Transcript Highlights:

• But I think that's why you see so much energy because it's sort of this pent-up energy of, like, we need
• The committee stated they believed that this can help jurisdictions throughout the state.
• And this isn't the redevelopment state participation, but this bill at least proposes a path for state
• codes.
• The bill streamlines the permitting process for energy-code-compliant windows for residential window

Committee: Senate Housing

Summary: The committee heard AB 736, a proposed $10 billion Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2026, with Assembly Member Buffy Wicks and numerous housing, local government, labor, and advocacy groups testifying in strong support. Supporters said the bond would fund multifamily housing, permanent supportive housing, homeownership, preservation, farmworker, tribal, and other programs, and argued that the state needs new capital because prior bond funds are exhausted and many shovel-ready projects are waiting. Habitat for Humanity California opposed the bill unless it was amended to dedicate 10% of bond proceeds to Cal Home for affordable homeownership, and several senators said they supported the bond but wanted Cal Home strengthened. The committee voted do pass to Senate Appropriations, with the measure placed on call for absent members. The committee also heard SB 1361 by Senator Durazo, which would limit local governments from using SB 79 transit-oriented housing requirements as a reason to stall or condition planned transit projects. Los Angeles Metro, the Building Trades, and several cities and advocacy groups supported the bill, saying it would protect transit investments, jobs, and federal funding from opposition tied to future density around transit stops. Several groups that had initially opposed or been concerned about the bill, including West Hollywood, Streets for All, Greenbelt Alliance, California YIMBY, and the Bay Area Council, withdrew opposition or moved to neutral after amendments. The committee approved the bill as amended to Senate Local Government, with the measure also placed on call. Senator Grayson presented SB 1003, creating an Infrastructure Partnership Financing Program to help local governments and developers fund infrastructure needed for infill housing, and SB 1014, which would require local agencies to provide early, good-faith estimates and itemized lists of required on-site and off-site improvements for housing projects. Both bills were supported by housing advocates, Habitat for Humanity, SPUR, and industry groups, who said the measures would reduce uncertainty, late fees, and project delays. The committee advanced both bills as amended to Senate Appropriations, placing them on call. The committee also took up SB 908, which streamlines energy-code-compliant window replacement and limits aesthetic review, especially for residential replacements; it passed as amended to Appropriations after support from affordable housing and green building groups and no opposition. Later, Senator Allen presented SB 1092 and SB 1093 on mobile home park preservation and post-disaster protections. SB 1092 would give residents notice and an opportunity to make a competing bid when a park owner intends to sell, with supporters arguing it would help preserve unsubsidized affordable housing and protect displaced residents, while park owner representatives argued it would devalue properties, create litigation risk, and interfere with market transactions. SB 1093 would require more communication, access, and consideration of rebuilding or closure after disasters, and would restore certain resident reimbursement rights; supporters cited the Palisades fire and survey data showing residents lacked information and access, while opponents said the bill imposed onerous timelines, liability issues, and penalties and could force owners into rebuilding or compensation assumptions they disputed. Both bills were discussed at length, but the transcript ends before final recorded votes on them.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> from Washington State that uh officiates from Washington State that uh officiates uh<00:55:19.839
• Last I knew, it was Washington State, Nevada, and there was one other state that I can't recall offhand
• </c><01:00:14.880><c> State,</c> Last I knew, it was Washington State, Last I knew, it was Washington
• state.
• I'm the state veterinarian for the state of New Hampshire.

Committee: House Executive Departments and Administration

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It ensures Missouri patients are protected at the state level.
• Which four states do you know? Off the top of my head, I know Oregon is one.
• The state has rules about network adequacy.
• Because guarantee associations are created by state law, any changes...
• Most insurance companies are not doing business in just one state.

Committee: House Insurance

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications will come to order.
• The state must act.
• At a time when people across the state are suffering from skyrocketing energy bills, it's critical that
• Beth Olasso, on behalf of the Agricultural Energy Consumers Association.
• This session of the Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications is adjourned.

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill has no cost to the state.
• This has no state costs.
• Code requirements upon specified findings by the Energy Commission.
• In a year where the state faces a deficit, AB 2135 avoids shifting costs to the state and instead promotes
• And your hard state workers, we work hard for you. We work hard to support the state of California.

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:19:27.440><c> park</c> proposal does not have the state park proposal does not have the state
• We are a unique state agency. Only 37% of our operating comes from the state.
• Imagine if that abuts a state park.
• Do state your name for the record.
• </c> large energy generating facilities. large energy generating facilities.

Committee: Senate Environment, Climate, and Legacy

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• map of states that have a state current map of states that have a state tax<00:25:10.559><c> credit<
• And these are rural states, red states, plenty of blue states, too.
• </c><00:25:43.679><c> of</c><00:25:43.840><c> blue</c> states, red states, plenty of blue states, red
• But building code reforms are a big piece of the puzzle, and so we're increasingly seeing states, with
• </c> Oregon and Washington. Oregon and Washington.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:15 Roll Call 00:00:45 Discussion of Pro-Growth Housing Policies 00:02:33 Adjournment 01:17:15, 958, all

Summary: The Housing Task Force 2.0 reconvened with several new members and heard a presentation from Kentucky Housing Corporation Executive Director Winston Miller and Deputy Executive Director Wendy Smith. They framed the task force’s work as a practical effort to address Kentucky’s housing shortage, update members on the current housing landscape, summarize existing state and federal resources, and suggest areas for the task force to focus on over the coming year. KHC said its 2024 housing supply gap analysis found Kentucky is short about 206,000 housing units, split roughly evenly between rental and homeownership, and projected the gap could grow to 287,000 units by 2029 if current trends continue. They emphasized that every county in Kentucky needs more housing, that the 2008 housing crisis and loss of construction capacity remain major causes of the shortage, and that current pressures include high interest rates, rising insurance and tax costs, construction cost inflation, and housing prices and rents growing faster than incomes. KHC also said homelessness has risen in Kentucky, with point-in-time counts showing double-digit increases in recent years. The presenters reviewed existing resources, including federal programs, the Kentucky Affordable Housing Trust Fund, the rural housing trust fund, KHC mortgage and down payment assistance programs, and the state mortgage interest deduction. They said these resources are important but insufficient to close the gap, and noted that a proposed federal FY2026 budget would cut HUD programs by 44%, potentially removing about $286 million from Kentucky housing resources, though no action has been taken yet. They urged the task force to consider stronger, more flexible tools such as a revolving loan fund, a state affordable housing tax credit, and economic development and employer-assisted housing incentives, and pointed to Indiana’s housing infrastructure and regional development funds as examples. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Regulating CO2 in high concentrations and in the supercritical state is new, something that the state
• The increase from out of state, the rest will come... ...come from Alaska, the increase from out of state
• Speeding up clean energy.
• To 100% clean energy around the clock.
• First of all, we are very supportive of geothermal energy. It is a base load energy.

Summary: The committee heard several climate, environmental, and housing bills. AB 1425, dealing with pit dewatering near the San Joaquin River Parkway, drew extensive testimony. The author and supporters argued the bill was needed to protect the river, groundwater, floodplain conditions, tribal and cultural resources, and public access from a proposed mining project near the river. Opponents, including Cemex, labor representatives, and industry groups, said the bill would bypass the CEQA process before it was complete, threaten jobs, and create uncertainty for an existing operation. Members questioned both sides about hydrology, blasting, dewatering, and the adequacy of the ongoing environmental review. The bill was moved, but several members expressed concern about preempting CEQA and some did not vote or voted no. AB 881, which would allow California to move forward with carbon capture and sequestration pipelines, was presented as a way to advance state climate goals and capture federal funding. Supporters, including SMUD, labor, and industry groups, said the bill would help deploy carbon capture safely and preserve jobs. Environmental justice opponents supported stronger safety direction and warned that CO2 pipelines pose serious risks and that the state should not move ahead without clearer standards. The bill received a due-pass recommendation to Appropriations. AB 1207, on the cap-and-trade allowance price ceiling and the social cost of carbon, was presented as a science-based update to California’s climate policy. The author and EDF said the bill would keep the program aligned with current economic and climate data and protect it from federal political interference. It received broad support and a due-pass recommendation. AB 1106, creating a coordinated network of air quality incident response centers, was also approved after testimony about wildfire smoke, toxic emissions, and the need for better real-time monitoring during disasters. AB 28, the Landfill Fire Safety Act, focused on the Chiquita Canyon landfill fire and related health impacts in Castaic and Val Verde; residents described serious illnesses and contamination concerns, while landfill and county representatives warned about costs and asked for more study. The committee nonetheless advanced the bill with a due-pass recommendation. The committee also heard AB 357, which would speed Coastal Commission review of student and faculty housing projects, with supporters citing student homelessness and opponents urging caution but acknowledging the need for more housing; the bill was presented and discussed, with the committee emphasizing the need to balance housing production and coastal oversight.

Transcript Highlights:

• I did research and found that 46 states had a working component to Medicaid for people with disabilities
• This grants authority for an area agency on aging to directly provide core services during a state of
• This grants authority for an area agency on aging to directly provide core services during a state of
• In the state of Florida.
• work with 1,100 true heroes in our state veteran nursing homes, and what an honor that was.

Summary: The Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs heard and advanced several bills and confirmations. SB 1016, on medical assistance eligibility for working persons with disabilities, was amended to remove automatic enrollment and to improve information sharing between AHCA and DCF; supporters said the bill codifies an existing program that helps developmentally disabled adults work without losing Medicaid coverage, and the committee reported the bill favorably. SB 1002, on temporary custody of minor children, was amended to focus on substance abuse as a pathway for court intervention when parental drug abuse creates ongoing risk to a child, and it was also reported favorably. SB 1594, on veteran benefit payments for minor clients in foster care, would ensure military benefits accessed for foster youth are preserved for post-secondary education or aftercare rather than used as reimbursement to agencies; it passed favorably without amendment. The committee also considered SB 1630 on aging and disability services, a broad modernization bill covering long-term care screening, emergency continuity of care, area agency oversight, Alzheimer’s services, home care, and guardianship reforms. Two amendments were adopted, including one on competitive procurement and another allowing area agencies on aging to directly provide core services during emergencies with department approval. Supporters emphasized caregiver navigation, dementia training, and service continuity, and the bill was reported favorably. SB 1030 on substance abuse services/recovery residences was taken up with a substitute amendment that narrowed transfer definitions, required faster licensure action for existing providers adding levels of care, and limited credentialing entities’ access to resident medical records; stakeholders said further work was needed, but the committee still reported the bill favorably. The committee also heard the nomination of Robert Astellos to lead the Agency for Persons with Disabilities. He outlined priorities including reducing the pre-enrollment list, improving transparency and family involvement, strengthening customer service, and streamlining agency processes. Several disability and provider organizations appeared in support, and the committee voted to recommend his confirmation. The committee then recommended confirmation of the appointees on tabs 7 through 10 by a single favorable vote, and adjourned at the end of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• For many years, the state did not have guidelines for our various companies, For many years, the state
• From wind and solar energy sources.
• States Council of Sheet Metal Workers, and the California State Pipe Trades Council in support.
• The state should honor it.
• So, and at this point, their energy burden is about five, for, So, at this point, their energy burden

Summary: The committee heard several energy and utilities bills, with testimony largely focused on wildfire mitigation, affordability, clean energy planning, and utility accountability. AB 706, by Assembly Member Aguiar-Curry, would create a fund to support projects that use forest biomass waste from wildfire mitigation and forest restoration; supporters said it would reduce open burning and emissions while providing reliable renewable power, and the bill later passed 13-0. AB 39, by Assembly Member Zbur, would require larger cities and counties to adopt electrification planning strategies for transportation and buildings; it drew broad support from clean energy, labor, environmental, and local government advocates and passed 9-0. AB 1167, by Assembly Member Berman, would restrict investor-owned utilities from charging ratepayers for lobbying, promotional advertising, and similar shareholder-benefit expenses; supporters framed it as an affordability and transparency measure, while utilities argued the bill was overly broad and already covered by existing rules. It passed 7-0, with some members not voting and the roll left open. The committee also considered AB 1417 on offshore wind community funding transparency, which was amended to remove new fees and instead require reporting on developer support for local and tribal community capacity-building; opposition was withdrawn and the bill passed 9-0. AB 367, by Assembly Member Bennett, would require water districts in high fire-risk areas of Ventura County to have backup power, full tanks during red flag warnings, and hardened facilities; water agencies opposed unless amended due to cost and liability concerns, but the bill passed 10-0. The consent calendar, including multiple additional measures, was approved 11-0. Other bills drew more divided testimony. AB 745 would allow securitization to finance utility undergrounding and prohibit a return on equity for undergrounding projects; supporters said it would lower ratepayer costs, while utilities warned it would effectively discourage undergrounding and could raise other rates. The bill passed 7-4 and was left on call. AB 1423 would apply reliability standards to publicly funded EV chargers installed before 2024; supporters said taxpayers should get functioning chargers, while charging-network representatives objected to retroactive requirements and possible conflicts with existing agreements. It passed 13-0. AB 388 would create a narrow exception to utility regulation to facilitate green hydrogen projects using private power lines; supporters said it would unlock low-cost renewable hydrogen and jobs, while utilities raised concerns about customer protections and grid planning. It passed 12-0. The committee also began hearing AB 825, which the author said would address the high cost of financing major transmission and generation buildout, but the transcript cuts off before the full presentation and action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, we, and he said it in the State of the State address, right?
• other states.
• Energy security is something that we all need, that we need to have here in the state of California.
• This supports good-paying jobs and furthers clean energy investment in our state while advancing California's
• This supports good-paying jobs and furthers clean energy investment in our state while advancing California's

Summary: The subcommittee first received an informational update on the Governor’s Office of Service and Community Engagement (GoServe), including California Volunteers, the Office of Community Partnerships and Strategic Communications, and the Youth Empowerment Commission. GoServe reported strong participation in College Corps, Youth Service Corps, and Climate Action Corps, along with outreach results from OCPSC and the Trusted Messenger Network. The Department of Finance said the programs remain a priority but noted prior budget reductions, while the LAO said it had no new recommendations. Committee members raised questions about program diversity, geographic reach, administrative costs, and whether the programs duplicate existing volunteer opportunities; one member criticized the programs as costly and duplicative, while another emphasized the value of volunteerism and asked about the men’s service challenge. The item was informational only. The committee then heard an overview of the Board of Equalization’s property tax responsibilities and its first budget proposals since the 2017 reorganization. BOE described its role in county assessment oversight, state-assessed property valuation, and related tax administration. Members asked about BOE’s interaction with counties, property tax reassessments, and local tax notices; BOE explained it mainly works with county assessors and handles technical property tax questions, while local special district charges are generally outside its scope. The committee also considered a BOE proposal to implement SB 293, which would give additional time for certain intergenerational property tax transfer claims after the 2025 wildfires. BOE requested $154,000 for guidance, public materials, and inquiry response work, saying the change is urgent for wildfire-affected families, especially in Altadena. The LAO had no concerns, and the item was held open. BOE also presented an information technology modernization proposal for its state-assessed property program, seeking $3.2 million in 2026-27 and $3.1 million in 2027-28 to replace a 30-year-old mainframe system. BOE said the current system relies heavily on manual data entry and paper processes, creating inefficiencies, cybersecurity risks, and delays, while modernization would free staff for more audits and valuation studies. The LAO supported the need but urged a high bar for new IT projects; Finance said the project met the threshold of necessity. Members generally supported the upgrade but asked about audit gains, revenue impacts, and implementation risks, and the item was held open. Finally, CDTFA gave its department overview and then discussed a proposal to require all delivery network companies, such as Uber Eats and DoorDash, to be treated as marketplace facilitators for sales tax purposes. CDTFA said the current carve-out creates confusion for restaurants and small businesses because some DNCs collect and remit tax while others do not, and the change would improve compliance and shift reporting to larger platforms. Members debated whether the proposal amounts to a tax increase for consumers, with CDTFA and Finance arguing it is a consistency and compliance measure rather than a new tax, while others said it would likely raise consumer costs. The committee also discussed broader CDTFA issues, including local sales tax districts, revenue-sharing agreements, and the growth of special taxing jurisdictions. No votes were taken, and the agenda items were informational or held open.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> These children live all over the state. These children live all over the state.
• </c> uh the great state of Minnesota. uh the great state of Minnesota.
• </c> meets the standards of the state. meets the standards of the state.
• </c> That is why state investment matters. That is why state investment matters.
• </c> Minnesota statutes and the well code. Minnesota statutes and the well code.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, and he said it in the State of the State address, right?
• other states.
• Energy security is something that we all need, that we need to have here in the state of California.
• This supports good-paying jobs and furthers clean energy investment in our state while advancing California's
• This supports good-paying jobs and furthers clean energy investment in our state while advancing California's

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• State your name, your position on the bill. Um, oh, good morning. My name is Jose Padilla.
• And later placed at the theological college in Washington DC after a US tour.
• Preservation Board's requirements under Chapter 443 government code.
• Despite these requirements, gifted services are not separately funded by the state.
• SCR 23 does not create any mandates or new costs for schools or the state.

Committee: Senate Administration

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a state senator from Senate Stewart.
• Which as of now, local burn for energy.
• </c> I'm a former Minnesota state I'm a former Minnesota state representative,<00:13:33.080><c> a</c>
• </c> Minnesotans in every part of the state Minnesotans in every part of the state are<00:19:28.840><
• </c><00:22:56.240><c> auditor's</c> some level the the state auditor's some level the the state auditor's

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: Rep. Athena Hollins and Sen. Ann Johnson Stewart introduced Minnesota’s proposed climate superfund bill, describing it as a way to make major historical greenhouse gas polluters help pay for climate adaptation and infrastructure repair. They said the bill would target large fossil fuel corporations with significant emissions and use the revenue for projects such as stormwater upgrades, bridge and roof protection, erosion control, drinking water protection, cooling cities, and other resilience work. Both lawmakers framed the proposal as a matter of accountability and fairness, arguing that Minnesotans should not keep paying for damage caused by companies that profited from fossil fuel pollution. Several supporters testified in favor of the bill, including St. Paul City Council Vice President Nyang Kheimey, former legislator and medical student Hunter Cantrell, Unidos Minnesota volunteer Bonnie Becol, and 100% Minnesota’s Aurora Vautrin. They emphasized local climate impacts such as flooding, wildfire smoke, extreme heat, emerald ash borer damage, asthma, and infrastructure failures, and said the costs are increasingly falling on taxpayers, local governments, and vulnerable communities. Kheimey highlighted municipal needs and St. Paul’s own climate investments, while Cantrell focused on environmental racism and health harms, and Becol and Vautrin stressed species loss, community recovery costs, and the burden on residents. In the question-and-answer portion, Hollins and Johnson Stewart explained that the bill would apply to fossil fuel corporations with at least 1 billion metric tons of carbon emissions and a nexus to Minnesota, not local utilities. They said the State Auditor’s office would determine the assessments owed by companies, while the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency would hold the fund and administer grants. They also said they were looking to models in Vermont and New York and hoped the proposal could attract bipartisan support because it is tied to affordability and shifting costs away from taxpayers and onto polluters. No vote or formal committee action was taken in the transcript, and the event ended with the sponsors opening the bill to questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:09:47.440><c> in</c> $18,000 to the Secretary of State in $18,000 to the Secretary of State in
• The House repeals these provisions code.
• fire code repealed.
• </c><01:08:33.279><c> And</c> predating state fire code repealed.
• And predating state fire code repealed.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And so it is not covered in the code. It needs to be covered in the code.
• And so it is not covered in the code. It needs to be covered in the code. automatic payment.
• And so it is not covered in the code. It needs to be covered in the code.
• So the United States...
• go, so do the rest of the state.

Summary: The Assembly Judiciary Committee heard a series of bills, many focused on homeowners associations (HOAs), along with measures on self-defense, design-professional litigation, mobile home park claims, senior housing, and DEI. Several bills were presented only or discussed with amendments, and the committee repeatedly noted ongoing work with authors and stakeholders. The committee also established quorum partway through the hearing and took up a consent calendar of several unrelated bills, which passed. AB 2584, on civil immunity for lawful self-defense, was presented as a work-in-progress. The author and a UFC/public-safety witness argued that people hesitate to intervene because of fear of civil liability, while committee members said California already has strong self-defense and Good Samaritan laws and that the proposal could create confusion. The bill was not advanced at that time, with the chair emphasizing further conversations. AB 1684, which would prevent HOAs from restricting homeowners’ ability to install or replace compliant cooling systems, drew support from the author, a constituent statement, and supporters from the California Department Association and others; an HOA group opposed unless amended, citing association property rights and grid/power concerns. Members generally supported the concept, and the author said amendments addressed damage and code-compliance issues. AB 1892, a technical cleanup bill clarifying HOA duties on utility repairs, election notices, and electronic voting timelines, passed unanimously as amended. AB 2050, requiring a formula for HOA reserve funding and a phase-in period, also passed with broad support; witnesses said underfunded reserves lead to special assessments, insurance and mortgage problems, and deferred maintenance, while members framed it as a consumer-protection and affordability measure. AB 2106, extending certificate-of-merit protections for design professionals and requiring California-licensed experts in certain cases, passed with strong support from engineers, architects, landscape architects, and civil-justice groups. AB 2145, directing HCD to study seniors’ need and desire to downsize, passed after lenders and financial groups moved from opposition to neutral with amendments; supporters said it could help unlock larger homes for younger families. AB 2238, aimed at deterring meritless failure-to-maintain lawsuits against mobile home park owners by shifting fee exposure to attorneys, passed after amendments narrowed its focus. Supporters said some firms were using vague demand letters and frivolous claims to force settlements and raise insurance costs; opposition said the bill still needed refinement to protect meritorious resident claims. AB 2439, prompted by two authors’ own HOA payment problems, passed despite opposition concerns about community-wide certified-mail requirements and personal liability for board members; supporters said better notice is needed when payment processors change and that liens and collections can be unfairly imposed without notice. AB 2579, responding to the earlier $100 cap on HOA fines, passed as amended to create a Department of Real Estate process for serious health and safety violations; supporters said the cap had weakened enforcement, while members said the bill sought a better balance. Finally, SCR 89, reaffirming California’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, was presented as a response to federal attacks on DEI programs. The author and witnesses from the UC Student Association, National Action Network, and civil-rights and labor groups argued DEI is essential to fairness, access, and opportunity, especially for students and historically underserved communities. Members voiced strong support, describing DEI as central to California’s values, and the resolution moved forward with bipartisan support noted by the author.

Transcript Highlights:

• Where can the state help?
• So, the state can't solve this problem. State can't what?
• Other states aren't doing this type of state-led initiative and I think that that just it highlights
• So what has the state done right?
• Where can the state go from here?

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Do you want to add State? From the State Federal Fund to appropriate the remaining cash.
• Do you want to add State Highway Federal Fund? State Highway Federal Fund. Thank you.
• It is requiring a report for the State Liquor Division on encouraging and evaluating the use of energy
• So I'm just asking the state to go after those rebates to reduce some of the cost of the state.
• So they make money for the state.

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The committee first considered Idaho Transportation Department budgets. It approved additional dedicated and federal funding for Transportation Services, Division of Motor Vehicles, Highway Operations, and Contract Construction and Right-of-Way Acquisition, including money for deferred maintenance, airfield improvements, replacement items, IT hardware, roadside tree removal, highway operations, and a capital transfer for right-of-way and construction. The committee also adopted several pieces of language, including reappropriation authority and accounting-correction language for ITD, and all of these items received due pass recommendations. The Department of Agriculture budget was then reviewed. The committee approved a FY 2026 supplemental for invasive species/quagga mussel treatment and a separate deficiency appropriation for pest monitoring and control. It also approved FY 2027 enhancement funding for replacement items and IT hardware, along with reappropriation language for the Resilient Food Systems Grant. The State Liquor Division budget followed, and the committee approved funding for inflation adjustments, replacement items, and IT/security equipment, but rejected proposed language directing the division to report on energy and utility rebates after the Senate failed to support it. Next, the committee took up the Secretary of State’s budget. Members debated a substitute motion that would have reduced the office’s base budget and added a voter pamphlet appropriation, but that substitute failed. The original motion then passed, funding a one-time voter pamphlet appropriation and an internal personnel transfer, while leaving out the office’s IT replacement request. The Secretary of State testified that additional cuts would slow business filings and election-related work, noting the office had already absorbed a significant rescission. Finally, the Office of the State Public Defender budget was considered. The committee approved funding for six additional trial attorney positions, data migration and storage, ITS replacement items, and health benefit costs, with the agency explaining that its recent transition and high fill rate made the standard health-benefit calculation inaccurate. The meeting concluded with notice of the next day’s budget-setting agenda and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• we could all smile, laugh, and be happy about the wonderful opportunity we have to serve the great state
• I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands
• From the Office of the Governor, January 15, 2026: Dear Legislators, as required by Idaho Code Section
• House Environment, Energy and Technology Committee will not meet Friday, January 16th.
• House State Affairs Committee will meet Monday, January 19th at 9:00 a.m. in Room EW40.

Summary: The House convened with 26 members present, heard prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and approved the House Journal. The chamber also received a gubernatorial transmittal on the Governor’s Emergency Fund, which was filed with the Chief Clerk, and a message regarding enrolled House Concurrent Resolution 20 being signed by the Senate President and referred for delivery to the Secretary of State. During first reading, the Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee introduced five bills: HB 489, which would prohibit using a mask or disguise during a criminal offense and add a sentencing enhancement; HB 490, revising reckless driving provisions; HB 491, revising immunity for persons giving emergency first aid; HB 492, adding an Idaho Association of Counties representative to the Peace Officer Standards and Training Council; and HB 493, revising the penalty for soliciting commercial sexual activity. All five were referred to the Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee for printing. In announcements, members were reminded about parking and House fund payments, the sound system repair was thanked, and Appropriations Committee members were unanimously counted present while in session. Committee schedule notices were read for several standing committees. The House then adopted a motion to adjourn until 11:00 a.m. Monday, January 19, 2026.