Transcript Highlights:

• Investigation into a Medicaid provider, we are required to provide them with any information that we
• I would just add there's federal regulations that require us to be entirely separate from the agency
• This is a specific federal program that requires a match, that requires that we don't have people who
• And it's all and not only does the grant require us to operate that way, the skill challenge does too
• </c> regulations surrounding it require regulations surrounding it require anybody<00:46:15.920><c> in

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• There are some requirements that the feds do not require, and all that is still in place. Right.
• </c> are additional uh state requirements are additional uh state requirements that<00:53:49.440><c>
• /c><00:54:06.079><c> do</c><00:54:06.240><c> not</c> requirements that the feds do not requirements that
• the feds do not require require require &gt;&gt; and<00:54:07.280><c> and</c><00:54:07.520><c> all</
• </c> of that's a requirement of the program. of that's a requirement of the program.

Committee: Joint Public Health and Welfare

Keywords: Public Health and Welfare - Room 216, 21 January, 2026; 3:30 PM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's called the Tennessee Public Chapter Review, and that's required by statute.
• </c><00:20:20.559><c> by</c> review and that's uh required by review and that's uh required by statute
• </c><00:42:44.480><c> for</c> inquire about the recent requirement for inquire about the recent requirement
• So, that is a shift of the cost to them, although it's a requirement to the state.
• So, that is a shift of the cost to them, although it's a requirement to the state.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> of people who require those services. of people who require those services.
• Yeah, I want to make sure needed to meet a requirement or required can be two different things."
• But are these required by statute?
• </c> are not required by statute? are not required by statute?
• </c><00:16:07.040><c> or</c><00:16:07.440><c> required</c> needed to meet a requirement or required needed

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Government Contracts Committee first approved the minutes from its July 8 meeting and then moved through a large agenda of contracts and deferred items. The committee deferred a Kentucky Education Television contract because the vendor was still not registered with the Secretary of State, and also deferred a University of Louisville contract to the September meeting at the university’s request. Both motions passed by roll call. The committee then took up a contract with the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities for Seven Counties Services. Committee members questioned why the state continues funding the provider despite its ongoing bankruptcy tied to unpaid retirement contributions, how the funding split is determined, whether the state had explored other providers or direct state delivery, and whether all services in the contract are truly required by statute. Agency officials said Seven Counties is the statutorily designated community mental health center for the region, serves about 24,500 people, and provides core safety-net services that would be difficult to replace; they also said the bankruptcy dispute is still ongoing and the contested amount is about $20 million. The committee ultimately deferred the contract to the next meeting and requested additional information on the scope of services and potential offsets or recovery of unfunded liabilities. The final deferred item was a Department for Community Based Services contract with Youth Villages for the Intercept program. DCBS explained that the program is used because it is an approved evidence-based service under the Family First Prevention Services Act, that Youth Villages has Kentucky staff and offices even though it is headquartered in Tennessee, and that the contract is intended to support intensive in-home services, foster care stabilization, and family reunification. Members asked why the services could not be provided in-house, whether Medicaid should cover more of the cost, and whether the state requires the provider to bill Medicaid as a payer of last resort. DCBS said it would verify billing and funding details and provide them back to the committee. The committee then voted to defer the contract to the next meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• We do not believe it changes reporting requirements.
• We do not believe it changes reporting requirements.
• There's no knowledge requirement.
• There's no knowledge requirement.
• "Now will be required to expose all their secondary employment via CPRA request.

Summary: The committee heard several public safety bills, with extensive testimony and debate. AB 1535 would add political affiliation as a sentencing aggravator when a felony is motivated by a victim’s actual or perceived political affiliation. The author said the bill is intended to deter political violence while preserving judicial discretion; supporters framed it as a response to rising threats and attacks tied to politics. Opponents, including ACLU Cal Action, Initiate Justice, and public defender groups, argued the term is vague, could sweep in protected speech and association, and would expand punishment without addressing crime prevention. The bill was later moved on a due-pass recommendation and passed on roll call. AB 1656 would add human trafficking to the list of offenses that qualify for good-cause continuances so a vertical prosecutor can stay with a case. The author and a San Diego DA representative said the change would support trauma-informed prosecution and improve continuity for survivors. Most support testimony came from prosecutors, victim advocates, and civil liberties groups, while some public defender and justice organizations remained in opposition or pending review of amendments. The committee ultimately approved the bill on a due-pass-as-amended vote. AB 1589 would allow Level 1 reserve peace officers to use firearm suppressors while on duty, matching the exemption already available to full-time officers. The author and reserve officer witnesses said the bill is a narrow safety measure tied to hearing protection and parity in training and equipment. Opponents, including Brady and ACLU Cal Action, said suppressors are unnecessary, could endanger the public and other officers, and further militarize policing. After discussion about safety, fiscal concerns, and community trust, the committee passed the bill on a due-pass vote. The committee also took up AB 1566, which would align the statutory definition of severe neglect with the structured decision-making tool used by county child welfare agencies. Supporters said the bill would reduce overreporting, racial disparities, and unnecessary family trauma while keeping mandated reporting in place. Opponents, including school resource officer groups, warned it would lower reporting thresholds and risk missing serious abuse. Members debated the impact on child safety versus unnecessary investigations, and the bill was held on call after a split vote. In addition, the committee approved several consent items, including bills on human trafficking data, criminal procedure jurisdiction, firearms/unsafe handguns, and the Hugs Act of 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• have the requirements, but how the scoring will go.
• What is required for germaneness under that section, Mr.
• Speaker, gentlelady, stricter requirements? No.
• Madam Speaker, gentlelady, they're not required now.
• Madam Speaker, gentlelady, so required for kids, right?

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> procurement contracts this is requires procurement contracts this is requires all<00:05:14.039><
• This would require any procurement change order that increases the contract cost by more than 50% to
• This requires a person appointed to serve in the executive branch to obtain the advice and consent of
• </c><00:10:36.000><c> the</c> Sunset review in Hawaii required the Sunset review in Hawaii required the
• </c> public agency meetings requires public agency meetings requires appointments<00:55:16.839><c> and

Committee: Senate Government Operations

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee opened its first hearing of 2025 and announced that all measures heard that day would be deferred to the next committee hearing for decision-making on Thursday, January 30. The agenda centered largely on procurement and government-operations bills, with testimony generally split between state agencies and local governments. On procurement measures, SB 254 and SB 383 would raise small-purchase thresholds; the State Procurement Office opposed both, while county officials, the City and County of Honolulu, the state librarian, and others supported them. SB 382, which would bar disclosure of a competing offeror’s proposal or evaluation score, and SB 462, which would require performance incentive contracts to specify pricing bases, goals, and formulas, drew mostly written comments and some support from agencies such as the Department of Transportation and Department of Education. SB 615, which would treat certain large change orders as new contracts, received opposition from the Comptroller and engineering interests. The committee also heard several bills on vacancies, appointments, and legislative oversight. SB 5 on state legislative vacancies had one supporting testifier, while SB 300 on deadlines for filling certain Senate vacancies drew opposition from several individuals and support from one late testifier. SB 1081, which would create a legislative budget office to provide fiscal analysis and reports on bills, received broad support from advocacy groups, civic organizations, and individuals. SB 711, requiring Senate advice and consent for certain executive-branch appointments, drew written opposition from the Governor’s Office and support from one individual. SB 375, establishing a select commission on government restructuring, had one written supporter. SB 418, which would require the Attorney General’s office to review a portion of administrative rules each year, prompted extended discussion about outdated rules, the difficulty of repealing or amending rules, and whether the bill should be refined; the AG’s office indicated the process is burdensome and could be streamlined. The committee then took up transparency and access measures. SB 55, requiring agency rules to be posted online in a digitally accessible format, received support from several advocacy and civic groups and written comment from the Lieutenant Governor’s Office. SB 870 would direct the comptroller to identify state office buildings that could provide equitable telecom access for remote participation in hearings, especially for residents with disabilities; the Comptroller supported the concept, and members discussed using libraries, DAGS facilities, county facilities, and other public buildings, with concerns raised about staffing, bandwidth, and competing public use. SB 270, a sunshine-law measure allowing board members to attend informational meetings and presentations, drew opposition from the Public First Law Center, which argued it would create a broad loophole and should be narrowed to existing county-council provisions. SB 45, concerning neighborhood board meetings and third-party presentations, prompted discussion about whether it actually addressed neighborhood boards’ Sunshine Law concerns; the committee was told it was not the right vehicle for that issue. SB 406, which would cap copying fees for government records at 5 cents per page with exceptions, drew support from media and transparency groups but opposition from DAGS, which said its actual per-page cost is much higher; members discussed possible electronic-copy alternatives and asked for more cost information before the next hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• So requirement for the background check.
• So that requirements in the process of moving that.
• So that requirements in the process of moving that.
• So that requirements in the process of moving that.
• So that requirements in the process of moving that.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting focused on the Legislative Budget Assistant audit of the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification’s response to 12 findings, especially those tied to mental health workforce licensure. The executive director said 10 findings were substantially resolved, one fully resolved, and one partially resolved, with most issues tied to ongoing rulemaking. He explained that the office regulates 61 professions, has limited rules-drafting staff, and is working through a long rulemaking process while also adapting to frequent statutory changes. The committee discussed the first finding on license portability/endorsement, which the director said was the office’s highest priority and had been implemented through universal recognition rules adopted in 2023. Members asked detailed questions about how the office reviews other states’ licensing standards, whether it evaluates jurisdictions case-by-case or maintains a database, and how many jurisdictions qualify for endorsement in various professions. The director said the office initially reviewed all states and professions at once, now maintains and updates a list of substantially similar jurisdictions, and sometimes evaluates narrower jurisdictions such as counties, cities, or foreign countries. He noted that some professions, like nursing, have broad reciprocity, while others, including some mental health-related fields, vary widely and may have only a limited number of qualifying jurisdictions. He also said the office is exploring whether AI could help with research and tracking, though not with final verification. The committee then turned to expedited licensure processing. The director said the office now handles examination, review, and issuance or denial based on board-set criteria, rather than requiring every board to review every application, which has sped up processing. He said delays still occur with criminal background checks and FBI fingerprint processing because of paper forms, federal involvement, and back-and-forth with the Department of Safety when releases are incomplete or incorrect. Members raised concerns about broader state process bottlenecks and asked whether legislation could help streamline the system. A legislator said he was already working on related background-check language for another agency and believed the current draft may satisfy FBI requirements.

Transcript Highlights:

• And there's different laws that require different people to report different types of things.
• consistent with the requirements for local governments to report to the State Auditor.
• consistent with the requirements for local governments to report to the State Auditor.
• </c> 609.456 consistent with the requirements 609.456 consistent with the requirements for<00:08:12.479
• about this federal requirement.

Bills: HF1151 , HF1239 , HF1240 , HF2020 , HF2514 , HF2515 , HF2451

Committee: House State Government Finance and Policy

Keywords: Compensation Council, salaries, state officials, judicial compensation, legislative process, public funds, misuse, law enforcement, accountability, state government, legislative auditor, compliance, transparency, retirement benefits, health insurance, dependents, state employees, Medicare, legislative studies, government oversight

Transcript Highlights:

• the city already provides over and above the number of hours required under ESS.
• as written the statute requires time as written the statute requires cities<00:12:05.440><c> to</c><
• </c><00:12:14.480><c> under</c> number of hours required under number of hours required under ESS<00:
• be required to submit documentation in a timely manner to receive paid ESST.
• </c> it is fair to allow employers to require it is fair to allow employers to require a<00:37:23.319

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 1325 and adopted the author’s A2 amendment before hearing testimony. Representative Schultz presented the bill as a set of bipartisan changes to make Minnesota’s earned sick and safe time law more workable for small businesses, public employers, and taxpayers, arguing the current law is an unfunded mandate that increases costs and property taxes. The bill’s supporters said it would add flexibility, including changes affecting coverage for certain workers, employer size thresholds, front-loading, weather-related exceptions, and a delay on penalties. Commissioner Nicole Blissenbach of the Department of Labor and Industry opposed the bill, saying it would exclude about 800,000 workers, or roughly 30% of the workforce, from earned sick and safe time protections and create confusion and enforcement problems. She also objected to the proposed penalty delay, saying the department already uses compliance assistance and needs penalty authority for serious violations. The Minnesota Chamber supported modifications to the mandate, saying businesses—especially small ones—have struggled with compliance and that the law has had unintended effects on PTO policies and leave use. The League of Minnesota Cities supported parts of the bill, especially changes affecting more generous city leave policies and weather-event exemptions, saying current language creates confusion and can interfere with emergency staffing. Opponents from Education Minnesota, SEIU Minnesota, TakeAction Minnesota, and a nurse from Unity Hospital argued the bill would strip protections from part-time workers, minors, and workers with family caregiving needs, and would weaken a law they said has helped workers avoid discipline or lost wages when sick. Supporters from counties and an HR consultant emphasized administrative burdens, emergency staffing needs during weather events, and the difficulty of applying ESS rules to existing leave policies. No final vote on the bill was taken in the portion of the meeting provided; the bill was laid over for further consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• What is it over 100K he requires to go to Finance, or 10,000?
• </c><00:30:50.360><c> to</c> um what is it over 100k he requires to um what is it over 100k he requires
• It requires federal approval, subject to federal approval. Yes, please do.
• It requires more. It requires a deeper look.
• a</c> um and it requires more it requires a um and it requires more it requires a deeper<00:45:11.960

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:55:17.440><c> to</c><00:55:17.920><c> required</c><00:55:18.359><c> to</c> reporters are required
• to required to reporters are required to required to report<00:55:18.880><c> suspected</c><00:55:19.319
• , including income and asset requirements.
• , including income and asset requirements.
• It requires fingerprints and photographs for each individual being studied.

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• PERB is also required to determine the appropriate bargaining units and to prohibit...
• So my question is: is it a problem of permitting and CEQA requirements?
• And what I heard from Department of Finance— What’s outstanding that’s required.
• In addition, there's a quarterly requirement to the Department of Finance.
• In addition, there's a quarterly requirement to the Department of Finance.

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 5 held an informational hearing on the Governor’s May Revision proposals for labor, public safety/judiciary, and transportation, and no votes were taken. In Part A on labor, the Employment Development Department described funding for EDD Next document management work, updated UI loan interest costs, disability insurance and paid family leave benefit increases, WIOA adjustments, UI and school employee benefit changes, an EMT training reappropriation, and a technical correction tied to an EDD Next reversion. PERB discussed reduced funding requests for AB 288 due to litigation and a proposal to implement AB 1 covering legislative employees. DIR presented proposals for legal unit reclassifications, two major IT modernization projects, a new Cal/OSHA emerging technologies unit, a COIA reappropriation, and trailer bill language requiring electronic payment of employer assessments and removing a salary cap for the DWC administrative director. CalHR proposed consolidating employee assistance services into a statewide contract with enhanced support for first responders, and CalPERS and CalSTRS presented budget adjustments tied to investment costs, state contributions, and benefit overpayments. Members focused heavily on the unemployment insurance debt and interest payments, asking why the administration had no concrete plan to pay down principal. Finance and LAO explained that the state’s UI tax structure has long been insufficient and that any long-term solution would need to address both the outstanding federal loan and the structural imbalance in employer taxes. Questions also centered on EDD Next costs and timelines, with the chair asking for clearer long-term project cost estimates and Finance noting that future maintenance and operations costs will continue after implementation. On DIR’s emerging technologies unit, members asked whether it would address AI-driven workplace harms; DIR said the unit would focus on physical workplace safety issues involving AI, robotics, autonomous equipment, and related guardrails, while LAO noted broader labor-practice questions would likely fall outside Cal/OSHA’s scope. In the CalPERS discussion, members raised concerns about transparency in private equity and external management fees, while CalPERS said higher fees reflect a strategy of greater private-market and active-management exposure and are offset by higher net returns. Members urged more information on specific investments and future reporting. For CalSTRS, Finance presented routine contribution and overpayment adjustments, but members also raised broader transparency concerns that CalSTRS staff said they would follow up on separately. Public comment in Part A was dominated by strong support for an immigrant worker emergency relief fund, along with support for apprenticeship and workforce proposals and PERB staffing. The chair and members said they would follow up on where the immigrant relief proposal should be considered, noting it may belong in another policy area. The hearing then moved into Part B with an overview of Judicial Branch-related May Revision items, including court interpreter funding, appellate court security, workload cap changes, lactation room implementation delays, and a reduction to the state court facility construction backfill.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:40:45.520><c> by</c> lookup table, which is required by lookup table, which is required by statute
• So, the required penalty is only $21.
• So, uh, the first component of review requires an estimate of annual revenue loss.
• Then the third component requires an assessment of impact and efficiency.
• </c><01:00:35.760><c> to</c> exemption, a purchaser is required to exemption, a purchaser is required

Committee: House Taxes

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> schools program also it would require schools program also it would require certain<00:04:03.879
• If the treatment changed, there isn't consent required? Is that what you say?
• As part of a 504, they have their own separate consent requirements.
• </c><00:39:36.560><c> than</c> higher parental consent requirement than higher parental consent requirement
• </c> and drawbacks of this decision requires and drawbacks of this decision requires study<01:04:39.720

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That would be required for the first step for both of them, but it's only required that they do one.
• I'm not trying to bring down the requirement.
• That actually requires to be dual credit.
• Our board policy requires all courses coming in from any college or university Our board policy requires
• Reporting that is required. So pause there.

Committee: Joint Higher Education Institutions Committee

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> This statement is no longer required. This statement is no longer required.
• , our fiscal requirements.
• , our fiscal requirements.
• it comes to our reporting requirements, our fiscal requirements.
• </c> health, and safety requirements. health, and safety requirements.

Committee: House Education Policy and Administration

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:32:53.840><c> officers</c> and violations and requires officers and violations and requires officers
• </c><00:33:59.760><c> less</c> citation-based responses require less citation-based responses require
• </c><01:00:24.080><c> risks</c> So the proof of harm requirement risks So the proof of harm requirement
• </c> to delete the proof of harm requirement to delete the proof of harm requirement both<01:00:59.200
• That required narrow Amendment rights.

Committee: House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several Senate bills. On SB 2530, relating to campaign contributions, the State Procurement Office suggested clarifying that contractor disclosure information be submitted within 30 days of a fully executed contract, while the Campaign Spending Commission supported the bill but asked that the restriction on contributions by officers be expanded beyond compensated officers. Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action supported the measure and urged keeping the Senate language, arguing it better addresses contractor influence, while no other testifiers appeared. On SB 2970, relating to standards of conduct, the State Ethics Commission supported the bill and proposed amendments to consolidate the new language into existing Chapter 84 contract provisions and use “department head” instead of “director.” The State Procurement Office supported the measure but recommended closing a perceived loophole by limiting the covered contracts to those under $10,000. No opposition testimony was offered. The committee then heard SB 2919, which would fund one full-time Deputy Public Defender position focused on immigration-related advice under Padilla v. Kentucky. The Office of the Public Defender, Hawaii Coalition for Immigrants’ Rights, and the ACLU of Hawaii supported the bill, explaining that the position would help public defenders advise clients about immigration consequences of criminal cases, not provide immigration representation. Members asked several questions about the scope of the position and whether it could assist with citizenship; testimony clarified that it would not handle civil immigration matters. The bill was also described as creating a statewide consistent resource for the public defender system. Finally, on SB 2446, relating to the judiciary, the Intermediate Court of Appeals supported adding a seventh associate judge position but noted the court has only recently been fully staffed at six judges and has improved output through internal changes. The chair emphasized that the bill authorizes the position without funding and encouraged the judiciary to return later if appropriations are needed. The committee also began hearing SB 2730, a criminal justice reform bill on warrantless arrests and citations. OHA supported reducing unnecessary arrests but objected to making citations visible on criminal records; the Department of the Attorney General opposed the bill, citing law enforcement flexibility, identification concerns, and possible litigation costs; and the Judiciary requested a later implementation date and suggested changes to citation-resolution language. The transcript ends while testimony on SB 2730 was still underway.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> lines 22 through 24 do not require that. lines 22 through 24 do not require that.
• The requirements are identical.
• The requirements are identical.
• The requirements are identical.
• The requirements are identical.

Committee: Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:20:33.919><c> a</c> two relating to agriculture requires a two relating to agriculture requires
• Thank you so much for hearing this. the requirements to receive grants the requirements to receive grants
• </c><01:14:39.760><c> maybe</c> similar reporting requirements maybe similar reporting requirements maybe
• </c><01:20:36.000><c> the</c> 968 relating to agriculture requires the 968 relating to agriculture requires
• </c> smaller um collateral loan requirements smaller um collateral loan requirements and<01:34:43.560

Committee: House Agriculture & Food Systems

Keywords: 910, house, all