Transcript Highlights:

• We've provided language that would align registration more closely with the registration requirements
• I think the registration is important.
• But the registration, I think, is important.
• , litigation, personal information that's kind of unnecessary for registration.
• The registration needs to happen.

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills, beginning with SB 16, which would require county behavioral health directors to create clear pathways for clinicians to be authorized to initiate 5150 involuntary holds. The author and supporters argued the bill would reduce reliance on law enforcement and create more consistent crisis response standards statewide, while county behavioral health directors opposed it as an unfunded mandate that could increase law enforcement involvement and create implementation burdens. Members raised questions about county costs and funding, but the author emphasized the bill’s role in building a more clinical response system. SB 561 would require public guardians to acknowledge conservatorship referrals, make determinations within a reasonable time, and provide status updates on request. Supporters said the bill would reduce delays that leave vulnerable adults in limbo, while the opposition from public guardian representatives was removed after amendments. SB 381 drew extensive public testimony in support; it would allow California-born adoptees, and descendants of deceased adoptees, access to original birth certificates, with a nonbinding contact preference form for birth parents. Supporters framed the bill as a matter of dignity, identity, and health, and there was no formal opposition on the record. The committee also discussed SB 880, which would give tenants and prospective owner-occupants notice and a first opportunity to make an offer when institutional investors sell certain homes. Supporters said it would expand homeownership opportunities and preserve neighborhood stability, while opponents warned about conflicts with federal law, bundled-sale restrictions, and impacts on build-to-rent and affordable housing projects. Members and the author discussed possible amendments to address those concerns. SB 1238 would impose a duty of care and additional transparency requirements on HOA managers and boards; supporters said it would protect homeowners from mismanagement, while the main opposition argued the duty should remain contractual and could increase litigation. Finally, SB 423 would require disclosure of emergency-service records related to private detention facilities, and SB 28 would make changes to the CARE Court process, including a statewide ombudsperson and expanded oversight; both drew support and opposition, with concerns focused on transparency, privacy, implementation, and the balance between treatment and coercion. SB 574, discussed at the end, would require disclosure and human oversight for AI use in courts and legal practice and create a complaint process for ADR providers, with the State Bar noting requested amendments related to complaint handling and confidentiality.

Transcript Highlights:

• DCCA business registration division with comments online. Good morning.
• DCCA Business Registration Division with comments online. Good morning.
• the license uh delete the registration the license uh delete the registration of<00:27:17.840>
• . registration. registration.
• Um until the passage until registration.

Bills: SB3275, SB3105

Keywords: cannabis, low-dose, personal use, cultivation, cannabis accessories, Hawaii cannabis law, medical cannabis, physician assistant, licensure compact, medical services, interstate practice, healthcare portability, military families, licensing authority, 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection reconsidered two condominium bills and adopted recommendations to pass both with amendments. For SB 2433, members approved amendments clarifying that condominium unit owners’ interests are to be recognized and protected in educational and related programs by the Real Estate Commission and DCCA, while making technical changes and changing the effective date. For SB 2838, the committee replaced the bill’s broader substantive language with a narrower requirement that associations provide electronic copies of specified documents, including master leases, reserve studies, audited financial statements, contracts, leases, and other agreements, along with technical changes and an amended effective date. Both measures were adopted unanimously by the members present, with Senator McKelvey excused. The committee then heard SB 2710 on animal issues, which would define and regulate dog breeders, set care standards, create county licensing authority, require records, and establish an animal abuser registry and related penalties. Testimony was mixed: the Public Defender and the American Kennel Club opposed the bill, arguing for stronger enforcement of existing laws rather than harsher penalties and warning that the bill would burden responsible breeders; the Hawaiian Humane Society supported the bill’s breeder regulation and registry provisions but urged removal of the hoarding section; and the committee noted 26 written testimonies in support, 14 in opposition, and four comments. In decision-making, the committee passed SB 2710 with amendments that blanked the license fee, deleted the animal abuser registry and shelter/pet store/breeder compliance checks, struck the hoarding provisions and proposed criminal penalty changes, and made technical changes with a deferred effective date. The committee also heard SB 2209 on rental discrimination, which would allow attorney’s fees to a prevailing party in source-of-income discrimination cases, and SB 2884, which would create a nonrefundable income tax credit for wind-resistant retrofits or hurricane shelters. The Hawaii Civil Rights Commission supported SB 2209, and the committee later passed it with a deferred effective date. SB 2884 drew support from DCCA’s Insurance Division, the Department of Taxation, HEMA, the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, and a public witness who urged hurricane preparedness; it was passed with the Department of Taxation’s proposed amendments and a deferred effective date. Finally, the committee heard SB 2922 on cooperative associations, which would create a general cooperative associations framework. DCCA offered comments, while the Hawaii Co-op Hui, Purple Maya Foundation, Enliven Cooperative, and Hawaii Farmers Union supported the measure and argued that current law is too limited for worker, producer, and multi-stakeholder co-ops. After discussion about using the existing chapter 421C structure rather than creating a new regulatory scheme, the committee passed SB 2922 with amendments adopting changes proposed in testimony from the Hawaii Farmers Union and deferred the effective date.

Transcript Highlights:

• The second revenue source is the motor vehicle registration tax.
• tax this is motor vehicle registration tax this is an<00:15:12.120> annual<00:15:12.560> tax
• amount there are also uh registration amount there are also uh registration taxes<00:16:14.360><
• <00:49:59.960> and flight um property um registration and flight um property um registration
• We do have, since 2017, a $75 registration fee electric vehicles pay.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Transportation Working Group met on January 15, 2025, with Chair John Kosnik opening by saying the committee expected to pass a transportation bill this year and emphasizing efficient use of transportation revenues, maintenance of roads and transit, and safety. Members and staff introduced themselves, and several representatives noted their interest in roads, bridges, and regional transportation needs. Kosnik also said he had spoken with Representative Kel about leadership arrangements and stressed that bipartisan support would be needed for a transportation bill. House Fiscal Staff’s Andrew Lee and House Research’s Matt Burus then gave an overview of transportation finance, focusing mainly on highways and transit. Burus explained Minnesota’s highway funding structure, including the constitutional Highway User Tax Distribution Fund and the related Trunk Highway Fund, County State-Aid Highway Fund, and Municipal State-Aid Street Fund. He reviewed the main revenue sources: the motor fuels tax, motor vehicle registration tax, motor vehicle sales tax, portions of the general sales tax tied to auto parts, vehicle rentals and leases, and the retail delivery fee. He noted several changes from 2023 legislation, including indexing of the gas tax, creation of the Transportation Advancement Account, and the retail delivery fee, which began in July 2024 and therefore would affect fiscal year 2025 rather than the fiscal 2024 data shown. The presentation also covered how highway dollars flow through constitutional formulas, including the 95/5 split from the Highway User Tax Distribution Fund, with the 5 percent set-aside used for town roads, town bridges, and flexible highway purposes such as turnbacks. Burus distinguished trunk highway bonds from general obligation bonds and explained that both are debt-financing tools for transportation projects, but with different repayment sources and uses. No votes or formal actions were taken at this informational meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• These programs included the registration of 26 million vehicles for use on Texas roadways, issuance of
• uh, created significant operational changes for the motor vehicle industry, for sales and for registration
• , this eliminates the safety inspection as a precursor, uh, before a person has to renew their registration
• All of the revenue that's collected from EV registration is going to be deposited into the state highway
• , as part of our evaluation as well, we looked at sales information and we looked at title and registration

Transcript Highlights:

• The mandatory certification registration... Law to dispense them.
• It also Suspension and revocation of an application or registration in certain chapters.
• We have a very lean team when it comes to registrations. We want to keep it that way.
• And so where there could be the same rules applied to... ...to registrations.
• We clarify how we can suspend or revoke those registrations and streamline the enforcement.

Keywords: 985, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate File 107, Motor Vehicle Registration and Plate Issuance System.
• > Plate<00:57:42.480> Issument Vehicle Registration and Plate Issument Vehicle Registration
• > and<01:08:26.000> Plate Motor Vehicle Registration and Plate Motor Vehicle Registration
• <01:19:54.640> was<01:19:54.960> actually before registration was actually before registration
• sex offender registration. sex offender registration.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, you know, working for the Department of Transportation, we have the gas tax and registration fees
• system which we've drone registration system which we've done. done. done.
• And the first step we've taken is doing a registration fee for the commercial drones.
• But as things progress, I think that's a good start to have these registration fees.
• start to have these registration fees. start to have these registration fees.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The task force approved the October 14, 2025 meeting minutes and then heard a presentation from Austin Kaylor of WSP on alternative aviation fuels. Kaylor described an ongoing feasibility study focused on Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and the other four commercial airports in Kentucky, with an eye toward both near-term use of alternative aviation fuel in existing supply chains and longer-term in-state production using local feedstocks. He said Kentucky’s current jet fuel use at the five airports is about 609 million gallons annually and could approach 1 billion gallons by 2050, and he outlined potential feedstocks such as soybeans, corn, and waste oils, along with existing logistics assets like river terminals, trucking, rail, and some pipelines. He also discussed federal and state policy support, including renewable fuel credits and the recent 45Z tax credit extension, and said the study suggests significant economic-development potential if Kentucky can leverage existing infrastructure and incentives. Members asked about the cost of sustainable aviation fuel, whether taxpayers would be subsidizing it, and whether food crops would be diverted from food use. Kaylor responded that the market is increasingly using second-generation and waste-based feedstocks, that federal incentives can cover much of the price differential, and that SAF is a direct substitute for conventional jet fuel with some efficiency benefits. He said demand comes from both U.S. and foreign carriers, including major U.S. airlines that have made emissions-reduction commitments. Members also raised the possibility of locating production in Appalachia to create jobs closer to feedstock sources; Kaylor said that approach has worked in other states and could fit Kentucky’s logistics network. The committee then heard from Leif Elder of the Utah Department of Transportation, who introduced himself and said he would discuss advanced air mobility legislation in Utah. The transcript cuts off before his substantive presentation, and no further votes or actions were recorded after the question-and-answer discussion on alternative aviation fuels.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill also allows an initial issuance or renewal registration for a motorcycle only if at least one
• the bill by modifying the motorcycle requirements, including applying the requirements only to registration
• The bill also allows aid out to issue or renewal registration for a motorcycle only if at least one of
• amended the bill by modifying motorcycle requirements including applying the requirements to only registration

Summary: The caucus meeting on Friday, June 12, reviewed several bills on Blue Sheets 16, 17, and 18, with sponsors generally concurring in Senate amendments. On property tax and agricultural inspection bills, HB 2104 and HB 2105 were described as creating temporary limits on county assessors’ ability to reclassify or inspect agricultural property after a successful appeal or recent inspection, while preserving assessor authority for changes in use, ownership, splits, or taxable improvements. HB 4117, concerning religious worship assemblies, was amended by the Senate to focus on intentionally obstructing entry or exit from a place of worship or creating a disruptive commotion. HB 2311 would require AI conversational systems to notify users they are interacting with AI and add other consumer protections, and HB 2477 would conform Arizona’s 529 plan rules with federal law and allow certain rollovers to ABLE or Roth IRA accounts. The meeting also covered HB 2114, which directs motorcycle safety fund spending toward education and scholarships and ties motorcycle registration requirements to Class M licensing, with Senate changes narrowing the registration provisions and exempting business-owned motorcycles. HB 2729 was broadened by the Senate from continuing only the Nursing Board to also continuing DES, the Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners, the Physician Assistants Board, and the State Board of Pharmacy, with members noting this kind of consolidation is common at the end of session. All of these bills were presented for concurrence, and no objections or substantive questions were raised. The caucus then reviewed three additional measures that had just come through rules: SB 1618, which revises military affairs statutes, creates procedures for military installation fund property acquisition, changes commission duties and membership, and adds reporting requirements; SB 1110, which creates a Department of Corrections home confinement program for certain inmates nearing release; and SCR 1004, which would, subject to voter approval, restrict photo enforcement systems unless a contract existed before December 31, 2026. Members clarified that the House mirror of the photo enforcement measure had not advanced. The meeting ended with notice that more caucus or rules activity could occur later in the day as the chamber moved bills to the floor on sine die.

Transcript Highlights:

• Filer registrations and take those instead of asking for an appropriation.
• Can't remember, it was a registration Issue, but there may be some hit or miss things.
• At the top, it shows current voter registration statistics on the left-hand side.
• It shows the voter registration cancellations and the reasons for those.
• Or if you're at night and you want to renew your car or your car registration online, we're going to

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill does not change any of the other existing collection tools, like vehicle registration holds
• And so then if something is not paid, if your registration comes and you don't pay that registration,
• You're not... you don't have your registration current.
• Well, you won't get your registration back then, right?
• the registration back they'd have to pay back for all those tickets.

Summary: The Assembly Transportation Committee heard a series of bills focused on transportation safety, climate resilience, wildlife connectivity, parking enforcement, and EV charging reliability. AB 605 would create a pilot program allowing certain hydrogen internal combustion cargo-handling equipment at ports; supporters said it could help ports stay competitive while reducing emissions, while South Coast AQMD raised concerns about possible nitrogen oxide emissions and limits on future regulation. The bill passed on an 11-0 vote to the Natural Resources Committee. AB 1132 would require Caltrans to incorporate community resilience indicators, including socioeconomic factors, into climate vulnerability assessments; supporters from Greenlining, AARP, and others said it would better protect seniors, people with disabilities, and transit users during heat waves and disasters, while some members questioned the cost during a tight budget year. It passed 9-0 to Appropriations, with some members not voting. AB 382 would lower school-zone speed limits to 20 mph and give local agencies more flexibility in how the limit is posted and enforced; supporters cited child pedestrian deaths and safety research, and the bill passed 11-0 to Appropriations. AB 902, as amended, would require transportation projects in wildlife connectivity areas to include wildlife passage features where feasible; supporters emphasized reduced collisions and habitat fragmentation, while the California Building Industry Association and COGs moved from opposition to neutral after amendments. It passed 9-1 to Local Government. AB 1014 would give Caltrans more discretion to lower speed limits on state highways based on local conditions rather than the 85th percentile rule; supporters said it would improve safety in rural and tourist areas, and the bill passed 13-0 to Appropriations. AB 1022 would end towing or booting vehicles solely for unpaid parking tickets, with supporters describing the practice as punitive and harmful to low-income drivers, while cities and parking groups argued it would weaken enforcement and create problems for out-of-state vehicles. The bill passed 9-3 to Appropriations. AB 1423 would require publicly funded EV chargers to meet reliability standards and allow enforcement of uptime requirements; supporters said taxpayers need functioning chargers, while charging-industry opponents objected to retroactive standards and possible conflicts with existing agreements. The bill passed 14-0 to Utilities and Energy. The committee also approved a consent calendar of five bills by voice vote and held roll calls open for additional members to add on.

Transcript Highlights:

• "A valid registration.
• The voter registration application is confidential and exempt, exactly?
• The voter registration application is confidential and exempt, yes or no? Yes, ma'am. Thank you.
• number, your address, your name, those things... ...your birth date, your registration number, your
• or your last four digits of your Social Security and also your voter registration number or your day

Summary: The committee first took up CS for CS for CS for SB 462 on transportation. A substitute amendment was adopted that would require counties receiving transportation surtax proceeds to report how the money is used to the Office of Economic and Demographic Research, prohibit certain airport fees tied to collegiate aviation flight training, create a Sarasota-Manatee Airport Authority pilot program, and dedicate $10 million annually for a traffic signal modernization program. The amendment also removed several provisions from the bill, including a sales-tax transfer to the State Transportation Trust Fund, a bid-protest-related contracting requirement, and repeal of the Metropolitan Planning Organization Advisory Council. A late-filed amendment was tabled, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee then heard CS for CS for CS for SB 628, Lucy’s Law, which strengthens boating safety penalties for leaving the scene of a vessel accident and reckless operation. After the sponsor withdrew a pending amendment, the committee heard emotional testimony from Lucy’s parents and others in support, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee next considered CS for CS for SB 700, the Florida Farm Bill, under a strike-all amendment. The bill’s major provisions included removing non-purity additives from public water systems, requiring clearer labeling for meat, milk, poultry, and eggs, criminalizing drone harassment over farmland, updating agriculture disaster recovery programs, creating an honest services registry for charities tied to countries of concern, expanding FFA-related scholarships and school infrastructure, and allowing the state to repurchase certain former agricultural lands converted to solar fields. Testimony included strong support from agriculture and related groups, opposition from the Florida Bankers Association over a private right of action related to financial discrimination, and criticism from speakers opposed to fluoride removal. The bill was amended and then reported favorably despite some opposition. The committee also reported favorably SB 796, which authorizes DEP general permits for distributed wastewater treatment systems to replace failing septic tanks. The committee then took up a large strike-all for CS for SB 1618, a K-20 education package. The amendment combined provisions on VPK flexibility, early grade success, agriculture education, financial literacy, reading intervention, teacher assignment transparency, restrictions on spending public funds for political or social activism, emergency opioid antagonists, corporal punishment consent, teacher certification pathways, and other higher-education and workforce items from SB 1624, including guardrails for certain private religious postsecondary institutions. Members questioned the new prohibition on using public funds for political or social activism, with the sponsor saying it was intended to keep public schools from being a battleground for ideology; Equality Florida and the ACLU opposed that section. The amendment was adopted and the bill was reported favorably. Finally, the committee began extensive debate on CS for SB 7016, a major initiative-petition reform bill. The sponsors said the bill responds to fraud and abuse documented in a large Office of Election Crimes and Security report and would impose tighter rules on petition circulators, including Florida residency and U.S. citizenship requirements, training, shorter submission deadlines, stronger penalties, new identification requirements on petitions, and a 25% invalid-signature trigger for investigations by election-crimes officials. Senators raised numerous questions about due process, public records, penalties, the treatment of volunteers and former felons, the verification process, and the practical effect of the new deadlines and thresholds. The discussion was ongoing when the transcript ended, and no final vote on SB 7016 is shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• A valid registration.
• The voter registration application is confidential and exempt. Yes or no?
• The voter registration application is confidential and exempt. Yes or no? Yes, ma'am. Thank you.
• Your birth date, your registration number, your address, your name, those things are not confidential
• ...or your last four digits of your Social Security number, and also your voter registration number or

Summary: The committee first took up CS for CS for CS for SB 462 on transportation, adopting a substitute amendment that would require counties receiving transportation surtax proceeds to report how the money is used, prohibit certain airport fees tied to collegiate flight training, create a Sarasota-Manatee Airport Authority pilot program, and fund a traffic signal modernization program with $10 million annually from the State Transportation Trust Fund. The amendment also removed several provisions from the bill, including a sales tax transfer to the trust fund, a bid protest-related contracting requirement, and repeal of the Metropolitan Planning Organization Advisory Council. A late-filed amendment was tabled, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee then heard CS for CS for SB 628, “Lucy's Law,” on boating safety, which would strengthen penalties for leaving the scene of a vessel accident and reckless vessel operation. Lucy’s parents gave emotional testimony in support, describing the fatal 2022 boating crash and urging stronger accountability. The sponsor withdrew pending amendments, and the bill was reported favorably. CS for CS for SB 700, the Florida Farm Bill, was next; the strike-all amendment covered a broad range of agriculture-related changes, including water fluoridation restrictions, labeling rules, drone restrictions over farmland, disaster recovery programs, an honest services registry, FFA-related provisions, and agricultural land preservation. Testimony included support from agricultural and gun-rights groups, opposition from banking, dental, and local-government advocates, and a lengthy public debate over fluoridation and financial discrimination. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. SB 796 on general permits for distributed wastewater treatment systems was reported favorably with little debate. The committee then took up CS for SB 1618 on K-12 education, adopting a delete-all amendment that combined a wide range of education provisions, including VPK flexibility, agriculture education, financial literacy, reading intervention requirements, teacher assignment reporting, restrictions on spending public funds on political or social activism, postsecondary and workforce-related changes, and other school and college system updates. Several speakers opposed the activism-related funding restriction, while the sponsor said the bill was intended to keep publicly funded schools focused on education; the bill was reported favorably. Finally, the committee considered SB 7016 on initiative petitions, adopting a strike-all amendment that would sharply tighten petition circulation rules and increase penalties. The proposal would require circulators to be Florida residents and U.S. citizens, impose training and registration requirements, shorten petition submission deadlines, require more identifying information on petition forms, limit sponsors to one amendment per election cycle, and create new enforcement and investigation triggers, including a 25% invalid-signature threshold. Sponsors argued the changes were needed to address fraud and protect the integrity of constitutional amendment petitions, while senators raised concerns about due process, public-records issues, burdens on volunteers, and the impact on voters and sponsors. The bill was not reported in the portion provided, and the discussion remained ongoing at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• For me again, it doesn't matter to me what issue comes up regarding our voter registration system.
• They keep the same voter registration for years and years, never changing it.
• I got up and went down to the registration office and asked them what's going on.
• Well, beginning on line 41, they went to a national voter registration act.
• I got to say, the ERIC system and their mission states they want to increase voter registration.

Bills: HB 14, HJR 31, HB 43, HB 18, HB 106, HB 36, HB 26, HB 149, HB 121, HB 206, HB 136, HB 3114, HB 2733, HB 1732, HB 3700, HB 467, HB 1130, HB 1846, HB 1442, HB 1147, HB 2176, HB 2701, HB 805, HB 2890, HB 1154, HB 1644, HB 2118, HB 1718, HB 2488, HB 2596, HB 1971, HB 2468, HB 484, HB 2578, HB 3204, HB 1041, HB 307, HB 685, HB 1710, HB 538, HB 2525, HB 3125, HB 2027, HB 2894, HB 3077, HB 3684, HJR 99, HB 1399, HJR 5, HB 1330, HB 2110, HJR 2, HJR 6, HB 1587, HB 14, HJR 31, HB 43, HB 18, HB 106, HB 36, HB 26, HB 149, HB 121, HB 206, HB 136, HB 3114, HB 2733, HB 1732, HB 3700, HB 467, HB 1130, HB 1846, HB 1442, HB 1147, HB 2176, HB 2701, HB 805, HB 2890, HB 1154, HB 1644, HB 2118, HB 1718, HB 2488, HB 2596, HB 1971, HB 2468, HB 484, HB 2578, HB 3204, HB 1041, HB 307, HB 685, HB 1710, HB 538, HB 2525, HB 3125, HB 2027, HB 2894, HB 3077, HB 3684

Keywords: nuclear energy, advanced reactors, energy security, grant programs, Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Office, farm products, tax exemption, ad valorem taxation, agriculture, Texas Constitution, livestock, producer, finance, young farmers, financial assistance, pest control, rural health, hospital funding, healthcare access, mental health services

Bills: SB146, SB143, SB144, SB145, HB224, SB152, SB153, SB154, SB162, SB226, SB146, SB143, SB144, SB145, HB224, SB152, SB153, SB154, SB162, SB226

Keywords: supplemental appropriation, FY2025 budget, general fund, Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy, Unified Judicial System, court automation, advanced technology and data exchange, judiciary funding, transportation debt service, highway bonds, bridge bonds, Alabama Department of Transportation, ALDOT, public highways, federal matching funds, state appropriations, bond principal and interest, special funds, budget amendment, SB143

Bills: SB2613, SB2543, SB2398, SB2046, SB2800, SB2818, SB2973, SB2367, SB2907, SB3067, SB3053, SB2944, SB2074, SB2596

Keywords: public school land transfer, Department of Education, DOE, land conveyance, fee simple title, tax map key, TMK, Act 307, Session Laws of Hawaii 2022, Act 139, Board of Land and Natural Resources, BLNR, Department of Land and Natural Resources, DLNR, Kauai, Maui, Honolulu, Kaimuki Middle School, Wilcox Elementary School, school property

Summary: The committee heard testimony on SB 2613, SD1, HD1, relating to public school land transfer. The Attorney General’s office and the Department of Education supported the bill’s technical cleanup of Act 307, but strongly opposed a new provision that would convey school parcels containing public and school library facilities to the Hawaii State Public Library System. They argued the added transfer language conflicted with Act 307’s purpose of consolidating school land for more efficient school operations, and said existing law already allows co-located library use through rights of entry, licenses, or other agreements. The library system supported the bill and said it was trying to resolve longstanding operational conflicts on shared school-campus libraries, especially where public access, construction, and campus safety issues arise. Members questioned whether the Board of Education should simply mediate the dispute, whether the bill was the right solution, and whether a formal memorandum of agreement might be a better approach than a land transfer. The library system described years of difficulty coordinating with DOE on projects and said it needed a clearer process to complete work and spend CIP funds. Discussion also touched on a Kauai parcel in the bill, identified as a tennis court, and whether resurfacing could be completed before any transfer. The Attorney General indicated that if the goal is to preserve library uses while keeping title with the state, DLNR or another documented arrangement may be more appropriate than transferring fee title to the library system. The committee then heard SB 2543 SD2 HD1, relating to state construction projects. DAGS supported the measure, and the Hawaii Ironworkers Stabilization Fund and Hawaii Building Construction Trade Council strongly supported it, saying the bill would help spot-check high-cost projects and reduce waste from overruns and delays. One testifier opposed the bill, arguing the proposed construction manager role was too limited and that DAGS needed more training, decentralized authority, and better internal decision-making rather than a new layer of oversight. Supporters said the bill was intended as a pilot program to address repeated cost overruns and improve accountability on state construction projects.

Bills: SB1238, SB1277, SB1304, SB1378, SB1423, SB1484, SB1501, SR32, SB1502, SB1721, SB1735, SB1832, SB1847, SB1859, SB1876, SB2170, SB2182

Keywords: domestic abuse, domestic violence, assault and battery, strangulation, intimate partner violence, family or household member, repeat offender, felony enhancement, Class B5 felony, stalking, batterers intervention program, court-ordered treatment, protective order, presence of a child, pregnant victim, great bodily injury, animal cruelty, cockfighting, dogfighting, sex offender registration

Transcript Highlights:

• health care providers who can submit an affidavit for a new certificate of birth for certain birth registrants
• We don't have any license or permit or registration for those out-of-state doctors.

Bills: HB2323, HB2324, HB1509, HB2164, HB2165, HB2367, HB2619, HB1765, HB2187, HB1864, HB1452, HB2314, HB1898, HB2558, HB2319, HB1643, HB2121

Keywords: workers' compensation, treatment plans, vocational rehabilitation, electronic submission, reporting requirements, occupational safety, hoisting machines, discrimination protection, Department of Labor, safety standards, treatment plan, injured worker, medical treatment authorization, employer response deadline, secure electronic transmission, facsimile, fax, mail submission, denial of care, medical necessity

Summary: The committee heard several administration bills related largely to workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance. On HB 2323 HD1, which would modernize workers’ compensation notice and filing procedures, DLIR and other agencies testified in support of the original bill language but said HD1 removed key components and weakened the bill’s clarity and continuity. HB 2324 HD1, which would repeal state hoisting-machine certification requirements and the separate crane operator certificate, drew support from DLIR; members asked about whether the change would affect safety or local operators, and DLIR said OSHA-compliant certifications already exist and the union supported the change. HB 1509 HD1, which would require faster employer responses to treatment plans and impose penalties for nonresponse, received support from DLIR and others, while DHRD said it wanted an amendment. The committee also took up HB 2164 HD1 on compounded prescription drugs in workers’ compensation. DLIR supported the bill as a way to define compounded drugs and curb inflated pricing, but DHRD and a medical provider opposed it and asked for amendments. Testimony focused heavily on whether the definition should include 503B compounding facilities and whether physician dispensing should be limited to the first 30 days after injury. HB 2165 HD1, dealing with unemployment insurance eligibility and removing the two-year limit on recouping overpayments, was supported by DLIR but opposed by Unite Here Local 5, which argued it would make it harder for striking workers and other claimants. Members questioned the impact of changing reporting deadlines from calendar days to business days and raised concerns about future benefit offsets; DLIR said the bill was needed for federal conformity and that the committee would revisit the offset percentage and effective date. Later, the committee heard HB 2367 on pay transparency, requiring salary ranges in job postings and removing the small-employer exemption. The Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, AAUW, Hawaii Women Lawyers, and an individual testifier supported the bill, saying pay transparency promotes fairness, trust, and pay equity; one testifier described being underpaid compared with a predecessor and said posting ranges would save applicants’ time. HB 2619 HD1, concerning homemade food products and farm kitchens, received generally supportive comments from the Department of Health, which requested an amendment to preserve flexibility in future rulemaking. HB 1765 HD1, on spear-fishing safety warnings, drew support from a safety educator and comments from DLNR; supporters said warning labels would help prevent hypoxic blackout deaths and were low-cost and easy to implement. No votes or final committee actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• volunteer management system on spontaneous volunteers and incorporates exceptions to the volunteer registration

Bills: SB8, SB4, SB43, SB1, SB2, SB13, SB6, SB10, SB16, SB14, SB3, SB8, SB4, SB43, SB1, SB2, SB13, SB6, SB10, SB16, SB14, SB3

Keywords: education, accountability, public school assessment, state law, transparency, intervention, performance ratings, Texas congressional redistricting, U.S. House districts, congressional map, redistricting, gerrymandering, 2020 Census, census tracts, block groups, voting districts, election law, Texas House of Representatives districts, federal congressional districts, 2026 elections

Bills: HB18, HB37, HB116, HB18, HB37, HB116, HB388, HB879, HB913, HB1151, HB2216, HB2358, HB2809, SB577, SB1590, SB1782, SB1887, SB2744

Keywords: HB 18, Texas Legislature, quorum break, quorum-busting, legislative walkout, absent legislators, political contributions, campaign finance, political expenditures, legislative caucus, specific-purpose committee, Texas Ethics Commission, civil penalty, show cause order, district court, Fifteenth Court of Appeals, session fundraising, travel lodging food expenses, legislative session, compelled attendance

Transcript Highlights:

• Quickly today, the committee uses electronic witness registration.
• House Bill 18 will enhance the Medicaid reimbursement and re-registration for rural hospitals, directing
• We do have a late witness registration. Sheila Hemphill. Sheila Hemphill, in support of HB 1151.
• Hearing none, registration is closed.
• Without objection, the chair intends to close witness registration on all bills.

Bills: HB18, HB37, HB116, HB388, HB879, HB913, HB1151, HB2216, HB2358, HB2809, SB577, SB1590, SB1782, SB1887, SB2744, HB18, HB37, HB116

Keywords: rural health, hospital funding, healthcare access, mental health services, financial stability, perinatal bereavement, healthcare, hospital training, bereavement support, maternal care, fetal demise, stillbirth, neonatal death, parent-child relationship, involuntary termination, family law, child welfare, child protection, HB 388, HB388