Transcript Highlights:

• TVA members are simply looking for clear rules and processes that provide a level playing field for all
• As we heard, how many inches of space and what costs are causally related to their occupancy.
• That is correct, 7.41% under the default levels.
• Your non-county commissioner occupation? Oh, rancher. Rancher. Thank you.
• And your occupation is a rancher, correct? Correct.

Bills: HB3445, HB3448

Keywords: telecommunications, electric cooperative, rights-of-way, infrastructure, provider access, right-of-way, pole attachment, regulatory access, 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Motorcycle riders are nearly 28 times more likely to die in a crash than passenger vehicle occupants
• <00:23:53.320> on<00:23:53.559> Hawaii passenger vehicle occupants on Hawaii passenger
• vehicle occupants on Hawaii roadways<00:23:54.440> 33<00:23:55.120> motorcyclists<00:23
• the prosecutor who handled those mentioned was that in cases where the injury doesn't rise to the level
• the prosecutor who handled those mentioned was that in cases where the injury doesn't rise to the level

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met on February 11, 2025, and heard a series of bills focused on transportation funding and roadway safety. HB 1154 would cap Central Services assessments from the state highway, airport, and harbor funds, with a CPI-based process for additional deductions; the Department of Transportation supported it and the Department of Budget and Finance offered comments. HB 1164 would restore highway revenue bond authorization for DOT capital projects, and HB 1286 would prohibit pedestrians from walking along interstate and certain state highways except for authorized duties; both drew DOT support, with Ulupono Initiative and an individual offering comments or support on HB 1286. HB 1162 would require motorcycle instruction permit applicants, beginning July 1, 2026, to complete an approved basic rider course before becoming eligible, and HB 537 would require helmets and chin straps for all operators and passengers of two-wheel motorized vehicles; both had DOT support, with HB 537 also drawing support from AAA Hawaii and Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, and opposition from one individual. The committee then took up HB 387, which would expand negligent injury in the first degree to include injuries negligently inflicted by intoxicated drivers. The Office of the Public Defender opposed the bill, arguing current law already covers drunk driving and that the proposal would turn alcohol-caused negligence causing injury into a felony; prosecutors from Honolulu and Hawaiʻi counties and DOT supported it, saying serious injuries short of “substantial bodily injury” are not adequately punished and that circuit court would better handle restitution and related proceedings. Members asked about data on cases that might fit the new felony category, and prosecutors said they did not have exact numbers but could try to provide more information. The committee also heard HB 1084 and the related HB 1387, both of which would lower Hawaiʻi’s per se DUI blood alcohol limit from 0.08 to 0.05. Support came from DOT, police departments, the Department of Health, prosecutors, the Governor’s office, MADD Hawaii, the Hawaii Public Health Institute, the Hawaii Alcohol Policy Alliance, AAA Hawaii, and the National Transportation Safety Board, all citing research that lower BAC limits reduce impaired driving and fatalities. The Public Defender opposed the change, and some testimony raised concerns about enforcement and the need for an amendment in HB 1084. Several individuals and advocates gave emotional testimony about crashes and losses tied to impaired driving, while supporters emphasized that a 0.05 standard would save lives and would not harm alcohol sales or the tourism economy. No votes were taken during the portion of the hearing reflected in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• Vehicles and the type of vehicles, whether it's volume, speeds, occupancies, or classifications, are
• Layouts, for example, the paver application uses a level of AI that learns the presence of different
• Operations, instant notification on the occupancy or vacancy associated with available parking.
• no reason for us to duplicate or step on each other's feet while we're trying to come to the same level
• So this is a level of machine learning that's actually employed, and it's been in use since about 2019

Transcript Highlights:

• At a high level, the audit found some I-1163 requirements make people safer, but safety depends on access
• It's an occupation with high turnover and relatively low wages, but this audit and others we've done
• It's an occupation with high turnover and relatively low wages, but also this audit and others we've
• testing program as to whether or not they have incentives and penalties for not offering adequate levels

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee held a public hearing on the State Auditor’s Office performance audit of Washington’s Restoring Quality Home Care Initiative (I-1163). Auditors said the initiative’s background checks and 75-hour training requirement are widely viewed as safety measures, but the state lacks pre-2011 data to directly measure safety outcomes. They also found Washington’s long-term care workforce is still short, though the state ranks better than many others in workers per disabled person, and that some groups and regions have larger gaps between authorized and actually used Medicaid care hours, suggesting access problems for certain clients. The audit focused heavily on the certification process for home care aides. Auditors reported that many applicants never finish certification, that the process often exceeds the 200-day legal deadline, and that delays can cause lost income, job loss, and in some cases repeated employer changes that allow aides to keep working without becoming certified. They recommended that the Department of Health accept applications only after training and testing are completed, move testing into training programs more broadly, and eliminate redundant DOH verification of FBI background checks. Committee members asked about testing contract incentives, language access, and the role of immigration in workforce shortages; auditors said they found no financial performance standards in the Prometric contract, did not specifically study immigration status, and did not focus on language barriers in this audit. Department of Health and Department of Social and Health Services officials largely agreed with the audit’s findings and recommendations. They said they have already made improvements, including expanded in-program testing, more staffing, and rule changes, and that testing has been integrated into more than 110 training programs. DSHS noted testing is offered in 13 languages. Both agencies said they support further streamlining and expect continued collaboration, including possible budget or legislative requests. No public testimony was offered, and the committee adjourned without taking any vote or formal action on the audit.

Transcript Highlights:

• The recommended annual appropriation level is $787.5 million.
• At that level, not yet, Dr.
• In terms of what's going on at the federal level?
• Yeah, so we're monitoring what's going on at the federal level.
• To help students keep debt levels manageable.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:03:39.519> and their opportunity and um occupation and their opportunity and um occupation
• Regions is the East Metro safety net hospital and Level I trauma and burn center.
• Best practice for Level I trauma centers is to run around 80 to 85% capacity.
• This, the Level I trauma center.
• <00:59:36.000> of admire their skill, the the level of admire their skill, the the level of

Bills: HF3521, HF1807, HF1270, HF2070, HF3136

Keywords: hospital moratorium, hospital construction, bed capacity, hospital expansion, health care facilities, hospital licensing, safety-net hospital, level I trauma center, Ramsey County, Minnesota health law, hospital beds, new hospital exception, certificate of need, inpatient capacity, emergency care, trauma services, health system regulation, state moratorium, hospital modernization, health infrastructure

Transcript Highlights:

• We have the separate uh state level We have the separate uh state level requirement<00:44:08.160
• happens at the school district level happens at the school district level around<00:47:10.800>
• therapy, maybe a better example, and the occupation—we'll go with occupational therapy—and they have
• therapy, maybe a better example, and the occupation—we'll go with occupational therapy—and they have
• OT is covered by occupational therapy.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 34, which would require parental consent for each new service provided to a student through the Medicaid to Schools program and require reports to legislative policy committees. Senator Ruth Ward said the bill was intended to increase transparency, protect parental involvement, and ensure continuity of care, especially for students with disabilities. She also noted a proposed amendment she received shortly before the hearing that would change the bill’s focus from a “new service” to a “new care plan.” Representatives from the New Hampshire Primary Care Association and Amoscake Health testified that they opposed the bill as written but would support it with the amendment. They explained that tying consent to individual diagnosis codes or services could be burdensome, could delay care, and could create compliance problems if a diagnosis changes during a visit. They said the amendment would better align consent with the overall care plan and avoid interrupting treatment mid-appointment. Committee members raised questions about how the bill would interact with IEPs, individualized health plans, homebound services, telehealth, billing, and whether the amendment would still require parental involvement after a care plan changes. The deputy Medicaid director from the Department of Health and Human Services testified that the amendment was more operationally feasible because Medicaid billing involves many ICD-10 codes that can change or overlap, and consent should be tied to the care plan rather than to each code. He said the current law already requires parental consent for participation in the Medicaid to Schools program and annual consent for billing, but the bill would make explicit consent for care-plan changes. No vote was taken during the portion of the hearing provided, and the committee appeared to continue discussion with DHHS after the testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• Usually the departments at a local level work very closely with us.
• have to have some level of honesty from<01:16:32.400> the<01:16:32.639> project<01:16:
• or at the staff level.
• or at the staff level.
• <01:33:23.840> I<01:33:23.960> agree level or at at the staff level I agree level or

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Any occupation, whether it's physicians, nurses, or any allied health occupation, needs to be looked
• Any occupation whether it's that.
• Um I having this um at the state level.
• Maybe we could just walk through the math, but just a high level would be nice. Mr.
• Hadala, could level would be nice. Mr.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the Senate Standing Committee on Licensing and Occupations.
• So, House Bill 185 directs occupational licensing boards to consider very specific details submitted
• So, House Bill 185<00:03:19.360> directs<00:03:19.680> occupational<00:03:20.239> licensing
• 185 directs occupational licensing 185 directs occupational licensing boards<00:03:21.200> to
• And we started that by doing some outreach at middle school and high school levels, talking with science

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, you can have an overhead look, but you can bring it down to street level, so you're watching.
• <00:42:31.080> I occupant that makes a lot of sense.
• I occupant that makes a lot of sense.
• Um, and I would just say like high level Um, and I would just say like high level philosophically
• This is crucial in high-risk levels.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Collectively, these proposals could raise more than $200 million annually on the local level to help
• Sixty percent of our teachers are at the highest level of the career ladder.
• Sixty percent of our teachers are at the highest level of the career ladder within the union contract
• , which sometimes does not correlate with what is needed at the local or city level.
• We're hearing more and more about folks at all income levels who are struggling to find housing.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Revenue held a public hearing on a series of bills focused largely on local-option real estate transfer fees and housing funding tools for communities facing severe affordability pressures. Testimony strongly favored bills for Somerville, Concord, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, Chatham, and a statewide local-option transfer fee, with speakers arguing that high-end real estate transactions should help fund affordable housing, anti-displacement efforts, workforce housing, and related capital improvements. Elected officials and local housing leaders described rising rents and home prices, investor activity, shrinking year-round housing stock, and difficulty recruiting or retaining teachers, police, health care workers, and other essential employees. Several witnesses emphasized that the proposals would be optional for municipalities, could include exemptions for first-time homebuyers or seniors, and would direct revenue into local affordable housing trust funds or housing banks. Committee members asked questions about who would pay the fee and whether it could make housing less affordable, and supporters responded that the fees would be targeted at higher-value transactions and designed with local flexibility. For Somerville, the delegation and Mayor Katjana Ballantyne backed both a local home rule petition and statewide enabling legislation, saying the city has already used zoning reform, inclusionary zoning, and local housing funds but still needs a new revenue source to address displacement and investor-driven purchases. For Concord, Representative Carmine Gentile and Concord housing advocates supported a home rule petition and the statewide bill, arguing that a modest fee on sales above $1 million could generate predictable revenue for affordable housing production and preservation. One committee exchange focused on whether the fee would affect most Concord sales and whether it would be passed on to buyers; supporters said the policy was intended to shift costs toward higher-value properties and help leverage other funding sources. The committee also heard testimony on House 4105, which would redirect a casino-related revenue stream to the Healthy Incentives Program. Farmers, advocates, and residents said the current funding was originally intended to support horse racing but has not met that goal, and that the money would be better used to support Massachusetts farmers and food-insecure residents through HIP. In a separate bill, Senator Becca Rausch testified in support of Senate 268, which would create a state-level hostile learning environment complaint process for higher education institutions and potentially strip tax exemptions from colleges or universities found to have such environments; she cited anti-Semitic and transphobic incidents on campuses and argued that existing federal protections should be mirrored in state law. The hearing also included testimony on college tuition debt reduction legislation from Senator Michael Moore, who said the bill would allow a deduction for tuition and fees paid to Massachusetts public colleges and universities to ease student debt and support the state’s workforce. A major portion of the hearing focused on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket housing bank proposals. Hospital, school, housing, planning, and municipal officials from Martha’s Vineyard said the island’s year-round housing shortage is harming health care, schools, and the local workforce, and urged approval of a housing bank funded by a local-option transfer fee. Nantucket witnesses made similar arguments, pointing to a very high median home price, a large seasonal housing stock, and the need for a dedicated revenue stream to preserve and create year-round housing. Supporters repeatedly cited the long-running success of the islands’ land banks as evidence that transfer fees can work without harming real estate markets. Senator Julian Cyr and Representative Thomas Moakley Luddy also backed the Cape and Islands transfer-fee bills, saying the region needs bold action and a sustainable local funding source to address its housing crisis.

Transcript Highlights:

• occupancy.
• Senate Bill 202 attempts to impose a result on a local dispute at a state level.
• That has been our level of commitment and responsibility as the water utility provider.
• Well, churches are held at a different level, aren't they?
• I would... ...building code rules change, that level of conversation so it's comprehensive.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and considered several bills, reporting each favorably after hearing sponsor presentations, public testimony, and member questions. SB 578 would allow wine to be sold in recyclable containers, aligning wine with beer container rules; it received support from Americans for Prosperity and passed without debate. SB 606 clarified when guests in public lodging or food service establishments may be removed for nonpayment, updated notice and checkout provisions, and removed a mandatory arrest requirement, with support from hotel and restaurant industry groups; it also passed favorably. Members then heard SB 202, which addresses a municipal water utility surcharge issue affecting Miami Gardens and North Miami Beach by requiring the utility to charge residents where the plant sits the same rate it charges its own residents. The sponsor and supporters described it as a fairness issue, while North Miami Beach argued it would shift costs and threaten utility finances; the bill was reported favorably. SB 570 modernized and clarified the scope of work for swimming pool and spa contractors, and SB 928, as amended, regulated non-approved disposable nicotine devices by restricting advertising and display, increasing inspections and penalties, and adding a school-buffer provision; both were reported favorably. The committee also approved SB 346, which repeals state preemption over local regulation of hoisting equipment and cranes, prompted by concerns after Hurricane Milton and a crane collapse in St. Petersburg. Supporters said local governments need authority to address storm-related crane safety, while industry representatives warned against patchwork regulation and said local oversight already exists in some areas. Finally, the committee took up SB 652, creating Veterinary Professional Associates to perform certain tasks, including limited surgeries under veterinarian supervision; animal welfare groups supported it as a way to expand access, while some veterinarians opposed the surgery provisions. The bill was reported favorably after amendment. The committee then began SB 354, a major overhaul of Public Service Commission oversight, including expanding the commission, adding financial expertise, tightening rate-setting and storm-hardening review, and increasing transparency for nonprofit water and wastewater utilities; the substitute amendment was adopted and public testimony was heard from consumer advocates and utility-related groups, but the transcript ends before final action on the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Level horsepower to get to crack that. We're all in.
• Texas at historic levels.
• level, at the Ph.D. level, and at the certificate level.
• Currently, we are doing it at most of our universities, but it's at the level. at the level of $40,000
• We would like to get to the $100,000 level.

Bills: SB1, SB 1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:32:13.760> motor<00:32:14.080> vehicle<00:32:14.559> fatalities occupational
• motor vehicle fatalities occupational motor vehicle fatalities were<00:32:15.679> driver<00:32
• occupational mortality. occupational mortality.
• <01:25:01.199> They to deal with state level people.
• They to deal with state level people.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first heard a presentation from the Kentucky Aviation Association on the importance of general aviation airports in Kentucky and their economic and public-safety role. Witnesses said the state has more than 50 general aviation airports that support jobs, agriculture, tourism, medical transport, disaster response, and law enforcement, and they urged continued support for aviation infrastructure and workforce development. They asked the legislature to again provide $200,000 per general aviation airport for operating and basic infrastructure costs, to route the money through the Kentucky Department of Aviation for accountability, to revisit a special-purpose governmental entity audit requirement they said is too costly for small airports, to create a long-term appropriations process for the roughly $100 million in unmet capital needs, and to fund the Arrow Act for aviation education and scholarships. Members asked about a dedicated aviation fuel tax and about local training partnerships, simulators, and school or community college programs; the witnesses said they preferred an appropriations-based solution and offered to help connect interested communities with aviation education resources. The committee then took up “Troy’s Law,” sponsored by Representatives White and Flannery, which would allow tow trucks to use blue lights while stationary and actively removing vehicles or debris from highways. Sponsors and tow operators said the bill is intended to improve worker safety after the deaths of tow operators Troy Cwell and Hubert Mosley in highway hit-and-run incidents, and they emphasized that tow operators often work in dangerous conditions at night, in bad weather, and near fast-moving traffic. They said the proposal would not apply while driving or towing and noted that other states have adopted similar measures. Witnesses from the towing industry, including Bubba Johnson and Barbara Maguire, supported the bill as an added layer of protection and described tow operators as first responders who help motorists in emergencies. Representative Flannery and other members expressed support for the safety goal and invited further discussion, but no vote or final action was taken in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• If there are hundreds of jobs for a particular occupation, yes, it automatically gives an assumption
• that there's heavy need for that occupation in the state, but it's still not validated, right?
• Very easy to do is, of course, count the number of job openings for a particular occupation and then
• Being wage growth for that occupation year on year or not. 2% is there for now, but we're going to work
• These were like the four good examples of how the system will work, and this will be the occupations

Keywords: 914, all

Summary: The meeting opened with routine business: confirmation of Open Meetings Act compliance, roll call, approval of the prior minutes, and no public comment. The main presentation was a detailed update on OK WIRE and a new workforce-gap validation model. Staff described moving from a simple job-posting approach to a four-factor method using wage growth, time-to-fill, occupation growth relative to the state average, and the ratio of postings to existing jobs. Examples were given for registered nurses, industrial occupations, software developers, and accountants to show how the model would identify validated workforce shortages or areas needing only monitoring. The team said the new dashboard would be added to the existing OK WIRE system, include links to training programs, and be completed by the end of August without additional cost under the current vendor contract. An agency report followed, covering the work of 929 Strategies on a 30-60-90 day plan, office relocation, contract terminations, grant administration, and budget cleanup. Staff said they had moved out of Film Row, were temporarily in Denver Davidson, and would move into permanent space in the Jim Thorpe building in October. They also discussed the rapid response grant, ARPA grant spending, and a planned data tool to support layoffs response and rural health workforce planning, including work with the Healthcare Workforce Training Commission and health partners. The board then voted to enter executive session under the cited Oklahoma statutes to discuss employee evaluations, possible salary increases, and confidential legal/operational matters. After returning, the board thanked staff for their budget work, decided not to hold the July 9 meeting, and adjourned, planning to resume discussion at the August meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• person for a job is safety, particularly certain concerns by the employers about the Federal, Occupational
• department is to work with the Florida Center for students with unique abilities and the Federal Occupational
• And I'm also the mother to a 5 year-old autistic boy with a level to autism.
• And I even here on a student level because we asked for feedback, I am so done with testing and they
• one, the teacher might not get the student to level 3 but gets decided to level 2 in previously.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And when I'm in a place like Iowa, who has a state-level tax credit similar to the one in this bill,
• This would be applied on your state-level tax refund, and the federal one would have been applied on
• Doctors of physical and occupational therapy are doctors of movement.
• providing Physical Therapy occupational providing Physical Therapy occupational therapy<01:37:31.000
• I added occupational therapy and personal trainers to create a lifelong wellness model.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• some of the owner-occupant restrictions.
• had removed some of the owner occupant had removed some of the owner occupant restrictions.<00:44
• <00:44:56.760> owner-occupied owner-occupant owner-occupied owner-occupant owner-occupied residential
• <00:51:42.040> But<00:51:42.360> at occupant residential use buyers.
• But at occupant residential use buyers.

Bills: SB2069, SB2177, SB2342, SB2060, SB2544, SB3011, SB2061, SB2552

Keywords: SB2069, Hawaii housing, HHFDC, Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund, equity pilot program, housing affordability, homeownership, first-time homebuyer, for-sale housing, transit-oriented development, TOD, transit-oriented development zone, bus route, bus stop, critical workforce housing, health care workers, educators, law enforcement, correctional officers

Summary: The House Housing Committee opened its Friday morning hearing by noting potentially catastrophic flooding on the island and acknowledging that some members were absent helping their communities, so quorum for voting was uncertain. The committee then heard testimony on several housing-related measures, with most bills drawing support from housing agencies and community organizations and little or no opposition in the room. On SB 2069 SD2, SB 2177 SD2, and SB 2342 SD2, witnesses largely supported the measures. HHFDC supported SB 2069 and SB 2177, and HPHA supported SB 2342. For SB 2342, HHFDC raised concerns that the bill would alter the Qualified Allocation Plan outside the normal open, public process required by federal law and could exclude stakeholders; Kathy Charities echoed those concerns and also objected to changing point allocations in ways that could raise rents and weaken long-term affordability. Members questioned HHFDC about how the QAP is normally updated, the meaning of the point system, and whether a legislative working group could mandate changes; HHFDC said recommendations would still need public hearing and board approval. The committee also heard SB 2060 SD2, which would create a mixed-income subaccount in the rental housing revolving fund. HHFDC said the subaccount would likely use tier-two funds, estimated at about $100 million total, to support mixed-income projects above 60% AMI, citing Front Street Apartments as a possible example. Members asked about project selection and funding needs. On SB 2544 SD2, OHA opposed the bill’s Chapter 6E-related exemptions and mandatory review timelines, arguing that burial review protections should not be weakened and that the SPEED Task Force process was a better venue for streamlining. The sponsor later clarified that the bill was not meant to eliminate the 60-day review process but to make the deadline clearer. For SB 3011 SD1, which concerns public housing and pet ownership, HPHA and several humane organizations supported the measure, saying it would help low-income residents and seniors keep pets and benefit from animal companionship. HPHA explained its existing pet policy, including deposits, monthly fees, and restrictions, and said the requested funding would support ADA-accessible pet areas and related administration. Finally, on SB 2061 SD2, HCDA supported the bill while OHA opposed it unless protections for Hawaiian Crown and Government lands were strengthened. Committee members questioned the project’s 60/40 split between income-restricted and market-rate units, the 10-year owner-occupancy restriction, and the procurement exemption; the sponsor said the exemption was tied to a real estate transaction and that the project would still use 103D-like solicitation procedures. No votes were taken during the hearing, and several items were left for later action because quorum was uncertain.

Transcript Highlights:

• That it is a national security prerogative that the U.S. reaches a certain level of quantum computing
• Education levels are, and the blue is what's required to be in a STEM field. Mr.
• Divided them by the average entry level education required. Thank you, Mr. Chair and Secretary.
• With just the number of occupations, and it was still that spike.
• So we can track along with our JTIP, along with our incentives, what are the job wage levels?