Transcript Highlights:

• which intersections<00:49:03.599><c> do</c><00:49:03.760><c> we</c><00:49:03.920><c> have</c><00:49:
• at to<00:49:09.040><c> ensure</c><00:49:09.280><c> that</c><00:49:09.440><c> we</c><00:49:09.599><c>
• </c><00:49:11.359><c> If</c><00:49:11.599><c> we</c><00:49:11.760><c> had</c><00:49:12.000><c> that</
• > lot</c><00:49:15.359><c> easier</c><00:49:15.599><c> for</c><00:49:15.839><c> us</c><00:49:16.000><
• 49:28.079><c> have</c><00:49:28.160><c> been</c><00:49:28.240><c> a</c><00:49:28.400><c> lot</c><00:49

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Public Safety held an informational briefing on hazard mitigation planning and recent tsunami and wildfire threats. Chair Dela Buladi opened by framing the meeting around the need for iterative disaster planning and lessons learned from events such as the Lahaina wildfires, the Puna Coast earthquake/tsunami, and recent wildfire activity. The committee heard first from Hawaii County Civil Defense Administrator Tomage Magno, who explained the federal and local hazard mitigation planning process, including the requirement for an active five-year mitigation plan to qualify for federal disaster funds. He described the plan as a living document built from prior plans, public and agency outreach, risk and capability assessments, and ongoing updates, with county departments, state agencies, and subject matter experts participating in the process. Magno outlined several FEMA-related mitigation funding programs, including flood mitigation assistance, post-fire assistance, pre-disaster mitigation, revolving loan funds, and dam safety grants. He emphasized that the Hawaii County plan was recently approved by FEMA, that the county council approves the plan, and that the county reviews it annually with a formal revision process beginning in the fourth year. Members asked about how the plan tracks project status, how priorities and funding changes are handled, and whether federal funding programs might be affected by HR1; Magno said the county is proceeding on the assumption that funding will remain available and noted some sources have been reestablished. He also said the county encourages council participation in meetings and planning. Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen then addressed the committee on DOT’s response to a recent tsunami threat, saying the agency had about four hours to prepare before the first wave arrival and was focused on its own operational response rather than the broader statewide planning process. In response to questions, he stated that FHWA funds cannot be used for evacuation routes, which is why prior legislative funding was important. Members also discussed specific mitigation projects such as fire breaks, bridge retrofits, and the Singing Bridge, with DOT noting that work is underway and that a replacement bridge upstream is being planned to carry traffic during repairs. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the informational briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:49:02.960><c> it</c><00:49:03.119><c> passed</c><00:49:03.280><c> in</c><00:49:03.520><c> the</c>
• > but</c><00:49:04.160><c> um</c><00:49:04.319><c> I</c><00:49:04.480><c> don't</c><00:49:04.559><c>
• Um we have<00:49:18.160><c> a</c><00:49:18.400><c> shortage</c><00:49:18.800><c> of</c><00:49:18.960>
• :49:25.760><c> us</c><00:49:26.000><c> to</c><00:49:26.319><c> round</c><00:49:26.720><c> up</c><00:49
• Um,<00:49:28.400><c> so</c><00:49:28.640><c> it</c><00:49:28.880><c> would</c><00:49:29.040><c> sort<

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee first took up a short-form administrative licensing measure requested by the administration to correct and clarify renewal provisions in a prior bill. Members raised no questions, and the committee voted to adopt the proposed Senate draft and recommit the bill back to the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee for a further public hearing. The committee then heard SB 2876 on natural hair braiding, which would exempt natural hair braiders from licensing under certain conditions. The Board of Barbering and Cosmetology said it views hair braiding as within the broader scope of cosmetology, but agreed that people who only braid hair should not need a license because the training and exam requirements are minimal. The board warned, however, that exempting braiders could create consumer protection gaps involving sanitation, training, and enforcement, and noted that related services such as waxing, cutting, coloring, shampooing, and relaxing would still require licensure. Supporters included the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii and the Institute for Justice. The committee also heard SB 2950 on captive insurance and SB 2951 on insurance proceeds. On SB 2950, the Insurance Division opposed the bill, saying captive insurance is designed for formal self-insurance for companies and that allowing captives to insure the public would not fit the existing regulatory framework; a fire survivor advocate supported the measure as a way to expand disaster-related insurance options. On SB 2951, which would require mortgage servicers to follow certain rules for disbursing insurance proceeds after residential damage or destruction, United Policy Holders strongly supported the bill, citing delays in releasing funds and the need to help survivors rebuild, while banking and financial industry groups submitted opposition or comments. Finally, the committee heard SB 2952, SB 2960, and SB 2964, all related to property insurance and disaster recovery. SB 2952 and SB 2960 would extend the time policyholders have after a declared disaster to submit documentation and recover replacement cost value, with supporters arguing that rebuilding after major disasters takes far longer than standard policy deadlines allow and that the bills would improve consumer protection and transparency; the Insurance Division, the Insurance Council, and national insurance groups opposed the measures. SB 2964 would require annual disclosures of replacement cost value and coverage sufficiency; the Insurance Council opposed it as costly and unnecessary because policies already include inflation-related adjustments, while United Policy Holders and fire survivors supported it, saying many homeowners are underinsured and do not understand their coverage.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:49:07.280><c> So,</c><00:49:07.960><c> so</c><00:49:08.040><c> I</c><00:49:08.080><c> think</
• we</c><00:49:09.760><c> can</c><00:49:09.920><c> definitely</c><00:49:10.360><c> do</c><00:49:10.520
• <00:49:12.680><c> are</c><00:49:12.800><c> critical</c><00:49:13.280><c> to</c><00:49:13.360><c> the<
• </c><00:49:22.760><c> Ellis,</c><00:49:23.040><c> thank</c><00:49:23.280><c> you</c><00:49:23.360><c>
• ><00:49:40.960><c> want</c><00:49:41.160><c> to</c><00:49:41.240><c> point</c><00:49:41.560><c> out</

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Budget Review Subcommittee on Education met for an overview of the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE). After approving the prior meeting minutes, staff from CPE explained that the council was reconstituted in 1997 and serves as Kentucky’s statewide coordinating body for higher education, with responsibilities including advising the General Assembly and governor, coordinating the postsecondary system, supporting budget and performance funding work, and using data to track outcomes. They described Kentucky’s governance structure, including the KCTCS governing board, independent boards at public universities, and CPE’s role in licensing private institutions and overseeing transfer, closed-school records, and tuition approval. CPE staff emphasized statewide strategic planning and the “60 by 30” goal of having 60% of working-age Kentuckians hold a meaningful credential by 2030. They said the agency uses dashboards, KPIs, and peer comparisons to set targets for institutions and monitor enrollment, retention, and graduation. They also highlighted the Kentucky Graduate Profile, a voluntary effort to embed 10 essential workforce skills into general education and major programs, and noted ongoing work on academic program approval, performance funding, and a biennial budget request. The presentation also focused on student support and workforce alignment initiatives. Staff described the Kentucky Advising Academy, the Commonwealth Education Continuum, and the Kentucky Student Success Collaborative, which work with K-12 partners and campuses to improve advising, transfer, wraparound supports, and career planning. They also discussed GEAR UP, the Futurity career-planning platform, and efforts to connect education pathways to workforce needs, including healthcare, veterans, and other adult learners. CPE reported that student debt at graduation has fallen to $10,168 at public institutions and that six in ten Kentucky undergraduates graduate debt free.

Transcript Highlights:

• .<00:49:08.720><c> Um,</c><00:49:09.599><c> since</c><00:49:09.920><c> I</c><00:49:10.160><c> have</c
• c> ask</c><00:49:16.400><c> our</c><00:49:16.640><c> commit</c><00:49:16.960><c> our</c><00:49:17.520
• 49:41.160><c> 1098,</c><00:49:42.160><c> our</c><00:49:42.400><c> budget</c><00:49:42.720><c> and</c>
• </c><00:49:44.240><c> Uh</c><00:49:44.559><c> thank</c><00:49:44.800><c> you</c><00:49:45.040><c> to<
• ><c> summary</c><00:49:58.800><c> of</c><00:49:58.960><c> section</c><00:49:59.359><c> five</c><00:49

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:49:08.960><c> so</c><00:49:09.240><c> if</c><00:49:09.319><c> you</c><00:49:09.480><c> have</c><00
• :50.680><c> they</c><00:49:50.960><c> are</c><00:49:51.839><c> it</c><00:49:51.960><c> is</c><00:49:52.200
• ><c> or</c><00:49:54.240><c> you</c><00:49:54.359><c> have</c><00:49:54.480><c> an</c><00:49:54.760><
• we'll consider it<01:49:03.520><c> so</c><01:49:03.800><c> I</c><01:49:03.960><c> I</c><01:49:04.040
• 01:49:12.199><c> on</c><01:49:12.400><c> on</c><01:49:12.760><c> topic</c><01:49:13.040><c> in</c><01

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• > that</c><00:49:13.359><c> they</c><00:49:13.599><c> have</c><00:49:13.760><c> to</c><00:49:14.000><
• are on on the<00:49:24.720><c> board</c><00:49:25.839><c> uh</c><00:49:26.000><c> of</c><00:49:26.319
• </c><00:49:35.040><c> of</c><00:49:35.280><c> the</c><00:49:35.520><c> CSPG</c><00:49:36.319><c> that
• </c><00:49:44.160><c> There's</c><00:49:44.559><c> a</c><00:49:44.800><c> lot</c><00:49:45.040><c> of
• 00:49:53.359><c> community</c><00:49:54.000><c> services</c><00:49:54.960><c> and</c><00:49:55.280><c

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: A joint informational briefing of the House Committee on Labor and the Senate Committee on Labor and Technology was held on August 19, 2025, to hear testimony on the Office of Community Services’ proposed Community Services Block Grant state plan for federal fiscal years 2026 and 2027. Ray Domingo of OCS explained that the plan is intended to maintain federal CSBG funding and focuses on compliance monitoring, coordination among community action agencies and state agencies, and strengthening partnerships. He also reviewed the program structure, noting that Hawaii’s four CAAs serve low-income residents, that the state must pass through at least 90% of the grant to CAAs, and that Hawaii received about $3.8 million in FFY 2025, with allocations to HCAP, Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council, Kauai Economic Opportunity, and Maui Economic Opportunity. He said statewide CAAs reported serving 40,980 individuals in FFY 2024. Representatives from each CAA testified in support of the plan and described how CSBG functions as flexible “glue” funding that supports overhead, fills gaps, and helps leverage other public and private resources. HCAP’s Robert Piper said the grant helps sustain its broad service network, including Head Start, job training, weatherization, shelter, food assistance, and energy programs, and emphasized its tripartite board structure and annual service to about 20,000 people. Hawaii County’s Chad Hosigal highlighted support for senior farmers market coupons, Meals on Wheels, and transportation services. Kauai Economic Opportunity’s Mabel Fujiuchi said the agency fully supports the plan and described CSBG as nucleus funding that helps support shelter, Meals on Wheels, weatherization, mediation, and other services, including assistance for homeless families and special needs items such as dentures and hearing aids. Maui Economic Opportunity’s Gay Sabonga described CSBG’s role in disaster response after the 2023 wildfires, including shelter transitions, document recovery, housing and utility assistance, bridge grants for small businesses, youth prevention programs, and employment services. Committee members asked about the stability of future federal funding, the frequency of federal assessments, and how satisfaction scores in the state plan were measured. OCS said federal funding information has been mixed and uncertain, that communication with federal partners has been limited and informal, and that the federal assessment website appears outdated; staff said assessments are done every two years. On the satisfaction metric, OCS said the score was 92 out of 100 and believed it reflected participant responses, though they offered to follow up with more detail. No votes or formal actions were taken at the informational briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• like 2024<00:49:07.359><c> when</c><00:49:07.480><c> we</c><00:49:07.599><c> had</c><00:49:07.720><c
• so</c><00:49:10.400><c> when</c><00:49:10.599><c> this</c><00:49:10.799><c> was</c><00:49:11.079><c>
• pre was prepared<00:49:12.280><c> we</c><00:49:12.400><c> could</c><00:49:12.559><c> have</c><00:49:
• ><c> was</c><00:49:17.920><c> not</c><00:49:18.079><c> a</c><00:49:18.200><c> lot</c><00:49:18.319><c
• :49:25.440><c> uh</c><04:49:26.280><c> pay</c><04:49:26.480><c> us</c><04:49:26.840><c> pay</c><04:49

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting began with testimony from Charlotte Harding of the Conservation Land Stewardship Program, who explained that the office protects the state’s interests in conservation lands by monitoring conservation easements and related stewardship obligations. She described the program’s funding sources: a land conservation endowment held at the State Treasury and administered by the Council on Resources and Development, plus transfers from Fish and Game for easements not covered by the endowment. Members discussed how the endowment is funded when new easements are created, the program’s staffing, the loss of a state vehicle, and the need to increase in-state travel so staff can use personal vehicles for field monitoring. Harding said the office has two full-time positions and a seasonal employee, that the work is mostly monitoring rather than hands-on land management, and that enforcement issues are referred to the grantee agencies or, if needed, to the Council on Resources and Development. She also noted that the office works directly with landowners to resolve smaller issues and that stewardship has become a greater focus in the conservation community because ongoing oversight requires funding. Members asked about examples of properties under the program, including LCIP lands such as Musquash Headwaters, Hidden Valley Boy Scout Camp, and Nash Stream, and the committee did not take a motion before moving on. The committee then heard from Paul Breen and Susie Anzelone of the Pease Development Authority regarding the Division of Ports and Harbors operating budget. They explained that the authority provides finance, legal, environmental, and engineering support to the division, which operates New Hampshire’s only deep-water berth at Market Street, as well as facilities in Hampton, Rye, the Portsmouth Fish Pier, and navigational waters in the Piscataqua and Great Bay. They described the authority’s history after the closure of Pease Air Force Base, the transfer of roughly 2,400 acres, and the creation of a self-sustaining enterprise fund tied to airport and port operations. They emphasized that the division does not draw on the general fund because revenues from wharfage, dockage, parking, registration, and mooring fees cover operating costs, with any surplus retained for capital improvements and replacement. Members questioned several budget lines, including a sharp increase in overtime and workers’ compensation. Breen said overtime is driven largely by security needs at the deep-water port and fluctuates with vessel traffic, such as salt shipments, while workers’ comp is a DAS-set cost and not something the division controls. He said the budget is conservative and that if revenues fall short, capital projects would be the first items scaled back. The discussion also covered fee-setting, with Breen saying rates are reviewed against the local market and infrastructure constraints, and that some smaller facility fees had recently been increased after being stagnant for years.

Transcript Highlights:

• .<00:49:24.240><c> So,</c><00:49:24.400><c> that's</c><00:49:24.800><c> probably</c><00:49:25.200><c>
• </c><00:49:26.720><c> But,</c><00:49:26.960><c> we're</c><00:49:27.280><c> happy</c><00:49:27.520><c>
• :49:31.760><c> you</c><00:49:31.839><c> know,</c><00:49:31.920><c> if</c><00:49:32.079><c> it</c><00:
• still</c><00:49:33.280><c> have</c><00:49:33.440><c> a</c><00:49:33.680><c> very</c><00:49:33.920><c>
• ><c> of</c><00:49:35.280><c> um</c><00:49:35.680><c> work</c><00:49:35.920><c> that</c><00:49:36.160>

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The conference committee received a nonpartisan walkthrough of the House and Senate side-by-side for higher education-related legislation, with staff identifying Senate-only, House-only, identical, and technical-difference provisions. Topics included paid blood donation leave for Minnesota State employees, a revised higher education attainment goal, athletic fee restrictions, developmental course disclosures, American Indian Scholars Program eligibility, protections and definitions for pregnant and parenting students, online program management contracts, student aid reporting, work-study and dual training grants, private and out-of-state postsecondary education regulation, private career school licensing and data privacy, college savings plan changes, and several University of Minnesota-related provisions. House-only items also included an unemployment insurance aid adjustment, a $1.5 million ongoing appropriation for an identity verification system to combat enrollment fraud, and $5,000 for Bemidji State University reforestation; Senate-only items included Board of Regents appointment language, limits on for-profit control of medical school curriculum, and reporting on for-profit funding in medical education. After the walkthrough, the committee moved to adopt the same and similar provisions and direct staff to make technical corrections. A senator asked about proposed adjustments to the pregnant and parenting student language, and the chair said amendments would be considered after adopting the same and similar provisions. The motion to adopt prevailed. During public testimony, Sydney Spre of the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees supported the Senate’s paid blood donation leave language, saying it would create parity for Minnesota State employees and encourage blood and plasma donation. Commissioner Dennis Olsen of the Office of Higher Education thanked the committee for adopting most of the agency’s proposed language and said he was available to help clarify remaining differences. In response to questions, he explained the Senate’s higher education attainment goal proposal, saying it would extend and broaden the existing goal, raise the target from 70% to 75%, expand the age range, and use additional metrics and partner agencies; he also said the overall attainment rate had been 63.5 under the prior goal. The transcript ends as the commissioner was being asked whether the proposal would require additional appropriations.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:49:01.680><c> And</c><00:49:01.920><c> it's</c><00:49:02.079><c> a</c><00:49:02.240><c> win</
• ><00:49:04.079><c> you</c><00:49:04.160><c> look</c><00:49:04.319><c> at</c><00:49:04.400><c> their</
• </c><00:49:13.520><c> And</c><00:49:13.680><c> it</c><00:49:13.839><c> has</c><00:49:14.000><c> a</c>
• </c><00:49:15.280><c> And</c><00:49:15.440><c> so</c><00:49:16.000><c> this</c><00:49:16.160><c> is</
• for</c><00:49:17.520><c> us</c><00:49:17.680><c> is</c><00:49:17.839><c> is</c><00:49:18.079><c> it<

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:49:00.160><c> Uh,</c><00:49:00.400><c> it</c><00:49:00.559><c> appropriates,</c><00:49:01.040
• </c><00:49:02.960><c> uh,</c><00:49:03.200><c> former</c><00:49:03.599><c> state</c><00:49:03.920><c>
• here<00:49:06.160><c> if</c><00:49:06.400><c> you</c><00:49:06.480><c> want</c><00:49:06.640><c> to,
• </c><00:49:07.200><c> if</c><00:49:07.520><c> you</c><00:49:07.599><c> need</c><00:49:07.760><c> to</
• </c><00:49:24.240><c> So</c><00:49:24.400><c> if</c><00:49:24.640><c> you</c><00:49:24.720><c> look</

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:49:29.640><c> If</c><01:49:29.880><c> I</c><01:49:30.000><c> may,</c><01:49:30.400><c> I'd</c
• 49:31.320><c> of</c><01:49:31.440><c> personal</c><01:49:31.880><c> privilege</c><01:49:32.280><c> if
• it</c><01:49:38.880><c> clear</c><01:49:39.360><c> about</c><01:49:39.840><c> allegations</c><01:49:
• ><c> I</c><01:49:47.560><c> think</c><01:49:47.800><c> all</c><01:49:47.920><c> of</c><01:49:48.000><
• c><01:49:51.040><c> the</c><01:49:51.160><c> call</c><01:49:51.360><c> of</c><01:49:51.480><c> roll</

Keywords: In an effort to stave off issues that may occur with long format live streams, we have split this stream into two parts., 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• doing that<00:49:02.520><c> um</c><00:49:03.400><c> but</c><00:49:03.599><c> the</c><00:49:03.760><c
• > project</c><00:49:04.280><c> you</c><00:49:04.400><c> know</c><00:49:04.599><c> is</c><00:49:05.559
• U<00:49:20.400><c> the</c><00:49:20.559><c> requirement</c><00:49:21.119><c> stage</c><00:49:21.480>
• ><00:49:37.440><c> in</c><00:49:37.680><c> in</c><00:49:38.520><c> probably</c><00:49:38.880><c> mid<
• ><c> right</c><00:49:40.640><c> now</c><00:49:41.000><c> I</c><00:49:41.119><c> me</c><00:49:41.640><

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Primary and Secondary Education and Workforce Development received a presentation from Kentucky Department of Education officials on the final SEEK estimate for fiscal year 2025. Commissioner Robbie Fletcher, Matt Ross, and Chay Ritter explained that SEEK is developed through a consensus process with the Office of the State Budget Director using multiple models and district-level inputs, and that the estimate is a projection made well before actual data are available. They emphasized that the discussion was separate from the pending education-funding lawsuit and described SEEK as one part of a much larger K-12 budget picture. The presenters said the current SEEK estimate shows a statutory shortfall of about $14.7 million, or roughly 0.53% of the appropriation, with additional optional items that could bring the total to about $40.5 million if funds are available. They noted that prior years have sometimes produced excess funds, which are redirected according to budget language rather than automatically flowing back through SEEK. They also reviewed the main drivers of the estimate, including property assessments, average daily attendance, free lunch counts, exceptional child counts, home hospital, and limited English proficiency, and said property assessments have been especially volatile while exceptional child counts and ELL populations are difficult to predict. Members asked about why the estimate missed on some categories, especially special education and ELL, and whether district-level changes were being monitored closely enough. The presenters said KDE does monitor special education counts and will review larger districts and districts with unusual growth, and they acknowledged that exceptional child growth has been hard to forecast. Representative Bojanowski asked about the Cloverport virtual school, and staff said its growth was much larger than projected and accounted for a significant portion of the shortfall. Members also discussed the impact of property value growth, population shifts, illness, and legislative changes on SEEK projections. No vote or formal action was taken, and the meeting ended after questions and discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> importantly</c><00:49:10.319><c> are</c><00:49:10.559><c> the</c><00:49:10.799><c> cuts</c><00:49
• that</c><00:49:16.839><c> the</c><00:49:17.040><c> cuts</c><00:49:17.960><c> that</c><00:49:18.200><
• ><c> public</c><00:49:19.640><c> out</c><00:49:20.160><c> of</c><00:49:20.400><c> this</c><00:49:20.920
• </c><00:49:55.680><c> they</c><00:49:55.839><c> come</c><00:49:56.000><c> from</c><00:49:56.160><c> the
• stitution<00:49:57.280><c> of</c><00:49:57.680><c> the</c><00:49:57.799><c> state</c><00:49:58.000><

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House convened, completed roll call with 48 members present and three excused, deferred reading of the journal, and received Senate communications noting adoption of House Concurrent Resolutions Nos. 1 and 2. The chamber also recognized several visiting groups and guests, including Congresswoman Jill Tuda, Chamber of Commerce Hawaii participants and students, Okinawan visitors, Farrington High School students, James Campbell High School students, and Waiau High School students, many of whom were introduced in connection with Chamber Week activities and educational presentations. The main business was unfinished business on House Resolutions 6 and 7, which adopted the House rules for the 33rd Legislature, including rules for the Committee on Standards of Conduct. Members generally supported the rules package as a transparency and modernization update, citing earlier public access to testimony, a public list of Speaker appointees, changes to conference committee eligibility, telework for staff, social media guidance, and a public list of bills introduced by request. Several members raised reservations or opposition, focusing on concerns about staff involvement in approving written remarks, budget information timing, the Vice Speaker’s role, social media/free speech issues, and whether some changes reduced public access or conflicted with constitutional open-meeting requirements. No vote on the rules package is recorded in the excerpt. The debate ended with multiple members yielding time and the discussion continuing on the merits of the proposed rule changes, especially the balance between transparency, internal House procedure, and public participation.

Transcript Highlights:

• c><00:49:19.280><c> a</c><00:49:19.520><c> part</c><00:49:19.680><c> of</c><00:49:20.000><c> our</c><
• But<00:49:24.400><c> I</c><00:49:24.640><c> noticed</c><00:49:25.040><c> today,</c><00:49:25.599><c>
• as</c><00:49:25.839><c> I</c><00:49:26.079><c> was</c><00:49:26.240><c> saying,</c><00:49:26.559><c>
• so</c><00:49:37.040><c> that</c><00:49:37.280><c> we</c><00:49:37.599><c> would</c><00:49:38.000><c>
• <c> with</c><00:49:41.680><c> us</c><00:49:42.079><c> to</c><00:49:42.400><c> get</c><00:49:42.559><c

Keywords: 920, all

Summary: The Alabama Senate convened with prayer, the pledge, and a quorum present, then approved the prior journal and allowed bills and committee reports to be introduced throughout the day. The chamber received multiple committee reports, including favorable reports on several finance and taxation bills, confirmations, local bills, and a series of resolutions. The Senate also confirmed several appointments to higher education and university boards, including Nicholas J. Balden, Jennifer Wit, Ronnie Stalworth, and Rex Reynolds, using long or previous roll calls as applicable. The Senate adopted a special order calendar that set up floor consideration of several bills, including measures on physician assistants, seafood/aquaculture, motor vehicles, campaign practices, property insurance and energy reduction, child custody, and school bus drivers. During debate on the special order calendar, Senator Smitherman raised concern that no bills on the calendar were sponsored by minority members, noting a prior understanding that minority-sponsored bills should be represented; Senator Wagner responded that the calendar was prepared based on legislation rather than sponsor party, and the exchange ended with an agreement to continue moving forward. The Senate then adopted the special order calendar and began taking up the listed bills. On the special order calendar, the Senate advanced House Bill 156 on physician assistant compacts, House Bill 277 on seafood/aquaculture tastings, and House Bill 42 on motor vehicles, with supporters describing each as consumer-friendly or supportive of industry. The chamber also considered local legislation, including bills for Madison, Tallapoosa, and Shelby counties; House Bill 337 for Madison County was amended and carried over, while House Bills 490, 491, and 493 passed after roll-call votes. Throughout the meeting, the Senate also adopted several commendatory and memorial resolutions, including measures honoring individuals, recognizing organizations and events, and naming a highway, with most adopted by voice vote and no recorded opposition.

Transcript Highlights:

• So,<00:49:16.319><c> I</c><00:49:16.480><c> know</c><00:49:16.640><c> that</c><00:49:16.800><c> that<
• ><c> and</c><00:49:21.359><c> again,</c><00:49:21.839><c> I</c><00:49:22.000><c> I</c><00:49:22.240><
• </c><00:49:24.319><c> on</c><00:49:24.559><c> all</c><00:49:24.640><c> the</c><00:49:24.800><c> work<
• ><00:49:27.680><c> done,</c><00:49:27.920><c> but</c><00:49:28.319><c> this</c><00:49:28.559><c> is</
• </c><00:49:29.280><c> of</c><00:49:29.440><c> one</c><00:49:29.599><c> of</c><00:49:29.680><c> my</c>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• and<00:49:02.640><c> the</c><00:49:02.799><c> ability</c><00:49:03.280><c> for</c><00:49:03.520><c>
• 00:49:18.799><c> so</c><00:49:19.040><c> this</c><00:49:19.119><c> is</c><00:49:19.440><c> 950</c> on
• /c><00:49:20.920><c> we</c><00:49:21.079><c> adopt</c><00:49:21.440><c> that</c><00:49:21.680><c> as<
• /c><00:49:21.799><c> a</c><00:49:22.000><c> state</c><00:49:22.280><c> so</c><00:49:22.480><c> say</c
• </c><00:49:23.000><c> goes</c><00:49:23.200><c> through</c><00:49:23.440><c> as</c><00:49:23.599><c>

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ,<00:49:04.480><c> it's</c><00:49:04.800><c> programs</c><00:49:05.200><c> like</c><00:49:05.440><c>
• Uh,<00:49:36.319><c> I'm</c><00:49:36.480><c> here</c><00:49:36.640><c> today</c><00:49:36.880><c> to
• Um,<00:49:41.440><c> I</c><00:49:41.680><c> also</c><00:49:41.920><c> have</c><00:49:42.160><c> uh</c
• :49:47.280><c> I</c><00:49:47.440><c> I</c><00:49:47.599><c> agree</c><00:49:47.760><c> with</c><00:49
• </c><00:49:52.920><c> Um,</c><00:49:53.920><c> but</c><00:49:54.160><c> I</c><00:49:54.240><c> I</c><

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• in</c><00:49:06.800><c> the</c><00:49:07.040><c> wrong</c><00:49:07.359><c> kind</c><00:49:07.520><c>
• And<00:49:08.800><c> I</c><00:49:09.040><c> will</c><00:49:09.200><c> I</c><00:49:09.520><c> will</c>
• <00:49:09.680><c> say</c><00:49:09.920><c> that,</c><00:49:10.319><c> you</c><00:49:10.559><c> know,<
• /c><00:49:18.720><c> making</c><00:49:19.119><c> sure</c><00:49:19.280><c> that</c><00:49:19.599><c>
• the<00:49:32.040><c> bushes</c><00:49:33.040><c> to</c><00:49:33.599><c> increase</c><00:49:33.920><

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee met after recess to hear a Department of Health and Human Services overview of its contract structure, with CFO Nathan White explaining that DHS currently has 969 active agreements spanning service contracts, grants, data-sharing agreements, use-of-premises agreements, and MOUs. He said contracts are budgeted across multiple class lines and accounting units, often braided with federal funds, which makes the system complex; he also noted that the department’s top spending list was limited to 18 items rather than 20 and included both individual contracts and grouped regional/provider contracts. White emphasized that many contracts support direct services to residents, while others support departmental operations such as software support and staffing. Commissioner Hardy said the listed contracts are essential to serving vulnerable populations and supporting required administrative infrastructure, and she stressed that the department tries to work with providers and families rather than impose changes on them. In response to questions about area agencies and developmental disability services, DHS officials said the agencies’ duties are spelled out in contract and statute, including family support services, billing-related functions, and services tied to the state’s community-based system; they said some billing duties have already been moved outside the contract. They also explained that the department rejected a previously discussed two-tier waiver concept after stakeholder feedback in October 2023 and instead shifted to rate-based work, including CIS assessments, to better align payment with individual need. Members also raised concerns about possible waste, sole-source contracting, and subcontracting. Hardy said she had not seen specific evidence of waste beyond a whistleblower call mentioned by a member, but acknowledged that inefficient execution can occur in government and said the department is trying to improve management. On procurement, she said sole-source contracts require her approval and that competitive procurement is the default when possible. White added that subcontracting is allowed only with written state permission under the standard P-37 terms, and subcontractors must meet the same obligations as the prime contractor. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• are<00:49:02.200><c> again</c><00:49:02.440><c> a</c><00:49:02.640><c> diverse</c><00:49:03.040><c>
• 00:49:06.040><c> uh</c><00:49:06.160><c> people</c><00:49:06.359><c> with</c><00:49:06.559><c> lived<
• <00:49:14.880><c> to</c><00:49:14.960><c> you</c><00:49:15.079><c> all</c><00:49:15.240><c> to</c><00
• :49:15.440><c> look</c><00:49:15.640><c> at</c><00:49:15.839><c> the</c><00:49:16.079><c> 13</c><00:49
• 49:55.239><c> I</c><01:49:55.280><c> don't</c><01:49:55.440><c> know</c><01:49:55.560><c> if</c><01:49

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:49:30.040><c> So,</c><00:49:30.240><c> I</c><00:49:30.320><c> hope</c><00:49:30.600><c> our</
• Um,<00:49:37.240><c> and</c><00:49:37.760><c> to</c><00:49:37.960><c> to</c><00:49:38.520><c> cap</c>
• <00:49:38.840><c> off</c><00:49:39.080><c> the</c><00:49:39.160><c> sort</c><00:49:39.360><c> of</c>
• ><00:49:40.360><c> this</c><00:49:40.600><c> day,</c><00:49:41.160><c> this</c><00:49:41.400><c> is</
• I<00:49:58.000><c> want</c><00:49:58.240><c> to</c><00:49:58.320><c> know</c><00:49:58.400><c> who</c

Keywords: 927, senate, all