Transcript Highlights:

• been law at the time it occurred<01:42:28.360><c> to</c><01:42:28.560><c> the</c><01:42:28.679><c> test
• </c> occurred to the test occurred to the test fire<01:42:31.199><c> yes</c><01:42:31.599><c> thank</

Bills: HF1051 , HF16

Committee: House Elections Finance and Government Operations

Transcript Highlights:

• All this talk about BRT is reminding me of the yards of black, hateful concrete that I tested along BRT
• built there because the developers can rely on the permanence of light rail. hateful concrete that I tested
• along brt hateful concrete that I tested along brt because<01:31:14.040><c> that's</c><01:31:14.600>

Committee: Senate Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• It uses the time-tested term reasonable use of force.
• We'll take the roll call. time- tested term reasonable Force time- tested term reasonable Force reasonable

Committee: House Public Safety Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• thank</c><00:29:36.440><c> you</c><00:29:37.039><c> for</c><00:29:37.279><c> your</c><00:29:37.519><c> test
• Welcome, Senator Hauschild, to your committee anytime you're ready. got any test testimony from the got
• any test testimony from the audience<00:45:47.079><c> well</c><00:45:47.280><c> thank</c><00:45:47.480

Committee: Senate Environment, Climate, and Legacy

Transcript Highlights:

• 00:29:10.039><c> this</c><00:29:10.240><c> can</c><00:29:10.399><c> be</c><00:29:10.600><c> do</c> Testing
• > on</c> followed by Jake uh Blake Johnson on followed by Jake uh Blake Johnson on Deck Deck Deck testing
• 43.240><c> chairman</c><00:29:43.720><c> members</c><00:29:44.000><c> of</c><00:29:44.159><c> the</c> Testing

Committee: House Energy Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• please</c><00:49:02.839><c> note</c><00:49:03.040><c> that</c><00:49:03.160><c> he</c><00:49:03.319><c> test
• </c> capital members please note that he test capital members please note that he test uh<00:49:03.880

Committee: House Higher Education

Summary: The House Committee on Higher Education met at the University of Hawaiʻi’s Bachman Hall and heard testimony on several UH-related bills. HB 542 would expand the Hawaiʻi Promise Program to provide unmet-need scholarships at four-year UH campuses. UH system officials, the UH Student Caucus, and a Honolulu Community College student testified in support, emphasizing college affordability, student retention, and workforce needs. Committee members asked about current program data, eligibility, transfer patterns, and cost; UH said it had data available, noted about 10% of current Hawaiʻi Promise students transfer to four-year campuses, and estimated the full expansion would cost about $12 million. UH also suggested a possible alternative of focusing on transfer opportunities from two-year to four-year campuses. The committee then heard HB 840, which concerns athletics appropriations for UH. UH Mānoa and UH Hilo supported the bill. UH officials said the funding would help cover recurring athletics operating costs, women’s sports travel and recruiting, Austin Awards, and a new nutrition fueling station, while Hilo said the money would help with travel, per diem, and conference-related costs. Members asked about the history of the athletics funding, the difference between Austin Awards and special talent waivers, NIL planning, and whether the appropriation should be restored to the base budget. UH explained that a $4 million athletics appropriation was originally made in 2018 or 2019, later removed from the base, and has been reappropriated annually since then. Finally, the committee heard HB 842, which would fund three additional permanent mental health practitioner positions at UH Mānoa’s Counseling and Student Development Center. UH supported the bill, and Academic Labor United and a high school student testified in favor, citing student stress, overwork, and the need for more counseling access. In questions, members discussed the current counselor-to-student ratio, recruitment challenges in a tight labor market, and strategies for hiring, including looking at candidates on soft-money grants who may be seeking stable employment. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• thank you um that's the only<00:59:34.440><c> person</c><00:59:34.720><c> who</c><00:59:35.000><c> test
• </c><00:59:35.760><c> signed</c><00:59:36.000><c> up</c><00:59:36.200><c> to</c> only person who test
• signed up to only person who test signed up to testify<00:59:36.720><c> in</c><00:59:36.799><c> s428

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Summary: The Judiciary Committee heard several bills on January 30. SB 286 and SB 287 both concerned supplemental funding for the Honolulu Department of the Prosecuting Attorney: SB 286 for the career criminal prosecution unit and SB 287 for the victim witness assistance program. Testimony from the department explained that these bills are filed each year because the Attorney General’s core budget allocation may not be sufficient, though the department said the core had recently been increased and the supplemental request might no longer be necessary. For SB 287, the department also warned of a possible federal Victims of Crime Act funding freeze that could cut about $1.88 million and severely harm victim services. Both bills drew support from county and community witnesses, and members asked about prior-year funding and why the requests were limited to fiscal 2025-26; no votes were taken in the excerpt. SB 289, from the State Ethics Commission, would create a more uniform administrative fine process under the ethics code and lobbyist law. The commission said the measure would not change substantive enforcement but would let it issue a notice and order of fine first, with the respondent able to request a hearing within 20 days, which would speed up cases that are not factually disputed. Members questioned whether the bill would deny due process or function like an automatic parking ticket, and the commission responded that respondents could still challenge the fine and that the process would apply to violations with fines under $1,000. The committee also heard SB 304, which would add 11 positions for the First Circuit Adult Client Services Branch; Judiciary testimony said probation caseloads are high, with an average of 116 cases per officer, and the added staff would help meet national supervision standards and better serve higher-risk clients. Members asked whether the positions were already in the budget and about current staffing ratios; the witness said the positions were not already funded and that the Judiciary supported the bill with amendments. The committee then heard SB 311, a proposed constitutional amendment to exclude spending money to influence elections from protected free speech. Testimony was strongly divided: supporters argued that Citizens United has distorted elections and empowered special interests, while opponents warned the language was too broad and could affect nonprofit advocacy and grassroots groups. Finally, SB 313 would impose a 1% wealth asset tax on individuals with $20 million or more in assets. The Department of Taxation said it had concerns about the bill’s ambiguity and administration and noted it would require annual valuation and likely additional resources; opponents, including family business representatives and the Tax Foundation of Hawaii, argued the tax would be difficult and costly to administer, would require sensitive business disclosures, and could force family businesses to pay from company cash. Supporters said wealthy residents should pay a fair share. The committee heard testimony and questions on these bills, but the excerpt does not show final committee votes or actions.

Transcript Highlights:

• in December um vision I I think back in December um there<00:27:28.720><c> was</c><00:27:28.919><c> test
• testimony</c><00:27:29.679><c> about</c><00:27:29.880><c> the</c><00:27:30.000><c> isps</c> there was test
• testimony about the isps there was test testimony about the isps not<00:27:31.919><c> utilizing</c><

Summary: The committee first reorganized by electing Representative Hart as House co-chair and Senator Douglas as Senate co-chair by acclamation, then approved the December 10 minutes. It then took up deferred and routine contract items, beginning with a Council on Postsecondary Education item that was withdrawn after staff explained the contract had been canceled and should not have come before the committee because the granting authority, not CPE, was issuing it. The committee next reviewed a Department for Local Government contract tied to an Eastern Kentucky flood recovery housing project in Jackson. Members questioned the high per-unit cost and whether renovation was more expensive than new construction. Staff explained the cost included acquisition of an existing downtown building and needed water and sewer infrastructure upgrades, and said developable land was limited in the area. With no motion to object, the contract was allowed to move forward. The committee then considered Kentucky Transportation Cabinet professional services contracts for highway design work. Members asked about the size of the contracts and how much of the available funding is typically used; staff said the contracts are two-year agreements, that the prior cycle reached close to $2 million per contract, and that this year’s limits were reduced because less money is available in the Highway Plan. The committee also approved a PSC amendment contract for the Bridging Kentucky program after staff explained the $150 hourly loaded rate was within the normal range for consultants. Both Transportation Cabinet items were approved without objection. Finally, the committee heard a Kentucky Communications Network Authority contract for an $85,000 study of the dark fiber market. Members asked what dark fiber is, why the study was needed, whether there was coordination with the Office of Broadband Development, and whether existing service meant there was already a market. KCNA said dark fiber is unused fiber that local providers can light to deliver service, that the study was needed because the contractor said no market existed while ISPs said demand exists, and that the report would help both KCNA oversight and broadband development planning. The contract was reviewed without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• half what we did per pupil and had about the same, uh, answers on the same, uh, rates on the school testing
• half what we did per pupil and had about the same, uh, answers on the same, uh, rates on the school testing
• half what we did per pupil and had about the same, uh, answers on the same, uh, rates on the school testing
• half what we did per pupil and had about the same, uh, answers on the same, uh, rates on the school testing
• half what we did per pupil and had about the same, uh, answers on the same, uh, rates on the school testing

Committee: House Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• But then you're saying the test requirement is that a lease would then— >> Sure.
• tenant puts the thermostat down as low as it will go and then complains that it's too hot, the person testing
• it's too hot, and then complains that it's too hot, the<02:12:30.400><c> person</c><02:12:30.719><c> testing
• whether</c><02:12:31.360><c> or</c><02:12:31.520><c> not</c><02:12:31.679><c> the</c> the person testing
• whether or not the the person testing whether or not the landlord<02:12:32.239><c> is</c><02:12:32.480

Summary: The Senate convened with an invocation by Rabbi Ari Goldstein, whose remarks were journalized at the request of the senator from District 33. The chamber then recognized the doctor of the day, Dr. Maryann Lamont, for her 50 years in medicine and her work in neurology and stroke care, and also thanked a legislative aide, Samantha Briggs, who is leaving for law school. The presiding officer noted a quorum was present and moved into the day’s floor work. The Senate handled several messages and committee reports, including a conference committee appointment on Senate Bill 18, which concerns provisional social work licensure. In Finance, the chamber advanced Senate Bill 246 on Health Services Cost Review Commission member terms, Senate Bill 370 on acupuncture board revisions, Senate Bill 564 creating a Division of Data Protection in the Attorney General’s office and a related work group, Senate Bill 782 on telecommunications infrastructure protections, Senate Bill 808 on health insurance provider panel requirements, Senate Bill 849 on agricultural equipment warranties, Senate Bill 867 on the Maryland Aerospace and Technology Commission, and Senate Bill 982 on mutual insurance holding companies converting back to mutual insurers. Most of these bills were reported favorably with technical or conforming amendments, which were adopted without objection, and each was ordered printed for third reading. The committee also considered several House bills with Senate cross-files or identical measures. These included House Bill 118 on money transmitter licensing, House Bills 339 and 512 on Anne Arundel County Board of License Commissioners compensation, House Bill 1100 on telecommunications infrastructure protections, House Bill 1395 on agricultural equipment warranties, House Bill 1473 creating Maryland’s Future Board, House Bill 226 on Department of Disabilities housing programs, House Bill 278 codifying the Longevity Ready Maryland plan, and House Bill 746 on collaborative care model coverage and cost-sharing limits. In each case, the committee reports were adopted, amendments were approved where offered, and the bills were advanced to third reading or passed for third reading, with no recorded opposition on the floor.

Transcript Highlights:

• c><00:16:51.120><c> to</c><00:16:51.279><c> reschedu</c><00:16:52.000><c> the</c><00:16:52.320><c> test
• </c><00:16:52.560><c> the</c><00:16:52.959><c> uh</c> we have to reschedu the test the uh we have to
• reschedu the test the uh hearing,<00:16:53.839><c> I'll</c><00:16:54.079><c> make</c><00:16:54.160><c
• , so for like a weed like, say, miconia or Australian tree fern that aren't on the list, how much testing
• And that rational relation test really is one of the most lenient standards that you could apply in terms

Committee: House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 1790 HD1, which would require law enforcement and oversight agencies to collect and report data on stops, use of force, and complaints to the Hawaii Crime Lab, which would publish incident-level information and annual reports. Supporters, including the Office of the Public Defender, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the ACLU of Hawaii, Hawaii Justice Rising, and the Policing Project, said the bill would improve transparency, help identify disparities, and support better policy and accountability. OHA requested amendments to ensure Hawaiians are identified as a distinct category in the data, and the University of Hawaii’s Ashley Rubin said the Crime Lab would work with agencies to make implementation as seamless as possible. The Department of Law Enforcement supported the bill’s intent but asked for a longer timeline and culturally appropriate methodology, while HPD opposed the bill as written, saying it would require too many new data points, create a significant administrative burden, and rely on subjective perceptions of race and ethnicity; HPD also noted it is piloting an e-citation system that could help with data collection. Committee members questioned HPD about current manual processes and technology options. The chair reported 18 testimonies total: 15 in support, one in opposition, and two with comments, and no vote was taken in the excerpt. The committee then heard HB 1611 HD1, which would phase down the general excise tax on groceries and nonprescription drugs until a full exemption takes effect in 2034. The Department of Taxation offered technical recommendations, including clearer definitions for groceries and nonprescription drugs and a technical change regarding the county surcharge exemption. Supporters, including the Hawaii Public Health Institute and the Hawaii Food Industry Association, argued the GET on groceries is regressive and worsens food insecurity, especially for low-income households, and said the bill would provide needed relief. The Tax Foundation of Hawaii offered technical concerns, including a possible wholesale-tax enforcement issue once the exemption is fully phased in. The excerpt ends during testimony on HB 1611, with no final committee action shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• And that result is less transparency, fewer cases tested in court, and sentencing outcomes driven more
• result is less transparency,<01:26:39.120><c> fewer</c><01:26:39.600><c> cases</c><01:26:40.000><c> tested
• </c><01:26:40.320><c> in</c> transparency, fewer cases tested in transparency, fewer cases tested in
• This bill requires treatment completion within 9 months, bi-weekly testing, and up to 300 hours of community

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• the basic contribution to the special education program that every school has to maintain, doing testing
• the basic contribution to the special education program that every school has to maintain, doing testing
• high numbers consecutively." you know, and has to maintain doing you know, and has to maintain doing testing
• 47.439><c> so</c><02:36:47.600><c> forth</c><02:36:48.080><c> to</c><02:36:48.319><c> determining</c> testing
• and so forth to determining testing and so forth to determining whether<02:36:49.120><c> or</c><02:36

Committee: House Education Funding

Transcript Highlights:

• There is no simple test. It's not genitals. It's not the big cell and the little cell.
• 40.239><c> simple</c> not the whole story there is no simple not the whole story there is no simple test
• :11:42.920><c> it's</c><02:11:43.079><c> not</c><02:11:43.239><c> the</c><02:11:43.440><c> big</c> test
• it's not genitals it's not the big test it's not genitals it's not the big cell<02:11:43.880><c> and
• you're signing up for the girls' team and you identify as a transgender girl, you would hereby have to test

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• and leaders are lobbied to use these very specific words not as a policy critique, but as a litmus test

Transcript Highlights:

• comprehensive public school facilities inventory and authorizing the LBFC to conduct a study on standardized testing

Summary: The House met in extended session with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, quorum call, and a series of journal, committee, and Senate bill reports. Members also received several referrals and Senate messages, and the Speaker signed multiple bills already prepared for the Governor. The chamber then took up a long slate of measures, largely budget-related and conference/concurrence items, with repeated roll-call votes and several brief floor remarks for and against the bills. Among the major actions, the House passed or concurred in a number of Senate bills addressing fiscal code and budget implementation, abusive towing practices, telemarketing robocalls and caller ID spoofing, prostitution penalty changes, veteran notification procedures, the cosmetology licensure compact, solar decommissioning, Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, E85 flex fuel definitions, local road transfers, civil penalties for unlicensed commercial driving schools, and trailer sales. The House also adopted House Resolution 580 designating July 18, 2026, as Piping Plover Day. Most of these measures passed overwhelmingly, many by unanimous or near-unanimous votes. The most significant debate centered on House Bill 2400, the General Appropriations budget for fiscal year 2026-2027, and House Bill 1505, the education-related budget implementation bill. Supporters described the budget as a bipartisan compromise that funds adequacy and tax equity for schools, public safety, mental health, roads and bridges, veterans, seniors, and workforce programs while avoiding broad-based tax increases. Opponents argued the budget used accounting maneuvers, deferred spending, and was structurally unbalanced. After extended debate, the House concurred in the Senate amendments to HB 2400 by a 167-35 vote and to HB 1505 by a 172-30 vote. The House also considered House Bill 2559, which included Commonwealth property conveyances and a controversial provision affecting Penn State branch campus properties. A motion to recommit the bill failed, and the House ultimately concurred in the Senate amendments by a 105-97 vote after members debated property rights, labor effects, and the future use of the campuses. The session concluded with the Senate later concurring in several House amendments, the Speaker signing the final bills, and the House adjourning until September 9, 2026, unless recalled sooner.

Transcript Highlights:

• They were trying to get us turnkey so we could figure out Rollins is going to be our test case.

Committee: Joint Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• I did the course and took the pre-test, did my driving hours, studied for the state exam, and got my

Summary: The commission on Violence Prevention Services Funding opened by explaining that its purpose is to examine how state dollars for gun violence prevention are being spent, whether they are reaching the right places, and how effective they are. Chair Marjorie Decker noted the commission was created through a legislative bill as part of a broader gun ownership package, and emphasized that the commission will produce recommendations rather than new law. The hearing began with a moment of silence for the National Day of Remembrance for homicide victims, followed by introductions from commissioners and staff. A series of community-based organizations testified about violence prevention, intervention, and survivor services. Emmanuel Williams of the Transformational Prison Project described work with incarcerated and returning youth and families, stressing lived experience, relationship-building, and the impact of budget cuts on travel, staffing, and programming; commissioners asked about his budget, caseload, and funding mix. Teresa D. Grigario and Antonio Gutierrez of Lynn Youth Street Outreach Advocacy said their work focuses on youth ages 12 to 24 in Lynn and Lawrence, with outreach at courts and shooting scenes, and argued that prevention is most effective when it starts early, includes family engagement, counseling, therapy, case management, food, and basic needs support; they said a million-dollar annual budget would help them expand. Ruth Rollins of We Are Better Together/Warren Daniel Hairston Project, speaking as a survivor, called for long-term flexible funding, trauma-informed care, and a community-informed database, and said her organization would ideally need about $2.5 million annually. Ruth Zakarin of the Massachusetts Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence explained that the commission grew out of listening sessions during the firearms-law update process and said the goal is to identify gaps, support grassroots groups, and address regional equity in resource allocation. Other testimony highlighted youth development, reentry, and survivor response as violence prevention. More Than Words described its job-training and supportive-services model for court-involved, homeless, foster-care, and out-of-school youth, citing high rates of graduation, postsecondary enrollment, and employment; a participant, Jorge, shared how the program helped him avoid adult incarceration and build a career in trucking. The Louis D. Brown Peace Institute described its homicide-response and healing work, noting that it served more than 1,100 survivors in 2024, facilitated healing groups and trainings, and is seeking a permanent center in Dorchester; its leaders said the operating budget is $4.5 million and the desired budget is $8 million. The Massachusetts Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs emphasized that gun violence is a youth health crisis and urged continued investment in after-school and out-of-school-time programs. UTEC called for multi-year, flexible funding, more training and networking support, and attention to nonprofit cost recovery, while Roca described its outreach to high-risk young people, strong outcomes, and major federal grant cuts that forced staff reductions. Portal to Hope discussed domestic violence and stalking services, the importance of on-site police-department-based advocacy, and the instability caused by funding restrictions. New North Citizens Council briefly underscored that violence prevention funding is needed to address poverty, lack of education, and mental health needs. State officials also presented on existing grant programs. Kevin Stanton of the Office of Grants and Research described the Commonwealth Project Safe Neighborhood Initiative and the state’s broader public safety grant portfolio, saying partnerships between law enforcement and community organizations are central to violence prevention and citing seizures of illegal firearms, narcotics, and suspected drug proceeds. Renee Contreras said the Shannon Community Safety Initiative is a national model built on nearly 20 years of sustained investment, with multidisciplinary collaborations in 25 communities and research partnerships guiding strategy and evaluation. Throughout the hearing, commissioners repeatedly asked about budgets, staffing, caseloads, and how organizations measure impact, and several speakers said they would follow up with written materials or additional data.

Transcript Highlights:

• Constitution states, 'No religious test shall be required as a qualification for any office or public

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on the Judiciary

Summary: The Judiciary Committee held its inaugural hearing of the session, led by Chair Michael Day and co-chair Senator Lydia Edwards, and reviewed a large slate of bills and constitutional amendments. The chair laid out hearing procedures, including three-minute testimony limits, priority for in-person witnesses, and deadlines for reporting constitutional amendments and House bills. The committee heard testimony on 29 proposals, with many witnesses and advocates speaking in support of measures they said would clarify the law, improve access to justice, or address public safety and fairness concerns. Several bills drew extensive testimony. Supporters of H.1686/S.1254 urged creation of a commission to study intentional misrepresentation of service animals, citing disruptive and dangerous encounters with fake service dogs and the need to protect legitimate service-dog teams. H.1649/S.1168 on court transcriber fees received strong support from transcribers and CPCS, who said rates have been frozen at $3 per page since 1988 and should be raised to $4.50, with an automatic CPI adjustment; they also described the work as time-consuming and essential to the justice system. H.1768/S.1037 on indigency was backed by CPCS, which said the bill would update eligibility rules, reduce unnecessary six-month reassessments, and eliminate the $150 counsel fee for indigent adults. H.1723/S.1193 to remove the charitable immunity cap was supported by legislators and attorneys who argued the current $20,000/$100,000 caps leave seriously injured people undercompensated and make Massachusetts an outlier. The committee also heard testimony on S.1046 regarding adoptions, with multiple adoptive parents, attorneys, and agency representatives describing recent probate court interpretations that have disrupted out-of-state surrender and finalization practices. Witnesses said the bill would restore predictability and allow birth parents outside Massachusetts to use either their home-state law or Massachusetts law, while preserving ICPC safeguards. Senator Feingold testified on H.1748/S.1109, “Conrad’s Law,” to criminalize coercing someone into suicide, arguing Massachusetts should join most other states in creating a specific offense rather than relying on involuntary manslaughter charges. Representative Donahue supported H.66 to remove “so help me God” from the constitutional oath of office. No votes were taken during the hearing; the committee simply heard testimony and thanked witnesses, with chairs indicating they would continue reviewing the bills and written submissions.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm here, tested, I'm here. I'm here. I'm here. I'm here. Mr. Glob, there you are. Great.

Summary: The Special Commission on Correctional Consolidation and Collaboration met on October 17 with members attending in person and virtually. The commission approved the September 15 minutes and then heard a detailed presentation from DCAM Commissioner Adam Bakey on the correctional facilities portfolio, including the age and condition of DOC and sheriff facilities, deferred maintenance, ADA compliance, decarbonization mandates, and how capital funding is allocated. Bakey said the correctional portfolio includes 36 facilities, with average ages over 50 years, and described how older, rapidly built facilities from the tough-on-crime era now face significant maintenance and replacement needs. He also explained the distinction between catch-up deferred maintenance and ongoing keep-up needs, and noted that construction costs and code thresholds have made projects more expensive. Commissioners and sheriffs asked about ADA requirements, aging and overcrowded facilities, hazardous materials, parts availability for obsolete systems, plumbing and health risks, and whether a newer, more modern correctional facility should be considered. Bakey said many projects trigger broader code upgrades, that some dormant facilities remain in the portfolio, and that health-care and correctional construction are among the most expensive building types. He outlined current funding, including annual deferred maintenance allocations for DOC and formula-based five-year commitments for sheriffs, plus a new competitive capital program for larger sheriff projects. He also explained the Designer Selection Board and “house doctor” process used to procure architects and engineers. The commission then shifted to planning its next steps, focusing on public input. Members agreed the next meeting should likely be a public hearing or include public testimony, with possible input from people with lived experience and consideration of facility tours, especially of women’s facilities such as Framingham. Members emphasized the need to define the commission’s scope clearly so testimony stays focused on structural and consolidation issues rather than all correctional policy topics. The meeting ended with plans for the co-chairs to coordinate the public process and a motion to adjourn, which passed without opposition.