Transcript Highlights:

• In my world, as a commercial insurance agent, we see it on the commercial side.
• I don't know exactly where they are, but we see, at the commercial level, we do see outside foreign actors
• , but we see local... ...at the commercial level, we do see outside foreign actors, but we see local.
• I don't know exactly where they are, but we see, at the commercial level, we do see outside foreign actors
• , but we see local. at the commercial level, we do see outside foreign actors, but we see local, we see

Bills: SB1936 , SB1612 , SB1543 , SB1260 , SB1988 , SB1859 , SB2041 , SB1257

Committee: Senate Public Safety

Keywords: forfeiture, criminal offenses, law enforcement, Class D1 offenses, property seizure, SB1612, mandatory reporting, violent injury reporting, gunshot wound, stab wound, poisoning, burn injury, explosive injury, medical reporting, healthcare providers, law enforcement notification, evidence preservation, patient video records, confidentiality waiver, misdemeanor penalty

Summary: The Public Safety Committee took up several criminal justice and public safety measures. Senate Bill 1936, as amended, increased penalties for impersonating law enforcement from a misdemeanor to a felony and expanded seizure provisions; amendments added federal law enforcement agents and state troopers to the covered officers, and the bill passed unanimously. Senate Bill 1612, requested by Tulsa police, would require limited reporting and sharing of certain injury-related information and hospital video/photo evidence with law enforcement to aid violent-crime investigations; members raised HIPAA, scope, and criminalization concerns, but the bill passed 5-2. Senate Bill 1543 would aggregate multiple DUI offenses within one year into a single felony case; after questions about sentencing, municipal charges, and deterrence, it passed 6-2. Senate Bill 1260 would require child sex traffickers and human traffickers to serve 100% of their sentences without parole or earned credits, and it passed 6-2. The committee also considered Senate Bill 1988, which would increase wire-transfer fees on funds sent outside the United States and restore an income-tax credit for Oklahoma filers; members questioned whether it functioned as a tax, its impact on lower-income senders and service members, and its connection to drug trafficking. The bill failed on a 4-4 vote. Senate Bill 1859, creating an OSBI cybercrime and fraud unit with an estimated $3 million fiscal impact, passed unanimously after testimony that cyber and cryptocurrency fraud are growing and often harm elderly victims. Senate Bill 2041 would make a third possession offense for methamphetamine, fentanyl, or cocaine a felony, with supporters saying it would push offenders toward drug court and opponents warning it would increase incarceration; it passed 6-2. Finally, Senate Bill 1257 would classify THC as a Schedule I drug to align with federal law and close trafficking loopholes, and it passed unanimously. Senate Bill 1584 was laid over at the author’s request.

Transcript Highlights:

• As we've reduced crews, we now on many commercial ships...
• As we've reduced crews, we now on many commercial ships or we have journey-level mariners.
• UGA have never been designated as agricultural, forest, or mineral resource lands of long-term commercial
• It's not been commercial vehicles.
• It's not been commercial vehicles.

Summary: The Senate Local Government and State Parks Committee heard several bills focused on local government finance, land use, and public safety. SB 5903 would deem a cemetery district commissioner elected if only one qualified candidate files, with sponsor Senator Cortez saying it would save ballot-printing costs and local resources; there was no testimony in opposition. SB 6037 would create or modify a voter-approved option for cities and towns to form a single-city fire protection district, adjust levy and notice rules, allow administrative service contracts with the city, and clarify commissioner elections; Senator Cortez and multiple city and fire officials said it would give communities more flexible, locally controlled funding tools for fire service, while committee members asked about how it would work and the fiscal impact. SB 5983 would exempt certain current-use land transferred to a government entity for right-of-way from rollback taxes when the transfer is tied to development conditions and stays within a 20% acreage limit; Senator Leas described it as helping a family farm avoid an unfair tax bill, and there was no testimony on the bill. The committee also heard SB 5995, which would remove the 2031 sunset on the prohibition against using port funds to buy fully automated marine container cargo handling equipment. The sponsor and labor witnesses argued the bill protects jobs, keeps public dollars from underwriting automation, and still allows zero-emission, human-operated equipment; port and labor representatives testified in strong support, while the sign-in sheet showed substantial public interest both for and against. SB 6016 would change how urban growth area swaps treat critical aquifer recharge areas, making the rules for annual and periodic updates more consistent and allowing swaps if they do not increase net CARA acreage within the UGA; the sponsor, Commerce, housing, business, and development interests said it was a technical fix that supports housing and consistency, while one witness warned it could weaken groundwater protections and create litigation risk. Finally, the committee heard SB 6066, which would let counties, cities, towns, or WSDOT designate “accident risk zones” on roads with repeated crashes, require a public hearing and engineering review, double certain traffic penalties in the zone, and dedicate half the extra revenue to safety improvements before dissolving the zone. Supporters from cities, counties, and Pasco said it could help address dangerous intersections and fund fixes, though several witnesses raised liability and implementation concerns and asked for further stakeholder work. No votes were taken in the transcript; the chair closed each hearing after testimony and sign-in counts were noted.

Transcript Highlights:

• But we're still actively looking to build more commercial facilities to make more cultivated meat.
• think we're all pretty familiar with the news also about this is the third successive year where commercial
• What are these commercial fisheries like in terms of the disease and the kind of the cramped quarters
• water and they just have them swimming around, but what are the conditions that exist in these commercial
• scale of a grant that the state could make would make a meaningful dent in building a very large commercial

Summary: The Select Committee on Alternative Protein Innovation held its first informational hearing to examine the state of alternative protein research, industry growth, and policy needs in California. The chair opened by noting California’s $5 million public investment in UC research in 2022 and framed the hearing around three panels: the climate, environmental, and security potential of alternative proteins; industry scaling and commercialization; and university-led research and workforce development. Members emphasized that the committee will continue with site visits and additional hearings across the state. The first panel focused on the case for alternative proteins as a climate, land, water, biodiversity, and food-security solution. Shana Fertig of the Good Food Institute argued that plant-based, fermentation-derived, and cultivated proteins can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and water use while helping California meet its climate and conservation goals. Zane Swanson of CSIS added that alternative proteins could reduce risks tied to zoonotic disease, antimicrobial resistance, supply-chain disruption, and broader national security concerns. In questions, members discussed the role of pharmaceuticals in animal agriculture and how alternative proteins might complement, rather than replace, traditional farming by creating new markets for California crops and helping farmers diversify. The second panel featured industry leaders Ethan Brown of Beyond Meat, Myra Passick of Upside Foods, and Arye Elfenbein of Wildtype. Brown highlighted plant-based meat’s health and climate benefits, criticized misinformation campaigns against the sector, and urged better labeling, reduced subsidies for factory farming, and more plant-based food in public institutions. Passick described cultivated meat as a scalable food-production technology, said Upside Foods has already produced millions of pounds annually at its Emeryville facility, and asked for grants, low-interest loans, and possible participation in cap-and-trade or similar revenue programs. Elfenbein described cultivated seafood as a way to address overfishing, contamination, traceability problems, and the heavy import dependence of the U.S. seafood supply, while also noting conservation benefits and the need for California to remain a hub for the industry. The final panel centered on research and workforce development. UCLA’s Amy Rowat described state-funded work on technical bottlenecks such as growing fat cells and creating edible scaffolds, along with a Future Food Fellows program that trains students across science, engineering, law, and policy. UC Santa Cruz economist Galina Hale argued that alternative proteins are necessary to meet future protein demand while reducing food-system emissions, and said California must support the sector through grants, loans, procurement, and research centers to avoid losing leadership to other states and countries. The hearing ended with the chair thanking the witnesses, noting that all materials would be posted online, and saying the committee would continue building policy and budget proposals to support the sector.

Transcript Highlights:

• joining OPUC, Ben has brought the same focus and dedication to advocating for residential and small commercial
• joining OPUC, Ben has brought the same focus and dedication to advocating for residential and small commercial
• He now serves not only Commercial consumers in utility proceedings across Texas.
• ensure that we can staff up to take on as many cases as we can on behalf of residential and small commercial
• And if we don't think that it is for residential and small commercial consumers, then we intervene.

Committee: Senate Nominations

Summary: The Senate Committee on Nominations met with a quorum and first took up pending nominations from an earlier agenda. Members severed Douglas McReecken, nominated to the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents, from the rest of the list and then voted to report the remaining nominees to the full Senate by a 7-0 vote. The committee then voted on the severed nomination itself and reported Douglas McReecken to the full Senate as well, by a 5-2 vote. The committee heard testimony from Brooke Pop, reappointed as chair of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and later from Commissioner Katarina Gonzalez, also of TCEQ. Questions focused on whether TCEQ rules comply with state law, ex parte restrictions, public transparency, concrete batch plant permitting, MUD approvals, water availability, illegal dams, enforcement, and the agency’s role in local environmental disputes. Both nominees said they follow the law as written, described internal legal review of rules, and emphasized transparency, public outreach, and enforcement; Gonzalez said she had already sent back two rules she believed did not comply with legislation. Members also discussed TCEQ’s authority limits and the need for clearer public communication about what the agency can and cannot regulate. The committee also considered Alethea Sullivan, nominated to the Texas Southern University Board of Regents. Questions centered on TSU’s status as an independent institution, the role of HBCUs amid DEI-related legal changes, and student outcomes. Sullivan said she would focus on ensuring taxpayer and student resources produce valuable credentials and noted concerns from her review of graduation and bar passage rates. The committee then heard from Benjamin Barkley, appointed chief executive and public counsel of the Office of Public Utility Counsel. Barkley said OPUC’s main need is additional funding to recruit and retain attorneys and expert witnesses, reduce turnover, and continue representing residential and small commercial consumers in utility rate cases; he said the office was involved in 73 contested cases and saved Texans $2.2 billion in FY 2024. No final action was taken on the later nominees, and the committee recessed with nominations left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• time, the Texas Film Commission has expanded to include traditional media such as television and commercials
• TMIP provides qualifying film Home, television, commercials, animation, visual effects, video games,
• see is having a very diverse industry base where it's not just one type of production. but also commercials
• Woody and I just shot six Salesforce commercials here.
• Focus for our city and over 1,000 projects including commercial television film projects.

Bills: HB4568 , HB5458 , HB4543 , HB2703 , HB3728 , HCR113 , HCR126

Committee: House Culture, Recreation & Tourism

Keywords: film industry, incentives, grants, Texas, moving image, economic development, production companies, content standards, HB 5458, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, TPWD, chronic wasting disease, CWD, cervids, deer, elk, moose, wildlife management, game animals, disease management

Transcript Highlights:

• Subdivision nine has to do with the uniform citation standardized statewide citation format.
• Section seven is a uniform traffic ticket update to include transit obstruction citations in the uniform
• A simple code or notation that tells an officer before a word is ever spoken that this person may communicate

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Also, by reference, any other design guide recognized or approved by the FHWA in the United States Code
• standards, as they do with many other aspects of street design already, such as with the Manual for Uniform
• standards, as they do with many other aspects of street design already, such as with the Manual for Uniform
• standards, as they do with many other aspects of street design already, such as with the Manual for Uniform

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I have a long background in commercial lending, and I've owned a couple of my own businesses and
• And I have a long background commercial lending and I've owned a couple of my own businesses and have
• can do that too is like having these aggregated spaces or shared processing facilities or shared commercial
• can do that too is like having these aggregated spaces or shared processing facilities or shared commercial

Committee: Senate Economic Development and Tourism

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Economic Development and Tourism heard several governor’s nominations for advisory and regulatory boards. The first group included William Smith, Michelle Ige, and Kayana Neman for the Community-Based Economic Development Advisory Council; Leland Park and Cynthia Hobson for the Small Business Regulatory Review Board; and Nicole Kacal for the Hawaiʻi Technology Development Corporation board. DBEDT and related witnesses testified in support of all nominees, and each nominee described experience in small business, finance, community engagement, or technology. Much of the discussion focused on strengthening Hawaiʻi’s economy through small business support, financial literacy, and better access to capital and grants. Committee members questioned nominees about priorities for Hawaiʻi Island and the state more broadly. Topics included agricultural infrastructure, value-added food production, shared processing facilities and commercial kitchens, workforce housing, and ways government and nonprofits can partner to help small businesses navigate permitting, licensing, and grant processes. Several nominees emphasized community impact, measurable outcomes, and practical regulatory reform. Nicole Kacal also discussed diversifying the economy beyond tourism, expanding technology and AI opportunities, and creating locally governed training and research pathways so workers can adapt to changing jobs. At the end of the hearing, the committee voted to recommend advice and consent for all nominees. The nominations for GM 608, GM 609, GM 612, and GM 613 were adopted by voice vote, with Senators Kim and Fevella excused. The committee then voted separately on GM 794 for Nicole Kacal, and that recommendation was also adopted. The hearing concluded with adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're a few years away from having a commercial spaceport in Yuma that will launch small- and medium-range
• rocket commercial satellites, so you think SiriusXM, you think Verizon or DirecTV.
• So thank you for the question, but it will be primarily and probably only commercial space satellites
• So thank you for the question, but it will be primarily and probably only commercial space satellites

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, approval of the prior journal, and recognition of the doctor of the day. Members also introduced numerous guests and groups in the gallery, including the Dandy Project, Arizona Right to Life, Red State Reform, Reproductive Freedom for All, Somerton elected officials, Apache County Supervisor Alton Joe Shepard, and the family of the late Brad Brower. The chamber then adopted House Concurrent Resolution 2053 honoring Brower’s life and service, followed by a moment of respectful silence and remarks from members about his community leadership. The House considered several Senate bills in Committee of the Whole. SB 1020, relating to the Arizona Space Commission and a specialty license plate, drew debate over a proposed Villegas floor amendment to add a community college access and success plate; the amendment failed on a recorded division vote, and SB 1020 was then approved. SB 1127 and SB 1181 also received do-pass recommendations without controversy. The House later held an additional Committee of the Whole on SB 1426, adopted a floor amendment, and reported the bill as amended with a do-pass recommendation. On third reading, the House passed SB 1125 on child safety by a vote of 43-4 and SB 1415 on insurance adjusters by a vote of 46-1. The House also adopted the Committee of the Whole report, with a separate motion to include the defeated Villegas amendment in SB 1020 failing 19-28. The chamber announced upcoming committee meetings, made several brief personal and ceremonial announcements, and adjourned until Monday, March 30, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're a few years away from having a commercial spaceport in Yuma that will launch small- and medium-range
• rocket commercial satellites.
• So thank you for the question, but it will be primarily and probably only commercial space satellites
• So thank you for the question, but it will be primarily and probably only commercial space satellites

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That made it so that state-directed payments can no longer go up to the average commercial rate.
• was an understanding that the current law at the time would allow states to go up to the average commercial
• , and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act has ratcheted that down to, instead of going up to average commercial
• The One Big Beautiful Bill Act has ratcheted that down to, instead of going up to average commercial

Committee: Senate Health and Welfare

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• will transform the moon's barren surface into a livable ecosystem for international research and commercial
• ecosystem for international<00:37:04.480><c> research</c><00:37:04.880><c> and</c><00:37:05.119><c> commercial
• </c> international research and commercial international research and commercial infrastructure.<00:37

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, approved the corrected journal from February 17, 2026, and then moved into third reading. Members passed several bills on final passage: HB 1013, concerning landlord use of ratio utility billing systems; HB 1064, modifying the youthful offender system; HB 1076, making transportation-related statutory changes; HB 1067, allowing use of the diseased livestock indemnity fund to address livestock health threats; HB 1042, concerning dry needling by occupational therapists; and HB 1025, exempting auctioneers from certain requirements of the Colorado Charitable Solicitations Act. Vote totals were recorded for each, with HB 1042 and HB 1025 passing unanimously and the others passing by varying margins, including HB 1067 at 58-1 and HB 1076 at 40-19. Co-sponsors were then invited to add their names to the adopted bills. During announcements, members highlighted upcoming committee hearings and events. Judiciary, Education, Health and Human Services, Transportation/Housing/Local Government, Finance, Statutory Revision, and Capital Development committees all announced meetings and bill agendas. The chamber also recognized visiting student groups, including Adams 12 Stargate, Emily Griffith Technical College, and Slavens Elementary fourth graders, as well as a Chaparral High School AP government class. There were also announcements about the Aerospace and Defense Caucus, Aerospace Day at the Capitol, and a Colorado Housing Coalition reception. Several members made brief remarks honoring people and observances, including a detailed tribute to Barbara Shannon Banister for her civil rights and community leadership in Aurora, and a statement marking the first day of Ramadan and encouraging members to visit local mosques and participate in iftar events. At the end of the session, the majority leader moved to lay over the balance of the calendar until February 19, 2026, and the House agreed without objection. The House then stood in recess until later that day.

Transcript Highlights:

• So to get from the start of a new variety to where it could be commercialized can take up to ten years
• So every year we run a national TV commercial.
• But these commercials are very effective for us.
• But I thought if you hadn’t seen it, we would share with you our current TV commercial that will show

Committee: House Agricultural Affairs

Summary: The committee approved the minutes from January 26, 2026, and announced a brief follow-up meeting on Friday morning at 8:30 a.m. with one agenda item and a public hearing. The main presentation was from the Idaho Potato Commission, with Jamie Hyer and chairman Darren Bitter introducing the commission and reviewing its finances, promotion efforts, research spending, and export activities. Hyer said the commission is financially sound, described its budget categories, and noted strong revenue from the new Idaho potato license plate, which he said has already generated about $2 million for the highway fund. Members asked about research partnerships with the University of Idaho, the potato seed building, and the value of public-domain breeding versus private control. Hyer explained that new potato varieties can take 10 to 12 years to develop and that public research helps keep seed access broad while still supporting royalties to fund future work. He also discussed market pressures, including rising competition from China and India, labor and input costs, weather, disease, farm succession, and the effects of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs and changing dietary trends on potato consumption. A substantial portion of the discussion focused on trade and exports. Hyer said Mexico and Canada are the commission’s primary export markets, with Japan seen as the best potential new market, while Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore, and some Southeast Asian markets remain important but challenging. He said tariffs have had limited direct effect on potatoes because of USMCA, though they affect inputs and some other markets. Members also asked about quality control and mislabeling in stores; Hyer said the commission has staff across the country monitoring retail and food service quality and that many problems stem from poor store handling rather than intentional shipping of bad product. The meeting ended after a promotional video and closing remarks, with no votes other than approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• This matters because early commercial success... On our railroad tracks.
• This matters because early commercial success changes what is possible.
• centers to achieve revenue-positive operations, connecting north and south; and begin early commercialization
• As we continue to advance toward a system that is financially sustainable and commercially viable, maintaining
• ... ...financially sustainable and commercially viable, maintaining continuity in our funding streams

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 5 heard an update from the California High-Speed Rail Authority on its draft 2026 business plan and related budget proposals. The Authority reported continued Central Valley construction progress, including completion of 59 of 92 major structures, 80 of 119 miles of guideway under construction, 93% utility relocation completion, and plans to begin track laying and electrification soon. It said the revised goal remains completing the Merced-to-Bakersfield early operating segment by 2032-33, while also pursuing ancillary revenue opportunities, a private partner through a co-development procurement, and two budget change proposals to reappropriate $423 million for Link Union Station and $246 million in federal trust funds before they expire. The Legislative Analyst’s Office said it had no specific concerns with the budget change proposals but raised major concerns about the draft business plan and the project’s broader fiscal outlook. LAO said the plan appears incomplete in several respects, that funding is likely insufficient to complete the revised initial operating segment and would leave a larger gap for expansion beyond the Central Valley, and that borrowing costs, optimistic assumptions, and uncertainty around future greenhouse gas reduction fund revenues could worsen the outlook. LAO suggested the Legislature could wait for a finalized business plan and highlighted unresolved questions about the scope of the project, borrowing, public-private partnerships, and proposed statutory changes. Members focused on whether the project can be delivered on time and what financial obligations the state could face. Senators questioned the need for tax increment financing, value capture, and other legislative changes, with concerns about impacts on local governments and school districts. The Authority said utility relocation authority is its top legislative priority and that value capture is a longer-term tool that would not affect civil construction of Merced-to-Bakersfield, but could affect payback timing. It also said the state’s $1 billion annual cap-and-invest funding through 2045 is currently assumed to cover the Central Valley segment, while private partners could either finance against that state commitment or invest additional capital in other segments. Public testimony was mixed: building trades and labor groups supported the project and the Authority’s request, while local government and special district representatives opposed tax increment proposals and urged consent from affected agencies; environmental and rail advocates supported the project and urged action on utility relocation. No votes were taken, and the hearing adjourned after public comment.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, there's commercial pools, there's residential pools, okay, so there's only one license, right?
• So, there's commercial pools, there's residential pools, okay, so there's only one license, right?
• So, there's<00:08:01.840><c> commercial</c><00:08:02.240><c> pools,</c><00:08:02.639><c> there's</c>
• there's commercial pools, there's there's commercial pools, there's residential<00:08:03.440><c> pools

Bills: SB279 , HB478 , SB279 , HB478

Committee: House Commerce and Small Business

Keywords: Alabama State House, Montgomery, Legislative Council, demolition, state capitol, state capitol building, historic preservation, state property, inventory removal, fixtures, furnishings, reuse, recycling, upcycling, surplus property, public assets, legislative chambers, desk sale, chair sale, state auditor

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 584 relates to commercial driving schools.
• This bill strengthens the regulation and oversight of commercial driving schools in Florida.
• into interagency agreement with county tax collectors to enforce statutory provisions related to commercial
• A few reasons as to why this bill is necessary: commercial driving school operators often interact with
• Commercial driving school operators often interact with tax collector offices where licensing transactions

Committee: Senate Fiscal Policy

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Summary: The Committee on Fiscal Policy heard and advanced a series of bills covering transportation, unemployment benefits, public records, education, law enforcement, and health. Senator Massullo’s SB 488, the DHSMV agency package, would update fuel tax and motor carrier definitions, raise the crash-reporting damage threshold from $500 to $2,000, expand email use for certain DHSMV transactions, and align tank vehicle definitions with federal rules; SB 490 would create a related public records exemption for certain email records. Both bills were reported favorably. The committee also approved SB 892, revising enhanced sentencing procedures for repeat offenders, and SB 124, which cleans up and clarifies Florida Virtual School statutes without changing day-to-day operations. The most debated measure was SB 216, which would tighten reemployment assistance eligibility by adding work-search and interview requirements, requiring more frequent identity and eligibility verification, and expanding fraud reporting and information sharing. Supporters said the bill targets fraud and improves program integrity; opponents, including labor advocates and several senators, argued it would create burdens for legitimate claimants, especially rural residents, seniors, and workers facing layoffs, and could sharply reduce access to benefits. Despite those concerns, the bill was reported favorably. The committee also approved CS/SB 382 on e-bike safety, requiring riders to yield to pedestrians, sound an audible signal before passing, and limit speed near pedestrians, while creating a task force to study broader regulation. Testimony from a parent who lost her son in an e-scooter crash prompted discussion about whether scooters should be included in the bill. Additional bills advanced included SB 584, strengthening oversight of commercial driving schools and giving DHSMV and county tax collectors more enforcement tools; CS/SB 656, formally codifying the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force within FDLE and renaming the related grant program; and SB 816, establishing the University of Florida Diabetes Institute in statute to support research, treatment, education, and outreach. All were reported favorably with support from law enforcement, advocacy groups, and institutional representatives. At the end of the meeting, senators requested to be recorded on specific bills, and the committee adjourned without further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• You watch an NFL game now, half the commercials seem like they're pro gambling.
• You watch an NFL game now, half the commercials seem like they're pro gambling.
• You watch an NFL game now,<00:15:06.560><c> half</c><00:15:07.000><c> the</c><00:15:08.000><c> commercials
• </c><00:15:08.560><c> seem</c><00:15:08.880><c> like</c> now, half the commercials seem like now, half
• the commercials seem like they're<00:15:09.279><c> pro</c><00:15:09.519><c> gambling.

Committee: House Tourism

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I know a number of cities will hire commercial divers to do salvage work. ...to do salvage work.
• But there are existing federal regs that do have safety standards for scuba work and for commercial diving
• c><00:12:47.600><c> work</c><00:12:47.760><c> and</c><00:12:48.000><c> for</c><00:12:48.240><c> commercial
• </c> um for scuba work and for commercial um for scuba work and for commercial diving<00:12:48.959><c

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Commercial truck drivers are getting very hard to come by, not only on a national level, but even more
• I truly believe that the new rules and regulations to acquire a CDL or commercial driver's license will
• ><c> getting</c> Commercial truck drivers are getting Commercial truck drivers are getting very,<00:07
• driver's license will only commercial driver's license will only exacerbate<00:07:32.800><c> this</c
• I hold a class B commercial license.

Bills: HF3553 , HF3513 , HF3576

Committee: House Transportation Finance and Policy

Keywords: vehicle platooning, transportation, public safety, pilot project, Wilkin County, Grant County, autonomous vehicles, transportation regulations, driverless cars, safety standards, first responder interaction, school bus, third-party testing, driver certification, transportation regulation, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And so our framework goes just up to the feasibility and commercial viability.
• And so our framework goes just up to the feasibility and commercial viability.
• And so our framework goes just up to the feasibility and commercial viability.
• And so our framework goes just up to the feasibility and commercial viability.
• </c> reduce the uh risk of commercial reduce the uh risk of commercial operations<01:45:51.400><c> and

Committee: House Consumer Protection & Commerce

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee met on March 19, 2025, and first heard SB 137 SD2 HD1 relating to electric utilities. The Division of Consumer Advocacy and the Public Utilities Commission said they stood on their written comments, IBEW Local 1260 supported the bill, and Ulupono Initiative also supported it. Hawaiian Electric supported the intent but asked for an amendment, saying the bill’s definition of “acquiring entity” was too broad and could unintentionally cover purely local utility transactions. A later witness from Life of the Land supported the bill only if the merger/acquisition language were removed, arguing the PUC would not have a workable mechanism to let a cooperative intervene in a utility sale process. Committee members questioned whether the bill could still work without that section, and Ulupono said it was open to clarifying language but did not seek to remove the provision; the discussion ended without a vote in the excerpt provided. The committee then took up SB 1220 SD2 relating to a renewable gas tariff. The Division of Consumer Advocacy and the PUC again stood on written comments. HGas strongly supported the measure, saying it would create a faster, more cost-effective path for a voluntary renewable gas tariff without requiring a full rate case, while preserving PUC oversight and consumer protections. The Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas also supported the bill, emphasizing that it would expand consumer choice and help Hawaii’s clean energy goals while keeping the program voluntary and shielding non-participating customers from costs. Henry Curtis of Life of the Land opposed the bill, arguing that HGas already had an active rate case and could have raised the issue there, and that the proposal did not increase renewable gas supply or speed up acquisition; he called it a gimmick. In response, HGas said the bill was mainly a mechanism to speed filing and that the details would be worked out in a PUC docket. Committee members pressed HGas on whether the measure would actually add renewable gas, what source would be used, and whether customers would simply be paying more for the same gas; HGas said it had two projects in development, including banagrass and hydrogen-related work, and that the tariff would be a voluntary opt-in rate for customers seeking renewable natural gas to meet sustainability goals. No vote was taken in the excerpt provided.