Transcript Highlights:

• among large municipally owned water utilities. by introducing new requirements for auditing and mitigating
• HB 145 by King relating to the risk mitigation planning and associated liability for providers of electric
• Members, this is the wildfire mitigation bill. Move passage.
• Lambert, relating to the inclusion of recycling or disposal provisions in certain lease agreements of wind

Transcript Highlights:

• When you have a marketplace that's more defined and predictable in mitigating or measuring risk, that
• want us to have analysis paralysis because we think something needs to be longer, and then we just wind
• Our job as operators is to mitigate the risks to the best of our ability through safety measures, training
• If we could somehow create a barrier to entry into that area, yes, we may be able to mitigate that plaintiff

Bills: HB 1181, HB3704, HB1363, HB1610, HB1615, HB1620, HB3223, HB1317, HB2884, HB2176, HB4027, HB1664, HB933, HB2613, HB3353, HB2086, HB4101, HB3441, HB4145, HB3455

Keywords: judiciary, judges, justices, retired, legal assignments, judicial conduct, notary public, criminal offense, education requirements, official documents, record retention, implicit bias, bias training, judicial training, judge education, court personnel, continuing legal education, CLE, state bar, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

Transcript Highlights:

• To illustrate, our study examined incidents such as solar wind breach and the ransomware attacks globally
• This program to support the state implementation plan to help mitigate ozone pollution, particularly
• The Texas Department of Transportation, where they use those funds to implement congestion mitigation
• That's the proof that we've lowered and mitigated.
• I believe to mitigate ozone pollution. And. Mitigating ozone pollution does what?

Bills: HB512, HB2248, HB2679, HB2832, HB3112, HB3368, HB3490, HB3512, HB3623, HB3666, HB3700, HB3711, HB3770, HB3963

Keywords: grievance procedures, state agency, employee rights, workplace regulations, employment law, employees, employment actions, appeal, state employees, workplace rights, disciplinary actions, employment conditions, employment disputes, job protections, public information, transparency, government accountability, information access, notification requirements, federal funding

Transcript Highlights:

• Landscape architects design parks, campuses, streetscapes, stormwater, and flood mitigation systems Their
• There is an automatic wind down from that point to July 1, 2027.
• We'll just put it into the wind down period as of July 1.
• helps organizations and communities across our region assess their weather risk and develop hazard mitigation
• and emergency managers to be prepared for disasters, it's hard to know what we may have saved by mitigating

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Asset protection and water loss mitigation are core priorities for SAWS.
• In many cases, while we're waiting on locates, our own locates will wind up having to hand dig the those
• Despite the technology investments, USIC can't mitigate all. all of their own risk.
• question of are we doing, and I think we are doing, everything that we possibly can. to try to help mitigate
• horizontal plane, including or include, I'm sorry, non-mechanical digging methods, such as hand digging, wind

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• One, mandate impact mitigation.
• Mitigation should be required. Thank you. Mitigation should be required.
• And they specifically say it should go to mitigation.
• The fair share needs to be mitigated and legislated.
• Again, the word "fine" is what I want to mitigate.

Summary: The committee held a hearing on high-capacity groundwater wells proposed in Anderson, Henderson, and Houston counties, with members framing the issue as one of local water supply, fairness, and the need to modernize groundwater law while protecting private property rights. Opening remarks focused on the scale of the proposed Redtown Ranch and Pine Bliss projects, the potential export of tens of thousands of acre-feet of groundwater annually, and concerns that the applications lacked sufficient technical detail and could harm nearby landowners, cities, agriculture, and manufacturing. Members also noted the broader context of the recent flooding tragedy in central Texas and the Legislature’s intent to address water-related loss of life in the upcoming special session. Witnesses from the Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts and the Texas Water Development Board explained the current groundwater management framework. They described groundwater conservation districts as the state’s preferred management method, the role of groundwater management areas and desired future conditions, and how the Water Development Board uses those conditions to calculate modeled available groundwater. They emphasized that districts rely on local data, monitoring wells, and planning processes, but that information is often more limited in areas without a district, where the rule of capture applies. Members pressed witnesses on recharge rates, export permits, subsidence, the effect of pumping on nearby wells, the age and real-time availability of model data, and whether the proposed project would exceed modeled available groundwater in some counties. TCEQ explained its limited oversight role over groundwater conservation districts, including inquiries, compliance actions, and, in extreme cases, dissolution authority. Water Development Board staff also outlined funding programs, saying the New Water Supply for Texas Fund is limited to projects such as brackish desalination, reuse, ASR, and other new-supply projects, and does not fund fresh groundwater exports alone. They said the project at issue had not applied for board funding. A water lawyer then testified on the rule of capture, ownership in place, and district regulation, arguing that districts must use permitting and other tools to manage production within modeled available groundwater and that the Legislature could consider additional authority over groundwater exports under current law.

Transcript Highlights:

• Mitigation of the disease requires ongoing surveillance, outreach, and preparedness activities.
• There's only three parts places in the nation the winds that produce fresh fruits and vegetables you
• It's essential in addressing legislative challenges anywhere from log truck weights to wildfire mitigation
• lawmakers must also act to support the industry through legislative and budgetary measures that mitigate
• Legislative efforts should also support funding mechanisms to help farmers mitigate the impact of water

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:35:45.280> fund, cyanobact cyanobacteria mitigation fund, cyanobact cyanobacteria mitigation
• I don't believe it directs any funding to the cyanobacteria mitigation fund.
• I don't believe it directs any funding to the cyanobacteria mitigation fund.
• <04:16:28.880> project energy from a legacy uh wind project energy from a legacy uh wind project
• funding the cyanobacteria mitigation funding the cyanobacteria mitigation loan<05:23:13.200>

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Around those lands that the Act seeks to mitigate. Importantly, SB 5 is not a permanent block.
• This is a thoughtful, full... around those lands that the act seeks to mitigate.
• And if we really have to make wind and solar work, there's many times when the sun isn't shining or the
• wind isn't blowing.
• present and have had significant injuries, and that they are trying to do everything they can to mitigate

Summary: The committee first heard SB 753, which would modernize California’s shopping cart recovery rules by allowing cities and counties to return abandoned carts directly to retailers, recover documented retrieval costs, and avoid the current impound-and-wait process. The author and supporters, including San Jose officials and the League of California Cities, said the bill would help clear streets, sidewalks, and waterways and reduce local costs. Grocers and retailers opposed the measure unless amended, arguing it would turn cart retrieval into a new cost burden and could create incentives for cities to charge too much for stolen property. After extensive discussion about notice periods, cost caps, and local ordinances, the committee adopted amendments and passed the bill 6-0 as amended. The committee then took up SB 445, which would speed up permitting and approvals needed for high-speed rail by requiring early engagement, setting rules for third-party coordination, and creating a dispute-resolution process. The author said the bill was narrowed from an earlier, broader transit proposal and was intended to reduce delays caused by utilities, local governments, and other entities. Supporters said permitting bottlenecks add major costs and delays to infrastructure projects, while opponents from utilities, cities, counties, telecoms, and special districts raised concerns about safety, reliability, affordability, and the need to review the pending amendments. The bill passed 8-1 to the Utilities and Energy Committee. The committee also heard SB 9, a narrower housing bill focused on accessory dwelling units. The author explained that it would require local ADU ordinances to be submitted to HCD for review and would make state standards control if a local agency fails to submit a compliant ordinance or respond to HCD findings. Supporters from housing and YIMBY groups said the bill would improve enforcement of state ADU law and prevent local barriers from slowing housing production. There was no opposition, and the bill passed 6-0. The committee then began hearing SB 79, which would allow more housing near major transit stops; the author and supporters framed it as a response to the housing shortage and transit underuse, and the hearing continued with extensive support testimony as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• A foster home or are they winding up at Pinon or Pine Tree?
• So we are really focused on also trying to preserve or mitigate coverage and mitigate coverage losses
• We think we can sort of mitigate those losses to Much fewer New Mexicans.
• I wouldn't probably characterize it that way, but it is a way to sort of mitigate some of the coming
• I think there's a lot of other policy conversations that can happen around how do we mitigate some The

Transcript Highlights:

• Homeowners also to respond to and mitigate wildland fires as we go to slide number 4 when we talk about
• And, and if you figure out, because I assume that it happens there because of some kind of natural wind
• Uh, then there's also the mitigation of fuses, F U E L S uh regarding what types of things and programs
• on and those things bring the community together because as you heard me say it takes everyone to mitigate
• Well, Turkey, and first, I want to thank you for your efforts to help mitigate those issues.

Bills: HB294

Keywords: energy efficiency, tax exemption, residential properties, sustainability, real estate

Transcript Highlights:

• we're budgeted for $31 million, I think, effectively, if I hear you correctly, we're actually usually wind
• we're budgeted for $31 million, I think, effectively, if I hear you correctly, we're actually usually wind
• So there are a variety of strategies to mitigate the error that we've been working on for the last, well
• 00:44:16.960> uh<00:44:17.280> strategies<00:44:18.480> to<00:44:18.800> mitigate
• a variety of uh strategies to mitigate a variety of uh strategies to mitigate the<00:44:19.520><

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The work session was limited to House Bill 1750, a supplemental appropriation for the Department of Health and Human Services’ SNAP administration. Before testimony, Representative Terski distributed a written statement from Representative Priest for the record. Department officials Karen Heert and Nathan White then walked the committee through a chart showing SNAP participation, federal benefit dollars, and state administrative costs, emphasizing that the benefits themselves do not flow through the state budget. They explained that the reported administrative cost includes overhead and cost-allocation methods used to maximize federal reimbursement, and that the current participant count is about 75,000 with the trend steady in recent years. Members questioned whether the reported costs were stable, how much of the administrative expense was directly tied to SNAP, and whether reducing overhead would lower the need for the appropriation. The department said the cost per participant and per dollar distributed would be lower if SNAP were isolated, but that the broader allocation system also supports federal claiming across multiple programs. Officials said SNAP eligibility is redetermined every six months, that the department processes nearly 50 eligibility programs with about 250 field staff, roughly 70 unfunded positions, and a vacancy rate around 25%. They also said most errors in the program are unintentional and can come from either staff or participant mistakes, and that the department reviews errors to identify systemic fixes. The committee discussed the fiscal impact of the bill and related budget issues. DHHS said the current adjusted authorization for 2026 is about $31 million, but actual spending is expected to be closer to $25–26 million because of vacancies and unfilled positions. Members asked whether the $4.4 million shortfall identified in the fiscal note would come from the rainy day fund; staff said it would not be taken directly from that fund, but would reduce the amount available to flow into it at the end of the biennium. The committee also reviewed Senate Bill 603 FN, which was described as an alternative approach that would require DHHS to transfer funds within its existing budget rather than provide new money; officials said it would simply codify an option the department already has. No vote or final action on House Bill 1750 was taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, I am going to wind it up, but I've waited 12 years, okay? Or will he say nothing?
• And so there was a pretty sizable chunk in there for environmental mitigation.
• And so there was a pretty sizable chunk in there for environmental mitigation.
• That is going to close our public comments, and we are going to wind up here.

Summary: The hearing focused on the long-delayed Southern California Veterans Cemetery project at Gypsum Canyon in Anaheim, with opening remarks from Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva, Senator Tom Umberg, and Assemblymember Avelino Valencia emphasizing the project’s importance to Orange County veterans and families. Anaheim city leaders, including the mayor pro tem and council members, voiced strong support and described the city’s role in planning, utilities, and final approvals. Quirk-Silva reviewed the project history, including prior legislation, county and state funding commitments, and the recent federal determination that the site meets VA criteria for a state veterans cemetery. The first panel, representing the veterans community, included the American Legion, American Gold Star Mothers, and Valor. They argued that Orange County—home to a large veteran population—still lacks a local veterans cemetery, forcing families to travel long distances to Riverside or elsewhere. Testimony stressed the emotional and practical burden on aging veterans and grieving families, and called for immediate action and possession of the property. Some speakers were sharply critical of CalVet and the pace of the process, saying veterans have waited too long and that the project should move forward without further delay. The second panel, from Orange County, described the county’s and cemetery district’s support and the unique opportunity to develop a shared site for a public cemetery and a separate state veterans cemetery. County officials said the county has dedicated land and funding, and that shared infrastructure—roads, utilities, grading, and access—could reduce costs substantially if the two projects are coordinated. They also said the county is ready to transfer the property to CalVet when appropriate and that the project has already cleared major local approvals and litigation. The final panel from DGS and CalVet explained the state’s feasibility study and current planning work. DGS said the 2023 study estimated the state’s portion of phase one at about $126 million, largely driven by site work and grading, though that estimate may change as assumptions are updated. CalVet said it is working with DGS and the county on a revised concept plan to lower costs and refine the timeline, and that legislative budget action will be needed to authorize spending from the Southern California Veterans Cemetery fund. No formal vote was taken; the hearing was informational, and the main action was continued coordination among the state, county, city, and veterans groups, with public comment at the end overwhelmingly urging faster construction.

Transcript Highlights:

• We were able to purchase $72.5 million per occurrence for named wind and flood.
• able to identify trends that are out within the state and we can try to reduce the impact, either mitigate
• Again, this is very important because the guarantee funds do step in to mitigate and to pay those claims
• represents the culmination of the efforts of the receiver, my department, to complete their duties and wind

Summary: The subcommittee heard presentations from the Department of Financial Services and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, then returned to its ongoing budget workshop with the Department of Management Services. DFS’s Division of Risk Management described its role as the state self-insurance fund, covering about 200,000 employees and 27,000 vehicles, paying roughly $150 million in claims last year, and managing a pilot ETS treatment program for veterans and first responders that had 49 patients and 804 treatments as of the latest report. The Division of State Fire Marshal outlined its fire prevention, training, emergency response, and grant programs, including hurricane deployments, the Florida State Fire College, and several capital and grant requests for roof, courtyard, memorial, and equipment needs. The Division of Rehabilitation and Liquidation explained how it handles insolvent insurers under Chapter 631, currently administering 14 estates with $1.2 billion in assets and $3.7 billion in liabilities, and said no new receiverships had been opened since February 2023. Members asked about grant backlogs, fire truck procurement delays, memorial repairs, and whether affiliate transfers were occurring in insurer liquidations. Secretary Griffin then updated the committee on DBPR’s implementation of House Bill 1021 on community associations. He said the department had used the new authority to expand education, complaint handling, and ombudsman services, including 10 free standardized courses, a new condo website, and a four-hour board certification course that had already drawn more than 12,000 attendees. He reported that outreach to condominium communities had increased by more than 60%, that complaint filings were up 39% while jurisdictional dismissals dropped to 11%, and that about 81% to 82% of the 65 new positions had been filled. Members pressed him on whether the department had enough authority and funding, how condominium counts are determined, how self-reported structural integrity reserve study data is verified, and whether more public-facing complaint tracking and better reporting from local governments or developers would improve the system. The committee then resumed questioning Secretary Allende of DMS about outstanding budget and operations issues. Members focused on the delayed People First contract extension required by statute, with the secretary saying the delay involved technical and contractual complexity in moving a legacy hard-coded system to the cloud. They also revisited the state data team and data catalog project, asking why a statutory 2022 deadline had not been met, how the four-person team and broader data staff were organized, how many applicants were considered for key positions, and what each role was doing. The secretary said the catalog work was being simplified into six metadata fields and supported by a broader community of practice, but no firm completion date was given during the exchange.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have different technology involved, magnetic technology, wind technology that we utilize to separate
• We have different technology involved, magnetic technology, wind technology that we utilize to separate
• We have different technology involved, magnetic technology, wind technology that we utilize to separate
• <01:07:55.520> and them to all change to solar and wind and them to all change to solar and
• wind and all<01:07:55.839> these<01:07:56.079> different<01:07:56.319> things<01

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And it's important to the state of New Mexico, along with the many industries, the wind industry, all
• And it's important to the state of New Mexico along with the many industries, the wind industry, all
• Chair, Representative Vincent, it was more for mitigation purposes.
• We actually have a bootstrap plan to do mitigation.
• We've got homes in Wilmot that we've looked at that are going to start being mitigated.

Bills: HB1

Keywords: feed bill, legislative appropriations, legislative branch, New Mexico Legislature, general fund, legislative council service, legislative finance committee, legislative education study committee, house chief clerk, senate chief clerk, per diem, mileage, session expenses, interim committees, district staff, capitol complex, capital outlay data system, legislative processing system, redistricting, census redistricting

Transcript Highlights:

• c><00:10:26.839> crops<00:10:27.200> or<00:10:27.360> remove<00:10:27.680> wind
• operations damage crops or remove wind operations damage crops or remove wind breaks<00:10:28.200
• mentioned in the testimony is focused on reviewing and evaluating Hawaiian Electric's wildfire mitigation
• In terms of timeline, we intend to make a decision on the wildfire mitigation plan by September, and
• <00:15:19.680> plan decision on the Wildfire mitigation plan decision on the Wildfire mitigation

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The hearing opened with committee procedures and then took up SB 1, relating to vegetation management near utility lines. DLNR opposed the bill, saying it would shift rights, responsibilities, and liability onto the state and private landowners. Hawaiian Electric supported the measure with amendments, describing it as a first step to address wildfire risk and improve public safety and system reliability. The Hawaii Farm Bureau and Command Schools both raised concerns that the bill could impose significant costs, liability, and access burdens on farmers, ranchers, and other landowners, especially where easements are old or unclear. Life of the Land argued the issue belongs before the Public Utilities Commission, and PUC staff explained that the commission is already reviewing Hawaiian Electric’s wildfire mitigation plan and vegetation management in a docket, with a decision expected by September and public meetings scheduled for April 23 and 24. Committee members questioned the need for legislation versus negotiated solutions, and witnesses said private parties could potentially renegotiate easements without statute. The committee then heard HB 1296, relating to disaster recovery. DLNR and OPSD supported the bill, saying it would ease regulatory burdens in post-disaster rebuilding and help speed permit review. Testimony and member questions focused on the bill’s five-year rebuilding timeline, the role of the coastal zone/SMA process, and how long permit reviews typically take; OPSD said SMA major/use permits generally take about six months, while minor permits are faster. Members also discussed whether the bill would apply to existing structures damaged in disasters and whether the amendments from the Attorney General’s office and OPSD were acceptable; no objections were raised. Finally, the committee heard SB 1170, relating to the expeditious redevelopment and development of affordable rental housing. HHFDC supported the bill, and testimony from a Maui affordable housing project said the measure is needed to rebuild the Weinberg Court Apartments, a 63-unit affordable project in Lahaina, using insurance funds rather than government money. Members asked whether the bill would help existing affordable rental projects damaged before the enactment of related coastal rules, and the response was that the bill is aimed at existing structures damaged during events and intended to speed rebuilding of affordable housing.

Transcript Highlights:

• me comfort in knowing that we are going to help those folks that really need it the most that could wind
• government gets involved, it hurts people, and then we have to figure out how to right that remedy and mitigate
• And it wasn't until fairly recently that we figured out how to mitigate that.

Transcript Highlights:

• But it must be the last time we face them without concrete measures in place to mitigate them as we head
• ... well, the derecho wasn't even in hurricane season, but it caused so much damage with the heavy winds
• need to on vegetation management to ensure that the types of issues that Beryl brought forth are mitigated

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• panel, which is wildfire recovery, supporting the role of nonprofits in disasters and emergency mitigation
• Mitigation.
• Abby Browning and express gratitude to Cal OES for its response to the Camp Fire and its continued mitigation
• As you probably got wind of, there's a lot happening in the Capitol this week and every day after.

Summary: The joint Senate and Assembly select committee hearing focused on the challenges facing California nonprofits in 2025 and possible state responses. Opening remarks emphasized the sector’s size and importance, the impact of federal funding disruptions and tax policy changes, and the need for stronger public-private partnerships, especially in disaster response and recovery. Witnesses from community foundations, food banks, Cal OES, long-term recovery groups, CalNonprofits, and nonprofit finance organizations described funding uncertainty, delayed reimbursements, reduced indirect cost coverage, staffing strain, and the effects of climate disasters and immigration-related fear on service delivery. Testimony highlighted several policy ideas, including advance payments for state grants and contracts, prompt payment standards, sustainable indirect cost rates, contract flexibility in emergencies, streamlined registration and reporting, and a possible new Office of Nonprofit Empowerment to serve as a central point of contact and coordination within state government. Speakers also described how nonprofits and VOAD networks support wildfire response and long-term recovery, but noted that recovery groups often lack stable operating funding even when they are recognized as best practice. A food bank leader described federal food aid cuts and disruptions to deliveries, while other witnesses stressed that nonprofits are increasingly forced to use reserves, loans, or service reductions to manage cash flow gaps. Committee members generally expressed support for the sector and asked how the state could better partner with nonprofits during both disasters and budget crises. Several members raised the possibility of incremental steps if full legislative changes are not immediately feasible, and witnesses suggested pilots, better sharing of best practices, and stronger state leadership on payment timelines. Public commenters echoed the need for better contracting practices, support for community-based organizations, and attention to nonprofit worker compensation and protections. No formal votes or committee actions were taken in the hearing, which concluded with adjournment.