Transcript Highlights:

• That's the Rural Communities Acceptance Corporation at the bottom.
• It's a very active, robust entrepreneurial community.
• So, I have a community.
• community versus a region?
• If there's anyone in your communities, or you'd like us to go to your community, we are starting a road

Committee: House Investments & Pensions Oversight Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> fruit and vegetable program um Community fruit and vegetable program um Community eligibility<00
• </c> more information on the community more information on the community eligibility<00:34:13.079><c>
• </c> you're looking at you know a community you're looking at you know a community that<00:38:39.680>
• </c> the college level as well the community the college level as well the community college college
• So we have 30% for more affluent communities, 60% for less affluent communities.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Department of Education’s Bureau of Wellness and Nutrition presented an overview of the school meal and child nutrition programs it administers, including the National School Lunch Program, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), After School Snack Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, Summer Food Service Program, and Special Milk Program. Staff explained which programs are federally funded through USDA, which have state matching funds, and how reimbursement rates are set for different programs and fiscal years. They also walked the committee through a packet showing reimbursement tables, state and federal funding totals, and eligibility data. Members focused much of their questioning on how state and federal reimbursements work for lunch and breakfast, why lunch is shown as a state match while breakfast has meal-based breakdowns, and how the department allocates funds in the budget. The department explained that lunch uses a set state match tied to federal requirements, while breakfast reimbursement is based on meals served. They also reviewed FY 22-24 funding trends, noting higher federal spending during COVID-era waivers and lower amounts as those waivers ended. A committee member asked for the data in Excel and the department agreed to provide it. The discussion also covered summer meal programs and the distinction between the Summer Food Service Program and Summer EBT. Staff explained that SFSP provides meals at approved open or closed sites, while Summer EBT is a separate DHHS-run benefit program that provides funds to families; the two programs coordinate through data sharing but are not the same. Members also discussed CEP, with staff explaining that New Hampshire currently has three schools participating, that the qualifying threshold was reduced from 40% to 25% identified students, and that districts must cover the non-federal share with non-federal funds. No votes or formal actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• What happens to the communities that get the water now?
• What happens to the communities that get the water now?
• Has this been communicated to the power plant operators yet?
• We'll really delay and deprive communities from the community. have any access with equity.
• climate credits, and frontline community resilience.

Summary: The hearing opened with budget framing from the chair and the LAO, who said the May Revision addresses roughly a $14 billion budget problem and that the environment and transportation subcommittee’s proposals account for about $1.9 billion of the solution. The LAO urged members to focus on solutions that do not worsen out-year deficits, to preserve reserves, and to defer major policy changes that are not necessary to pass the budget, including the newly introduced water-related trailer bills. Members also raised concern about a late-dropped Olympic-related trailer bill, which the LAO likewise suggested should be deferred for fuller review. The first major item was the Delta Conveyance Project and related water quality control plan trailer bills. The administration argued the proposals would streamline permitting, water rights proceedings, judicial review, and land acquisition, and would clarify DWR’s bond authority for the project. DWR said the project is needed to protect water supply reliability against drought, earthquakes, sea level rise, and other climate-related disruptions, and that the tunnel would help move water when conditions are wet and safer for the environment. Committee members from both parties questioned the timing, the use of budget trailer bills for major policy changes, the scope of the CEQA and water-rights changes, the lack of a bond cap, cost growth, and eminent domain protections. The LAO recommended deferring both water trailer bills without prejudice. Public comment was sharply divided, with labor, water agencies, and some business groups supporting the project as climate adaptation and reliability infrastructure, while environmental, tribal, fishing, county, and community groups opposed it as an attempt to bypass public process and weaken protections. The committee then briefly heard the DMV’s Digital Experience Platform fee trailer bill, which would reinstate a $1 system improvement fee to help fund the vehicle-registration phase of the project. DMV said the fee would raise about $7 million annually and offset roughly $59 million to $60 million of project costs, while the LAO noted it would help but would not solve the Motor Vehicle Account’s broader structural gap. The hearing then moved to California High-Speed Rail, where the new CEO presented an updated plan and said the project remains a major climate and infrastructure investment. He reported a revised Merced-to-Bakersfield cost range of $34.9 billion to $38.5 billion, said the agency is trying to reduce risk through direct procurement of materials, and argued that stable annual funding is needed to avoid higher costs from delays.

Transcript Highlights:

• Item number four, Senate communications. Senate communications.
• We're in receipt of communications returning the noted House concurrent resolutions, all having been
• We are in further receipt of a communication informing the House that the Senate has disagreed to the
• </c><00:10:15.360><c> the</c> receipt of communications returning the receipt of communications returning
• </c> are in further receipt of communications are in further receipt of communications informing<00:10

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• for the members of the Joint Committee to hear directly from our administrators, our teachers, our community
• On behalf of our students, educators, and the entire school community, it is my great honor to welcome
• Grant funding opportunities will also be highlighted, along with how our community business partners
• We'll share and highlight how our community business partners and program advisory teams are integrated
• Program advisory committees are comprised of members who reflect the communities served by the school

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Education

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held an informational hearing at Quincy Public Schools focused on career and technical education (CTE). Committee members said the visit was intended to gather input for statewide CTE legislation, including efforts to expand awareness and access, improve middle school exposure, invest in equipment and facilities, and strengthen ties to workforce boards and labor pathways. Quincy officials described their CTE system as integrated with academics and highlighted support from district, city, and state partners. School leaders outlined Quincy’s CTE offerings, including 15 Chapter 74 programs at Quincy High School and four at North Quincy High School, with about 1,360 students enrolled. Presenters emphasized curriculum aligned to DESE frameworks, work-based learning, industry-recognized credentials, safety training, business electives, dual enrollment and articulation with Quincy College, and grant funding such as Skills Capital and Perkins. They also discussed support liaisons for nontraditional careers and military pathways, advisory committees, and plans to seek Chapter 74 approval for an engineering program at North Quincy, along with new computer science and business offerings. Testimony from MassHire South Shore described workforce partnerships, YouthWorks, job fairs, resume workshops, and the Credit for Life Fair, while the assistant superintendent explained Quincy’s MyCAP planning grant and efforts to build a student-driven college and career readiness system. Three students testified about their pathways in welding, early education and care, and healthcare technology, describing hands-on learning, certifications, clinical or co-op experiences, and future plans for college and careers. Committee members praised Quincy as a model for combining CTE with general education, and the meeting ended with a motion to adjourn and unanimous adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Everyone deserves the chance to live in the community. Not everyone does, like me.
• Not everyone does like the community.
• </c><00:05:44.920><c> for</c><00:05:45.160><c> those</c> maintain communication for those maintain communication
• We can and we should pursue housing production in a way that does not leave communities behind.
• We can and we should pursue housing production in a way that does not leave communities behind.

Bills: HB1700

Committee: Senate Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs

Keywords: housing, expedited permits, disabilities, access, functional needs, local government, affordable housing, reporting requirements, 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint committees on Housing and Health and Human Services, along with related committees, heard and later took action on three housing bills. HB 1700 HD1, relating to housing and expedited permitting, received support from disability advocates, including the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities and a self-advocate who said faster permitting would help people with disabilities access more independent living options. The chairs said they would add amendments to ensure expedited permitting would not compromise ADA or Fair Housing Act protections and to require reporting on the number, type, and geographic distribution of projects so the program could be evaluated over time. The measure was recommended and adopted with amendments by the participating committees. HB 1777 HD2, which would require tenant protections for residents displaced by HHFDC-supported redevelopment projects, drew support from HHFDC, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Parents and Children Together, and numerous other organizations. Testimony emphasized the need for a right of first offer, replacement housing payments, relocation information, and tracking procedures to reduce displacement harms, especially for Native Hawaiian and public housing residents. In decision-making, the committees amended the bill to incorporate the Senate companion measure, rename the working group as the tenant protection working group, broaden its duties, and include a $75,000 appropriation for working group expenses. The committees also noted concerns about unequal treatment between tenants in publicly supported projects and private redevelopments, and referenced the KPT low-rise redevelopment as an example where required relocation assistance still did not proceed smoothly. The bill was recommended and adopted with amendments. HB 1975 HD1, relating to kupuna housing, would repeal the sunset on the state rent supplement program for kupuna, appropriate funds to HPHA, and add positions to support the program. HPHA, the Executive Office on Aging, OHA, Catholic Charities Hawaii, AARP Hawaii, Aloha Independent Living Hawaii, and others testified in support, with Catholic Charities describing how the subsidy helped a senior remain housed through major medical issues. The committees later recommended passage with amendments, including a technical correction to the number of positions and a date fix, and the recommendation was adopted.

Transcript Highlights:

• Communication from Ms. Howard of Lowell, March 17, 2026. March 17, 2026. Dear Mr.
• Having arrived in this country from Cambodia at age 11, ...my service to our community.
• His commitment to his community was unwavering.
• His commitment to his community was unwavering.
• We all know that this year is an unprecedented year because we have more communities that are either

Keywords: 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• With the permission of the community, let us pray: picture a child and a parent on a dangerous journey
• Communications and reports from state officers. Motions and resolutions.
• They helped to build homes with Habitat for Humanity across the Hudson Valley communities.
• Williams, legendary vocalist and community leader. >> Thank you, Mr. President.
• But she has a long-time history of participation in schools in the New York City community.

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate opened with an invocation focused on memory, gratitude, and recognizing the unseen people who sustain public life, then approved the prior day’s journal and moved through introductions of guests, including domestic violence advocates, medical scholars, and student advocates. Senator Webb’s Resolution 1633, designating February 23, 2026 as Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention Day, was adopted after remarks describing the scope of domestic violence in New York and the need for more survivor services. The chamber also adopted memorial Resolution 1558 honoring Margaret D. Williams, a vocalist, public servant, and community leader, and Resolution 1630 marking the 20th anniversary of Park and Public Lands Advocacy Day, with comments emphasizing the health and community benefits of parks and green space. The Senate then took up a series of bills on the calendar, passing measures including amendments to the Environmental Conservation Law, Labor Law, Education Law, Administrative Code of New York City, General Municipal Law, Tax Law, Cannabis Law, and Executive Law. Senator Ramos explained her support for the labor bill as the Anti-Waiver of Employment Rights Act, which would prevent employers from forcing workers to waive labor and human rights protections in applications or onboarding documents. Several bills were passed by wide margins, while some were laid aside for the day. The chamber also restored Senate Print 438 to the third reading calendar after reconsideration. A contested amendment to Calendar 234, Senator Comrie’s Executive Law bill, was ruled non-germane by the chair; Senator Walczyk appealed, arguing the amendment addressing the state energy code and all-electric building mandate was relevant to housing costs, but the Senate voted 20 to sustain the chair’s ruling. The underlying bill was then returned to the non-controversial calendar and passed. Finally, the Senate adopted a concurrent resolution electing two members to the Board of Regents, with supporters praising the nominees’ experience and critics objecting to the limited vetting time; the resolution passed 42-15. The Senate then adjourned until Thursday, February 26 at 11:00 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Pastor David Gonzalez is a lifelong Arizona resident, community leader, and educator with a...
• A resident of Arizona for the past 11 years, he previously chaired a community engagement task force
• Sean currently serves as pastor of community engagement and global initiatives at Redemption Gilbert.
• And we have two members from the Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers here.
• And we have two members from the Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers here, Michael Abramson

Summary: The House opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, approval of the prior journal, and a series of guest introductions and personal privilege remarks recognizing visitors, health care advocates, short-term rental representatives, firefighters, and a Guatemalan ambassador, along with a proclamation affirming Arizona’s bilateral relationship with Guatemala. Members also announced committee meetings, and the chamber later recessed and reconvened before adjournment. The main floor action came in Committee of the Whole, where the House considered and gave do pass recommendations to HB 2029 (water grant application details), HB 2045 (addressing drive-by shootings), HB 2062 (Buffalo Soldiers monument), HB 2126 as amended (with a floor amendment after discussion with the ACO Association), and HB 2131 (criminal justice-related, described briefly as targeting “bad guys”). The Committee of the Whole report was adopted and those bills were sent to engrossing. The House then took up HB 2792, an emergency measure on property tax exemptions for veterans, and passed it 57-0, with members from both parties praising the bill as veteran tax relief and a cleanup of prior budget language. The chamber also adopted HCR 2043, which applies to Congress to call an Article V convention for a constitutional amendment imposing term limits on members of Congress; it passed 33-24 after extended debate, with supporters arguing for term limits and opponents warning about the risks of a constitutional convention and urging Arizona to impose term limits on itself first.

Transcript Highlights:

• Pastor David Gonzalez is a lifelong Arizona resident, community leader, and educator with a...
• A resident of Arizona for the past 11 years, he previously chaired a community engagement task force
• Sean currently serves as pastor of community engagement and global initiatives at Redemption Gilbert.
• And we have two members from the Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers here.
• Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers here, Michael Abramson and Claudia Maldonado.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And that's most of the time what the newspaper notice is to do, is to alert the community, 'Hey, your
• Much like Wakulla County, we are rural, semi-rural community.
• Some newspapers, that is the way to go and that is the way to push out to the community that we have.
• , but we offer the most robust websites to serve those communities.
• This bill will help communities do just that.

Transcript Highlights:

• I had sent out, I think I had communicated at that time to both chairs that if we did have, and I think
• I</c><00:00:58.239><c> had</c> um I had sent out I think I had um I had sent out I think I had communicated
• at that time to both chairs communicated at that time to both chairs that<00:01:01.520><c> uh</c><00
• um and coming and the larger community um and coming back<00:02:46.319><c> with</c><00:02:46.800><c>
• I think we can finally communities.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• that I think is not only vital, but a community that is always supportive of communities that they see
• that go through struggle and strife, and communities that we don't need anything that's anti or isms
• that I think is not only vital, but a community that is always supportive of communities that they see
• that go through struggle and strife, and communities that we don't need anything that's anti or isms
• A lot of our communities are already struggling with that.

Committee: House Education & Employment Committee

Summary: The Education and Employment Committee met with a quorum and heard four bills. CS/HB 1145 on workforce education clarified that public charter schools may receive CAP grant funds, expanded the number of college system money-back programs from three to six, and standardized eligibility rules while allowing institutions some flexibility. Supporters said it would help students access career training without adding new funding in the bill. The committee also heard CS/HB 1079, which expands dropout retrieval program eligibility to any individual who has withdrawn from high school and is not engaged in education, while resolving statutory conflicts about program structure; some members raised concerns about FERPA, student privacy, and third-party funding, but the bill was reported favorably despite one no vote from Rep. Valdes. The committee then considered HB 251, which would designate January 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day in Florida. The sponsor and supporters described the bill as a response to rising antisemitism and emphasized education, remembrance, and opposition to hate. Testimony came from a Miami-Dade school board member, a student, and other supporters, and members spoke strongly in favor of the measure. The bill was reported favorably with no opposition. Finally, the committee heard CS/HB 261 on middle and high school start times. The bill revises the earlier mandated later-start-time law by allowing districts to comply through a report to DOE detailing start times, planning efforts, public input, and impacts, rather than requiring immediate uniform implementation. Supporters from small school districts, Miami-Dade, PTA, and other organizations said the change preserves the health goal while giving districts flexibility to address transportation, dual enrollment, athletics, and staffing constraints. Members debated the need for parental involvement and detailed reporting, but the bill was ultimately reported favorably on a unanimous vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> community.
• As you heard, the community community. As you heard, the community of<00:38:28.280><c> Peterborough.
• Whose community is going to be the prevailing standards in the adult community?
• So, which community?
• So, which community?

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> for getting emergency communication out. for getting emergency communication out.
• </c> emergency communication. emergency communication.
• </c> So what is the community itself done? So what is the community itself done?
• </c> communities around the state as well. communities around the state as well.
• </c> broadcast communications. broadcast communications.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're seeing it in our communities. We're seeing it in our local governments.
• Short-line railroads are vital to California's rural communities and agriculture.
• Shortline railroads are vital to California's rural communities and agriculture.
• Short-line railroads link communities to the national rail system.
• With the severe and ongoing federal cuts... ...in their community.

Summary: The committee heard Senate Bill 1277, which would create a California Cost of Living Tax Credit modeled on the 2022 middle-class tax refund to provide refundable relief to low- and middle-income Californians facing high housing, fuel, energy, and general living costs. Senator Grove and supporters, including the California Policy Center and some local government representatives, argued the bill would put direct relief into the hands of working families. Opposition came from the California Tax Reform Association and the California Teachers Association, which said California already has progressive tax credits and that the proposal would be costly to the General Fund and reduce money for schools and other services. After extended debate, the bill was not advanced; a roll call vote on a motion to pass it to Appropriations failed 1-4, and the bill was held/fails on the floor with a request for reconsideration noted. The committee then heard SB 1287, which would create a capped tax credit to encourage private investment in short-line railroad infrastructure. The author and rail industry witnesses said the measure would improve safety, reliability, emissions, and freight movement, especially for rural communities and agriculture, and that it was a public-private partnership rather than a handout. Opposition from CTA and the California Tax Reform Association argued a direct grant program would be preferable to a tax credit. The bill was accepted with committee amendments and placed on call without a final vote in the transcript. Members also considered SB 1407, which would fully exempt military retirement pay and surviving spouse benefits from state income tax, increasing the prior partial exemption. The author, State Treasurer Fiona Ma, and veterans’ groups said the change would help retain veterans in California, support local economies, and align California with most other states. CTA and CTRA opposed on General Fund grounds. The committee approved the bill on a due-pass-as-amended motion to the Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, with the roll call showing support and the bill placed on call. Later, the committee heard SB 1349, directing the Legislative Analyst’s Office to review major tax expenditures and evaluate their goals, beneficiaries, and effects on revenues and Proposition 98 funding. CTA, CTRA, and several local government and labor supporters backed the bill as a way to improve accountability for roughly $94 billion in annual tax expenditures. The bill was accepted with committee amendments and placed on call. The committee also heard SB 1078, authorizing Santa Cruz County to ask voters for a temporary half-cent sales tax to help fund health care and safety-net services amid federal cuts; it was placed on call. SB 1120, extending the California Competes Tax Credit through 2035 and making it refundable for certain strategic industries, received strong support from business and manufacturing groups and was passed on a due-pass-as-amended motion to Appropriations. Finally, SB 1275, which would replace the state sales tax on vehicle purchases with a vehicle license fee structure intended to increase federal deductibility for Californians, was passed 4-0 as amended to the Committee on Transportation.

Transcript Highlights:

• Short-line railroads are vital to California's rural communities and agriculture.
• Shortline railroads are vital to California's rural communities and agriculture.
• Short-line railroads link communities to the national rail system.
• Good morning, Honorable Chair and Madam Vice Chair, members of the community.
• With the severe and ongoing federal cuts... ...in their community.

Committee: Senate Revenue and Taxation

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> for the uh community colleges. for the uh community colleges.
• </c> communities um across our states? communities um across our states? &gt;&gt; Yes.
• ,</c> Puna is great, great community, Puna is great, great community, especially<00:33:09.120><c> the
• Is the Department of Health tracking the communities, the impact that the game rooms are having on communities
• </c><00:38:42.560><c> uh</c> rooms are having on communities and uh rooms are having on communities and

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then also the community. And it's heartbreaking to me.
• that have served our country and our community.
• that reflects your communicated needs and asks.
• I'm the communications director for Orange County Supervisor Janet Wynne.
• I think it's just communication.

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:

• Blain's dedication to our keiki, educators, and our greater community is a reflection of the deep aloha
• Contributions to not only Hawaiian Airlines but our entire community.
• To our keiki educators and our greater community is a reflection of the deep aloha he has for Hawaiʻi
• House Communication No. 427 returns Senate Bill 140, Senate Draft 2, that passed third reading in the
• I'd like to wish happy birthday to Kathleen Lee, our Senate communications director.

Keywords: 912, senate, all