Transcript Highlights:

• However, as you know, if you have lived here a long time, one field will have rain on one side and be

Transcript Highlights:

• it known that the New Hampshire Senate extends its congratulations to the Junior Spartans Midnight Rain
• congratulations to the Junior Spartans congratulations to the Junior Spartans Midnight<00:19:46.480> Rain
• Cheer<00:19:47.440> Team<00:19:48.160> in<00:19:48.400> recognition Midnight Rain
• Cheer Team in recognition Midnight Rain Cheer Team in recognition of<00:19:49.200> winning<00
• have lifted this into having a safe roadworthy vehicle in inclement weather, in particular when it rains

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The amount of rain, the amount of flooding that we have had in New Hampshire is crazy. basically does
• The amount of rain, the amount of flooding that we have had in New Hampshire is crazy.
• The amount of rain, the amount of flooding that we have had in New Hampshire is crazy.
• The amount of rain, the amount of flooding that we have had in New Hampshire is crazy.
• The amount of rain, the amount of flooding that we have had in New Hampshire is crazy.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Below 32°, if there's rain or snow, heat advisories. We all live in the same state.
• Below<00:15:36.400> 32°,<00:15:37.839> if<00:15:38.000> there's<00:15:38.240> rain
• 00:15:38.480> or<00:15:38.560> snow,<00:15:39.120> heat Below 32°, if there's rain
• or snow, heat Below 32°, if there's rain or snow, heat advisories.<00:15:40.440> We<00:15:40.600

Keywords: House streaming session for Friday, April 3, 2026, 957, house, all

Summary: The House convened with 113 members present and took up House Bill 774, a local enabling bill on residential landlord-tenant good-cause termination and eviction standards. The sponsor and floor leader described the bill as intended to create stability for families and communities by limiting nonrenewal of leases without good cause, while emphasizing that it would only take effect if adopted by local counties. The bill’s stated good-cause grounds include repeated late rent payment, lease violations, and other specified reasons. Several amendments were offered and debated. One amendment sought to require tenants to keep paying rent, late fees, and other lease obligations during any legal challenge to a nonrenewal; the floor leader argued this was redundant because existing law already requires payment during holdover proceedings, and the House rejected the amendment by roll call, 79 in the negative. Another amendment added a good-cause ground where housing is tied to employment on the property and the employment ends; the floor leader accepted it as a friendly amendment, and it was adopted. A further amendment exempted short-term rentals such as VRBOs from the bill; it was also accepted as friendly and adopted. The House then rejected another amendment that would have changed the late-rent good-cause standard from four notices in a 12-month period to three. The sponsor argued the change would reduce the time and financial burden on small landlords, while the floor leader responded that the bill did not alter existing eviction timelines for nonpayment and that the current four-instance standard was appropriate. Finally, an amendment to extend access to the state’s eviction counsel fund to low-income landlords was offered, with the sponsor arguing for fairness to small property owners; the floor leader opposed it, saying the fund was created to represent low-income tenants and that most landlords are already represented. The transcript cuts off before the final vote on that amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Next, Helen Rain on Zoom. Please proceed.
• <01:52:05.199> Next,<01:52:05.760> Helen<01:52:06.320> Rain<01:52:07.599>
• Next, Helen Rain on >> Thank you very much.
• Next, Helen Rain on Zoom.<01:52:09.040> Please<01:52:09.280> proceed.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on House Bill 1552, which would make the attorney general the interim chief election officer if that office becomes vacant until the Elections Commission appoints a replacement. The Department of the Attorney General opposed the bill, saying it could create a conflict of interest if the attorney general were both the state’s lawyer and the chief elections officer in any related litigation. The League of Women Voters supported having some interim backup for the office, but said it was not necessarily advocating that the attorney general fill the role. Several other testifiers, including the Hawaiian Islands Republican Women, opposed the bill, arguing the current law already provides for a prompt commission appointment and warning about partisan bias and concentration of power. Supporters, including Indivisible Hawaii, said an interim mechanism is needed to ensure election certification in a crisis. The chair also asked whether any statutory acting capacity already exists, and the attorney general said none was known. The committee then took up House Bill 2125, which would bar corporations operating under state law from engaging in election activity. The attorney general opposed the bill, citing Citizens United and arguing that corporations have First Amendment-protected political speech rights and that the bill would likely be unconstitutional. Indivisible Hawaii supported the measure, saying it would keep elections focused on the will of the people rather than corporate influence. Libertarian Party testimony was mixed: one witness supported the goal of reducing corruption but warned the bill could suppress organized dissent and sweep too broadly by treating many associations as corporations. The bill’s introducer asked whether the legislature could still enact it as a policy matter, but the attorney general maintained federal constitutional law would control. No vote was taken on either bill during the portion of the hearing provided. The committee also heard House Bill 2493 on wrongful imprisonment, which would set procedures and compensation for people whose convictions are reversed or vacated on grounds consistent with innocence and whose charges are dismissed. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation supported the bill’s intent but objected to language assigning it responsibility for helping released individuals secure housing, identification, health coverage, and other reentry needs, saying it no longer has jurisdiction after release and suggesting the courts or a community-based contractor handle that role. The Office of the Public Defender strongly supported the bill, emphasizing the harm of wrongful conviction and the need for compensation, case management, and medical coverage after release. No action or vote was reported on this measure in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• She gave an example of a development plan on Maui proposing rain gardens and vegetated swales throughout
• They're proposing<00:48:23.440> to<00:48:23.599> do<00:48:23.839> rain<00:48:24.160
• > gardens<00:48:24.640> and proposing to do rain gardens and proposing to do rain gardens

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Water and Land met on February 3, 2026, and heard testimony on several bills, with the chair emphasizing a two-minute limit and noting that bills would die if the hearing ran past noon. For HB 1848, the Commission on Water Resource Management and the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development both supported the measure with technical, non-substantive amendments. Testimony focused on requiring early consultation about water availability in district boundary amendment petitions, with water officials explaining that the petitioner should submit a written statement reflecting consultation and that the goal was to identify water constraints earlier in the development process. The Land Use Commission’s representative opposed the bill, arguing that water availability is already addressed through existing environmental review and agency consultation, that the issue had been raised and rejected before, and that the proposal could create unnecessary delay or litigation. The committee then heard HB 1728 on rainwater catchment systems. The Commission on Water Resource Management said it acknowledged the bill’s intent but deferred to counties and other regulatory agencies, including the Department of Health, on regulatory implications. Hawaii Realtors testified in support. No vote was taken during the portion of the hearing shown. For HB 1652 on storm water management systems, the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association opposed the bill, arguing it would weaken protections created by Act 281 (“Sharkey’s Law”) and increase drowning risk for children by exempting certain water features from safety requirements. The American Council of Engineering Companies of Hawaii supported the bill, saying the language clarifies and better balances child safety with practical green stormwater infrastructure, including depth-based limits and exemptions for certain agricultural ponds. The Hawaii Farm Bureau also supported the agricultural pond exemption, saying such ponds are used for irrigation, livestock, and fire control and are generally away from the public. A private testifier, Allison Schaers, opposed the bill and described her daughter’s drowning in a detention basin, arguing that poor maintenance can turn stormwater features into dangerous hazards. The hearing ended without any recorded committee action or vote in the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• out through different events, west side, why I wyo, everyone facing floods from different, you know, rain
• 00:59:10.079> different<00:59:10.559> you<00:59:10.720> know<00:59:10.880> rain
• floods from different you know rain floods from different you know rain bombs<00:59:11.520> or

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint informational briefing focused on how federal policy changes, tariffs, funding cuts, the federal shutdown, and delays in the farm bill are affecting Hawaii agriculture and food access. Opening remarks emphasized Hawaii’s heavy dependence on imported food and farm inputs, the state’s vulnerability to disruptions in USDA services, and the need for stronger state, county, and community coordination. Speakers also noted that immigration enforcement and broader global supply-chain pressures can affect local farm labor, production, and food availability. Sharon Herd, chair of the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, described both positive and negative federal impacts. She said Hawaii has benefited from some recurring grants and a large new $8.8 million federal grant, but also reported about $22 million in losses from suspended or terminated grants, including farm-to-school and water-related projects. She said some USDA programs, such as microgrants for food security and FISMIP, are currently suspended, while the specialty crop block grant remains active. She also said Hawaii farms declined from 7,328 to 6,569 between the 2017 and 2022 censuses and argued the state cannot rely on imports alone to feed its people. Amanda Shaw of Agriculture Stewardship Hawaii presented findings from federal funding cut reports. She said the first report, in March, identified about $88 million in potential cuts, and the newer report found $64.7 million in confirmed cuts and about $175 million in potential cuts. She said federal shifts are creating uncertainty for farmers, food-system organizations, and school and community food programs, and noted that 4,000 to 5,000 Hawaii farmers could receive less money because of changes to payment-factor provisions for socially disadvantaged farmers. She also said Hawaii has lost 18% of local USDA staff since September 2024, with possible further national reductions expected. No votes were taken; the meeting was informational only, and the chair noted that any legal questions, including the reported SNAP changes, would be for the Judiciary Committee to assess later.

Transcript Highlights:

• making sure the waterway was open and by leaving it in that condition, it wouldn't exacerbate the next rain
• wouldn't exacerbate that condition, it wouldn't exacerbate the<00:36:01.280> next<00:36:01.440> rain
• the next rain event. the next rain event. actually<00:36:03.760> going<00:36:04.079> in

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The meeting began with roll call, adoption of the minutes, and brief remarks, including birthday recognition for Representative Maseroni and a moment of reflection for a soldier who died during training at Fort Knox. The committee then heard a presentation from Tony Hatton, commissioner of the Department for Environmental Protection and acting director of the Kentucky Division of Water, with Amanda Lefer, deputy commissioner, on the state’s water and wastewater programs and planning. Hatton described Kentucky’s water resources and the Division of Water’s responsibilities, including watershed and nonpoint source work, KPDES discharge permitting, PFAS response, engineering review of water infrastructure, inspections, public outreach, and sampling. He said Kentucky has 428 public water systems, 263 water treatment plants, about 1.9 million service connections, and nearly 97% of the population has access to municipally treated water. He also noted that the state has 43 systems receiving awards for EPA areawide optimization and emphasized operator training, regionalization, and use of GIS mapping and Kentucky Infrastructure Authority data to support planning and funding decisions. Members raised concerns about aging infrastructure, water loss, staffing shortages, and wastewater problems in local systems. Representative Blandon described severe failures in a city system, including major water loss and sewer backups, and asked whether the state could intervene; Hatton said the division inspects treatment facilities and provides compliance assistance but is not authorized to manage delivery systems, though third-party help and emergency funding can be used in some cases. Senator Smith and others shared similar experiences with line loss and system failures, while Hatton pointed to regionalization and funding support as the main tools available. The discussion also highlighted PFAS as an emerging issue, with Hatton saying the department is working with systems to meet anticipated federal requirements by 2029.

Transcript Highlights:

• My first project was as a casting director for Purple Rain. So, I've been around.
• 01:42:21.360> director<01:42:21.679> for<01:42:21.920> Purple<01:42:22.239> Rain
• <01:42:22.560> So, a casting director for Purple Rain.
• So, a casting director for Purple Rain.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And if it happens to be raining at that time, there's no drainage.
• And if it happens<01:44:50.880> to<01:44:51.040> be<01:44:51.199> raining<01:44:
• 51.600> at<01:44:51.840> that<01:44:52.080> time, happens to be raining at that
• time, happens to be raining at that time, there's<01:44:53.119> no<01:44:53.480> drainage.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• have a deep connection to the color purple: our Minnesota Vikings, legendary Prince in his Purple Rain
• Vikings legendary prince in his Purple Vikings legendary prince in his Purple Rain<00:14:12.079> vibrant
• 13.240> wild<00:14:13.680> flowers<00:14:14.680> and<00:14:14.880> now Rain
• vibrant purple wild flowers and now Rain vibrant purple wild flowers and now our<00:14:15.639> evenly

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• because it reduces the amount the ability of a good cap, if it's an enhanced cap, will reduce water from rain
• it's a enhanced cap will reduce<01:07:32.720> water<01:07:32.960> from<01:07:33.160> rain
• 01:07:33.520> going<01:07:33.799> through<01:07:33.960> the reduce water from rain
• going through the reduce water from rain going through the waste<01:07:34.400> and<01:07:34.520

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We can't make it rain, so we can't supply more water that we don't have.
• <00:28:14.919> can't<00:28:15.120> make<00:28:15.279> it<00:28:15.440> rain
• <00:28:15.880> so<00:28:16.080> we<00:28:16.279> can't can't we can't make it rain
• so we can't can't we can't make it rain so we can't Supply<00:28:17.039> more<00:28:17.399>

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm in my truck at my farm because it started raining, so excuse the background.
• This is, I think, an exciting opportunity for Hawaiʻi because of our climate and our heavy rains in some
• This is an exciting opportunity for Hawaiʻi because of our climate and our heavy rains in some areas.
• This is an exciting opportunity for Hawaiʻi because of our climate and our heavy rains in some areas.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The joint House Agriculture and Food Systems and Tourism hearing focused on HB 189 and HB 966, both dealing with agricultural tourism. HB 189 would require counties to adopt ordinances governing review and permitting of agricultural tourism as secondary uses on working farms, require the principal agricultural use to pre-exist any tourism-related permit, and limit ag tourism to land where productive agriculture is occurring. HB 966 would create statewide uniform standards for agricultural tourism, require county registration of activities, require ag tourism to coexist with agricultural activity on a farming operation, and end the tourism use when agricultural activity ceases. Testimony on HB 189 was mixed. The Department of Agriculture and Kualoa Ranch opposed the bill, arguing that the proposed restrictions and income-based limits could burden bona fide farms and ranches, reduce flexibility for counties, and harm food production, jobs, and diversification efforts. Kualoa Ranch said ag tourism supports its food sales and community market and warned the bill could cost more than 350 jobs. The Hawaiʻi Cattlemen’s Council also opposed the measure for similar reasons. The Hawaiʻi Farmers Union supported the bill with suggested amendments, including clearer language around agricultural dedication. The Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau supported the intent of the bill but urged caution, saying ag tourism should remain tied to actual agricultural production and that counties need flexibility to address abuses without imposing overly rigid standards. Members discussed how to define a bona fide agricultural operation and whether property tax agricultural dedication could serve as a clearer qualifier. They also raised concerns about how counties would enforce revenue thresholds or separate accounting for tourism and farm income, and whether state law should better target clearly non-agricultural uses such as gondolas or other abusive developments. The Department of Agriculture and Farm Bureau said counties already have authority to regulate ag tourism through ordinances, but that any new standards should avoid unintended burdens on true farmers and ranchers. HB 966 was then introduced, and initial testimony again reflected support for the bill’s intent from some agricultural groups and opposition or caution from others. Kualoa Ranch said ag tourism can help educate visitors and support agriculture, the Hawaiʻi Farmers Union supported county flexibility, and the Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau reiterated concerns about the bill’s income comparison provisions and the need to distinguish legitimate agricultural tourism from misuse. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• shorter winters impacting our tourism industry, hotter summers with cyanobacteria blooms, increased rain
• bacteria cyano bacteria blooms<03:26:11.640> with<03:26:11.840> increased<03:26:12.279> rain
• <03:26:12.560> events blooms with increased rain events blooms with increased rain events

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think that's become more obvious after Lahaina and rain bombs, etc.
• obvious<00:20:57.120> after<00:20:57.360> lahina<00:20:57.880> and<00:20:58.000> Rain
• <00:20:58.240> bombs<00:20:58.720> Etc obvious after lahina and Rain bombs Etc obvious
• after lahina and Rain bombs Etc we<00:20:59.640> need<00:20:59.799> to<00:20:59.919>

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on House Bill 1077, a governor’s administration bill to increase transient accommodations tax revenue and split it between two new special funds: a climate mitigation and resiliency special fund and an economic development and revitalization special fund for tourism/resort areas. Supporters, including the Governor’s Office, recovery and resilience staff, climate and conservation groups, and several state agencies, said the bill would create a dedicated, more reliable funding stream for wildfire mitigation, coastal resilience, land clearing, infrastructure, and community-led projects. Some supporters also urged changes to the bill, including moving the fund to DLNR, adding DHHL and OHA representation, clarifying community grants, and ensuring the fund can support both state-led and community-led resilience work. The Attorney General’s office flagged a drafting issue, noting that the bill references fees deposited into the new fund even though the new chapter does not authorize fee collection, and recommended deleting that language or adding fee authority. The Climate Advisory Team representative also suggested adding DHHL to the decision-making body and requiring at-large members to have climate, resilience, conservation, or infrastructure expertise. The Tax Foundation of Hawaii and the Kohala Coast Resort Association opposed the measure, arguing that the special fund structure does not meet statutory criteria, that the bill functions as a tax increase, and that the transient accommodations tax is not being collected equitably across all lodging types before any increase is imposed. Other opponents, including tourism and lodging interests, warned that hotels and timeshares already bear most of the tax burden and that raising the TAT could hurt an already struggling visitor industry and drive tourists away. Supporters countered that current funding is far short of what is needed and that a dedicated revenue stream is necessary to address climate impacts now. Committee members questioned why the Legislature should cede spending decisions to a separate executive-branch process, and the administration responded that the bill is intended to create a transparent, recurring mechanism for funding priorities that can be adjusted over time. No vote or final action was taken in the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• or storm drains or where it can enter storm drains, application during or immediately before heavy rain
• application during or immediately<03:45:31.600> before<03:45:31.960> heavy<03:45:32.399> rain
• immediately before heavy rain immediately before heavy rain application<03:45:33.880> where

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to create rain gardens, which are a way of controlling stormwater.
• to create rain gardens, which are a way of controlling stormwater.
• 04:01:39.080> the some of that uh with our soak up the some of that uh with our soak up the rain
• program where we've helped rain program where we've helped communities<04:01:41.680> and<04:01
• Gardens uh which are a way of rain Gardens uh which are a way of controlling<04:01:45.640> storm<

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Hi, Antoinette Raines, 58-year resident of Altadena.
• Hi, Antoinette Raines, 58-year resident of Hi, Antoinette Raines, 58-year resident of Altadena.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In one example, teenager Adam Raine ended his life after a prolonged interaction with ChatGPT.
• And I've also, as you have, sat with Marie Rain and understand the real risks.
• And I've also, as you have, sat with Marie Rain and understand the real risks.

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on artificial intelligence, child safety, mental health, and privacy. SB 574 by Senator Umberg would require transparency and human oversight when attorneys, judges, and court neutrals use AI; it drew support from privacy advocates and committee members, with no opposition. SB 1276, the End Child Exploitation Act, would update child sexual exploitation laws to cover live-streamed and AI-generated abuse material and clarify that viewing such content can be criminally punishable; prosecutors, child advocacy groups, and others supported it, while no one appeared in opposition despite opposition on file. SB 813 would create a California AI standards and safety commission and a voluntary two-tier certification framework for AI safety standards; supporters said it would create scalable, independent oversight, while TechNet and CalChamber opposed it as duplicative, under-defined, and likely to create a de facto mandate. The committee discussed market pressure, federal preemption concerns, and the role of voluntary standards, but no final vote was taken in the excerpt. Senator Padilla also presented SB 300, which would strengthen protections for minors from sexually explicit chatbot content by moving from a reasonableness standard to an affirmative duty to prevent such exposure and to prohibit facilitation. Supporters said new evidence showed greater risks and that companies can and should build stronger safeguards; opponents, including TechNet and CCIA, argued the bill was premature because SB 243 had only recently taken effect and warned it could create strict-liability-like exposure. Padilla then presented SB 903, which would bar AI chatbots from being advertised as therapists, require licensed clinician oversight and informed consent for AI use in psychotherapy, and protect patient confidentiality; it received broad support from mental health professionals and labor groups, while industry and health associations were opposed unless amended over triage and crisis-detection language. The committee members emphasized the need for human judgment in mental health care and noted ongoing negotiations on amendments. The committee also heard SB 1119, a companion to AB 2020, which would require annual risk assessments, crisis-response protocols, default child settings, parental controls, limits on data use, public incident reporting, and third-party audits for chatbots used by children. Supporters argued the bill would address documented harms and improve transparency, while industry groups objected to ambiguous standards, liability exposure, and the private right of action. A roll call vote was taken on SB 1119 after quorum was established; the motion to pass to Appropriations succeeded on a 5-1 vote, with one no vote and the measure left on call for absent members. Finally, SB 354, a privacy bill for insurance consumers, would modernize outdated insurance privacy rules, bar sale of personal information, and expand consumer rights to know, correct, and delete data. Supporters said it would implement Proposition 24’s privacy mandate, while a large coalition of insurers, agents, brokers, and related businesses opposed unless amended, mainly seeking a small-business exemption and narrower treatment of publicly available information; members and the author said negotiations were ongoing and the bill had already been substantially revised.