Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Natural Resources and Energy will not meet this morning. >> Are there any further announcements
• Senate Natural Resources<02:09:32.440><c> and</c><02:09:32.520><c> Energy</c><02:09:32.760><c> will</
• c><02:09:32.880><c> not</c><02:09:33.160><c> meet</c><02:09:33.320><c> this</c> Resources and Energy
• will not meet this Resources and Energy will not meet this morning.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the executive director of Ramsey-Washington Recycling and Energy. We appreciate you, Mr.
• director of Ramsey-Washington<00:30:37.480><c> Recycling</c><00:30:38.000><c> and</c><00:30:38.160><c> Energy
• </c> Ramsey-Washington Recycling and Energy. Ramsey-Washington Recycling and Energy.

Committee: Senate Environment, Climate, and Legacy

Transcript Highlights:

• some other states have housing that's more affordable than ours, we really need to look at all the energy
• 46.640><c> the</c> ours, we really need to look at all the ours, we really need to look at all the energy
• <c> that</c><01:09:47.759><c> have</c><01:09:48.000><c> been</c><01:09:48.159><c> implemented</c> energy
• codes that have been implemented energy codes that have been implemented by<01:09:48.960><c> the</c>

Bills: HF4319 , HF3295 , HF3589 , HF3587 , HF3588 , HF4295 , HF3571 , HF3895

Committee: House Elections Finance and Government Operations

Keywords: public utilities commission, Lake City, port authority, Red Wing, terms of appointment, local government, elections, open meeting law, transparency, public engagement, social media, government accountability, voter access, polling place, ballot, unexpected needs, election judge, public information, political parties, HF4295

Transcript Highlights:

• For example, I worked with an agriculture company to draft policies around sustainable school energy.
• draft policies around<00:04:47.560><c> sustainable</c><00:04:48.320><c> school</c><00:04:48.680><c> energy
• </c> around sustainable school energy. around sustainable school energy.

Committee: Senate Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:43:05.120><c> The</c><01:43:05.240><c> Non-Energy</c> &gt;&gt; Thank you Madam Speaker.
• The Non-Energy &gt;&gt; Thank you Madam Speaker.
• The Non-Energy Utility<01:43:06.360><c> Subcommittee</c><01:43:07.000><c> of</c><01:43:07.120><c> the
• The Non-Energy Utility Subcommittee of the Environment and Transportation Committee will be meeting immediately

Summary: The House met in Annapolis on February 27, 2026, with 128 members present. After a prayer, the chamber adopted the previous day’s journal and recognized a resolution honoring Brunswick High School’s first Tech Challenge team, Minerva’s Mechanics, for winning the FTC Regional Championships and qualifying for the World Championship in Houston. The resolution was read and adopted with applause. The main legislative item was House Bill 355, concerning the Education, Sexual Abuse and Assault Awareness and Prevention Program and human and sex trafficking; the House adopted the favorable committee report and ordered the bill printed for third reading. The next bill, House Bill 534 on nonpublic school transcripts and prohibiting punitive measures related to student debt, also received a favorable report. Debate then centered on an amendment offered to HB 534 that would have tied school funding to student choice for students in repeatedly one-star-rated schools and allowed parents of habitually violent or disruptive students to consider military boarding school options. The sponsor argued Maryland’s public schools, especially in Baltimore City, were failing students despite heavy spending, citing low literacy, violence, and the book Failure Factory; several members echoed concerns about school performance, bureaucracy, and the need for educational freedom. Opponents and procedural speakers said the amendment was not germane to HB 534, which they described as a narrow bill about transcript access for students leaving nonpublic schools with unpaid fees, often students with disabilities. The floor leader urged the body to resist the amendment and stick to the bill’s actual subject. Despite multiple members explaining their votes in support of school choice and criticizing the Blueprint and school outcomes, the House ultimately took a roll call on the amendment after a voice vote was challenged. The transcript cuts off during the roll call and does not show the final recorded result on the amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• And as I said, we do consider design factors such as accessibility, energy efficiency, and climate resilience
• > consider design factors such as consider design factors such as accessibility,<01:02:15.280><c> energy
• </c><01:02:15.680><c> efficiency,</c><01:02:16.319><c> and</c> accessibility, energy efficiency, and
• accessibility, energy efficiency, and climate<01:02:17.040><c> resilience</c><01:02:17.599><c> in</c>

Committee: House Capital Investment

Transcript Highlights:

• But putting this into our statutes is harmful, and I'd encourage you to direct your energies toward the
• , and I'd encourage you to direct harmful, and I'd encourage you to direct your<01:23:53.520><c> energies
• c> toward</c><01:23:54.239><c> the</c><01:23:54.480><c> state</c><01:23:54.719><c> plan</c> your energies
• toward the state plan your energies toward the state plan amendment<01:23:55.440><c> process,</c><01

Bills: HF3439 , HF3763

Committee: House Health Finance and Policy

Keywords: Medical Assistance, Medicaid, MNsure, MinnesotaCare, disability determination, expedited eligibility, state medical review team, compassionate allowance, rare disease, home and community-based services, long-term care, managed care, county-based purchasing, eligibility redetermination, periodic data matching, death master file, Social Security Administration, program integrity, income eligibility, asset test

Transcript Highlights:

• There are partners on that pipeline feed study including Merit Energy with fields that you're aware of
• that pipeline feed study<01:21:17.920><c> including</c><01:21:18.320><c> Merit</c><01:21:18.719><c> Energy
• </c><01:21:19.679><c> with</c><01:21:20.000><c> fields</c> study including Merit Energy with fields study
• including Merit Energy with fields that<01:21:20.800><c> you're</c><01:21:21.120><c> aware</c><01:21

Bills: HB0075 , HB0128

Committee: Senate Minerals, Business & Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:

• working on a statewide program on environment that deals with clean water and hackin sack uh home um energy
• sack</c><00:41:35.599><c> uh</c><00:41:35.839><c> home</c><00:41:36.480><c> um</c><00:41:36.800><c> energy
• </c> and hackin sack uh home um energy and hackin sack uh home um energy efficiency<00:41:37.920><c>

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, the amount of effort and energy you put into this is not lost on me.
• /c><01:30:33.679><c> of</c><01:30:33.840><c> effort</c><01:30:34.080><c> and</c><01:30:34.320><c> energy
• </c><01:30:34.480><c> you</c><01:30:34.719><c> put</c> the amount of effort and energy you put the amount
• of effort and energy you put into<01:30:35.040><c> this</c><01:30:35.199><c> is</c><01:30:35.360><c>

Bills: SF0035 , SF0090 , SF0072

Committee: House Education

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, I am in committee over in energy and natural resources.
• 06:42.400><c> in</c> Chairman, I am in uh committee over in Chairman, I am in uh committee over in energy
• 00:06:43.360><c> I</c><00:06:43.440><c> have</c><00:06:43.520><c> a</c><00:06:43.680><c> bill</c> energy
• I have a bill energy natural resource.

Committee: Senate Commerce

Transcript Highlights:

• once a quarter and, hey, are we using our resources effectively, our public funds, our time, our energy
• funds,<01:34:55.199><c> our</c><01:34:55.520><c> time,</c><01:34:55.920><c> our</c><01:34:56.159><c> energy
• ,</c><01:34:56.880><c> like</c> funds, our time, our energy, like funds, our time, our energy, like stop

Summary: The joint informational briefing from the House Committee on Agriculture and Food Systems and the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Environment focused on the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity’s update on Hawaii’s biosecurity framework, especially implementation of Act 231 (2024) and Act 236 (2025). Chairs Corey Chun and Mike Gabbard opened the meeting by framing the briefing as an update on investments to fight invasive species and improve statewide evaluation and coordination. Department leaders Sharon Her and Richard Kim described historic legislative and executive investments that have allowed the department to rebuild and modernize biosecurity infrastructure to better prevent, detect, control, and eradicate invasive species. The presentation emphasized the importance of biosecurity to Hawaii’s agriculture, economy, environment, and public well-being, citing threats such as rapid ohia death, little fire ant, coconut rhinoceros beetle, brown tree snake, and red imported fire ant. Staff explained the state’s layered approach—pre-border, border, and post-border—and compared it to New Zealand’s model, stressing that Hawaii must act as a “net, not a wall” and that prevention before entry is far more cost-effective than response after establishment. They also outlined agency roles across the system, including agriculture, natural resources, health, transportation, enforcement, and university partners, and noted that Act 231 strengthened authority over high-risk imports, offshore treatment, compliance agreements, and pest management plans, while Act 236 renamed the department and clarified statewide biosecurity coordination. Jonathan Ho then walked through specific program areas and progress. He said pre-border risk analysis is being supported by Act 231 funding and a university contract, while offshore compliance and treatment efforts have improved substantially, including Christmas tree inspections from Oregon and Washington and airline declaration systems that provide advance passenger information. For border work, he highlighted inspections, surveillance, detector dogs, and port monitoring. For post-border response and readiness, he discussed the invasive pest hotline and dashboard, trace-forward/trace-back and diagnostics, preparedness for future threats, and the need to build stronger internal capacity. He also described a developing transitional facilities program authorized by Act 236, modeled on New Zealand’s certified facilities system, and said the department has already begun outreach to industry groups such as the Hawaii Floriculture and Nursery Association. No votes or formal actions were taken; the meeting was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• owners to access capital in days, enabling them to buy equipment, open shops, and invest in clean energy
• 46.480><c> clean</c> equipment, open shops, invest in clean equipment, open shops, invest in clean energy
• <c> it's</c><00:35:48.079><c> an</c><00:35:48.320><c> amazing</c><00:35:48.560><c> technology</c> energy
• Um it's an amazing technology energy.

Summary: The Hawaii State Senate Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection held an informational briefing on digital assets, blockchain, and related regulatory developments. Chair Jarrett Keohoko said the committee was focusing on national and state policy issues around digital assets, while leaving the separate issue of Bitcoin kiosks and fraud to the House Consumer Protection Committee, which had already noticed a similar briefing. No public testimony was taken; the session was for informational updates and member questions. Representatives from the Aptos Foundation, including JC Yun and Michael Cheng, gave a detailed presentation on blockchain basics and Aptos’s technology. They described blockchain as a tamper-resistant digital ledger, explained proof-of-work and proof-of-stake systems, and argued that proof-of-stake networks are faster, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly. They also emphasized smart contracts and potential uses beyond speculation, such as car titles, college transcripts, collectibles, digital IDs, real estate, and other tokenized assets. The presenters highlighted Aptos’s Hawaii connections and said the technology could help local residents and businesses participate in the digital economy. They cited adoption statistics, including billions of transactions on Aptos, tokenized money market funds from major financial firms, micro-lending applications, decentralized cloud infrastructure, and the rapid growth of stablecoins. They acknowledged concerns about scams and consumer protection, but argued that the answer is stronger regulation and education rather than avoiding the technology altogether.

Transcript Highlights:

• Delivered fuels provide the same benefits as utilities and the energy these businesses need to operate
• c><00:13:41.040><c> the</c> same benefits as utilities and the same benefits as utilities and the energy
• <c> businesses</c><00:13:42.320><c> need</c><00:13:42.560><c> to</c><00:13:42.800><c> operate</c> energy
• these businesses need to operate energy these businesses need to operate in<00:13:43.639><c> Minnesota

Committee: House Transportation Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• dot-com environment to the Great Financial Crisis to the COVID emergency, the need and demand, and the energy
• advisory councils uh other boards and advisory councils like<00:15:15.240><c> the</c><00:15:15.399><c> energy
• </c><00:15:15.759><c> transition</c><00:15:16.279><c> advisory</c> like the energy transition advisory
• like the energy transition advisory Council<00:15:17.920><c> uh</c><00:15:18.040><c> being</c><00:15

Bills: HF1538 , HF1965 , HF2251 , HF2838

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Keywords: teacher apprenticeship, registered apprenticeship, teacher licensure, teacher shortage, workforce development, education finance, K-12 education, higher education, Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board, PELSB, Tier 3 license, teacher preparation, mentor teacher, school district, cooperative unit, teacher pipeline, alternative licensure, apprenticeship program, labor and industry, union representation

Transcript Highlights:

• with a project over $50 million to put in a digtor that will be able to handle or create renewable energies
• will be able to handle or create that will be able to handle or create renewable<01:53:48.080><c> energies
• c> um</c><01:53:49.520><c> and</c><01:53:49.760><c> that</c><01:53:50.000><c> will</c> renewable energies
• um and that will renewable energies um and that will support<01:53:50.800><c> us</c><01:53:51.040><c

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development

Transcript Highlights:

• Demand for skilled operators is very high, from clean energy to roads, bridges.
• very<01:20:47.199><c> high</c><01:20:47.560><c> from</c><01:20:47.760><c> clean</c><01:20:48.040><c> energy
• </c><01:20:48.400><c> to</c><01:20:48.679><c> roads</c> very high from clean energy to roads very high
• from clean energy to roads Bridges<01:20:49.480><c> our</c><01:20:49.679><c> communities</c><01:20:50.239

Bills: HF339 , HF1272 , HF2121 , HF2122 , HF1216 , HF1003 , HF2319

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Energy prices are volatile, talking about how, you know, not being able to anticipate weather changes
• weather represents major risk<00:31:16.279><c> prices</c><00:31:16.600><c> are</c><00:31:16.840><c> Energy
• </c><00:31:17.279><c> prices</c><00:31:17.559><c> are</c> risk prices are Energy prices are risk prices
• are Energy prices are volatile<00:31:19.000><c> um</c><00:31:19.159><c> sort</c><00:31:19.320><c> of

Committee: House Public Safety Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• So that's the Energy and Commerce Committee.
• Medicaid<00:02:18.480><c> so</c><00:02:18.680><c> that's</c><00:02:18.840><c> the</c><00:02:19.080><c> Energy
• </c><00:02:19.480><c> and</c> Medicaid so that's the Energy and Medicaid so that's the Energy and Commerce

Committee: Senate Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• They want to build food sovereignty practices and energy sovereignty resources.
• <01:25:47.000><c> practices</c><01:25:47.840><c> and</c><01:25:48.480><c> um</c><01:25:48.880><c> energy
• </c> sovereignty practices and um energy sovereignty practices and um energy resources<01:25:50.719><

Committee: House Higher Education Finance and Policy