Transcript Highlights:

• This measure prohibits the sale of raw AI, including AIP pooke or processed AI, in retail establishments
• without a label that states the country where the AI was landed.
• This measure prohibits the sale of raw AI, including AIP pooke or processed AI, in retail establishments
• without a label that states the country where the AI was landed.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard SB 573, which would require condominium associations to repair defective common-element conditions that create health or safety violations. Testimony was overwhelmingly opposed, including from the Community Associations Institute and construction-defect counsel, who argued the bill could lead to piecemeal repairs and unintended damage in complex building systems. The measure was deferred. The committee then heard SB 1038 on privacy and data-breach notice requirements. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs supported the bill as a modernization of the law, while the Hawaii Financial Services Association, Consumer Data Industry Association, and other groups opposed it, mainly over the proposed redaction standard for Social Security numbers and concerns about making Hawaii an outlier compared with other states. Members discussed possible amendments, including harmonizing with other states and clarifying encryption and redaction rules. The committee later voted to pass SB 1038 with amendments, including changes from the Office of Consumer Protection, Hawaii Bankers Association, and State Privacy and Security Coalition, and deferred the effective date to July 1, 2050. The committee also took up SB 890 and voted to pass it with amendments and recommit it to the CPN committee for a hearing before the decking deadline. In a separate decision-making segment, the committee passed SB 1291 on CPA licensure with amendments after testimony from accounting groups, educators, and others described a shortage of accountants and supported an alternate pathway using public-accounting experience. The committee adopted amendments clarifying the education and experience requirements and then approved the measure. Later, the committee also passed several additional measures on a decision agenda, including SB 129 SD1, SB 140 SD1, SB 144 SD1, SB 1197 SD1, SB 1341, SB 411 SD1, and SB 1438, generally with amendments or as introduced, and all were adopted without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• Cyber, with the changes occurring, with quantum computing, the changes with generative AI, these are
• Adoption of AI is changing that dramatically.
• The question to you is about the AI implementation strategy that the Army currently has.
• Senator, my understanding of how AI implementation is occurring is that it is siloed right now.
• So I think we need to be focusing on this AI threat because the speed and the pace of the growth here

Transcript Highlights:

• The Study Act will provide opportunities for students to understand the harms of AI and social media
• Without proper education, people don't know that AI can reinforce prejudices, spread misinformation,
• The Study Act will provide opportunities for students to understand the harms of AI and social media
• I'm also concerned importance of classes to teach you about AI and sex ethics.
• AI and all its challenges are here.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee opened a public hearing on 41 bills related to school climate and safety, with chairs Jason Lewis and Ken Gordon outlining procedures and noting more than 125 witnesses. The first major topic was the “Study Act” on cell phones in schools and related social media restrictions (House 666/Senate 335). Secretary of Education Pat Tutwiler and Attorney General Andrea Campbell testified in strong support, arguing that bell-to-bell phone-free policies would improve student focus, reduce anxiety and distraction, and support mental health. Several legislators also supported the approach, though Representative Jeff Turco and Senator John Keenan emphasized narrower bills focused only on school-day phone restrictions rather than broader social media regulation. Senator John Velis likewise backed a comprehensive school-hours restriction, citing student distraction and mental health concerns. Representative Tarsky described successful implementation of a Yondr pouch system in a school where he served as principal, saying it improved engagement and reduced bullying and discipline issues. The committee then heard testimony on a bill to prohibit Native American mascots in public schools (Senate 312/House 575). Senator Joe Comerford, Brittany Wally, and Rhonda Anderson all urged passage, saying Native mascots are dehumanizing, harmful to Native youth, and inconsistent with civil rights and educational values. They described support from tribal nations and noted that many Massachusetts schools have already changed mascots, but some still resist. The hearing also included testimony on school start times (House 647/Senate 360), where middle school students Caroline Duffy and Emery Jarvis described exhaustion and survey data showing widespread sleep deprivation. Former educator Telia Jacobs, former principal Rep. Tarsky, and others argued that later start times would improve health, learning, and student well-being, while acknowledging transportation and scheduling challenges. Zoriana Petrosian, who helped write one of the bills as a student, said the state already has enough research to act now. Additional bills drew testimony on related school issues. Dr. Raul Fernandez supported a bill promoting racially integrated schools (Senate 324), citing a recent advisory council report showing large disparities in segregated schools and urging DESE to develop a statewide integration strategy. On safe firearm storage education (House 548/Senate 397), multiple witnesses from Grassroots for Gun Violence Prevention and school communities supported annual school-based education about secure storage, saying it would help prevent child access to unsecured firearms and build on local resolutions already adopted in some districts. The committee also heard testimony on bills to expand career and academic plans (House 533/Senate 438), with speakers saying more structured planning would help students make informed college and career choices. Later, testimony on child sexual abuse prevention and survivor support bills described the prevalence of abuse, the need for training in schools and youth-serving organizations, and the importance of extending compensation and prevention measures. Throughout the hearing, chairs repeatedly closed bills with no witnesses and moved the agenda forward, but no votes were taken in the portion of the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• They'll leverage the university's new AI hub and our established commitment to exemplary teaching to
• They'll leverage the university's new AI hub and our established commitment to exemplary teaching to
• They'll leverage the university's new AI hub and our established commitment to exemplary teaching to
• They'll leverage the university's new AI hub and our established commitment to exemplary teaching to
• They'll leverage the university's new AI hub and our established commitment to exemplary teaching to

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• AI and computing, I'll talk a little about that later on, continues to be a big emphasis.
• I mentioned AI earlier, and this is an area that we are leaning into very heavily.
• We have a new computer called Venado, you may have heard of, where we are doing a lot of AI work.
• For example, the potential for AI to help with drug discovery, for example, for cancer treatment.
• To supply greater data center type of information for AI and for the facility itself. Mr.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Those are the skills that never go away that AI can never take away.
• The biggest change has been AI technology.
• the biggest driver, so you'll see that the audio-visual programs are starting to trend down because AI
• those jobs that we were training for entry-level accountants and things like that are now going to AI
• Amazon Nect has been a game changer because it's we're using AI.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• with you is before this, this is one of the areas we've dipped our toe into artificial intelligence or AI
• It's less than a minute now simply because AI now listens to the call and then basically just summarizes
• Another area where we implemented AI is now we have a collection system internally that helps us determine
• So, we launched an AI chatbot in collaboration with AWS Amazon to handle many of these conversations
• The ability to have an AI chatbot that we're consistently updating enabled us to offset some of those

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• IF YOU HAVE ANOTHER FORM OF LAYERED SECURITY, SOME OTHER AI WEAPONS DETECTION SYSTEM IT WOULD HELP IF
• I HAVE FRIENDS WHO BUILT COMPANIES AND I'M WATCHING WHAT'S GOING ON IN AI AND SCANNING AND HOW IT IS
• NOT METAL DETECTORS IT IS AI THAT IS ALL AROUND THAT IF SOMEONE WERE TO JUST BRANDISH BARELY A GUN OR
• AS YOU KNOW AI IS AN EMERGING TECHNOLOGY.
• INTENTION TO BRING OUR INSTITUTIONS TOGETHER AND IDENTIFY WHAT OUR POLICY SHOULD BE A COMPONENT OF AI

Transcript Highlights:

• and track the location of your vehicle anywhere in America and create a history over time and, using AI
• can<00:05:38.560> predict<00:05:38.880> where<00:05:39.120> you're And using AI
• They can turn it over. >> They could use AI and say this picture actually represents XYZ 123 license
• They can turn it over. >> They could use AI and say this picture actually represents XYZ 123 license
• >> They<00:11:48.720> could<00:11:48.800> use<00:11:48.959> AI<00:11:49.279

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're looking for reasonable ways to use tools to advance technology, that's mobile work and AI as well
• That's mobile work and AI as well, through an augmentation of the workforce and data protection, making
• When we're looking at AI, we're looking at how can these tools help state employees and our government
• So just putting some parameters around how AI is being used as it's directed towards employees.

Keywords: 904, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Employment Relations met on May 8, 2026, to receive updates on upcoming collective bargaining for the 2027–29 biennium. OFM’s Jenny Sheehan reviewed the state workforce, noting that most employees are represented, the workforce remains constrained by hiring limits and civil service rules, and bargaining goals include financially feasible agreements, maintaining labor relations, supporting an inclusive workplace, and addressing issues such as AI use, leave, and immigration-related workplace protections. She also outlined the bargaining calendar, the role of the June revenue forecast in determining what compensation proposals can be funded, and the need to reach tentative agreements by September 2026 for October 1 submission and legislative consideration. She described recent bargaining themes from unions, including limits on AI, expanded leave, access to union members in hybrid workplaces, and classification changes, and she summarized prior-cycle costs, including about $1.2 billion in general funds and $1.7 billion in total funds for 2025–27 awards, excluding the delayed WPEA agreements that were later funded after a return to bargaining. The committee then heard from Western Washington University and the University of Washington on higher education bargaining. Western described its locally bargained contracts, the importance of re-opener clauses tied to state budget decisions, and concerns about the instability of the state “fund split,” which shifts compensation costs between state funds and tuition revenue. Western also emphasized that student employees are increasingly central to retention and urged inclusion of student compensation in the wage base. UW similarly described its large and diverse workforce, the split between RCW 41.56 and 41.80 bargaining frameworks, and the reliance on state funding, tuition, and other revenue sources to cover compensation increases. UW highlighted the financial strain of the fund split, the lack of state funding for academic student employee compensation, and the impact of rising ASE costs on class sizes and the university’s teaching and research missions. OFM also presented on Washington Management Service bargaining, explaining that only certain WMS employees are covered, that bargaining began in 2024, and that current agreements include addenda for WMS-specific provisions. The presentation noted that WMS bargaining is still limited in scope, with only a few represented units, and that compensation bargaining generally covers band minimums and maximums rather than all salary levels. Finally, OFM reviewed interest arbitration rules for certain state employee groups, explaining that arbitration is available for some essential-service and statutorily covered employees, that arbitrators decide disputed contract language based on statutory criteria, and that awards still must be found financially feasible by OFM. Committee members asked about PFML treatment, the timing of arbitration, and the budget pressures facing bargaining, and the meeting adjourned without any votes or formal actions.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so I do think that when you think about the AI situation, oh my gosh, my time's almost over, Madam
• Here we go, we basically demonstrated, you know, a major milestone that happened in AI, and then immediately
• That trends like AI, changes in the lending market, that we're recognizing how they affect entrepreneurs
• You mentioned AI, I think, is a factor.

Keywords: SBA, small business, nominations, Bill Briggs, Casey Mulligan, regulations, capital access, public support

Summary: The Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship convened to consider the nominations of Bill Briggs for Deputy Administrator of the SBA and Dr. Casey Mulligan for Chief Counsel for Advocacy. The discussions highlighted the critical role of the SBA in promoting small businesses, with emphasis on overcoming challenges posed by excessive regulations and the need for improved access to capital. Several committee members expressed their concerns over recent layoffs within the SBA and the closure of district offices, which they believe undermine support for small businesses across the nation. The committee meeting saw extensive dialogue about the implications of regulations on small business operations and how the nominees plan to address these issues if confirmed. Public support for the nominees was acknowledged through letters from various stakeholders who advocate for small business interests.

Transcript Highlights:

• AI is going to be a large part of that.
• <00:02:35.640> those<00:02:35.800> will<00:02:36.040> consume<00:02:36.640> AI
• electricity that those will consume AI electricity that those will consume AI is<00:02:37.319>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So when I ran it through AI with coconuts, it, uh, if you see my report to you guys, the coconut industry
• when I<00:09:40.160> ran<00:09:40.360> it<00:09:40.480> through<00:09:40.760> AI
• <00:09:41.480> coconuts<00:09:42.120> it<00:09:42.360> uh I ran it through AI
• with coconuts it uh I ran it through AI with coconuts it uh if<00:09:42.560> you<00:09:42.680

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard two measures relating to dogs and coconut trees. On SB 301 SD1, which would add penalties for dog owners whose dogs destroy property on land zoned for a use, testimony was overwhelmingly supportive. Ranchers, farmers, and other testifiers described dogs attacking livestock, trespassing on property, and in some cases injuring people and killing goats or chickens. Several speakers urged stronger penalties, owner accountability, and in some cases insurance requirements. The Hawaii Farm Bureau also supported the bill, saying it would strengthen existing law and help protect agricultural producers. The committee noted there were 13 testimonies in support, none opposed, and no comments. The committee then heard SB 1582, which recognizes the coconut palm as an official sustainable staple food source in the state. Testimony was uniformly supportive from DLNR, the Hawaii Farm Bureau, Niu Now, and individual speakers who described the cultural, spiritual, and practical importance of niu/coconut in Hawaiian life, as well as its value as a food source and the need to protect it from the coconut rhinoceros beetle. Several speakers also emphasized biosecurity and continued funding for invasive species control. The committee stated there were 20 testimonies in support, none opposed, and no comments. In decision making, the committee recommended both measures be passed as is. SB 301 SD1 was adopted with four votes in favor and one no vote. SB 1582 was adopted unanimously, with five votes in favor.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I really go to the WGA, the Writers Guild of America, that embedded some stipulations for what AI
• simply could not do, and first draft cannot be written by... ...for what AI simply could not do and
• first draft cannot be written by AI.
• But those—when you do those productions, well, A, AI can't do a documentary with real people in it.
• AI or no AI, we still need human beings. So it's all long-studied and tested. We're proven.

Summary: The joint informational hearing focused on how recent federal actions are affecting arts, culture, humanities, libraries, museums, and the creative economy in California. Chair Ben Allen and Vice Chair Chris Ward opened by describing the hearing as a response to proposed and ongoing federal cuts to the NEA, NEH, IMLS, and public broadcasting, as well as grant terminations and leadership changes at cultural institutions. Several members emphasized the economic and civic importance of the arts, while one Republican member argued for greater ideological diversity in the arts and noted the loss of music programs in small schools. Testimony from Aaron Harky of Americans for the Arts and Jolie Fisher of SAG-AFTRA described the impact of federal policy on grants, jobs, and production. Harky said executive orders and the FY 2026 budget proposal threaten arts agencies and arts education, and that rescinded grants are causing hiring freezes, shutdowns, and losses for small organizations, especially in rural and underserved communities. Fisher focused on runaway film and television production, outdated tax rules, and the need for federal incentives, intellectual property protections, and action on AI and digital replicas. Members also discussed bipartisan support, the role of business and tourism partners, and the need to include more diverse voices in arts advocacy. The second panel featured Rick Noguchi of California Humanities, Greg Lucas of the State Library, and Danielle Purcell of the California Arts Council. Noguchi said NEH funding was cut immediately, putting California Humanities’ grantmaking and documentary programs at risk and prompting consideration of litigation and possible state support. Lucas reported that IMLS funding for California libraries was briefly canceled but partly restored, though a budget gap remains. Purcell said the California Arts Council is still awaiting federal award language for state partnership funds, but NEA grant terminations and the proposed elimination of federal cultural agencies create major uncertainty; she also said the council is assessing the damage and tracking impacts on grantees. Members asked about measuring outcomes, AI’s threat to creative work, documentary funding losses, and possible state and national strategies to protect cultural institutions and jobs.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we've acquired an AI training video to help us, you know, use prompts to develop training.
• So we've acquired an AI training video to help us, you know, use prompts to develop training.
• So we've acquired an AI training video to help us, you know, use prompts to develop training.
• So we've acquired an AI training video to help us, you know, use prompts to develop training.
• So we've acquired an AI training video to help us, you know, use prompts to develop training.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Fortunately, my AI research assistant managed to answer the question with superhuman speed.
• And apparently, at least according to the AI, which is always a dangerous way to go, they're not currently
• At least according to the AI, which is always a dangerous way to go, they're not currently required to

Bills: SB1006, SB1029, SB1037, SB1038, SB1040, SB1057, SB1060, SB1237

Keywords: campaign finance, contribution limits, reporting requirements, political action committees, elections, campaign contributions, candidate committees, posthumous provisions, termination process, Arizona Revised Statutes, voting systems, vote tabulation, election security, internet connectivity, offline voting, chain of custody, polling place equipment, counting center, central counting center, election management system

Summary: The Committee on Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections met and took up several election- and campaign-related bills. SB 1006 would raise the threshold for itemizing in-state individual campaign contributions in committee reports from $100 to $200 and increase the aggregate reporting threshold accordingly; staff described it as a straightforward campaign finance update, and it passed 4-3. SB 1029 would treat a candidate committee as intending to terminate upon the candidate’s death and allow certain designated individuals to serve as treasurer; testimony from the Town of Queen Creek described practical problems encountered after the deaths of officeholders, and the bill passed unanimously 7-0. SB 1038 would require county election officials to transmit the cast vote record to the Secretary of State and prohibit alteration except as otherwise allowed; members debated whether CVRs are already public records and whether the bill was needed, and it passed 4-3. SB 1237 would add county recorders and the House and Senate election committee leaders to the list of officials consulted by the Secretary of State when prescribing the Elections Procedures Manual; county officials testified this would better reflect their role in early voting and other election functions, and it passed 4-3. The committee also heard SB 1057, which would require vendors providing ballot paper fraud countermeasures to meet specified ISO certifications and include at least three of ten listed security features. Staff explained the ISO standards, and members discussed whether the bill needed additional safeguards and whether it differed from a vetoed bill from the prior session. The bill passed 4-3, with some members noting they wanted amendments or had concerns about the standards and the bill’s structure. After discussing several additional measures, the chair indicated he was not comfortable moving the remaining bills without the sponsor present. Without objection, the committee held the remaining bills and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• item presented for observation had no identifying tag number and/or serial number documented on the AIS
• Additionally, 10 of the 50 items tested had documented dates at AIS of being last inventoried two or
• items were not capitalized at the correct amount; one item that was still on hand was removed from AIS

Summary: The committee met with prayer and approved the January minutes, then heard a series of Arkansas Legislative Audit reports. Reports with findings were presented for the Department of Human Services, Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism, Department of Corrections, and Department of Veterans Affairs, along with a special report on law enforcement racial profiling policy compliance. Several reports without findings were also filed without objection. For DHS, auditors reported apparent thefts involving false benefit claims in disaster nutrition assistance and Medicaid, a nearly $610,000 altered warrant cashed by a California auto body shop, and multiple asset-control issues, including missing equipment, inventory discrepancies, and improper sales tax paid on exempt vehicle purchases. Members questioned DHS about the warrant fraud and whether other agencies or California officials had been notified. For Parks, Heritage, and Tourism, auditors cited missing museum receipts and problems with change funds at Daisy State Park and War Memorial Stadium; department officials said they are considering cashless payment options and provided an update on the museum loss investigation. For Corrections, auditors reported unauthorized personal fuel-card purchases totaling about $4,500 and a delayed disaster recovery test for critical IT systems. Department officials said staffing has been increased for fuel-card oversight and that a full production disaster recovery test is scheduled soon. For Veterans Affairs, auditors found improper pay for employees who were not working, duplicate vendor payment, and numerous overtime approvals that were not properly authorized; the department said it has tightened overtime approval procedures. The special report said only 203 of 383 law enforcement agencies had responded regarding racial profiling policies, and the Attorney General had notified the remaining agencies that they were not in compliance. The committee requested a list of nonresponding agencies and adjourned, with the next meeting scheduled for March 12.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Ors, this bill has to do with AI and the AI determination from insurance companies whether they
• has<00:10:53.600> to<00:10:53.760> do<00:10:53.839> with<00:10:54.000> AI

Bills: SB63, HB156, HB289, SB80, SB84, SB63, HB156, HB289, SB80, SB84

Keywords: immigration, law enforcement, fingerprints, DNA collection, illegal aliens, Alabama state law, out-of-state warrants, criminal procedure, extradition, Alabama Code, arrest authority, interstate cooperation, Marshall County, TVA, Tennessee Valley Authority, in-lieu-of-taxes, payments distribution, local legislation, school funding, education finance

Transcript Highlights:

• daughter<00:05:27.400> um<00:05:28.400> what<00:05:28.880> well<00:05:29.360> AI
• 00:05:29.840> was<00:05:30.000> applied<00:05:30.400> to daughter um what well AI
• was applied to daughter um what well AI was applied to an<00:05:30.680> image<00:05:30.919>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• nature are a kind of critical and core piece as we're talking about bringing in other technologies like AI
• There's a lot of excitement about how AI might be used to enhance quantum systems.
• relation to Representative Little's question that quantum computing centers require less water than the AI
• Systems like you would see in AI and data centers.
• Ivory said, we're not going to need massive water cooling like we see with AI centers.