Transcript Highlights:

• The cell phones should be put in the locker room at the beginning of the day and then retrieved at the
• The cell phones should be put in the locker room at the beginning of the day and then retrieved at the

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Education

Summary: The committee opened a public hearing on 41 bills related to school climate and safety, with chairs Jason Lewis and Ken Gordon outlining procedures and noting more than 125 witnesses. The first major topic was the “Study Act” on cell phones in schools and related social media restrictions (House 666/Senate 335). Secretary of Education Pat Tutwiler and Attorney General Andrea Campbell testified in strong support, arguing that bell-to-bell phone-free policies would improve student focus, reduce anxiety and distraction, and support mental health. Several legislators also supported the approach, though Representative Jeff Turco and Senator John Keenan emphasized narrower bills focused only on school-day phone restrictions rather than broader social media regulation. Senator John Velis likewise backed a comprehensive school-hours restriction, citing student distraction and mental health concerns. Representative Tarsky described successful implementation of a Yondr pouch system in a school where he served as principal, saying it improved engagement and reduced bullying and discipline issues. The committee then heard testimony on a bill to prohibit Native American mascots in public schools (Senate 312/House 575). Senator Joe Comerford, Brittany Wally, and Rhonda Anderson all urged passage, saying Native mascots are dehumanizing, harmful to Native youth, and inconsistent with civil rights and educational values. They described support from tribal nations and noted that many Massachusetts schools have already changed mascots, but some still resist. The hearing also included testimony on school start times (House 647/Senate 360), where middle school students Caroline Duffy and Emery Jarvis described exhaustion and survey data showing widespread sleep deprivation. Former educator Telia Jacobs, former principal Rep. Tarsky, and others argued that later start times would improve health, learning, and student well-being, while acknowledging transportation and scheduling challenges. Zoriana Petrosian, who helped write one of the bills as a student, said the state already has enough research to act now. Additional bills drew testimony on related school issues. Dr. Raul Fernandez supported a bill promoting racially integrated schools (Senate 324), citing a recent advisory council report showing large disparities in segregated schools and urging DESE to develop a statewide integration strategy. On safe firearm storage education (House 548/Senate 397), multiple witnesses from Grassroots for Gun Violence Prevention and school communities supported annual school-based education about secure storage, saying it would help prevent child access to unsecured firearms and build on local resolutions already adopted in some districts. The committee also heard testimony on bills to expand career and academic plans (House 533/Senate 438), with speakers saying more structured planning would help students make informed college and career choices. Later, testimony on child sexual abuse prevention and survivor support bills described the prevalence of abuse, the need for training in schools and youth-serving organizations, and the importance of extending compensation and prevention measures. Throughout the hearing, chairs repeatedly closed bills with no witnesses and moved the agenda forward, but no votes were taken in the portion of the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senators, this allows for a local sheriff to be reimbursed for costs of retrieving an Idaho Department
• Senators, this allows for a local sheriff to be reimbursed for costs of retrieving an Idaho Department

Transcript Highlights:

• authorization, and requires the patients or their designated provider to be responsible for acquiring, retrieving
• It prohibits health care professionals and other facility staff from administering or retrieving the

Bills: HB1069 , HB2091 , SB6355 , HB2104 , SB6003 , HB2441 , HB2124 , HB2610 , HB2338

Committee: Senate Ways & Means

Keywords: collective bargaining, retirement benefits, employee rights, public sector, supplemental benefits, public employers, employee information, bargaining representatives, labor relations, union representation, electric transmission, energy policies, infrastructure, regulatory framework, transmission systems, aviation, wildland fires, funding, disaster relief, emergency response

Transcript Highlights:

• authorization, and requires the patients or their designated provider to be responsible for acquiring, retrieving
• It prohibits health care professionals and other facility staff from administering or retrieving the

Summary: The committee took up executive action on the capital budget, Proposed Substitute Senate Bill 6003, and several policy bills. Staff described amendments to the capital budget that shifted funding among behavioral health, local/community projects, irrigation projects, and juvenile rehabilitation capacity, plus a technical fix to the water pollution control revolving program. The committee adopted Senator Dozier’s budget-neutral amendment and a technical amendment, then advanced the amended capital budget to the Rules Committee. It also moved House Bills 2441, 2124, 2471, 2133, 2610, and 2338 forward with due-pass recommendations, and advanced Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2251 on Climate Commitment Act accounts to the Transportation Committee after adopting two amendments and withdrawing three others. A major public hearing focused on Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2034, which would terminate and restate LEOFF Plan 1 in 2029, transfer surplus assets, and direct portions to the Climate Commitment Account and the pension funding stabilization account. Staff said the plan is currently about 160% funded and explained the bill’s IRS-review process, statute of limitations, and estimated implementation costs. Testimony was sharply divided: some retirees, firefighters, counties, and cities opposed the bill as an improper use of pension assets and urged benefit enhancements or protection of local medical obligations, while others supported using the surplus for broader public purposes. No vote was taken on the bill during the hearing. The committee also heard House Bill 2179 on PERS coverage for certain port workers, with ports and the Washington Public Ports Association supporting clarification for railroad employees covered by the federal railroad retirement system. House Bill 1069, allowing Department of Corrections employees to bargain over supplemental retirement benefits, drew support from Teamsters and corrections workers, while House Bill 2091, expanding employee-information sharing with bargaining representatives, drew union support and privacy objections from Washington Policy Center. Finally, Second Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1210 on targeted urban area tax preferences drew support from labor, local governments, and project proponents, and opposition from contractor groups and environmental advocates over project labor agreement requirements and nuclear-related concerns; Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1408 on community preservation and development authorities and Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 1974 on land bank authorities for affordable housing were also heard, with both receiving supportive testimony from community and housing advocates.

Transcript Highlights:

• used by social media companies makes it more challenging, if not impossible, for law enforcement to retrieve
• coding or engineering, with a way for law enforcement, through a subpoena or a warrant, to be able to retrieve

Summary: The Senate convened with opening prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several recognitions, including guests from Miami Northwestern Senior High School, Clay County, and others. Senators also observed a moment of silence for Pope Francis. After routine announcements, the chamber moved to the special order calendar and took up a long series of bills, often substituting House companions for Senate bills before final passage. Among the measures approved were bills creating an expedited DNA testing grant program for local law enforcement, adding aggravating factors in capital cases involving gatherings for religious, school, or government activities, requiring state health coverage for fertility preservation services for cancer patients, authorizing indemnification for commuter rail providers, prohibiting abandonment of migrant vessels in Florida waters, and creating new specialty license plates. The Senate also passed bills on Alzheimer’s awareness, relocating the Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys to Florida Memorial University, charter schools, sex offender registration, utility worker protections, juvenile justice, student mental health reporting, foster home licensure transfers, water access facilities, Florida Virtual School, school readiness, sexual images involving children, tampering with electronic monitoring devices, certified recovery residences, the FSU Election Law Center, the Office of Faith and Community, and bonuses for county property appraiser employees. Several other bills were temporarily postponed, including measures on social media use by minors, veterans’ nursing homes, Parkinson’s disease, mental health and substance use disorders, education, educator preparation, officers injured in the line of duty, school social workers, and Brownfields. Debate was especially extensive on the Office of Faith and Community bill, where an amendment to bar political activity by office staff was offered but failed 13-23 after arguments over election-related communications and the scope of existing law. The certified recovery residences bill also drew notable debate, with supporters emphasizing housing as essential to recovery and opponents raising concerns about implementation and local control. Most other bills passed with little or no opposition, though a few drew dissenting votes, including the capital aggravating factors bill, charter schools, and the Office of Faith and Community measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• /c><00:02:23.640><c> mostly</c><00:02:24.080><c> aimed</c><00:02:24.600><c> at</c><00:02:25.600><c> egg
• </c><00:02:25.959><c> water,</c> This is mostly aimed at egg water, This is mostly aimed at egg water
• /c><00:32:46.640><c> in</c><00:32:46.800><c> ranching</c><00:32:47.160><c> and</c><00:32:47.280><c> egg
• ,</c> from the folks in in ranching and egg, from the folks in in ranching and egg, obviously<00:32:48.120

Bills: HB0116 , HB0056

Committee: Senate Minerals, Business & Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:36:09.280><c> of</c><00:36:09.400><c> fresh</c><00:36:09.680><c> local</c><00:36:10.000><c> egg
• </c><00:36:10.200><c> products</c> um consist of fresh local egg products um consist of fresh local egg
• 11.200><c> local</c><00:36:11.560><c> value-added</c><00:36:12.240><c> processed</c><00:36:12.720><c> egg
• </c><00:36:13.440><c> by</c> or local value-added processed egg by or local value-added processed egg

Bills: SB2706 , SB2320

Committee: Senate Agriculture and Environment

Summary: The committees first heard SB 2371, which would prioritize lease offers on agrivoltaics parcels for beginning farmers, require annual compliance reports to DAB, authorize penalties for noncompliance, and allow solar facilities on certain agricultural lands. DAB, the State Energy Office, PUC, and Hawaii Farm Bureau generally supported the intent, while OPPSD recommended amendments to preserve agricultural lease affordability and strengthen food-production language. Members questioned whether the bill would meaningfully encourage solar on ag lands, whether beginning farmers would have enough information to use such parcels, and how the bill would interact with Land Use Commission review. The Farm Bureau said agrivoltaics remains challenging and largely in pilot form, and noted the Mililani project as a promising example of dual use. The committees voted to pass SB 2371 with amendments, with one member expressing a preference that it be opened to all farmers rather than only beginning farmers. The next measure, SB 2800, appropriates funds to DAB, DLNR, and ADC for acquisition, repair, and maintenance of irrigation systems. All testifying agencies and the Farm Bureau supported the bill, and members pressed them for estimates of needed funding and the condition of existing systems. DAB cited major repair needs, including Waimea, Molokai, Kahuku, and Kawailoa, and said its backlog could total roughly $65 million; ADC estimated about $35 million for several systems; and DLNR said its current needs for three systems were about $35 million, with the largest cost tied to piping in Kekaha. The committees amended the bill to defer its effective date to July 1, 2050 and to blank out the appropriation amounts in the bill text, with the agencies’ requested amounts to be included in the committee report for consideration. SB 2800 then passed in AEN, Water and Land, and EIG. The final measure discussed was SB 2718, a food hub pilot program beginning in 2028 that would require state departments and UH to source 30% of certain food purchases from local agricultural products, create a nutrition- and ʻāina-based school program, and have DAT partner with a regional aggregator for Native Hawaiian staple crops. DAT, DOH, the Farm Bureau, Food Plus Policy Group, HAPA, and others supported the bill’s intent, while the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation opposed it, saying it is already struggling to meet the current local procurement percentage and faces procurement and quantity barriers, especially for staple items used daily. The testimony focused on whether agencies could realistically meet the higher local purchasing target and whether smaller farms could supply the needed volumes.

Transcript Highlights:

• to thank Senator Rest for stepping in here for Senator Westerm, who researched and found that this egg
• This egg processing bill, which did not apply to milk previously, we think is a great solution.
• I would just comment that, you know, in the egg industry, milk production is one of those elements that
• you</c><00:54:56.079><c> know</c><00:54:56.960><c> in</c><00:54:57.200><c> the</c><00:54:57.359><c> egg
• </c> comment that um you know in the egg comment that um you know in the egg industry<00:54:58.800><c

Committee: Senate Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• Because we have a president who said he was going to help bring down prices, eggs are going through the
• Waffle House just added a 50 cent surcharge for eggs, and yet he's talking about undermining these very
• Under the Trump administration, the cost of a dozen eggs is now over seven dollars.
• I heard those same eggs talked about a lot last year under the Biden prices.
• same eggs were about four dollars in October.

Committee: Senate Senate Budget

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:37:47.720><c> um</c><00:37:48.000><c> each</c><00:37:48.480><c> County</c><00:37:48.880><c> egg
• </c> that they set up um each County egg that they set up um each County egg society<00:37:49.560><c>
• Amendment uh the spirit of the Legacy Amendment uh each<00:37:55.920><c> County</c><00:37:56.200><c> egg
• Society</c><00:37:56.680><c> is</c><00:37:56.760><c> awarded</c><00:37:57.079><c> an</c> each County egg
• Society is awarded an each County egg Society is awarded an equal<00:37:57.720><c> Grant</c><00:37:58.720

Committee: Senate Environment, Climate, and Legacy

Transcript Highlights:

• /c><00:15:16.759><c> created</c><00:15:17.199><c> so</c><00:15:17.399><c> that</c><00:15:17.560><c> egg
• </c> base was also created so that egg base was also created so that egg properties<00:15:18.279><c>
• acre so it's basically the uh portion<00:37:44.520><c> of</c><00:37:44.640><c> an</c><00:37:44.760><c> egg
• property</c><00:37:45.560><c> that</c><00:37:45.720><c> that</c><00:37:45.839><c> is</c> portion of an egg
• property that that is portion of an egg property that that is really<00:37:46.200><c> the</c><00:37:

Committee: House Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, this bill basically says insurance company should pay for retrieval of, um, for fertility preservation
• However, once it's retrieved, it doesn't specifically exclude the coverage for storage.
• <01:16:17.440><c> of</c><01:16:17.800><c> um</c> retrieval of um retrieval of um for<01:16:19.000><c>
• However, once<01:16:23.720><c> it's</c><01:16:23.920><c> retrieved,</c><01:16:24.400><c> it</c><01:16
• :24.520><c> doesn't</c><01:16:25.040><c> it</c> once it's retrieved, it doesn't it once it's retrieved

Transcript Highlights:

• That protects those eggs, the salmon nests, per se; they're called redds, and their offspring, which
• And so a disturbance of those gravels when those either eggs are there or those offspring are in the

Committee: House Capital Budget

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, nonvoid clause amendments are a little bit like green eggs and ham.
• You know, Nolan Void Clause amendments are a little bit like green eggs and ham.

Bills: HB2007 , HB2360 , HB2369 , HB2432 , HB2440 , HB2534 , HB2557

Committee: House Education

Keywords: competency-based assessment, graduation requirements, education reform, student opportunity, pathway options, albuterol, asthma, inhaler, rescue inhaler, respiratory emergency, school nurse, student medication, self-administration, anaphylaxis, public schools, private schools, charter schools, tribal compact schools, K-12 health, medication policy

Transcript Highlights:

• commitment or a plan for creating a reserve to assist those renting households with sort of a nest egg
• Of a nest egg, some did. And those are the ones that we are focused on, but not everyone.

Bills: HB1542 , HB2527

Committee: House Housing

Keywords: senior housing, independent living, 55 and older, older adults, elderly, retirement housing, retirement community, resident rights, tenant protections, consumer protection act, unfair or deceptive practices, housing discrimination, assisted living distinction, Department of Commerce, Washington RCW, housing provider, community living, security cameras, resident meetings, anonymous complaints

Transcript Highlights:

• of</c><00:48:45.800><c> getting</c><00:48:46.079><c> baby</c><00:48:46.400><c> chicks</c> price of eggs
• of getting baby chicks price of eggs of getting baby chicks with<00:48:47.040><c> a</c><00:48:48.040
• ><01:42:54.840><c> mentioned</c><01:42:55.360><c> the</c><01:42:55.599><c> the</c><01:42:55.760><c> egg
• </c> but uh Mr der mentioned the the egg but uh Mr der mentioned the the egg impact<01:42:57.000><c>
• at least in in that impact on on egg at least in in that part<01:43:06.719><c> of</c><01:43:06.880><

Bills: HF1621 , HF1701 , HF1796 , HF1676 , HF40 , HF1428 , HF1540

Committee: House Agriculture Finance and Policy

Keywords: HF1621, CelluComp, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, appropriation, grant, commercialization, fiber-based barrier packaging, packaging materials, PFAS, perfluoroalkyl substances, polyfluoroalkyl substances, plastic reduction, sustainable packaging, environmental health, materials innovation, bio-based packaging, food packaging, agriculture finance, one-time grant, state subsidy

Transcript Highlights:

• in</c><01:04:31.079><c> new</c><01:04:31.480><c> sales</c><01:04:31.920><c> of</c><01:04:32.079><c> egg
• </c> about 187 million in new sales of egg about 187 million in new sales of egg based<01:04:32.680><
• 01:12:45.080><c> sector</c><01:12:45.320><c> should</c><01:12:45.480><c> be</c> entrepreneur in the egg
• Input expenses are minimizing our profit margins, which spiralize into the egg industry, and I'll give
• um with the rural the department of egg um with the rural finance<01:42:59.320><c> Authority</c><01:

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development

Transcript Highlights:

• Farm Bureau appreciates the existing egg exemption to the ESS law for seasonal employees.
• It comes from consolidation among suppliers and buyers of egg products.
• Chair: Let's try to keep it to the egg. Senator Pratt: Okay, Mr. Chair.
• I am frustrated that we're just focusing on egg and not the entire problem.
• If you want me to focus on egg, I'll do that.

Committee: Senate Labor

Transcript Highlights:

• So I okay, but that sounds like a chicken-or-egg thing to me. So I can elaborate, Mr. Chair.
• </c><01:16:33.120><c> Yeah,</c> chicken or egg thing to me. Yeah, chicken or egg thing to me.
• I think Chair pointed out we have a chicken or the egg.
• That's the chicken-or-egg thing.
• And so earlier it seems like egg thing.

Summary: The Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee held an informational briefing on the Public Utilities Commission’s performance-based regulation (PBR) framework and the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ whistleblower complaint process. Chair Jared Kohole opened the meeting, noted it was informational only with no public testimony, and explained that members would hear presentations and then have an opportunity for questions. The committee heard first from Ulupono Initiative, which provided background on why utilities are regulated, how Hawaii’s cost-of-service model and rate cases work, and why PBR was adopted to shift utility incentives away from a capital-investment bias and toward performance, efficiency, cost control, and policy goals such as renewable energy and reliability. Ulupono described Hawaii’s PBR structure as a five-year multi-year rate plan with annual revenue adjustments, a customer dividend, a Z factor for extraordinary exogenous events, and an exceptional project recovery mechanism for large projects. It also outlined performance incentive mechanisms tied to renewable portfolio standard progress, interconnection speed, reliability, and shared savings. The presentation said the current docket is evaluating a possible hybrid approach that would combine forward-looking forecasting with historical results, and Ulupono advocated for stronger incentives, arguing the current rewards are too small relative to utility revenues and should be more meaningful to better align utility behavior with legislative intent. The PUC then presented its own overview, emphasizing that the PBR docket is open and active and that the briefing was limited to the record to avoid ex parte concerns. The commission described the development of PBR in Hawaii through multiple phases beginning in 2018: an initial collaborative phase to set goals, a formal contested-case phase that produced the initial framework, later phases adding scorecards, reported metrics, and additional performance incentive mechanisms, and subsequent refinements including sunset of some mechanisms and adjustments after the August 2023 Maui wildfires. The PUC said the framework is intended to be customer-centric, administratively efficient, and protective of utility financial integrity, and that current work includes evaluating how to balance forward-looking and historical test-year approaches within the rebasing process. No votes or formal actions were taken at the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• And the next one that you wanted to discuss was HB 1186, having to do with eggs. >> Thank you, Madam
• After eggs, I have a new amendment that should be, I hope everyone has a copy of it, 2026-0613H.
• After eggs, I have a new amendment that should be, I hope everyone has a copy of it, 2026-0613H.
• So there may actually not be any reason for us to have requirements relative to sale of eggs.
• We really don't have any eggs.

Committee: House Environment and Agriculture

Summary: The Environmental Policy Subcommittee took up HB 1621, which would require a baseline environmental impact study before development of certain manufacturing and storage facilities. Members said the concept had merit, but they could not resolve major drafting and implementation issues, including how to define covered facilities, what the study would require, and how enforcement would work at the municipal or county level. Several members expressed concern about unintended consequences and said the proposal was not ready; the subcommittee voted unanimously to recommend inexpedient to legislate (ITL), and the full committee later adopted that recommendation on a 16-0 roll call vote, placing the bill on consent. The committee then discussed HB 1053, involving electronically submitted pesticide use reports. Representative Comtois presented an amendment creating a department database and protecting confidential information, but said she still needed to check whether it was germane and to review administrative issues with the Department of Agriculture. After hearing from David Russo of the Division of Pesticide Control, the committee agreed to continue work on the amendment and took no action that day. The committee also reviewed HB 1186 on egg labeling and producer exemptions. Representative Comtois offered an amendment exempting small producers from most requirements except labeling, but Commissioner Sean Jasper asked for more time to review the impact and suggested the state might not need the existing egg law at all if federal USDA rules already cover the field. Members agreed to hold action until the following week. Finally, the committee began discussion of HB 1780 on penalties for violations involving seeds, plants, and nursery stock, focusing on labeling rules and germination-date requirements; testimony from industry and department representatives indicated they were working toward a compromise that would allow multiple relabelings, add production dates, and set a 36-month sale limit, but no final action was taken in the portion provided.