Transcript Highlights:

• We have not had replacement fertility rates since 2006, according to the Minnesota State Demographic
• facing a demographic Cliff we have not facing a demographic Cliff we have not had<00:45:51.119><c> replacement
• </c><00:45:51.640><c> fertility</c><00:45:52.200><c> rates</c><00:45:53.119><c> since</c> had replacement
• fertility rates since had replacement fertility rates since 2006<00:45:54.440><c> according</c><00:45

Committee: House Taxes

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Thereafter, with a license, we'll operate and maintain it and eventually, when it's necessary, replace
• Thereafter, with a license, we'll operate and maintain it and eventually, when it's necessary, replace
• Thereafter, with a license, we'll operate and maintain it and eventually, when it's necessary, replace
• law uh kind of indirectly takes<01:39:10.560><c> the</c><01:39:10.920><c> and</c><01:39:11.199><c> replaces

Committee: House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on House Bill 410, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ biennium operating budget. OHA asked for a modest increase over its base budget, including $1.2 million to fund 13 new full-time positions for a strategy and implementation team tied to its long-term plan, with emphasis on housing, education, health, and economic resilience. OHA also described a broader effort to work directly with executive branch departments to improve outcomes for Native Hawaiians. Testimony was largely supportive, with several individuals speaking in favor and one testifier expressing strong frustration about Native Hawaiian rights and access to resources. The chair noted there were 38 additional written/supporting testimonies and three in opposition. Members asked about OHA’s funding sources and public land trust revenues; OHA said it is not receiving the full 20 percent share, described a public land trust working group and system issues, and said a related bill would seek funding to begin an inventory. No vote was taken in the portion provided. The committee then considered House Bill 304, which would make the Hawaiian version of a law binding when the law was originally drafted in Hawaiian and later translated into English. The Judiciary supported the bill, saying it reinforces Hawaiian as an official language and looks to the original language for legislative intent. The Attorney General supported the intent but recommended narrowing the bill with a proviso to avoid ambiguities, limiting it to laws originally drafted in Hawaiian that were not later amended, codified, recodified, or reenacted in English. Public testimony was generally supportive, though one speaker raised broader sovereignty concerns. Members questioned how many laws would be affected and whether the proposed amendment would undercut the bill; the Attorney General said the amendment was meant to address uncertainty in interpretation. No final action was reported. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 603, which would direct OHA to administer a Native Hawaiian business marketing program to promote Native Hawaiian-owned businesses through marketing and technical assistance. OHA supported the concept, saying a label or branding program could help consumers identify and support Native Hawaiian-owned businesses, but requested that funding be redirected to a working group to study program design, implementation, enforcement, and long-term viability. The chair noted four supportive testimonies had been received, and a member asked OHA to confirm that its programs serve all Hawaiians, not only those eligible for homelands; OHA said it serves all Hawaiians in the state. The transcript ends before any vote or further action on HB 603.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are also going to adopt section 4 of House Bill 1375 to replace House Bill 760, section 4, so they're
• We are also going to adopt section 4 of House Bill 1375 to replace House Bill 760, section 4, so they're
• We are also going to adopt section 4 of House Bill 1375 to replace House Bill 760, section 4, so they're
• We are also going to adopt section 4 of House Bill 1375 to replace House Bill 760, section 4, so they're

Committee: House Energy & Environmental Protection

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard several energy and environmental bills. On HB 974, which would authorize state step-in agreements for certain power purchase agreements and create a trust fund/reserve mechanism, the Attorney General’s office raised concern that the state should not incur liability beyond the trust fund. The Division of Consumer Advocacy said it had comments but did not take a position, while the Public Utilities Commission, Ameresco, Hawaiian Electric, and other industry groups supported the measure, saying it would help developers secure financing for renewable projects and improve reliability. Hawaiian Electric said the bill would not use state funds and that its proposed reserve account would be held in trust and returned to customers if unused. Committee members questioned whether the reserve would raise customer costs; Hawaiian Electric said the amount would be small and would be offset by avoiding higher financing costs, while Consumer Advocacy suggested the language should be strengthened to ensure unused funds are fully returned. The committee then heard HB 338, which would clarify that premium interest-rate adjustments for non-fossil fuel generation are just and reasonable and allow the PUC to include them in rates. DCCA and the State Energy Office supported the bill, and the PUC also supported it. Hawaiian Electric opposed unless amended, arguing the PUC already has discretion and warning the bill could weaken competitive procurement by encouraging higher bids tied to the utility’s credit rating. DCCA said the concern was that developers might not seek the best financing if premium rates are recoverable, but said Hawaiian Electric’s suggested amendment requiring clear and convincing evidence of unavoidable financing-cost increases would help. Members also asked about refinancing and whether developers could later lower debt costs after locking in a premium rate; DCCA said that ability exists and suggested a time limit or review mechanism. For HB 337, which would direct the PUC to establish standards requiring utilities to remove certain fossil-fuel costs from the rate base when adding renewable resources, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Hawaii Clean Power Alliance, and the State Energy Office supported the measure. Hawaiian Electric opposed it, saying it misunderstood utility cost recovery and could threaten grid reliability because fossil plants provide ancillary services such as voltage regulation and balancing, not just energy. Hawaiian Electric pointed to its integrated grid plan and recent fossil-unit retirements as evidence of ongoing transition, and asked the committee to defer the bill and leave oversight to the PUC. The committee also heard HB 879 on cesspool conversions, which would raise the maximum grant from $20,000 to $30,000 and add DOH positions; DHHL, DOH, environmental groups, Hawaii Realtors, and others supported it, while DOH discussed staffing needs and the practical effect of the higher grant cap. The committee also began HB 379 on requiring denitrification capacity for certain wastewater systems near shorelines or groundwater, with DLNR testifying in support.

Transcript Highlights:

• account for the indirect costs such as salaries and benefits for substitute teachers and other replacement
• and</c><00:19:16.480><c> other</c> substitute teachers and other substitute teachers and other replacement
• > staff</c><00:19:18.559><c> our</c><00:19:18.880><c> district</c><00:19:19.400><c> already</c> replacement
• staff our district already replacement staff our district already offers<00:19:20.360><c> generous</

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee opened by approving the January 16 and January 21 minutes. Members then heard testimony focused on the impact of Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST) and the proposed paid family and medical leave program on Minnesota school districts, with the chair framing the hearing as an opportunity to hear from major employers and school leaders about costs and operational effects. Kimberly Lewis, speaking for the Minnesota School Boards Association and related school administrator groups, said districts generally already provide generous, locally negotiated sick leave and had initially adapted to ESST by separating vacation, sick time, and ESST into different buckets. She argued that a 2024 law effectively converted previously bargained sick leave into ESST, which she said undermines contracts, creates large unfunded costs, and may raise constitutional contract-clause concerns. Lewis cited large accumulated leave banks in some districts, increased sick leave use, and estimated significant costs from paid leave, including a reported $2.5 million impact for one large district. She urged flexibility such as prorating ESST for midyear hires and part-time staff and exempting coaches, short-term substitutes, and similar employees from ESST. Superintendent Anarie Fuco of St. Michael-Albertville said her district expects about $400,000 in added fiscal 2026 costs from ESST and paid leave, plus indirect costs from substitute coverage and increased absenteeism. She said schools already have generous bargaining agreements, but the new laws reduce verification and require districts to track leave for temporary staff, creating what she described as a need for “substitutes for our substitutes.” Fuco said the district would face more than $211,000 in direct payroll costs from paid leave alone and asked for flexibility or exceptions for districts already offering comparable benefits. Members asked follow-up questions about how substitute teachers accrue leave and how many districts may be cutting budgets; Lewis and Fuco said many districts are making cuts and that substitute and staffing burdens are growing. A third testifier began by Zoom, but the transcript cuts off before her full testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• If we have that replacement that's got the ability to really take off, so what happens to that patent
• If we have that replacement that's got the ability to really take off, so what happens to that patent
• If we have that replacement that's got the ability to really take off, so what happens to that patent
• If we have that replacement that's got the ability to really take off, so what happens to that patent

Committee: House Higher Education Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• quorum, I'll jump and just take this other item up: if anybody's going to be absent and needs a replacement
• vice chair of the majority party here, or myself, know that they will contact those offices and a replacement
• If you're being replaced, you don't show up the day you're being replaced on the campus anywhere.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting was the first session of a newly created House Education Funding Committee, which also handles career technical education and higher education legislation. The chair explained that the committee was split off from the larger education committee because of the high volume of bills in the prior biennium, and said its focus would be on education funding policy and related fiscal issues. He noted that the committee had already reviewed major topics with the Department of Education, including the foundation formula, building aid, career technical education, special education aid, catastrophic aid, and higher education funding, and that chancellors from the university and community college systems were scheduled to appear later that morning. The bulk of the meeting was an orientation on committee procedures and decorum. The chair reviewed attendance and replacement rules, hearing procedures, time limits for testimony, and how the committee would handle crowded hearings, early bills, and fiscal notes. He emphasized that hearings are not debates, that sponsors and co-sponsors may present but should not use their position to dominate questioning, and that the chair controls whether additional technical questions are asked of witnesses. He also stressed neutrality, saying members should not display buttons or placards or engage in running debates with testifiers, and that the committee should treat all testimony respectfully regardless of party or viewpoint. Additional housekeeping guidance covered security procedures, use of cell phones and computers during hearings, breaks and hydration in the dry hearing rooms, and courtesy toward the clerk and other staff. The chair also asked members to notify leadership in advance of absences and explained that some bills may require larger rooms or overflow arrangements. No votes were taken and no bills were acted on during this portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• This replaces a portion of the sand component in asphalt used in paving. showing you know Show and Tell
• that's what we're seeking permits<01:16:20.560><c> for</c><01:16:21.320><c> this</c><01:16:21.520><c> replaces
• /c><01:16:22.080><c> a</c><01:16:22.280><c> portion</c><01:16:22.800><c> of</c> permits for this replaces
• a portion of permits for this replaces a portion of the<01:16:23.159><c> sand</c><01:16:23.840><c> component

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The informational briefing focused on the City and County of Honolulu’s effort to site a replacement landfill for Oahu before the Waimanalo Gulch landfill closes in 2028. Chair Nicole Lowen and other legislators opened the meeting by framing the issue as important statewide and encouraging recycling, composting, and proper use of the curbside bins. The city’s Department of Environmental Services, led by Director Roger Babcock and Deputy Director Mike O’Keefe, then presented the background and siting process. ENV explained the legal and technical constraints that shaped the search, including the 2019 Land Use Commission decision requiring closure of Waimanalo Gulch by March 2, 2028, and the 2020 Act 73 restrictions on landfill siting near residences, schools, hospitals, conservation districts, airports, and tsunami inundation areas. They said a landfill advisory committee reviewed six candidate sites in 2021-2022 and rejected them because they fell within the Board of Water Supply’s no-pass zone. After further evaluation and an extension of the naming deadline, the city selected a site in central Oahu near Wahiawa, on agricultural land currently used as a Dole pineapple field. City officials said the selected site was chosen as the best of the evaluated options and, in their view, could be permitted under state and federal law. They described planned environmental protections, including a modern sanitary landfill design with double liners, leachate collection systems, monitoring wells, and post-closure monitoring, and said the existing Waimanalo Gulch landfill has operated for 35 years without leachate leaks. They also emphasized that the site would still require a special use permit, Department of Health approvals, an environmental impact statement, and other public permitting processes, and that public engagement would continue over the next several years.

Transcript Highlights:

• They've tried to replace our military warriors with social justice warriors. It does not work.
• 14.120><c> to</c> our nation's adversaries they've Tred to our nation's adversaries they've Tred to replace
• <c> our</c><02:32:14.880><c> military</c><02:32:15.399><c> warriors</c><02:32:15.960><c> with</c> replace
• our military warriors with replace our military warriors with social<02:32:16.800><c> justice</c><02

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Friday, January 3, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They need somebody to come and replace them so they can get to their jobs.
• They need somebody to come and replace them so they can get to their jobs.
• They need to they need somebody to come and replace uh replace them so they uh can get to their jobs.
• c><00:48:17.200><c> they</c><00:48:17.599><c> uh</c><00:48:17.760><c> can</c> replace uh replace them
• so they uh can replace uh replace them so they uh can get<00:48:18.160><c> to</c><00:48:18.319><c> their

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, I'm looking at RSA 378:37, which this is replacing, and it's a very much shorter paragraph.
• On page two, line 36, the word "may" is crossed out and replaced with "shall."
• And it's not money that can be easily replaced.
• </c><06:01:06.958><c> And</c><06:01:07.200><c> I</c> money that can be easily replaced.
• And I money that can be easily replaced.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 733, a third-party litigation financing reporting bill. Representative Cole explained that the bill shifts reporting from the Secretary of State to the courts, which he said removes the fiscal note and helps insurers obtain information for underwriting and premium-setting. The committee accepted the explanation and voted ought to pass; the roll call was 8-0 in favor, with one member taking a pause. The committee then heard House Bill 219, dealing with the renewable portfolio standard and the renewable energy fund. Representative Bose argued the bill would reduce electricity costs by lowering the REC purchase obligation from 220,000 to 170,000, which he said would reduce payments into the renewable energy fund by roughly $1 million to $2 million and save consumers only pennies a month. After questions about timing and whether to wait for a DOE report, the committee voted to retain the bill for further discussion rather than advance it; the motion to retain passed 5-4. House Bill 365 was then discussed as an election-related bill intended to help verify citizenship for voter registration and create a voucher process for people who cannot afford a birth certificate. The sponsor said the Secretary of State may be able to use federal and state databases to verify citizenship, and if not, indigent applicants could receive a voucher reimbursed by the state, with a $25,000 appropriation included. Members raised concerns about the Secretary of State’s access to databases and the bill’s timing and cost, and the committee decided to hold the bill until Secretary Scanlan could come testify. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 552, which updates retiree health coverage rules so dependent children can remain on the plan until age 26, consistent with the Affordable Care Act. DAS officials said retirees pay the full cost for dependents, about $1,000 per month, while the state covers only the retiree and spouse. The committee voted ought to pass unanimously, 9-0. The committee then began discussion of House Bill 572, a housing bill aimed at missing-middle housing, describing a voluntary program to identify developable public land, support construction, and streamline review, but the transcript cuts off before any action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• relates to public mortgages, banks, credit unions, and mortgage companies, so the bill before you would replace
• Their wage replacement benefits go into effect so they can help take care of that family member.
• You don't have the ability to take that leave with some wage replacement in order to care for your spouse
• :38.480><c> to</c><01:53:38.639><c> care</c><01:53:38.920><c> for</c><01:53:39.199><c> your</c> replacement
• um in order to care for your replacement um in order to care for your spouse<01:53:40.159><c> for</c

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard testimony on House Bill 437, which would change New Hampshire law on undischarged mortgages by creating a shorter period after which certain old mortgages would be treated as unenforceable. Prime sponsor Representative Bill Boyd said the bill was developed with input from bankers, lawyers, realtors, the Attorney General’s office, and the Banking Department, and he noted a drafting correction needed on line 18. He explained that the proposal would replace current law with a new framework modeled partly on Massachusetts, including a five-year expiration after a stated maturity date and a 35-year period for mortgages without an expiration date. Supporters said the bill would help clear obsolete title defects, reduce costly quiet-title litigation, and make real estate transactions easier for consumers, attorneys, and conveyancers. Representative Mary Hakken-Phillips, Susan Cole of the New Hampshire Association of Realtors, and Michelle Coffin all testified in support, describing the bill as a consumer protection measure. They said undischarged or improperly discharged mortgages often surface during title searches, causing delays, legal expenses, and failed or delayed closings. Coffin and Hakken-Phillips emphasized that many of these cases involve old, effectively obsolete mortgages and that the current process often requires expensive court action even when no one contests the title. Cole described a recent transaction in which a title defect caused a buyer to walk away and later restart the financing process, creating costs for both buyer and seller. A committee member asked about notice to mortgage holders; the response was that the lender bears responsibility for recording and extending the mortgage, and that due process rights would remain if a lender later contested the discharge. Ryan Hill of the New Hampshire Bankers Association said the banking industry had reviewed the bill and was generally comfortable with it, while requesting a delayed effective date so members would have time to adjust their recording practices. He said the bill’s January 1, 2028 effective date reflected that request. After closing the hearing on HB 437, the committee opened a hearing on House Bill 721, the Gold and Silver Legal Tender Act. Representative Juliet Harvey-Bolia introduced it as a bipartisan economic justice bill intended to recognize gold and silver as legal tender, protect against inflation, and address concerns about trust, taxes, and government taking. She argued that gold is a stable store of value and discussed tax treatment in neighboring states, federal history, and digital gold platforms. The hearing on HB 721 was still in progress when the transcript ended, with the chair limiting questions because of time.

Transcript Highlights:

• decision as to what the value of the item is that has been destroyed and what the cost would be to replace
• What we've replaced that with in the name of security is one of the most ludicrous arrangements imaginable
• 52:16.800><c> same</c><00:52:16.960><c> way</c> what<00:52:20.559><c> we've</c><00:52:20.880><c> replaced
• > that</c><00:52:21.520><c> with</c><00:52:22.720><c> in</c><00:52:22.960><c> the</c> what we've replaced
• that with in the what we've replaced that with in the name<00:52:23.440><c> of</c><00:52:23.680><c>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• It replaces that proximate cause language with substantial factor in sex sextortion resulting in great
• It replaces that proximate cause language with substantial factor in sex sextortion resulting in great
• It replaces that proximate cause language with substantial factor in sex sextortion resulting in great
• It replaces that proximate cause language with substantial factor in sex sextortion resulting in great
• It replaces that proximate cause language with substantial factor in sex sextortion resulting in great

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So there would not be a sense of urgency for the Speaker of the House to assign new members to replace
• /c><01:10:17.520><c> to</c> the house to assign new members to the house to assign new members to replace
• :19.120><c> the</c><01:10:19.360><c> members</c><01:10:19.600><c> on</c><01:10:19.760><c> the</c> replace
• uh the members on the replace uh the members on the commission.<01:10:20.800><c> There</c><01:10:20.960
• against these machines as they try to rip the toner cartridge out of the recalcitrant machine and replace

Committee: House Election Law

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• standalone system is a headache for the new homeowners 20, 30 years from now as it ages and has to be replaced
• standalone system is a headache for the new homeowners 20, 30 years from now as it ages and has to be replaced
• and</c><05:29:25.920><c> has</c><05:29:26.080><c> to</c><05:29:26.160><c> be</c><05:29:26.320><c> replaced
• </c> now as it ages and has to be replaced now as it ages and has to be replaced where<05:29:27.600><

Committee: House Resources, Recreation and Development

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• doing most of the on-the-ground high-risk fire response are the ones being treated as temporary and replaceable
• the ones being treated as temporary are the ones being treated as temporary and<01:30:54.320><c> replaceable
• </c> and replaceable. and replaceable.
• put some numbers on this in Letcher County: the number of residences that received FEMA repair or replacement

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The task force met with a quorum, approved the August meeting minutes, and heard a presentation from Dr. Jerry Brosky of the Kentucky Mesonet and Kentucky Climate Center. He described the Mesonet’s statewide weather network, now with 84 stations in 78 counties, real-time data used by the National Weather Service, mobile apps, and more than a billion observations. He said recent legislative funding has allowed upgrades such as soil temperature and moisture sensors, cameras at every site, and improved communications and power systems, and has enabled expansion into new counties. He also highlighted products used for flooding, drought, and heat safety, including a wet bulb globe temperature tool being developed with the Department of Public Health. In response to questions, he said counties interested in a station should contact his center, that a station typically costs about $50,000, and that the program is already considering a second Pike County site. The committee then heard from Ryan Drain of Blue Skies and Chris McGee of the American Red Cross on long-term disaster recovery and a software platform called Darcy, short for Disaster Aware and Ready Communities Initiative. McGee explained the Red Cross’s long-term recovery work, including support for recovery groups, direct financial assistance, grantmaking, and coordination with local and federal partners. He emphasized that disasters are occurring more frequently and with repeated impacts, and shared examples from Kentucky and other states showing the need for organized recovery and storm shelter support. Drain said Darcy was developed after the 2021 Mayfield-Graves tornado recovery to replace fragmented spreadsheets and PDFs with a centralized, survivor-led system for preparedness, response, and recovery, designed to improve coordination, reduce duplication, and shorten recovery time. No votes or formal actions were taken beyond adoption of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• In fact, the opioid crisis has been almost designed, and so I think anything we can do to replace that
• And it is essentially, the best way to think about it, is a natural replacement for a melatonin gummy
• It sounds like the scenario you're describing is simply replacing smoking marijuana with consuming it
• break party lines, scrap HB 5, and work with industry professionals like myself. ...to draft a replacement
• THC cannot replace the hemp market; it serves far-fetched purposes. ...fewer patients and leaves out

Bills: HB5

Committee: House Public Health

Keywords: hemp, cannabinoids, regulation, occupational licenses, consumable products, marketing, criminal offenses, labeling requirements, health and safety, 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The cheapest possible financing for pole replacements, vegetation management, fire detection systems,
• The cheapest possible financing for pole replacements, vegetation management, fire detection systems,
• financing<02:07:53.679><c> for</c><02:07:53.920><c> pole</c> financing for pole financing for pole replacements
• ,<02:07:55.920><c> vegetation</c><02:07:56.560><c> management,</c> replacements, vegetation management
• , replacements, vegetation management, fire<02:07:57.520><c> detection</c> fire detection fire detection

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• that CMS has acknowledged: this is not a sustainable model, and what are you ultimately going to replace
• We're not here to replace hospital systems.
• we're</c><01:34:08.520><c> not</c><01:34:08.679><c> here</c><01:34:08.760><c> to</c><01:34:08.920><c> replace
• </c> systems we're not here to replace systems we're not here to replace Hospital<01:34:09.679><c> Systems

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a choppy, messy, ugly bill that just repeals and replaces that I don't think accomplishes all that
• It's a choppy, messy, ugly bill that just repeals and replaces that I don't think accomplishes all that
• This measure adopts the Uniform Healthcare Decisions Act of 2023, with amendments to replace chapters
• decisions Act of 2023 with<00:47:37.359><c> amendments</c><00:47:37.800><c> to</c><00:47:38.040><c> replace
• </c><00:47:39.040><c> chapters</c><00:47:39.839><c> 327e</c> With amendments to replace chapters 327E

Committee: House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs heard Senate Bill 1322, SD2, HD1, a comprehensive measure revising Hawaii’s mental health code. The bill would clarify emergency transportation, examination, and hospitalization procedures for people who may be mentally ill or suffering from substance abuse and deemed imminently dangerous, expand notice requirements, allow certain information-sharing for assisted community treatment petitions, and add liability protections for emergency responders and providers. The Department of the Attorney General supported the bill as a collaborative update to the law, while the Department of Health asked for a copy of provider-generated emergency transport documentation within five days for data and planning purposes. Testimony was sharply divided. Queen’s Health System, Hawaiʻi Pacific Health, HHSC, and the Institute for Human Services supported the measure or parts of it but requested amendments, including clarifying whether a second psychiatric exam is required, restoring a 72-hour rather than 48-hour stabilization window, and adjusting where patients are taken when an MEO cannot be reached. The ACLU of Hawaiʻi strongly opposed the bill, arguing it weakens due process and civil liberties, especially around involuntary commitment, assisted community treatment, emergency transport by police, and reduced procedural safeguards; it urged the committee to hold the bill and consider an interim working group. Louie E.K. of the Hawaiʻi Disability Rights Center also opposed the bill, focusing on immunity from negligence, the use of police for transport, and the reduction of a three-provider review to one in state-hospital treatment orders. Other testimony included support from an individual who said the bill could improve mental health care delivery amid provider shortages, and a comment from Hawaiʻi Health and Harm Reduction Center warning that the substance use portion of the bill lacks evidence of effectiveness and could be misused. In response to committee questions, the Attorney General’s office said the measure was developed with input from multiple stakeholders, including state agencies, hospitals, the ACLU, HHSC, and IHS, and that it aims to make assisted community treatment more accessible and effective by streamlining the legal process and improving consequences for noncompliance. No vote or final action was taken during the portion of the meeting provided.