Transcript Highlights:

• produces more than 150 gallons a year, they have to produce that in a certified honey house or a commercial-type
• produces more than 150 gallons a year, they have to produce that in a certified honey house or a commercial-type
• produces more than 150 gallons a year, they have to produce that in a certified honey house or a commercial-type
• </c><00:32:28.600><c> house</c><00:32:29.000><c> or</c><00:32:29.159><c> a</c><00:32:29.320><c> commercial
• </c> call certif honey house or a commercial call certif honey house or a commercial type<00:32:30.559

Keywords: 00:00 - Introduction 00:15 – Attendance Roll Call 03:15 -- House Bill 186 09:59 – Roll Call Vote 11:51 – HB 370 22:55 – Roll Call Vote 24:45 – HB 304 28:47—Roll Call Vote 30:13 – HB 391 43:09—Roll Call Vote, 958, all

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 186, which would streamline food-service rules for churches and nonprofits providing meals to homeless shelters and people displaced by natural disasters. Representative Duvall said the bill is meant to remove unnecessary kitchen and plumbing requirements so organizations can safely serve simple meals in emergencies. Members discussed food safety, whether the bill applies only in declared disaster situations or also to homeless shelters, and whether training should be offered; Duvall clarified that the disaster and homelessness provisions are separate and that food must still be safe and wholesome. After discussion, the committee took a roll call vote and House Bill 186 passed with favorable expression. The committee then heard House Bill 370, a Department of Agriculture reorganization measure sponsored by Representative Payne. Payne and Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell said the bill would move the Division of Farm Safety and Rural Health and create an Office of Economic Development to better support programs such as Food Is Medicine, rural health, farmer mental health, and farm safety. Members asked about the removal of references to shows and fairs, whether the bill would affect livestock shows and county fairs, and whether any new funding was included; Payne said the department would still support shows and fairs, the change was about efficiency and focus, and no new funding was specified because budget decisions come later. Discussion on House Bill 370 also highlighted the department’s broader economic role, including agricultural economic development and outreach tied to the new USDA secretary’s visit to Kentucky. The committee then voted and the bill passed with favorable expression. Finally, the committee began House Bill 304 on soybean assessment language. Representative Bivens and soybean association representatives explained it as cleanup language related to the soybean checkoff and a contingency if the federal checkoff changes. Members asked whether a referendum had already occurred and whether producers supported the measure; the witnesses said the referendum had already taken place and that soybean producers and the association supported it, while one member noted the state may increasingly need to adjust to federal changes.

Transcript Highlights:

• And um there also some about uh if it's zoned commercial uh it must include a business plan that type
• And um there also some about uh if it's zoned commercial uh it must include a business plan, that type
• c><00:04:24.800><c> zoned</c> also some about uh if it's zoned also some about uh if it's zoned commercial
• uh it must include a business commercial uh it must include a business plan<00:04:28.320><c> that</c
• plot of land and it also has commercial plot of land and it also has to<00:10:22.720><c> be</c><00:10

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And then so if it's in that commercial context, I know there's several states, if not most states out
• there, that have prohibitions against the commercial taking of name, image, and likeness.
• And and then so if it's in that commercial<00:57:37.359><c> context,</c><00:57:37.839><c> I</c><00:57
• :38.000><c> know</c><00:57:38.079><c> there's</c> commercial context, I know there's commercial context
• taking of name, image, and commercial taking of name, image, and likeness.<00:57:48.799><c> Um</c><00

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 KentuckyWired Communications Network Authority 00:01:20 Artificial Intelligence and Free Expression 00:38:40, 958, all

Summary: The committee questioned KCNA officials about the Kentucky Wired network refresh, focusing on whether the equipment truly needed replacement now and what the vendor end-of-support dates were for the network’s layer 1, 2, and 3 equipment. Senators and representatives pressed for invoices, purchase orders, and vendor documentation, and KCNA staff explained that end-of-support dates vary by specific model and component, not just by broad product family. KCNA agreed to provide a detailed list of components, part numbers, and support dates, and acknowledged that some requested documentation had not yet been produced. A major point of discussion was the timing of the system refresh. KCNA said the 10-year refresh schedule comes from the project agreement, specifically Schedule 19, Section 2.1B, which requires the first system refresh to be completed by September 3, 2026. Committee members argued the network equipment appears to remain in service life for at least the next two years and questioned why an upgrade would be needed immediately. KCNA responded that failing to complete the refresh could excuse the service provider from contractual obligations and could constitute a material breach or default under the project and bond documents. Members also asked about network capacity and the impact on schools and state users. KCNA said it would need to check with Quark for an exact utilization figure, while the chair cited prior testimony that schools account for about 80% of traffic and KCNA about 20%. The committee raised concerns about schools not connected to the network and the effect of KCNA’s actions on continuity of service, while KCNA disputed that K-12 service had been put at risk. KCNA also explained the contract and payment structure: the Commonwealth’s project agreement runs through Kentucky Wired Infrastructure Corporation/Quark, with KEDA-issued bonds and funds flowing through Quark in a waterfall structure. The meeting ended with KCNA agreeing to request underlying vendor invoices from Quark, provide the requested contract documents, and supply information on the status of the wholesaler replacement procurement and related litigation. No formal vote was taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• projects to date more well as commercial projects to date more than<00:19:08.840><c> 7,000</c><00:19
• In fact, let’s take a few of them: one commercial and residential, where one of the most significant
• Representative Craft continued: “In the commercial and residential sectors, do you know how much those
• Yes, absolutely, and in fact, let’s take a few of them: one commercial and residential, where one of
• Representative Craft continued: “In the commercial and residential sectors, do you know how much those

Committee: House Energy Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• This House file establishes uniform firearm storage requirements on school property.
• This House file establishes uniform firearm storage requirements on school property.
• This house file<00:40:35.040><c> establishes</c><00:40:35.920><c> uniform</c><00:40:36.560><c> firearm
• </c><00:40:37.119><c> storage</c> file establishes uniform firearm storage file establishes uniform firearm

Bills: HF4893

Committee: House Education Finance

Keywords: education finance, student support, aid allowances, appropriation, school funding, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The witness said the consumer wants meat to be cheap and uniform, available when they want it, and priced
• They want that uniformity. They want it to taste the same.
• They<00:40:45.760><c> want</c><00:40:45.920><c> that</c><00:40:46.160><c> uniformity.
• </c><00:40:46.720><c> They</c><00:40:46.800><c> want</c><00:40:46.960><c> it</c> They want that uniformity
• They want it They want that uniformity.

Bills: HF3718

Committee: House Agriculture Finance and Policy

Keywords: veterinary medicine, veterinary technology, animal care, licensing, client consent, continuing education, emergency services, teletriage, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• unreasonable, in my opinion, to maintain a system where the government demands discounts but then tells commercial
• HB 909 is seeking for commercial payers to cover behavioral health crisis services.
• HB 909 is seeking for commercial payers to cover behavioral health crisis services.
• HB 909 is seeking for commercial payers to cover behavioral health crisis services.

Bills: SB511 , SB512 , HB591 , HB909 , HB938 , HB1154 , HB1187

Committee: Senate Insurance

Keywords: automobile repairs, insurance transparency, repair shop liability, non-OEM parts, policyholder rights, automobile insurance, appraisal process, insurance policyholders, dispute resolution, claim valuation, family leave, insurance, paid leave, employment benefits, caregiver support, behavioral health, crisis services, mental health care, insurance coverage, healthcare access

Transcript Highlights:

• Transportation to assess a per-passenger head infrastructure fee against cruise ships docked in the state's commercial
• <00:15:14.160><c> in</c><00:15:14.320><c> the</c><00:15:14.480><c> state's</c><00:15:14.800><c> commercial
• </c><00:15:15.199><c> harbors</c> docked in the state's commercial harbors docked in the state's commercial

Bills: SB2816

Committee: House Tourism

Keywords: enterprise zones, economic development, innovation enterprise, job creation, Hawaii, 910, house, all

Summary: The committees heard House Bill 2195, HD1, which would replace the existing transit accommodations tax on cruise ships with a per-passenger infrastructure fee collected by the Department of Transportation and deposited into a new cruise ship special fund. Testimony included support from Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and comments from the Tax Foundation of Hawaii warning that the bill should remain narrowly tied to harbor-related uses to avoid potential Tonnage Clause issues. The Department of Transportation testified that cruise-related harbor work includes pier repairs, dredging, terminal upgrades, and shore power, and said a dedicated revenue stream would help prioritize cruise infrastructure needs. The Attorney General’s office said it had submitted written comments but did not address questions about the litigation or constitutional background. Members questioned whether the new special fund was necessary when the existing harbor special fund already finances similar improvements. DOT said the funds overlap and suggested the bill could be amended to use the harbor special fund with a separate cruise subaccount, while still preserving a dedicated revenue stream and separate accounting. DOT also said it currently collects port entry, dockage, and per-head passenger fees from cruise ships and that existing cruise-related expenditures from the harbor special fund have not been challenged. The chair ultimately recommended moving HB 2195 forward as introduced, while continuing discussions about the fund structure and awaiting further clarity from the Attorney General and DOT. In decision-making, the committees voted to pass HB 2195, HD1, as is. They also voted to pass House Bill 916, HD1, relating to the low-income housing tax credit, which would allow certain state low-income housing tax credits to offset state transient accommodations taxes in the same county and make Act 129 of 2016 permanent. Both the Committee on Tourism and the Committee on Economic Development and Technology adopted the chair’s recommendation to pass HB 916, HD1, unamended. The hearing was then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• THEIR PROHIBITED CLASSIFICATION ALSO ELIMINATES COMMERCIAL SALES OF THE SPECIES WITH SOME LIMITED EXCEPTIONS
• AND AWARENESS DAY WAS HELD IN DESTIN MAY 17th AND 18th AND IT PROMOTES THE CONSUMPTION AND CAN COMMERCIAL
• BARRIERS SO THAT CONTRACTORS CAN GO IN TO THE FEDERAL LANDS AND ALSO REMOVE RESTRICTIONS ON COMMERCIALIZATION
• WERE NOT BEFORE BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY WITH THE NEW CONTRACT MODEL WE SEE THE ALLOWANCE OF MARKET OR COMMERCIAL

Transcript Highlights:

• AB 815 would ensure that social service workers are not misclassified as commercial for-hire under personal
• United States commercial aviation contributes about 2% of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions.
• United States commercial aviation contributes about 2% of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions.
• However, the commercial aviation industry in the United States has pledged to achieve net-zero carbon

Summary: The Assembly met on May 23, 2025, after a quorum call, prayer, and Pledge of Allegiance. Members also made several guest introductions and memorial recognitions, including tributes to labor leader Louisa Blue and a Memorial Day moment of silence. The body adopted a motion to suspend Assembly Rule 63 for certain Appropriations Committee bills, and later took up a second-day consent calendar and several resolutions. The chamber adopted ACR 68, declaring July 2025 as Parks Make Life Better Month, and ACR 83, proclaiming California Maritime Day; both received broad support. On the floor file, members passed a series of bills covering child passenger safety, student financial aid, downtown office-to-housing conversion districts, rental vehicle theft prevention, fire hazard zone reviews, medical data protections, UC admissions transparency, office-to-housing streamlining, inoperable RV removal, domestic violence and child welfare, insurance classification for social service workers, sustainable aviation fuel CEQA review, UC hiring background checks, accessory dwelling units, fish and wildlife exemptions for Sutter County infrastructure, speed limit assessments, geothermal permitting, special education transfers, recorder fee adjustments, and a BIT program exemption for farmers and ranchers. Most measures passed with little or no opposition. AB 435, which would have implemented a five-step test standard for child passenger safety laws, was later reconsidered and failed on a vote of 36-12 after the call was lifted. The Assembly also adopted the second-day consent calendar, including multiple bills and resolutions, and added co-authors to several resolutions. The session ended with adjournments in memory and an adjournment until Tuesday, May 27 at 1 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• These aim to increase program uniformity and remove outdated, non-person-centered language in the Minnesota
• well is that the report is no longer their go-to source of information. aim to increase program uniformity
• and aim to increase program uniformity and remove<00:52:06.480><c> outdated</c><00:52:07.119><c> non-person

Bills: HF4210 , HF4212 , HF4549 , HF4464 , HF4546 , HF4447

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Keywords: senior nutrition, older adults, aging services, home-delivered meals, congregate dining, meal delivery, grocery delivery, food insecurity, nutrition support, area agencies on aging, Minnesota Board on Aging, human services, special revenue fund, nonprofit grants, SNAP outreach, medically tailored meals, rural nutrition, food access, transportation services, elderly

Transcript Highlights:

• 19.120><c> not</c> a 3.9% average uh understanding it's not a 3.9% average uh understanding it's not uniform
• 21.040><c> average</c><00:09:21.360><c> rate</c><00:09:22.480><c> a</c><00:09:22.720><c> reduction</c> uniform
• is an average rate a reduction uniform is an average rate a reduction that<00:09:23.279><c> would</c

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Fiscal Committee met on December 19, with Senators Long and Lang serving as replacements. The committee approved the November 21 minutes and adopted the consent calendar after removing two Department of Health and Human Services items for separate discussion. It then took up an HHS request involving nursing facility rates, where Nathan White explained that $2.2 million would be transferred from a long-term care Medicaid eligibility contract to the nursing facilities budget. He said the funds would offset an otherwise projected 3.9% average rate decrease and bring the overall average change to zero for the next six months, with rates reset again in July under state law. Members asked about the budget adjustment factor, bed counts, and whether additional funds could raise rates further; White said the factor is statutory, capped at 28.76%, and that more money would lower the factor and increase rates. The committee also corrected a date in the request from February 1, 2025 to February 1, 2026, and approved the item. The committee next approved another HHS item related to rural health transformation grants. Members confirmed the request covered the full amount applied for this biennium, and asked about the technology component. HHS said the grant is not solely about AI, but about broader technology improvements such as electronic medical records, back-end systems, and tools to improve access and sustainability in underserved areas. The committee approved that item as well. The Judicial Council then requested funds for contract attorneys providing indigent defense on a fixed-fee basis. The council said current funds had already been exhausted and that the new appropriation would be used immediately. Members questioned the size of the request and the number of people awaiting counsel; the council reported about 150 incarcerated people and about 300 non-incarcerated people waiting for counsel, more than in recent years. It attributed the increase to competition for attorneys, public defender offices closing intake in some locations because of caseload limits, and broader case and court-system changes. One member raised constitutional concerns about delays in counsel for incarcerated defendants. The committee ultimately amended the request downward to $1 million, approved it, and then approved a motion to place several annual financial reports on file and release them to the public when available. The committee also discussed dashboard reporting from HHS, asking for more detail on community mental health center caseloads and budget-reduction information, and HHS agreed to provide more useful monthly detail.

Transcript Highlights:

• Any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the House proceedings for political or commercial purposes
• Any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the House proceedings for political or commercial purposes

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Friday, March 21, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• across multiple state jurisdictions so that eventually we can have potentially a New England building code
• New eventually we can have potentially a New England<01:58:39.240><c> building</c><01:58:39.640><c> code
• </c> England building code England building code and<01:58:41.520><c> manufactured</c><01:58:42.200><
• we're now talking about how many resources go into building infrastructure or redeveloping housing, commercial
• we're now talking about how many resources go into building infrastructure or redeveloping housing, commercial

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• My familiarity with the Constitution, the Water Code, and full range of the Water Commission's kuleana
• <c> full</c><00:18:42.600><c> range</c><00:18:42.960><c> of</c><00:18:43.040><c> the</c> the Water Code
• , and full range of the the Water Code, and full range of the Water<00:18:43.520><c> Commission's</c>
• As a native Hawaiian<00:30:36.800><c> and</c><00:30:36.920><c> commercial</c><00:30:37.320><c> fisher
• </c><00:30:37.640><c> based</c><00:30:37.920><c> out</c> Hawaiian and commercial fisher based out of

Committee: Senate Water, Land, Culture and the Arts

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee took up several gubernatorial nominations, beginning with GM 640 for Juanita Rio Colón to the Commission on Water Resource Management. Public testimony and the nominee’s remarks strongly emphasized her water-system management background, Native Hawaiian stewardship values, and representation for Molokai. Committee members praised her qualifications and neighbor-island perspective, and also discussed broader concerns about reforming the Water Commission, including a separate bill to create a more independent authority and reduce politics in water decisions. Colón said she supported the restructuring effort and would serve with integrity and attention to constitutional water rights and climate resilience. The committee then heard GM 639 for Moses Haia III to the same commission. DLNR and OHA testified, and Haia described his long legal career, prior work on the Waihole contested case, and experience with Native Hawaiian rights and water law. Members asked about his ability to serve impartially given his advocacy background; Haia acknowledged that some may perceive a conflict from his prior work but said he did not believe it was a reasonable conflict and would follow the law and balance competing interests. The discussion again returned to the proposed Water Commission restructuring, which Haia said he supported as a way to provide independence and balance. Next, the committee considered GM 649 for Gilbert Coloma to the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission. DLNR and other testifiers explained that this was a new interstate commission created under the 2024 act, with Hawaii joining six U.S. states to address fisheries issues across state boundaries. Coloma, a commercial fisher from Hilo, said he brought more than 40 years of industry, cultural, and traditional experience and would represent Hawaii’s fishing communities. Members asked about the commission’s structure, meeting rotation, and funding, and were told the state covers dues through special funds. The committee also briefly took up GM 692 for Riley Smith’s reappointment to the Board of Land and Natural Resources. The Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council supported him, while Sierra Club Hui raised concerns about prior decisions affecting Native Hawaiian rights and public trust resources. Smith said he supported more residential uses in East Kapolei if the necessary planning and environmental review changes were made, and he began responding to questions about prior BLNR litigation before the transcript cut off.

Transcript Highlights:

• code, or you can imagine you had planned to be on vacation and, in fact, you got called back to the
• Now you've done something wrong, and you need help to fix what you've put in the system. vacation code
• or you can imagine you had vacation code or you can imagine you had planned<01:20:30.560><c> to</c><
• 01:53:56.320><c> the</c><01:53:56.639><c> building's</c><01:53:56.960><c> a</c><01:53:57.199><c> commercial
• </c> understand the building's a commercial understand the building's a commercial building.<01:53:58.000

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• the eligibility criteria, probably the biggest thing was that eligible projects must demonstrate commercial
• operator-led or in cooperation with a service company within the Williston Basin, and again, the commercially
• Is it commercially and is it sustainable? But that's for everybody to decipher.
• You've got the commercial work happening to secure customers on the pipeline, as well as all the regulatory
• at even above and beyond that importance of the connectivity to other supply sources for, again, commercial

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee met as the Regulatory Division of the budget section and received updates on several Industrial Commission-related agencies and programs. Legislative Council first reviewed base budget materials, then the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency reported on its current appropriation and staffing, noting that its new FTEs were being filled gradually and that it remained largely funded through special and federal funds. Agency leaders described homeownership lending, loan servicing, and housing incentive fund activity, including below-market mortgage rates, down payment assistance, and a growing servicing portfolio that has increased workload but not yet required additional FTEs. Housing Finance also detailed use of the Housing Incentive Fund and homeless grant dollars. Officials said the multifamily HIF round drew more than $73 million in requests and awarded $25 million, while the single-family program supported rural development and community land trusts. Homeless grant funding was split between emergency shelter, prevention, and rapid rehousing, with performance-based scoring used to renew or reallocate awards. Members discussed housing affordability, aging households, rental assistance, and the need to coordinate housing and site-preparation messaging with Commerce. The agency asked that HIF, single-family, and homeless funding be maintained or increased in the next session. The Department of Mineral Resources then presented its budget and operations update. Staff said the agency was on track financially, had filled most of its new reclamation FTEs, and was not expecting major litigation costs beyond normal late-biennium invoices. The director reviewed agency initiatives including Project North Star IT modernization, organizational restructuring, succession planning, rulemaking, and implementation of the development incentive well tax program and critical minerals rules. He also discussed oil and gas activity, explaining that longer laterals, especially three- and four-mile wells and the first five-mile spacing case, are helping keep production relatively flat even as rig counts ease. Members asked about gas capture, hedging, break-even prices, and the effects of Iran and Venezuela on oil markets. The committee also heard about enhanced oil recovery grants and the Pipeline Authority. The EOR program’s $25 million appropriation was fully allocated to six projects, with total awards reaching about $45.1 million when other fund balances were included, subject to a possible 5% reduction if federal DOE money does not materialize. Officials said the projects are public, reimbursement-based, and will produce results over the next several years. Finally, the Pipeline Authority outlined natural gas transmission projects, including the imminent Bakken Express line and the proposed Bakken East project, which WBI was selected to advance after an Industrial Commission RFI process. The project is moving through open season, survey permission, and regulatory work, with in-service dates projected for 2029 and 2030.

Transcript Highlights:

• the eligibility criteria, probably the biggest thing was that eligible projects must demonstrate commercial
• operator-led or in cooperation with a service company within the Williston Basin, and again, the commercially
• looking at, but they're presumably hopefully finding out something to make the project work on a commercial
• You've got the commercial work happening to secure customers on the pipeline, as well as all the regulatory
• even above and beyond and that importance of the connectivity to other supply sources for, again, commercial

Summary: The committee met as the Regulatory Division budget section and first reviewed the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency’s budget and program update. Legislative Council outlined the agency’s base budget and historical funding, and Housing Finance staff reported on homeownership lending, housing incentive fund (HIF) awards, and homeless grant spending. Agency officials said the five new FTEs approved last session are mostly filled, with one homeless program manager still open. They described strong demand for HIF, noting that September 2025 multifamily requests exceeded $73 million while only $25 million was available, and that single-family and homeless programs are also heavily subscribed. Members discussed the agency’s local loan servicing workload, interest-rate benefits, down payment assistance, and the need to coordinate housing discussions with Commerce and site-preparation efforts. The agency asked that HIF, single-family, and homeless funding be maintained or increased, and committee members emphasized accountability and statewide access for homeless prevention and rapid rehousing funds. The Department of Mineral Resources then presented its budget and agency initiatives. Staff reported that the department is on track financially, that most of the five new reclamation-related FTEs are hired, and that litigation costs tied to oil and gas matters are expected to continue appearing late in the biennium. The director reviewed ongoing modernization and organizational efforts, including the North Star IT project, succession planning, training, and rulemaking for oil and gas and critical minerals. Members asked about longer laterals, spacing, and production trends; the department said operators are increasingly drilling three-, four-, and even an initial five-mile lateral, which is helping keep North Dakota oil production relatively flat even as rig counts ease. The director also discussed oil price volatility tied to Middle East conflict, hedging practices among producers, gas capture remaining around 95%, and the likelihood that current production levels will stay near flat unless prices or geopolitical conditions change significantly. An update on the enhanced oil recovery grant program followed. The Industrial Commission’s grant administrator said the full $25 million appropriation was allocated in the fall to six projects, and because the oil and gas research fund also had carryover and biennial tax revenue, total awards reached about $45.1 million. The projects are expected to run two to four years, with meaningful results not likely until mid-2026 or later. Members questioned whether the public would have access to the research findings and how accountability would be maintained; staff said the grants are reimbursement-based, require regular status reports, and will culminate in public final reports. The committee also heard from the North Dakota Pipeline Authority, which updated members on natural gas transmission projects, especially WBI Energy’s proposed Bakken East pipeline. The authority said the project has advanced through a nonbinding and then binding open season, with WBI now securing survey permissions and moving through regulatory and landowner processes, while other related gas transmission projects near Minot and Epping are also in development.

Transcript Highlights:

• But I have to point out that when I look at a graph that has commercial, industrial, manufacturing, electricity
• looking at agricultural lands and agricultural farming, it's very different than industrial and commercial
• It's very different than industrial and commercial.
• And that has potential to be commercially utilized to generate energy?
• It has potential to be commercially utilized to generate energy, yes.

Summary: The joint informational hearing examined how California agricultural programs have used cap-and-invest funding and what role agriculture should play in future climate investments. Committee chairs framed the issue as balancing climate goals, food production, rural economic vitality, and the fact that agriculture was not specifically funded in the recent cap-and-invest reauthorization. The first panel from CDFA and the Legislative Analyst’s Office described the state’s climate-smart agriculture portfolio, including Healthy Soils, SWEEP, the Dairy Methane Reduction Program, and Alternative Manure Management, and explained that GGRF revenues are now more constrained and may not fully support all tiered programs. LAO emphasized that agriculture is about 8% of California’s emissions, that most ag emissions are outside the cap, and that the Legislature should consider program effectiveness, the role of incentives, and GGRF priorities. CDFA testified that roughly $727 million has been invested in its flagship climate-smart ag programs, producing estimated reductions of 31 million metric tons of CO2e, 1.6 million acre-feet of water savings, and about 4,000 projects. The department said technical assistance is essential because farmers face risk when adopting new practices, and noted new Proposition 4 funding for Healthy Soils, SWEEP, and a regional farm equipment sharing program. University researchers then presented economic and methane-reduction analyses: UC Berkeley’s Dr. Hill described working landscapes as a major economic driver, while UC Davis’ Dr. Kibreab outlined dairy methane reduction pathways, including herd efficiency, digesters, alternative manure management, and emerging feed additives such as 3-NOP and seaweed, arguing that incentive-based programs have helped California move toward its methane goals. A later panel featured sharply different views on dairy digesters. Phoebe Seton argued that digesters worsen air and water quality, encourage manure liquefaction, and are an inefficient use of public funds, while CalCAN’s Brian Schobey and agricultural representatives said programs like AMP, SWEEP, Healthy Soils, FPIP, and the Farmer Program deliver measurable emissions reductions plus co-benefits such as water savings, lower energy costs, and improved air quality. Farm and industry witnesses stressed that stable, incentive-based funding helps family farms remain viable, supports co-investment, and should be treated as a partnership rather than a regulatory stick. No votes or formal actions were taken; the hearing ended with public comment and a continued call for future funding and policy discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• But I have to point out that when I look at a graph that has commercial, industrial, manufacturing, electricity
• looking at agricultural lands and agricultural farming, it's very different than industrial and commercial
• It's very different than industrial and commercial.
• And that has potential to be commercially utilized to generate energy?
• It has potential to be commercially utilized to generate energy, yes.

Keywords: 987, senate, all