Transcript Highlights:

• I've had multiple parents and in-laws in private nursing care. $10,000 a month tops for the best private
• multiple multiple multiple<01:06:43.800><c> um</c> multiple um multiple um parents<01:06:45.240><c> and
• <c> in-laws</c><01:06:46.640><c> in</c><01:06:47.280><c> private</c><01:06:47.840><c> nursing</c> parents
• and in-laws in private nursing parents and in-laws in private nursing care. care. care. $10,000<01:06

Committee: Joint Veterans, Military Affairs, & Public Protection

Transcript Highlights:

• We are the support for foster parents trying to understand and care for a child who has experienced trauma
• 00:15:48.480><c> support</c><00:15:49.000><c> for</c><00:15:49.160><c> foster</c><00:15:49.560><c> parents
• </c> We are the support for foster parents We are the support for foster parents trying<00:15:50.480>

Bills: HF1082 , HF2099 , HF4177 , HF2742

Committee: House Public Safety Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• of CPAs to advise them and help them to, you know, advantage themselves, or are we working for the parents
• advantage themselves or are we working<00:55:43.599><c> for</c><00:55:44.079><c> the</c><00:55:44.319><c> parents
• c><00:55:44.800><c> and</c><00:55:45.119><c> families</c><00:55:45.520><c> in</c> working for the parents
• and families in working for the parents and families in our<00:55:46.079><c> communities</c><00:55:46.800

Bills: HF3127 , HF3816 , HF3814 , HF3815 , HF3817

Committee: House Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• If it said familial, that would be your cells for a child or for a parent.
• that have the potential to differentiate at some point, based on how we would process them, etc. parent
• If it said um allergenic, it parent.
• But it is Greek, and my parents were—the Greek community is strong nationally—and they met some Greek

Bills: HB0003 , HB0117 , HB0041

Committee: House Labor, Health & Social Services

Transcript Highlights:

• :57.599><c> feelings</c><00:52:58.760><c> about</c> We've all been to the beach when we've lost a parent
• c><00:53:30.960><c> a</c> sure to the beach when we've lost a sure to the beach when we've lost a parent
• 53:33.440><c> and</c><00:53:33.839><c> I</c><00:53:34.079><c> just</c><00:53:34.319><c> think</c> parent
• or a loved one and I just think parent or a loved one and I just think it's<00:53:34.640><c> a</c><00

Committee: House Water & Land

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several shoreline easement resolutions and a water-supply study resolution. For the easement measures, the Department of Land and Natural Resources supported each item, and testimony also came from affected landowners and community members. Members asked about why some easements were granted gratis to public agencies, with DLNR explaining that those cases involved public infrastructure such as stormwater management and did not require bonds or rent. For private properties, DLNR described the standard process of monthly rent during the legislative approval gap, followed by a one-time appraised payment for a 25-year easement once the appraisal is completed. A substantial portion of the discussion focused on shoreline erosion and whether hardened shoreline structures or seawalls were contributing to beach loss. On one measure, DLNR explained that a large sandbag shoreline structure was tied to a nearby boat harbor that had altered sand movement over time, causing flanking erosion on adjacent unarmored property. On another, DLNR said a wall built under a valid 1960s permit was originally a boundary or landscaping wall, but now functions as a seawall as the shoreline has migrated landward. Members raised concerns about fairness, public beach access, and whether adjacent owners should share costs, and DLNR responded that shoreline matters are handled parcel by parcel under existing statute. The committee also heard support for a resolution creating a task force or study on desalination. DLNR’s Commission on Water Resource Management supported the intent but asked for more time to complete a comprehensive report, noting the work would require substantial staffing and coordination. The Board of Water Supply and CARES also testified in support, with CARES emphasizing future water-supply needs, cultural and historic preservation concerns, and the importance of coordinating with other agencies. DLNR said it would rely on existing studies and work with county agencies and the Department of Health. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• they going to pay their rent and feed themselves and or their family or take care of their elderly parents
• take care of and or their family or take care of their<01:18:08.600><c> elderly</c><01:18:09.080><c> parents
• I</c><01:18:09.639><c> don't</c><01:18:09.920><c> know</c><01:18:10.920><c> um</c> their elderly parents
• I don't know um their elderly parents I don't know um yeah<01:18:11.960><c> again</c><01:18:12.400><

Committee: House Consumer Protection & Commerce

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills related to consumer protection, liquor regulation, construction procurement, and state contracting. On House Bill 565, DCCA and the Office of Consumer Protection stood on written testimony, and a committee member raised a question about whether creators of remains would have to hold them indefinitely if family members did not respond; the member indicated language would be fixed to address that issue. No vote was taken. House Bill 208, dealing with liquor law changes, drew strong support from Scarlet Honolulu and Maui Brewing Company, who said the measure would modernize liquor rules and add guardrails, while the Wine Institute and Anheuser-Busch opposed it as a special tax break or unnecessary expansion of liquor-related authority. Members questioned whether anonymous complaints should be allowed and whether the bill could lead to retaliation; the supporter said complaints should not be anonymous and suggested the Liquor Commission had been accused of writing complaints to target licenses. No action was taken. House Bill 939, concerning taxation of low-ABV spirits-based beverages, received support from Maui Brewing Company and Johnson Brothers, who said it would align tax treatment with existing categories and reduce confusion, while the Wine Institute and Anheuser-Busch opposed it as a narrow tax break that could reduce revenue and should instead be considered in a broader alcohol tax review. House Bill 808, on construction defect insurance or related protections for state projects, drew comments from DAGS, the State Procurement Office, and the Subcontractors Association, with the latter warning it would make state contracting harder and shrink the contractor base; the chair questioned what recourse the state has when defects appear after a project is completed. House Bill 809, addressing procurement and subcontractor-listing corrections, drew opposition from SPO, DAGS, and the Subcontractors Association, while the General Contractors Association supported it; members debated whether a 24-hour correction window would create abuse or simply allow minor ministerial fixes, and the bill’s sponsor said the goal was to reduce bid protests and procurement discretion. No votes or final committee actions were recorded in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Dominique Denei, local education advocate, and strong support. Mr.
• Dominique Denei, local education advocate, and strong support. Mr.
• Dominique Denei, local education advocate, and strong support. Mr.
• Alameda County is wealthy, highly educated, and has a large tax base.
• And I'm also moved by, "I just want to go home," because one of the toughest calls as a parent I had

Summary: The committee heard a long agenda of local government and housing-related bills, with testimony often centered on regional coordination, permitting reform, and local control. SB 802 by Senator Ashby would require Sacramento-area jurisdictions to form a joint powers authority to coordinate homelessness and housing response; supporters argued the region has long lacked accountability and coordination, while Sacramento County, Folsom, and others opposed the mandate as an unprecedented state-imposed JPA. The bill drew extensive support from local officials, business groups, service providers, and advocates, and opposition from county, city, and nonprofit representatives who said a local process was already underway. Committee members expressed support for the concept, but the bill was held pending a quorum and later discussed again with strong encouragement for regional collaboration. The committee also heard SB 222, SB 677, SB 908, SB 226, SB 828, and SB 1193. SB 222 would streamline permitting for residential heat pump and water heater installations; supporters said it would lower costs and speed clean-energy adoption, while local government groups argued the main barrier is upfront cost, not permits. SB 677 would curb what the author described as abusive appeals and delays in affordable housing approvals, with developers testifying about frivolous subdivision map appeals and TEFRA hearing delays; the California Native Plant Society sought an amendment to preserve appeals on habitat lands. SB 908 would simplify permits for energy-code-compliant window replacements, and SB 226 would clarify financing authority for a West Sacramento baseball stadium proposal; both passed unanimously. SB 828, prompted by the Esparto fireworks warehouse explosion, would tighten fireworks storage and licensing rules, expand inspection and seizure authority, and increase fines; it also passed unanimously after testimony from fire officials and a pyrotechnic operator who opposed it unless amended. SB 1193, a county-specific Alameda County transparency bill, generated the sharpest debate. The author argued it would prevent waste, favoritism, and conflicts of interest in discretionary spending by requiring board approval, a public spending log, and clearer whistleblower procedures. Alameda County and county associations opposed it as overly broad and burdensome, saying existing processes already provide transparency and that the bill would reduce flexibility during fiscal stress. After committee questions about the bill’s purpose and the county’s current practices, the measure passed 7-0, with the author indicating willingness to accept an amendment restoring a four-fifths vote threshold. The committee then moved out of order to SB 1090, which would impose a temporary moratorium on state housing density laws in Altadena through 2030 in response to post-fire displacement concerns. The author said the bill is intended to protect long-term residents from investor-driven redevelopment after the Eaton Fire, while acknowledging amendments to align the moratorium with affordable housing development timelines. The transcript cuts off during the presentation of this bill, so no final action is shown for SB 1090 in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I think you and I have spoken before about impact aid, um, the Department of Education, according
• to several different formulas of how we calculate impact aid on our state education. go towards military
• </c><00:16:24.000><c> according</c><00:16:24.480><c> to</c> Department of Education according to Department
• of Education according to several<00:16:25.600><c> different</c><00:16:25.839><c> formulas</c><00:16
• 00:16:27.600><c> we</c> ...several different formulas of how we calculate impact aid on our state education

Bills: HB676

Committee: House Public Safety

Summary: The committee heard three public safety bills. HB 2235 would appropriate $1.3 million for the Military Affairs and Community Relations Office to strengthen coordination on military and defense issues. Supporters, including the Hawaii National Guard and DBEDT’s military relations office, said the office helps Hawaiʻi understand federal contracting, USA Jobs, and military-related economic impacts. One member questioned why the state should fund a DoD-related office while Hawaiʻi remains under-reimbursed on impact aid; supporters responded that the office serves Hawaiʻi communities and helps prepare residents for federal jobs. The chair said she intended to recommend the bill pass with a HD1, a blank appropriation to be filled in the committee report, technical amendments, a defective effective date, and updated office title language. HB 2263 would expand Hawaiʻi family leave law to cover qualifying military exigencies. The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, DBEDT’s military relations office, and the Hawaii National Guard supported the measure, saying military families often face short-notice deployments, relocations, briefings, and urgent family arrangements that require time away from work, and that aligning state law with federal standards would provide clarity and consistency. The chair said she would recommend passage with a HD1, a defective effective date, and technical amendments. HB 2291 would clarify that certain National Guard Youth and Educational Programs employees are excluded from collective bargaining, rename the program, and codify its Hawaiian name. The Hawaii National Guard said it was a housekeeping bill with no appropriation, but requested an amendment to align the bill with updated authorities and program references; the chair asked for proposed language before the later decision-making. She said she would recommend passage with a defective date and the requested amendment if provided, and then recessed the hearing until 11:30 a.m. for decision-making on all three bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• I also cover local government issues and higher education.
• We work, as the commissioner mentioned, on veterans' employment and education.
• We work, as the commissioner mentioned, on veterans' employment and education.
• So I mentioned the higher education veterans program again.
• </c> well so I mentioned the higher education well so I mentioned the higher education veterans<00:20

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development - Subcommittee on Veterans

Transcript Highlights:

• This expands services parents are allowed to provide under CDCS to include certain personal assistant
• So good luck to the education taxes and the health committees.
• So um good luck to the<00:42:27.119><c> education</c><00:42:27.599><c> taxes</c><00:42:28.079><c> and
• </c><00:42:28.319><c> the</c><00:42:28.480><c> health</c> the education taxes and the health the education
• I think I'm the only member on the Senate side that sits on the Human Services Committee and the Education

Transcript Highlights:

• Our parent company is selling them. Yes, has closed on that deal. Yeah. Okay.
• As noted in our written testimony, the Department of Education is in the best position to oversee and
• is in the best Department of Education is in the best position<01:36:13.119><c> to</c><01:36:13.840>
• And SB 533, relating to education.
• And then we will note in the committee report that Department of Education recommended an amount of $1

Committee: House Energy & Environmental Protection

Summary: The committee on Energy and Environmental Protection heard testimony on Senate Bill 897, which would create a Wildlife Liability Trust Fund within DCCA for administrative purposes. The chair opened by noting the hearing had to end by noon because of floor session, and that written testimony would be considered if not all witnesses could speak. Testimony included support from DCCA, the Attorney General’s office, the Public Utilities Commission, Charter Communications, Ulupono Initiative, AES Hawaii, Hawaiian Electric, Clearway Energy Group, Kauai Island Utility Cooperative, Hawaiian Telcom, and IBW Local 1260, with opposition or concerns from the Hawaii Association for Justice and some others. Hawaiian Electric strongly supported the bill and asked for amendments, saying the fund would help address wildfire liability, protect customers and the economy, and support restoration of investment-grade credit; it also proposed a larger shareholder contribution and said the bill was part of a broader effort to raise settlement funds and improve grid safety and resiliency. Committee members focused heavily on whether the bill would actually lower costs for ratepayers and improve credit ratings. DCCA said there was a nexus between limiting liability, creating a sufficiently large wildfire fund, and transparent mitigation requirements, but acknowledged there was no guarantee of a credit-rating improvement or precise estimate of rate impacts. Members questioned Hawaiian Electric about the assumptions in its cost comparisons, the 30-year securitization structure, and whether funding could be shifted later to shareholders after credit was restored. Hawaiian Electric responded that the bill assumes the fund is paid through securitization, that removing that presumption could undermine the credit-rating benefit, and that its models suggest credit-spread savings could offset the customer charge over time; it also said it would follow up with additional analysis. The company and Ulupono both described the measure as a difficult but potentially necessary way to socialize wildfire risk and avoid a larger crisis later. The Hawaii Association for Justice opposed the bill’s liability caps and raised concerns about consumer rights, oversight discretion, statute-of-limitations changes, and evidence rules. Hawaiian Telcom suggested amendments to clarify compliance with FCC pole-attachment agreements. No vote or final action was taken during the portion of the hearing provided, and members indicated they wanted more analysis before being comfortable with the bill’s long-term ratepayer impacts.

Transcript Highlights:

• Colin Parent with Circulate, Planning and Policy, here in support.
• My name is Colin Parent. I'm the CEO and General Counsel of Circulate Planning and Policy.
• My name is Colin Parent. I'm the CEO and General Counsel of Circulate Planning and Policy.

Committee: Senate Housing

Transcript Highlights:

• fact, just recently, last week, I spoke to our very small volunteer board of five very passionate parents
• Thank you. parents asking the Lord for new ideas to parents asking the Lord for new ideas to bring<00

Committee: House Veterans and Military Affairs Division

Transcript Highlights:

• It can be a tool for families to care for one another and for our children and our parents' grandchildren

Committee: House Special Committee on Property Tax Reform

Transcript Highlights:

• It can be a tool for families to care for one another and for our children and our parents' grandchildren

Committee: House Special Committee on Property Tax Reform

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on Senate Substitute for Senate Committee Substitute for Senate Bills 1066 and 1088, sponsored by Sen. Ben Brown, dealing with the property tax classification of single-family short-term rental homes. Brown argued the bills would stop counties from reclassifying short-term rentals as commercial property and taxing them at the higher commercial rate, saying such homes remain residential in use under Missouri case law, IRS guidance, and zoning principles. He said the substitute language was narrowed to single-family homes owned by individuals, partnerships, or LLCs, and further limited to owners with 15 or fewer short-term rental properties. Members questioned how the bill would affect local zoning and assessor practices, including mixed-use buildings and the requirement that assessors conduct an in-person consultation before reclassifying property. Several lawmakers said the bill should preserve local control over zoning while preventing inconsistent tax treatment. Some members also raised concerns that the consultation language could interfere with assessors’ work, and Brown said he was open to revisiting that provision because it was added by another senator and was not central to the bill’s intent. Supporters testified that short-term rentals are often family homes used to generate needed income, not commercial enterprises, and that higher commercial taxation could be financially devastating. One witness described using a family home as a short-term rental to help pay for a mother’s care and support a granddaughter with special needs. Opponents, including the Missouri Hotel Lodging Association, argued that short-term rentals function as businesses because they collect sales tax and compete with lodging providers, and they said the 15-property limit was ineffective because owners can place homes in separate LLCs. The association said it could suggest alternative language to better target large-scale operators. No vote was taken, and the hearing concluded after testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• , if I can direct your attention to the North Gallery, we have Carrie and Bobby Burgess here, the parents

Bills: HB4358 , HB2398 , HB3557 , HB3129 , HB3312 , HB2210 , HB1937 , HB3021 , HB4246 , HB4230 , HB3617 , HB3657 , HB2976 , HB3391 , HB4459 , HB4128 , HB3989 , HB2989 , HB4060 , HB3145 , HB2992 , HB3464 , HB3552 , HB2984 , HB4124 , HB3934 , HB3448 , HB3131 , HB4200 , HB4201 , HB3011 , HB1912 , HB3380 , HB3881 , HB3538 , HB3851 , HB3907 , HB4430 , HB4431 , HB4457 , HB2947 , HB2951 , HB2980 , HB3082 , HB3519 , HB3644 , HB3882 , HB3661 , HB3996 , HB4335

Summary: The House convened, took the roll, heard an invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance, and then moved through a series of introductions and floor presentations recognizing visitors, students, local officials, and the Luther cheer team. The chamber also introduced the Doctor of the Day, Dr. Lydia Dennis, and several members made personal announcements later in the day. The House then considered and passed several bills, mostly by wide margins. Measures included HB 2947 on behavioral health, allowing Medicaid billing for supervised mental health interns; HB 2951 cleaning up Department of Corrections prison listings in statute; HB 2980 allowing DMVs to accept valid physical proof of insurance; HB 382 barring fire departments from employing people who must register as sex offenders; HB 3519 changing the abandoned medical marijuana grow cleanup process from a bond to a fee; HB 3644, the Blake Burgess Act, requiring clot and embolism training and reporting; HB 3882 creating a revolving fund for ODOT lake and industrial access grants; HB 3661 removing a sunset from the forestry equipment tax provision; and HB 3996 memorializing OIDS obligations in capital appeal cases. Several bills drew brief questions about fiscal impact or implementation, and title-striking motions were made on some measures. The most debated item was HB 4335 on pet shops and local regulation. Supporters said it created a framework for municipalities and counties to regulate pet shops without outright bans, while opponents argued it undermined local control and favored a commercial retailer. After debate from both sides, the bill passed 60-26. The House also adopted the emergency on HB 3882, and at the end of the day the chamber adjourned until March 5, 2026, at 9:30 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, I could read the sentence: Unless otherwise provided by law, any parent, guardian, or person

Bills: HB3765 , HB4324 , HB3678 , HB4170 , HB3495 , HB3040 , HB3062 , HB4140 , HB4106 , HB4109 , HB4104 , HB3581

Committee: House Criminal Judiciary

Summary: The committee considered a series of criminal justice bills, many of them focused on penalties for theft, public safety, and offenses involving foreign ownership or riot-related conduct. House Bill 3765, as amended, increased the punishment from two to five years for certain felony conduct involving unlawfully acquired foreign land ownership, and was reported do pass. House Bill 4324, a prosecutor-initiated resentencing bill, was also reported do pass after brief explanation and no opposition. Other bills approved included HB 3678, expanding the definition of public officials to cover municipal and public school board members for purposes of harassment/intimidation protections; HB 417, increasing penalties for theft causing environmental damage from crude oil or gasoline; HB 3495, criminalizing straw purchases of land for foreign nationals; HB 3040, expanding “zone of safety” protections for children by adding places like skating rinks, youth recreation centers, pools, arcades, amusement parks, and water parks; HB 362, extending firearm-carry authority to retired municipal judges; HB 4140, creating a uniform felony penalty for firearm theft and possession of stolen firearms; HB 4106, lowering the grand larceny threshold to $900 and adding penalties for repeat petty larceny; HB 4109, creating a duty to report certain crime-related evidence and circumstances at hospitals and other facilities; and HB 4104, restructuring peeping-tom/voyeurism offenses and sex-offender registration consequences. Several of these bills were amended before passage, including HB 4106 and HB 4104, and HB 3581 was taken up later with a committee substitute and amendment before discussion of its riot-related provisions. The committee also laid over HB 3497 and HB 4142, and adjourned after reporting the remaining bills out with mostly unanimous or near-unanimous votes, typically do pass or do pass as amended.

Transcript Highlights:

• I am also a parent, hat number two, of a 33-year-old male who is six-foot-six inches tall and weighs

Bills: S0132 , S0418 , S0646 , S0820 , S1734

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice

Transcript Highlights:

• two grown sons attending Boise State University, which is a difficult situation to manage with my parents

Committee: Senate Commerce and Human Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• prevention dollars going into programs all over the state to keep kids in their homes and work with parents

Committee: Senate Health and Welfare