Video & Transcript : 'digital opportunities' :
Page 387 of 500
FL
Florida 2026 5th Special Session
Regulated Industries Mar 12th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- And this is the opportunity.
- And this is the opportunity.
- And so I just wanted to give you an opportunity. Kids with what you're doing.
- We are not creating the opportunity for illegal product to have the opportunity to be sold legally in
- Vice Chairman and committee members, thank you for this opportunity to speak.
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.
FL
Transcript Highlights:
- Thank you, Chair Burton, and members of the committee for this opportunity to provide an update on the
- For MQA, this expands opportunities for experienced foreign-trained physicians.
- For MQA, this expands opportunities for experienced foreign trained physicians.
- Further, a volunteer opportunity search tool has been deployed to the website.
- The Cancer Innovation Funding Opportunity Announcement was released in October 2024.
Committee:
Senate Health Policy
Summary:
The Senate Health Policy Committee received updates from the Agency for Health Care Administration and the Department of Health on implementation of 2024 health care laws. AHCA reviewed progress on workforce and reimbursement measures in Senate Bill 7016 and related bills, including FRAME and TEACH funding, graduate medical education reporting, behavioral health teaching hospitals, acute hospital care at home, advanced birth centers, non-emergent care access plans, and rural emergency hospitals. Agency officials said several programs are already operational or have begun payments, while others are still in rulemaking, federal approval, or report-preparation stages. Senators asked about timing, funding reversion concerns, and whether appropriated dollars would be spent on schedule, especially for behavioral health teaching hospitals and the new birth center category.
The Department of Health then reported on practitioner licensure and public health programs. MQA described implementation of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, the Mobile Act licensure pathway, massage therapy enforcement changes, background screening expansion, liposuction safety requirements, pharmacist HIV post-exposure prophylaxis authority, and chiropractic dry needling. Public health staff updated the committee on FRAME and dental loan repayment, the Sinati screening grant program, the cancer research and innovation changes, the health care innovation council and loan program, the pediatric rare disease grant program, telehealth maternity care expansion, newborn screening for congenital CMV, the sickle cell registry and grants, and the swimming lesson voucher program. Members focused questions on how practitioners were being recruited to underserved areas, the pace of licensure approvals, and whether new programs were on track to use appropriated funds.
The committee also heard a lengthy update from the Office of Medical Marijuana Use. The director reported more than 900,000 qualified patients, real-time seed-to-sale tracking now integrated across most dispensaries and labs, and ongoing compliance work on product testing, advertising, diversion, and patient safety. Senators questioned the decline in qualified physicians, how THC potency is labeled and verified, and what the agency can do about diversion to non-patients. The director said the office relies on complaints, inspections, lab audits, and coordination with law enforcement, and that patients can be suspended if violations are confirmed.
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Education Funding (02/12/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> your um your foundation opportunity your um your foundation opportunity budget<03:36:01.000><c>
- <03:37:20.640><c> budget</c><03:37:20.960><c> local</c> opportunity budget local opportunity budget local
- </c> adjusted annual Foundation opportunity adjusted annual Foundation opportunity budget budget budget
- </c><04:03:41.080><c> budgets</c> how the foundation opportunity budgets how the foundation opportunity
- </c><04:04:04.239><c> budget</c> than the foundation opportunity budget than the foundation opportunity
Summary:
The committee held a work session focused on school funding formulas, adequacy aid, and special education aid, with the chair outlining a schedule for the next several Tuesdays and noting that the committee would likely need multiple executive sessions to narrow down the bills. Members discussed the FY 26 formula, including base cost, differentiated aid, extraordinary needs grants, hold harmless provisions, and the roughly $28 million in excess statewide education property tax (SWP) funds that are not currently returned to the state under the existing formula.
The first bill discussed was HB 137, which would allow excess SWP funds to remain with the local municipality for school and municipal purposes. Representative Spilsbury argued the issue is fundamental and suggested the state should require excess funds to be remitted back to the state, while Representative Damon said the bill appears to codify current practice and may be unnecessary, especially given possible court action. The discussion then shifted to a related bill from Representative Fellas that would redefine SWP as local money rather than state money and keep the current adequacy aid numbers revenue-neutral for now.
Representative Fellas explained that SWP was created in 1999 after the Claremont lawsuit as part of the state’s effort to show increased school aid, but that it effectively labeled part of the local property tax as state money without changing property tax bills. She argued the state should not be tapping local property tax revenue and said her bill would preserve the current distribution while removing the SWP tax label, with future work possible on a different measure of local capacity such as income, home values, or poverty rate. Members also referenced prior discussions of fiscal capacity aid, relief aid, and other formula changes as part of the broader effort to restructure school funding.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Select Committee on Wildfire Prevention Jun 12th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- Thank you for the opportunity to be here. My name is Jennifer Burke.
- How do we take advantage of this horrible opportunity?
- Scott, thank you for the opportunity to speak today.
- And lastly, the block program sounds like an amazing opportunity.
- I said, man, this is a real opportunity.
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- I think opportunities like that, it simply isn't that people don't want to do this.
- 09:10.080><c> simply</c><00:09:10.520><c> isn't</c> opportunities like that it simply isn't opportunities
- </c><00:09:17.640><c> to</c> Development, we have the opportunity to Development, we have the opportunity
- </c><00:30:56.200><c> to</c> So, I think when I get an opportunity to So, I think when I get an opportunity
- </c><00:32:12.400><c> to</c> have the people given the opportunity to have the people given the opportunity
Committee:
Senate Labor and Technology
Summary:
The committee heard and acted on several gubernatorial nominations to the Hawaii Workforce Development Council and one nomination to the Labor and Industrial Relations Appeals Board. For GM 779, Mark Fong Su Wat said he would bring his experience as an electrician and labor community member to workforce development, and he committed to serving if confirmed. Testimony was unanimously supportive, with 10 in support and none opposed, and the committee voted to recommend advise and consent; the recommendation was adopted.
For GM 792, Sheryl Cross sought a second term on the Workforce Development Council and described her work on employer engagement, military veteran affairs, and military spouse employment. In response to questions, she emphasized the need to better connect military spouses, underrepresented workers, and students pursuing trades or non-college pathways to jobs, including through school academies and online hiring initiatives. The item was held for later decision-making.
For GM 793, Ashley Lohua, also nominated to the Workforce Development Council, said her focus would be helping people stay in Hawaii by improving job retention, listening to community concerns, and building pathways between sectors. Support testimony highlighted her work with marginalized communities and her empathy and leadership. She told the committee she would use her nonprofit and HR experience to help address vacancies and workforce barriers; the item was also held for later decision-making. For GM 774, Douglas Thomas Moore, nominated to the Labor and Industrial Relations Appeals Board, said his first priority would be reducing the backlog. He proposed using informal conferences and mediation to speed workers’ compensation appeals and suggested recruiting more practitioners, especially younger ones, into the field. The committee noted 11 supportive testimonies and no opposition; no vote was taken in the portion provided.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 1 on Education Apr 9th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- Good afternoon, Jesse Hernandez, on behalf of the Campaign for College Opportunity.
- Good afternoon, Jesse Hernandez, on behalf of the Campaign for College Opportunity.
- We know that parents in school create future learning opportunities for their children.
- We know that parents in school create future learning opportunities for their children.
- To join the college opportunities and cannot come here to defend their voice.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 1 on Education Mar 19th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today.
- I want to thank you for the opportunity to share our progress.
- Thank you, President Menon, and I appreciate the opportunity to answer these questions here.
- So from our perspective, again, at that system level, providing these types of opportunities that are
- So this would be able to give the opportunity to countless members of service the opportunity to be able
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- That's a very prestigious opportunity.
- We just believe that everybody has an opportunity.
- Thank you for the opportunity.
- Emily Berman: for the opportunity to speak tonight.
- It will limit my children's career opportunities.
Bills:
SB 37
Committee:
House Higher Education
HI
Hawaii 2025 Regular Session
CPN-PSM, CPN Public Hearings 02-10-2025
Commerce and Consumer Protection
Transcript Highlights:
- Thank you for the opportunity to testify on SB 179.
- Then you reduce that product to something lawyers might argue about, but I think greater opportunities
- Thank you for the opportunity to testify. GoFundMe in support. Good morning.
- Thank you for the opportunity. LegalZoom in opposition. Good morning.
- </c><00:31:10.919><c> to</c> are very grateful for the opportunity to are very grateful for the opportunity
Committee:
Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection
Summary:
The joint hearing first took up SB 696, which would create an emergency management office and fund tax credits, grants for low-income taxpayers to fortify homes, shelter development, and staffing. Supporters argued Hawaii needs a dedicated preparedness office and funding before the next hurricane season, while the Tax Foundation said the bill was too vague, especially on who would qualify for the tax credits and under what conditions. The Department of the Attorney General and the insurance division offered comments, and both committees recommended deferral of SB 696.
The Commerce and Consumer Protection committee then heard SB 179 on construction defect remedies and the contractor repair act. Builders, Realtors, carpenters, and a mortgage industry witness supported the bill, saying it would reduce abusive litigation, speed repairs, and help housing production and affordability. Homeowner advocates and plaintiff attorneys opposed it, arguing it would weaken consumer protections, shift repair costs to homeowners, and delay or limit legitimate claims. One testifier suggested the Senate focus instead on stronger alternative dispute resolution, and the committee noted 105 written supporters, four opponents, and one comment submission.
The committee next heard SB 416 on allowing pets in rental housing, with the Attorney General recommending a non-impairment safeguard because of possible effects on existing contracts. SB 593 on commercial dog breeders drew support from the Hawaii Humane Society and others, with concerns raised that counties would be expected to enforce the new regime without funding. SB 641, creating a tax on low-alcohol-by-volume spirits beverages, drew opposition from the Wine Institute, which said it would create a tax break for one segment and likely reduce state revenue. SB 1048 on online crowdfunding received support from GoFundMe and comments from the Attorney General, with GoFundMe urging changes to reduce burdens on charitable fundraising. SB 1213, allowing businesses to accept service of process by email instead of maintaining a registered agent, drew DCCA comments and opposition from LegalZoom, which warned email service could be unreliable and vulnerable to phishing.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Veterans and Military Affairs Division 2/18/26
Veterans and Military Affairs Division
Transcript Highlights:
- </c><00:14:44.639><c> to</c><00:14:44.800><c> to</c> opportunities for an individual to to opportunities
- So they don't fall under that criteria. basically four opportunities to be basically four opportunities
- Uh, so they have four opportunities here to get into it.
- </c> opportunities to to supply affidavit. opportunities to to supply affidavit.
- </c><00:23:10.559><c> to</c> There are there are opportunities to There are there are opportunities to
Committee:
House Veterans and Military Affairs Division
HI
Hawaii 2026 Regular Session
LBT, LBT DEFER Public Hearings 02-13-2026
Transcript Highlights:
- I appreciate the opportunity to circle back to this.
- </c><00:19:45.840><c> So</c> opportunity to circle back to this.
- So opportunity to circle back to this.
- Thank you for the opportunities.
- </c> opportunity to testify. opportunity to testify.
Summary:
The committee first took up SB 2567, a Judiciary package measure concerning temporary restraining orders for threats and harassment tied to a public employee’s official actions. Representatives from the Attorney General’s Office and the Judiciary said they had worked out a compromise to address earlier concerns, including a two-year pilot project, broader coverage for state officers and employees across all branches and counties, a special fund to pay for private counsel in some cases, and authority for Judiciary staff attorneys or Judiciary funds to represent Judiciary personnel. Members asked about coverage for retired judges, funding limits, and whether the measure could be used for workplace disputes; the witnesses said retired judges and per diem judges could be covered if the harassment related to their work, the fund would be limited and subject to available appropriations, and petitions would not be allowed between employees in the same branch. The chair recommended passage with amendments, and the committee adopted the recommendation unanimously.
The committee then heard SB 2448, which creates a civil remedy for the unauthorized disclosure of intimate images under the Uniform Civil Remedies for Unauthorized Disclosure of Intimate Images Act. The bill’s proponent from the Uniform Law Commission explained that a plaintiff would need to show intentional disclosure or threat of disclosure of a private intimate image without consent, and said the privacy question would be fact-specific. Supporters, including the Commission on the Status of Women and Imua Alliance, favored giving survivors civil recourse. Opponents from the Sex Abuse Treatment Center and others warned that the term "private" could invite victim-blaming and broad discovery into a survivor’s past, while still acknowledging the need for some privacy limitation to avoid overbreadth, especially for people who intentionally distribute intimate content online.
Committee members questioned whether the definition of "private" should be tightened. The bill’s proponent said the term should remain because it aligns with the related criminal statute and helps keep the measure focused on classic revenge-porn situations, while still allowing Hawaii-specific changes if needed. The committee did not take final action on SB 2448 in the portion provided, but testimony and discussion centered on balancing survivor protections with concerns about discovery and the scope of liability.
KY
Kentucky 2025 Regular Session
Interim Joint Committee on Families and Children (6-25-25)
Transcript Highlights:
- </c><00:21:37.360><c> like</c> challenges is having opportunities like challenges is having opportunities
- Uh, but you know what a great opportunity, especially if you're close by, to take the opportunity to
- :05.840><c> if</c><00:25:06.000><c> you're</c> great opportunity, especially if you're great opportunity
- , to take the opportunity to go and<00:25:07.760><c> visit.
- </c> And we also have increased opportunities And we also have increased opportunities for<00:41:43.440
Keywords:
Call to Order and Roll Call – 00:00:24
Discussion of The Center for Courageous Kids – 00:02:46
Discussion of Adult Protective Services and State Guardianship Programs – 00:25:22
Discussion of Annual Report of the External Child Fatality and Near Fatality Review Panel – 01:00:34
Consideration of Referred Administrative Regulations – 01:33:41
Adjournment – 01:42:07, 958, all
Summary:
The Interim Joint Committee on Families and Children opened its first meeting with roll call and a reminder about the number of children in out-of-home care with active placements, which the chair said was 8,641 as of June 1, 2025. The committee then heard a presentation from the Center for Courageous Kids, a donor-funded camp in Scottville that serves children with lifelong illnesses and disabilities at no charge. Representatives described the camp’s year-round family retreats and summer sessions, its medically safe and inclusive model, and examples of campers gaining confidence and independence. They said the camp has served more than 43,000 campers from Kentucky, other states, and other countries, and that it is seeking legislative support for two capital projects: a new art barn and a medical lodge, with a combined request of $3.2 million. Members praised the program and asked about awareness, staffing, volunteer recruitment, accreditation, and how the projects would expand capacity; the camp said the medical lodge would help increase volunteer housing and allow future growth beyond its current summer cap of 128 campers per session.
The committee then moved to adult protective services and state guardianship programs. Jessica Wayne, director of the Division of Guardianship, and Cliff Bryant of DCBS explained the legal framework for guardianship and conservatorship, including state guardianship as a last-resort option when no family member or private entity is available or appropriate. They outlined the court petition process, emergency appointments, and the distinction between full and limited guardianship or conservatorship. They emphasized that guardianship is based on legal incapacity to make decisions, not simply on a medical disability diagnosis, and noted that state guardianship can be arranged for some 17-year-olds aging out of youth services.
The presenters said the state currently serves 4,645 individuals under guardianship, with most cases involving developmental intellectual disabilities, supported community living waiver participants, and people in nursing homes or long-term care facilities. They also described the division’s three branches: field services, which handles visits and day-to-day decisions in all 120 counties; a benefits branch that applies for public benefits; and a fiduciary branch that manages funds and pays bills. They reported 89 field workers statewide, an average caseload of 52, and said the agency is hiring to reduce that load. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the meeting.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee May 28th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- Thank you for this opportunity to be in front of you.
- Thank you for having me here and for having the opportunity...
- You know, depending on some industry players, it's really around opportunity cost.
- So I think those are. refinery might have, and compounded with opportunity cost.
- So thank you for your opportunity, your chance today. Thank you.
Summary:
The Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy held its annual oversight hearing on the transportation fuels sector, focused on California’s fuel transition, the announced refinery closures by Phillips 66 and Valero, and the potential effects on supply, prices, and the broader fuel system. Committee leadership said the state needs a system-wide transition plan rather than a piecemeal approach, and state witnesses from CARB, the CEC, and DPMO described the fuel market as a complex, interconnected ecosystem involving crude production, refining, storage, imports, and delivery. They emphasized that declining gasoline demand from EV adoption is occurring alongside shrinking in-state refining capacity, which could increase volatility and price spikes if not managed carefully.
CARB Chair Liane Randolph reviewed the state’s climate and air-quality programs, including AB 32, SB 32, the 2022 scoping plan, the low-carbon fuel standard, and vehicle emissions rules. She said these policies have reduced emissions substantially but that California still faces major ozone and PM2.5 problems, especially in disadvantaged communities. Randolph also said federal actions challenging California waivers could complicate the state’s clean-air efforts, and she noted that while liquid fuels will still be needed in some sectors, the state must continue reducing fossil fuel dependence while protecting public health.
CEC Vice Chair Siva Gunda and DPMO Director Ty Milder presented data on gasoline demand, refinery throughput, crude imports, and price differentials. Gunda said the Legislature’s special-session laws gave the agencies transparency and planning tools, and that the CEC is developing a fuels transition plan while evaluating whether any regulatory tools should be used. Milder previewed DPMO findings that Californians have paid a long-running “mystery gasoline surcharge” averaging 41 cents per gallon since 2015, with higher margins concentrated in branded gasoline and among vertically integrated firms. He said the data show a concentrated market with some refiners doing well and others struggling, and that DPMO will continue investigating price behavior, competition, and supply risks.
Members pressed the witnesses on whether state regulations contributed to refinery exits or higher prices, and on whether the agencies had adequately analyzed consumer costs. Witnesses said they had not yet implemented the new permissive tools from SB X1-2 and AB X2-1 because they were still assessing risks and benefits, and they stressed that refinery closures and capital decisions are driven by broader market conditions as well as regulation. No vote was taken; the hearing was informational, with the committee seeking updates and urging the agencies to develop a practical transition strategy that balances affordability, reliability, climate goals, and worker/community protections.
HI
Hawaii 2025 Regular Session
House Chamber - Fri Apr 4, 2025, 12:00PM HST - Day 46
Hawaii House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- </c><00:44:06.079><c> It's</c> Addiction is not solved by giving people the opportunity to heal.
- I mean, we have to provide opportunity and diversification. This is merely an education pathway.
- I mean, we have to provide opportunity and diversification. This is merely an education pathway.
- I mean, we have to provide opportunity and diversification. This is merely an education pathway.
- I mean, we have to provide opportunity and diversification. This is merely an education pathway.
AL
Alabama 2026 Regular Session
Alabama Senate Special Session 2026 May 6th, 2026
Alabama Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- They take away Black opportunity seats.
- </c><00:44:20.800><c> the</c><00:44:21.040><c> call</c> opportunity for whomever makes the call opportunity
- </c> opportunity to participate. opportunity to participate.
- </c> to be able to have a simple opportunity to be able to have a simple opportunity which<01:16:19.440
- You got some folks probably in there who do think we should have an opportunity to represent.
Summary:
The Alabama Senate convened with prayer, the pledge, and a roll call establishing a quorum of 34 senators present. The chamber then received a House message referring House Bill 1 on primary elections to the Committee on County and Municipal Government, and moved to Senate Bill 1, also dealing with primary elections and tied to ongoing court action over Alabama’s legislative maps. Senator Elliott explained SB 1 as a prospective measure meant to set up a special election if federal courts lift injunctions on the state Senate districts, while opponents argued the bill was being rushed and could disrupt voters, candidates, absentee voters, and election administration.
Much of the debate focused on whether the bill would effectively change election rules too close to an election and whether it conflicted with a 2022 statewide amendment requiring election-related changes to take effect at least six months before a general election. Supporters said the bill simply preserves the legislature’s enacted maps and responds to recent court rulings, while opponents said it could disenfranchise voters, especially military, elderly, absentee, rural, and Black voters, and that the underlying litigation and federal Voting Rights Act issues remained unresolved. Several members also referenced a Brennan Center report and broader concerns about racial turnout gaps and minority representation in Alabama.
Senator Coleman offered an amendment to give the state discretion rather than mandate a special election, arguing it would better align with the current court order; the Senate rejected it on a roll call vote, 8 yeas to 25 nays. Senator Vivian Figures then offered a notice-focused amendment requiring adequate public notice before any election changes, arguing that voters need time to learn new dates, polling places, deadlines, and ballot information; that amendment also failed on a roll call vote, with the clerk announcing it did not pass. The transcript ends with further discussion beginning after the failed amendment votes.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- This is an opportunity to do that.
- This is an opportunity to do that.
- This is an opportunity to do that.
- FIG has provided fosters an opportunity for an education and an opportunity to create real stability
- FIG has provided fosters an opportunity for an education and an opportunity to create real stability
Committee:
Senate Higher Education
HI
Hawaii 2025 Regular Session
EDN Public Hearing - Tue Mar 11, 2025 @ 2:00 PM HST
Transcript Highlights:
- Thank you very much for the opportunity to testify.
- Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
- Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
- Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
- Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
Summary:
The committee heard several education-related bills, with testimony largely in support. SB 1388 and SB 1393, both concerning the School Facilities Authority and Department of Education representation and land conveyances, received support from DOE and the School Facilities Authority, with no questions or action taken. SB 423, which would add Head Start representation to the Early Learning Board, was supported by the Early Learning Board and the Executive Office on Early Learning, which explained the bill would realign the board with federal Head Start Act requirements after the board was restructured in Act 170; EEL also requested an effective-date amendment. SB 422, allowing DOE to award diplomas to students whose education was disrupted by war, drew support from DOE, the Chamber of Commerce, the Military Council, and the Special Education Advisory Council, but also significant opposition from the Hawaii Patriot Republicans and many individuals; members asked questions about the bill, and DOE explained the measure’s purpose, but no vote was taken.
The committee also took testimony on SB 532, which would expand who may administer certain medications in schools. DOE, the Department of Health, and the University of Hawaii supported the bill. Members asked detailed questions about oral, nasal, and topical medications and the process for prescription review and administration; DOE explained that parents request the medication, a school form is completed, a nurse reviews it, and either a trained school health assistant or a contracted nurse administers the medication. DOE said the measure could improve attendance and learning, especially for students with ADHD, asthma, and other chronic conditions. The committee then heard SB 659 on locally sourced food products and school meals, where DOE’s procurement office opposed the higher small-purchase threshold and DOE exemption from procurement rules, while Ulupono Initiative, Hawaii Farm Bureau, Hawaii Public Health Institute, and others supported the bill as a way to advance farm-to-school goals and the 30% local food target by 2030. Testimony and questioning focused on the proposed threshold increase, transparency, and whether an online bidding system would be preferable.
Finally, the committee heard SB 1300 on subsidies for ALICE families’ school meals. DOE supported the bill but requested amendments: defining eligibility at 250% of the federal poverty level, delaying implementation until the 2026-2027 school year, and covering reduced-price lunch students in full for 2025-2026. HSTA, Hawaii Appleseed, Catholic Charities Hawaii, Pride at Work Hawaii, Hawaii Youth Services Network, and others supported the measure, emphasizing food insecurity, the burden of meal paperwork, and the educational importance of free meals. Hawaii Appleseed suggested replacing ALICE with a federal poverty level standard and removing a rulemaking requirement that could delay implementation. No votes or final committee actions were reported in the transcript.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety - 04/15/26
Judiciary and Public Safety
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> job-creating opportunities. job-creating opportunities.
- This bill makes these opportunities.
- <00:11:46.960><c> for</c> opportunities for opportunities for a<00:11:48.920><c> narrow</c><00:11:49.560
- No, I really appreciate the opportunity for our hearing, Mr.
- </c> No, I really appreciate the opportunity No, I really appreciate the opportunity for<00:28:19.960
Committee:
Senate Judiciary and Public Safety
TX
Texas 89th Regular
Congressional Redistricting, Select Jul 26th, 2025
Congressional Redistricting, Select
Transcript Highlights:
- of choice, and to have a real opportunity to do that.
- Economic opportunity for fair wages, infrastructure, and education.
- I really appreciate this opportunity today.
- Thank you for the opportunity to testify on this mid-decade redistricting.
- There is limited opportunity for public participation.
Committee:
House Congressional Redistricting, Select
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Committee on Energy, Utilities, Environment and Climate - 04/07/25
Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate
Transcript Highlights:
- Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
- Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
- Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
- Thank you for the opportunity to testify. Thank you for the opportunity to testify. Thank you, Mr.
- Thank you for the opportunity.