass recommendation to
• By your vote, we've advanced Substitute Senate Joint Memorial 8016 with the do-pass recommendation to

Summary: The Transportation Committee met in executive session and considered seven measures, with staff briefing members on proposed amendments and substitutes. The main policy bills included Substitute Senate Bill 6066 on crash prevention zones, Senate Bill 6131 on the Washington State Traffic Safety Commission’s role in traffic safety and fatality review, Senate Bill 6311 on maintaining pedestrian passage during construction, Senate Bill 6230 on rounding cash transactions to eliminate pennies, Senate Bill 6032 on covering or cleaning towed vehicles with mud or debris, and Senate Bill 6335 revising the State Transportation Commission. The committee also considered Substitute Joint Memorial 8016, urging federal emergency treatment for the Fairfax Bridge closure and replacement. Members discussed competing amendments on SB 6066, including proposals to clarify enforcement coordination, signage, penalty amounts, and the scope of local versus state crash prevention zones. On SB 6131, amendments were offered to either remove or narrow the Traffic Safety Commission’s public health authority designation, while another amendment added HIPAA-related definitions and confidentiality protections. For SB 6311, the substitute focused on continuous accessible pedestrian passage near hospitals, parks, and schools, with later clarifications on where the requirement applies, local feasibility standards, and liability limits. SB 6230’s amendments would have allowed exact-payment exceptions and permissive rounding authority, while SB 6032’s amendment would have required reusable covers if a driver chooses to cover a towed vehicle. The committee adopted or accepted substitutes and then advanced all seven measures with do-pass recommendations to the Rules Committee. Senator King withdrew his SB 6066 substitute, SB 6131’s withdrawn amendments were replaced by adoption of amendment S-4874.1, and SB 6311’s substitute was withdrawn and then advanced in the revised form. SB 6230’s amendments were withdrawn after members noted a floor substitute was being worked on, and SB 6032’s amendment was set aside because the prime sponsor was absent. The meeting ended with thanks to committee staff and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Those in favor, vote aye. Members, you've heard the motion. Those in favor, vote aye.
• Those opposed, vote no. The ayes have it, so ordered.
• Those in favor, vote aye. Those opposed, vote no. The ayes have it, so ordered. We are adjourned.
• Those in favor, vote aye. Those opposed, vote no. The ayes have it, so ordered. We are adjourned.
• As you've heard the motion, those in favor, vote aye. Those opposed, vote no.

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then completed roll call, approved the prior journal, and welcomed several guest groups to the gallery, including CSG West and NCSL visitors, Tucson Electric Power/UniSource Native BRG members, Pascua Yaqui constituents, Marcos de Niza High School students, and guests from Payson. Members also observed a moment of silence for former Attorney General Mark Brnovich. Senator Hatathlie read a proclamation honoring the life and service of Amaya Curley, a Navajo woman and Navy veteran, and the chamber recessed for presentation of an Arizona state flag flown in her memory, with her family present. The President Pro Tem announced extended deadlines for opening Senate folders and for Senate bill intro set preparation, and the Senate received House messages regarding adjournment. The chamber voted to accede to the House request to adjourn after Thursday, January 15, 2026, until Tuesday, January 20, 2026. No substantive bill debate occurred; instead, the body moved a large number of measures to second reading, including election, education, health care, firearms, immigration-related reporting, cryptocurrency, transportation, and various memorial and appropriation bills. Committee and caucus announcements were made for Thursday, January 15, including Rules Committee and both party caucuses. The Senate then adopted a motion to adjourn until Thursday, January 15, 2026, at 10 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Those in favor, vote aye. Members, you've heard the motion. Those in favor, vote aye.
• Those opposed, vote no. The ayes have it, and so ordered.
• Those in favor, vote aye. Those opposed, vote no. The ayes have it, and so ordered.
• Those in favor, vote aye. Those opposed, vote no. The ayes have it, and so ordered.
• Those in favor, vote aye. Those opposed, vote no. The ayes have it, and so ordered.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But anything that we do is going to require a majority vote in each body to pass. >> Uh, but anything
• that we do is going to require a majority vote in each body to pass.
• Uh, that's for those who were counting votes to work. >> Senator, there hasn't been the votes to do this
• If legislators vote the way their districts as a whole would want them to vote, I think it is realistic
• </c> of the things you could get 201 votes of the things you could get 201 votes on?

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So I think we can vote. Great. Well, you need me to read the description. Is that correct?
• So with that, from the Senate, Chair Lefonte, I vote. I co-chair Konoa.
• </c> from the Senate um chair Lefonte I vote from the Senate um chair Lefonte I vote I<00:03:43.200><
• </c><00:03:54.080><c> Yes,</c> take the vote for the house? Yes, take the vote for the house?
• We have to vote first. We might not come back. Okay.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The vote will now occur. Clerk, call the roll. Please.
• That's why I'm voting no. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
• And I'd appreciate a yes vote. The vote will now occur on House Bill 3705. Clerk, or call a roll.
• House Bill 3705 has received 3 votes and 3 nay votes. I declare the same two have passed.
• and two nay votes, the same to have passed.

Bills: HB1675 , HB3242 , HB1739 , HB3320 , HB3047 , HB4434 , HJR1089 , HB4432 , HB3718 , HB3705

Committee: Senate Rules

Keywords: emergency management, severe weather, youth camp, summer camp, overnight camp, day camp, outdoor education, adventure camp, wilderness program, campground safety, tornado preparedness, flooding, flash flood, high winds, hail, lightning, extreme heat, extreme cold, wildfire smoke, evacuation plan

Transcript Highlights:

• By your unanimous vote of 18-0 and zero no, you have voted House Committee substitute for House Bill
• By your unanimous vote of 18-I and zero-no, you have voted House Committee substitute for House Bill
• Again, by your unanimous vote of 18-0 and zero no, you have voted House Committee substitute for House
• We voted it out, do pass.
• We voted it out, do pass.

Committee: House Elementary and Secondary Education

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I've also heard, just vote it down. We can't. We can't do that.
• So we can't actually put it to a local vote.
• They showed up, took the vote, and organized a district.
• But I would like to ask for a roll call vote on this motion, please.
• ... ...on a 9-6 vote.

Committee: House Local Government

Summary: The House Local Government Committee approved the minutes from February 2, 4, and 18, then held a follow-up hearing on HB 747, a bill dealing with mosquito abatement districts, opt-outs from spraying, public notification, aerial applications, and enforcement. The sponsor, Representative Byswinger, said the revised bill was intended to make opt-outs explicit, improve transparency about chemicals used, clarify that drone spraying would not count as aerial abatement, and add accountability for districts he said were not honoring existing law. Supporters argued the bill protects property rights, informed consent, and residents who want to avoid chemical exposure, while several testified that some districts have confusing opt-out procedures or have not respected opt-outs. Opponents, including Canyon County Mosquito Abatement Director Jim Lunders, Madison County Mosquito Director Jared Arnold, Bannock County Commissioner Jeff Huff, and technical advisor Daniel Markowski, said the bill would create major administrative and financial burdens, shift responsibilities to county commissioners without funding, require publication of an impractically large list of possible products, and restrict effective mosquito control. They also warned that requiring a public health emergency before aerial applications would delay response to outbreaks and that limiting access to public lands or making opt-outs permanent through property sales could hinder operations. Supporters from Gem County and elsewhere described health concerns, chemical exposure, and alleged failures by districts to honor opt-outs. After testimony and questions, Representative Hostetler moved to send HB 747 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. Representative Weber offered a substitute motion to hold the bill in committee, citing local control and unintended consequences. The committee rejected the motion to hold the bill on a 9-6 roll call vote, then approved the original motion to send HB 747 to the floor with a due pass recommendation on a 9-6 roll call vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Looking forward to voting up.
• I will vote up.
• Please vote for this bill and thank you again. Chair Chaney: Thank you.
• Maybe will in the future, but it will be voted down.
• People not voting this forward for political reasons is a strong message.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:17:01.279><c> voting</c><00:17:01.519><c> on</c> seeing n Vice chair for a vote voting on seeing
• n Vice chair for a vote voting on Senate<00:17:01.880><c> Bill</c><00:17:02.079><c> 338</c><00:17:02.839
• Vice Chair: Voting on Senate Bill 1491.
• Vice Chair: Voting on Senate Bill 436.
• Bill</c> chair for the vote voting on Senate Bill chair for the vote voting on Senate Bill 1034<00:20

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Committee on Labor and Technology heard testimony on several measures. SB 338, relating to taxation, would temporarily reinstate the Act 221 technology infrastructure renovation tax credit and expand eligible technology-enabled infrastructure to include data servers; Tax Department said it had no requested changes, SurfPAC supported the bill, and the Tax Foundation offered comments. Members later advanced SB 338 with amendments, including a report to the Legislature before the 2029 session and technical changes. SB 1491, on departmental data sharing, would add the Department of Taxation to the state longitudinal data system to share aggregated wage data; UH, Hawaii P20, and the Tax Foundation supported it, and Taxation said it could comply as written. The committee amended the bill to also include DBEDT and then passed it with amendments. The committee also considered SB 1156 on sexually explicit deepfakes, SB 853 on an immigration services trust fund, SB 436 on limiting State Fire Marshal service to three terms, and SB 1034 on rest periods in the food service industry. The Attorney General said SB 1156 was unnecessary because existing law already covers AI-created deepfakes, and the committee deferred the bill. SB 853 drew support from DLIR/Office of Community Services and civil rights advocates, but opposition testimony noted substantial public opposition; the committee deferred the measure, saying existing resources from Act 7 made the trust fund premature. SB 436 drew concerns from the State Fire Council representative that term limits would add complications, but the committee passed it with amendments. SB 1034 drew mixed testimony: DLIR stood on comments, the restaurant association supported the intent but suggested changing the five-hour threshold, and the Hawaii Food Industry Association opposed it over the lack of a definition of food service industry; the committee amended the bill to add that definition and passed it with amendments. At the later 3:15 p.m. decision-making-only agenda, the committee deferred SB 730 indefinitely after conferring with the PSM chair, saying it was special legislation needing further work in the interim.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:37:47.359><c> voting</c> discussion see on V for the vote voting discussion see on V for the
• </c> members okay see none Vice chair voting members okay see none Vice chair voting on<00:38:36.800>
• Vice Chair, for the vote.
• Vice Chair, for the vote.
• </c><00:40:56.480><c> 855</c><00:40:57.480><c> the</c> vote voting on Senate Bill 855 the vote voting

Committee: Senate Labor and Technology

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Committee on Labor and Technology heard testimony on several measures. Senate Bill 327, relating to internships, drew broad support from the Department of Education, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, University of Hawaiʻi, DBEDT, P20, HFIA, Hawaiʻi Electric, the Hawaii Primary Care Association, and the Chamber of Commerce, with suggested amendments to clarify the internship purpose, limit some responsibilities to the state executive branch, and address staffing and reporting details. The committee later recommended passing SB 327 with amendments, including changes to the internship language, private-sector references, work-hour limits, reporting requirements, and a deferred effective date for further discussion. Senate Bill 716, relating to the Hawaii Employment Security Law, received support from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations as a step toward modernizing unemployment insurance, and the committee recommended passage with housekeeping and technical amendments. Senate Bill 717, relating to collective bargaining, would allow certain exempt employees to grieve suspensions or discharges. The City and County of Honolulu and the Department of Human Resources Development said the issue should remain a collective bargaining matter, while HGEA and United Public Workers supported the bill. DHRD opposed changing the statute and pointed to existing internal complaint procedures. The committee nevertheless recommended passing SB 717 with amendments and deferred the date for further discussion. Senate Bill 742, relating to data sharing, would create a data sharing and governance working group within the Office of Enterprise Technology Services and include appropriations. OETS, the Executive Office on Early Learning, the University of Hawaiʻi, DOE, Hawaiʻi Kids Can, Hawaiʻi P-20, and others supported the measure, with OETS estimating a total cost of about $2.64 million, including software, consulting, and six FTE. The committee recommended passage with amendments and a deferred effective date, and noted the budget request in the committee report. The final measure, Senate Bill 855, relating to the Hawaii Retirement Savings Act, would shift the program from opt-in to opt-out and appropriate startup funds; former Senator Brian Taniguchi and AARP supported it, while Retail Merchants of Hawaiʻi and the Tax Foundation of Hawaiʻi opposed it over costs and burdens on small businesses and concerns about adding mandates before the program is implemented. The committee recessed briefly on a proposed AARP amendment, then returned and indicated support for the opt-out language before taking the bill up for decision-making.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're voting on the committee substitute.
• Senator Compos votes yes. Senator Gonzalez? Yes. Senator Gonzalez votes yes. Senator Lanier? No.
• Senator Lanier votes no. Senator Pug. Senator Gonzalez votes yes. Senator Lanier? No.
• Senator Lanier votes no. Senator Padilla? Yes. Senator Padilla votes yes. Senator Steinborn? Yes.
• Senator Muñoz votes yes. We have a due pass for the committee substitute. Senator Muñoz votes yes.

Bills: SB151 , HB8 , SB177

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Keywords: corporate income tax, franchise tax, gross receipts tax, tax credit, tax deduction, controlled foreign corporation, CFC, bonus depreciation, interest expense, apportionment, unitary group, high-wage jobs tax credit, local journalism, news media, newspaper printer, physician incentive, health care workforce, affordable housing, multifamily housing, construction materials

Transcript Highlights:

• We're voting on the committee substitute.
• Senator Compos votes yes. Senator Gonzalez? Yes. Senator Gonzalez votes yes. Senator Linear? No.
• Senator Lanier votes no. Senator Pug... Senator Gonzalez votes yes. Senator Lanier votes no.
• Senator Padilla votes yes. Senator Steinborn? Yes. Senator Tobiasen? No. Senator Tobiasen votes no.
• Senator Munoz votes yes. We have a due pass for the committee substitute. Senator Munoz votes yes.

Bills: HB253 , HB153 , HB255 , HB287 , HB371 , SB151 , HB8 , SB177

Committee: Senate House Appropriations & Finance

Keywords: distance learning, virtual instruction, public education, student enrollment, school funding, education standards, pandemic education response, low-carbon construction, construction materials, rebate, environmental product declaration, EPD, embodied carbon, carbon intensity, greenhouse gas emissions, decarbonization, industrial incentives, clean manufacturing, cement, concrete

Summary: The committee first corrected its action on Senate Bill 151, noting that the earlier motion had been made incorrectly after the committee substitute was amended. Members then moved to do not pass the Senate Finance Committee substitute and do pass the same committee substitute so it could be sent to the floor. The only change identified in the substitute was an adjustment to the sunset date. A roll call vote followed, with several members voting yes and a few voting no or being excused, and the motion to report the committee substitute out with a due pass recommendation carried. After the SB 151 vote, the chair said the committee was essentially finished and expected to meet on the floor the next day, likely around noon, with a plan to come in earlier and handle a few more bills. The discussion then shifted to House Bill 2 and the broader issue of state employee compensation. One member argued that over the past several years the state had already provided substantial pay raises and benefits, citing roughly $1.3 billion in raises, about $184 million annually for health care costs, and $116 million annually for employer pension costs, for a total of about $1.6 billion over four years. That member said the state had done enough on employee compensation and that a proposed 1% increase did not make sense given competing priorities such as child care and other needs. The committee then adjourned, and there was a brief question about when the university fund bill would be heard, but no firm timing was given.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair votes I. Vice Chair amendments. Chair votes I. Vice Chair votes<01:15:53.600><c> I.
• If not, vote.
• Any members voting with reservations? >> Any members voting? No vote. >> Thank you, members.
• </c><01:21:29.120><c> No</c><01:21:29.360><c> vote.</c> &gt;&gt; Any members voting? No. No vote.
• &gt;&gt; Any members voting? No. No vote. &gt;&gt; No<01:21:29.760><c> vote.</c> &gt;&gt; No vote.

Bills: SB2211 , SB2025 , SB2038 , SB2050 , SB2051 , SB2090

Committee: House Health

Keywords: emergency funding, food assistance, healthcare, federal shutdown, Hawaii, DHS, jury duty, advanced practice registered nurses, physician assistants, exemption, patient care, financial hardship, medication abortion, anonymous prescription, pregnancy rights, healthcare privacy, pharmacy regulations, chiropractic education, clinical training, student supervision

Summary: The House Committee on Health held its first hearing of the session and opened with housekeeping notes, introductions of members, and an explanation that the agenda would be taken out of order to accommodate a sign language interpreter. The committee first heard HB 469, relating to parking for disabled persons. Testimony from the Disability and Communications Access Board and the State Council on Developmental Disabilities supported the bill, explaining that a travel placard would help people with disabilities who must travel interisland or to the mainland for medical care. Members asked about emergency travel, misuse prevention, and how to distinguish the travel placard from existing disabled parking placards; witnesses said the bill would need to be tied to administrative rules, and agreed the placard should clearly show an expiration date and likely be a different color. No vote was taken. The committee then heard HB 218, relating to hospital surgical smoke. The Department of Health supported the measure, and the Healthcare Association of Hawaii supported it with amendments, saying hospitals already follow existing standards but that any new policy should account for different procedures and provider safety. A committee member questioned the proposed amendment language and whether it was too flexible; the witness explained the intent was to allow case-by-case application because some procedures generate only brief exposure. Members also asked what surgical smoke is, and the witness explained it is produced when electrical or cauterizing tools are used on tissue and creates vapor or fumes. The bill remained under discussion with no final action reported. The committee next took up HB 814, which would fund a public information campaign and related services on cannabis use among youth. The Department of the Attorney General said the bill should be amended to clarify whether the funding would be used for contracts or grants and to include proper grant standards if grants are intended. The Department of Health supported the bill and said the funds would expand prevention, treatment, recovery, and public education efforts, including social media outreach, PSAs, and school-based youth services. Multiple organizations and individuals testified in support, emphasizing the harms of youth cannabis use and the need for prevention and treatment resources. Members asked what the department currently does, whether it is fulfilling existing law on science-based cannabis information, and what kinds of treatment would be provided; the department said services would mainly be intensive outpatient, outpatient, counseling, and related youth-focused supports. No vote was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator kidani Chim chair votes the vote Senator kidani Chim chair votes I<01:41:47.440><c> Vice</c>
• Senator Fukunaga votes aye. Senator Hashimoto votes aye. Adopted.
• votes votes I<01:44:13.320><c> chair</c><01:44:13.639><c> votes</c><01:44:14.360><c> iot</c><01:44:15.360
• Chair votes aye. Four members present, any objections? No votes. Measure adopted.
• No votes. It is adopted.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The hearing covered Senate Bill 426, which would create an early learning apprenticeship grant program. Testimony was overwhelmingly supportive from the City and County of Honolulu, the Department of Human Services, the Executive Office on Early Learning, the University of Hawaiʻi College of Education, the Attorney General’s office, the Early Childhood Action Strategy, Hawaii Children’s Action Network, the University of Hawaiʻi’s early childhood educator project, and a Zoom testifier who described the importance of investing in high-quality early childhood education. Committee discussion focused on the program’s estimated cost, with figures of about $14.5 million in 2025-26 and $15 million in 2026-27, and on whether the program would require ongoing base-budget funding. The committee recommended technical, non-substantive amendments, including a statewide-concern amendment and a deferred effective date, and both committees adopted the recommendation by vote. The committees then heard Senate Bill 1622, which would appropriate funds to establish the Aloha Intelligence Institute within the University of Hawaiʻi to support statewide artificial intelligence initiatives. University representatives described the proposal as the product of campus-wide input and outlined five pillars: governance and policy, outreach and engagement, research and development, workforce development, and AI tools for key sectors such as health care, creative industries, manufacturing, data science, astronomy, and climate change. Members questioned staffing distribution, tuition, enrollment timing, housing, campus placement, and whether positions would be permanent or temporary; the university said it planned about 10 positions across campuses, would start with internal resources, and would house the effort under the Vice President for Research and Innovation initially. The committees recommended an SD1 with the appropriation amounts blanked out, a July 31, 2050 effective date, and committee-report language on housing and West Oʻahu, and the higher education and labor/technology committees adopted the amended recommendation. Finally, the Higher Education Committee took up Senate Bill 1488, a housekeeping measure to consolidate existing University of Hawaiʻi conference center statutes into a single revolving fund structure, and Senate Bill 636, which would fund retention and internship coordinator positions and broader enrollment management efforts at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. SB 1488 drew university support and no opposition. SB 636 prompted substantial questioning about Hilo’s declining enrollment, current retention rate of 72.8 percent, and the scope of the request, which includes not only two named positions but also about $432,000 for enrollment management initiatives such as data analysis, IT support, and other student services. Hilo said it is targeting 3 to 5 percent annual enrollment growth and that the positions would support recruitment, retention, internships, and data-driven enrollment strategy. The committee pressed for a clearer broader plan, but the discussion in the transcript ended before a final vote on SB 636 was shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• vote and please vote consider their yes vote and please vote no.<02:51:37.279><c> We're</c><02:51:37.600
• This is a 15-minute vote. fiveminute votes. fiveminute votes.
• [Music] Does anyone ever wish to change their vote? Who's voted?
• One minute left for this vote. Turn back. Have all members voted?
• Have all members voted? Does anyone wish to change the vote?

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, June 5, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> hope you vote yes. hope you vote yes.
• Vice Chair for the vote. >> Voting on SB 3123 SD 1. >> Uh, she's voting 24.
• </c> there any voting no? there any voting no? &gt;&gt; No<02:40:05.680><c> vote.
• </c> &gt;&gt; No vote. &gt;&gt; No vote.
• </c> reasons uh no vote. reasons uh no vote.

Committee: House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 3123, which would treat free tuition or school-conditioned enrollment at private educational institutions as a conditional gift rather than a contractual obligation unless otherwise agreed in writing. The Office of the Governor supported the bill, and Kamehameha Schools and the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools strongly backed it, saying it would protect donor intent, preserve school-ohana relationships, and help maintain tuition assistance and educational access for families. A committee member commented favorably on the unity among school organizations, and there were no objections raised before the committee moved on. The committee then took up Senate Bill 2438, which creates a civil cause of action for interference with constitutional and statutory rights through threats, intimidation, or coercion, with private and government enforcement options and protections for constitutionally protected speech. Testifiers from the Community Alliance on Prisons and a know-your-rights educator supported the measure as a civil rights protection grounded in the Hawaii Constitution. No opposition testimony was presented during the hearing, and the measure appeared to receive general support from those who testified. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 3142, which establishes offenses for dangerous and habitual dangerous intoxication and allows civil protective custody and emergency examination in lieu of arrest in certain cases. The Attorney General, Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Department of Health, and Department of Human Services supported the bill as a treatment-oriented diversion tool for people who are dangerously intoxicated and at risk to themselves or the public. The Office of the Public Defender opposed the measure, warning it could expand police discretion, burden emergency rooms, and function as a loss of liberty without sufficient treatment resources, while committee members questioned whether the bill would simply cycle people through emergency rooms and back onto the street. No vote or final action was taken in the portion provided; the chair said decision-making would occur at the end of the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> May I briefly explain my vote? May I briefly explain my vote?
• Explain my vote, please. >> Go ahead. And I'm still not sure how I'm going to vote.
• </c> Explain my vote, please. Explain my vote, please. &gt;&gt; Go<00:39:29.160><c> ahead.
• </c> should know before they vote on that. should know before they vote on that.
• </c> could briefly explain my vote. could briefly explain my vote.

Committee: House Primary and Secondary Education

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Voting on If I could share for the vote.
• Voting on If I could share for the vote.
• Okay, Vice Chair for the vote. Voting on HB 1691 HD1.
• Voting on Okay, Vice Chair for the vote.
• Voting on Okay, Vice Chair for the vote.

Bills: HB1984 , HB1593 , HB2423 , HB1691 , HB2283 , HB2386 , HB1824 , HB1697 , HB2164 , HB2165

Committee: House Consumer Protection & Commerce

Keywords: renewable energy, solar energy, self-certification, building permits, environmental regulations, HB1593, affordable housing, pet-inclusive housing, pet friendly housing, rental housing, affordable rental housing, HHFDC, Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, tenant pets, companion animals, dogs, cats, landlord-tenant law, security deposit, pet deposit

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 1984 HD2, which would require government entities issuing building permits to create a self-certification process for certain behind-the-meter rooftop solar and energy storage systems, allowing approved applicants to proceed without waiting for standard permit review. The Public Utilities Commission and DLNR offered comments, and the Hawaii Solar Energy Association, Holoholo Energy, Photon Works Engineering, Malama Solar, RevoluSun, and others testified in strong support. Supporters said the bill would reduce permitting delays, lower costs, and help meet Hawaii’s renewable energy goals while still relying on licensed engineers, electricians, and county inspections for safety. Committee members asked about risk, existing county pilot programs, and whether self-certification had been used before; witnesses said the professional liability remains with licensed signers and that current automated review systems often flag minor issues that slow projects. The committee also noted 16 additional written testimonies in support. The committee then took up HB 1593 HD1, which would require HHFDC-financed affordable rental housing projects to allow residents to own or keep common household pets. The Hawaiian Humane Society testified that the bill is a top priority because housing restrictions are a major reason pets are surrendered and because many unhoused residents with pets avoid housing that does not allow animals. In response to questions, the Humane Society said concerns about pet-related damage are overstated, suggested pet behavior screening as a safeguard, and said it would be willing to work on broader private-market pet-friendly housing policies. Members raised concerns about whether allowing pets in public housing could create problems for residents who later transition to the private market, and the witness said California has a similar law and no major negative effects had been identified. Finally, the committee heard HB 2423 HD2, which would require that by January 1, 2028, diesel fuel sold in Hawaii for on-highway vehicles contain at least 5% biodiesel by volume. The Hawaii State Energy Office offered comments, and Hawaii Transportation Association and Pacific Biodiesel Technologies testified in support. Pacific Biodiesel argued the mandate would improve energy security, stabilize fuel prices amid global supply disruptions, and support local clean-fuel production. In response to questions, the company said its nameplate capacity is 5.5 million gallons per year and it has produced over 6 million gallons annually, but much of its output is tied up in standby generator contracts that can fluctuate. Witnesses said the mandate would provide a stable market signal and could support future investment in expanded local biodiesel production, including agricultural feedstock development and a possible second refinery. No votes or final actions were taken during the portion of the meeting provided.