Transcript Highlights:

• or supplemental resources as a valid or supplemental resources as a valid or supplemental form of government
• my my you know at least validate my my you know at least validate my my existence because there are
• driver's license so where do they valid driver's license so where do they valid driver's license so
• to credential would not be uh valid to credential would not be uh valid to operate a motor vehicle in
• license else that doesn't have a valid license else that doesn't have a valid license it's been suspended

Bills: SB82 , SB78 , SB4 , SB6 , SB62 , SB66 , SB77 , SB63 , SB79 , SB53 , SB55 , HB14

Committee: Senate County and Municipal Government

Keywords: SB82, warrant recall, outstanding warrants, stale warrants, misdemeanor warrants, Class B misdemeanor, Class C misdemeanor, municipal magistrate, circuit court clerk, criminal procedure, court administration, docket cleanup, warrant audit, law enforcement notification, domestic violence, sex offense, weapons offense, deadly weapon, dangerous instrument, felony-related charges

Transcript Highlights:

• State law requires assessments that are used to determine risk to be validated.
• DCYF's researchers have found that the tools JR uses are not valid for the population they're used on
• DCYF's researchers have the statutory authority and expertise to validate the tools.
• Validation studies require accurate data collection and should be updated as the population changes.
• In terms of assessments, we determined they were not validated.

Summary: The committee met on July 15, 2026, but began without a quorum, so it could not adopt the previous minutes. Chair Jerry Pollett welcomed new member Senator Victoria Hunt and introduced new JLARC staff. The committee then heard a preliminary JLARC performance audit of DCYF’s Juvenile Rehabilitation programs. Auditors said overcrowding, staffing shortages, weak training, unreliable risk assessments, and uneven program access combine to create unsafe conditions and limit rehabilitation. They reported that about 74% of youth are in two large secure facilities, incidents rise as population rises, 47% of frontline staff leave within a year, current assessments are not valid for the population, and program offerings are tied more to facility location than individual need. JLARC made eight recommendations, including one to the legislature to address crowding and seven to DCYF on retention, training, incident procedures, validated assessments, program alignment, individualized programming, and better data. DCYF Secretary Ross Hunter agreed overcrowding is a major problem, said the agency would respond in detail later, and noted the department needs legislative help on staffing, pay, education, and program funding. Senators and representatives asked about JR-25, training adequacy, assessment validation, contraband, education access, and possible retaliation concerns, and JLARC staff and DCYF answered that the issues are interrelated and that a fuller agency response would come later. The committee next heard JLARC’s preliminary audit of Labor and Industries’ enforcement of farm worker labor laws. JLARC concluded that L&I generally meets timelines for health and safety inspections but not for wage-and-hour or retaliation complaints, largely because complaint volume exceeds staff capacity and delays occur before assignment to investigators. Auditors said recent agency changes and 2026 legislation may help, including added staff, screening processes, workload reorganization, the ability to prioritize complaints, a later start date for the 60-day wage complaint clock, and authority to expand some investigations to similarly affected workers. JLARC recommended that L&I report back in December 2026 and December 2027 on backlog reduction and implementation of the new law. L&I’s deputy policy director said the agency appreciates the report, is hiring additional investigators, and expects the new laws to substantially change how wage complaints are handled. Members asked for clarification on what counts as a wage complaint, the share of farm worker complaints, and how the new authority will work. JLARC then provided an update on the Department of Health’s strategic management plan for hospital data reporting, inspections, and complaints. Staff summarized prior recommendations and noted that House Bill 2577 clarified hospital inspection timing. DOH officials described a detailed plan with measurable milestones for improving inspection compliance, verifying accreditation standards, expanding complaint forms into more languages, addressing language-access barriers, and seeking long-term funding for adverse event reporting and financial data reporting. DOH said acute care inspection compliance had risen from 28% to 61% and projected further increases through 2028, while also working on staffing, a new licensing system, and public reporting tools. Committee members praised the specificity of the plan but raised concerns about the long timeline for language access and whether hospitals should do more outreach as part of their community health assessments. After lunch, the committee began the 2026 tax preference performance reviews preliminary report. JLARC staff introduced the first three reviews, starting with the Main Street tax credit and program. Auditors said the preference appears to have met the legislature’s broad goal of increasing Main Street communities and businesses overall, though results vary by community. They reported that Main Street communities grew from 9 in 2005 to 40 in 2025, business counts in those communities rose overall, and donations and tax credits have remained high, with many local businesses donating to support their own downtowns. The committee then moved into the rest of the tax preference review presentation, with additional reports to follow later in the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• be certified at least once every three years based on current academic standards or assessment validation
• The risk assessment instrument to make sure it's validated as to racial ethnic disproportionality.
• So is the tool itself valid? Evidence-based literature on the use of a tool.
• So is the tool itself validated externally?
• A foster care license is valid for a three-year period and may be renewed at the end of that time.

Bills: HB1544 , HB2219 , HB2253

Committee: House Early Learning & Human Services

Keywords: child welfare, risk assessment, investigation, child abuse, neglect, HB 2219, child care licensing, early learning, DCYF, Department of Children Youth and Families, Washington child care, preschool licensing, family child care, child care centers, nature-based child care, outdoor preschool, mixed-age ratios, staff-to-child ratio, group size, zero tolerance

Transcript Highlights:

• we did this, which was almost 30 years ago, it took us a while to get those signatures and the validation
• we did this, which was almost 30 years ago, it took us a while to get those signatures and the validation
• It took us a while to get those signatures, and the validation rate on that was pretty low because, you
• Approval of an HPA is valid for up to five years from the date of issue.
• So that would allow them to extend the validity of the permit for greater than five years.

Bills: SB6132 , SB6181 , SB6154 , SB6189 , SB5903 , SB6037 , SB5983 , SB5995 , SB6016 , SB5820 , SB6064 , SB6077 , SB6101 , SB6013 , SB6066

Committee: Senate Local Government

Keywords: indebtedness limits, inland port districts, federal funding, infrastructure improvements, economic development, city incorporation, local governance, municipalities, state law, government structure, culvert replacement, fish passage, hydraulic project approval, Department of Fish and Wildlife, stream crossing, bank stabilization, flood control, erosion control, emergency permit, expedited permit

Transcript Highlights:

• But it's not about validating the state's authority.
• But it's not about validating the state's authority.
• But it's not about validating the state's authority.
• But it's not about validating the state's authority.
• But it's not about validating the state's authority.

Bills: HB2045 , HB1703 , HB2461

Committee: House Culture & Arts

Summary: The Committee on Culture and the Arts met on February 13 and heard testimony on HB 2045, which would designate La Hoʻihoʻi Ea Sovereignty Restoration Day as a state holiday in place of Statehood Day. Testimony was overwhelmingly in support, including from the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Naviʻoliʻoli Newi Foundation, and many individuals and students. Supporters said the bill would better reflect Hawaiian history, sovereignty, and self-determination, while a few agencies submitted comments. The committee recessed to allow more students to arrive and testify. After reconvening, additional student testimony continued in strong support of HB 2045. Students said the change would honor Native Hawaiian history and culture, recognize Hawaii as a sovereign nation, and provide a more historically grounded observance. Members thanked the students for traveling to testify and for sharing their perspectives. The committee then voted to pass HB 2045 with one amendment to defect the date; the motion passed unanimously with the chair, vice chair, and members voting aye, and one member excused. The committee also heard HB 1703 HD1, which authorizes rodeos and rodeo activities on lands zoned for agriculture or pastoral use. Testimony in support came from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Agribusiness Development Corporation, and the Iron Workers Stabilization Fund, with comments from the Hawaii Food and Policy group. Supporters described rodeos as cultural and social events that could boost local economies, create jobs, and provide youth and community engagement. The committee passed HB 1703 HD1 with technical amendments. Finally, the committee considered HB 2461, which would increase the ceiling for the works of art special fund and appropriate funds for preservation of the state’s public art collection and a collections manager position. After discussion, the chair said the measure would not move forward this year and recommended deferral; the committee deferred the bill and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> validity? Thanks. Thank you for Sorry. validity? Thanks. Thank you for Sorry.
• </c> surveillance system and the um validity surveillance system and the um validity of<02:40:09.439>
• Uh so, uh CDC also validation, etc.
• </c><02:42:07.680><c> uh</c> indicator that the data is valid uh indicator that the data is valid uh
• valid<02:42:08.560><c> valid</c><02:42:09.040><c> excuse</c><02:42:09.359><c> me</c><02:42:09.840><c>

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• The data, however, would be fairly limited in utility and validation without resources to provide the
• The data, however, would be fairly limited in utility and validation without resources to provide the
• The data, however, would be fairly limited in utility and validation without resources to provide the
• required to have a valid, effective, and reliable<00:17:53.039><c> system.
• We'd have the privacy validated system.

Transcript Highlights:

• Those components were verification and validation of the requirements.
• I-Connect does not have a user experience monitoring capability that's currently available to validate
• existed. 208, my apologies, of the 230 or 108 could be validated of requirements that are defined in
• You don't know how to validate whether or not the application, and this is a syndrome that happens in
• You don't know how to validate whether or not the applicant, and this is a syndrome that happens in a

Summary: The subcommittee heard a lengthy presentation on the Agency for Persons with Disabilities’ I-Connect system, based on an ILAB assessment of the platform’s performance and requirements. ILAB said the system provides useful centralized records, reporting, compliance support, and audit trails, but users described it as cumbersome, outdated, and inefficient, with excessive manual entry, weak navigation, limited notifications, no mobile app, poor printing/export options, and performance issues. ILAB also said the original 2013-era requirements were too high-level and that only a portion of the requirements could be verified, with some features de-scoped or never implemented. Their recommendations included better integration with electronic health record systems, improved performance monitoring, electronic signatures, OCR, and more modern export and verification tools. Public testimony from providers and advocates echoed those concerns. A support coordination provider said the system is nicknamed “I Disconnect,” described problems with EVV/GPS sign-ins, lengthy support plans, lack of a phone app, and possible HIPAA concerns. Another advocate said the system should have preserved family access to records and criticized the need for providers to use workarounds and additional software. APD staff said the agency has spent about $19.7 million through FY 2023-24, has regular build updates under the current contract with WellSky, and uses an internal help desk and vendor ticketing process to triage bugs versus enhancement requests. They said some issues are handled case-by-case, critical tickets have SLAs, and the agency is working on interoperability and other requested improvements. Members questioned whether the system should be fixed or replaced, whether the original contract and SaaS arrangement were sufficient, and whether the state received value for the money spent. APD said the system went live in phases and that all functionality was in place by June 2024, while ILAB and members noted significant technical debt and unresolved gaps. The committee also discussed record retention, provider access to records after a consumer changes providers, and whether federal funding or compliance could be affected. The meeting ended with broader budget remarks emphasizing completion over expansion, stronger upfront planning for technology projects, and more accountability before funding new systems or major enhancements.

Transcript Highlights:

• FOR HEALTHCARE AND MINISTRATION SECRETARY SHEVAUN HARRIS AS WELL AS OUR INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION VALIDATION
• WHICH MEANS WE DID GO BACK AND VALIDATE THAT WITH VENDORS TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS A REAL NUMBER WHEN WE
• NEXT WE HAVE INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION AND VALIDATION VENDOR WHICH IS ENTITY DATA.
• IT STANDS FOR INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION AND VALIDATION.
• WE EVALUATE ALL FX DELIVERABLES AND WORK PRODUCTS FOR QUALITY AND WE VERIFY PROCESSES FOR VALIDATING

Transcript Highlights:

• health advice across the country, which have in some cases been reported to result in the chatbots validating
• </c><00:01:52.120><c> or</c><00:01:52.400><c> even</c> the chatbots validating or even the chatbots validating
• And so, bank, of course, could have two very valid different meanings.
• , empathy, validation so that user<00:18:33.480><c> is</c><00:18:33.600><c> going</c><00:18:33.720><c
• ,</c><01:05:12.120><c> um,</c> user in crisis, would validate, um, user in crisis, would validate, um

Transcript Highlights:

• Those are valid questions, but consider this.
• Physical identification remains valid. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and committee for the record.
• Physical identification remains valid.
• By ensuring digital ID is not mandated, physical identification remains valid, and access to public services
• physical identification, meaning that all non-digital forms of ID authorized under Idaho law remain valid

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• If people were incentivized or afraid of receiving a citation because they didn't have a valid license
• If people were incentivized or afraid of receiving a citation because they didn't have a valid license
• If people were incentivized or afraid of receiving a citation because they didn't have a valid license
• were to follow the letter of the law, not one that any judge would be able to order without a very valid
• </c> to order without um a very valid to order without um a very valid Challenge<00:43:04.800><c> from

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met on February 6, 2025, and heard testimony on several transportation-related bills. HB 667 would require DOT or county departments to scan deceased cats or dogs found on public roadways for microchips, record information, and report it to county animal services. DOT said it supported the bill, and the Hawaiʻi Humane Society and others strongly backed it, describing it as important for grieving pet owners. A private citizen also testified in support, saying the measure could help families learn what happened to missing pets. The chair noted there were nine supporters. The committee then heard HB 230 on sending a carbon copy of traffic citations to vehicle owners, followed by HB 77, which would make civil identification cards free to issue or renew. The Attorney General’s office said it had already submitted comments on HB 77, DOT opposed it, and a private citizen supported it as a way to reduce barriers to basic services. HB 668, which would make license suspension mandatory for operating a vehicle without insurance, drew opposition from the Office of the Public Defender and DOT. The Public Defender argued current law already allows suspension and that a mandatory rule would discourage people from obtaining insurance, increase court burdens, and disproportionately affect indigent drivers; the chair emphasized that driving is a privilege and raised concerns about uninsured driving in rural areas. The Public Defender also said it would look into whether state insurance options could help people who cannot get traditional coverage. The committee also took up HB 12, which would bar inspection certificates for mopeds or vehicles modified to increase NOx emissions. DOT offered comments, Citizens Against Noise supported it, and the Motorcycle Industry Council opposed it; the chair noted six additional supporters and ten opponents. HB 169 would raise the minimum age for moped operators from 15 to 16 and increase the helmet requirement age from 18 to 21; DOT supported it, while Moped Doctors, Moped’s Direct, and seven individuals opposed it. HB 220 would require moped operators to carry insurance under motorcycle/motor scooter insurance laws; DCCA offered comments, DOT supported it, and Moped Doctors and ten individuals opposed it. Finally, the committee heard HB 277, which would establish a statewide vehicle pursuit policy for law enforcement agencies. The Policing Project at NYU and the ACLU of Hawaiʻi supported the bill, citing national data on deaths and injuries from pursuits and arguing for a baseline limit on pursuits for minor offenses; the Hawaii Police Department and Maui Police Department opposed it. The committee also heard HB 54, which would make a third or subsequent excessive speeding offense a Class C felony and allow vehicle forfeiture. DOT supported it, while the Public Defender opposed it, arguing the bill was overly harsh, internally inconsistent, and likely to strain courts, law enforcement, and probation systems by turning a traffic offense into a felony with prison exposure and jury-trial rights. No votes or final actions were taken on the measures in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• And it was a very high degree of accuracy; that technology determines if it’s a valid or a fake ID.
• That technology determines if it’s a valid or a fake ID.
• … Use UGIS just to determine very easily if it’s valid and, you know, rectify that situation.
• They're like, hold on, let me go over to my computer and look up in UGIS, and then they could validate
• So if there's a dispute over the validity of this, law enforcement could come and solve this out.

Committee: Joint Business and Labor Interim Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• The PCS adds driving a motor vehicle without a valid license to the list of offenses.
• The PCS adds driving a motor vehicle without a valid license to the list of offenses for which a person
• In remembrance of Isaiah Raposa, who was killed in a hit-and-run accident by a driver without a valid
• A lot of them, I've done no-valids.
• convictions of no-valid.

Summary: The committee first took up HB 133, which would lower the minimum age to purchase a long gun from 21 to 18. The sponsor and supporters argued the bill restores the rights of adults 18 and older, emphasizing constitutional rights, military service, voting, jury duty, and parental responsibility. Opponents, including gun violence prevention advocates and several members, cited Parkland and the recent FSU shooting, argued that people under 21 are still developing and more impulsive, and said the current law helps protect public safety. After extensive debate and public testimony on both sides, the committee voted 11-5 to report HB 133 favorably. The committee then considered PCS for HB 35, which adds driving without a valid license to the offenses that can lead to habitual traffic offender designation and is named Isaiah’s Law in memory of a child killed by an unlicensed driver. Supporters said it addresses repeat dangerous conduct and should help prevent similar tragedies. One member questioned whether it was a knee-jerk response, while others said it was a reasonable accountability measure. The PCS passed unanimously, 16-0, and was reported favorably. Finally, the committee heard HB 245, which updates Florida law to use more accurate terminology for child sexual abuse material rather than “child pornography,” and includes related technical corrections. The sponsor said the change better reflects the seriousness of the crime and asked whether the bill also covered AI-generated material; the sponsor said the statute already addresses such references. After a technical amendment was adopted, the bill passed unanimously, 16-0, and was reported favorably. The chair also reminded members to maintain respect toward public witnesses and each other before adjourning the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• I helped to validate the VETS in the criminal justice screening tool.
• I've worked with non-validated tools. And there's a lot of... ...screening tool.
• I work with validated, non-validated tools, and there are multiple problems here, and one I want to highlight
• we have to make in order to make sure we can use the validated risk assessment tool, that we can train
• The other option is to find out how we can get the tool they're currently using to be validated.

Bills: SB6061 , SB6234 , SB6176 , SB6335 , SB6047 , HB2235 , HB2340 , HB2464 , HB2619 , HB1376 , HB1796 , HB2091 , HB2249 , HB2254 , HB2353 , HB2431 , HB2441 , SB5808 , SB5949 , HB2124 , HB1069 , HB2104 , HB2624 , SB6061 , SB6234 , SB6176 , SB6335 , SB6047 , HB2235 , HB2464 , HB2619 , HB1376 , HB1796 , HB2091 , HB2249 , HB2353 , HB2431 , SB5808 , SB5949 , HB2124 , HB2104 , HB2624 , HB2510 , HB1347 , HB1759 , HB1983 , HB2120 , HB2264 , HB2338 , HB2385 , HB2436 , HB2495 , HB2521 , HB2604 , HB2610 , HB2675

Keywords: tourism, self-supported assessment, funding, statewide promotion, economic development, sewage, grinder pumps, residential buildings, regulation, construction, vehicle registration, enforcement, renewal, transportation, state law, state commission, infrastructure, traffic safety, responsibilities, state capital projects

Transcript Highlights:

• So we advocate for robust and efficient post-election audits that can validate voting.
• So we advocate for robust and efficient post-election audits that can validate vote counts and bolster
• margins with identification numbers, and then sample just a relative handful of those ballots to validate
• ballot in the federal election year, but when you start going down ballot, if you're checking the validity
• But when you start going down ballot, if you're checking the validity of down-ballot, how does that look

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Election Laws

Summary: The Committee on Election Laws held a hearing on election security bills, focusing first on S. 517 and H. 876, which would strengthen Massachusetts’ post-election audit process. Testimony from the Brennan Center, Common Cause Massachusetts, Verified Voting, and the League of Women Voters supported expanding audits to include all ballot types, increasing audit frequency from every four years to every two years, requiring statewide audit reports to be posted within 30 days and kept online for six years, and allowing municipalities to conduct audits under state standards. Witnesses also praised the bill’s creation of a work group to study risk-limiting audits and other improvements, emphasizing public confidence, transparency, and the ability of audits to detect errors or deter fraud. Committee members asked detailed questions about how Massachusetts compares with other states, how risk-limiting audits differ from current tabulation audits, how audits are selected and expanded if discrepancies appear, and what the costs and mechanics of different audit methods would be. Witnesses explained that current audits are typically random, hand-count-based checks of selected contests and batches of ballots, that risk-limiting audits use statistical sampling and can escalate to a full recount if needed, and that Massachusetts’ local-control structure makes a collaborative work group useful. They also noted that audits generally confirm results but can uncover errors that do not change outcomes, and occasionally more serious problems. The committee then heard testimony on H. 832, which would authorize the Secretary of the Commonwealth to take emergency actions affecting elections during declared emergencies. Supporters said the bill would create a clear statutory process for rescheduling or adjusting elections during severe weather or other crises, including allowing emergency absentee ballot accommodations for civilian responders, and would reduce the need for court intervention. No votes were taken on the bills during the hearing, and the meeting ended with adjournment after no additional testimony was offered.

Transcript Highlights:

• overturned the trial court, finding that the exemption cited by the Department of Corrections was valid
• That was a valid exemption. So any questions about the four cases?
• Where it was appealed, the court said, no, that was a valid exemption.
• Where it was appealed, the court bill said, no, that was a valid exemption.
• Yes, the point of the statute read and the support of it were valid.

Transcript Highlights:

• The third piece is the validation piece. Do I have the defenses to protect against AI threats?
• So the validate... Piece is so important.
• So this is the framework Should pretty much adopt: discover, detect, validate, remediate.
• Then we take a look at how we can really validate your controls and what bad things are happening.
• We conduct penetration testing to validate that.

Committee: House Science, Technology & Telecommunications Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:23:29.320><c> because</c> that your second was not valid because that your second was not valid
• That's a valid point. Representative Cytek or Representative Logic?
• </c> That's<00:56:19.640><c> valid</c><00:56:19.920><c> point.
• </c><00:56:20.280><c> Representative</c><00:56:21.080><c> Cytek</c> That's valid point.
• Representative Cytek That's valid point.

Committee: House Executive Departments and Administration

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> think is above board and is validated think is above board and is validated and<00:28:20.000><c>
• </c><01:02:54.000><c> a</c> ways to say um we need to validate a ways to say um we need to validate a
• Now permissioned in the node validation.
• That is one will validate transactions.
• Now this applies for validated or not.

Summary: The commission met with a quorum, approved the agenda, and approved the November 12 minutes after a motion, second, and unanimous voice/online consent. The chair said the meeting would include two presentations—one from Noah Herman of Fortress Global and one from John Kicko and team from Hedera—followed by discussion of the commission’s next steps and public comment. The chair also noted he was still seeking a clerk for note-taking. Herman’s presentation focused on stablecoins, blockchain use cases, and operational considerations for states and other institutions. He described Fortress as an enterprise crypto-wallet and treasury platform serving corporates, governments, and nonprofits, and used examples such as Save the Children and a large global commodities firm to illustrate custody and treasury management on blockchain rails. He said stablecoins are designed to maintain a U.S. dollar peg, are increasingly backed by treasuries and subject to greater transparency, and are being adopted by major firms and payment companies because they can improve speed, reduce cost, and simplify payments. He also highlighted market growth, including claims that stablecoins now represent a significant share of on-chain activity and are a major holder of U.S. Treasuries. He identified custody as a key issue for state and institutional use, outlining qualified custody, managed custody, and self-custody models. He said the main practical challenge for the commodities client was moving funds safely and quickly across global time zones and that blockchain rails could solve problems that traditional banking rails could not. He framed the broader trend as one of accelerating institutional adoption, citing recent acquisitions and product launches by Visa, Stripe, Citi, and PayPal as evidence that stablecoin infrastructure is becoming mainstream.