Transcript Highlights:

• Too many times, audit logs obtained from public records requests have revealed law enforcement performing
• searches on behalf of immigration agencies that were somehow missed by existing audits.
• SB 1013 addresses this by requiring audits by the California Department of Justice.
• This is why a strict data retention limit backed up by an auditing requirement is essential.
• This is why a strict data retention limit backed up by an auditing requirement is essential.

Summary: The Assembly Transportation Committee met first as a subcommittee due to the lack of a quorum, then later obtained a quorum and took up several bills. The committee heard SB 1064, which would reduce the frequency of Clean Truck Check testing for low-use heavy-duty vehicles; supporters said it would ease burdens on rural agricultural businesses, while clean air advocates opposed it as weakening an important emissions program. The bill was approved and sent to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The committee also heard SB 1174, which would give Caltrans bid preferences to construction firms with employee stock ownership plans; supporters argued it would build worker wealth and improve project quality, while contractor groups opposed it as likely to raise costs and reduce competition. That bill was approved and sent to the Assembly Judiciary Committee. The consent calendar items SB 607, SB 962, and SB 990 were also approved. The committee then heard SB 1279, which would allow Long Beach to place additional speed safety cameras on Pacific Coast Highway. Long Beach officials and several safety and advocacy groups supported the bill, citing high fatality rates and repeated pedestrian crashes on that corridor, while some members raised concerns about fines, affordability, and whether cameras would address pedestrian-related collisions. The bill passed as amended to the Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee. SB 1213, the Clean Truck Transportation Act, would require more price transparency for medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission truck incentives and direct agencies to explore alternative financing tools; supporters said it would improve affordability and competition, while one manufacturer and the trucking association raised implementation concerns. It passed to the Assembly Natural Resources Committee. The committee also heard SB 1013, which would tighten rules for automated license plate reader use by limiting retention to 30 days, requiring audits and training, and restricting access and hot list use. Privacy advocates supported the bill as overdue accountability, while law enforcement groups argued the retention limit would hinder investigations and that some technical definitions needed work. The bill passed to the Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee. SB 1315, dealing with advanced driver assistance systems, would prevent automakers from disabling a consumer’s ability to drive their own vehicle through software updates and would encourage DMV testing questions about ADAS responsibilities; after amendments, industry opposition softened and the bill passed to the Assembly Judiciary Committee. Finally, SB 1246, on autonomous vehicle emergency response, would require U.S.-based remote drivers, quicker on-scene response, and better coordination with local agencies; first responders and labor groups supported it, while AV industry groups remained opposed unless amended. The bill passed to the Assembly Communications and Conveyance Committee. The transcript ended as the committee began hearing SB 1250, a planning bill to incorporate wildlife connectivity into transportation asset management, with the sponsor and supporters explaining it would improve safety and habitat planning without mandating specific projects.

Transcript Highlights:

• Audits counties and states have audits. Audits counties and states have audits.
• But you're bringing audits, which I don't have a problem audits, which I don't have a problem audits,
• So now we want to audit and I again I support the audit. I support it. again I support the audit.
• audit, but the audit, it's not audit, it's not audit, it's not substantive.
• I am for an audit. I just don't I am for an audit. I just don't I am for an audit.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Officials to audit early voting results by selecting individual precincts at random.
• . apply existing audit procedures for election day to early voting.
• precincts, resulting in a more accurate audit.
• Instead of a review of an individual precinct, the audit would instead look at the entire population.
• It's important to note that the bill does not create new auditing procedures.

Bills: HB223

Keywords: municipal budget, county budget, local government finance, spending cap, expenditure limit, inflation plus population growth, taxpayer impact statement, budget transparency, property tax, fees, Legislative Budget Board, voter approval, disaster spending, fiscal restraint, Texas Local Government Code, city budget, county expenditures, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 3709 will standardize the audit process, regardless of how... ...completion of the audit.
• existing audit procedures for election day to early voting.
• precincts, resulting in a more accurate audit.
• And if you don't audit by precinct, you miss what I'm just...
• So it simplifies the count you're performing.

Bills: HB223

Keywords: municipal budget, county budget, local government finance, spending cap, expenditure limit, inflation plus population growth, taxpayer impact statement, budget transparency, property tax, fees, Legislative Budget Board, voter approval, disaster spending, fiscal restraint, Texas Local Government Code, city budget, county expenditures

Summary: The Committee on State Affairs heard several House bills, with most measures left pending after testimony and later taken up in a batch of votes. Early in the meeting, HB 5624 on liability protections for motocross/off-road vehicle tracks, HB 223 on requiring competitive procurement for municipal lobbying contracts, HB 3709 on post-election audit procedures, and HB 5081 on protecting personal information of judicial officers and court staff were all discussed and left pending after testimony. Witnesses on HB 223 supported greater transparency in municipal lobbying contracts. HB 3709 drew sharp opposition from an election integrity advocate who argued the bill would reduce precinct-level granularity and make it harder to detect ballot errors, while a Secretary of State resource witness said the bill would simplify and standardize the audit process by location. HB 5081 received strong support from court administration and a district judge who described prior threats and an attack tied to publicly available personal information. The committee also heard HB 3546 on allowing school districts to move elections to November, HB 493 on barring certain felony offenders from serving as poll watchers, HB 5115 on increasing penalties for election fraud and related conduct, HB 4081 on trade secret filing procedures, HB 3909 on limiting restrictions on wireless devices at polling places, HB 2702 on limiting gubernatorial closure authority for certain veterans organizations during pandemics, HB 119 on foreign adversary lobbying, and HB 5138 on the Attorney General’s authority to prosecute election crimes. Several of these bills were explained with committee substitutes and then left pending before final action. Testimony on HB 493 and HB 5115 came from an election integrity advocate who supported both bills, saying the poll watcher restriction was appropriately narrowed and that the election fraud bill would help address invalid votes and refusal to count valid votes. Later, the committee took up pending business and voted out a large number of bills, generally along party lines or with broad support. HB 186 on minors’ social media use, HB 229, HB 2885, HB 3909 as substituted, HB 4285, HB 1661, HB 2820, HB 3181, HB 4157, HB 223, HB 521, HB 640, HB 1234, HB 2253, HB 2294, HB 3053, HB 3697 as substituted, HB 4281, HB 4463, HB 4995, HB 5081 as substituted, HB 5624 as substituted, HB 119 as substituted, HB 3225, HB 5138 as substituted, HB 5115, HB 481 as substituted, HB 3546, HB 493, and HB 4145 were reported favorably to the full Senate, with several also placed on the local and uncontested calendar. The committee also adopted committee substitutes for multiple bills, including HB 3909, HB 5081, HB 5624, HB 119, HB 5138, and HB 481. At the end, the chair noted another committee meeting would likely be needed before deadlines, possibly on a weekend, and recessed the committee subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• if<00:16:46.720> you doing the audit that the audit, if you doing the audit that the audit
• findings of the audit.
• > audit.
• . audits. audits.
• if an SAU audit is non-compliant. if an SAU audit is non-compliant.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And we have no other way to determine performance and goal management.
• And we have no other way to determine performance and goal management.
• This ...performance and goal management.
• “Has this agency been audited and were their findings made?
• If you suggest mismanagement, there should be some type of audit reflecting findings.”

Summary: The meeting began with a prayer, approval of the prior minutes, and a February 2026 revenue report from Carlos Silva of the Bureau of Legislative Research. He reported gross revenues of $5.36 billion and net collections of $4.5 billion, both above the prior year, and said the updated forecast showed a larger expected surplus than before. Members asked about declines in some tax categories, natural gas severance fees, and possible effects of inflation and international conflict; Silva generally attributed the changes to timing issues, prior tax cuts, refund activity, and price fluctuations, and said he could not speculate on future impacts. The committee then heard and adopted several subcommittee reports, including the Executive Committee, Administrative Rules, Claims Review, Game and Fish State Police, Higher Education, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Hospital/Medicaid/Developmental Disabilities, Occupational Licensing Review, State Insurance Programs Oversight, and APER filings. Most reports were approved without objection. One budget classification transfer for the Commissioner of State Lands was reviewed and failed. The review report also led to discussion of several contracts, including DHS staffing contracts and a Department of Education security contract, with some items held or separated for individual votes. A major portion of the meeting focused on DHS and state staffing contracts for the Human Development Centers, Arkansas State Hospital, and related facilities. DHS officials said the contracts were on track against seven-year projections, but members expressed concern about heavy reliance on contract labor, vacancy rates, and the need to move workers onto state payrolls. Officials said they were preparing a recruitment and retention plan and described staffing levels, vacancies, and turnover. Members also questioned contract projections and federal-state funding matches, and several urged faster action to reduce contract labor costs. The committee also discussed a Department of Commerce reduction-in-force affecting the Division of Services for the Blind and Employment and Training. Secretary Hugh McDonald said the cuts were driven by funding shortfalls, over-obligation of funds, and federal issues, and that 27 positions would be permanently eliminated while furloughed employees would be recalled. Members raised concerns about service impacts, board appointments, and the division’s fiscal management. The meeting ended after the personnel report was adopted and APER was filed as reviewed, followed by adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have an annual audit. Our audit is a little bit different because we do manage our investments.
• We actually have to meet two standards, both the administrative audit and investment audit, similar to
• :06:55.760> little<01:06:55.880> bit audit um our audit a little bit audit um our audit
• standards both the administrative audit standards both the administrative audit and<01:07:00.920
• We've had very strong performance, mostly due to my predecessor, Jill Schz, who took that performance

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• by Irma and assessment of how the systems performed.
• Our feeders are continuing to perform. Well, our hardened feeders are performing extremely well.
• We look at recent hurricane performance.
• Costs were sent off to independent accounting firms for an independent audit, which then my office audit
• audit.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Additionally, the board would like to provide increases. based on performance to incentivize high-performing
• We recently went through a statutorily required State Auditor's Office audit.
• remaining four recommendations were ongoing at the time of the audit.
• So much so that we are asking to increase our performance measures for this year.
• Lastly, on page 6, performance and results matter for your State Securities Board.

Bills: SB1, SB 1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There was some issues of discussion about the Department of Education and an audit.
• audits.
• I'm on the legislative performance audit oversight committee.
• okay I'm on on the legislative audits okay I'm on on the legislative performance<00:31:30.039> audit
• audit oversight committee um performance audit oversight committee um I<00:31:33.279> don't<00

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting was an introductory House Finance Division Two session focused on committee procedures, staffing, and the upcoming budget process. Mickey Landrian, the division analyst, introduced himself and explained that the subcommittee operates more informally than the full committee, does not hold executive sessions or public hearings itself, and makes recommendations back to House Finance. Members were told that public hearings on legislation occur in the full committee, while Division Two will hold work sessions and vote on recommendations such as ought to pass, retain, or ITL. The chair also welcomed new members and a new clerk, and noted that meetings will be recorded and streamed, with microphones required for audio capture. A substantial portion of the meeting covered the division’s workload and schedule. Landrian outlined the agencies assigned to Division Two, including Safety, Fish and Game, Transportation, Education, the Lottery Commission, Police Standards and Training, the University System, and the Community College System. He explained the different fund types the division will handle, especially Education Trust Fund, Highway Fund, and Fish and Game Fund, and reviewed reference materials distributed to members, including agency budget requests, prior recommendation tracking sheets, and surplus statements. He emphasized that the agency budget requests and related handouts are available online and useful for members to review before budget work begins. Members discussed the compressed timeline for the session, with a target date of March 26 for completing Division Two recommendations. Landrian said only a few bills had been referred to Finance so far, none yet to Division Two, but that more bills and amendments were expected, including many amendments to House Bill 2. He noted that the committee would need to move efficiently and frontload meetings. Representative Papich added that Fish and Game may require closer scrutiny than in prior years because of its push for direct general fund appropriations, and members also discussed the importance of getting preliminary budget documents before the governor’s budget is finalized. No votes were taken and no formal actions were reported beyond the procedural overview and distribution of materials.

Transcript Highlights:

• Right now, we have 11 sets of performance accountability.
• Was there any audit of the effectiveness of sending it to higher ed?
• , were those performance accountabilities and board policies approved?
• Did they go through legislative audits?
• Did legislative audit ever audit any of those administrative entities that you’re eliminating?

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so that amount is fully audits.
• Section 3 raises the revenue threshold above which a town is required to perform an annual audit.
• And that is a this point is audit.
• for us to take on additional audit for us to take on additional audit audits<02:05:54.400> and
• audit, uh, the increase for the audits audit, uh, the increase for the audits that<02:24:33.680>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• cure that audit finding.
• Our performance measures, we are meeting them and exceeding them every session.
• Every staff member performs multiple roles, and thus necessitating additional specialized training.
• My staff, every one of them, have to perform multiple functions. We are a small agency.
• For instance, we only have 9 FTEs to audit over 82,000 active licenses.

Bills: SB1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee met to review Article 8, regulatory agencies, and began Article 9, general provisions, before recessing for floor action. The committee first heard budget presentations from the Public Utility Commission (PUC) and the Office of Public Utility Counsel (OPUC). The PUC budget recommendation was about $5.07 billion in all funds, including an additional $5 billion for the Texas Energy Fund, plus funding for staffing and technology needs tied to contested cases, infrastructure resiliency, and outage mapping. PUC witnesses emphasized the agency’s growing workload, the need for more staff and modern systems, and oversight of the Texas Energy Fund. OPUC’s recommendation was about $6.9 million, with a reduction in authorized FTEs to better match actual staffing; the agency requested additional funding for salaries, expert witnesses, and budget flexibility, and members highlighted OPUC’s role representing residential and small commercial consumers in utility proceedings. The committee then heard from the Behavioral Health Executive Council (BHEC), whose recommendation was just over $11.2 million. BHEC’s main requests included funding to fill vacant positions, money for continuous National Practitioner Data Bank queries, and a proposed Texas-owned psychology licensing exam in response to concerns about changes to the national exam. Agency leaders also discussed a rider request that would shift responsibility for certain judgments or settlements to the comptroller. Members asked about prior complaint backlogs, and BHEC said those backlogs had been cleared. The Board of Chiropractic Examiners followed, with a recommendation of just under $2.4 million; the board sought support for staffing, training, broadband, and salary retention, and described its work regulating chiropractors and workers’ compensation-related doctors. The Board of Dental Examiners was the last agency heard before the committee recessed. Its recommendation was just under $10 million, and it requested a 10% salary increase for eligible staff, three additional licensing staff, one staff member to handle required background checks, an additional attorney, and an executive director salary adjustment. Dental board witnesses said licensure growth, increased complaints, and low salaries were straining licensing and enforcement operations, even though the agency reported strong performance and high case completion rates. The chair ended the hearing early because the Senate had to return to the floor, and the committee remained in recess.

Transcript Highlights:

• The last CPUC audit, the first and last CPUC audit, was done to... said no.
• The last CPUC audit, the first and last CPUC audit, was done to.
• The last CPUC audit, the first and last CPUC audit, was done in 2021, and it found that utilities got
• Not been auditing whether they actually do it.
• And who does those audits?

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy held a hearing on the California Earthquake Authority’s SB 254 report and broader options for reforming California’s utility wildfire recovery system. The chair framed the discussion around the Palisades and Eaton fires, the scale of wildfire-related costs on utility bills, and the need to weigh trade-offs among survivors, ratepayers, utilities, insurers, and taxpayers. The first panel featured wildfire survivors William Abrams and Joy Chen, who described long delays in compensation, housing insecurity, and what they viewed as a system that protects utility shareholders more than victims. They urged greater transparency, clearer accountability for utility spending and safety performance, faster and fuller compensation for survivors, and reforms such as independent audits and better alignment of utility incentives with wildfire prevention and restitution. The second panel began with Tom Welsh of the California Earthquake Authority, who explained that the SB 254 report was intended as a broad inventory of policy pathways rather than recommendations. He described the report’s process, including stakeholder submissions, workstreams, and a convergence process, and outlined the current wildfire fund structure: utilities remain liable, the fund reimburses eligible claims after a covered wildfire, and the CPUC later determines prudency and possible reimbursement back to the fund. RAND’s Lloyd Dixon summarized compensation data, saying utilities paid about $38 billion between 2017 and 2024, with major shares going to injured parties, insurers, and public entities, while litigation costs and survivors’ own losses remain substantial. He noted that legal fees and delays reduce the amount survivors ultimately receive. Utility and public-interest witnesses offered differing views on the report’s pathways. PG&E’s Tyson Smith said the report shows inaction is the worst outcome and argued for community wildfire risk reduction, equitable allocation of catastrophe costs, and state-led resilience tools. LADWP’s Fernando Valero emphasized the vulnerability of municipal utilities and cities, and supported inverse condemnation reform, a state-sponsored liability insurance framework, damages and subrogation limits, and stronger insurance access. Consumer Attorneys of California’s John Fisk argued that IOU-caused fires are not natural disasters but the result of negligence and sometimes criminal conduct, and opposed reducing utility liability while supporting stronger oversight and audits. The Public Advocates Office’s Nathaniel Skinner focused on affordability, saying ratepayers already bear large and growing wildfire costs and warning against shifting more costs onto bills without measurable risk reduction and tighter accountability. Committee members then began questioning witnesses about what counts as measurable mitigation, how to define full and fair compensation, and how any fast-pay process should work.

Transcript Highlights:

• I was wondering, was an autopsy performed to come up with the cause of death? I'm not sure.
• “If the facility was not performing to the expectations. Okay, thank you.
• So the Office of Long-Term Care goes into these facilities and audits them.
• “So with regard to the Warren facility, what did you know about the audits that Long-Term Care had performed
• I'm talking about, like, a yearly audit similar to what the consultant ultimately did.

Summary: The Joint State Agencies committee met to approve the October 8, 2025 minutes and then held an extended hearing on the death of Zachary Moore at the Southeast Arkansas Human Development Center. DHS officials Lori McDonald, Jennifer Brise, and Melissa Weatherton described the HDC system, staffing and resident needs, and said Moore died after being held in a prone restraint for about 13 minutes, followed by a delayed chemical restraint and delayed CPR. They said the family settled a wrongful death claim for $725,000, 13 staff were terminated, the facility leadership was changed, and at least five staff had been criminally charged, with the death certificate later described as homicide and the cause of death as physiologic stress associated with struggle and prone restraint. Members pressed DHS on why the family was not kept informed, whether there was a written restraint protocol, how staff are trained, and why the agency did not have more complete information ready for the hearing. DHS said staff receive CPI restraint training, annual restraint training is mandatory, and a consultant is reviewing policies, retraining staff, and conducting a root cause analysis under a directed plan of correction from the Office of Long-Term Care. Legislators also raised broader concerns about low pay, staffing shortages, use of float and contract staff, and a waiting list of about 2,000 people for home- and community-based care. DHS said it is working on a retention and recruitment plan and a rate report for certain PASS services, but that the PASS rate study does not cover CNA pay. Several members said the incident reflected both a failure of restraint practice and a broader staffing and oversight problem. DHS acknowledged that prone restraint should not have been used, that the chemical restraint was given at the wrong time, and that multiple breakdowns occurred in supervision, communication, and equipment use. The committee also discussed whether there should be more regular independent audits of HDC policies, and DHS said it does not currently have a separate annual policy audit beyond existing oversight. At the end of the meeting, the committee asked DHS to keep it updated on recruitment, consultant reports, and to contact Moore’s mother about the communication she had been promised. The meeting adjourned without any additional formal action beyond approving the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• I was wondering, was an autopsy performed to come up with the cause of death?
• Is that correct, that no one performed resuscitation, or at least not... ...resuscitation.
• So the Office of Long-Term Care goes into these facilities and audits them.
• So with regard to the Warren facility, what did you know about the audits that Long-Term Care had performed
• I'm talking about, like, a yearly audit similar to what the consultant ultimately did.

Keywords: 1204, all

Summary: The Joint State Agencies committee met to approve the October 8, 2025 minutes and then held an extended oversight discussion with the Department of Human Services about the death of Zachary Moore at the Southeast Arkansas Human Development Center (later clarified in testimony as the Warren facility). DHS officials described Moore’s background, said he died after being restrained in a prone position for about 13 minutes, and reported that a nurse later administered a chemical restraint before CPR was attempted. They said the agency settled with the family for $725,000, terminated 13 staff members, changed facility leadership, and brought in consultants under a directed plan of correction from the Office of Long-Term Care to review policies, retrain staff, and conduct a root-cause analysis. Later testimony clarified that the death certificate listed the manner of death as homicide and the cause as physiologic stress associated with struggle and prone restraint; committee members also noted that six people had been charged with manslaughter and neglect of a vulnerable person. Members focused on restraint policy, staff training, chain of command during emergencies, family communication, and whether warning signs had been missed. DHS said it has written restraint protocols, annual restraint training, and a mortality review process, but acknowledged that the Warren facility had multiple failures, including use of a prone restraint, improper chemical restraint, poor supervision, inadequate communication, and problems with equipment and behavior plans. Officials said they were revising policies, creating clearer crisis-team roles, and retraining staff, and that the consultant work would be shared across the other human development centers. Several members pressed DHS on why the family had not been kept informed, why the agency was not prepared with basic facts, and whether a more formal independent audit of facilities should exist. The committee also discussed broader staffing and funding issues across the human development centers. DHS said CNAs start at about $39,000 a year, that the centers rely heavily on float and contract staff, and that there are about 2,000 people on a waiting list for services. Members argued that low pay, turnover, and rural staffing shortages contribute to risk and asked for recruitment and retention plans, possible regional pay differentials, and more legislative support. DHS said it is drafting a systemwide retention and recruitment plan and expects to bring it to ALC, while also implementing a separate rate study for certain PASS program services in January 2027. The meeting ended after comments from Zachary Moore’s mother, Angela Stevens, who said money cannot replace her son and urged the state to ensure no other family experiences the same loss; the committee asked DHS to keep members and Ms. Stevens updated on consultant reports and recruitment efforts before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• This will allow the agency to perform our constitutional statutory duties and continue my attempts to
• slides five and six, we request additional funds to restructure the salary rates for the agency's audit
• I was performing other duties yesterday. I didn't see that. It was good.
• Speaker: Yes, that and continuing to manage our audits of those certified vendors to ensure they stay
• Remind me what the audit issues were?

Bills: SB 1, SB1

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• flowing through until an audit is performed.
• be no money flowing through until an audit is performed.
• When asked whether he would support an annual performance audit on the voucher program, Berry said he
• <03:14:32.040> state audit uh performance an annual state audit uh performance an annual state
• performance audit of New Hampshire performance audit of New Hampshire school<03:20:04.800> voucher

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The hearing focused on House Bill 115-FN, which would remove the income cap from New Hampshire’s Education Freedom Account eligibility rules. Representative Valerie McDonnell, the bill’s sponsor, said the measure is intended to fund students rather than systems and to expand educational choice regardless of income or zip code. She described the change as a small statutory edit but argued it would have significant benefits, including helping families afford alternative education settings and testing costs such as AP exams. She also cited testimony from families who said EFAs helped children with special needs or difficult circumstances, and she argued the program is popular and cost-effective. Committee members questioned McDonnell about the bill’s fiscal impact and administration. One member asked whether removing the income cap would extend vouchers to families above the statewide median income and whether the change could cost more than $100 million annually; McDonnell said she did not agree with that estimate and pointed to Arizona as a comparison. Representative Wendy Thomas asked whether the bill should require stronger data-sharing from the Children’s Scholarship Fund, which administers the program, so the Department of Education and taxpayers could better track spending; McDonnell said the program already uses ClassWallet and regulated expenditures, and that the question was better directed to the administrator. Several members testified in opposition. Representative Wendy Thomas said the bill would increase costs for public schools, raise local property taxes, and worsen oversight problems. Representative Heath Howard argued the proposal would function as a subsidy for wealthy families already paying private tuition and said public education and special education should be funded first. Representative Megan Murray also opposed the bill, emphasizing the lack of a legal reporting requirement for EFA spending and the need for transparency, accountability, and attention to special education needs. Representative Sam Farrington supported expansion, sharing a constituent story about a student who left public school after harassment and benefited from private school placement. No vote or final action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• measures, so looking at how each region is performing across numerous homelessness metrics, and then
• It should give cities the public authority to do this, to reimburse us for the cost of performing those
• Last April, the LAO in one of the audits that I worked on that the joint legislative audit committee
• It's been a minute since I looked at that audit, but I recognize...
• And I think subsequent to that audit, we have brought a lot of this homework into the mayor's office,

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The first item on the agenda is SCR 137, requesting the Office of the Auditor to conduct a performance
• audit on the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation.
• The first one is SCR 137, requesting the Office of the Auditor conduct a performance audit on the University
• the office of the auditor<00:07:15.360> conduct<00:07:15.680> a<00:07:15.840> performance
• <00:07:16.280> audit<00:07:16.560> on The recommendation is to pass as is, just as

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Committee on Higher Education, meeting jointly at points with the Committee on Health and Human Services, heard testimony on SCR 137, which asks the Office of the Auditor to conduct a performance audit of the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation, and on SCR 203/SR 163, which asks the University of Hawaiʻi to explore establishing an Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and to identify requirements for federal funding from the National Institute on Aging. The meeting also noted that it was being streamed live and could be recessed or adjourned due to technical issues, with any unfinished business to be taken up later. For SCR 203/SR 163, Kobe Chop of the Alzheimer’s Association testified in support, saying the measure would help get the process started for an ADRC in Hawaiʻi and that recent federal action had kept funding available long enough to clarify next steps. Another supporter said the state’s diverse population and research opportunities made the proposal worthwhile. No opposition testimony was recorded, and the committees moved the measure to decision-making. In voting, the joint committees recommended passage of SCR 203/SR 163 as is, with members voting aye and the recommendation adopted. The Higher Education Committee then took up SCR 137 and likewise recommended passage as is; one member stated an intent to vote no while the chair and others voted aye, and the recommendation was adopted. The committee then adjourned/recessed after completing the agenda items.